ACUOPTIMIST.COM | Friday, November 15, 2019 | 1
Santana works to build collaboration with EMU
A student publication of Abilene Christian University since 1912
PAGE 3
BY DAVID MITCHELL | PHOTOGRAPHER
Students bow after singing a global worship song together at the 2019 Pandemic Ethnos show, performed for the community last weekend.
SGA to hold 2nd annual ‘Litmas’ event BY DILLON DANIEL MANAGING EDITOR
This year’s “Litmas with SGA” will be from 7-9 p.m. on Nov. 19 at the Campus Mall Area. This is the second year that the annual tree lighting will be made an event for students and staff to celebrate. “We want to take what SGA did last year and work with Student Life and Caddie Coupe and make this [year’s tree lighting] even better,”
Lauren Wasson, senior political science major from Denton and president of SGA, said. The event is made for students to come out and celebrate Christmas together and have some fun. “What’s good about this event is that anyone can come as they are and celebrate with one another,” Karissa Nickish, senior speech path major from Melbourne Beach, Fla. and press secretary of SGA, said. “The goal
for this event is that it continues to get bigger with every year.” The event will feature a 35-foot-tall Christmas tree, the A Cappella groups and students from OMA. Weston and the Evergreen and Sterling Williams’ and his band are scheduled to perform. Students will watch the lighting of the tree while drinking hot chocolate and have the ability to take pictures at a vintage
camper photo booth. Other additions to the event this year will include Abi Thrift, student-run thrift business, and a snow machine. The first 200 people to show up for the event will also receive a free Christmas mug. “Before we did this last year, other departments decorated for Christmas, but we didn’t feel there was a lot to see on campus,” Wasson said. “So we wanted an event where all
“So we wanted an event where all the students from different clubs and groups can come together and be involved in something else. We wanted something every student could just have fun and be apart of.” LAUREN WASSON SENIOR POLITICAL SCIENCE MAJOR FROM DENTON AND PRESIDENT OF SGA
the students from different clubs and groups can come together and be involved in something else.
Abilene sustains early wintry conditions BY ANDREW NORSWORTHY STAFF WRITER
On Nov. 11, students greeted Veteran’s Day with gusty winds and chilly temperatures projected to sink down below freezing before the next day. The temperature in the late afternoon sunk to 30 degrees. The temperature coupled with strong winds up to 41 miles per hour created a wind chill of only 15 degrees. Dr. Phil Schubert, president of the university, said, “I don’t like the cold and I don’t like winds where they are over 40 miles per hour and we’ve got both today.” Jaden Roberts, a sophomore nursing major from Corinth, said, “[I’m] running to class. It’s terribly cold.” Seth Spears, a sopho-
BY ANDREW NORSWORTHY | STAFF WRITER
A chilly Veteran’s Day for the Abilene community. more information systems major from Bossier City, La., said, “Honestly, kind of nice. Just layer up.” Weather has had no impact on road conditions or other impact on safety of the community and city as there has been no significant accumulation
of ice or snow that could threaten travel. Classes continued despite the frigid conditions as precipitation was not expected to accumulate on roads. Jimmy Ellison, ACU Police Chief, said, “It’s not as much related to temperature as much as
it is: do we have any kind of freezing rain or icy roadways or snow and ice accumulations that are affecting traveling safety?” The ACU Police Department is monitoring weather conditions and works very closely with the City of Abilene PD
and with TXDOT to monitor road conditions locally and regionally to feed current and accurate information to ACU and make any decisions based upon the weather. Students can expect an alert in the early morning hours if there are any weather updates. Abilene was under a wind advisory until 9 p.m. on Nov. 12. Freezing rain and clouds cleared overnight. “It’s a great reminder that the weather in west Texas is really volatile.” Schubert said. “We’ve got amazing things about Abilene, Texas, but we have to endure the volatility of the weather in November and today is a great example. It pushes us all inside to enjoy the community and the war mth that comes with it.”
The Cabinet to schedule Finals Week events BY ANDREW TOOTHMAN STAFF WRITER
The Cabinet will host five events this semester, including Silent Disco, back by popular demand. The Cabinet is a university funded student organization that organizes and hosts events for students to get better connected with one another in a fun community environment. Events hosted by The Cabinet are free to students, but most are first come first serve.
The first event is sunset painting on Nov. 17. This event will be limited to the first 50 students and will be held at the Grace Museum. Food, paint and canvases will be provided. A hypnotist will be coming to Abilene for the next event on Nov. 21. This event’s location has yet to be announced. The next event will be a showing of Frozen 2 at 2 p.m. on Nov. 23 at the Cinemark Abilene and XD movie theater located near Buffalo Wild Wings. Tickets will
be first come first serve. The Cabinet will release clues on this event on their Instagram. Libby Schwalb, a senior child and family services major from Nashville, TN, and cabinet member, said she is looking forward to the Silent Disco event on Dec. 6 because she is one of the directors in charge of the event. Silent Disco will start at 10 p.m. and will be held in Teague Special Events Center. There will be 300 headsets ready for this event.
“I mostly love seeing people get involved into these free events for students, especially freshmen.” LIBBY SCHWALB SENIOR CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES MAJOR FROM NASHVILLE, TN.
“I am always excited about Silent Disco, but this year I am partnering up with other cabinet members to run this event.” Schwald said. “I mostly love seeing people get involved into these free events for students, especially fresh-
men. All of our cabinet members are different with different ideas on how to have fun, so the variety of these events are fun.” The last event is on Dec. 9, which is Dead Day, and The Cabinet will be hosting a spa day at the Hunter Welcome Center for students to come relax before finals. The spa event will be from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Students can find more information on these events on The Cabinet’s Instagram page @ACUCabinet.
We wanted something every student could just have fun and be apart of.” Even though this is the second year of the event, Wasson said she wished that there was something like this when she was a freshman. Nickish and Wasson said that even if the weather gets a bit colder than usual, SGA will do what it can to keep the event going. However, they also said they are not too worried.
NEWS
Theatre soon to perform ‘The White Rose’ PAGE 5
SPORTS
Drexel stuns ACU basketball in final seconds PAGE 6
QUESTION What year did the Hunter Welcome Center open? Be the first to answer correctly by sending your answer to @acuoptimist on Twitter. Winner will receive a prize. Be sure to watch for a new question each week.
