OPTIMIST
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EASTER Students prepare for three-day weekend to celebrate Good Friday and Easter.
A student publication of Abilene Christian University since 1912
Thrusday April 18, 2019
Volume CVIII, Issue XXVIII Title IX
Opinion
As the Title IX pendulum swings to preventing sexual assault, the university’s Title IX office is required to work on internal resolutions to maintain compliance.......................................Page 2
The Editorial Board believes the acomplishments of SGA this year should dictate their success rather than being criticized for a few missed promises...........................................................................Page 6
F S S M T
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Sports After 21 years with the university, Lance Fleming informed the department he would be leaving his position as the associate director of athletics to work with AISD.......................................Page 4
Photo by LEXI WALTER | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
CAMPUS NEWS
Jenna Williams, junior advertising and public relations major from Flower Mound, talks to other club members and rushees at All Club Rush Wednesday afternoon in the campus mall area
Wasson, Amare talk goals amidst executive win LAUREN FRANCO EDITOR IN CHIEF
Lauren Wasson and Tsion Amare won their elections for executive president and executive vice president of Student Government Association, respectively, Friday evening. Wasson, junior political science and business management double major from Denton, won with 58 percent of votes (723) over Arnold Charles, sophomore political science major from Dubai, who received 524 votes. 10 students abstained. Amare, junior social work major from Dallas, ran uncontested, winning
with 89 percent of the votes (1114), and 143 students abstained. “I really just have no words,” Wasson said. “It’s like you’ve worked hard for something and it’s really cool when you get to see that come together. It was really fun, especially to win on a team, because we were both were working so hard.” Wasson and Amare ran on the same ticket with a “Big 6” platform. The primary issues they focused on included: a student wellness program, parking, mental health awareness, school spirit and athletic involvement, internship housing and class projects (specific projects that im-
pact and benefit a students’ respective classification). Though their administration doesn’t officially start until next semester, Wasson and Amare said they’ll continue working on things they’ve already started, like working with the Medical and Counseling Care Center, figuring out parking app FoPark logistics and internship housing for the second half of summer. “We’re probably going to be working on [FoPark] really soon because we want to get that rolling over the summer,” Wasson said. “But there’s all sorts of things I’d love to get started on. I’m ambitious.”
Amare said they want to begin achieving their goals of minority representation in the next week as they begin hiring their executive cabinet. “This week, as applications started closing, I made sure to send the applications to ISA and OMA so that students in those groups know the opportunities that are presented to them,” Amare said. “We want to make sure we’re hiring a diverse staff because there’s capable leaders in every single background.” The duo will hire five positions – chief of staff, treasurer, chief financial officer, marketing director and secretary.
The new administration officially takes over on Dead Day. From that point forward, Wasson will transition into a summer-long internship required for presidents. Current Executive President Ty Kelley said he was proud of all of the candidates, including runner-up Arnold Charles, who set a precedent as the first-ever international student to run for office. “I hope we can continue on a trend of involving all students, especially in leadership roles like SGA promoting their involvement, but overall I think both campaigns went very well,” Kelley said. “They
were respectful to each other and they were genuinely happy for each other no matter what the outcome was.” Kelley said he hopes the duo continues some of the traditions started this year, and improves on the shortcomings of SGA from his term in office. “I’ll be meeting with her about going over what went well this year and what didn’t and areas that we need to keep improving and areas that we’re really strong in and hopefully communicating that directly to her,” Kelley said. “Hopefully, that will give her more inspiration for what to do next year.”
COBA, JMC earn reaccreditation after site team visits LAUREN FRANCO EDITOR IN CHIEF
The College of Business Administration and the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication earned reaccreditation for the next five and six years, respectively. Brad Crisp, COBA dean, said there are set standards to meet and more generally, three “buzz words” – engagement, innovation and impact. In January, three professors from Millsaps College, Butler University and Pacific University visited campus to conduct a peer review of the college. At the beginning of April, they received word
that their reaccreditation had been accepted. Crisp said he wanted to emphasize that accreditation is an expectation – a level of quality necessary to operate in order to compete with students and make sure that employers want hire graduates. In addition, he said this was the first year the online business programs have been reviewed. “Our peer review team asked questions, but they were really impressed by it, so it was nice to be through the first review process with this group,” Crisp said. Crisp said the site team emphasized ACU is the “most mission aligned
university” they’d been to. After talking to faculty, students and alumni, they recognized that people attend the university for academic quality. Crisp said there are always recommendations on what to do better over the accreditation period. This year, they recommended that as the university launches new online programs, those would be covered by the same partnership that are done with online graduate programs. In addition, they said to look at expectations around faculty research. “None of those things become our criticisms,” Crisp said. “They’re just seeing what you’re doing now and encouraging you
to keep looking at that and continue it.” Kenneth Pybus, chair of the Journalism and Mass Communication department, said to be accredited, a department has to compile a document that studies every aspect and answers questions about how professors are teaching the subject matter, how money is being spent and how faculty is being paid. “Being accredited is a lot of hard work,” Pybus said. “It’s worth it because you’re able to say we’ve proven that what we’re doing is what we ought be doing.” The national accrediting body for the department includes 100 other JMC de-
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partments from across the country. At the university, JMC has been accredited in all three majors – advertising and public relations, journalism and multimedia – since 2001. Last semester, three faculty members from other universities including Kent State, Washington and Lee and the University of Washington, visited Abilene for four days to assess the department. During their time, they met with students, faculty, alumni and administrators. The three unanimously proposed to the board that the department met all nine standards inctluding curriculum, scholarships, service and facilities.
“They offered some areas where we could improve, where we need to put some attention and we’re looking at ways where we can do that,” Pybus said. Two areas of improvement include making sure the department is teaching writing well and scholarship. Pybus said though ACU is a teaching university, they should strive to do research, be present at conferences and publish academic content. The site team gave recommendations to the AEJMC committee, who voted unanimously to recommend reaccreditation. The vote goes to the full council on April 26.
Page 2 | News
Thursday, April 18, 2019
ABILENE NEWS
Local reptile enthusiast expanding to mass media “ DILLON DANIEL MANAGING EDITOR
Maxwell Hicks, Abilene resident, owner of Max’s Morphs and proponent for animal safety and preservation has honed his skills to begin the local media label Max Productions. Last semester, Hicks was interviewed due to his quick rise in the Abilene community and his vocal opinions and advice regarding the Rattlesnake Roundup in Sweetwater. He advised anyone interested in attending to take the event’s proposed facts with a grain of salt, regarding many of them as untrue. His day work includes working with Big Country Snake Removal, a company which relocates snake dens, and breeding snakes, reptiles and other creatures within his company, Max’s Morphs. Through his work, he has hiked various areas around the world in search of new breeds of snakes, as well as diving into potentially dangerous situations. Such dangerous situations include the removal of 45 rattlesnakes from an Abilene resident’s home, as reported by ABC News. Hicks would go on to film the removal, a video which EVENTS
Thursday 04/18 1. Baseball vs. Lamar Friday 04/19 1. Good Friday 2. Softball vs. Stephen F. Austin 3. Baseball vs. Lamar Saturday 04/20 1. Softball vs. Stephen F. Austin 2. Baseball vs. Lamar Sunday 04/21 1. Easter Monday 04/22 1. SGA - Green Week 2. Senior Juried Recital Tuesday 04/23 1. SGA - Green Week 2. Men’s tennis vs. Midwestern State 3. Baseball vs. Dallas Christian 4. ACA Fest 5. Abby Fortson Senior Recital Wednesday 04/24 1. A Cappella Group Auditions 2. Golden Anniversary Reunion 3. Oliver Jackson Twilight Track Meet 4. Galaxy - Dodgeball
17
days until FINALS
People take his word and are excited to learn from him because to see he takes to time to provide a genuine education as well as develop relationships with everyone he comes across.”
ASHLEY WILLIAMS SOPH. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENE MAJOR
Photo courtesy of MAXWELL HICKS Macwell Hicks posing with a snake.
then became viral. Because of the success of this video and others, along with his skills, Hicks was influenced to expand into media. Hicks has expanded on Max’s View, his YouTube channel and formed Max Productions with the intention to help people and their businesses through video. Rather than focus on
vlog-style cinematics, he now works on producing more sophisticated content such as the filming of commercials. Because of his frequent appearances at reptile shows across the nation, Hicks has been approached about making commercials for the events and other companies like his. One commercial in the works is one for the Hous-
ton Exotic Reptile and Pet Show or HERPS, and will be broadcast on major cable networks such as History and Discovery channels as well as Animal Planet. Hicks is also working with local companies in the Big Country, West Texas and the DFW area in the production of commercials with their businesses as well such as Mezamiz Deux Coffee House. The hopeful videographer is particular in who he works with, giving his services to those who seem passionate or useful. “I don’t want to just give my services to anyone,” he said. “Though you have to start somewhere, I want to know I’m filming for someone who’s just as passionate as me or is offering a legit product or service.” From expanding outside of YouTube to commercial work, Hicks now has the opportunity to grow further.
