Arts Page 5
Right to survive vol. 103, no. 3
friday, august 29, 2014
1 SECTION, 8 PAGES
Student explores Portland homeless community
INSIDE SPORTS Football can’t hold lead in Georgia Dome.
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OPINION The Editorial Board discusses Kent Brantly’s presence on a global stage for Christianity
WELCOME TO
ABILENE
armelle dushime staff photographer
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News The Cedar Creek Waterway is still on Abilene’s agenda
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SPORTS Women’s soccer to play home game at Hardin-Simmons field.
alcia adams staff photographer
Freshmen students attended the Welcome to Abilene showcase in the Teague Special Events Center. Local Abilene businesses, churches and campus organizations brought giveaways and information about everything Abilene has to offer to new students.
$19 M to raise before construction Vision in Action funds have reached $56M total Page 8
madeline orr editor in chief
SPORTS Volleyball preares to start its season against the Baylor Bears. Page 8
NEWS Students are concerned over what the Library remodel means for their studying Page 3
NEWS New downtown church hopes to bring ministry to campus Page 7
VIDEO Watch coverage of Monday’s parade of flags and opening Chapel.
Read more at acuoptimist.com
The Vision in Action fundraising initiative is 75 percent complete, leaving about $19 million left to raise, said Jim Orr, vice president for advancement. “We’ve made good prog-
ress since the gifts were made.” Orr said. “We’re right at 75 percent of the $75 million goal, so right around $56 million has been raised to date.” The initial gifts that were made in February this year were $55 million in total, but only $45 million of that was dedicated to the Vision in Action initiative,
which includes three new science facilities and two new on-campus stadiums. Orr said the $19 million amount that is left to be raised for the project is split pretty evenly between the two projects, the science buildings and the stadiums. “We hope to have completed fundraising for the Vision in Action initiatives by early fall,” he said. Pending completion of fundraising, the Onstead Science Center is projected
to break ground in fall 2014 and the Halbert-Walling to do the same in summer 2015. The university’s policy set by the Board of Trustees is to raise the complete amount of funds before construction begins. Funds are still being raised for ACU’s Partnering in the Journey Campaign, an effort to raise $50 million to create more scholarships for students. It began more than 2 years ago and has raised a little over half of the goal, leaving about
$21-22 million left to raise. “Donors give to the things that are important to them,” Orr said. “There are lots of people that feel like the scholarship endowment program is critically important and I agree with them because that is something that is sustainable for the long term.”
contact orr at mco10b@acu.edu
Reduction in tuition boosts Bible Allison Brown Managing Editor A change in Bible majors’ tuition may be the cause of an increase in majors. The number of freshmen and transfer students declared as Bible majors has increased to 50-55, up from the low 40s last year. The final number won’t be available until official numbers are released on the
twelfth day of classes. This year, the university instituted a policy that students declared as Bible majors will be guaranteed to pay no more than 50 percent of tuition. Historically, ACU has been of assistance to many churches because of the number of ministers trained here. But with rising tuition, the university was losing potential students as a re-
sult of the price point. About a year ago, Dr. Robert Rhodes, provost of the university, and a few others on campus decided to look at options for Bible majors’ tuition. “As we decided to offer this discount, we realized that students have more and more programs to select from,” Rhodes said. “Often they are choosing the least expensive program.” Traditionally, students
in the department of Bible, missions and ministry have received scholarships specific to the department. “Once students received full package, it would often end up being around 50 percent of tuition, but students wouldn’t always know that,” said Dr. Robert Rhodes. “We’re not offering a great amount more but it’s more visible at the front end so students are
able to engage with us earlier on.” Dr. Rodney Ashlock, chair of the department of Bible, missions and ministry said he and the department were grateful for the university’s actions. “We appreciate the administration and senior leadership team for their confidence in us as a department and for see bible page 7
TEDxACU scheduled for spring semester tommy evans online managing editor ACU will host its own TEDx event on April 17 in Cullen Auditorium. Under the theme “(re) think,” the goal of the event is to question the status quo and consider how a single individual’s idea might radically alter an entire community, according to its website. Dr. Lauren Lemley, as-
sistant professor of communications and director of the Speaking Center, is organizing the event and said it is a good oppurtunity for the university. “I use TED Talks in my classroom all the time, so I know they do a great job at communicating ideas,” Lemley said. “I am hoping to use the name and the organization to help create an audience for conversations in the community.”
TED, which stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, is a nonprofit organization that hosts a few conferences over the course of a year with the goal of sharing groundbreaking ideas from great minds around the world. While the event taking place at ACU is not an official TED Talk, the conference is associated under the name TEDx ACU. No speakers have been
Abilene Christian University
selected yet, but Lemley wants to put the audience in charge of who will speak. “We really want our audience to go on to our website and nominate people who they want to hear speak,” Dr. Lemley said. “While we will have representation on campus and alumni, something that we really want is to have the Abilene community representation as well.”
Lemley said the network and diversity of speakers is really going to be the cornerstone of the event. “One of TED’s big goals is the networking and engagement of people around ideas,” she said. “If we can get a bunch of people in the room who all have different perspectives on a topic, we might be able to solve see lemley page 7
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saturday 11 a.m. Praise Day 5 p.m. Soccer versus Wayland Baptist University 3-8 p.m. ACU Opera yard sale at 1342 Avenue E
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sunday
monday
7:30 p.m. Freud’s Last Session in Culp Theatre
8 a.m.-5 p.m. Last day for girls to register to pledge
8 a.m.-3 p.m. ACU Opera yard sale at 1342 Avenue E
2-4 p.m. ACU Opera yard sale at 1342 Avenue E (half off)
Labor Day (offices open)
7:30 p.m. Freud’s Last Session in Culp Theatre
Announcements
Chapel checkup To date:
Remaining:
6 89 @acuoptimist The Optimist optimist@acu.edu
The last day to register for class is Friday. It is the last day to add/drop within the block for block students, and the last day to add or drop for 100% refund for non-block students. Movies on the Hill will show Rudy at 8:30 p.m. Sep. 5. The movie is free, but each family is asked to bring an item to donate. The requested items are: travel size hygiene items such as toothpaste, toothbrush, shampoo, lotion, soap and toilet paper. All donations will benefit the Christian Service Center.
Freud’s Last Session will run Aug. 29-30 at 7:30 p.m. in Culp Auditorium. Directed by Gary Varner, the play shows what happens when faith and science collide as C.S. Lewis pays Sigmund Freud a visit. It features ACU Theatre professor Adam Hester as Freud and audience favorite Jacob Alexander as C.S. Lewis. There will be a talk-back after the play on Aug. 29. The last day for women to register to pledge in the fall semester is Aug. 31. The last day for men to register to
pledge is Sept. 12. Go to acu. edu/socialclubs to register. You must meet all the eligibilty requirements. There will be a Part-Time Job and Internship Fair from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sept. 9 in the Campus Center. Students who are looking for part-time employment or internships while attending school at ACU will have the opportunity to visit with employers. Freshman Follies is a musical variety show performed entirely by ACU Freshmen each fall. This year’s theme
is “Freshman Follies: Road Trip.” Join us Sep. 19-20 as the Freshman Class takes you on a journey across the 50 states. For more information about getting involved with Freshman Follies or purchasing tickets, please go to acu. edu/follies. Save the date for RecFest IV, which will be held on Sep. 12. The ACU Opera is hosting a fundraising yard sale Aug. 29-31. Come check it out at the Op-Shop, 1342 Avenue E, right by University Church of Christ.