FOLLOW US @acuoptimist The Optimist @acuoptimist
2 | Friday, November 15, 2019 | NEWS
ASL petition gains traction among students BY ERNIE GUAJARDO CARTOONIST
Two students have created a petition to have American Sign Language (ASL) count as a foreign language credit and has recieved over 1000 signatures, after the university declined their previous attempts. ASL is a commonly taken course for both majors and non-majors. However, the course does not count toward anything outside of the speech pathology major. Students who take the course do so out of their desire to learn the language. M icheal Bradford, senior theatre major from College Stat ion, has tried in previous years to get ASL to count toward a cultural aware-
“The end goal is to get it as a foreign language credit. The signatures are just going to keep coming. I think we’re up to at least 900 now.” BRENDAN CONN SENIOR YOUTH AND FAMILY MINISTRY MAJOR FROM ARLINGTON
ness credit. However, according to Bradford, the university rejected his previous requests without any explanat ion. “I got a response from the advising department, not necessarily from the department head or vice provost, so I don’t know where it came from, but they said they didn’t like that and didn’t let it go forward,” Bradford said. Bradford is one of the few deaf students on campus, though he uses
BY ALLISON HARRELL | EDITOR IN CHIEF
Students create petition for American Sign Language to count as foreign language credit. hearing aids to assist him in conversation. He said his original intent for last year’s petition was to gain awareness of the issue and hopefully get the ball rolling so future students didn’t have this problem. Brendan Conn, senior youth and family minis-
try major from Arlington, created the most recent petition and began spreading the word about it on his social media. Conn said he wasn’t originally aware of the full situation and only heard about it from a close friend. He saw the issue as completely unfair to all
students and found it “unjust.” He then set up the online petition and shared it on Instagram for others to see; within the first day, 200 signatures were made on the site. “The end goal is to get it as a foreign language credit,” Conn said. “The sig-
natures are just going to keep coming. I think we’re up to at least 900 now.” Conn said scheduled a meeting with a member from SGA to propose a bill and communicate what needs to be done with someone that could make it happen. The petition has reached over 1000 signatures and still continues with no limit being set. The petition has brought a lot of attention to ASL. Both Bradford and Conn said they are hoping to make some real change for future students. “It’s really just a statement of making this count as a foreign language on campus, because nationwide it is recognized as a foreign language by the American government,” Bradford said.
Student Nursing Association hosts winter coat drive BY SYDNEY VARNER STAFF WRITER
T he St udent Nu rsi ng Associat ion (SNA) is host i ng a w i nter coat d r ive to benef it t he ch i ld ren of Abi lene ISD from now u nt i l Nov. 25. SNA is accept i ng do nat ions of a l l t y pes of w i nter clot h i ng , from gent ly used to new; t he donat ion box is located i n t he Zona Luce bu i ldi ng on t he Sout h West cor ner of ca mpus. Rober t Sm it h, soph-
omore nu rsi ng major from Rock wel l , is one of t he h istor ia ns for SNA a nd has been i nvolved i n SNA si nce h is fresh men yea r. Sm it h has been one of t he major org a n i zers of t he coat d r ive a nd was i nspi red by g iv i ng back to t he com mu n it y as wel l as work i ng toget her w it h ever yone i nvolved i n SNA . “ We felt l i ke t h is was a rea l ly g reat oppor t un it y to get nu rsi ng majors a nd u nderclassmen nu rsi ng majors toget her
because we rea l ly wa nted to bond t hat , as fa r as it not bei ng st r ict ly nu rses,” Sm it h sa id. One of the reasons SNA said they felt a coat drive would be beneficial is due to the poverty rates in Abilene. As of 2017, approximately 17.7 percent or one out of every 5.6 citizens in Abilene are living in poverty, according to welfareinfo.org. Lauren Maloy, junior nursing major from Dallas, also said by hosting a coat drive, SNA is doing its part to reach out to the
community. “ I was rea l ly excited when I hea rd about it ,” M a loy sa id. “ I t hou ght t h is is perfect , it ’s cha r it y, it ’s helpi ng out k ids a nd it ’s a g reat way to be t he ha nds of feet of Jesus because t hat ’s what nu rses do. T h is is rea l ly ca r i ng.” SNA was or ig i na lly created on ca mpus t h ree yea rs a go a nd has on ly recent ly become more i nvolved on ca mpus. T h rou gh t h is coat d r ive a nd a f loat i n t he Homecom i ng Pa rade,
“We’re here for you all, everybody should feel like this is a place you can come to.” REBEKAH REYES ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF FINANCIAL COUNSELING AND STUDENT SERVICES
SNA is get t i ng t he word out to more nu rsi ng st udents i n hopes t hat t hey wou ld get i nvolved i n t he associat ion. “ I t h i n k ou r f i rst ap pea ra nce at t he Homecom i ng Pa rade was rea l ly f u n get t i ng t he
word out because SNA isn’t on ly for nu rsi ng school st udents but for a l l nu rsi ng st udents,” M a loy sa id. “ Ever yone has t hei r com mu n it ies a rou nd ca mpus so let ’s ma ke nu rsi ng a com mun it y too.” St udents from a l l across ca mpus a re encou ra ged to donate to t he coat d r ive benef it i ng Abi lene ISD. Nu rsi ng st udents w it h quest ions about SNA a re encou ra ged to cont act L au ren M a loy at la m14b@acu.edu.
TESOL classes offer self sustained study abroad BY DAVID HOYT STAFF WRITER
Students have the opportunity to take courses to earn a Teaching Engl ish to Speakers of Other Languages ( TESOL) cert if icate and pursue self sustained study abroad. The courses, which are offered each semester, cover in depth various theories and methodologies associated with teaching Engl ish while also giving students the opportunity to work in an actual ESL sett ing.
