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
Serving the ACU community since 1912
Chapel Checkup Credited Chapels to date:
Wednesday, March 29, 2006 Wednesday, May 3, 2006
03
Calendar & Events Wednesday
Vector Marketing recruiting, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Campus Center ticket windows.
04
Thursday
Silent Sessions free tickets, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Campus Center ticket window.
Craft Fair sign-ups, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Campus Center ticket windows.
Craft Fair sign-ups, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Campus Center ticket windows.
Shinnery Review book sale, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Campus Center.
Shinnery Review book sale, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Campus Center.
Nelson Luau sign-ups, 11:301 p.m., Campus Center ticket windows.
Nelson Luau sign-ups, 11:30-1 p.m., Campus Center ticket windows.
CAB Surveys, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Campus Center ticket windows.
International Student’s Association Chai Cafe, 9 p.m.-10:45 p.m., Campus Center Living Room.
Volunteer Opportunities Thomas Elementary is seeking ACU students who would be willing to assist students in taking and grading a reading and math benchmark test at the student’s grade level. It ends Friday. Hours are from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. For more information contact the Volunteer and Service-Learning Center. Students can sign up to carry a flag in the Parade of Flags during Opening Assembly on Aug. 28. The Opening Assembly of 2006 marks the 101st official opening of another fall semester at ACU. Current students and employees for the fall 2006 semester who want to participate can contact the Office of University Events at 674-2632 or send an e-mail to UniversityEvents@acu. edu. Applicants must include their name, e-mail address and which flag they prefer. Flags are assigned on first-come basis.
For more information contact the Volunteer and Service-Learning Center. A family from Burundi currently living in Abilene needs students who can periodically provide transportation for shopping and other needs. Contact Susan Moellinger at abileneed@capitalsenior.com or call 793-1144. An elderly lady needs volunteers to help with some yard work beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday. To sign up or for more information, e-mail Kayla Anderson at kxa02b@acu.edu. The Ben Richey Boys Ranch needs volunteers for its golf tournament. Shifts begin at 8:30 a.m. and go throughout the day until late afternoon at Fairway Oaks Country Club. For more information contact the Volunteer and Service-Learning Center.
05
Friday
Last day of classes.
Craft Fair, 5-10 p.m., Campus Center Hilton Room.
Survival Kits pre-order, 7 a.m.-11:45 p.m., Campus Center ticket windows.
Shinnery Review book sale, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Campus Center.
Announcements Students can vote for Homer Hiccolm and the Rocketboys to compete to play at Cornerstone Festival in Bushnel, Ill. Cornerstone is the largest Christian music festival in the world with an annual attendance of nearly 40,000 people. Visit http://www.cornerstonefestival. com/newbandshowcase.cfm to vote. Voting ends May 28. Transfer group leaders are needed by Welcome Week 2006. For more information, email Casey Thomas at clt03e@ acu.edu. There will be an interview and a short information sheet to fill out. Dead Day Recycling will offer students a chance to give away their unwanted clutter in exchange for free Cajun
Cones. There will be a truck from Goodwill on campus on Dead Day to take donations. Donors will receive a free Cajun Cone. More details will be available on my.ACU soon. Students can register to compete or volunteer for the Red Dirt Adventure Challenge on Saturday at Lake Abilene. Adventure Race includes two miles by canoe, six miles by bike, and two miles by foot plus three challenges For more information, visit: http://www. acu.edu/students/outdoorclub/ rdac.html Hosted by: ACU Outdoor Club and HSU Outdoor Adventures. Currently sponsored by: BikeTown, Clif Bars, Crux Climbing, Family Life Center, and Moosejaw Mountaineering.
About This Page The Optimist maintains this calendar for the ACU community to keep track of local social, academic and service opportunities. Groups may send announcements directly to optimist@acu.edu or to the Page 2 Editor, ACU Box 27892, Abilene, TX 79699.
To ensure that an item will appear on time, the announcement should be sent at least 10 days before. The Optimist may edit items for space and style. Corrections and clarifications of published news articles will be printed in this space in a timely manner.
Credited Chapels remaining:
68 02
Police Log (edited for space)
April 24 9:41 a.m. Checked welfare of student at University Park Apartments, all OK 9:55 p.m. Report of suspicious vehicle in Sherrod lot. Contacted two students who were studying
April 25 7 a.m. Theft report at Gardner Hall, 2:30 p.m. Alarm at library, alarm malfunction, alarm reset April 26. 12:05 a.m. Report of suspicious subject at Sikes Lot, contacted two subjects all OK 12:45 a.m. Fire alarm at Mabee Hall, no fire, all OK 2:18 a.m. Report of burning smell in the area, checked tar in parking lot 3:30 p.m. Fingerprinted student at the station 8:30 p.m. Report of criminal mischief at Administration building, student had written their initials in the wet cement 11:49 p.m. Two acid bombs were detonated at Edwards lot parking lot, no damage to vehicles or property at this time April 27 12:09 a.m. Report of suspicious subjects in Nelson lot. Several subjects were playing “capture the flag,” all OK 3:30 p.m. Report of suspicious female yelling at East North 10th Street & Cedar Crest Road, Female was confused but doing nothing illegal. She stated she was waiting on a ride 4:25 p.m. Second call in reference to female at East North 10th Street
& Cedar Crest Road, female was leaving the area upon arrival April 28 12:17 a.m. WFF reporting two students inside of library. Contacted two Team 55 workers, all OK 3:30 p.m. Contacted several students at Intramural Field. Students were asked to leave, due to possible damage to field April 29 12 a.m. Report of loud party at 800 E.N. 15th St., contacted resident and advised to keep noise down 1:07 a.m. Report of loud part at 600 E.N. 21st St., contacted resident, party was already shut down 3 a.m. Assisted Abilene Police Department with intoxicated female causing a disturbance at 1600 Cedar Crest Road 10:40 p.m. Report of prowler at 633 E.N. 15th St., checked area, unable to locate 11:24 p.m. Traffic stop at East North 16th Street & Campus Court Road, for disregarding stop sign April 30 12:15 a.m. Standby at Third Rock Creamery during closing of business 1:10 a.m. Disturbance at University Park Apartments, case #06-072 2:15 a.m. Assisted Abilene Police Department with information on student 10 p.m. Report of two older males in vehicle watching females at Gardner lot, checked area, unable to locate
Corrections The story “Young Alumnus honored Tuesday” on page 1 of the April 26 issue of the Optimist mistakenly said the Young Alumnus of the Year award events took place April 25. The event actually took place Monday and Tuesday. In Friday’s Optimist, an
information box with the story “Social clubs elect leaders” on page 3 incorrectly identified Christopher Smith as the newly elected president of the social club Delta Chi Rho. Smith actually is the outgoing president and Jonathan Gray will fill the position.