Police Log Police log SELECTED ACUPD CALLS FOR THE WEEK 08/29/2013 4:13 p.m. Student called to report rear tire of her bike had been stolen while it was parked in front of Smith-Adams Hall. 08/30/2013 11:35 p.m. ACUPD responded to noise complaints in Building 6 of the University Park Apartments. 09/01/2013 2:45 p.m. ACUPD assisted APD in terminating a loud party on the 1500 block of Westheimer, 09/01/2013 11:52 a.m. ACUPD located and detained a suspicious male in the lobby of Smith-Adams Hall. 09/02/2013 1:52 p.m. ACUPD responded to a report of female students of having been approached by an older white male in a blue Plymoth who asked if they needed a ride.
ABANDONED VEHICLE 2 ACCIDENT 5 ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIVITY 13 ALARM 3 ALCOHOL INCIDENT 1 ASSIST 4 BARRICADES 3 BICYCLE PATROL 1 BICYCLE/SKATEBOARD CALL 1 BUILDING LOCK/UNLOCK 13 CHECK BUILDING 131
Weekly Stats For Week of Aug. 20-Aug. 27, 2013- Total Events:273 CITATION ISSUANCE 1 MOTORIST ASSIST: JUMPSTART 9 CRIMINAL TRESPASS WARNING 1 MOTORIST ASSIST: UNLOCK 6 FOOT PATROL 16 NOISE VIOLATION 3 FOUND PROPERTY 1 PARKING LOT PATROL 8 HIT AND RUN 1 PARKING VIOLATION 11 INFORMATION REPORT 1 PATROL VEHICLE: MAINTENANCE 6 INVESTIGATION FOLLOW UP 5 PATROL VEHICLE: REFUEL 10 MAINTENANCE: UNIVERSITY ASSETS 3 RANDOM PATROL 10 MEDICAL EMERGENCY 2 REPORT WRITING 2 MONITOR FACILITY/LOT 1 STAND BY 1 MOTORIST ASSIST: INFLATE TIRE 1 SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY 1
SUSPICIOUS PERSON 4 THEFT (NON VEHICLE) 3
Police Tip of the Week: In approximately 70% of all vehicle burglaries in Abilene, the victim left the car UNLOCKED. Always lock your car and remove or hide valuables.
Volunteer Opp0rtunities The Alliance for Women and Children is seeking volunteers for after-school child care for Pre-K-5th grade children, 6th-8th grade children and A-Teens Middle School Girls Program. For more information about times and location, contact Toni Brown at 325-677-5321 or info@afwconline.org. Beltway Park Baptist Church is seeking volunteers to help with special needs children in their program Kingdom Kids. Volunteers will be needed on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. For more information, contact Sharla Sanders at 325-6926540 or sharlasanders@beltway.org. The International Rescue Committee in Abilene needs your help in welcoming refugees to our community. We are seeking the following donations: hygiene and cleaning supplies, bed linen, towels and kitchen items (dishware, silverware, pots/pans etc). Donations are accepted Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 2-4 p.m. or by appointment. Their office is located at 3303 N. 3rd St. Suite D. For more information contact Marie-Pascale Manishimwe at 325-675-5643. Treadaway Kids is looking for more students and volunteers to join the group. For more information, contact Carly Henderson at cah10a@acu.edu. Friends for Life is seeking volunteers to help with both elderly residents and independent living elderly. Nursing home service opportunities include visiting, playing games, reading to the blind and assisting in arts and crafts. Independent living service opportunities include mowing lawns, grocery shopping and changing light bulbs. To volunteer contact Cecilia Barahona at 325-672-2635 or cecilia@friendsforlife.org. Love and Care Ministries is looking for volunteers to help with sorting clothing, stocking their food pantry, assisting in prayers in their prayer room and serving food to the
homeless. For more information call 325-670-0246. Volunteers are needed to help with daily activities organized by the staff at Chisholm House. This could involve playing board games, helping with arts and crafts and helping with a walking club. For some of these tasks volunteers may be asked to lead a group or work alongside a staff coordinator. Volunteer opportunities are from 2-4 p.m. or 6-8 p.m. daily. Contact Larissa Blankenship at 817-578-9296. The Noah Project is seeking volunteers to help with tasks such as answering phone calls, providing child care and doing maintenance and housekeeping. To volunteer call 325-676-7107. The Betty Hardwick Center is seeking volunteers for the Human Resources Center to help with filing and organizing. This job requires someone with attention to detail who wishes to learn more about Human Resources. The job is open Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. To volunteer, please contact Martin Walker at 325-690-5235 or mwalker@bhcmhmr.org. House of Faith is an organization that seeks to take Jesus to neighborhood children. Volunteers are needed to help with the various programs they do throughout the week. Backyard Bible studies are hosted Mondays and Wednesdays and a youth program takes place on Thursday evenings. The organization is seeking volunteers who can commit to a specific day a week. House of Faith lasts from 3-5:30 p.m. To volunteer or for more information contact Amy Jeffers at abj09a@acu.edu or call 832-331-5324. Breakfast on Beech Street is seeking volunteers to help set up, prepare and serve breakfast to homeless/lower income folks any Monday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday at 5:30 a.m. or Tuesdays at 5 a.m. B.O.B.S. is located at First Christian Church on 3rd Street and Beech Street Service times must be scheduled in advance. To serve on Mondays contact Jody Depriest at 325-669-3312 or jody.depriest@gmail. com. To serve on Tuesdays contact Allen
Daugherty at 325-660-6949 or ale.al@ suddenlink.net. To serve on Wednesdays, contact Jane Harvey at 325-695-0092 or jharvread@aol.com. To serve on Thursdays, contact Margaret Beasley at 325-692-4149 or mbeasley5@suddenlink.net. To serve on Fridays contact Terry Stremmel at terry. stremmel@acu.edu. University Place is seeking volunteers to help with resident birthday parties for residents on the third Wednesday of each month at 2:30 p.m. For more information, contact Linda Tijerina at 325-676-9946. The Food Bank of West Central Texas needs volunteers to help sort and stock food and other items Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. The Food Bank is located at 5505 N. 1st St. For more information contact Janice Serrault at 325-695-6311 or abfoodbk@camalott.com. The Christian Service Center is seeking volunteers to help with filing requests for items such as clothing and bedding from the donation center, sort and organize donations and occasionally pick up donated items. Volunteers are needed every weekday and the first Saturday of each month between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. and 1-4 p.m. For more information, contact Roberta Brown at 325-673-7561 orrobertabrown51@hotmail.com. For more information on the program visit http:// www.uccabilene.org/ministries/csc.htm. Big Brothers/Big Sisters offers two volunteer programs. Lunch Buddies pairs volunteers with a little brother or little sister to have lunch with once a week for 30 minutes. Lunch Buddies has a preferred time of 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. The community based program pairs volunteers with a little brother or little sister that they will hang out with two to four times a month. Both programs require commitment to the program for 12-18 months. To sign up, stop by the Big Brothers/Big Sisters office at 547 Chestnut St. or contact Randy Woods at 325-674-3102. The Salvation Army is looking for volunteers for a variety of needs such as sorting and pricing items in the thrift store, helping in the kitchen and/or doing yard work. Times are flexible and volunteers are
needed Monday-Saturday. The Salvation Army is located at 1726 Butternut St. For more information, contact J.D. Alonzo at 325-677-1408 or visit www.satruck.com. Meals on Wheels Plus needs volunteer drivers to deliver afternoon meals to seniors and adults with disabilities Monday-Friday between 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Drivers must be at least 18 years old and have a valid driver’s license. Training is provided. For more information contact Samantha Barker at 352-672-5050 or visit http://mealsonwheelsplus.com. Christian Ministries Food Pantry needs volunteers to help with tasks such as cleaning up, stocking shelves and bagging flour. They are seeking students who can make a commitment of 1-3 hours a week. For more information contact Becky Almanza at 325-673-5295 or balmanza7@sbcglobal.net. The Center for International Education is looking for one male and one female volunteer to serve as conversation partners with ACU scholars who are looking to improve their English language skills. Volunteers will be required to spend one hour a week practicing conversation. The day, time, and location are up to the students to decide. For more information or to volunteer, contact Leanne Moore at 325-674-2821 or lmm10b@ acu.edu. For additional volunteer opportunities visit: www.acu.edu/campusoffices/ccsl/ ministry-service/volunteer-opportunities/
Got Announcements? Need Volunteers? Send an E-mail to:
Optimist@ACU.