“This helped me develop my own activities to teach [English].” ALEX POOLE GRADUATE STUDENT FROM FRISCO
Pam Sull ivan, instructor in the Department of Language and Literature and instructor of the course, said there are plenty of opportunit ies to teach Engl ish around the world. “In a lot of countries around the world there is
a need to learn English,” Sullivan said. “In many countries, students do that in regular school, but a lot of times there are adults who have not had the opportunity to do that. So there are plenty of private language institutions and other places that offer English lessons, and with the certificate, you would be able to work there.” Alex Poole, a graduate student studying for her Master’s in Teaching from Frisco, took the TESOL courses as a senior in undergraduate and said
what she learned in those courses helped her on mission trips. “This past summer I went on a mission trip to Spain where I taught students Engl ish and Bible for t wo weeks,” Poole said. Poole, who also works in a second grade classroom in Abilene, said what she learned has been useful in work ing with ESL students there, as well. “This helped me develop my own act ivit ies to teach [ Engl ish],” Poole said. “I am able to
use the same sk ills right here in Abilene.” T h e T E S O L c e r t i ficate i nvolves tak i ng t wo t h ree-hou r cou rses. T ESOL 4 4 0 is norma l ly taken f i rst and goes i nto t he t heor ies and met hods beh i nd language t e a c h i n g. T ESOL 34 0, wh ich ca n be taken eit her concu r rent ly w it h T ESOL 4 4 0 or on its own, is a pract icu m where st udents i mplement what t hey lea r ned i n T ESOL 4 4 0 i n a c l a s s r o o m s e t t i n g. “ You have to take 30
hours outside of class,” Sull ivan said. “ You do some obser vat ions and inter views of teachers and then 20 hours of instruct ion pract icum and 10 hours with social t ime with non-nat ive Engl ish speakers.” There is no test required to receive the cert if icate. Sull ivan said if a student passes all the requirements of the course, they would earn the cert if icate. For more information about the TESOL certification, contact Pam Sullivan at pgs06b@acu.edu.
WHAT’S HAPPENING? MON., NOV. 18
TUES., NOV. 19
WED., NOV. 20
THURS., NOV. 21
FRI., NOV. 22
SAT., NOV. 23
8 a.m.- ACU Buddies Wheelchair Challenge 5 p.m.- Intro Design Expo 6 p.m.- Turkey Throwdown
8 a.m.- ACU Buddies Wheelchair Challenge 7 p.m.- Litmas with SGA 5 p.m.- Best Buddies Chipotle Spirit Night
8 a.m.- ACU Buddies Wheelchair Challenge
8 a.m.- ACU Buddies Wheelchair Challenge 5 p.m.- Sigma Delta Phi Induction 6 p.m.- OMA Underground
8 a.m.- ACU Buddies Wheelchair Challenge 8 p.m.- A Capella Group Christmas Concert
Football vs. Mississippi State 3 p.m.- Adriana Martin Del Campo Senior recital
police log SELECTED ACUPD CALLS FOR THE WEEK: • • • •
ACUPD assisted the Abilene Police Department by locating a Mandarin translator needed for an APD investigation into Human Trafficking at a local motel. 11/06/2019 12:00 p.m. ACUPD responded to a reported Assault-Dating Violence incident where a student reported being assaulted by her non-student boyfriend. Charges pending. 11/06/2019 12:30 p.m. ACUPD responded to a report of a suspicious male inside the lobby area of Gardner Hall. The subject was gone when officers arrived, but follow-up investigation determined the person to be a current student looking for a relative who resides in Gardner Hall. Case closed. 11/07/2019 8:53 p.m. A student reported the theft of their unsecured bicycle from the back porch of his off-campus residence. Case open. 11/09/2019 4:30 p.m.
911 Call Administrative activity Advice Alarm Animal call Armed subject Assault Assist Barricades Bicycles/skateboard call Building lock/unlock Burglary (vehicle) Burglary (residence) Cart patrol Check building Citation issuance
7 63 5 3 4 0 2 0 7 0 23 0 0 9 283 0
Clery compliance admin. Criminal trespass Disorderly conduct Disturbance Domestic disturbance Escort Event support Foot patrol Found property Information report Investigation follow up Lost Property Maintenance: univ assets: cctv Maintenance: univ assets Medical emergency Mental health concern
MESSAGE FROM POLICE CHIEF ELLISON:
3 0 0 7 0 12 0 9 3 5 12 3 26 6 4 0
Missing person Monitor facility/lot Motorist assist: inflate tire. Motorist assist: jumpstart Motorist assist: other Motorist assist: unlock Noise violation Other Parking lot patrol Parking violation Patrol vehicle: maintenance Patrol vehicle: refuel Public service Random patrol Reckless driving Refuel gasoline cans
0 26 4 12 2 7 5 2 23 0 7 12 3 10 0 0
Report writing Report writing (follow up) Sex offense Suspicious activity Suspicious person Suspicious vehicle Theft Traffic stop Training Welfare check Total
19 3 0 0 3 2 0 6 0 1 643
*List of selected statistics of this week’s ACUPD activity report.
“Winter Weather Season is here early! Make sure you are current in ACU ALERT and that your vehicle is winter-ready with antifreeze, fresh battery, etc. ”
FEATURES | Friday, November 15, 2019 | 3
BY RILEY FISHER | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
Nil Santana, associate professor of art and design, seeks to begin collaboration with Eastern Mediterranean University’s Department of Visual Arts and Visual Communication Design.
COLLABORATION TO COME WITH EMU Professor Santana travels to Cyprus to co-teach two-week design course BY ALLISON HARRELL EDITOR IN CHIEF
Nil Santana, associate professor of art and design, was invited by Eastern Mediterranean University’s Department of Visual Arts and Visual Communication Design to teach a two-week intensive course on brand design as a Visiting Scholar. Santana was invited by Dr. Firat Tüzünkan, assistant professor and vice chair of the department of visual arts and visual communication design at EMU. Santana and Tüzünkan both attended ACU together in the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication in 1999. Originally from Cyprus, after working to receive his Ph.D. in Florida, Tüzünkan returned to Cyprus. EMU has instituted a series called “Learn From the Master’s” to invite guest speakers and conduct intensive courses for students. Santana had been in conversation with the university for two
years until being able to visit from Oct. 14-25. Santana co-taught the class with Tüzünkan. The class was a Brand Design two-week course with about 18 students from undergraduate to graduate in attendance. “The activities were mostly in class, activity with lectures and handson activities designing some logos and identity design,” Santana said. “But we also had a chance to go to a small town called Kyrenia, on the northern Cyprus coast, and we made an extra credit kind of assignment for them to take photos and practice typography and it was pretty fun too.” The university is located in the town of Famagusta, in northern Cyprus. The trip was Santana’s first visit to Cyprus. “It’s kind of a historical site,” Santana said. “So everyday when [Tüzünkan] would come by and pick me up from the hotel, we would just drive around town and visit ancient sites and ruins from
“These people treated me in a way that was unimaginable. So I hope that I’ve made really good friends and lasting friendships there. And I hope also, that out of this experience we are going to be able to grow some kind of collaboration between ACU and EMU.” NIL SANTANA ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF ART AND DESIGN
PHOTO COURTESY OF NIL SANTANA
Nil Santana, associate professor of art and design, teaches students from Eastern Mediterranean University about Brand Design. 1500 B.C. which is pretty incredible. It was fantastic. Besides being there as a Visiting Scholar teaching a workshop, for me, it was also a cultural experience. Learning about the culture, the costumes, the language, the food. It was an incredible experience for me as well.” EMU is the largest university in Cyprus with students from over 100 countries. Since it is an international university, all classes are conducted
in English. “Students from EMU come from all over the world, mostly from the eastern side like Morocco, Iran, Pakistan, Uzbekistan and all the other middle eastern countries there,” Santana said. Santana said one thing that impressed him the most, besides the quality of the students and the quality of the education, was the hospitality. “These people treated me in a way that was un-
imaginable,” Santana said. “So I hope that I’ve made really good friends and lasting friendships there. And I hope also, that out of this experience we are going to be able to grow some kind of collaboration between ACU and EMU.” Santana said there is no set project for the future, but there is conversation about growing a collaboration. “I already expressed great interest in going
back and they’ve also expressed great interest in having me back,” Santana said. EMU is working to provide more diversity to their students by inviting international scholars to their university. Santana is the third Visiting Scholar that has been through the program and spent two weeks with their students. Santana also delivered a presentation titled “Three Things You Need in Your Portfolio” for the Department of Visual Arts and Visual Communication Design.
