ACUOPTIMIST.COM | Friday, December 6, 2019 | 1
See photo of Oxford property purchased by ACU
A student publication of Abilene Christian University since 1912
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BY RILEY FISHER | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
Students get relief from stress during the final week of classes by playing with puppies in Campus Court brought by SGA on Thursday morning.
ACU purchases new property in Oxford BY ALLISON HARRELL EDITOR IN CHIEF
ACU has finalized the purchase of a recently renovated Victorian house in Central North Oxford, England. The house is located at 163 Woodstock Road, and is complete with eight bedrooms, six bathrooms, two kitchens, five reception rooms, a studio, an outside deck and backyard. The building covers a 6457-square-foot area.
Stephen Shewmaker, executive director of ACU’s Center for International Education, said they have been looking for a long time for a property that would meet all their needs. “Oxford is a very tight community, for multiple reasons,” Shewmaker said. “Some of that is the 850-odd years of history of University of Oxford. The town and the settlements there go back over a thousand years. So to be
able to establish a sense of permanence in a place like that is important for us to be considered full participants in the community.” The current Oxford study abroad program began in the mid-90’s. ACU began leasing the current two houses used to house study abroad students in Oxford, located at 9 and 10 Canterbury Road, in 1999. The search for a permanent property in Oxford began in 2002. “There’s many people
who have been involved in this,” Shewmaker said. “This is a legacy project for ACU, not just in the future, but has been over the last 20 years of people who have known that this is something that we needed to do. And it’s not easy, it’s expensive. When people make statements like, ‘We’re doing work here that’s going to go far beyond us,’ I just see that in this effort more than I’ve seen in anything else during my time at ACU.”
“So to be able to establish a sense of permanence in a place like that is important for us to be considered full participants in the community.”
STEPHEN SHEWMAKER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ACU STUDY ABROAD
Shewmaker said they plan to begin the transition with the fall of 2020 group, housing study abroad students at the new property. The Oxford Study Abroad Program
will remain in the currently leased houses until the end of the summer. Chelsea Flow, senior ministry and vocations and management major from Amarillo and past Oxford study abroad student, said though living in Oxford is a once in a lifetime chance, the housing situation occasionally put a damper on things. “The new property will be a huge incentive for future study abroad stuSEE OXFORD PAGE 2
FEATURES
Read about alumna Jennifer Crisp’s work with Come before Winter PAGE 5
SPORTS
PHOTO COURTESY OF ACU STUDENT PRODUCTIONS
The Sing Song 2020 hosts and hostesses.
Six named Sing Song hosts, hostesses BY DILLON DANIEL MANAGING EDITOR
Four women and two men have been named hosts and hostesses for Sing Song next spring. The hosts and hostesses are Caleb Crisp, Weston Weast, Lauren McDonald, Kasey Birchfield, Alex Marie and Tat Cordts. As the semester ends and Sing Song gets closer, the hosts and hostesses will now g o through song selection and additional vocal lessons to prepare for rehearsals. Caleb Crisp, sophomore g raphic design
major from Abilene, said not studying abroad next semester gave additional a cappella oppor tunities. “I’m not studying abroad in Germany next semester because I wanted to be a part of Hilltop,” Crisp said. “Nick then would ask me things like if I could lead Chapel one day.” He said he agreed to these requests because it would show that he was willing to take opportunities outside of Hilltop. Crisp said he did this throughout pledging, leading into the auditions for hosts and hostesses.
T he hosts and hostesses auditioned in October. The selected hosts received callbacks and were given the news that night. Crisp said that he believes this group will work better together than other groups in the past. “Honestly, I think our group is going to blend better because we have four people from a cappella groups who have good solo potential as well as the ability to listen and blend into the sound of others,” Crisp said. Like last, the host and
“Honestly, I think our group is going to blend better because we have four people from a cappella groups who have good solo potential as well as the ability to listen and blend into the sound of others.” CALEB CRISP SOPHOMORE GRAPHIC DESIGN MAJOR FROM ABILENE
hostess sets will feature bigger numbers at the beginning and end of the nights and a stronger focus on singing over routine and dance. “There is a smaller amount of songs on our part as well. We’re
bringing in more people to fill empty time slots since there are fewer class acts,” Crisp said. “All the a cappella groups will be singing so they’ll take up three time slots.” He said there are going to be nine routines in total from the hosts and hoste s s e s, i n c l u d i n g s o l o p e r f o r m a n c e s. Weast and Crisp will perform duets alongside their hostess counterparts. Sing Song 2020 will take place on Friday, Feb. 21, at 8 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 22 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Read about how Damien Daniels’ pursues leadership on the court PAGE 6
QUESTION What year was the Jacob’s Dream sculpture dedicated? 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.