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news
Friday 08.29.14
Students concerned with library remodel dystanie douglas staff reporter
emily guajardo Staff Photographer
The third floor of the Brown library undergoes renovations as the Graduate School moves into its new space.
The third floor of Brown Library is under construction after the recent move of the Graduate School from Hardin Administration Building. Upon the return to school, students were shocked to see that the third floor of the library had been altered and rearranged to accommodate the recent move of the graduate school. The graduate school moved to the library after it vacated their offices in the Hardin Administration Building to allow the Department of Language and Literature to move into that space. This was in result of the renovations taking place in Chambers Hall, which forced the Department of Language and Literature to move, said Dr. Stephen Johnson, Dean of the graduate school. In result to the construction, book shelves have been moved and shifted into smaller and tighter areas, making it harder for students to access books. And areas that were once used for tables and places of study are no longer available. Work spaces have become more confined and uncomfort-
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Within another month, everything will be back to normal.”
able for many. Some students said they are worried about how these changes will affect them throughout the semester as work loads become heavier and the school year progresses. “It makes me kind of apprehensive,” said Kim Martinez, junior communications major from San Antonio. “It is a library, and with all the noise and construction, it could be hard for me to focus while i’m doing my work.” Although many students have these worries, Johnson seems to believe that, “all students, both graduate and undergraduate, will be excited to see the transformation taking place on the third floor of the Library. These transformations will provide even more study and collaboration space in the Library, not less.” For now, students have been instructed by library staff to use the Stanley Theological reading room for a more quieter learning
Dora weathers learning Studio supervisor
environment. “I’m kind of worried,” said Taylor McDaniel, junior art major from Fort Worth. “I like to go to the Stanley reading room to study, but now since there are going to be more people in there, it probably won’t be as quiet. So I am a little concerned.” Although the construction on the third floor may be a bit inconvenient now, the noise and space will not be an issue for long, said Dora Weathers, learning studio supervisor. “This is only a transitional stage,” said Weathers. “If students can wait a little little while longer, all the books in the main area on the third floor will be cleared out and moved to the first floor of the basement and placed on new compact shelving. Within another month everything should be back to normal.”
contact douglas at dsd11b@acu.edu
Event promotes campus safety to freshmen dents challenged the audience to “stand up” and say something when presented with a variety of ACU presented its first sensitive situations, such “1 is 2 Many Campaign” as date rape and sexting. Tuesday night to proLt. Randy Motz, assismote personal safety and tant chief of ACUPD, said awareness of sexual mis- these situations, while conduct. sometimes made to be The event included jokes in mainstream culspeakers such as Chris Ri- ture, are in fact real and ley, vice president of Stu- very serious. dent Life, Jimmy Ellison, “All of those scenarios ACU chief of police, and happen at every univerLori Bunton, advocate for sity and have happened at Abilene’s Regional Victim this university, but what Crisis Center. we want everyone to know Bunton and her team is that it doesn’t have to of volunteers and stu- be that way,” he said.
jonathan ward
student reporter
Motz is hopeful that through a Biblical perspective on dating and by honoring the true value of women, people can make a difference in culture. “I’d like to see a change at all universities, but specifically, I’d like to see a change at this university,” he said. Ellison expressed ACUPD’s commitment to on-campus safety at ACU and informed the audience of some services the department extends to students. “All in all, we have 25 employees dedicated to
making sure you guys are safe every year,” Ellison said. Ellison believes that steps such as communicating expectations for a relationship can help prevent potentially harmful future conf licts. “One of the things that I think is critically important to remember is establishing appropriate boundaries in a relationship on the front end,” he said. Mark Lewis, dean of students, believes the presentation is the first of many conversations
Theatre performs first collegiate ‘Big Fish’ show catherine blakemore arts editor This year’s homecoming musical is not only special because of its talented cast, but because it will be the first ever collegiate premier of the former Broadway show Big Fish. With its connection with alumni from set designing, and performance, as well as first hand viewing from the Broadway show; the department is creating a brand new way to display the musical. Among the four leads, Kaitlin Sacco, junior musical theatre major from Houston, will play Josephine Bloom, a supporting role, in the show. “We’re like the fifth people to ever play these
rolls,” Sacco said. “It gives you a freedom you don’t normally get. There’s no other person to compare to, it’s scary because you don’t have any examples and you have to create a role in your head which is what actors dream of.” Dawne Swearingen Meeks, director of Big Fish and associate professor and assistant chair of the department, said she jumped at the opportunity to perform the musical at ACU. “When the rights became available, we just jumped at the possibility,” Meeks said. Meeks said her love of the show stems back to when she saw 2006 graduate Lara Seibert perform in the musical in 2013. “I had the ability to go see Lara Seibert, and
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I felt like even if it was a bare stage, the story would speak for itself.”
dawn meeks director of big fish
I was just so touched by the core of the story,” Meeks said. When the opportunity to recreate the show presented itself, Meeks asked herself if it was doable on the collegiate level, and the answer was yes. Connections with Andrew Lazarow, digital designer for Big Fish, and David Utley, ACU alum and original scenic designer, have provided a
Alicia Adams Staff Photographer
ACU Theatre students rehearse a dance number for the upcoming Homecoming production, Big Fish.
step up in the ability for the department to thoroughly perform the musical on a collegiate level. “The set was so highly mechanized and way beyond our budget in terms of creation and ability,” Meeks said. “I felt like even if it was a bare stage the story would be able to speak.” Lazarow and Utley will be able to create a physical set using multimedia to help augment the story and fully express the musical in the best way as its first collegiate level performance.