Cable television network A&E reached out to him to discuss the possibility of creating a new VICE special or docuseries on herpetology. With hours of footage and many interviews completed Hicks is producing a promo that will decide whether this happens. If he gets the green light, the special will highlight the passionate people like Max Hicks. Hicks said he hopes this will eliminate false assumptions he believes many people have towards people devoted to herping. Hicks believes many people have these assumptions due to a lack of knowledge or education on the subject. He often lives his life by the wisdom he’s heard or learned. One quote he lives by is, “The opposite of fear is education. The more someone learns about something, the less they become threatened by it and the more they begin to love it.” Hicks said, “Many people hear stories of owners of 20-foot pythons living in the same house as their children, often being labeled as ‘freaks’. We hope that this series would take us out from under this sensationalism and shed a new light that will do won-
ders for our community.” While this venture is both large and exciting for him, Hicks is keeping this open-ended like his other obligations, not limiting himself from other opportunities. Regarding the possibility of making this his new career, Hicks said whether this becomes his new career is up to God. Even though this is his main project, Hicks still vlogs his ventures on trips as well as subjects he is passionate about, such as the Rattlesnake Roundup. Hicks’ other ventures include the breeding and creation of new animal species, traveling to multiple parts of the country for reptile shows and the occasional comedy show at the Zone, a venue in Abilene. His company also works with local Abilene schools to educate kids about various snakes and reptiles, often eliciting excitement. Regarding the schools’ and other people’s trust in him, sophomore environmental science major Ashley Williams said, “People take his word and are excited to learn from him because to see he takes to time to provide a genuine education as well as develop relationships with everyone he comes across.”
CAMPUS NEWS
Ellison expresses jealousy of K9 recruit Fritter LAUREN FRANCO EDITOR IN CHIEF
ACUPD adopted a new K9, Fritter, in January as an April Fool’s joke on Police Chief Jimmy Ellison. Ellison said the department had been under pressure to start a K9 unit, but due to the financial impacts a dog can have, he resisted. Kelly Mann, instructor of interior design, was the brains behind the pressure, secretly planning “Fritter” as an April Fool’s joke on Ellison. When the April Fool’s Day joke began, Ellison said he made the best of it. “When it got sprung on me on April 1, I thought it was great and decided to have some fun with it. On a serious note, Kelly has really helped us see the value of a positive, but humorous social media presence for ACUPD, so my plans are to ride the wave. GEICO Insurance has their gecko lizard guy, ACUPD now has their Fritter.” The K9 got her name as Ellison was driving home from the donut run. He kept thinking about his favorite
Photo courtesy of KELLY MANN
Photo courtesy of KELLY MANN Chief Ellison holding Fritter.
Fritter ready for duty.
treat, an apple fritter, and the name “Fritter” stuck. Though her duties are expansive, Fritter has a strict schedule and is only on campus at certain times. Ellison said she has been instrumental in bringing several people to justice with her intimidation alone, though there have not been any bite victims yet. “Fritter’s kinda omnipotent: she’s everywhere and anywhere,” Ellison said. “She’s on campus whenever
we need her, two or three days a week, but we never divulge when – that keeps the bad guys guessing.” Though the rest of the department has enjoyed Fritter’s company, Ellison said that he’s been a little resistant. In only a few months, Fritter has gained more popularity than the chief himself. “Fritter has proven to be a great fit here at ACUPD and on campus,” Ellison said.
“She fits in well with our guys and the students love her. Most concerning to me, though, is that the Fritter fan club has erupted. Requests for Fritter photoshoots and appearances are outpacing requests for Chief Ellison appearances 10-1.” @k9_fritter (her Instagram) has more followers than ACUPD. Ellison said because she is an older dog, she might have to retire over the summer.
“We just don’t know if she’s going to be able to withstand the heat,” Ellison said. “The grueling nature of police K9 work in Abilene is summers can be pretty tough. We may retire Fritter and bring in a younger K9 for the school year.” Fritter said she’s enjoyed her time with ACUPD since she started, and hopes to stay in the family as long as she can. “Bark,” Fritter said.
POLICE LOG SELECTED ACUPD CALLS FOR THE WEEK 04/09/2019 10:30 a.m. A student reported that someone stole his locked blue Trek bicycle from his front porch at his off-campus residence. 04/09/2019 10:30 p.m. A citizen reported a possible prowler shining lights into house windows. Officers checked the area and found several people loitering outside but were unable to determine if they were involved. 04/10/2019 7:30 p.m. A citizen reported that someone had damaged their vehicle by scratching two long scratches along the driver and passenger side doors. 04/12/2019 1:20 a.m. A student was found to be in possession of drug paraphernalia and was issued a criminal citation for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. ACCIDENT........................................................1 ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIVITY .......24 ALARM................................................................1 ALCOHOL INCIDENT............................2 ANIMAL CALL.............................................2 ASSIST..................................................................1 BICYCLE/SKATEBOARD CALL.......1 BUILDING LOCK/UNLOCK.......................................10 BURGLARY MOTOR VEHICLE.....2 CART PATROL.............................................6 CHECK BUILDING............................300 CRIMINAL MISCHIEF.............................1 DISORDERLY CONDUCT...................1 DISTURBANCE...........................................1
DRUG ACTIVITY/OFFENSE...............1 ESCORT.............................................................6 FIGHT....................................................................1 FOOT PATROL..........................................16 FOUND PROPERTY...............................2 HARASSMENT............................................3 HIT & RUN.......................................................2 INFORMATION REPORT...................3 INVESTIGATION FOLLOW UP...............................................12 LOST PROPERTY......................................3 MAINTENANCE: UNIV ASSETS: CCTV.............................14 MAINTENANCE UNIV ASSETS.....5 MEDICAL EMERGENCY.....................4
MENTAL HEALTH CONCERN.........1 MONITOR FACILITY/ LOT......................................................................12 MOTORIST ASSIST: INFLATE TIRE................................................1 MOTORIST ASSIST: JUMPSTART..................................................3 MOTOR ASSIST: OTHER.....................2 MOTORIST ASSIST: UNLOCK.........7 OTHER...............................................................3 PARKING LOT PATROL...................27 PARKING VIOLATION..........................4 PATROL VEHICLE....................................4 PATROL VEHICLE: REFUEL.............................................................7
PROWLER......................................................2 PUBLIC SERVICE.......................................1 RANDOM PATROL..............................26 REPORT WRITING................................15 REPORT WRITING FOLLOWUP.........................2 SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY.........................5 THEFT...................................................................1 TRAFFIC STOP............................................2 TRAINING........................................................3 UNAUTHORIZED USE OF CAR.....1 WELFARE CHECK...................................2
TOTAL...........................................................558
Chief Ellison’s Weekly Tip April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month: National stats indicate that only 20% of college-age victims actually report their crime to police. Please know that ACUPD stands ready to assist all victims 24/7.
Thursday, April 18, 2019
News | Page 3
CAMPUS NEWS
Cabinet brings back free Kayak Night at Fort Phantom BRYCE LURKENS SAFF REPORTER
The Cabinet will be hosting its Kayak Night event in late April for students. The event will consist of kayaking and paddle boarding at Lake Fort Phantom, where the Cabinet will provide equipment for all students to go out on the lake. Students are invited to bring their own swimwear but are advised not to venture too
far out onto the lake. The Cabinet will be hosting the Kayak Night on Sunday, April 28. The event will last from 6 - 8 p.m. One of the Cabinet’s directors, junior Keaton Yowell, said that he joined the Cabinet for the purpose of organizing events such as this one. “This is my first year as a director of the Cabinet,” Yowell said. “I felt like the Cabinet would be a good
place to serve the students of Abilene Christian University by providing them with fun activities to go to.” Yowell said that this is one of the more anticipated events of the semester since it will be out on the lake. Yowell said he believes that the current weather is perfect for an event such as the Kayak Night. He and the rest of the Cabinet hope that there will be plen-
ty of people participating and coming out to take a load off of finals studying. “It is just really a night to come out, enjoy the good weather and nature during the spring time, and allow students to either try a kayak for the first time or get back to a hobby they enjoy,” Yowell said. “It was an event that we have done in the past, and I think we all wanted
allow ACU students to experience it again.” The Cabinet is expecting a great turnout for this event, and will be bringing out more kayaks this year due to the popularity of the event in the past. “We are expecting a good turnout,” Yowell said. “I hope the students can have a great time and get to have some fun with the Kayaks.”
Yowell said that this is really just a great opportunity for the busy students to have some fun and relax. “The event will give those students who have been extremely busy to have a chance to take a break,” Yowell said. “Sometimes it’s okay to just take a little time to forget about all of the different assignments they have to work on.”
‘Avengers Endgame’ tickets given out through scavenger hunt BRIAN SWEET STAFF REPORTER
The Cabinet reserved a Cinemark XD theater for the opening night showing of Avengers: Endgame on April 25 at 10 p.m. This is the second time
that they have hosted an event at the movie theater, as the Cabinet hosted a movie event for Avengers: Infinity War last year. The CAB has planned other events involving movies, they had a showing of the movie Elf at the Paramount
this past December. Only 100 tickets are available, which include free popcorn and drinks. Students can win tickets through clues from a scavenger hunt on the Cabinet’s Instagram story. Clues will be posted on
random days as to where CAB members will be on campus. Each day, students able to locate these members first will win tickets. Garrison Powell, a senior biochemistry major from Hallettsville, said students are excited that the CAB is
planning this event again. “With the event coming up people were asking, is the cabinet doing this again I really enjoyed it last year,” Powell said. “I think people are really excited for us to do it again and it’s going to have a good turnout.”