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2 | Friday, December 6, 2019 | NEWS
Alums open Front Porch Coffee Company downtown BY ANDREW TOOTHMAN STAFF WRITER
Alumni Zach and Kara Sheets have opened a new coffee shop called The Front Porch Coffee Company and Bakery in downtown Abilene. The grand opening was on December 3 as students and the people of Abilene are excited for another coffee shop to come to Abilene. Front Porch is located at 702 N. 2nd St., on the corner of North 2nd Street across from Frontier Texas. This is a family-opened and family owned coffee shop, and the Sheets family are big supporters of college students, especially ACU, and are looking to compete with places like Monks and Maslows. Monks is across from The Well Church in downtown Abilene, but now with that church moving locations across the street from The Front Porch, they are looking to gain customers from that
BY ANDREW TOOTHMAN | STAFF WRITER
ACU alumni Zach and Kara Sheets host a grand opening for their new downtown coffee shop, Front Porch Coffee Company & Bakery. community. The slogan that Front Porch is using is “Chill Vibes, Warm Hearts.” Zach and Kara Sheets are the sole owners of the coffee shop, but they are also ACU
alumni from the 2000’s. They said they were excited to get the place fi nally open and they feel blessed for this opportunity to open up their own coffee shop. “I am most excited to
see all the people gather and we want to just be welcoming to Abilene because this coffee shop was part of a dream that we have and we love to show hospitality to this com-
munity.” Sheets said. “We love to make people smile and show God’s love to others, and Kara and I know a lot of the college community so that is why we wanted to hire college
students.” Front Porch also hired not only their family friends, but they hired tons of college students to work here. Mallory Stater, a junior psychology major from Amarillo knew the Sheets family from church and was blessed with an opportunity to be hired at this new coffee shop. “ I am so excited to open up because we have been training for a long time and for college students to start coming in but also I want to learn how to make new drinks and to try some stuff out for myself, and I would love to learn latte art with the foam,” Stater said. This is a great way for Abilene to reignite the small businesses downtown and Front Porch’s hours are 7 a.m.- 10p.m. on Mondays through Saturdays, and this will benefit the Abilene coffee lovers as well as college students looking for cool new places to study.
Bon Jehovah: Dodgeball turns into an a cappella group BY ALLIE JONES STAFF WRITER
The faculty men’s a cappella group performance of the 12 days of Christmas during Chapel on Wednesday sets the stage for their a cappella season. One of the group’s co-founders, Dr. Vic McCracken, the associate professor of ethics and theology, said that the group was formed several years ago by
members of the ACU faculty-staff dodgeball team, Release the McCracken. ”After taking out our fury on our students by pelting them with under-inflated red balls,” McCracken said. “We felt like Christmas was the season for giving and decided to form our own a cappella act.” The group performed a rendition of the “12 days of Christmas” during Chapel in Cullen Wednesday and
also will be performing next Thursday evening at halftime during the men’s basketball game. Dr. Joe Stephenson, associate professor of English and member of the club, said the club helps show students that their professors are more than just academics. “We also have hobbies, and we also like to have fun,” Stephenson said. “It’s a nice way to send the students off with a bit of Christmas cheer
before the break. For me, I’m glad to have a way to keep up with my music a little bit.” McCracken said the group’s long term goals include going viral on Youtube and wining Sing Song. “While our faculty-staff dodgeball team, Release the McCracken, lies dormant in the murky depths of Lake Abilene,” McCracken says,”our plan with our a cappella group is to lull our students into a sense of
“It’s a nice way to send the students off with a bit of Christmas cheer before the break. For me, I’m glad to have a way to keep up with my music a little bit.”
DR. JOE STEPHENSON ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH
gentle relaxation with our smooth crooning harmonies. That way, they’ll be caught off guard when we
dominate them in intramurals. Finally, one of my colleagues in the group clarifies our common desire for our Wednesday act. For our students, we want to soothe your souls before we hammer your GPAs.” The unity and tradition of this group is no comparison for their humor and care for their students. To see them perform go to Thursday’s basketball game halftime.