SMALL BUSINESSES IN A SMALL TOWN Student entrepreneurs participate in local Christmas Market
BY ALLIE JONES STAFF WRITER
Two student entrepreneurs from ACU showcased their small businesses at the annual Abilene Christmas Market, Nov. 9. The Christmas Market was organized by People Party Craft and consisted of over 50 vendors in downtown Abilene. These vendors are local business owners of varying sizes, including two ACU students Adriana Colunga and Karson Tutt. Adriana Colunga, a junior advertising and public relations major from Irving, attended the Christmas Market for the fi rst time this year selling handmade scrunchies for her business, All Scrunched Up. Colunga started All Scrunched Up just over a year ago, as a sophomore. Last year, Colunga worked as a volunteer for the Christmas Market and saw the potential opportu-
BY DAVID MITCHELL | PHOTOGRAPHER
At 201 Mesquite, Abilene hosts a holiday market allowing students and others to advertise and sell their products. nity for her new business at that vendors fair. After a year of creating, selling and hard work she was able to return to the Christmas
Market as a vendor. “Last year I was a volunteer and this year I’m actually selling.” Colunga said. “A year ago, I would have never
imagined being able to sell at the Christmas Market.” Karson Tutt, a junior management major from Tuscola, was also at this years
Christmas Market with her business, Creations by Karson. For the past three years Tutt has been a vendor at the Christmas Market.
Her first year at the Christmas Market, Creations by Karson had one of the smallest vendor spaces. This year Tutt’s booth took up the most floor space in the entire Christmas Market. Both Colunga and Tutt are kept busy as full-time students and entrepreneurs. Tutt said it is import for student entrepreneurs to have a strong support system of friends, to stay organized and to not be afraid to go after an idea. “To anyone who wants to do something, do it,” Tutt said. “If you have an idea, go for it. And if you have a dream, chase it. At the end of the day no one knows what will happen, so you might as well try.” For more information about products contact Karson Tutt at @creationsbykarson or @_allscrunchedup on Instagram. Students can also see both businesses at the Start Up Market during ACU Startup Week.
4 | Friday, November 15, 2019 | OPINIONS
Be wary of media’s impact on your views of politicians EDITORIAL BOARD
Social Media plays a large role in our ever yday life. It is not a surprise that as you look around, you will see more and more individuals that are glued to their devices. Whether it is Snapchat, Facebook, Instag ram, Twitter and many more of the social media apps, or falling victim to games such as candy cr ush, Pokemon g o or Mario K ar t. Whenever it comes to a new election, whether it is national or local, our media stream becomes flooded with adver tisements and pictures of all the candidates. Good and bad press take tur ns on showing up ever ywhere to tr y and persuade audiences on who is the best candidate. Even with social me-
BY ERNIE GUAJARDO | CARTOONIST
dia today, it is super easy to paint a person in a negative or positive light. This is especially seen in ar ticles that are published and easily leaked to Facebook for ‘clickbait’. These ar ticles are so biased that
it is easy for a reader to believe whatever is written without fact checking.Even on Snapchat there are episodes of the Daily Show with Trevor Noah, E News and MTV News are aired daily to help users
stay connected to the news. Within the past two to three years, we have learned that the internet and social media uses an algorithm that filters what pops up on your timeline based on what you pre-
viously searched or what you visit often. This is another outlet that is used that continues to feed people the same stuff whether biased or not. Saturday Night Live is another for m of media that impacts one’s view of politicians. Since 1975, SNL has been known for their parody skits that are geared at anyone in the limelight. Celebrities and politicians alike are not safe from the comical-coated jabs that are made about past actions, current decisions and anything else they can find to add as ammunition. In the past few years, SNL did several skits on Barack Obama, Hillar y Clinton and Donald Tr ump, whether it was mocking the debates that took place or the cur rent events that unfolded while ser v-
ing. Although they are meant to draw a laugh from an audience they do have a powerful meaning. Even Youtube, the “mecca” of all things video related, is not innocent of having content that can skew the view point of people. With this platfor m people have been able to expose the er rors of Youtubers actions as well as politicians. So with so many resources that access on a regular basis. it is impor tant that we lear n to fact check ever ything we read, see or hear. When it comes to deciding who to elect into office and who would have the best interest of the people, it is impor tant to not let our decision be for med by views that are placed on us from our devices.
Why player compensation is detrimental to college sports
BY OWEN SIMPSON SPORTS DIRECTOR
The NCAA unanimously voted late in October to allow student-athletes to profit off of their name, image and likeness. For years, college athletes have been put on display in video games, national television and at the center of attention in a large arena or stadium. However, not a dime has been awarded to them.