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Powell said that reserving the tickets for the movie was relatively easy. “I did it all online - there was a form you could submit when you want to see it, what movie do you want showing and what time,” Powell said. Cinemark replied quickly to help move things along finalizing the details. “I submitted the form and probably within a day or two, I had the guy emailing me ready to get the contract going and stuff like that,” Powell said. Powell said that doing the event again this year was an easy decision. “Being on the Cabinet last year, I knew it was a great event and had great success,” Powell said. “When it came time for picking events and people were anticipating us doing another one, I was just like ‘let’s do the Avengers movie, because it was a great hit last year.’” Jamie Warren, senior business management major from Boerne, said she loved creating the upcoming event. “I love it: it’s something really popular on campus, so it’s really fun getting to help in the process of making memories,” Warren said.
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Page 4 | Special Edition: Inside Title IX
Title IX office works to educate campus about sexual misconduct and investigate complaints. LAUREN FRANCO EDITOR IN CHIEF
Though Sherita Nickerson has hundreds of stories, she can’t tell them. As deputy anti-harassment coordinator, Nickerson works every day with victims of sexual assault. Though her work is difficult and tedious, she’s passionate about helping people in crisis and chooses to do work she loves. Nickerson’s job isn’t only difficult because of the weight of her duties, but also because she’s required to work through legal issues and ensuring the Title IX office remains compliant to federal law. As the Title IX pendulum swings from gender equality to preventing sexual assault, the university’s Title IX office is required to navigate and work on internal resolutions to maintain compliance, though federal law puts borders on what a university can and cannot do. Both the Title IX office, established in 2011, and ACUPD are required to work side-by-side in sexual assault reports, though more often than not, cases take separate routes. Because the burden of proof is higher in criminal investigations, most cases end up primarily as administrative investigations. Since Betsy DeVos became Secretary of Education, universities around the nation have been working to think through how they will implement proposed Title IX guidelines once conversations have come to a close. Though the tedious processes include a variety of challenges, administration meets victims with passion, a desire for campus education and hope for every person that walks into the Title IX office.
Thursday, April 18, 2019
INSIDE TITLE IX
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duct of a sexual nature” under the Obama Administration, but DeVos proposed narrowing it to “unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that is so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive that it effectively denies a person equal access to the recipient’s education program or activity.” DeVos also proposed a live panel hearing in which both parties – the victim and the accused – question each other. Under the “Dear Colleague” letter, university administrations were encouraged to finish an investigation within 60 days. Nickerson said this was because there was fear or perception that an institution would allow a perpetrator, like a student-athlete, to continue at the university or finish their season. Now, there is no guidance, but Nickerson said they try to stick with the 60-day timeframe. Over extended breaks, the process becomes more difficult because most people are no longer in Abilene. “When you add all of that up, it could easily last three months,” Nickerson said. In addition to outside factors, the more ongoing the cases, the longer each lasts. ACUPD Police Chief Jimmy Ellison said in these situations, people tend to overly politicize these issues. Because of the pendulum swing from presidential administrations creating ambiguity in expectations, accused parties are now suing universities for lack of due process. Ellison said these cases are on the rise. “A lot of the changes DeVos is proposing are based around the fact that there’s more and more civil litigation coming out of accused parties,” Ellison said.
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he university became part of the national organization called the Association of Title IX Administrators in 2012 after the “Dear Colleague” letter was distributed to college campuses across the nation to clarify the responsibilities of Title IX administrators. In addition to becoming part of the association, the university updated its policy and began to train investigators and formalize a Title IX process and office. Nickerson was named deputy coordinator in 2014, and Ryan Bowman was added as a case manager in 2017. Nickerson is able to look at questions and conversations from across the United States on a daily basis, and said she is reminded that these situations occur everywhere. Over 25,000 Title IX administrators participate in professional exchange and discuss practices for institutional compliance. “That speaks volumes to how the institution is invested in Title IX,” Nickerson said. “It’s not necessarily a cheap investment, but the return can’t be calculated.”
PROCESS
HISTORY ince 2011, the Title IX policy has lived under the “Dear Colleague” letter guidelines, which prioritized a victim’s rights. When DeVos took over, she changed the previous guidelines while interim guidelines continue to be altered. After the new guidelines were proposed, a 60-day open comment period allowed the public to write concerns about the changes. Now, all comments are read through by the Department of Education, though Congress is joining in on the conversation. Of over 105,000 comments, some are personal experiences, pleas against changing the guidelines and even insults toward DeVos. Though there is no official count of supporters versus critics, a majority of comments use a template to express concern. Sexual harassment was defined as “unwelcome con-
Special Edition: Inside Title IX | Page 5
Thursday, April 18, 2019
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llison said Title IX and ACUPD are two separate avenues that sometimes run together. Some referrals go directly to the police, but more often than not, cases start at the Title IX office. “This is because the university has done such a good job of getting Title IX well-known to the public. It’s become a household term,” Ellison said. Where a case starts is determined by the police department assessing whether there is a crime involved. Ellison said often, there is a crime involved – assault, sexual assault or dating violence, stalking or harassment. “We focus on whether there is criminal component,” Ellison said. “We are not, in any way, involved in the Title IX processes.” Ellison said both ACUPD and the Abilene Police Department investigate criminal conduct, and alert the
If an arrest has to occur, or an expulsion, ACUPD and Title IX still care about those people and want them to be successful. They have to be held accountable, but we have a genuine care and concern for this process, which is unique and a blessing.” SHERITA NICKERSON DEPUTY ANTI-HARASSMENT COORDINATOR
Photos by LAUREN FRANCO | EDITOR IN CHIEF The Title IX office and ACUPD are located within 100 feet of each other off of Campus Court. Sherita Nickerson, deputy anti-harassment coordinator, said the proximity and professional relationships make the tightrope of investigations easier to walk. Title IX office that the crime may also have Title IX components which need to be assessed. As an example of both offices working together, Ellison said in a sexual assault case, they want to minimize the number of times a victim has to tell their story. Other times, they work separately to address different components. In criminal cases, ACUPD begins the investigation by taking the victims for a specialized medical examination within 96 hours of the assault. Ellison said the process gets challenging if the police department has to ask the Title IX office to hold off temporarily, usually a few days, on starting administrative investigation process as they interview a suspect or gather critical, time-sensitive evidence. Nickerson’s team then assesses whether the request is feasible. Statistically, victims of sexually-based crimes tend to drop the criminal charges but continue with their administrative complaint, Ellison said. “When that happens, we are still conducting as much of an investigation as we can until the victim withdraws their case,” Ellison said. The standard of proof in a criminal investigation is proof beyond a reasonable doubt, but in an administrative case, it is a preponderance of the evidence – is it more likely than not that something happened one way or the other. Nickerson said they often call it “50 percent and a feather” because in many cases, there are no other witnesses besides the victim and the accused, making the case “he-said-she-said.” “You’re really just trying to assess credibility in
that feather,” said Wendy Jones, Title IX coordinator and chief human resources officer. Nickerson said though accusers cannot go to jail based on Title IX investigations, they can be removed from the university. On the other hand, if it is determined that there is enough evidence for law enforcement to proceed criminally, ACUPD or APD, depending on which agency is involved, presents the case to the district attorney’s office. The district attorney’s office considers whether they will move forward in a case. More often than not, in sexual assault cases, the district attorney presents them to the grand jury, which reviews and decides whether the suspect will be indicted. If indicted, the suspect stands trial for the criminal charge. “It’s a long process, and it’s a slow process,” Ellison said. “In our world, people are so used to TV shows where the crime that occurs is investigated and resolved in a one-hour segment.” Ellison said cases can sometimes last longer than a year depending on a variety of factors, and more time before a criminal case goes to trial. Investigations, however, are typically completed within three to four weeks. “It’s challenging from an investigative perspective, it’s challenging from an administrative perspective, and it’s challenging from a spiritual perspective,” Ellison said. “We care about the choices these people are making, both suspects and victims. It’s tough work on both fronts.” Nickerson said attorneys have said the relationship between ACUPD and the Title IX office is unique – the neighborly proximity of both offices and professional relationships make the tightrope easier to walk. “We don’t always agree, but we do a fantastic job,” Ellison said. “We work together when we can and when it’s in the best interest of the victim, and separate our investigations in the interest of fairness and justice.”
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Graphic by ERNESTO GUAJARDO | CARTOONIST
The Title IX office works alongside ACUPD in some investigations. Though the two are ocassionaly intertwined, typically cases only follow the administrative Title IX path.
he first thing the Title IX office does is assess whether there are any criminal aspects, then begin to conduct administrative Title IX policy investigations. Nickerson said sometimes they await a green light from Ellison, if it is necessary. The Title IX policy, 18 pages long, is explained to the parties, and discusses how the process is governed. “We would like to go through the policy, but you have to understand that when a victim or an accused party comes in, they’re typically so overwhelmed receiving so much information,” Nickerson said. Ellison said people often mistake the Title IX office as a victim’s advocate, but that is not their role; they are solely investigators. Nickerson agreed, explaining that her job is to conduct an impartial, thorough and fair investigation by receiving all of the facts. “I can’t be biased toward the victim nor toward the accused,” Nickerson said. “That’s difficult.” When a victim tells their story, it isn’t about believability, Nickerson said. Because of due process, the person being accused must be given a chance to tell their side of the story. This becomes difficult when no witnesses are present. “We’re taking credibility assessments about what really happened that day,” Nickerson said. “We’re trained so we’re not just pulling things out of the sky.” Title IX employees understand the neurobiology of trauma, trauma-influenced interviews, tonic immobilization and other things that are looked at from a professional standpoint. “If you’re a victim, you want to be heard and be believed,” Nickerson said.