OXFORD: Newly purchased property for study abroad program CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
dents,” Flow said. “The old houses are livable but make it hard to study or hang out. Hopefully the new purchases will provide better common spaces and bigger kitchens to grow the community within the group.” ACU plans to renovate the bathrooms of the house to make them more accessible for large groups of students. ACU has also received permission from Oxford’s City
Council to build an extension onto the rear-left wing of the house on the ground floor, to create a small flat to house ACU faculty. The program is expected to shrink in size from the capacity to house about 35 students in a semester down to about 26 students. “My hope would be that ACU students would be studying abroad in Oxford for the next 50-100 years or
for however long ACU exists,” Shewmaker said. “Whether you’ve worked in study abroad like I have, you’re a faculty member who’s been or you’re a student who’s studied abroad there for a semester or a summer, we all have a more permanent connection to that place by making a purchase there, saying this is what we intend to do and here’s who we intend to be in this community.”
OPTIMIST FILE PHOTO
Oxford Victorian house purchased from ACU for study abroad program.
WHAT’S HAPPENING? MON., DEC. 9
TUES., DEC. 10
WED., DEC. 11
THURS., DEC. 12
FRI., DEC. 13
D E A D D AY 8 a.m.- Dead Day Cocoa and Cookies 10 a.m.- Cabinet: Spa Day 11 a.m.- Beat Saber Tournament
Final Exams
Final Exams
Final Exams 7 p.m.- Basketball vs. Howard Payne
Final Exams 3 p.m.- Commencement Rehearsal 7:30 p.m.- Commencement
police log SELECTED ACUPD CALLS FOR THE WEEK: •
ACUPD assisted APD checking the area in the 1600 blk of HWY 351 for a prowler. Officers were unable to locate the subject. 11/27/2019 2:13 a.m.
•
An ACUPD Officer observed damage to the west storage building in the south lot of Dillard Hall. Incident is being investigated as a hit and Officers responded to a 911 call reference a fire. Officers located a small camp fire in the back yard. Abilene run. 11/30/2019 10:00 a.m.Off Fire Department responded and put the fire out. 11/18/2019 10:00 a.m.
•
ACUPD received a call from a parent who requested a welfare check on their son who they had been unable to reach. The student was located and checked OK, was advised to call home. 11/18/2019 4:35 a.m.
911 Call Administrative activity Advice Alarm Animal call Armed subject Assault Assist Barricades Building lock/unlock Burglary (vehicle) Burglary (residence) Cart patrol Check building Citation issuance Clery
1 14 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 8 0 2 3 209 0 1
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 Missing person Monitor facility/lot
MESSAGE FROM POLICE CHIEF ELLISON:
0 0 0 1 2 0 0 4 1 9 0 11 1 0 0 8
Motorist assist: inflate tire. Motorist assist: jumpstart Motorist assist: other Motorist assist: unlock Other Parking lot patrol Parking violation Patrol vehicle: maintenance Patrol vehicle: refuel Prowler Public service Random patrol Refuel gasoline cans Report writing Report writing (follow up) Sex offense
0 0 1 2 1 33 0 3 5 1 0 9 0 5 0 0
“The end is near! ACUPD wishes everyone well on Final Exams next week.”
Stand by Suspicious activity Suspicious person Suspicious vehicle Theft Traffic Hazard Traffic stop Trespasser Vehicle Collision Welfare check Total
1 0 0 1 0 0 2 1 1 1 346
*List of selected statistics of this week’s ACUPD activity report.
SAT., DEC. 14 1 p.m.- Women’s Basketball vs. Schreiner
NEWS | Friday, December 6, 2019 | 3
Hispaniola journal looks for writers BY ANDREW NORSWORTHY STAFF WRITER
Hispaniola, ACU’s Spanish journal, is looking for new student participants. Hispaniola is an opportunity for Spanish-speaking or learning students to become published authors. All students who are fluent or are learning the language of Spanish are invited to submit their literary works of art to be reviewed and published. Dr. Beatriz Walker, professor of Spanish and literature, editor of Hispaniola and advisor to Sigma Delta Pi, said, “It’s been really fun for me to see how students g et r eally creative with the languag e.” Walker contin-
ues to inspire students involved and pushes them to evolve th eir talent and creativity. Hispaniola is sponsored by Sigma Delta Pi, a national collegiate Hispanic honor society, as one of its academic services to ACU, with its Omega chapter here as well. For its services to campus, including Hispaniola, it has gained six national awards. Hispaniola started in 2015 and has been successful since its introduction, expanding from 50 pages in its first edition to 100 in its last few. “It makes me happy to know that what I’m teaching is working,” Walker said. Students are invited to submit poetry, essays,
“It’s been really fun for me to see how students get really creative with the language.” DR. BEATRIZ WALKER PROFESSOR OF SPANISH AND LITERATURE, EDITOR OF HISPANIOLA AND ADVISOR TO SIGMA BELTA PI
short stories, and articles of interest. In addition, Hispaniola accepts photos that students have taken overseas or on vacation to Spanish-speaking nations. Submissions must be original and comply with ACU standards. The department of Language and Literature collaborates with SGA in order to produce publications, producing 100 copies of the journal each spring.