Wednesday, May 3, 2006
Page 3
CAMPUS NEWS
Students experience West Texas weather whirlwind n Weather in Abilene will continue to be unpredictable with May’s arrival of the most severe weather, said Andrew LaFavers, KTXS meteorologist. By TIFFANY GAUNTT Student Reporter
In the past two weeks, Abilene has seen a jump in temperatures and weather conditions that have affected students across campus. The weather has been cool, hot, rainy and sunny all in a matter of weeks, and the only explanation is that this is just Texas weather, said Andrew LaFavers, meteorologist for
KTXS Channel 12 and associate professor in the chemistry and biochemistry departments. During mid-April, the high temperature reached the upper 90s, which is above the average high of 80 degrees in Abilene during this time of year. “We go through periods of time where, to the average person, the weather looks like it might be a little crazy, but that’s just Texas weather for you,” LaFavers said. The storm system that was supposed to strike Abilene last Friday did not produce major damage in the city, but more rain is expected for
Abilene during the week, with a cold front pushing through Wednesday night. Students like Casey McDonald, sophomore exercise science major from Missouri City, were delayed from traveling because of weather conditions across the state. McDonald needed to go to Lubbock to pick up her new puppy but feared returning to Abilene at night. “The weather was supposed to be terrible, and I didn’t want to risk anything happening to me, or the dog for that matter,” McDonald said. Katie Thompson, sophomore elementary education
Busting the moves
major from Allen, found herself in standstill traffic on the border of Oklahoma and Texas on Friday in heavy rain and running out of gas. Once she reached Gainsville, Thompson said the gas station where she would have filled up was demolished. She and her family spent two hours at Cracker Barrel until traffic began to flow again. There they discovered Gainsville had just been struck by a tornado. “I was just kind of in shock,” Thompson said. “We were so blessed because we were sitting in traffic while this was going on.”
Safety during the month of May is important, and students need to stay close to a TV or radio and listen to any warnings that could be broadcast, LaFavers said. LaFavers said May is Texas’ most unpredictable severeweather month, because it is in Tornado Alley. “The best tip I can give to anyone is to always be prepared and keep your eyes to the sky.” As school winds down and students leave for summer, certain precautions need to be considered before and during the moving process. The average temperatures during May are in the low 90s,
so staying hydrated is important for students while packing and unloading, LaFavers said. “Drinking carbonated drinks or any alcoholic beverages will not replenish the water back into your body; you need to drink good old H2O to do that,” LaFavers said. During the summer, LaFavers suggests taking several water breaks throughout the day, wearing sunscreen with SPF 10 or more, wearing light colored clothing and only working outdoors during the early morning or late night. E-mail Gauntt at: optimist@acu.edu
Comic artist to come to Abilene n Michelle Finley raised money for a year to bring Scott McCloud, comic book artist, theorist and lecturer to Abilene on Thursday for a free lecture.
“I believe the lecture will benefit, fascinate and simply enrich the perspectives of those not necessarily involved in comics. ...” Michelle Finley, senior history major from Corinth
By MITCH HOLT Staff Writer
ANNA CARROLL/Staff Photographer
Amanda Helland, senior theatre major from Ramona, Calif., and Rebekah Wheeler, freshman theatre major from Perkaise, Pa., practice moves for their choreography class Tuesday afternoon in the Williams Performing Arts Center.
Renowned comic book artist, theorist and lecturer Scott McCloud will speak at 7 p.m. Thursday in Cullen Auditorium in a free lecture about comics and the future of the industry. McCloud has illustrated and authored many graphic novels, including DC Comics’ Superman Adventures and the comic book Zot! His storytelling for DC Comics’ Superman Adventures was a project in 1997 based on the Warner Brothers cartoon and one McCloud is proud of, he said on his Web site. Michelle Finley, senior history major from Corinth, and the student who raised the money for McCloud to speak at ACU, said she’s been working for more than a year to bring the artist to Abilene. “I wanted it on the ACU
campus because I wanted to share McCloud’s lecture with the ACU community,” Finley said. “But I also wanted his lecture to be open to the rest of the community as well. I simply thought this event would bring a unique voice to this campus and the community as a whole.” Finley is the manager of Comics & Collectables in Abilene, and she said she’s been a fan of McCloud for many years. She said this lecture is for anyone who is interested in connecting with and learning about the cutting-edge theories and technology in the art of storytelling through words, pictures and other graphics. McCloud has written several books about the nature of the comic book medium, including Understanding Comics in 1993 and Rein-
venting Comics in 2000. This fall, Making Comics will be released and will discuss how to break into the industry as a creatively minded individual. He has spoken at institutions such as Harvard, Massachusetts Institute Technology, Pixar, Microsoft and The Smithsonian Institution. “I believe the lecture will benefit, fascinate and simply enrich the perspectives of those not necessarily involved in comics and the arts in general,” Finley said. The visiting artist’s presentation will last about an hour and will include a multimedia presentation about Web comics, the future of comic book art and McCloud’s inner thoughts about comic books, she said. E-mail Holt at: mah02f@acu.edu
Page 4
Wednesday, May 3, 2006
CAMPUS NEWS
Maxwell luncheon attracts more than 500 attendees n Author John Maxwell spoke with nearly 200 business students April 25 before ending the Centennial Speaker Series with a talk about leadership. By CAMILLE PAINTER Student Reporter
The Centennial Speaker Series ended at a climax April 25 when author John Maxwell spoke to sold-out crowd of 520 people about four common characteristics of successful people at a luncheon. Centennial activities coordinator Jennifer Ellison said this was the largest number of people to attend a Centennial Speaker luncheon and was
second only to Robin Roberts’ dinner time audience of 800 for the record of the largest crowd of all speakers visiting campus this year. In his speech, Maxwell said successful leaders are good at building relationships, training and developing others, looking at adversity positively and understanding that leadership is about influence. Ellison said she appreciated Maxwell’s emphasis on relationship and attitude. “In his speech, talking about how important attitude is to a leader, he said, ‘It’s not that they have fewer problems than less successful people; they just have the tenacity to work
through obstacles and problems,’” Ellison said in an e-mail. Dr. Gary McCaleb, vice president of the university, interviewed Maxwell for a cable program before the speech and introduced him at the luncheon. “I hope maybe some of the students who heard him speak found insight or something helpful to them as they prepare for their careers,” McCaleb said. The luncheon attracted the attention of many business professors. Dr. Rick Lytle, dean of the College of Business Administration, said this is because business focuses on leadership, which is the subject of all 30 of
Maxwell’s books. “We were sort of a co-host of his speech because he predominantly speaks to business clientele across the world, so we were partners in bringing him to campus with alumni,” Lytle said. Maxwell is an in-demand man in the business world, and most business professionals have read two or three of his books throughout their career, Lytle said. “It’s very difficult to get him in person,” Lytle said. “Most business professionals listen to him through some sort of a video conference … so it was quite an honor to have him on campus in person.”