The victim is usually offered three ways to handle their complaint – do nothing, file an informal complaint or file a formal complaint. Some victims chose to do nothing because they only want on file that something happened to them, so if the accuser’s name comes up again, there is a record of their history. An informal resolution is a mediation between the two people who are accusing each other and being accused. Both parties discuss how they were affected and the mediator introduces conversations about boundaries and ways to move forward. There is no investigation. A formal resolution includes an investigation. The victim and accused are asked who they would like to be a witness. After interviews, which can be captured by audio recording, body cameras or hand-written notes. “We’re always trying to sharpen our process,” Nickerson said. “We want to make sure we’re the best we can when it comes to capturing information because these are people’s lives.” During the investigation, both parties are encouraged to attend counseling, visit with their advocate or find support in some way. Though they are encouraged to speak with their parents, most of the time, neither parties do, Nickerson said. Justifications are made in fear of repercussions by parents, like getting pulled out of school. “We’re always pained by that because if parents knew you were going through such a traumatic ordeal, they would want to support you,” Nickerson said. At the end of the investigation, Nickerson writes a findings report, usually including a credibility assessment, the part of the policy relevant to the accusation and her conclusion as to whether or not the policy was violated. Jones receives the case next and reviews it to ensure no follow-ups are necessary. Then the case is given to one of four trained decision makers, each in administration. Decision makers receive the case without any prior knowledge of it and are not involved in the investigation. Once a decision is made, it is shared with the two parties and both have the right to appeal. If a policy is violated, a sanction is given to the individual who violated the policy depending on the weight of the violation. Most cases, Nickerson said, go through an appeals process – up to two rounds in which a decision can be upheld or overturned. After the second round, a case is closed. A very low percentage of appeals are overturned, no more than 10 percent, Nickerson said. “Every decision maker is objective, and confident they would appeal or overturn if they needed to, Jones said. “Right now, we’re at a place where we feel good about the investigations that we’re running and reports that we’re turning in. Title IX is just hard.”
E
llison said often, it takes victims days to come forward. If someone is a victim of sexual assault, they should report immediately so that there is an opportunity to meet about options and capture evidence. “It’s not pleasant to talk about, but if we don’t get the victim in a set period of time, we lose physical evidence that may help us tip the scale,” Ellison said. Jones encouraged all victims of sexual assault to receive a rape kit, even if there is no intent to file charges immediately. By law, a person can be charged with sexual assault up to 10 years after the incident. “If you do it, you don’t ever have to use it, but a year later, you can’t go back and take it,” Jones said. Results of the rape kit are confidential and are for law enforcement and prosecution purposes only. They are not shared administratively with Title IX or with ACU. Sometimes, victims are hesitant to come forward in fear of punishment for violating the Code of Conduct, but Nickerson said both victims and witnesses receive full immunity from activities such as sex outside of marriage or drinking underage. “We don’t want victims to not come forward out of
fear that it be found in violation of a code of conduct,” Nickerson said. “We try to make that known when we do our education.”
J
ones said most victims want confidentiality in their case, so the lack of communication between the university and audiences is about respecting dignity and privacy. In addition, though victims are alleging that something happened, all cases must be investigated first. Sometimes when a victim comes forward, they do not want to file charges nor a complaint, thus the public will not be notified. None of the parties – ACUPD, APD nor the Title IX office – are able to talk about specific cases. “When a victim withdraws their desire to file criminal charges, the law enforcement agency, whether it be ACUPD or APD, closes that case out. The case still exists, there’s still a folder and a case file, but it was closed at the request of the victim, therefore it never reached final adjudication, so it’s not eligible to be released to the media,” Ellison said. Neither APD nor ACUPD issue press releases about the typical types of sexual assaults. If there were a pattern, or the general public was at ongoing risk from an unknown perpetrator, a press release would be issued through the university. “In terms of the average victim coming in here and reporting a situation occurring within a relationship, there’s nothing about that that needs to be public,” Ellison said. Even if an arrest is made, victims are not identified. Ellison said there are a lot of steps to ensure anonymity.
EDUCATION
E
llison said sexual assault crimes are the most underreported crime, but because of the social climate and national attention, victims feel more empowered and believed. “Those things coupled with the incredible resources that the university has dedicated to awareness, making it a household term on campus, of course we’re seeing a spike in reports,” Ellison said. Despite the increase in reports, Ellison said the trend does not indicate an increase in activity. Still, statistics show that as many cases are received, two-to-three times as many may go unreported. Jones said when Ellison came to campus in 2001 and started implementing education about crime in general, numbers spiked for other crimes. “Over time when you’ve had enough history when we’ve got a number of people we’re working with, are we really seeing a true increase or are we leveling out because we’ve reached the masses in education,” Jones said. “Our process has not been in place long enough for us to have definitive answers statistically.”
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ickerson said institutions typically think there’s a spike in reports, but it isn’t because more instances are happening, but because education has gotten out and people feel more comfortable reporting. When incoming students reach campus, they are required to participate in the Title IX awareness training, Everfi. Faculty and staff are also required to complete the course. Everfi, a two-hour long training, introduces students to topics such as importance of values, aspects of (un) healthy relationships, gender socialization, sexual assault, consent, bystander intervention, survivor support and responding to student disclosures. Ellison said anyone willing to give him, Nickerson and Jones an hour or less to talk about Title IX would benefit from a presentation about laws governing consent and harassment. “I think we do a good job permeating the whole campus,” Ellison said. Nickerson said though everybody cares, ACUPD, the Title IX office and administration want what’s best for the victim and accused. “We know that we have tough work to do,” Nickerson said. “If an arrest has to occur, or an expulsion, ACUPD and Title IX still care about those people and want them to be successful. They have to be held accountable, but we have a genuine care and concern for this process, which is unique and a blessing.”
The Title IX office moved from the lower level of the Campus Center to a house on Campus Court next to ACUPD during the fall of 2018.
Page 4 | Special Edition: Inside Title IX
Title IX office works to educate campus about sexual misconduct and investigate complaints. LAUREN FRANCO EDITOR IN CHIEF
Though Sherita Nickerson has hundreds of stories, she can’t tell them. As deputy anti-harassment coordinator, Nickerson works every day with victims of sexual assault. Though her work is difficult and tedious, she’s passionate about helping people in crisis and chooses to do work she loves. Nickerson’s job isn’t only difficult because of the weight of her duties, but also because she’s required to work through legal issues and ensuring the Title IX office remains compliant to federal law. As the Title IX pendulum swings from gender equality to preventing sexual assault, the university’s Title IX office is required to navigate and work on internal resolutions to maintain compliance, though federal law puts borders on what a university can and cannot do. Both the Title IX office, established in 2011, and ACUPD are required to work side-by-side in sexual assault reports, though more often than not, cases take separate routes. Because the burden of proof is higher in criminal investigations, most cases end up primarily as administrative investigations. Since Betsy DeVos became Secretary of Education, universities around the nation have been working to think through how they will implement proposed Title IX guidelines once conversations have come to a close. Though the tedious processes include a variety of challenges, administration meets victims with passion, a desire for campus education and hope for every person that walks into the Title IX office.
Thursday, April 18, 2019
INSIDE TITLE IX
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duct of a sexual nature” under the Obama Administration, but DeVos proposed narrowing it to “unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that is so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive that it effectively denies a person equal access to the recipient’s education program or activity.” DeVos also proposed a live panel hearing in which both parties – the victim and the accused – question each other. Under the “Dear Colleague” letter, university administrations were encouraged to finish an investigation within 60 days. Nickerson said this was because there was fear or perception that an institution would allow a perpetrator, like a student-athlete, to continue at the university or finish their season. Now, there is no guidance, but Nickerson said they try to stick with the 60-day timeframe. Over extended breaks, the process becomes more difficult because most people are no longer in Abilene. “When you add all of that up, it could easily last three months,” Nickerson said. In addition to outside factors, the more ongoing the cases, the longer each lasts. ACUPD Police Chief Jimmy Ellison said in these situations, people tend to overly politicize these issues. Because of the pendulum swing from presidential administrations creating ambiguity in expectations, accused parties are now suing universities for lack of due process. Ellison said these cases are on the rise. “A lot of the changes DeVos is proposing are based around the fact that there’s more and more civil litigation coming out of accused parties,” Ellison said.
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he university became part of the national organization called the Association of Title IX Administrators in 2012 after the “Dear Colleague” letter was distributed to college campuses across the nation to clarify the responsibilities of Title IX administrators. In addition to becoming part of the association, the university updated its policy and began to train investigators and formalize a Title IX process and office. Nickerson was named deputy coordinator in 2014, and Ryan Bowman was added as a case manager in 2017. Nickerson is able to look at questions and conversations from across the United States on a daily basis, and said she is reminded that these situations occur everywhere. Over 25,000 Title IX administrators participate in professional exchange and discuss practices for institutional compliance. “That speaks volumes to how the institution is invested in Title IX,” Nickerson said. “It’s not necessarily a cheap investment, but the return can’t be calculated.”