Debate’s defeat of HPU caps 2019 season BY HENRY ERICKSON STAFF WRITER
Members of t he debate team col lect ively won f irst, second, and t h ird place overa l l, a long w it h f irst t hrough fourt h place speakers as wel l, at t heir recent tournament at Howard Payne Un iversit y. T he tea m has at tended fou r tou r na ments t h is semester, a long side Coach Shei la R itch ie, d i rector of debate a nd associate professor i n t he Depa r t ment of Com mu n icat ion Sciences a nd Disorders. T he resu lt has been one of t he most successf u l seasons i n t he h isto r y of t he debate tea m. T he tea m of on ly n i ne members has represented g reat ly i n t he face of schools l i ke TCU, U T Aust i n, a nd L SU, br i ng i ng home t roph ies a nd awa rds at each tou r na ment . “We’re competing with big schools that are bringing bigger teams,” R itchie said. At each tournament, debaters compete in the newer IPDA style debate. Each round is a one-onone debate that rewards the skill of reasoning above prior knowledge about the topic. “In college, a lot of t imes they want a coach, they want a GA, they want someone who’s trained in pol icy, they want them to know stock issues,” R itchie said. “The real world
doesn’t require that. If you’re sitt ing on a jury, or you’re a lay judge, if you’re speak ing to the House or the Senate, half the people out there may know what you’re talk ing about, half of them may not.” Debaters go into their rounds with no printed material or even an idea of what their topic may be. After choosing their topic with their opponent, debaters are given 30 minutes to prepare their arguments for the round ahead. Once the debate is over, they must get ready for potentially six more rounds, all with different topics. “Evidence is useful but not absolutely necessary because you have the ability to reason,” R itchie said. “It’s something that, because it doesn’t have to have a lot of prior knowledge, actually isn’t hard for someone to give it a try.” Students and debaters like Elijah Biendinger, junior business and political science major from San Antonio, and Lexi R itchie, senior marketing major from Abilene, said there are many other
“In debate, a lot of the resolutions we get are going to be policy and that’s going to help me in policy and help me understand how this helps businesses.”
ELIJAH BIENDINGER JUNIOR BUSINESS AND POLITICAL SCIENCE MAJOR FROM SAN ANTONIO
advantages of knowing the skill of debate. “In debate, a lot of the resolutions we get are going to be policy and that’s going to help me in policy and help me understand how this helps businesses,” Biendinger said. These tournaments contain academics in focuses from pre-law to pre-med. The highest level even has graduates of colleges returning to sharpen the skills required in a forum such as this. “I do not know for sure what I would like to do after I graduate, but I know that what I’ve learned in debate will help,” Lexi R itchie said. “Everyone has to speak and everyone has to reason, and because of debate I will always have these skills with me.”
BY ANDREW NORSWORTHY | STAFF WRITER
Hispaniola, ACU’s Spanish journal, is looking for student writers.
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4 | Friday, December 6, 2019 | OPINIONS
Why impeachment should be more commonplace
BY DILLON DANIEL MANAGING EDITOR
Once again, the President of the United States, Donald Trump, is under hot water facing possible articles of
impeachment from the Senate. In a press release on Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said they’re going to move forward with the articles of impeachment against the President. Even though there have been multiple incidents that both Democrats and Republicans have used to call for impeachment (the President’s past sexual misconduct, his outrageous tweets and his support of ICE), the House has been holding trials to investigate
a call where Trump had urged Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, to investigate former Vice-President, Joe Biden. House Democrats are now filing impeachment charg es ag ainst Tr ump for obstr uction of justice. The United States government has plenty of reasons to pick from to impeach the President. The United States government also has many reasons to approve of his work, i.e. foreign relations with North Ko-
rea and elimination of power of ISIS. With all this in mind, I want to propose a callto-action for the citizens of the United States: push for impeachment against those deserving, not just opposing parties or candidates. The initiative to impeach President Trump has not been an unbiased one. Leanings towards his impeachment have been heavily-influenced by the democratic party. What I want for members and supporters of all parties is to be open
to eliminating the “rotten apples” from their own baskets. Not one president has been without his own share of controversy: 193 drone-operated airstrikes took place under Barack Obama, including one on a hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan, killing 42 citizens; Operation Iraqi Freedom was initiated under George W. Bush on a promise to find “weapons of mass destruction,” to which none were found and soon caused an adverse effect on the “war
on terror”; the siege of the Branch Davidian cult compound in Waco was initiated under Bill Clinton killed a total of 82 men, women and children. The list continues down each President. With just a Google search, one can find extensive lists of controversies under each President’s name, all wor thy of facing impeachment. As citizens, we shouldn’t just criticize the “wild” politicians, but even the ones we initially suppor ted.