Although the lecture began at noon and lasted until 1:30 p.m., Maxwell spoke for only 15 to 20 minutes, and then had a question-and-answer session. Lytle said the best session was the one where Maxwell spoke to nearly 200 business students that morning. “He spoke to them for an hour and a half and did some Q-and–A, so you had 175 students that had rubbing-elbow time with him,” Lytle said. “I’ve heard great feedback from that session.” Although Maxwell spent extra time with people in the College of Business Administration, his message was meant for everybody.
“Leadership transcends all aspects of somebody’s life: church, home, marketplace,” Lytle said. “In every profession, every social setting, leadership’s an issue, so he had a wide cross-section of participation at all of his events.” Not only does his message apply to all professions, but to all positions within a profession. “People can lead wherever they are in the organization,” Maxwell said in a press release. “They can lead up, across and down.”
E-mail Painter at: optimist@acu.edu
Maymester courses focus on intense, in-class studying n Courses for the three-week term include Intro to Art, Major British Writers I, Civilization I, Principles of Marketing and Developmental Psychology. By MICHELLE JIMENEZ Student Reporter
Students who wish to knock out three credit hours in less than a semester can stay on campus during the month of May and take Maymester, a regular semester-long course condensed to one to three weeks. Although the short course might attract many students, some professors warn that
students taking Maymesters should be focused and stay on top of work. Dr. Brian Cavitt, instructor of chemistry, is teaching Consumer Chemistry during Maymester. The course will discuss topics such as air pollution, the predicted oil crisis, the use of plastic in everyday life and other issues that affect consumers. “This isn’t designed to be a course where you take it, and it’s beating you to death and trying to see how tough you are,” Cavitt said. “It’s a course designed to make you think about issues that might actu-
ally affect you as a consumer.” Because it’s a Maymester course, it will be a little more intense than usual, Cavitt said, but more work will not be required than in a semester-long course. Shawn Maxwell, junior Christian ministry major from Edmond, Okla., took a Maymester course in Field Biology last summer with Dr. Thomas Lee, associate professor of biology. He said he didn’t take the class as seriously as he should have. “They don’t necessarily require you to amass, learn as much material as they do in a regular semester, but they do
require you to learn a lot more than you’re used to in seven days,” Maxwell said. Maxwell’s Maymester course was a three-week course that required a field trip to Ruidoso, N.M. The first and last weeks of the class were spent in Abilene studying more than 100 specific specimens in jars and on tables, learning their scientific names and how to identify different species. The second week was spent in New Mexico where he and his fellow class members spent some of their days setting up traps to catch gophers, rats, mice, bats and
other such animals. When they weren’t setting up traps, he said they were observing different species of animals at various levels of elevation. Overall, Maxwell said it was a good experience that he would do again. For some students, however, Maymester is a new concept, and they are apprehensive about the courses. Krystal Flores, sophomore nutrition major from Del Rio, is taking Introduction to World Evangelization during her first Maymester. “It’s a little intimidating,” Flores said. “I got an e-mail
[from the professor of the course] saying that it will be a very intense course.” She said one of her uncertainties about the class is that she won’t have enough time to get all her work done, but she said she is looking forward to the challenge and the education. Some Maymester courses include: Intro to Art, Major British Writers I, Civilization I, Principles of Marketing and Developmental Psychology. Students can register for classes until May 16, the first day of classes. E-mail Jimenez at: optimist@acu.edu
Departments celebrate graduates Graduate students travel to Nigeria n Math, journalism and mass communication, exercise science and communication departments are among those conducting ceremonies for seniors. By RACHEL WINSTON Student Reporter
Although students don’t graduate until May, throughout the month of April, each department celebrated the graduation of its students in its own way. The Math Department had its senior ceremony April 11 at the Elks building banquet room. Bo Green, professor of math and computer science, gave the speech this year. “It’s our centennial year, so we thought it was a good idea to look at our history as a department,” said David Hendricks, chair of the department. Briarstone catered the event, and awards were given to a number of seniors. Jace Miller, computer science major from Abilene, won the Dwight A. Cawfield Computer Science Award. “I’m glad that my family could be there to see me win
such an honor,” Miller said. The Journalism and Mass Communication Department had its Senior Sanctuary on April 11 at the University Church courtyard. This year’s Media Tactics class planned the event. Blair Jennings, junior integrated marketing communication major from Dallas, helped with the event. She said the class members’ goal was to provide a nice and well-planned event for the seniors and have many of them attend. “It went well,” Jennings said. “Seniors had fun. They even did a conga line to the steel drum band.” The professors in the department gave blessings to the seniors at the end of the dinner and gave them a gift. The Communication Department had its senior award luncheon in the Hilton Room on April 24. Dr. Cardot, chair of the Communication Department, gave the blessing. “We have the senior awards luncheon to send the graduates off to the next chapter of their lives,” Cardot said. Lynn Hartshorn, from
Abilene, won the University Scholar award for the Communication Department. The University Scholar award is voted on by faculty and is given to an “all-around” student in the department. Hartshorn said she sees the award as a great accomplishment. “I am in my mid-40s now, and it took me a long time to get this degree and to get to this point,” Hartshorn said. “It was a great honor.” The Department of Exercise Science will have its senior event Monday, and it will include a luncheon and a golf tournament. Suzie Whitworth, administrative coordinator for the department, said she is enthusiastic about the event. “Most of the seniors are very close to the faculty, so it is a chance to enjoy each other socially before they move on,” Whitworth said. The golf tournament will begin at 8:30 a.m., and the luncheon will be at Betty Rose’s at 1 p.m. Awards will be given in Exercise Science, Exercise Science and Sports and Nutrition.
E-mail Winston at: optimist@acu.edu
n The 11-member group will leave for Lagos, Nigeria, on June 22 to provide training and counseling, and each member must raise $2,500 to go. By MEGAN LOWE Student Reporter
A group of 11 students, including seven graduate students from the Department of Marriage and Family Therapy, will travel to Lagos, Nigeria, this summer to provide training and counseling. Tessa Iacono, a graduate student in marriage and family therapy from Abilene, said the students going will do many different activities to assist the Nigerian people. “We will be teaching pastors and leaders how to give premarital counseling, and we will also be teaching abstinence and purity programs to Nigerian teens and giving parenting workshops,” Iacono said. The group also will visit an orphanage while in Nigeria and will donate clothes, shoes and school supplies to the children living in the orphanage. “I felt like God was calling
“It seemed like an awesome opportunity to serve God through my talents and life experiences.” Tessa Iacono, marriage and family therapy graduate student from Abilene
me to teach what I have learned in the program to people in another culture who do not get as much of an opportunity to hear what we have to say,” Iacono said. “It seemed like an awesome opportunity to serve God through my talents and life experiences.” Each person going on the trip must pay $2,500, so the group has done many fundraisers to raise money for the students traveling, as well as for the work to take place in Nigeria. Buffy Bartlett, graduate student in the MFT program, from Mobile, Ala., said the fundraisers were a big help financially for the expenses of the trip. On Feb. 11, the group planned a Sweetheart Dinner at the Williams Performing Arts Center. “We had an incredible turn out and everyone was very generous with financial support and prayer,” Bartlett said. So far at least $17,000 has been raised. Other fundraisers included garage sales in March and April, a cook-off at the Hard-
wood Café on campus and letters and presentations to individuals and non-profit organization donors. The students have also teamed up with Third Rock Creamery to sell ice cream for their trip. Eniabitobi Esi-Edodo, a Nigerian graduate student in the Marriage and Family Therapy program, is in charge of the trip to her homeland. Bartlett said one of Esi-Edodo’s goals is to keep the MFT program in touch with the people in Nigeria and to enable students to keep coming back during the summers to work with the people there. The group will leave June 22 and return July 4. Donations are still being taken for the trip; money will go to purchasing curriculum supplies and donation items to bring to the orphanage. Students can e-mail Tessa Iacono at tli05a@acu.edu for more information.