PROCESS
HISTORY ince 2011, the Title IX policy has lived under the “Dear Colleague” letter guidelines, which prioritized a victim’s rights. When DeVos took over, she changed the previous guidelines while interim guidelines continue to be altered. After the new guidelines were proposed, a 60-day open comment period allowed the public to write concerns about the changes. Now, all comments are read through by the Department of Education, though Congress is joining in on the conversation. Of over 105,000 comments, some are personal experiences, pleas against changing the guidelines and even insults toward DeVos. Though there is no official count of supporters versus critics, a majority of comments use a template to express concern. Sexual harassment was defined as “unwelcome con-
Special Edition: Inside Title IX | Page 5
Thursday, April 18, 2019
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llison said Title IX and ACUPD are two separate avenues that sometimes run together. Some referrals go directly to the police, but more often than not, cases start at the Title IX office. “This is because the university has done such a good job of getting Title IX well-known to the public. It’s become a household term,” Ellison said. Where a case starts is determined by the police department assessing whether there is a crime involved. Ellison said often, there is a crime involved – assault, sexual assault or dating violence, stalking or harassment. “We focus on whether there is criminal component,” Ellison said. “We are not, in any way, involved in the Title IX processes.” Ellison said both ACUPD and the Abilene Police Department investigate criminal conduct, and alert the
If an arrest has to occur, or an expulsion, ACUPD and Title IX still care about those people and want them to be successful. They have to be held accountable, but we have a genuine care and concern for this process, which is unique and a blessing.” SHERITA NICKERSON DEPUTY ANTI-HARASSMENT COORDINATOR
Photos by LAUREN FRANCO | EDITOR IN CHIEF The Title IX office and ACUPD are located within 100 feet of each other off of Campus Court. Sherita Nickerson, deputy anti-harassment coordinator, said the proximity and professional relationships make the tightrope of investigations easier to walk. Title IX office that the crime may also have Title IX components which need to be assessed. As an example of both offices working together, Ellison said in a sexual assault case, they want to minimize the number of times a victim has to tell their story. Other times, they work separately to address different components. In criminal cases, ACUPD begins the investigation by taking the victims for a specialized medical examination within 96 hours of the assault. Ellison said the process gets challenging if the police department has to ask the Title IX office to hold off temporarily, usually a few days, on starting administrative investigation process as they interview a suspect or gather critical, time-sensitive evidence. Nickerson’s team then assesses whether the request is feasible. Statistically, victims of sexually-based crimes tend to drop the criminal charges but continue with their administrative complaint, Ellison said. “When that happens, we are still conducting as much of an investigation as we can until the victim withdraws their case,” Ellison said. The standard of proof in a criminal investigation is proof beyond a reasonable doubt, but in an administrative case, it is a preponderance of the evidence – is it more likely than not that something happened one way or the other. Nickerson said they often call it “50 percent and a feather” because in many cases, there are no other witnesses besides the victim and the accused, making the case “he-said-she-said.” “You’re really just trying to assess credibility in
that feather,” said Wendy Jones, Title IX coordinator and chief human resources officer. Nickerson said though accusers cannot go to jail based on Title IX investigations, they can be removed from the university. On the other hand, if it is determined that there is enough evidence for law enforcement to proceed criminally, ACUPD or APD, depending on which agency is involved, presents the case to the district attorney’s office. The district attorney’s office considers whether they will move forward in a case. More often than not, in sexual assault cases, the district attorney presents them to the grand jury, which reviews and decides whether the suspect will be indicted. If indicted, the suspect stands trial for the criminal charge. “It’s a long process, and it’s a slow process,” Ellison said. “In our world, people are so used to TV shows where the crime that occurs is investigated and resolved in a one-hour segment.” Ellison said cases can sometimes last longer than a year depending on a variety of factors, and more time before a criminal case goes to trial. Investigations, however, are typically completed within three to four weeks. “It’s challenging from an investigative perspective, it’s challenging from an administrative perspective, and it’s challenging from a spiritual perspective,” Ellison said. “We care about the choices these people are making, both suspects and victims. It’s tough work on both fronts.” Nickerson said attorneys have said the relationship between ACUPD and the Title IX office is unique – the neighborly proximity of both offices and professional relationships make the tightrope easier to walk. “We don’t always agree, but we do a fantastic job,” Ellison said. “We work together when we can and when it’s in the best interest of the victim, and separate our investigations in the interest of fairness and justice.”
T
Graphic by ERNESTO GUAJARDO | CARTOONIST
The Title IX office works alongside ACUPD in some investigations. Though the two are ocassionaly intertwined, typically cases only follow the administrative Title IX path.
he first thing the Title IX office does is assess whether there are any criminal aspects, then begin to conduct administrative Title IX policy investigations. Nickerson said sometimes they await a green light from Ellison, if it is necessary. The Title IX policy, 18 pages long, is explained to the parties, and discusses how the process is governed. “We would like to go through the policy, but you have to understand that when a victim or an accused party comes in, they’re typically so overwhelmed receiving so much information,” Nickerson said. Ellison said people often mistake the Title IX office as a victim’s advocate, but that is not their role; they are solely investigators. Nickerson agreed, explaining that her job is to conduct an impartial, thorough and fair investigation by receiving all of the facts. “I can’t be biased toward the victim nor toward the accused,” Nickerson said. “That’s difficult.” When a victim tells their story, it isn’t about believability, Nickerson said. Because of due process, the person being accused must be given a chance to tell their side of the story. This becomes difficult when no witnesses are present. “We’re taking credibility assessments about what really happened that day,” Nickerson said. “We’re trained so we’re not just pulling things out of the sky.” Title IX employees understand the neurobiology of trauma, trauma-influenced interviews, tonic immobilization and other things that are looked at from a professional standpoint. “If you’re a victim, you want to be heard and be believed,” Nickerson said.
The victim is usually offered three ways to handle their complaint – do nothing, file an informal complaint or file a formal complaint. Some victims chose to do nothing because they only want on file that something happened to them, so if the accuser’s name comes up again, there is a record of their history. An informal resolution is a mediation between the two people who are accusing each other and being accused. Both parties discuss how they were affected and the mediator introduces conversations about boundaries and ways to move forward. There is no investigation. A formal resolution includes an investigation. The victim and accused are asked who they would like to be a witness. After interviews, which can be captured by audio recording, body cameras or hand-written notes. “We’re always trying to sharpen our process,” Nickerson said. “We want to make sure we’re the best we can when it comes to capturing information because these are people’s lives.” During the investigation, both parties are encouraged to attend counseling, visit with their advocate or find support in some way. Though they are encouraged to speak with their parents, most of the time, neither parties do, Nickerson said. Justifications are made in fear of repercussions by parents, like getting pulled out of school. “We’re always pained by that because if parents knew you were going through such a traumatic ordeal, they would want to support you,” Nickerson said. At the end of the investigation, Nickerson writes a findings report, usually including a credibility assessment, the part of the policy relevant to the accusation and her conclusion as to whether or not the policy was violated. Jones receives the case next and reviews it to ensure no follow-ups are necessary. Then the case is given to one of four trained decision makers, each in administration. Decision makers receive the case without any prior knowledge of it and are not involved in the investigation. Once a decision is made, it is shared with the two parties and both have the right to appeal. If a policy is violated, a sanction is given to the individual who violated the policy depending on the weight of the violation. Most cases, Nickerson said, go through an appeals process – up to two rounds in which a decision can be upheld or overturned. After the second round, a case is closed. A very low percentage of appeals are overturned, no more than 10 percent, Nickerson said. “Every decision maker is objective, and confident they would appeal or overturn if they needed to, Jones said. “Right now, we’re at a place where we feel good about the investigations that we’re running and reports that we’re turning in. Title IX is just hard.”
E
llison said often, it takes victims days to come forward. If someone is a victim of sexual assault, they should report immediately so that there is an opportunity to meet about options and capture evidence. “It’s not pleasant to talk about, but if we don’t get the victim in a set period of time, we lose physical evidence that may help us tip the scale,” Ellison said. Jones encouraged all victims of sexual assault to receive a rape kit, even if there is no intent to file charges immediately. By law, a person can be charged with sexual assault up to 10 years after the incident. “If you do it, you don’t ever have to use it, but a year later, you can’t go back and take it,” Jones said. Results of the rape kit are confidential and are for law enforcement and prosecution purposes only. They are not shared administratively with Title IX or with ACU. Sometimes, victims are hesitant to come forward in fear of punishment for violating the Code of Conduct, but Nickerson said both victims and witnesses receive full immunity from activities such as sex outside of marriage or drinking underage. “We don’t want victims to not come forward out of
fear that it be found in violation of a code of conduct,” Nickerson said. “We try to make that known when we do our education.”