“We must embrace change to provide the best possible experience for college athletes,” Michael Drake, chair of the NCAA’s board of governors and president of the Ohio State University, said. “Additional flexibility in this area can and must continue to support college sports as a part of higher education.” The NCAA has resisted this move for years, but backlash from former college athletes and politicians appeared to push the board to the brink. There are some positives to this change. For starters, this gives college athletes the freedom to make a profit off their own work. It seems fitting for a star player
from a large school to be compensated for the crowd he or she brings into a stadium. While it makes sense that some players should make a profit off their talents, it creates several other problems along with it. One major economic issue that the NCAA will face is national inequity. While it’s obvious that college athletes of different calibers and skill levels will be paid different, it will still create discontent amongst college athletes. That leads me to the big gest problem that will arise. Because these student-athletes now have financial profit on their radar, recr uiting will drastically change, and it won’t favor small-
city schools. Highly-recruited high school stars will now be more compelled to sign with the biggest program possible to make the most money. It will further separate the skill level between upper tier and lower tier programs. For basketball, high school athletes will likely prefer Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky and UCLA over conference teams that aren’t located in highly-populated areas. This change is great for college athletes. They should be compensated for their work, but college sports will not be the same. Two-time national champion and former Heisman winner at the University of Florida,
Tim Tebow, said that he could have made a fortune in college with the new NCAA rule, but that wasn’t his priority. “When I was at the University of Florida, I think my jersey was one of the top jerseys around the world, and I didn’t make a dollar from it, but nor did I want to,” Tebow said. “Because I knew, going into college, what it was all about.” He also believes college-athlete compensation is just another example of the selfish culture we live in and isn’t the way college sports should be. “It’s about your team and your university,” Tebow said. “It’s about where my family wanted to go. It’s about where my grandfather had my
Musicians should not be expected to fit into one genre
BY ABBEY LEE VIDEO DIRECTOR
When someone asks what kind of music you like people typically answer with a specific genre. Country, pop, rap, indie, alternative, rock, the list goes on. As music has progressed throughout the years, artists have begun to experiment with new sounds and cross genres. But what makes up these genres? Is it the lyrics? The instrumentals? The audience? Lil Nas X’s just won
a Country Music Association Award for “Old Town Road” which has been listed on Billboards Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart, all-genre Hot 100 chart, and was taken off of the country charts for “failing to embrace enough elements of today’s country music.” This song doesn’t fit into any specific genre and it has been controversial on whether or not it belongs in any. It has the southern accent and lyrics that are attributed to country but with instrumentals found in hip-hop and pop songs. The band Waterparks references this idea in their song “Watch What Happens Next” with the lyrics “Hip hop can do whatever it wants like make country songs and hit number one… We could never do that… they would boo that…
It’s a cultural hold-back.” They claim that their fans don’t like it when bands who have been labeled a certain genre start to change their sound. It is a cultural hold back when fans or audiences don’t support artists because music as a whole can’t progress when people are constantly trying to keep it in a box. Genres are not as black and white as they used to be and it is becoming harder to define exactly what makes each one different from the rest. Traditional genres don’t really apply anymore and putting labels on artists can detract people from good music. If someone already thinks they already have an idea of how the music should sound based on a label that does not really apply to the artist, they might be less
likely to listen to it. Christian music often has a stereotype, so calling an artist like Lecrae a Christian rapper would not have the same effect as if he were called a hip-hop artist. Although he is a Christian and he does rap, his music is not what you would typically hear on Christian radio. Most college-age people grew up listening to their parent’s music which was most likely a mix of rock, classic country, rap, and hiphop. Now we have any kind of music we want at our fingertips so, it would make sense for us to want music that blends all of these genres together. It’s hard to say what makes a genre a genre today and not trying to put a label on artists will allow them to produce more creative and innovative music.
dream of having Florida win an SEC championship. And you’re taking that away so young kids can earn a dollar. And I feel like that’s just not where college football needs to go.” The NCAA has much to figure out before this change goes into effect January 1, 2021. Each division will have different standards and regulations as to how much an athlete can make and what is to be expected of them. This makes college sports a business for these athletes and gives them rights back to their name, which is great, but it brings new issues to the horizon that are unavoidable and will forever taint the atmosphere of college sports.
Tweets Almost Christian University @ChristianAlmost “Got to school in west Texas” they said “It’ll be warm” they said Big Noon Saturday @Nickboone5 ACU doesn’t have ROTC guys that do push ups after they score and that needs to be the first thing addressed this offseason Jacob Swan @JacobSwan_ If the first thing you pulled up on Disney+ wasn’t “An Extremely Goofy Movie”, I hope you’ll reevaluate that choice. What a classic. Honestly, this movie is an extremely accurate portrayl of the college experience. Meggo @megansperry My 10 yo sisters Christmas list: -Apple Watch -Nintendo Switch -new iPhone -MacBook My Christmas list: - an oil change
THE OPTIMIST STAFF ALLISON HARRELL
SARAH BLANKENSHIP
HENRY ERICKSON
KENNETH PYBUS
DILLON DANIEL
ASHLEY LANG
AVERY JACKSON
CADE WHITE
OWEN SIMPSON
DEVON HILLARY
JALEN GARRETT
CELESTE KINKADE
TAVIAN MILES
EMILY PERRYMAN
LEXI KIRGAN
ABBEY LEE
WILLIAM HEYEN
RACHEL POE
RILEY FISHER
ANDREW NORSWORTHY
TYLER HENDERSON
ALEX HILL
ANDREW TOOTHMAN
ADELIN BLACKMON
ERNIE GUAJARDO
BRYCE LURKENS
DAVID MITCHELL
LEAH FIKES
SYDNEY VARNER
EMILY SHAFER
RACHEL CROSSNOE
ALLIE JONES
KAUY OSTLIEN
EDITOR IN CHIEF
MANAGING EDITOR SPORTS DIRECTOR
ASSISTANT SPORTS DIRECTOR VIDEO DIRECTOR CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER OPINIONS EDITOR CARTOONIST
COPY EDITOR COPY EDITOR
COPY EDITOR
GRAPHIC DESIGNER GRAPHIC DESIGNER GRAPHIC DESIGNER GRAPHIC DESIGNER STAFF REPORTER STAFF REPORTER STAFF REPORTER STAFF REPORTER STAFF REPORTER
STAFF REPORTER
SPORTS REPORTER
SPORTS REPORTER SPORTS REPORTER SPORTS REPORTER SPORTS REPORTER PHOTOGRAPHER PHOTOGRAPHER VIDEOGRAPHER VIDEOGRAPHER
EDITORIAL & LETTER POLICY
FACULTY ADVISER VISUALS ADVISER
ADVERTISING MANAGER
(325) 674-2439 NEWSROOM
(325) 674-2684 SPORTS DESK
(325) 674-2499 PHOTO DEPARTMENT
Unsigned editorials are the opinions of the Optimist and may not necessarily reflect the views of the university or its administration. Signed columns, cartoons and letter are the opinions of their creators and may not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of the Optimist or the university. The Optimist encourages reader response through letters to the editor but reserves the
right to limit frequent contributors or to refuse to print letters containing personal attacks, obscenity, defamation, erroneous information or invasive privacy. Please limit letters to 350 words or fewer. A name and phone number must be included for verificationpurposes. Phone numbers will not be published.