E-mail Lowe at: optimist@acu.edu
Wednesday, May 3, 2006
Page 5
FROM THE FRONT PAGE
Commute: Students sleep outside for Ugandan cause Continued from page 1
integrated marketing communication major from Fort Worth, said the video opened her eyes. “After I saw the video, it made me realize what kind of evil really exists in our world,” Barrow said. “We are doing our part to make a statement to let people see something they usually close their eyes, to.” The film, which showed
images of suffering African children, challenged its audience to do more than feel sorry for the invisible children of Uganda. Several university students and Abilenians took that challenge by sacrificing one night of comfort for the sake of children on a distant continent they’ve never met. The Global Night Commute in Abilene began for ACU students in Bennett
Gym at 7 p.m. and ended at the First Baptist Church parking lot, where students piled in with sleeping bags. After conquering the fivemile walk from the northeast side of town, the participants set up camp and began the second phase of the Global Night Commute. Participants wrote letters to President Bush and Texas Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison and John
Cornyn and created several art projects that included pictures of themselves and their response to the Northern Uganda situation. The pieces of art are going to be compiled into a book and sold online to benefit the Invisible Children cause. The protest continued through the night as participants left their beds for a spot in the parking lot. As the sun rose, so did the
commuters for a group picture and camp cleanup before retracing their journey back to campus. Houston Shearon, graduate student of theology and organizer of the event, said this commute is a springboard to get things moving to help the children of Northern Uganda. “Right now there are over 500 people in Abilene that believe spending one night
on the streets is worth opening our government’s eyes and thinking of new ways to help these kids,” Shearon said. “Students need to take the initiative to educate themselves and realize that they can use their personal skills, whatever they may be, and find a way to contribute beyond tonight.”
E-mail Johnson at: djj04a@acu.edu
Welcome: Center awaits donations Pledging: Events Continued from page 1 The center would also house the ACU Investment Office, the chancellor’s office, and a meeting room capable of holding as many as 450 people at a seated dinner with a theater to show videos promoting the school. “Guests will be taken care of and feel welcome,” Watson said. “The work of the departments can all happen in one place; currently many of the departments moving in are
scattered around campus.” Although plans have been made for the 57,000 squarefoot welcome center, Watson said until the money is raised, construction will not begin. The project is estimated at $14 million, and the money will be raised through donations. “We have a master plan in which the university’s president’s cabinet met and laid out what they deemed to be of highest priority for the university,” Watson said. “We
then look at the projects on the priority list that have donor support. “Each of our new buildings is a gift to the university; funded by gracious donors,” Watson said. Watson also said once construction is underway, it probably will take at least 18 months to complete the welcome center. Phil Schubert, vice president of finance, said it is important for this welcome center to be completed soon
and to be an impressive facility. “When you come to ACU’s campus, this will be the first stop you make,” Schubert said. “We want a great place to welcome people to our campus.” Schubert said he wants students to be proud of their campus. “And hopefully this project will be completed sooner rather than later,” he said. E-mail Gentry at: optimist@acu.edu
Bigby: Campus loses team player Continued from page 1 “He was always in the weight room, always trying to make the team better,” Matai said. Teammates described Bigby as one who would always do the work no one else wanted to do: diving on the floor for the ball, showing up to the weight room when it wasn’t mandatory and being there for the rest of his teammates when they needed his help or were going through hardships. Norman Alexander, junior forward and undeclared major from Dallas, said Bigby was a “blue-collar guy.”
“He did all the team’s dirty work,” Alexander said. “He was like the energizer bunny.” Not only did Bigby like to play hard on the court, but he also played hard off the court as well. Labeled by many on the team as the comic relief that kept everybody loose in pressure situations and at practice, Bigby has left many lasting memories with the players he once suited up with. Players talk about the practical jokes Bigby used to pull during practice. He once caught one of the notorious bats that reside in the Moody rafters and placed it in a teammate’s lap as
a surprise and he coined nicknames such as “Meal Ticket” for fellow teammate and junior guard, Emile Brown and placed funny pictures in his teammates’ lockers. “[Bigby] loved to joke around — that’s what I loved about him,” Brown said. “But the one thing I noticed about him when I came [on to the team] at Christmas time was how hard he would work in practice and in the weight room ... all he cared about was helping the team.” While he played hard on the court and had plenty of laughs off the court, this 6-
foot-4-inch, 200-pound center will always be remembered by teammates as having the biggest of hearts. “Josh would give up his body in a heartbeat for us,” Brown said. At home, his family awaits the arrival of Bigby’s jersey, while some coaches and players have already visited the family and attended the funeral. But for most of the basketball team members still in Abilene — they haven’t lost just a teammate — they’ve lost a family member. E-mail Holland at: beh03e@acu.edu
to begin in August
Continued from page 1 could be cut short. “All the presidents and officers worked together to find a new schedule so pledging could still last four and a half weeks,” Williams said. “We can’t get everything we need to accomplish done in only three weeks. Pledges need time to bond together Barnard and learn and appreciate what it mean to be part of the club.” Williams, junior elementary education major from Boerne, said so far club presidents have not been notified of new rules or regulations regarding pledging. “This whole month has been dealing with calendar issues since keeping pledging the same length was so important,” she said. Barnard agreed that keeping the same amount of time was important. “I think pledges just need
to know that as soon as school starts, so does pledging,” he said. He said other than the timing of pledging, no new policies will begin this fall. Last semester three clubs were either kicked off campus or suspended because of pledging problems, including hazing allegations against men’s social club “I think the clubs learned a lot this year from pledging,” he said. “Clubs will still have to submit their pledging activities to be approved, but as long as the activities are safe for everyone and respectful of the pledges in a Christian way, then the pledging process will be fine.” He said submitting activities is not meant to restrict clubs but to help them. “This doesn’t mean that the clubs can’t have fun, and it doesn’t mean, especially for men’s social clubs, that they can’t be rigorous and a challenge,” he said. “We just have to pay a lot of attention to safety issues this year.” E-mail Sherwood at: mes02e@acu.edu
Page 6
May 3, 2006
Facebook, MySpace dangerous place to play The Issue:
Students think that Web sites such as Facebook and MySpace are just harmless fun, but should use caution when posting pictures and other information.