J
ones said most victims want confidentiality in their case, so the lack of communication between the university and audiences is about respecting dignity and privacy. In addition, though victims are alleging that something happened, all cases must be investigated first. Sometimes when a victim comes forward, they do not want to file charges nor a complaint, thus the public will not be notified. None of the parties – ACUPD, APD nor the Title IX office – are able to talk about specific cases. “When a victim withdraws their desire to file criminal charges, the law enforcement agency, whether it be ACUPD or APD, closes that case out. The case still exists, there’s still a folder and a case file, but it was closed at the request of the victim, therefore it never reached final adjudication, so it’s not eligible to be released to the media,” Ellison said. Neither APD nor ACUPD issue press releases about the typical types of sexual assaults. If there were a pattern, or the general public was at ongoing risk from an unknown perpetrator, a press release would be issued through the university. “In terms of the average victim coming in here and reporting a situation occurring within a relationship, there’s nothing about that that needs to be public,” Ellison said. Even if an arrest is made, victims are not identified. Ellison said there are a lot of steps to ensure anonymity.
EDUCATION
E
llison said sexual assault crimes are the most underreported crime, but because of the social climate and national attention, victims feel more empowered and believed. “Those things coupled with the incredible resources that the university has dedicated to awareness, making it a household term on campus, of course we’re seeing a spike in reports,” Ellison said. Despite the increase in reports, Ellison said the trend does not indicate an increase in activity. Still, statistics show that as many cases are received, two-to-three times as many may go unreported. Jones said when Ellison came to campus in 2001 and started implementing education about crime in general, numbers spiked for other crimes. “Over time when you’ve had enough history when we’ve got a number of people we’re working with, are we really seeing a true increase or are we leveling out because we’ve reached the masses in education,” Jones said. “Our process has not been in place long enough for us to have definitive answers statistically.”
N
ickerson said institutions typically think there’s a spike in reports, but it isn’t because more instances are happening, but because education has gotten out and people feel more comfortable reporting. When incoming students reach campus, they are required to participate in the Title IX awareness training, Everfi. Faculty and staff are also required to complete the course. Everfi, a two-hour long training, introduces students to topics such as importance of values, aspects of (un) healthy relationships, gender socialization, sexual assault, consent, bystander intervention, survivor support and responding to student disclosures. Ellison said anyone willing to give him, Nickerson and Jones an hour or less to talk about Title IX would benefit from a presentation about laws governing consent and harassment. “I think we do a good job permeating the whole campus,” Ellison said. Nickerson said though everybody cares, ACUPD, the Title IX office and administration want what’s best for the victim and accused. “We know that we have tough work to do,” Nickerson said. “If an arrest has to occur, or an expulsion, ACUPD and Title IX still care about those people and want them to be successful. They have to be held accountable, but we have a genuine care and concern for this process, which is unique and a blessing.”
The Title IX office moved from the lower level of the Campus Center to a house on Campus Court next to ACUPD during the fall of 2018.
Page 6 | Feature
Thursday, April 18, 2019
BEHIND TITLE IX Insight into Title IX process and players
Photo by LAUREN FRANCO|EDITOR IN CHIEF In the Fall of 2018, the Title IX relocated from the lower level of the Campus Center to a house located on Campus Court.
DILLON DANIEL MANAGING EDITOR
April is national Sexual Assault Awareness Month, introducing campaigns and work toward preventing sexual assault and harassment. According to the National Sexual Assault Hotline, there are, on average, 321,500 victims (age 12 or older) of rape and sexual assault each year in the United States. In addition, one in six females are victims of an attempted or completed rape, and one in 33 males are victims as well. Because of situations like this and their prevalence and frequency on college campuses, laws and rules have been mandated to universities to help prevent these occurrences, however, they also include those who are discriminated against or harassed because of race and gender. Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 said that no person should be excluded from or denied benefits of any educational program on the basis of sex. Because of this, schools are required to have on-campus
representatives that work to ensure compliance with federal laws. Although not everyone affected reports their situation, resources on campus work to educate students about a victim’s rights, promote understanding of what sexual assault is and who is available to help. Sherita Nickerson and Ryan Bowman are the primary employees complying with Title IX, with Wendy Jones overseeing Title IX administration, all working regularly with the ACU Police Department and ACU Police Chief Jimmy Ellison when criminal cases also have Title IX components. Jones, chief Human Resources officer and Title IX coordinator, got involved Jones with the Title IX office in July of 2012 when the university combined its Anti-Harassment policy with Title IX. Before the switch, the Office of Student Life had a judicial
affairs position that assisted the Human Resources with cases involving students. “I have a passion for people,” Jones said. “I have a passion for the dignity and respect of all people. I have a love-hate relationship with Title IX. I hate that we have to have these sorts of rules and laws. I wish we lived in a world where there was no need for them. I do love helping people but there are no winners in Title IX. Ever.” Likewise, Ellison said he shares the same passion – justice for accusers and helping the Ellison victims in every way possible. However, like a normal criminal investigation, Title IX was created for fair due-process and utilizes a system that can help victims and the falsely accused. “People often mistakenly assume that Title IX is designed to be an advocate for victims. Title IX’s role is to fully and fairly investigate facts while arranging advoca-
cy and other resources for victims as well as for accused,” Ellison said. “Both parties are entitled to due process, that is also very often overlooked.” Nickerson said the process often reveals to be an obstacle itself with many victims strugNickerson gling to step forward. Movements like #MeToo, while proving to be empowering, show there are many victims who do not report until years later. Jones also said the 2011 Dear Colleague Letter changed the definition of consent and continued confusion, but students who haven’t been in college are likely unaware. “In some ways, the definition goes against what seems logical,” she said. “We are continually trying to provide education and resources to our community.” Both Jones and Ellison said they recognize that taking the step to report is difficult and requires the victim to push through hurt. Ellison said he wants any-
one who has been the victim of a crime, to report to ACUPD first, then to Title IX for administrative follow-up. This ensures that important evidence is not lost. Nickerson said the nervousness is a normal response is usually because it’s a sensitive matter. “I would encourage anyone needing to report to begin the process,” Nickerson said. “We have resources in place to assist and support them throughout the process.” Jones and Nickerson said working in Title IX arena isn’t an easy job. The worst part, Jones said, is “the hurt.” Though the office works to perfect its formula and help students, Jones still believes there’s plenty of room for improvement – There will never be a place of perfection. “If I ever think I have reached a place where I cannot see room for improvement, I am the wrong person to be in this role,” Jones said. “Our team will make mistakes because we are people too. We are doing better today than we did yesterday, but that’s still not good
enough. We are going to do even better tomorrow.” Jones said she believes her work is a door that God opened for her, and Ellison said he is confident that, as an officer, he has found his career and calling. Nickerson said she feels that Title IX offers avenues for new beginnings – in situations that many feel lost, the Title IX department serves to relieve fear. Her favorite part about the job is helping all parties involved in a report. “No matter how bad the situation, they can move into tomorrow and be renewed,” Nickerson said. “Basically, there is always hope.” Although outlets have increased for sexual assault and harassment awareness, these incidents continue to happen, targeting women and men alike. The Title IX department pushes for stopping harassment of all kinds, allowing numerous victims affected by these incidents to receive justice and a renewed sense of stability in their lives. Read more about Title IX’s processes here.
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Thursday, April 18, 2019
Opinion| Page 7
EDITORIAL
SGA worked hard, and we need to recognize it THE ISSUE
OUR TAKE
The student body tends to reap the benefits of Student Government Association’s legislations, but criticize their “lack of work” and disconnection to the student body.
As the current SGA executive cabinet wraps up its year, students should recognize accomplishments of the organization and get involved to bring more change to campus.
Optimist Editorial Board | editor@jmcnetwork.com When Ty Kelley and Rachel Jones ran for executive president and vice president, the optimist editorial board saw hope and excitement in their platforms and decided to endorse. We applauded their unity as a team and believe they lived up to expectations this year, and exceeded what their platform a year ago had to offer. With the first-ever Join Week, SGA encouraged students to get involved on campus, even if it wasn’t Congress. Through their email, “join@acu.edu,” they received more than 200 inquiries for student involvement. Kelley and Jones introduced SGA Week to increase awareness and participation for congressional elections,
and filled almost every seat in Congress this year, something that hasn’t been done in over four years. Congress proposed 47 pieces of legislation, passing 28, both numbers higher than last year’s SGA. For the first time in its history, SGA had a constitutional convention to completely redraft the constitution and restructure Congress to become the Senate. In addition, they added a judicial branch to administer legislation and oversee student disciplinary issues. SGA supported athletics this year more than every year in the past, giving out 200 tickets to the women’s basketball NCAA Div. I tournament, and hosting a
(massive) watch party for the men’s trip to Jacksonville. At football games, they gave out $3,000 in scholarships and other prizes to encourage attendance, and continued supporting social clubs to tailgate and participate in games. For the season opener against Baylor, they gave out 200 discounted tickets for students to attend.
What seemed like the most significant contribution, SGA brought Bird scooters to the university during the fall semester. Riders rode over 17,000 miles across campus and the surrounding areas. Though they are unavailable due to changes within the company, SGA is already working to find alternatives for next semester.
The scooters generated external funding for SGA, something that hasn’t been done in the past. Financially, SGA is on track to end the year under budget as opposed to last year’s $25,000 overage. In addition, Colton Powell, treasurer, and Kevin Schurtz, chief financial officer, created a new spreadsheet and equation to figure
out allocation amounts for every organization. Though they didn’t keep their promises with projects such as a dog park, they did compensate with projects like Bird, fixing the Bible building doors, donating $2,000 to Pepperdine in the midst of a series of tragedies and lighting up campus with the first-ever “LitMas.” If there’s anything to critique, it’s just hope that the next administration improves communication with the student body. While a restructuring of Congress might make SGA more productive, the student body wasn’t ever asked for feedback prior to the constitutional amendments. Though we’re waiting on a vote to confirm the changes, a lack of communication leaves the student body confused about why the changes are being proposed and what they’ll do. Overall, the Editorial Board looks at this administration as completing a successful, positive and constructive year. Hopefully, next year will be the same.