contact blakemore at crb13a@acu.edu
by which ACU will better connect to the study body and provide a public forum to discuss other difficult topics. “We want to be transparent,” Lewis said. “Part of being innovative, ex-
ceptional and real is being able to address what’s going on around us and not act like we don’t see it or we don’t hear it. It contact ward at jtw12a@acu.edu
news
friday 8.29.14
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Waterway project makes slow progress linsey thut features editor Community members are bonding in an ongoing development project called the Cedar Creek Waterway project to create new recreational parks and keep a natural creek running through Abilene. Cedar Creek, a creek that runs through Abilene, connects multiple parks throughout Abilene, such as Will Hair Park and Kyle Young Park. Jim Cooke, environmental science professor and supporter of the movement, said this project, once completed, will change people’s vision of the town. People see Abilene as a hot, dry, brown, dusty and forbidden place, but the Cedar Creek Waterway will create a place where people can enjoy wildlife, trees and shade, Cooke said. Over the years, multiple volunteers have come together to clean up debris from stretches of the creek, which travels 15 miles between Lake Kirby and Lake Fort Phantom. ACU students joined to help clean an auto junk yard that was on the creek’s banks in February. Since then, the proj-
ect has made even more progress, Cooke said. “We’ve purchased some signage that shows where the trail is so you can follow the trail along the creek,” he said. The trail, which extends from South 7th Street to North 10th Street, is envisioned as being a place where citizens of Abilene can hike and bike next to a flowing creek of water. Cooke said another goal for the creek is to keep water in Abilene because it is frequently in a drought. “The overall plan is to put a series of four-foot dams in the creek every mile so that when we have a rain event, the water fills up behind the dams and there’s water in the creek bed,” Cooke said. Cooke said in September, the city will begin releasing water from Lake Kirby into Cedar Creek to add to the flow. He said eventually the flow of the creek will resemble a man-made aquarium pump. “We pump water out of Lake Fort Phantom, so it goes through us,” Cooke said. “It goes through the sewer system, it’s treated and it’s let into Lake Kirby. It’s let out of Lake Kirby back into the creek and then we pump out of Lake
Sarah bateman Staff Photographer
Progress on the Cedar Creek Waterway Project is slow, but it is being made. Fort Phantom and we treat it for drinking water.” Randy Barnett, one of the project’s organizers, said much of the progress is at a standstill at the moment as they attempt to get permission from the Union Pacific Railroad to build on their property.
Barnett said the city of Abilene is having a bond election, and a representative of the project was invited to tell his story at the election. He also said they have hired Hargreaves Associates, a landscape and waterfront design company that de-
signed land for the London Olympics, to help design the oasis. “You can’t see the progress at the moment, but we are slowly making it,” he said. Cooke said in October there will be an event where ACU students can
volunteer to help with the project by cleaning up a recently purchased stretch of land that was previously a homeless camp area. contact thut at lct10a@acu.edu
Career Center changes job search system rigan, senior management and marketing major from Tioga. Carrigan works at the The ACU Career Center re- Career Center and identiplaced ACU CareerLink in fies the program as easy to July with College Central use for students and, most Network, the nation’s largest importantly, employers. She network of college job seek- was the inaugural user of the ers. new program and confirms The Career Center looked its efficiency. to streamline the network“Within three days, I had ing process and provide stu- already been contacted by dents an interface that was three different companies,” easy to use. she said. “It’s social networking to College Central Network the max,” said Jessica Car- allows students to specify
elijah evans staff reporter
searches between internships and full-time jobs. It also enables students to specify the employer, such as ACU or ACU alumni, said Carrigan. “A lot of people will graduate and put job postings through College Central Network to recruit people that they know,” she said. College Central Network hosts an integrated resumébuilder that offers podcasts and tutorials to assist students. The Career Center approves each resume before it
goes into the system and is open for employers to view. “You also can build an online portfolio in the system to showcase and demonstrate your work to employers,” said Jill Fortson, director of the Career Center. The new software allows companies to directly contact users and offers a wider variety of searches. “Students can search jobs that the Career Center staff posts, search a national job board of over 500,000 addi-
tional postings and search a national internship board,” Fortson said. The new system allows the Career Center to share upcoming events and opportunities via social media as well. Fortson said the platform hosts numerous career advice resources that will be beneficial to students as they prepare for their careers after graduation. The ACU Career Center has provided all registered students a complimentary
College Central Network account. “Accessing the system is simple,” Fortson said. “Visit the Career Center website and select the CollegeCentral.com image on the top right of the page.” Login instructions can be found in an email the Career Center sent in early July.
contact evans at ece12a@acu.edu
Campus takes ALS challenge Students and athletes join the viral sensation Emily seidel copy editor As the latest group at ACU to be publicly challenged, the freshman class was called out last week to take on the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge on the final day of Welcome Week. That’s right, the entire freshman class. Alex Abston, student director for Welcome Week, said Aubree Selinger from the Alumni Association nominated all incoming freshmen on Friday. The challenge was accepted Friday night at Backyard Bash after Mentor Group Olympics – but not by the freshmen. Instead, the four Welcome Weeks student
directors took the challenge in place of the new students. “We were trying to be economical with our water use,” Abston said. “We were very conscious about that. That was the reasoning behind the student directors accepting the challenge on behalf of the freshmen.” After the class of 2018 was challenged, people began to voice concern over the amount of water it would take to cover everyone. Nobody knew where the water would come from, and nobody was willing to waste that much water in the middle of a drought. In fact, concern has spread across the state, and other states in similar situations, about the effect the ice bucket challenge could have during a drought. Not wanting to disappoint, Abston and fellow student directors Caroline Gafford, Lauren Pratt and Eric Schinske shared two buckets of ice water between them. Not wanting to subtract from the donations the original challenge could have procured for ALS research, the student directors partnered their ALS donations with the Fun Run the next morning, Abston said. “Students had the ability to donate money to one of three charities when they checked in for the Fun Run on Saturday morning,” Abston said. “We were very intentional in giving students the ability to donate their Fun Run to a specific charity in order to follow through with the full commitment to the ALS challenge.” No figures have been provided as to how much money was raised through the Fun Run, but Abston believes that rais-
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The challenge is not about just dumping ice and challenging others, but it is really about raising awareness and funds for the ALS Association
alex abston junior marketing major from spring
ing awareness is just as important. “The challenge is not about just dumping ice and challenging others, but it is really about raising awareness and funds for the ALS Association,” Abston said. The student directors are not the only ACU members who have stepped up to take the challenge publicly. President Phil Schubert recently took the ice bucket challenge and nominated Ken Collums and the ACU football team to do the same. “You know, some days I work out in the gym next to them,” Schubert said in his ice challenge video. “And in the gym, they act like they’re pretty tough. But I’m going to see just how tough they are and see if they’re willing to take the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.” Collums, the team and coaching staff all responded and took the challenge together, nominating Danieal Manning, ACU alumnus and current safety for the Cincinnati Bengals. Schubert, Collums and Manning’s challenge videos all aired on ESPNU Wednesday night as part of the broadcast of the Georgia State game. The ice bucket challenge is more than just a funny video in which people get to embarrass others, though. The challenge has swept the country, picking up momentum in June, but was not always aimed toward ALS.