Our view:
Although safeguards are in place, anyone with an e-mail address and Internet access can view what is posted online. This includes employers, professors, and those with evil intentions.
The solution:
Just because “everybody is doing it” is not a good reason to be foolish online. When in doubt, don’t post pictures or other information.
Students spend much of their time on Facebook perusing classmates’ profiles, reading messages and connecting with people across the country from elementary and high school. While this online forum has many benefits, students and faculty should be aware of the dangers it brings as well. Facebook and MySpace are two social networking Web sites that have become the latest online craze in a matter of years. Three Harvard students created Facebook in the fall 2004. Since then, Facebook has spread from Harvard’s campus to colleges, universities, junior colleges and high schools in the U.S. and Canada and now boasts of more than 4 million members. Just because a member has to have a school e-mail address to have a profile doesn’t mean the Web site is safe. Students post their classes, cell phone numbers, instant messenger screennames, birthdays, hometowns, and other in-
formation — all so Students they can connect with others across the country. Many students also post crude comments, pictures from recent parties and too much information about themselves about what they do when not in school. Facebook is not a private venture, so anything that is posted online can and probably will be held against you somewhere down the line. Many companies and graduate schools regularly search the Internet for information about potential employees and applicants. This could mean you, if you want to do anything after college. Don’t let what you post online in fun hurt your future. And don’t let it hurt you now. Although this is not the case on this campus, many universities’ officials search Facebook for student involvement in illegal activity or for violations of their stu-
the risk of being followed or found by people they might not want following them. He also said MySpace has become a popular hangout for online pedophiles and others with questionable intentions. Be careful who you befriend online, and think twice before meeting anyone in person who you first met online. Saltsman said the most important thing students can do to protect themselves is to think. Think about what you post online because you can’t ever take it back. Friends, family, employers, faculty and staff all review student’s profiles and blog postings. Facebook is like posting your everyday conversations online. How many people do you want listening in on everything you say? Students have a big responsibility to watch what they say and do online, but faculty also share this responsibility.
have a big responsibility to watch what they say and do online.
dent guide books. Dr. Wayne Barnard, dean of Campus Life, said students need to be informed about the dangers they face delving into the online social network. He also said new policies might be created beginning next fall to deal with how students represent themselves online. Jeopordizing one’s future is only one part of the danger Facebook and MySpace bring. Another aspect is when students post too much information and have to deal with stalkers. George Saltsman, director of education technology for the Adams Center of Teaching Excellence, said the ACU Police Department deals with several stalking-type incidents each year. He warned that students who disclose too much information about themselves subject themselves to
Let Loose
If I can sum it up in one grand statement, the past four years at ACU have taught me this: Relationships with people are the most important things in life. Sure, I’ve learned a lot of valuable things in my Soapbox classes. But Central the classes that I have Dani learned the Linthicum most in have been taught by those professors who have taken the time to learn more about me than my name, hometown and major. The professors who influenced me most are those who had the courage to open their homes to rowdy college kids, answer my questions for the seemingly hundredth time, and come up to the Optimist office to offer advice and support when normal office hours have long since passed. While I have learned a lot in classes and through activities on campus, sev-
The past four years at ACU have taught me this: Relationships with people are the most important things in life. eral of my most meaningful lessons have been outside the classroom and off the ACU campus. If the experience of moving four states away from home for college wasn’t enough, I have traveled with Spring Break Campaigns and Study Abroad, and been blessed to see and be a part of things that have shaped my worldview and opened my eyes in profound ways. However, none of these opportunities would have meant anything without the people involved. Freshman year, my best friend and I went on a SBC to Philadelphia together; and the ministry that we got to be involved in, our whirlwind tour of the city, countless pictures, running up the “Rocky” stairs, first Philly Cheesesteaks and far too many trips to Dunkin’ Donuts created cherished memories and bonded us in a way that few things could
have. Sophomore year, I studied abroad in Oxford, England. I know it sounds trite, but in a few short months, those 35 people became my family. I learned so much that semester, and most of it was from living in such a unique community of incredible people. They taught me to trust, to open up, and most of all, how to love and share in good times and bad. With different contingents of this unique group, I hitchhiked in Norway, ran through the entire Louvre in one morning, got lost in Venice, conquered the mystery of the Italian train system, braved scary hostels and kissed the Blarney stone. Since getting back to Abilene, this community has remained close, and the support, encouragement and friendship that I cherish with them goes beyond anything I could have hoped for when I decided to spend
a semester abroad. In the past two years, I have had the privilege of living with three of the most incredible friends a girl could ask for. My roommates are the sisters I always wanted. In them, God has granted me confidantes, partners in crime and wise counselors. I never have regretted spending time with a friend. As a perfectionist, I often need to remind myself that these treasured friendships are vastly more important than that pesky to-do list, and that it will still be there when I get back from a much-needed heart-to-heart or jaunt to the park. So to those I have traveled with, worked with, lived with and been mentored by — thank you. Thank you for changing my life for the better. Thank you for being my friend. Thank you for teaching me more then I ever thought possible.
E-mail Linthicum at: del01a@acu.edu or optimist@acu.edu
Freshmen have invaded my my degree. section in Chapel. Four years ago, we were Oh, wait. Sorry — wrong still reeling from the effects column. of Sept. 11, which swelled our E n d i n g national pride, and we weren’t my final Op- at war. Now, George “The Detimist col- cider” Bush’s dismal approval umn with the ratings reflect a different scesame lead as nario, but an underlying force my first adds of fear is still at work in our a nice sense country. Too many people are of closure to willing to sacrifice personal my time here, freedoms for security, and not I Am the time spent enough are willing to serve as Enemy d e f e n d i n g a voice for the voiceless. Sarah unpopular Writing for the paper has Carlson arguments, encouraged me to take a stand a l i e n a t i n g for the issues I believe in and certain groups on campus solidified my belief that I and (freshman class of 2004, Gal- other Christians are called to axy, Republicans, etc), and excellence in all that we do. making Don Morris my perOur nation’s headlines manent residence. concern terrorism, the genoLooking back, I cringe at cide in Darfur, torture, illegal some of my columns from wiretapping, CIA leak investithe past two years, realizing gations, immigration laws and now they aren’t half as great rising energy costs. It’s a serias I thought they were back ous time for serious people, then. Imagine publishing ev- and those with a voice can’t ery paper you remain silent wrote minutes and never take before it was due our First AmendI don’t know and you’ll have a ment rights for if there’s ever glimpse into the granted. been a more terror that we It’s been a important time face each issue. privilege writing to be good at However, I stand for you, whether what I do. by my opinions it was a news and have relished story, column, the opportunity editorial or to serve as a student voice on critical review. Thanks to my campus. friends and family, as well as My opinions and views my extended Optimist family, have changed radically during for standing by me throughthe past four years, and one out everything, and thank you thing is clear: I don’t know if to the JMC department and there has ever been a more my professors for preparing important time to be good at me for the road ahead, wherwhat I do. ever it may lead. That’s actually a line from What little advice I can give a West Wing episode, which to those still here: spend a again shows how everything semester away from Abilene; I value in my life is related surround yourself with people to Aaron Sorkin, the show’s who don’t always agree with creator. The quote is from a you; take as many electives as reporter who’s tired of his you can, especially those outpeers complaining about the side of your major or college; scandals and nonsense sto- skip Chapel as much as posries they cover, “as if the news sible; take a philosophy class; was to blame for the quality of be good and do good; seek journalism.” justice. The country’s climate was Thanks for reading. much different when I declared my major as journalism E-mail Carlson at: skc02a@acu.edu or optimist@acu.edu than it is now, when I will earn
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. The Optimist encourages reader response through letters to the editor but reserves the right to limit frequent contributors or to refuse to print letters containing 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. Phone numbers will not be published. Address letters to: ACU Box 27892 Abilene, TX 79699 E-mail letters to: optimist@acu.edu
E-mail the Optimist at: optimist@acu.edu
Remembrance from the critic
Cole Williams
Relationships guide ACU experience
Faculty should learn what Facebook is. Most students are part of this network, and many are on Facebook.com during your classes. Facebook is a doubleedged sword, and faculty need to be aware of its downsides and benefits. Understand that this online phenomenon will not go away any time soon. Learn how to become a member and befriend your students. Help students realize that what they post could hurt them. Facebook was never intended to be a self-incriminating Web site — but a networking system for students and faculty. Have fun with it, use it for what it’s intended, but know that anything you post on the Internet can be seen by anyone, so when in doubt, save your pictures and conversations for a quiet gathering among friends rather than the open forum of the Web.