Professors should expect honest feedback from their students
BY RILEY FISHER CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
At the end of every semester, the academic departments at ACU ask students to evaluate the
teaching, performance and classwork of their professors. While students are not required to participate in the evaluation process, they are encouraged to do so. Professors are supposed to give them class time to fill out the forms. Many students take this seriously, but some disregard it. While students may pass this process off as unnecessary, what I fail to understand is why some professors ignore what students have to say about their
experience in class. I had a professor last semester who told our class at the end of the semester that he would not be reading his evaluations because he did not care what students thought about the way he taught his courses. I have heard stories about other professors who make exceptions or change things for their students either throughout the semester or at the end of the class hoping for better evaluation scores. While encourag-
ing students to participate fully in class is important, I do not think that bargaining for better evaluations is an appropriate practice. Reading feedback or criticism, even positive feedback, can be difficult, especially for someone who is well-established in one’s practices. I would guess that the professors that say they do not care about student evaluations see no need to adjust what has worked for them for some period of time.
I sympathize with those who feel this way. As someone who is headstrong when it comes to the way I do things, I understand why someone would not want to listen to what others say about the way they operate. However, sometimes an outside opinion can provide beneficial insight. I’ve learned to listen to what others have to say to me and make changes if necessary. Rather than ignore what students have to say, professors should accept the
fact that students will have their own opinion about their experience in class. Professors should, at the ver y least, take the time to hear what their students have to say after finishing their courses without attempting to influence their opinions. Even if students’ reviews are dismissible or unnecessarily harsh, it’s always better to hear someone out than it is to show ignorance of what they have to say.
Don’t let finals stress you out of taking care of yourself first
BY TAVIAN MILES ASSISTANT SPORTS DIRECTOR
December is finally here which means Christmas
is just around the corner, the coming of a new year and finals season is coming upon us. For college students this is all we’re able to think about and this can be a stressful time for us trying to juggle family situations, social life, prayer life and trying to study for those hard finals that we don’t want to take. I want to remind everyone to take care of themselves and not let stress
take over their life. Remember to stay on top of everything by staying organized. Make sure to go ahead and clear your study space and remove all distractions. Keep a to do list and allow for certain alloted time for each task so you know what you’re doing. Keep a list of what classes need more study time than others. Kee p your social life entact. Sometimes we tend to become a her-
mit and drown ourselves in books and review guides. Remember to schedule a little bit of time with your friends as this is a stressful time of the year; ever yone will be on different schedules and we all want to see our friends. Hang out with your friends by planning g roup meals in the Bean, having study sessions in the librar y and just planning even just 30 minutes to
watch Disney+ in your room. I know it might be hard to do this one, but please get some decent sleep throughout finals season. Sleep will play a vital role as it is needed for our body to function properly. Even a simple nap during the day can help your body function and allows for you to take in the information that you study. L a s t l y, t a ke s o m e t i m e f o r yo u r s e l f. S e l f
It’s not because we’re always on our phones
BY ABBEY LEE VIDEO DIRECTOR
Social media is one of the main for ms of entertainment and communication today. Our generation also has been known for raising more awareness about mental health and admitting to having symptoms of depression and anxiety. Many people believe that the amount of
time we spend on our phones affects how we feel. However, there are studies that say phone usage does not directly correlate to depression. Instead, it is what we do while we are on our phones that make a difference in how we feel. We can use our phones for more than looking at Instagram feeds of celebrities and comparing ourselves to them, watching YouTube videos of vlog gers who seem to have it all together, contributing to negative threads on Twitter, or wasting time scrolling through TikTok. Social Media platfor ms can be used for good things like connecting with friends that you don’t see frequently,
looking up infor mation and learning something new, discussing things in pop culture with others that have different perspectives, and using it to take a break from work. The internet in itself is not what puts us in unhealthy moods and there are tons of ways to encourage others and be filled up on the internet. We can follow accounts and people that speak tr uth into us and uplift us or ones that promote healthy lifestyles. It is important that we use our phones in healthy ways and recognize if they become a problem and start to affect our self-image. If you are always comparing yourself to someone online, unfollow them. If you
find yourself always feeling negative after reading through posts, delete the app. You have control over what you do online and how you let it impact you. Don’t be afraid to use social media differently than your friends do or even to choose not to have it all tog ether. Although it can make connecting with others easier sometimes, social media is not a necessity and you can use it however you want. W hat we do on our phones is just as impor tant as the time we spend on them. So, whenever we pick up our phones we should tr y to use it in ways that are productive and beneficial to us.
care is probably the most important thing yo u c a n d o s o yo u d o n’t we a r yo u r s e l f o u t . M a ke s u r e yo u e a t t h r e e m e a l s a d ay t o g e t t h e nu t r i e n t s yo u need. Also be intent i o n a l i n yo u r s t u d y b r e a k s a n d d o n’t j u s t wa t ch Yo u t u b e v i d e o s a n d ke e p u p yo u r d a i l y r o u t i n e s. Remember don’t panic during finals, take a deep breath and focus at the task at hand.