STAFF COLUMNS
Don’t hold off on finding a church home until senior year FUTURE HECKLER AMBER CHAVEZ VIDEO DIRECTOR
Senior multimedia major from Dripping Springs
It’s never been easy for me to find a “church home.” I came from a weird church background – or lack thereof. I grew up Catholic until the fifth grade, then stopped going to church altogether after my first communion. Junior year of high school, I started attending a non-denominational church semi-regularly. That relationship ended quickly – I got into a car accident after leaving a service two weeks before my
high school graduation and never went back. When I came to ACU, everyone always pushed the freshmen to find a community with fellow students who were also trying to navigate what it means to be a Christian in a college setting. I wasn’t really interested in it: I just wanted to pass my classes, hang out with my friends and work enough to feed myself on the weekends. Going to church on Sunday
- something I hadn’t done it regularly since I was 10 years old - was not part of my plan, and I’ve come to regret it. For the six or seven years that I wasn’t attending any church, I forgot all about the Bible and the teachings of Jesus. I knew there was a God, I knew the Lord’s Prayer, and I still say the sign of the cross in Spanish. But there was a large gap in my religious upbringing that probably hindered my overall understanding of religion. The Bible classes I took at ACU were basically advanced Sunday school classes. I didn’t know anything. I still have trouble figuring out the different images of Jesus in the four Gospels. If I had start-
ed hunting for a church my freshman year, it would have shaped me for the better. I did experiment by attending different churches in the area, but I was never actively seeking a church home - I was just attending on the off-chance I liked a church and wanted to keep going. Nothing made me feel like I used to feel at the non-denominational church back home. I’m not a fan of megachurch settings. I don’t care for services geared toward college students or the services that emphasize getting as many new attendees to fill out the “connection cards” as possible. I prefer slipping into the back and just lis-
tening to what the pastor has to say. I enjoy services where we dive right into Scripture and I can learn (often for the first time) about who is saying what and its actual meaning. It took me until the beginning of this semester to finally find a church I liked. I found a home at The Well. I’ve tried to attend as much as I can, but unfortunately, I’ll have to start over and find a new church home after graduation. If I had given The Well a shot a year ago, it could have been extremely beneficial to my spiritual formation. I wish I hadn’t procrastinated on finding the right church; I would have had a deeper understanding of the Bible.
While I have learned a lot this semester, I don’t feel like I’ve learned as much as I could have if I had found The Well earlier. I just have to take in as much as I can get in the three Sundays I have left. To anyone who hasn’t found their church home yet: keep looking. It took me a few years to find the right fit, but don’t put it off like I did. I would have had a stronger relationship with God, had I found a church sooner. Don’t dismiss some churches just because you don’t think they’re your style. I had no idea what to expect at The Well, and I am very grateful that I did find a good church – even if I have to leave it in May.
1970s. And as recently as the 1960s, its citizens were richer on a per capita basis than people in Great Britain. In just a few short years, Venezuela has seen their wealth disappear rapidly. The Venezuelan model in America would lead to the nationalization of key industries, price and currency controls, rationing, poor health, political instability and widespread politicization of the rest of the economy. Such policies would lead to a collapse of 40 percent in real GDP, or about $24,000 per person, according to the CEA report. One of the key proposals that socialists have been campaigning for over the past few years is free universal healthcare. In July of 2018, Sanders proposed “Medicare for All” plan for Americans. That sounds great, right? You’d have to be crazy not to accept something that important for free- for this reason, many of Sanders and Cortez’s supporters are so young.
As a college student in America, money is a touchy subject. In 2018, graduates averaged over $30,000 in student loans. Proposals from Sanders like free healthcare and free college sound like paradise. There’s only one problem. Nothing in this world is free: someone is always paying the bill. Bernie Sanders’ “Medicare for All” proposal would have cost Americans $32.6 trillion dollars over 10 years, requiring historic tax hikes, according to a Mercatus Center at George Mason University in Virginia. If we want to compare this to how socialism has fared in Venezuela, it also doesn’t paint a pretty picture. The hard times and crackdowns on dissent have driven almost three million Venezuelans to leave the country. In 2017, one aid agency said that more than 11 percent of children under age 5 were suffering from moderate to severe malnutrition. The numbers only get
worse from there. The inflation rate in Venezuela has surged to 2.3 million percent and is expected to near 10 million percent by the end of the year. Let’s put that in perspective. That means at the rate that inflation is increasing, the price of a cup of coffee would double between paychecks. The inflation rate is expected to reach 10 million percent by the end of the year, and this all started with socialism. Sanders just released his 2019 “Medicare for All” proposal, which will likely be just as much as an expense as last year. And he’s not the only Democratic socialist proposing expensive plans for Americans. Ocasio-Cortez offered the “Green New Deal,” which aims to address climate change and economic inequality- sounds great, until you look at the costs. According to a new study co-authored by the former director of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Of-
fice, it could cost as much as $93 trillion, or approximately $600,000 per household. The proposal didn’t pass in the Senate earlier last month. Socialism can best described as shopping for nice clothes. They look great, and you can’t wait to wear them, until you discover the price. The difference between this analogy and real life is that Sanders, Cortez and Venezuela don’t put the clothes back on the rack. Instead, they buy the entire store. Despite all the numbers, socialism is still on the rise. Americans need to be continuously informed with who they elect, as parties are constantly becoming more polar. Sanders will be running for President in the 2020 election after losing the Democrat bid to Hillary Clinton in 2016. And if millennials, 51 percent of whom don’t support capitalism according to a Harvard university survey, continue to become a bigger impact on election day, it could spell a Sanders presidency.
Socialism in America: These antics should be put to rest OWEN AN OPINION OWEN SIMPSON ASSISTAT SPORTS DIRECTOR
An Convergence Journalism major from Georgetown, Texas The term “socialism” has gained popularity in recent years throughout America, despite backlash from the Republican party, in particular. The Democratic party, on the other hand, has been heavily involved with socialism. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and newcomer New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have become the faces of socialism in the United States. An August 2018 Gallup poll stated that 57 percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents said they had a positive view of socialism- here’s why that’s such a problem for the country. The president’s Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) decided to apply conventional economic analysis
to the U.S. economy under socialism, and it didn’t paint the prettiest picture. The CEA estimates are not based on some random model. They’re based on data from a wide body of research and studies that clearly and convincingly show that less-free economies perform far worse than free economies. According to the analysis, if the United States were to enforce Venezuelan-style socialist policies, it would cause economic turmoil. These policies have been praised by Sanders, Cortez and dozens of other Democratic candidates. Venezuela is the most recent economy to go full-out socialist in this hemisphere since Nicaragua in the late
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Page 8 | Sports FEATURE
Thursday, April 18, 2019
LEAVING THE PRESS
Fleming reflects on 21 memorable years with ACU
“
OWEN SIMPSON SPORTS DIRECTOR
After 21 years with ACU, Lance Fleming informed the department he would be leaving his position. He was the associate director of athletics for media relations and the main media contact for football and men’s basketball. Now, he’ll be working as the director of communications for Abilene Independent School District. Fleming said it can certainly be challenging to reflect on a job that’s become a routine. “It’s hard to put 21 years into perspective,” Fleming said. “It’s the best job I’ve ever had, and I hope the one I’m going to is even better. Its been 21 years of great memories and friendships and relationships that I’ve been able to build.” A native of Abilene, Fleming is an ACU alum having graduated in 1992. Fleming received a B.A. in mass communication from ACU and was a copy editor, sports writer and news writer for both the Abilene TENNIS
I never thought I would leave here. I thought I would retire here.”
LANCE FLEMING DIRECTOR OF MEDIA RELATIONS
a long time ago that we wanted to raise our family here, but it came to a point where I needed to spend more time with my them.” He and his wife, Jill, are the co-founders of the P4X Foundation, which honors the life of their son, Rex, who died in November 2012 at the age of 10 after a two-year battle with brain cancer. The P4X Foundation’s goals are to affect the lives of pediatric cancer patients and their families in a positive way, and become a beacon of hope to people in and around our community. He and Jill, have been married 21 years and have two other children: a daughter, Ashley 13, and a son, Ryan 7. Fleming is expected to leave his position in July, but the search for a new director of media relation will soon begin.
Photo by MEDA BOW | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Lance Flemming poses in his office at Moody Coliseum. Flemming will vacate his job as SID in July.
Reporter-News and the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. In his time at his position, Fleming said there’s several memorable moments he could point out in his time here. “The most memorable would have to be the last two weeks of this basketball season,” Fleming said. “I don’t know if anything we’ve done before will top that.” Both the men and women’s basketball teams
in March clinched their first-ever appearance in the NCAA Div. I tournament. Fleming traveled to Jacksonville to cover the men in their game against Kentucky. Fleming’s process of getting hired to AISD was somewhat poetic, as he discovered he was offered the job at an interesting time. “This job that I’m going to go work for came about early to mid-Febru-
ary,” Fleming said. “The day we played Kentucky, I was walking into the arena and I was offered the job. It was pretty cool for that to be the last thing to cover at ACU.” Despite leaving ACU, he never thought he’d be in this situation: however, time changes everything. “I never thought I would leave here,” Fleming said. “I thought I would retire here. My wife and I made a decision
STANDINGS Softball Team
Ovrl.