Editorial and Management Board Jonathan Smith
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Wednesday, May 3, 2006
Page 7
SPORTS JUMPS
Tennis: Women get to stay home for tournament Continued from page 8 in the right mode. Being better than someone means nothing unless we’re ready to battle. But I think we’re ready.” Although the women’s team has not played in a competitive match in more than a week, Jones also said the team will not be fazed. “Every other team is going through the stress from finals and graduation,” he
said. “It’s hot on their side of the net, too. And, it’s good that our girls don’t have to travel for this tournament.” Aside from home-court advantage, the women also have history on their side. The Wildcat women have won six straight regional tournament championships and have reached the national tournament in 11 straight seasons. The men, with a 20-10 record, will travel to Wichita
Falls on Thursday to play the University of the Incarnate Word at 2 p.m. ACU owns the No. 2 seed in the regional tournament, while Midwestern State has the top seed. The Wildcat men lost the right to host the men’s regional when they fell to Midwestern State 5-3 in the Lone Star Conference tournament championship match. If the Wildcats win their semifinal match, they will then face Midwestern State
at 10 a.m. Friday. Midwestern State is the defending regional champion after it rallied from a 4-0 deficit last year to beat the Wildcats 5-4, and earn the program’s first trip to the NCAA Division II national tournament. However, ACU beat Midwestern State 5-4 earlier this season on March 12. “5-4 is as close as you can get in a college tennis match,” Jones said. “All three teams are even. I think that
you make a lot of your own luck in the close matches. The ones who generally get it done are the ones who think they’re going to get it done. And, our guys think that way.” Jones said he predicts the winner of this week’s tournament will be the team with the most optimistic attitude. “It’s going to come down to the team who is positive,” he said. “If we don’t have the maturity to be positive, then
we don’t deserve to win. But, I believe we do have that maturity.” The winners of the regional tournament will play in the NCAA Division II national tournament in Kansas City, Mo. on May 10-13. “We’re hoping to load both the men’s and women’s teams on that bus to Kansas City,” Jones said.
E-mail Freeman at: mxf04b@acu.edu
Manning: New Bear Baseball: Pitchers stay consistent introduced Monday Continued from page 8
Continued from page 8 the screen, and the room erupted with hugs and tears. “I was hugging everybody,” Manning said. Manning said Saturday was one of the best days of his life. “It ranks right up there with turning my life to God and the birth of my first son,” Manning said. “I’ve been dreaming for this for a long time, and now it’s true.” Monday, the Bears introduced Manning to the Chicago media and fans. General Manager Jerry Angelo spoke before bringing Manning to the podium. “I can tell you this first hand; all the information we got was very good, very positive,” Angelo said. “We’re very happy to have him as our No. 1 draft pick.”
Manning addressed the media, and said how big of an honor it is to have the chance to play for the Bears. Many members of the media were concerned about Manning coming from a smaller school, but he tried to calm any worries during his press conference. “I’m going to do my best and contribute to the team as best as I can and to … show the fans that I’m here to play and get the Chicago Bears to where they need to be,” Manning said. Manning said he had heard a lot about the city of Chicago and the weather. Playing in the NFC North Division, Manning will play in games in cold weather. “Once I get there, I’ll adjust,” Manning said.
E-mail Fields at: jrf03b@acu.edu
Track: Teams compete at Drake, Penn relays Continued from page 8 qualify for Saturday’s final. On Saturday, the Wildcat squad did not disappoint, placing third behind LSU and TCU with its second-best time of the season, 3:06.81. ACU defeated its biggest rival in the race, however, edging out fellow Division II powerhouse St. Augustine’s, which finished fourth in 3:06.81. The Wildcats’ semifinal time of 3:06.06 was their best since a 3:05.71 performance in 1998. The Wildcat women’s 4x400-meter relay team bettered its automatic qualifying time, placing third in 3:40.19, behind St. Augustine’s and North Carolina A&T. Several athletes competed this weekend at the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa. Junior Angie Aguilar won the women’s pole vault with a clearance of 12-11 ½. Senior Cory Aguilar placed fourth in the event with a height of 16-6 ¾. Both Aguilars have qualified provisionally for
the national meet. Senior Yevgen Pashchcenko posted a provisional qualifying mark of 24-7 in the long jump. Two meets remain for ACU athletes to qualify for the NCAA Division II Championships, which will take place May 25-27 in Emporia, Kan. Saturday, select athletes will compete in the Texas-Arlington Open in Arlington, and a week later, on May 11, the Wildcats will have their final chance to compete in front of a home crowd—the ACU Twilight Open on May 11. Cox said the women’s team has a national championship in its sights. “Nationals will be good and we have a chance to win if most of us make it to finals and place in the top six,” Cox said. “We have a young and fast team. Team points are the most important thing about nationals.” E-mail Holt at: smh00a@acu.edu
Wiman had eight strikeouts and walked only two batters in six innings pitched. “Wiman really has been there for us all year, and when he’s on he can dominate any lineup,” Bonneau said. The lineup gave Wiman an early cushion with five runs in the third inning highlighted by a home run from first baseman Danny Williams. Once the Wildcats scored five more in the remaining innings, pitcher Matt Sul-
livan stopped a West Texas comeback in the final inning. Williams and left fielder Johnny Zepeda both led the team with three RBI. The Wildcat bats extended their hot streak to the following day of action, leading to a 12-0 game three romping. Ben Maynard gave up only three hits and two walks in seven strong innings pitched. Maynard struck out the Buffaloes five times during his time on the mound and picked up his seventh win of the season. Offensively the Wildcats
were unmatched throughout the game after Joel Wells started things off with a three run homer in the first inning. Wells recorded his 17th home run of the season and led the team with five RBI off three hits. But the well ran dry once more for the Wildcats as the Buffaloes snatched the final win of the series, 4-3. The Wildcats failed once again to facilitate any offensive attack to overtake West Texas’ one-run lead. Although pitchers Jason Kennedy and Brandon Moore
put the Wildcats in a position to win throughout the game they came up short in their final regular season game. Bonneau will need to refocus his team before it heads into the much awaited postseason conference tournament. ACU will host the tournament May 6-9, and Cameron University will be the Wildcats first opponent in their hunt for another LSC South Championship.