Mashable reported earlier this month the challenge’s association with ALS did not begin until July. Many people have taken the challenge and donated to other worthy organizations. However, the challenge is most often connected to the ALS Association, which, as of Wednesday, claims to have raised $94.3 million from donations since July 29. The ALS Association claims to use the funds to research cures for ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. This disease targets nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord, progressively destroying voluntary muscle action. hence the point of dumping ice-cold water on the body – to experience nerve pain and discomfort, raising awareness of what sufferers of ALS feel. The next big name on campus to be nominated was Willie the Wildcat, who was challenged by the student directors. As the challenge spreads throughout campus, hopefully significant amounts of money can be raised for multiple charitable organizations. Students are urged to be conservative with their water usage when participating in this challenge.
contact seidel at eks13b@acu.edu
5
arts
Friday 08.29.14
Right 2 Survive Portland homeless community defies traditional expectation for living on the streets
photos by josh ramseur
Line of doors at the Right 2 Survive compound
Josh ramseur Guest Writer
I
t was the doors. I first saw them when I went to Chinatown. Drawn toward the entrance, an entrance that begged for questions. With the adjoining fence made of hand-painted doors connected in a line. I bought the traveller some food and with that I walked across the street towards the ornately carved red entryway and the rainbow of colors that formed the picturesque walkway I strolled on. When I arrived at the front of the doors, I was awestruck by the sayings of the Dalai Lama, lyrics from influential song-makers, poets and writers, the faces of community activists, Bible scriptures, and the many, deep and abiding colors that will forever stain my memories of that place. The sunlight was screaming in a quiet way through the spaces between the leaves onto my subject matter, making little dapples and winking bright eyes at me as my camera shutter snapped to capture them. It was then I understood these ideas live in infinity, the words that are even now still stirring my soul. here in the entrance, a man stood. He was older, white, kind-looking, and very suddenly asked me if I wanted a tour. Ten minutes and countless pictures later, I was walking around the side of the fence of colored doors to see a continuation of the barrier leading to a sign that read “Right to Dream Too”–thus explaining the R2D2 mystery written on many of the doors. My guide led me through a roped-off gate to a stall under some shade where a desk sat with its manager. This is where he was explained that I desired a tour of the apparent facilities. I was pointed to a man standing at the front of the community. He was thin in a ropy, muscular sort of way. And tan, wearing a baseball hat and glasses. We introduced ourselves and I discovered his name to be Roy, a participant in the operations at Right 2 Survive, a Portland-based advocacy organization focused on improving conditions for homeless people, for a year and a half since formerly being laid off his warehouse job as a certified forklift driver. oy later explained to me that he and his wife had gone to live in a similar organization in Washington before the police shut it down, forcing people to scatter, and providing an opportunity for
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experience in facing the cold. He said that was one of the many obvious reasons for him moving his wife into a safe shelter and job as soon as they could, with himself hopefully to follow. Roy’s son was born just a few months ago. His name is Landon. he community maintains a high standard of sustainability. All food scraps are composted for the several planters made from the bottom three feet of the door fence scattered about the grounds as a way of taking in fresh fruits and vegetables. The community was forced to cut the fence down to size due to city planning legislation, but it turned out to be providential as they work excellently for planting. I was generously offered a tomato, which I took. It was delicious. In Right 2 Survive and their justice movement, Right 2 Dream Too, I found a true representation of a peaceful existence, a heaven on earth, a very real location where words like “community” and “sustainability” actually worked together with a sort of innerfaith love for all. My guide told me stories – more than could be fitted into this small space – about non-violent conflict resolution when a community member was attacked and about the founder, Ibrahim Mubarak, who started this operation from the ground up after his own experiences with poverty. I was able to speak with Mubarak and asked him about his perspective on the solution to homelessness, to which he stated, “We (the homeless) all want the same thing the businessmen, politicians, residents want: people off of the street.” Mubarak telling me that “faith-based communities need to practice what they preach,” further clarified that “a lot of people who live on the street aren’t there because of drugs, but because of the economic struggles in this country.” ndeed, it was as though Mubarak put Right 2 Survive on display when he stated that human beings need to “start taking care of one another like family,” a sentiment clearly understood within myself when I meditated on my new friends and their life that they built a place of acceptance, love, and peace.
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the couple to find this Portland community. He led me through a check-in station at the front where I signed in, and then to the common area, a space where the members of the community could congregate to talk and make decisions. rom the start, I could see that this place was very organized, a sentiment confirmed when I asked Roy about their housing numbers. He identified that Right 2 Survive is able to house and support 56 people on any given night
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often overlooked and weary travelers, and through their donation center, a place where clothing and other items donated to Right 2 Survive are stored. Incredibly, Roy later told me that the program regularly continues the cycle and donates much of their remaining to stores. Adjacent to a few personal tents, all equipped with electricity through the community’s fundraising efforts for safety, there was a tool shed, at which Roy explained that one of their “Dreamers” was
I found a true representation of a peaceful existence, a heaven on earth, a very real location where words like ‘community’ and ‘sustainability’ actually worked together with a sort of innerfaith love for all.”
and that the community has 20 members who are dedicated to helping others better their lives and stop living on the streets. After being led to a series of tents at an elbow turn in the community, Roy informs me that there is a couple’s tent, a men’s tent, and a women’s area for lodging, as well as a washing system and storage for used sleeping bags. He explained to me that the local Women’s Carpenter Union had come earlier and volunteered time to make the women’s tent. He led me through the kitchen/food pantry area, a place where hot meals are cooked for the
Josh Ramseur from San Antonio
a certified carpenter who makes a great deal of the structures along with Roy himself. Behind that tool shed stood a wooden structure with a shower curtain. It was revealed, to my surprise, that the community had a working shower with hot and cold water. t about this time, Roy showed me his own tent. It was in that small tent he called home that he told a story about trying to survive the often-frigid winters of the Northwest. His stories told of experiences about the inside of his tent having ice in it and about his near-death
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PAGE Editor note Josh Ramseur spent part of his summer in portland, oregon, where he discovered this program. Here he shares his story that could not be contained in just simple notes.
Opinion
Friday 08.29.14
6
editorial
Kent Brantly’s faith on display is worth the cost the issue Critics argue that Kent Brantly did more harm than good with his mission work in Liberia.
our take The cost of his medical bills might just be worth it for global stage he was given to display his faith on.
Kent Brantly has been a major topic of discussion since contracting Ebola virus in July. It would seem that after remaining courageous in the face of a deadly disease, as well as testing an experimental cure, he’d receive nothing but praise. However, that’s not the case. One of the major objections to Brantly’s mission was the cost it took Samaritan’s Purse to fly him back
to the states. For those unaware, the small private jet Kent flew in was big enough for only one person and equipped with a special tent specifically intended for transporting people with highly infectious diseases. This special jet, along with Brantly’s treatment, cost Samaritan’s Purse around $2 million, and is what seems to be making people uncomfortable about his work.