(325) 674-2819 ADVERTISING OFFICE
TO SEND LETTER TO EDITOR
(325) 674-2463 MULTIMEDIA DESK
(325) 674-2296
SUBSCRIPTIONS ($20/YR)
ACU BOX 27892 ABILENE, TX, 79609 ADDRESS
EDITOR@JMCNETWORK.COM EMAIL
NEWS | Friday, November 15, 2019 | 5
‘White Rose’ to be presented Monday BY HENRY ERICKSON STAFF WRITER
The Department of Theatre will present “The White Rose” this fall, its second performance of the year. Unlike other yearly productions, theatre will present “The White Rose” to all freshman as a part of the Cornerstone curriculum. The non-fiction play, written by Lillian Groag, represents bravery in its most vulnerable state, making it incredibly applicable to the goal of the Cornerstone class. The play will be directed by Adam Hester, professor of the theatre. “Trying to choose plays in that slot that will be particularly good for those cornerstone people, I think, is one of the key things that we’re trying to do,” Hester said. “The White Rose” will
BY RILEY FISHER | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
Junior theatre major LJ Brodie performs “Not the Boy Next Door” from “The Boy from Oz.” be open for the public audience beginning Monday, illustrating the true story of the lives of several young college students in Germany who resisted the strength of the Nazi party in the midst of World War II. “The play is inspiring not only because it is a true story, but also be-
cause Sophie Scholl [one of the main characters] demonstrates what it means to have the moral courage to speak truth to power,” Hester said. Rehearsals for members of the play sometimes add up to 20 hours each week. The play holds a great amount of importance in consider-
ation of who it is being presented to: the youngest students. Because of this, Marissa Trujillo, senior theatre major from Forney and set designer for the play, said the cast and crew was extremely diligent and conscious in their anticipation for the opening day. “This is a story that I
feel like especially students need to hear,” Trujillo said. “So one thing that is present in the play is the underscoring of how all the students and their faith was super important and that is why they had the courage to do what they did. Through faith and through knowing what truth is, it pushed them towards that.” The set of the play shows the unorthodox style that designers like Trujillo built. The play will be presented on a large disk called a revolve. Hester said this is to accommodate the fast pace and quickly shifting nature of the piece, but it also aims to provoke thought among the audience throughout the story. “I did want to highlight the idea of the truth being around us at all times… I liked the
idea of having them step into one side and be in the side of light where they’re trying to make change and then you step into another side and it’s this completely opposite thing that they’re trying to fight,” Trujillo said. Because the piece will be presented to these Cornerstone students, Hester said he strongly considered Groag’s intention for viewers of the play. “The play is really inspiring,” Hester said. “Most of the students are believers which is something that I think will resonate with our students. Their own sense of moral responsibility and their sense of ethical choices that they feel they have to make is something that’s really inspiring.” More infor mation can be found at acu.edu/ theatre.
Griggs Center to host over 100 events for Startup Week BY SENIA OVERSTREET GUEST WRITER
St udents part nered w it h t he Grig gs Center for Ent repreneursh ip and Ph i lant hropy to plan more t han 10 0 events for t he si xt h annua l Start up Week. Start up week beg ins Monday and is a celebrat ion of ent repreneursh ip t hat a l lows st udents to connect w it h a lumn i t hrough workshops, feat ured speakers and opport un it ies for net work ing. St udent d irector Cameron Seaman, sen ior market ing and management major from Georgetown, sa id am id t he st resses of plann ing t he event, she rema ins excited to see how it a l l unfolds. “ We rea l ly want it to reach a l l parts of campus and not be l im ited to t he business school,” Seaman sa id. “ T here has a lso been a lot of log ist ica l plann ing. Finding venues and vendors and bra instorm ing and connect ing w it h ent repreneurs to inv ite to d ifferent events has a lso been a huge task. We are feel ing l ike we are wel l prepared for t he week and are excited for a l l of t he events to beg in.” T he week-long event is r un most ly by st udents w it h t he help of staff from t he Grig gs Center. Lucy Carmichael, student engagement coordinator in the Griggs center, said students and staff can expect to hear real world lessons and advice from alumni and other entrepreneurs. “Start up Week a llows st udents and staff
“Startup Week allows students and staff the opportunity to hear personal stories from entrepreneurs and hopefully spark interest in entrepreneurship in the future, allowing students to learn from the guests’ experiences.” LUCY CARMICHAEL PART TIME STAFF IN THE GRIGGS CENTER
t he opport un it y to hear persona l stories from ent repreneurs and hopefu l ly spark interest in ent repreneursh ip
in t he fut ure, a l low ing st udents to learn from t he g uests’ experiences,” Carm ichael sa id. St udents can a lso use t h is event as an opport u n it y for net work ing w it h in t he commun it y t hroughout t he week. T here are many events for st udents, facu lt y and a lu mn i to part icipate in on campus and in t he commu n it y. Some of t he events t hat are set to take place Monday include a net working lu nch, t he appearance of a g uest speaker in Moody Chapel and a
d inner t hat even ing. A n elevator pitch contest is a lso set to take place during t he day. T he elevator pitch contest is a compet it ion where st udents can
pitch a product, app or business idea in t wo m inutes or less to receive a prize. For more informat ion and locat ions of t he events during t he
week, v isit t he Grig gs Center in t he Col lege of Business Adm in ist rat ion bu i ld ing or send an ema i l to representat ives at g rig gscenter@acu. edu.
FOR RENT Cozy 1 bedroom garage apartment. near ACU on Cedar Crest Drive. $475 mo. Washer/dryer, fridge. No pets. No smoking. Available now. Email triciajhester@gmail.com School
of Nursing
ANNUAL
WINTER COAT DRIVE hosted by Student Nurses Association and ACU School of Nursing
Give the GIFT OF WARMTH this holiday season to a local child in our area.
DONATE NOW THRU NOV. 25
WITH COACH ADAM DORREL, GRANT BOONE, AND OWEN SIMPSON
Accepting New or Gently Used JACKETS, COATS, SOCKS, SCARVES
@acutv @acuoptimist @optimistsports
Drop-Off Bins will be located at each entrance of the Zona Luce (Nursing) building at 1600 Campus Court.