Tweets blair @blairrzzepeda when u realize you didnt take any pics of your cat when u went back home and now have to wait for christmas break :( how do i get through finals now Almost Christian University @ChristianAlmost “You’re in her dm’s I’m in her morning prayers. We are not the same.” - Jesus Jackson Monroe @jackieson97 Me when any ACU professor gets on their knees beggin and pleading for us to take the evaluation
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
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FEATURES | Friday, Decmeber 6, 2019 | 5
BY RILEY FISHER | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
Jennifer Crisp, ACU alumna (‘93) and wife of Dr. Brad Crisp, dean of the College of Business and Administration, became involved in Come before Winter about 10 years ago.
WINTER SOLDIERS
ACU alumna Jennifer Crisp partners with ministry that touches lives of women at home and abroad BY SYDNEY VARNER STAFF WRITER
Dr. Jeanene Reese, Jennifer Crisp and Cliff Barbarick are a few ACU familiar names involved in the wide reaching renewal ministry, Come before Winter. Founded in 2001, Come before Winter is a ministry based on the renewal of leaders around the globe. These renewal trips are lead by a team of members of the ministry who all take on different roles to more effectively serve those involved in their ministry. Come before Winter, which got its name from Paul’s letter in 2 Timothy 4:21, strives to encourage and inspire missionaries through serving those as God creates renewal. Crisp, alumna (‘93) and wife of the dean of the College of Business and Administration, Dr. Brad Crisp, became involved in Come before Winter about 10 years ago. Invited by Reese, Crisp said she was at a transition point in her life. “I was looking for my next call from God, I had been home with my kids for several years and was looking to do something new,” Crisp said. “It actually came through an actual phone call from [Reese] inviting me to join a team, and it all worked out.” During her time of involvement in Come before Winter, Crisp has served as an administrative liaison as well as a worship leader, including her assistance in writing the worship curriculum for recent renewals. “I’ve done 11 trips with Come before Winter now,” Crisp said. “One of my favorite things about this ministry is that we join God in bringing renewal to women in ministry around the world. What we’re doing is creating an experience that facilitates them spending time with God to find renewal to continue to serve where God has called them.” Being involved in the worship aspect of the ministry, Crisp said she gets to watch the transformative work God is doing through
their ministry. “One of the sweetest things about leading worship in this ministry is you literally get to watch it happen,” Crisp said. “You get to see God bring renewal and bring relationships with the other women that are there and bring honor and blessing to them.” Reese, a professor emerita of biblical studies, has been involved in the ministry since its inception in 2001. “Part of what she has brought is not only excellence in worship leading but good theological insights into it, so that’s part of why she was invited and continues to be apart of her role,” Reese said. Reese has traveled with the team on 37 of 39 renewals that Come before Winter has held and continues to work with the ministry serving on the leadership board alongside Crisp. “Each curriculum immerses them deeply into a biblical text and it’s not just teaching but experiencing it and reflecting on, it’s a very immersive experience,” Reese said. “Initially, we really focused on renewing the spirit of the women who served and giving them new tools. Eventually, our donors challenged us to think about how what we’re doing is affecting the ministries and churches and no profits in which they’re working.” Come before Winter not only serves women across the globe with their ministry, each team member facilitating the renewals raise the money for themselves as well as the other participants. $4,600 is the approximate cost of a renewal for one team member and three participants. Though the money may be an obstacle for some wishing to participate, the Come before Winter website has links in which you are able to donate to different team members. People with questions about the ministry are encouraged to visit https:// w w w.comebeforew inter. org/ or contact the ministry for more information.
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6 | Friday, December 6, 2019 | SPORTS
STANDINGS Football Team UCA Nicholls SELU SHSU McNeese ACU UIW NWSU SFA HBU Lamar
Ovrl. 9-3 9-4 8-4 7-5 7-5 5-7 5-7 3-9 3-9 5-7 4-8
Conf. 7-2 7-2 6-3 6-3 5-4 4-5 4-5 3-6 3-6 2-6 2-7
Men’s Basketball
BY ADELIN BLACKMON | PHOTOGRAPHER
Sophomore guard Damien Daniels takes the ball down the court.