Ann Coulter, a notoriously extreme-conservative columnist, called Brantly a narcissist for traveling to Liberia in the first place. She is clear in her article entitled “Ebola Doc’s Condition Downgraded to ‘Idiotic,” as to just where she stands on the issue. “I wonder how the Ebola doctor feels now that his humanitarian trip has cost a Christian charity much more than any services he rendered?” she said. No matter how much Brantly’s illness costed Samaritan’s Purse, it isn’t the monetary value that should be concentrated on. From a Christian point
of view, Brantly’s medical bills shouldn’t matter at all. In his moment of crisis, Brantly showed the world the humility and sacrifice of a devoted Christ-follower as he selflessly pleaded with doctors to give his sick colleague Nancy Writebol the only serum. Any concern over cost or his supposed narcissism should have been lost once Brantly said “what I can tell you is that I serve a faithful God who answers prayers,” and gave full credit to the God that saved him in a press conference in front of a global audience. Furthermore, people who are worried about
Brantly’s cost to Samaritan’s Purse, like Coulter, should check the mission statement of Samaritan’s Purse - “to follow the example of Christ by helping those in need and proclaiming the hope of the Gospel.” Brantly was already “following the example of Christ” by risking the dangers of traveling to Liberia to take care of others. His faith and miraculous recovery on a global scale completed his living out of Samaritan’s Purse in “proclaiming the hope of the Gospel.” Instead of harming Samaritan’s Purse, it seems Brantly has not only lived out its mission statement,
but also brought more awareness to the organization and the cause than $2 million could have ever bought them otherwise. An important and immeasurable benefit of Brantly’s experiences is a new possible cure for Ebola. A new serum for a disease that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has already killed about 900 people just this year, along with a global stage to let God work His miracles, is priceless and worth any cost. contact The Optimist at jmcnetwork@acu.edu
hashtagACU Follow @acuoptimist on Twitter Aug. 27 11:42 a.m.
Tweeting exclusively about FRESH WARM BREAD for the rest of the week.
Aug. 27 1:02 p.m.
That awkward moment when peanut butter crackers are part of your lunch today #freshwarmbread
@kkevinb Aug. 27 10:53 a.m.
@sweetcarolina93
In college you learn to appreciate the little things...like naps
Aug. 28 10:13 a.m.
“Socrates was killed... for being annoying” -Randy Harris #philosophy
@mcatherine5 Aug. 25 7:51 p.m.
WHO SIGNED ME UP FOR THIS NIGHT CLASS
@Macie_Liptol
Me. It was me. Aug. 28 2:57 p.m.
daily doodle dosage
by BEN TODD
Column
Love seeing @ACUsports on #ESPN #TOP10Plays at the number 6 spot! #ACU
Basic back-to-school essay returns THAT’S WHAT VAGABONDAGE SAID SAMANTHA SHE SUTHERLAND MARISSA JONES
Elementary school had a lot of things going for it. Maybe the best part besides recess and pizza Friday’s was that teachers didn’t expect third-graders to be able to do anything besides spell basic words, write in cursive (both of which aren’t used anymore) and go to the bathroom on our own, so at the beginning of the year they’d assign essays that could be written in five minutes by even the most hopeless seven year old. But there was something beautiful about those assignments. They were no nonsense. Zero fluff. Cut right to the chase. So I’ve decided to free myself from the stuffiness and expectations of college papers, and
write a good ol’ back-toschool essay – just like in elementary school. What I learned this summer. By Marissa Jones. 1. New York is a place full of dreams, but mostly it’s full of other people. This summer I took my first trip to the Big Apple, and after beginning an internship there, a few things about the legendary city became clear to me. I learned that New Yorkers are stereotypically grumpy and rude out of necessity. There’s simply too many people in your way to be nice to any of them. And all of those people that live there? They produce unbelievably large volumes of trash. On garbage day,
mountains of people’s belongings were piled on the sidewalk, and, man, they’d throw away anything: lamps, snow sleds, libraries of books, dehumidifiers. A person could furnish an entire apartment from scavenging one street’s garbage. 2. Play nice with others – especially if you’re living with them As an only child, I’m starting to think I might have missed some vital lessons – like how to share and live with others. As far as roommates go, I’ve been absolutely spoiled – for the first 18 years of my life, I didn’t have any and my ACU roommate is an absolutely gem (I’m talking about you, Sydney Wooton) – until this summer. This summer I got a taste of your run-ofthe-mill, perfectly passive aggressive roommate that most people have had to deal with. Before her, I had never
understood how vicious silent battles over the air conditioner thermostat could get, and I was frightened by the anger that filled my heart when every time, without fail, my roommate would leave an empty toilet paper roll on the dispenser. But I soon learned to control my anger as I calmly would replace the toilet paper – which only took five seconds, for goodness sakes. 3. A job probably won’t kill me when I grow up My internship was a 9 to 5, Monday through Friday kind of job. I’ve always suspected a job like that would do me in, but fortunately, I’m made of tougher stuff than I thought. So maybe unemployment isn’t my only option now. And that’s what I learned this summer. Mrs. Patterson, if you read this and you’re still
@meganwesley23 Aug. 28 4:51 p.m.
There has been a surprising resurgence of skateboarding on our campus #LivePurple #ACU
@peymos21
@NSpencerACU
Yaks@ACU #acuoptimist on Yik yak Thanks to the heat outside I’m walking into the rec looking like I just finished a lap around the Lunsford!
You know somebody’s a freshmen when they still say “000” before their banner ID
One of my yaks got into The Optimist but none of you would know that
The lady in the bean just gave me two chicken fried steaks without asking if I wanted two. She’s the real MVP.
contact Jones at mnj10a@acu.edu
Williams was our genie, hero and partner in crime
“Robin Williams. What a concept.” So said Billy Crystal at the Emmys Monday night, as one of dozens of public figures to give a tribute to the late legend since his passing. The world was shocked
to hear of Williams’ death on Aug. 11 and even more shocked to find out he took his own life. Robin Williams ruled our childhood. He built and defined worlds of comedy and adventure. When I was little, my dad
would take me to the Blockbuster down the street to let me rent one VHS tape every week. I chose Hook every single time. My dad would roll his eyes, not understanding how I could watch the same movie over and over again. But I would unashamedly hand him the tape and let him pay for it, knowing I’d be completely satisfied. That movie was magical to me. All of Williams’ movies were magical. He was our hero in Hook, our
editorial and Letter Policy Unsigned editorials are the opinions of the Optimist and may not necessarily reflect the views of the university or its administration. Signed columns, cartoons and letters are the opinions of their creators and may not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of the Optimist or the university. The Optimist encourages reader response through letters to the editor but reserves the right to limit frequent contributors or to refuse to print letters containing
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best friend and sidekick in Aladdin, our favorite mad scientist in Flubber, and our partner in crime in Mrs. Doubtfire. As we got older, we could appreciate his dramatic genius in films such as Good Will Hunting, Dead Poets Society and Patch Adams. But it wasn’t just his acting that made him special. Yes, the man could act – and his range was undeniable. But when I was a child, I didn’t care about his acting. I cared about his characters
and the lessons they taught me. He showed me how to be bold, daring, funny and carefree. More importantly, he showed me how to be kind and caring to everyone – even in the face of seemingly impossible challenges. Williams is one of the precious few people this generation has seen with enough influence to shape people across the entire world and help them become someone with character and dignity.