WATCH SATURDAYS AT 10:30 AM ON KTXS-TV
All donations will go to local Abilene ISD students in need.
WALKINS $15/PERSON/HR
EXPERIENCE ABILENE’S PREMIER AXE THROWING VENUE CONTACT US FOR SPECIAL GROUP RATES ABILENEAXECO.COM
@ABILENEAXECO
150 LOCUST ST ABILENE, TX 79602
325.268.4106
Book your next date night, team building event or corporate party with us.
6 | Friday, November 15, 2019 | SPORTS
Drexel stuns ACU in final seconds, 86-83 BY OWEN SIMPSON SPORTS DIRECTOR
ACU dropped its first game of the season Sunday in Philadelphia against Drexel University, 86-83. In Its first road game of the year, the Wildcats struggled defensively in the first half, allowing 47 points. Drexel shot 59% (13-22) from the field in the first 20 minutes, and went to the free throw line on 18 occasions. Senior guard Zach Walton led the way for the Dragons. He scored a team-high 22 points on 7-13 shooting and seven rebounds. Junior forward James Butler finished with a double-double on 13 points and rebounds. Head Coach Joe Golding said this team’s first road test taught them a lot. “I think it’s a great learning experience,” Golding said. “We didn’t play very well defensively in the first half. We were able to regroup in the second half, and offensively I thought we were OK throughout the whole game.”
There were seven lead changes within the first eight minutes of the game as both teams battled for control. Despite being out-rebounded, 45-22, the Wildcats stayed in the game forcing 24 turnovers. At the half, ACU trailed 47-42, shooting at a 47% clip (14-30). Senior guard Payten Ricks was the driving force for the Wildcats offense. He posted 29 points on 10-20 shooting. He also made his presence known on the opposite end with five steals. Sophomore forward Clay Gayman also made a positive impact, scoring 21 points on 8-9 shooting coming off the bench. Golding said that he stepped up in a big way with a lot of players in foul trouble. “Clay stepped in, and I think that’s the most he’s ever played,” Golding said. “He got the opportunity and he played well offensively.” Early in the second half, ACU went on a 14-4 run to
The Wildcats season came to an end with a tough ending on Wednesday afternoon as they fell 2-1 to the McNeese Cowgirls in the quarterfinals of the 2019 Southland Conference. ACU was able to get a lead in the second half, but McNeese managed to score twice in 11 minutes to take the lead. It was a scoreless first
half and it was not until the 58th minute when the first goal of the game came from freshman Caylen Wright who received an assist, her sixth, from junior captain Christina Arteaga, giving ACU a 1-0 lead over the Cowgirls. The next goal came from McNeese’s Rachel Young in the 63rd minute, tying the game 1-1. McNeese’s Mariah Rueles managed to score the last goal of the game, in the 73rd min-
The ACU football team concludes its last home game Saturday at 1 p.m. against Southeastern Louisiana. The Wildcats were undefeated at home until last Saturday, when they fell, 2410, to Sam Houston State. SLU’s junior quarterback Cole Kelley and sophomore defensive back Ferlando Jordan were some of the Southland Conference Football Players of the Week, after defeating Central Arkansas 34-0, last Saturday. Kelley tied a single-game
school record with four rushing touchdowns, while completing 20-0f-24 passes for 273 yards and a touchdown. Jordan had two interceptions and broke up four other passes in the shutout with the Bears. This was SLU’s first shutout since 2009. Senior quarterback Chason Virgil was one of the 34 student-athletes named to the first College Performance Awards midseason watch list for National Performer of the Year, which was released earlier this year. Virgil is one of the reasons that the Lion’s total
BY DAVID MITCHELL | PHOTOGRAPHER
Junior guard Mahki Morris tries to get the ball back from his opponent. take its first lead since 12:08 in the first half. After Ricks nailed a two-point jumper with 42 seconds remaining, Walton nailed the game-tying shot in the paint to send the game into overtime, 77-77. Later in overtime, the
Wildcats went 2-7 shooting and commit two crucial turnovers in the final minute. Following a Wildcat turnover with 28 seconds left, Walton nailed a three-pointer with just two seconds remaining to seal the game.
Up next, Drexel will hit the road to face the Rutgers Wednesday at 8 p.m. Meanwhile, the Wildcats return to Moody for a tough test with Pepperdine Saturday at 7:30 p.m. The game will air on ESPN3.
ute, putting McNeese up 2-1 over ACU. ACU and McNeese both had four shot attempts in the first half of the game, while ACU led 3-0 in shots on goal. ACU led in shots, 10-7 in the game, including 6-2 on frame. Sophie Standifer, Rachel Johnson, Shay Johnson, Brooke Lenz, Samantha Vestal, Peighton Starch and Micheele Mulrooney all played their final game as Wildcats.
All of these women had a combined 43 wins and a 2018 Southland Conference Tournament Championship. Next year, the Wildcats will bring back 28 players including nine juniors, seven sophomores and 12 freshmen. The Wildcats finished the season third in the league at 8-2-1 and 12-5-2 overall. Head Coach Casey Wilson shared insight on Wednesday’s semifinal match. “It was our third-straight
year playing McNeese in the first round of the tournament. We had our opportunities today and were not able to take care of our chances. We had a couple of breakdowns and mistakes that hurt us in the second half,” Wilson said. “This has been one of the best teams we had at ACU in 13 years. We had two key players out due to injury, Megan Paul and Shay Johnson-we definitely missed them out there today.”
offense is ranked near the top of the nation (480.0 yards per game, 5th), scoring offense (37.9 ppg, 9th), passing offense (333.9 ypg, 4th), completion percentage (69.2, 1st) and red zone offense (91.9 percent, 7th). Along with the offense, the defense is also making its presence known, averaging 3.2 sacks and 8.8 tackles for loss per game. However, the Wildcats have have hit some milestones, despite the lost against Sam Houston State. Junior quarterback Luke Anthony threw his 50th career touchdown pass and excelled in 6,000 career passing yards. He is
only the eighth Wildcat to achieve this milestone. There is a strong possibility that Anthony may hit 1,000 career attempts on Saturday’s game. Senior running back Tracy James moved to fourth place at ACU with 520 carries. James caught a single-game career high nine passes for 33 yards versus the Bearkats to reach 34 receptions and 270 yards. James’ season touchdown total is second in the FCS and first in the Southland Conference. James is also No. 1 in Southland with 14 rushing touchdowns and No. 2 with 783 rushing yards.