Daniels rises to the occassion as a Wildcat BY TAVIAN MILES ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
Sophomore guard Damien Daniels might be the smallest on the court, but he plays with the most grit and grind. In only his second year with the Wildcats, Daniels is contributing and playing a big role in their system. Daniels is a returner from last year’s tournament team and is taking on the leadership role instilled by the coaches “The coaches tell me to lead by example every day by talking more on the
floor, which they preach to our team every day and to lead our team in the right direction,” Daniels said. “And by March we’ll be where we want to be.” Daniels had some help along the way to get where he wanted to be. “My mom helped a lot along with a lot of coaches and trainers and people from my high school to help me become the man I am today.” Daniels might have had a little help when choosing ACU as his destination with help from his fellow teammate sophomore for-
ward Joe Pleasant. “I chose ACU because of Joe,” Daniels said. “He was recruited here first and we were both on the same AAU team in high school and they saw me play and saw what I was able to do, and I thought this would be the best place for me to show what I can do.” With this only being Daniels’ second year at ACU, he was able to experience postseason success just last year as a freshman. The Wildcats were able to win the Southland Conference Tournament and
“The coaches tell me to lead by example every day by talking more on the floor, which they preach to our team every day and to lead our team in the right direction.” DAMIEN DANIELS SOPHOMORE GUARD
went on to face Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament. “We have high expectations for ourselves, but we abide as a team getting better everyday,” Daniels said. “I think we’re doing it as a unit, we might have started
off slow, but we’re picking things up and getting better and will be where we want to be in the end.” Daniels’ favorite moment so far has been competing in postseason play, and he looks to repeat last seasons’ success. He might not fill the stat sheet every night, but his presence is always felt on the court by his defense and leadership. Daniels and the Wildcats take the court again this Saturday as they face Dallas Christian College here at Moody Coliseum.
ACU baseball schedule brings exciting competition BY TYLER HENDERSON SPORTS WRITER
Head coach Rick McCarty and the Wildcats baseball team are upping the level of competition they have ever seen in the upcoming season. The Wildcats schedule has them playing 54 games over the course of the spring, including 30 conference games and 24 non-conference games. Conference play will consist of 10 series against Southland opponents, and non-conference play will consist of 13 games against 2019 regional field participants. The Wildcats are set to play their first series of the spring against Utah Valley
of the Western Atlantic Conference in a four-game series beginning on Valentine’s Day. During the rest of February, ACU will play TCU in a home-andhome series on the road beginning on February 20. Following the series against the Horned Frogs, the Wildcats will head west to California to play Sacramento State for a threegame series and head back to the Big Country to play Youngstown State to wrap up the month. March will be mostly on the road for ACU as they will begin the second month of the season in College Station to face the Aggies of Texas A&M. They’ll finish the A&M
series and head to the bayou to face Northwestern State in Natchitoches, Louisiana for a three-game set beginning March 6. Following Northwestern State, the Wildcats will return to the Lone Star State to face the Texas Longhorns in Austin for the first time in program history, followed by a series against A&M Corpus Christi, New Mexico State, Southeastern Louisiana, Baylor, Arkansas PineBluff and TCU. ACU will open up April in San Antonio with a date with the Cardinals of Incarnate Word. The Wildcats will follow that series with the lone neutral site games
against Texas Tech in Midland. The Red Raiders are coming off of another big season, making another run to Omaha in 2019, the third time in five years, as well as seeing their star third baseman Josh Jung get taken eighth overall by the Texas Rangers in the 2019 Amateur Draft. The Wildcats will be looking to do damage against Lamar, UT Arlington, Houston Baptist and first-time Division I competitors Tarleton State. The Wildcats will close its season in early May with three series. They will open the month at home against Central Arkansas in a three-game set on May 1-3, followed by a road se-
ries against Nicholls from May 8-10. ACU will close out the 2019 regular season at home May 14-16 against the New Orleans Privateers. This will be the first season the Wildcats have faced this level of competition. Of the five power-five schools, A&M, Texas Tech, TCU and Baylor all made the NCAA regional tournament in 2019. Tech also made its run to the College Baseball World Series last year, going 2-2 at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha. New Mexico State also had a successful 2019 season, as they were co-champions of the Western Atlantic Conference.