I cried when I heard the news of his death. I will probably weep openly the next time I watch one of his movies. I will miss the treasures he could still have brought into the world for many years to come, but I will always be grateful for the ones he already gave us. Carpe diem, my friends. Go make your lives extraordinary. contact seidel at eks13b@acu.edu
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news
Friday 08.29.14
Downtown church begins college ministry ent ages and ethnicities. The Well is lead, and was founded by, by Pastor Austin Lawrence. The Well church, start“He is vulnerable and ed just five months ago, genuine with a great has grown to standing- sense of humor,” said room only. Conner Mills, sophomore The new church, locat- family studies major ed in downtown on Cy- from Odessa. press Street, was foundIt is because of Lawed on March 2 and has rence that The Well is reached over 200 mem- starting their own colbers. lege ministry. The new Among the members ministry will start Sept. 7 of The Well, at least half and will take place every are college students, Tuesday at the church lomany of which attend cation on Cypress Street. ACU. Among the other In addition, the church half, you will find a di- will start community verse audience of differ- groups in which small
Anna Koistenen staff reporter
groups of church members will meet weekly and have a Bible study. Older members will lead the groups in their homes and will be kept small intentionally. Students who attend the church have been positively impacted by the church initiative. “The Well is a place where broken people come together and are made whole by the Gospel,” said John Allen, sophomore accounting major from Burleson. “Everything is Gospelcentered.” Chandler Graf, sopho-
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The Well is a place where broken people come together and are made whole by the Gospel.”
more biochemistry major from Georgetown, also attends. “It is a place where people worship in freedom,” he said. “God has blessed this church so much that it’s hard to find everyone a seat.” Allen agrees and attributes the church’s suc-
have drums. We aren’t anything fancy. We just love people and share the Gospel. God does the rest.” The passion for the Gospel of Jesus is what John Allen Sophomore accounting major drives the ministry and from burleson the people in it. The Well meets weekly cess to a divine power. for Sunday Worship at “The fact that we have 9:15 a.m. and 11 a.m. For so many people says one those interested in atof two things: either we tending, it is suggested to are really good at at- arrive early to find a seat. tracting people or God is leading people here,” Allen said. “We don’t give anyone anything. We contact gasvoda at don’t give out free stuff ank13a@acu.edu for coming. We don’t
Bible: Tuition discount increases majors from page 1 their desire to really be a place for young ministers to come and be trained to serve,” said Ashlock. Ashlock said the department has put checks in place to make sure students aren’t inappropriately taking advantage of the discount. Students have to be enrolled in a major section
of Bible, have to take Greek or another foreign language; there are GPA requirements as they go along. “We’ve put in place ways of making sure they’re making progress towards our major,” Ashlock said. For Corinna Carney, freshman missions and Bible ministry major from Denver, Colorado, the tuition break was a
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My hope is that two things happen: that we would continue to grow in numbers and in quality.” Dr. robert rhodes provost
factor in her decision to attend ACU. “Originally, I was looking at Baylor’s social work program,” Carney
said. “But in comparison to ACU’s mission program and knowing I’d have no debt coming out of college, I felt like it was the right choice to come here.” The university said they hope more students in future, like Carney, will look seriously at the Bible departments offerings as they make their college decision. Rhodes said since en-
acting the discount, the number of new students declared as Bible majors has grown not dramatically but still significantly. “My hope would be that two things happen: that we would continue to grow in numbers and in quality,” Rhodes said. “A great place to be would be to have a number of students that we think we can serve suf-
ficiently but be selective with the quality of those students.” The discount is not retroactive and will apply only to new freshman and transfer students from this year forward.
contact brown at akb12b@acu.edu
Lemley: speaker nominations open from page 1 problems or reimagine how we address issues.” The conference will host a diverse number of speakers from around the Abilene community. Also, a current ACU student will be selected to speak on a topic of their choice. “The TED format requires this to be interdisciplinary, so the main goal is diversity of ideas and speakers all around the concept of innova-
armelle dushime staff photographer
Freshmen students collect giveaways at the Welcome to Abilene showcase in the Teague Special Events Center.
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The main goal is diversity of ideas and speakers all around the concept of innovation.” Dr. lauren lemley Assistant professor of communication
tion,” Lemley said. Attendance to the event will be by individual application only as there will be a very limited number of student tickets available. Applications to attend
will be accepted starting January 1, but applications and nominations to speak at the event are currently open through the beginning of November. For up-to-date information on TEDx ACU, to nominate a speaker or apply for attendance, visit the TEDx ACU blog at http://blogs.acu.edu/ tedxacu/.
contact evans at tbe09a@acu.edu
sports
Friday 8.29.14
Wildcats to play home match at HSU Victoria Rodriguez sports reporter The women’s soccer team will play another tough opponent at 5 p.m. Friday against Wayland Baptist University. The Wildcats will face the Pioneers on foreign soil at Hardin-Simmons, but will still be considered the home team. “We’ve been working, identifying our weaknesses and fine-tuning our strengths,” said Madison Brown, senior midfielder. “With everyone’s effort and focus, we should have a great game on Friday.” ACU enters the game at 0-2, as the offense has struggled after being shut out in both games. The Wildcat defense has been keeping the team in games with help
contests. The ‘Cats look to get a non-conference win against the much smaller NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) school, but Wayland comes off a solid 13-6-1 season last year, and owned a 7-3 conference record. The Pioneers will look to build on those successes and hope to knock off the much larger program at ACU. Wayland ended its first match of the year in a 1-1 tie with the University of the Southwest at Hilliard Field. paige otway staff Photographer The team finished last year Freshman Kate Seay looks to move past her defender in with the most successful season in program history. ACU’s game against UTEP. ACU’s first two losses from sophomore goalkeeper the first two games. She has have been tough seeing that Sydney Newton. Newton been under tremendous they lost both by a single goal. leads the Southland in saves pressure, though, having The Wildcats lost to Tulsa 1-0 with a record of 16 saves in faced 28 shots in the first two and to UTEP in overtime by
the same score. The losses were tough to handle, but the ACU team showed the kind of talent its program has. For a team that was just a Div. II program two years ago to only lose by a single goal against formidable Div. I schools is an accomplishment. The two losses have benefitted the team as they look to improve against a lower division opponent in Wayland. “At this point, after the games we had this weekend, we are mainly focused on playing our game better,” said Casey Wilson, head coach. “We need to get ourselves in position to attack more effectively.”
contact rodriguez at vjr10a@acu.edu
THROUGH THE UPRIGHTS
ACU loses in last second heartbreaker
8
standings football Standings
Team
Div.
UCA HBU Lamar MSU Nicholls St. NSU SELU SFA UIW SHSU ACU
0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
Ovrl 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-1 0-1
soccer Standings
Team SELAU UCA TAMU-CC NSU Nicholls St Lamar SFA MSU SHSU ACU HBU UIW
Div. 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0
Ovrl 2-0-0 1-0-1 1-0-1 1-1-0 1-1-0 1-1-0 1-1-0 1-1-0 0-2-0 0-2-0 0-2-0 0-2-0
volleyball Standings
Team
Div.