Senior wide receiver Josh Fink emphasized Wednesday that this game means so much for the seniors. “This week is emphasized on the seniors,” Fink said. “The senior class put in so much time, effort, passion and literally everything we have in this football program. We are all kinda playing for each other at this point, but at the same time, we are excited. This is our last home game and we want nothing more than to go out with a win.” The Wildcats will honor 22 seniors on Saturday’s game, as it will be the last time they play on Anthony Field at Wildcat Stadium.
FOOTBALL MATCHUP PREVIEW 2019 SEASON 31.5
POINTS PER GAME
34.1
196.5
RUSH YPG
136.7
242.2
PASSING YPG
317.9
POINTS ALLOWED PG
28.6
26.3
SPORTS DIRECTOR
The big question for Saturday’s game is going to be how hard ACU is going to come out swinging. After dropping its first home game last week, the Wildcats will look to salvage what they can to close out the season. The Lions, like the Wildcats, also run a two-quarterback system on offense. Southeastern is coming off its biggest win of the season, blowing out Central Arkansas, 34-0. With a win, the Lions essentially lock itself in the FCS playoffs. Meanwhile, ACU got off to a fast start last week, but struggled to produce on offense. I’ve talked to several players on the team, and despite the loss and out of playoff contention, they still seem mentally focused on the season. The Lions are a big favorite in this one, and they should be. But I expect ACU to play spoiler on this one and get back on track offensively. FINAL SCORE: ACU 28 SELU 24
Conf. 5-2 5-2 5-2 5-2 4-3 4-4 4-4 2-5 2-5 2-5 1-5
Team SFA Lamar Nicholls ACU SHSU SELU UNO NWSU UIW UCA McNeese TXAM-CC HBU
Ovrl. 3-0 2-1 2-1 1-1 1-1 1-1 1-2 1-2 1-2 1-3 1-3 0-2 0-3
Conf. 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
Women’s Basketball Team ACU HBU SHSU SFA NWSU TXAM-CC UCA Lamar UIW McNeese UNO Nicholls SELU
Ovrl. 2-0 2-0 2-0 2-0 2-1 1-1 1-1 1-1 1-1 1-2 1-2 0-2 0-2
Conf. 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
Volleyball Team SFA NWSU TXAM-CC SHSU HBU UCA SELA UNO Nicholls McNeese Lamar UIW ACU
Ovrl. 26-1 18-10 17-10 14-12 16-13 14-13 14-15 12-16 11-15 11-15 9-15 7-21 5-19
Conf. 14-0 10-4 10-4 10-4 8-6 8-6 8-7 5-9 5-10 4-10 4-10 3-11 3-11
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Football
ANTHONY Anthony accumulated 155 yards against Sam Houston State while competing 28 out of 44 passes. By the end of the night, Anthony had taken six running attempts with the longest attempt of 10 yards. The Wildcats ended up falling to SHSU 24-10.
Women’s Basketball SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA
ABILENE CHRISTIAN UNIVERSIT Y (5-5)
Owen Simpson
Ovrl. 7-3 6-3 6-4 6-4 6-4 5-5 5-5 4-6 2-8 2-8 4-6
Men’s Basketball
ACU awaits Southeastern Louisiana for Senior Day BY RACHEL POE SPORTS WRITER
Football Team UCA SELU Nicholls SHSU McNeese ACU UIW Lamar NWSU SFA HBU
Wildcats’ 2019 soccer season concludes in Conway BY RACHEL POE SPORTS WRITER
STANDINGS
(6-3)
Tavian Miles
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
Lexi Kirgan
SPORTS REPORTER
This week’s matchup doesn’t mean much except for the fact that it is Senior Night and the Wildcats look to upset the first ranked team in the Southland Conference the Lions of Southeastern Louisiana. The Lions are sitting with an overall record of 6-3 and a record of 5-2 in conference play and look to steal a win on the road. The Lions come into this matchup averaging 37.9 ppg and only give up 24.7 ppg. Last week they pitched a shutout win over a very talented Central Arkansas team and look to carry over that same momentum into this week’s competition. Now the Wildcats do average 31.5 ppg, but struggled against Sam Houston State for the entire second half. Now the Wildcats do have something to prove with it being Senior Night and the senior’s don’t want to have to go out with a loss in their final home game at Wildcat Stadium. Expect Senior’s Tracy James, Josh Fink, and Jeremiah Chambers to put up big numbers in their final game. However, I expect the Lions to win a close first half, but eventually run away with it in the second half.
The Wildcats play Southeastern Louisiana Saturday for their last home game of the season. Southeastern has done really well in conference as they are sitting in first place. After the t0ugh loss last weekend the Wildcats are sitting in 6th place. Even though they lost last weekend, I don’t think that will bring them down for this weekend. I feel like if anything they will come out even more excited and ready to fight because of what happened to them last weekend and just the fact that it is the seniors last time to play at Antony Field. I have seen big improvements in the team throughout the year and I think they will be fired up and ready to end conference play with a win. I have predicted each game that our guys will get the win and there is nothing different about this game. If they go out there and give it all they have then I once again have no doubt that they will be on top at the end of the game.
FINAL SCORE: ACU 17 SELU 34
FINAL SCORE: ACU 27 SELU 24
Jalen Garrett SPORTS REPORTER
The Wildcat offense was completely shut down last weekend, as they only scored in the first quarter and were held to under 300 yards of total offense. Penalties were also a roadblock for ACU, getting nine penalties for 105 yards. This weekend’s matchup against Southeastern Louisiana will be an interesting one. Southeastern is second in scoring offense and defense, and first in total offense. In its last three games, Southeastern has defeated opponents by an average of 30 points, while also averaging over 530 yards of offense in those three games. ACU’s defense will need to be on defensive apex this game. This weekend is also Senior Night, and our seniors will look show out against Southeastern. However, Southeastern has been on an offensive tear and ACU’s defense has struggled against the Southland Conference’s top offenses. Because of that, Southeastern will win this game. FINAL SCORE: ACU 14 SELU 28
DUCAT Ducat scored sixteen points for the Wildcats against the Southwest Mustangs. She ended the night with six rebounds and she scored seven of her twelve field goals. The Wildcats won over Southwest, 104-52. Up next, they hit the road to play Wright State Friday.
For more visit us at
acuoptimist.com