Nicholls SHSU McNeese SFA SLU NSU Lamar UCA HBU TXAM-CC ACU UIW
26-17 23-19 23-22 27-16 25-17 22-19 20-26 21-23 16-20 7-35 9-26 4-33
Div. 15-3 14-4 14-4 12-6 12-6 12-6 11-7 7-11 4-14 3-15 2-16 2-16
Baseball Team
Ovrl.
SHSU SLU UIW SFA TXAM-CC NSU UCA Nicholls McNeese ACU HBU UNO Lamar
22-12 19-18 23-13 16-21 24-16 20-14 17-20 18-18 19-18 19-17 12-24 18-19 13-24
Div. 14-4 10-5 11-7 9-6 10-8 10-8 8-7 9-9 6-9 6-9 5-10 5-13 5-13
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Baseball
Men’s tennis crowned regular season conference champions RACHEL POE SPORTS REPORTER
Last weekend, men’s tennis celebrated the program’s first sole Southland Conference regular-season title and won their 20th straight match on Saturday, their first 20-win season since 2012. Wildcats defeated Incarnate Word Friday with a close match, winning 4-3. Junior Jonathan Sheehy won his three-set comeback at over Evans, 5-7, 6-3, 6-3. He also had a 6-4 win over Boisseau and Valentinsson with his doubles partner Junior Nikolas Moceanu. Junior Jackson Fine and Senior Cole Lawson beat Evans and Mortier to also win 6-4. Fine and Lawson have won their last three matches together, finishing 3-0 versus South-
land opponents. Moceanu and Jonathan Sheehy have only been paired up three times this spring and have a 2-1 record together on the season. For singles, the Cardinals never took the lead on the Wildcats. The visitors tied the score to 1-1 when Dryer dispatched freshman Akinori Wada in straight sets at 6-2, 6-2. However the Wildcats immediately regained the lead, to 2-1, after senior Josh Sheehy won his 16th match by taking down Mortier, 6-3, 6-4. Mocaenu provided the Wildcats with a 3-1 lead after coming from a set down to beat Boisseau, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 for win No. 12. Freshman Riley Tran gave it a go, tying his match at one set apiece with a 6-2 second-set win, but then fell 6-1 in the third set to Valentinsson.
Freshman Dimitris Azoides won his first set vs. Bendana, 7-5, but dropped his second set as Jonathan Sheehy was beginning his third vs. Evans. The Evans and Sheehy set went back-and-forth through the first six points, but Sheehy improved as the match went on. Jon’s victory was the 12th of the season and third vs. Southland opponents. The men won their 20th match of the season Saturday with a 4-3 victory over UTSA. Freshman Azoides scored the match-winning point at singles, coming back from a set down to defeat Reckow, 5-7,75, 6-4. The last time the Wildcats earned a 20-win campaign was their first since 2012, when they posted 21-9 en route to reaching the NCAA DII quarterfinals. Fine and Lawson were 6-1
winner for their ninth win of the Spring after Saturday, but Josh and Jon Sheehy lost 6-4 and Tran and Moceanu were edged 7-6 by Gonzalez and Sanson at No. 3. Josh Sheehy said it’s a little different playing with Mocaenu than with his brother, Jon Sheehy. “Niko and I are good at pumping each other up and our games compliment each other well.” Sheehy said, “On the other hand, my brother and I have a lot of experience together and really know how to bring out the best in each other’s games and play some incredible doubles.” ACU got back into the lead after three-consecutive wins at the top three positions. Jonathan Sheehy defeated Ceolin 7-6, 6-3.
Later, brother Josh rallied to beat Breitbach, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, for his six-consecutive victory for a 14-4 overall. Moceanu was involved in another three-set battle, his 10th of the spring, but came out on top for his 13th victory. His record in three-set matches is a solid 7-3. UTSA tied the score once more, following its straight-set wins, but Azoides was able to halt his three-match losing streak by holding off Reckow in their third set. He is second to Josh Sheehy on the team with 16 singles victories. The Wildcats return to action on Tuesday with a 5 p.m. match vs. their old Div. II Lone Star Conference rivals from Midwestern State.
Trevino For the second week in a row, redshirt senior catcher Luis Trevino had a solid start to the week against Arlington Baptist. The Wildcats won Tuesday night against the Patriots 11-0 in just seven innings of play. Trevino went 3-3 on the night with a two-run home run to get things started at Crutcher Scott field. he also brought home four RBI’s as his numbers continue to go up. He’s now batting .419 on the season which ranks as one of the best in the nation. Up next, ACU continues its stand at home this weekend against Lamar starting Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
Baseball
BASEBALL PREVIEW 2019 SEASON STATS
ABILENE CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
Bourland
6.5
RUNS PER GAME
4.7
6.5
RUNS ALLOWED PG
6.3
W1
CURRENT STREAK
L1
10TH
CONFERENCE RANK
13TH
(19-17)
OWEN SIMPSON SPORTS DIRECTOR
MAX PRESTON SPORTS EDITOR
BREVEN CAMPBELL SPORTS REPORTER
LAMAR UNIVERSITY (13-24)
RACHEL POE
SPORTS REPORTER
After a solid offensive effort Friday night against Houston Baptist, the Wildcats struggled from there on. 21 runs on Friday night marked the second most of the season, but scoring only two total runs over the next two games spelled a lost series for the team. It certainly hurts the Wildcats’ chances to punch a ticket to the Southland Conference tournament as they now sit three games back from the final spot. With 15 conference games left in the season, there’s still plenty of time to improve their 6-9 record. That starts this week with the Lamar Cardinals, who currently sit tied for last in the conference. Lamar, however is coming in hot after sweeping Texas A&M-Corpus Christi this past weekend. ACU will host, and that’s where they play their best. The Wildcats are 17-7 at home this season while the Cardinals have lost eight consecutive road games. I’d expect the Wildcats to win this series, but don’t be surprised if Lamar steals a game given their recent play.
The previous weekend proved that you never really know what you’ll get with ACU baseball. A three-game series with Houston Baptist should have resulted in at least two victories for the Wildcats, but their bats went M.I.A. the last two games after hanging 21 on the Huskies Friday morning. The pitching staff also has to improve in order for ACU to win. It seems the Wildcats have to bring in at least three pitchers from the bullpen every game. Finding a few rock solid starters for the team will be key in moving toward the top of the standings. This weekend, the Wildcats get a team that’s struggling to find success. They are tied for last with New Orleans in the Southland Conference standings. They are coming off a three-game series sweep of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. After three big wins, this is the type of confidence booster Lamar needs in order to get on a roll at this point in the season. Although the Wildcats are at home, the Cardinals come into Crutcher Scott and steal two wins.
Last weekend was a disappointment for the Wildcats, only winning one game out of three to Houston Baptist, a subpar team. ACU looked impressive in the first game on Friday scoring 21 runs, but only scored one run in the second game and one run on Saturday. The Wildcats have another series they are supposed to win. Lamar is at the bottom of the conference, but their record is not much worse than the Wildcats. Lamar is 5-13 in conference, whereas the Wildcats are 6-9. If ACU wants to stay out of the bottom of the rankings then the series against Lamar is a must win. After a rough two game performance on the offensive side, I see the Wildcats coming out and scoring more than five runs each game. With good defense, I believe the Wildcats will take this series and improve the conference record even more from what it was last year. The team has already won more conference games than last year.
After falling to Houston Baptist, last weekend, the Wildcats will host Lamar this weekend. It was not a total loss for the Wildcats against HBU. On Friday night the Wildcats had a total of 21 runs, but struggled the next two games, only able to score two runs. Hopefully the Wildcats will show up and host an easy defeat over the Lamar Cardinals. Even though the Cardinals are tied for last place, unlike the Wildcats they were able to pull out a sweep over Texas A&M- Corpus Christi last weekend. Hopefully the Wildcats can pull a win out of this weekend so they could potentially qualify for the Southland Conference tournament. I am calling the Wildcats giving up one game and winning two, after all they play best at home.
WILDCATS WIN SERIES 2-1
LAMAR WINS SERIES 2-1
WILDCATS WIN SERIES 2-1
WILDCATS WIN SERIES 2-1
Junior catcher Lane Bourland had himself a night against the Patriots of Arlington Baptist.. Tuesday night, Bourland went 2-3 with two runs and a threerun home run in the 5th inning to increase the lead to 10-0. Bourlnad has struggled most of the season now batting .196, but after his first home run on Tuesday night, things are looking up for the Junior. Trailing just three games from the final spot in the conference tournament, the Wildcats will have to rely on everyone they can as the seasons’ end is within sight.
Tennis
Sheehy Junior Jonathan Sheehy capped off a historic season for the men’s tennis team by being named the final Southlnad conference player of the week for the third time in the 2019 season. The men’s tennis team clinched the regular season championship Friday after taking down Incarnate Word, 4-3. Later in the week, the Wildcats took down UTSA, 4-3, for the first 20-win season since 2012. Up next, ACU will face Midwestern State April 23rd at 5 p.m. at home for the final game of the season.