ACU UCA HBU Lamar MSU NO Nicholls St. NSU SELU SFA SHSU TAMU-CC UIW
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
Ovrl 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
Who’s Hot Sophomore Parker McKenzie had an impressive debut McKenzie in the Wildcat’s opening loss to Georgia State. McKenzie went 30-for-40 for 403 yards and four touchdowns.
briefings ACU football’s opening game against Georgia Senior wide receiver Demarcus Thompson makes the high-difficulty catch in the Wildcat’s 38-37 loss to Georgia State in Atlanta, GA. Thompson State featured two finished the game with nine cathces for a career high 156 yards. His 173 yards of total offense led the Wildcats. quarterbacks with over 400 yards passing. The ACU on their second drive downs to junior tight end Penalties and incomplete new quarterback. two offenses combined collin wieder and turned it into quick Jamie Walker and junior passes left Arbuckle and Three receivers had four for 1,067 yards. sports editor ACUSPORTS
ACU football’s introduction to being a full Div. I program had a heartbreaking end Wednesday night as the Georgia State Panthers beat the Wildcats with seconds left. The Wildcats lost 38-37 as the Panthers’ Wil Lutz kicked the game-winning field goal with only four seconds remaining on the clock. “It seems like we selfdestructed quite a bit,” head coach Ken Collums said. “It’s disappointing when you can’t close out an opponent who has to score twice in the late going.” The Wildcats mounted a 14-play, 69-yard drive to start the night and it ended with one of sophomore kicker Nik Grau’s three made field goals. Georgia State quickly answered with a touchdown pass from junior GASU quarterback Nick Arbuckle to tight end junior Joel Ruiz. Georgia State managed to stifle
points, making it a 14-3 game. The Panthers seemed to gain a small foothold on the game until the middle of the second quarter when the ‘Cats found their stride. They scored 13 unanswered points behind the arm of new sophomore quarterback Parker McKenzie. The offense’s most notable play was a 60yard touchdown pass from McKenzie to junior wide receiver and Cisco transfer Cedric Gilbert. “I thought he managed very well and didn’t make many mistakes,” Collums said. “There’s certainly room to grow, but for a first game, we’re very happy with what he did.” A shootout ensued from there as Georgia State answered with an Arbuckle to junior wide receiver Avery Sweeting touchdown to end the half at 21-16 GSU. The third quarter saw more of the same from the Wildcats’ offense as McKenzie threw a pair of touch-
receiver Jace Hudson. “I just wanted to go out and play a boring game,” McKenzie said. “Just put the ball where guys can make plays and be confident in myself.” GASU’s offense woke up again in the fourth to score on another Arbuckle touchdown pass to cut the Wildcat’s lead to two. ACU then answered with a McKenzie-to-Cade Stone 7-yard touchdown pass to make the game 37-28 with 6:36 remaining in the game. Georgia State came back with a nine-play, 77-yard drive that lasted only two minutes and five seconds. Arbuckle threw another touchdown to Joel Ruiz, who finished the game with seven catches for 111 yards and two touchdowns. The Panther defense stood its ground just enough to force a punt with 2:41 left in the game. GSU’s offense took the field from the 19-yard line and pushed it to the 27 where the drive looked to stall.
the offense with a 4th and 19. Arbuckle completed a 24-yard post to Lynquez Blair. Senior safety Angel Lopez tackled Blair after the reception but left the game with concussion-like symptoms. Arbuckle moved the offense into ACU territory and used his legs on runs of 13 and 17 to put the ball on the ACU nine-yard line. Lutz kicked in the 26-yard game winner with four seconds remaining. De’Andre Brown could do little with the return, and the game was over. The win gave Georgia State it’s first victory in the past sixteen games. ACU lost in a tough fashion but found multiple bright spots in the loss. Parker McKenzie finished with 403 yards, going 30-for-40 and 4 touchdowns to only one interception. McKenzie spread the ball around to nine different receivers on the night. The offense also put up 500 yards of offense under their
or more catches as Demarcus Thompson led the way with nine catches for 156 yards. ACU running back Herschel Sims had to leave the game with an apparent ankle injury after a hard hit. He carried the ball 14 times for 37 yards and had four receptions for six yards before he came out. ACU’s defense gave up 567 yards of offense but forced three turnovers in the loss. Quarterback Nick Arbuckle put up 439 yards of total offense and threw four touchdowns on the ACU secondary. ACU returns home for a 10 day break between games. The Wildcats play their next game Sept. 6 at home against Northern Arizona. “Right now, we need a win and we’re going to fight to get a win,” McKenzie said. contact wieder at cpw11a@acu.edu
ACU and Stretch Internet have partnered to stream more athletic events. All home football, men’s and women’s basketball games in addition to select baseball, soccer, softball and volleyball games will be viewable. Seven new members will be inducted into the ACU Sports Hall of Fame in October. Women’s basketball star Melanie Carter and men’s track and field great Mark Witherspoon highlight the list of inductees. Be sure to follow @OptimistSports on Twitter for more stories and the latest ACU sports news coverage.
Upcoming
Women face Big XII opponent Baylor tori Valdivia student reporter The volleyball team will conclude its final week of practice as it is now less than a week away from kicking off the 2014 season. The Wildcats will travel to Waco on Aug. 29 to play in the Hampton Inn Waco North Baylor Invitational where they will open the season playing against Baylor Bears. The team will face several opponents including Southland Conference rival
Soccer will take on Wayland Baptist University at 5 p.m. on Friday in Abilene Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. ment from last year. It’s ex- were playing fast out there, Texas Christian University at Hardin-Simmons There is much anticipa- citing and we can’t wait to which is great to hear.” and Texas Tech University. University. tion and excitement going into the season with brand new head coach Jason Bibler who is matched with a competitive schedule from start to finish. “This year, I feel like we’re a lot more confident and excited to start the season,” said Dorothy Swanson, sophomore outside hitter and middle blocker. “Coach has really prepared us well and the scrimmage we played was proof of that. We all played well and showed a lot of improve-
get going.” In preparing the team for more competitive competition, Bibler has encouraged his team to play a more up-tempo style, which was displayed during the team scrimmage on Aug. 23. “One of the main focus points we’ve had is to speed up the way we play,” Bibler said. “We’re trying to move the ball quicker and we really tried to speed it up at the scrimmage. I had a lot of parents tell me afterwards that they thought the girls
“We’re definitely stepping it up this year and we’re playing much more aggressive,” said Emily Adkins, sophomore defensive specialist. “Our coach really focuses on the small details which only makes us better.” The Wildcat’s schedule consists of some of the highest level of competition in collegiate volleyball. The team will face many tough opponents including University of Texas at Arlington, University of North Texas,
The Wildcat’s approach the competition with an eager mindset and determination to prove to the nation the legitimacy of its program. “Yes our schedule is tough, but we’re not treating those games any different,” Swanson said. “We’ve worked hard in preparation for the season and we’re right there with them.” contact valdivia at vmv12b@acu.edu
Volleyball is scheduled to play its first game of the season against Baylor University at 7 p.m. Friday in Waco. It will be the first of three games in Waco over the weekend.