BASKETBALL MATCHUP PREVIEW 2019 SEASON 71.0
POINTS PER GAME
77.0
65.6
POINTS AGAINST
110.5
41.7
FIELD GOAL %
42.4
33.6
REB/GAME
35.0
SPORTS DIRECTOR
After a tough month of basketball in November, the men’s basketball team is hopeful to get back on track in the win column. Dallas Christian College is a member of the Division II National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA). For a college that doesn’t have more than 400 students, this will be the biggest exposure they see all year on ESPN3. The Crusaders have been nothing short of a disaster on defense so far this season. After just eight games, Dallas Christian is giving up 110 points per game. Meanwhile, the Wildcats are looking to get more consistent on offense. This will be a game where junior center Kolton Kohl dominates inside and the reserves get some solid minutes on the court. This one will be nothing short of a blowout for ACU. FINAL SCORE: ACU 120 DCC 37
Ovrl. 7-1 5-4 4-4 4-4 3-5 3-5 3-6 2-5 2-5 2-6 2-7 1-6 0-6
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 SFA TXAM-CC SHSU HBU NWSU Lamar SELU UIW UCA McNeese UNO Nicholls
Ovrl. 5-1 4-2 4-3 3-3 3-4 3-4 3-5 2-4 2-4 2-5 2-5 2-5 2-6
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 SHSU NWSU TXAM-CC UCA HBU SELA UNO Nicholls ACU McNeese Lamar UIW
Ovrl. 31-1 18-13 20-12 19-12 16-14 17-15 14-17 13-18 11-16 7-19 11-17 9-17 7-23
Conf. 16-0 12-4 11-5 11-5 10-6 9-7 8-8 6-10 5-11 5-11 4-12 4-12 3-13
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Women’s Basketball
GOLIGHTLY Senior forward Dominique Golightly racked up 17 points against Portland on Nov. 29 at Portland. Golightly had one assist and five rebounds. She went five for six from three-point range while going six for seven in field goals. She ended up playing on 22 minutes the entire game.
Men’s Basketball DALLAS CHRISTIAN COLLEGE
ABILENE CHRISTIAN UNIVERSIT Y (2-5)
Owen Simpson
Team SFA Nicholls Lamar SHSU TXAM-CC UNO McNeese ACU NWSU SELU UIW UCA HBU
(1-7)
Tavian Miles
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
The Wildcats are looking to get what should be an easy win against Dallas Christian. Dallas Christian College hasn’t been able to find their stride either as they are 1-7 overall and its only win came early in November. Dallas Christian College competes in an association separate from the NCAA, which means they haven’t played anyone to the level that the Wildcats have played. Expect the Wildcats to feed the post with rising star sophomore Joe Pleasant and more shooting from senior Peyton Ricks. Everyone should be getting some playing time in this matchup. I expect the Wildcats to blowout Dallas Christian here in Moody Coliseum Saturday. Wildcats win big.
FINAL SCORE: ACU 90 DCC 45
Tyler Henderson SPORTS REPORTER
The Wildcats are back home after a tough loss to a 7-0 SMU and finishing the night cap of a double header against Southeast Missouri State, and they are looking to win big against the Dallas Christian College Crusaders. The Crusaders are heading into Moody Coliseum against a hungry Wildcats team. The Wildcats outsize the Crusaders by a large margin, leaning heavily on seven foot junior Kolton Kohl and budding star sophomore Joe Pleasant, who had a career showing against SMU, putting up 20 points and six rebounds against the Mustangs. Look for ACU to win big against a young Crusaders team that features only two upperclassmen. ACU will lean on it’s depth chart against DCC, allowing the entirety of the team to play and get needed experience as they’ll head to conference play coming up in the next few weeks. ACU over DCC big. Expect this game to be over early in the first half. FINAL SCORE: ACU 97 DCC 34
Jalen Garrett SPORTS REPORTER
After a tough loss against SMU last week, the Wildcats return home to host the Dallas Christian College Crusaders. The Wildcats struggled offensively against the Mustangs as they shot 32.7% from the field and 26.3% from the three point range. In losses, the Wildcats are averaging are a little over 45 points a game and they’re looking to bounce against Dallas Christian. The Crusaders are currently 1-7 and its defense has been rough all season. I expected senior guard Payten Ricks and sophomore forward Joe Pleasant and the rest of the team to run laps around Dallas Christian. Everyone should see plenty of this game. This will be the biggest blowout in ACU history. Wildcats win.
PLEASANT Sophomore forward Joe Pleasant scored 20 points against SMU on Nov. 29 at SMU. He drained his only three point attempt of the night. He also had one assist and went 7-for-12 on field goals. Pleasant ended up playing 34 minutes, which was the longest out of any of the men that game.
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FINAL SCORE: ACU 130 DCC 35
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