E-mail Johnson at: djj04a@acu.edu
Softball: Wildcats fall in LSC final Continued from page 8 five hits, Leal added another win to her record in the second game against SOSU. Both teams were scoreless until the fourth inning when Amber Jankowski hit a home run to center field, helping Channing Morris score as well. SOSU was scoreless for the rest of the game, leading ACU to the championship game, which pitted the team against Midwestern one more time. Midwestern has the best pitching in the conference, so the Wildcats knew what they had to do to take Sunday’s game. “In order to do well we knew were going to have to pitch well and play great defense, and we did,” Chantiel Wilson said. Starting out Sunday afternoon, the Wildcats gave
the Mustangs their first loss of the weekend, scoring singles in both the first and final innings and giving the team a 2-0 win to lead the women into the second game. Leal played her part by spreading nine hits over seven innings with no runs. But in the final game, the Mustangs retaliated to come back and win 5-1, giving Midwestern the LSC Championship title. The Wildcats started with a run by Amber Jankowski in the first inning, but just couldn’t seem to find the ball after that. The Mustangs answered by scoring five runs in the second half, leaving ACU with only three hits for the game. “Midwestern’s pitcher has just had our number all year, and we were not able to capitalize on any of her mistakes,” Wilson said. Leal pitched strongly all
weekend, including the two games on Sunday, even with a few tough calls from the umpires. “We put up a good fight and played strong,” Jade Wilson said. “The umps gave us a few bad calls, and I think we let it affect how we played.” Six seniors played on the team this year, and all of them played big roles in helping the Wildcats win a first-ever 40 games and an LSC South Division title. “We really came together as a team last year, and it carried over into this season,” Jade Wilson said. “We made some adjustments, and every player had a lot of heart and determination. We were all out there for the same reason.” Even with the losses this weekend, the Wildcats have a good chance of receiving
an at-large bid to next week’s regional tournament to continue postseason play. Six Wildcats were named as the all LSC South Division first team selections. Leal was named the division’s Pitcher of the Year with a 26-6 record. Chantiel Wilson was picked as Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season. Senior Jade Wilson, LSC South Division Pre-Season Player of the Year, was also named a first team selection for the second straight year. Nicole Deel at third base, Jenna Daugherty at first base, Jessica Johnson at designated hitter, and Samantha Borgeson at catcher were all also first-time picks on the first team. Senior Claudia Stephens was named honorable mention all-LSC South. E-mail Moore at: aem03e@acu.edu
Page 8
May 3, 2006 Standings BASEBALL
Team Div. Overall Angelo St. 16-4 40-14 ACU 13-7 40-14 WTAMU 11-9 26-27 TAMU-K 9-11 35-19 ENMU 6-14 24-32 5-15 16-38 ENMU
Manning chosen by Bears at No. 42 n Danieal Manning became the first Wildcat selected in the NFL Draft since 1985 when he was picked as the Chicago Bears first pick at No. 42 on Saturday. By JARED FIELDS Sports Editor
SOFTBALL Team ACU TX Woman’s Angelo St. TAMU-K ENMU Tarleton St.
Div. Overall 18-4 38-15 13-8 25-34 13-9 31-24 12-9 25-26 13-11 33-21 9-15 25-22
Scores
Danieal Manning said a dream he’s had since he was 7-years-old came true Saturday. With the 42nd pick in the NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears selected the former Wildcat star with its first pick. Manning was drafted as a free safety by the Bears, the position head coach Lovie Smith wants him to
NFL Draft play. Smith went to Corsicana more than a month ago to watch Manning work out and said in a press conference that he was impressed enough to make Manning a top priority for the draft. The Bears traded its first round pick to the Buffalo Bills at No. 26, and used the extra pick received in the trade to take Manning. Manning’s agent, Russell Hicks, said a scout told him early in the week the Bears would trade their first round pick.
“I hear stuff all the time, so I didn’t give it much attention,” Hicks said. Manning watched the draft from a hotel lobby in his hometown of Corsicana. While the Bears were on the clock, Manning received a call from an unknown number on his cell phone. It was coach Smith. “He said, ‘Are you ready to be a Chicago Bear?’” Manning said. After that Smith told him he was ready to take Manning. Then Manning saw his name across the bottom of See
MANNING page 7
Photo Courtesy of Bill Smith
Danieal Manning stands with Lovie Smith, head coach of the Bears, left, and Jerry Angelo, general manager, right, as he was officially introduced as the Bear’s first draft pick on Saturday after the NFL draft.
Friday
softball ACU 3, SE Oklahoma St. 2
Saturday baseball West Texas A&M 4, ACU 3 ACU 10, West Texas A&M 3 softball Midwestern State 5, ACU 1 ACU 2, SE Oklahoma St. 0
Sunday
baseball ACU 12, West Texas A&M 0 West Texas A&M 4, ACU 3 softball Midwestern State 5, ACU 1
Softball falls short of title n The Wildcats fell to Midwestern State in the LSC championship this weekend but still expect a bid to the regional tournament. By ASHLEY MOORE
Upcoming Schedule Thursday
Men’s tennis ACU at NCAA II Central Regional Women’s tennis NCAA II Central Regional Abilene
Friday Men’s tennis ACU at NCAA II Central Regional Women’s tennis NCAA II Central Regional, Abilene
Saturday
baseball LSC Tournament in Abilene ACU vs. Cameron 4 p.m. Track & field ACU at Texas-Arlington Open, Arlington
Sunday
baseball LSC Tournament in Abilene
Monday
baseball LSC Tournament in Abilene
• Home games listed in italics
Briefs LSC announces postseason softball awards Coach of the Year • Chantiel Wilson Pitcher of the Year • Jennifer Leal South Division First Team •P Jennifer Leal •C Samantha Borgeson •1B Jenna Daugherty •3B Nicole Deel •OF Jade Wilson •DP Jessica Johnson Honorable Mention •OF Claudia Stephens
Sports Writer
The softball team fell to the same team twice this weekend to come up short of the Lone Star Conference Championship, losing an early round game and the championship game to Midwestern State. “We felt we were one of the best teams in Irving this weekend, and we came through just to come up a bit short,” head coach Chantiel Wilson said. Only able to play one game on Friday in Irving because of rain, the Wildcats began their postseason with a 3-2 win against Southeastern Oklahoma State. With a single to right field by Jade Wilson, ACU led in the third inning by two runs. Oklahoma rebounded in the sixth with two runs of their own, followed by a home run by Wilson to put the Wildcats back in the lead for the final time. Senior Jade Wilson played a big role helping score runs and taking advantage of the Wildcats’ at bats. “I really try to move [the players] in the field around and make them move,” Jade Wilson said. “I just tell myself that I have to get on base.” After gaining their first win in the six-team double elimination tournament, the Wildcats moved on to their first game with Midwestern State, a team the Wildcats have shared a mixed record with this season. But the Wildcats fell to the Mustangs 5-1 on Saturday, with Samantha Borgeson’s home run in the second inning the only points the Wildcats saw on their side. The Mustangs scored their five runs in the second half of the game, and the Wildcats didn’t score any runs out of nine total hits. Sarah Vidalin came in to pitch in relief of Jennifer Leal in the fifth inning, giving up only two hits. By the turn of the brackets, ACU played Southeastern Oklahoma State again Saturday, defeating the team again, this time 2-0. With no errors and giving up only See
SOFTBALL page 7
Wildcats end season with split n The Wildcats ended their regular season 13-7 after a split-series this weekend against West Texas A&M. By DANIEL JOHNSON Sports Writer
Inconsistent plate presence led the Wildcats to their second series split and a second place conference finish before heading into the LSC postseason tournament this weekend. The Wildcats won the middle and lost the first and last games against the West Texas A&M Buffaloes in their final regular season series this weekend, topping off their conference record at 13-7 and sustaining
Baseball their spot in the postseason tournament this weekend. The story of the Wildcats’ two losses was one of great pitching and missed opportunities. In spite of holding the Buffaloes to only 11 total runs all weekend, the offense failed to come through twice in the four game series. Despite an impressive outing by pitcher Brian Kennedy in game one, the Buffaloes snuck by the Wildcats, winning 4-3. Kennedy allowed only four hits, walked two batters and struck out the Buffaloes three times in his second loss of the season.
The Wildcats couldn’t hold onto their early lead or facilitate any runs in the final inning of play, which resulted in the close loss. A total of 11 batters were left on base and the lineup only swung for seven hits in the first game. “We didn’t come ready to play,” said head coach Britt Bonneau. “We set out to sweep at home, and the bottom line is we left to many guys on base to do that this weekend.” The Wildcats’ struggles at the plate appeared to end abruptly later that night in the team’s 10-3 second game victory. See
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Tennis teams vie for national win n The women’s tennis team will play at home this weekend and the men’s at Wichita Falls, for the regional tournament. By MICHAEL FREEMAN Sports Writer
The NCAA Division II Central Region tournament draws are out, and both ACU tennis teams are scheduled to play for a chance to advance to the national tournament. The ACU women, who claimed the Lone Star Conference title on April 21, will host three teams Thursday and Friday. The men, however, are traveling
Tennis to Wichita Falls to play in the regional tournament. The Wildcat women, with a record of 28-6 on the season, hold the No. 1 seed in the upcoming tournament. On Thursday, East Central University will take on ACU in a semifinal bout at 3 p.m. at the Eager Tennis Pavilion. The other semifinal match will feature the University of the Incarnate Word and Midwestern State University at 10 a.m., also at the Eager Pavilion. The winners of the two
matches will compete Friday at noon. The winner of the Friday match will earn a berth to the NCAA Division II national tournament. “I really think that we’ll be going to nationals,” head coach Hutton Jones said. Although Jones is confident about the regional tournament, he also said the competition will not be easy. “There are respectable teams in the tournament,” he said. “If we aren’t hungry to play, then we aren’t See
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Track team sets records at Penn Relay
LSC announces baseball tournament field
n Steeplechasers, Cox and Naimadu, set records in the men’s and women’s Division II race this past weekend in Philadelphia.
Saturday the Wildcats play their first game at 4 p.m. against Cameron University. The winner of that game plays Sunday at 8 p.m. against the winner of the West Texas A&M and Central Oklahoma game. The loser of Saturday’s game plays the winner of the Angelo State and Southeastern Oklahoma game. If the Wildcats advance far enough, they will play Tuesday in the championship series at 2 p.m.
LSC Baseball tournament free passes will be handed out after Chapel on Thursday and Friday
brian schmidt/Chief Photographer
West Texas A&M left fielder Cody Dean slides safely into second as he knocks the ball out of the glove of Wildcat shortstop Ruben Rivera during the third inning of the Wildcats’ 12-0 victory during the first game Sunday.
By STEVE HOLT Sports Writer
brian schmidt/Chief Photographer
Trina Cox set a Division II women’s record in the steeplechaser race with a winning time of 10:05:19, eight seconds ahead of the second-place finisher.
For a collegiate track and field team, the stage doesn’t get any bigger than the Penn Relays. But a Division II school from Abilene posted some show-stopping performances at the 112th annual Philadelphia meet, including record-setting victories for Nicodemus Naimadu and Trina Cox in the 3,000meter steeplechase and a third-place performance for the men’s 4x400meter relay team. Naimadu and Cox were the top steeplechasers in a Division I-heavy field of athletes, and both Wildcats broke the school and Lone Star Conference records for the men and women, respectively. Naimadu dominated the men’s
Track & Field race, finishing 15 seconds ahead of the second-place runner in 8:29.82. The time makes Naimadu the ninthfastest steeplechaser in the world this year, as well as the third-fastest in Division II history. Cox set a new Division II women’s record in the event with a winning time of 10:05.19. Cox was eight seconds ahead of second-place finisher Edda Stenback of Toledo, who finished in 10:13.68. The time was the second-fastest run by an American this year. Cox said pre-race training and competition at the Penn Relays helped her run as fast as she did. “It is good to know that hard work and self-determination can pay off,” Cox said. “It makes me happy to know that I am ranked high for DI and with more practice I can get better. The Penn Relays were good
for me to shed some more seconds off. I just got out there and ran with the girls and hoped to be pushed to another personal best, which happened.” ACU also represented well in the relay events in Philadelphia. The men’s 4x200-meter relay team— comprised of Delt Cockrell, Marvin Bien-Aime, Brant Gilbert and Jordan Johnson—placed second in a talented field of schools with a time of 1:23.16, behind LSU’s winning time of 1:21.31. The men’s 4x400-meter relay team showed a packed Franklin Field crowd that it could hang with the best teams in the nation, however. On Friday, the Wildcat team of Johnson, Johnny Jacob, Elton Garus-Oab and Cockrell ran its best time of the season, 3:06.06, to finish third in the heat behind LSU and Texas A&M and See
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