The Optimist Print Edition: 02.16.11

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acuoptimist.com

Optimist the

Small-Town Mystery, page 6

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Vol. 99, No. 35

1 section, 8 pages

FACULTY

Faculty approves changes to credit hour policy Jeff Craig

Managing Editor

The faculty has approved changes to university policy that reduces the number of hours students can transfer from other colleges. The new policy increases the number of hours students must take from ACU to graduate with a

degree from the university. Students will now be required to have earned at least 48 hours of credit from ACU to graduate, the old policy required only 32 hours of credit from the university. Dr. Kim Pamplin, chair of the Faculty Senate, said the new policy will enable the university to have a

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larger influence over students who graduate from the institution. A total of 76 faculty members affirmed the resolution; five did not affirm and 10 abstained. “Our policy says that if you want to graduate from ACU you need to have a minimum number of hours,” Pamplin, also chair of the Department

We want to have a little bit of ACU’s stamp on students before they graduate. DR. KIM PAMPLIN // chair of the Faculty Senate

of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said. “We want to have a little bit of ACU’s stamp on students before they graduate.”

The faculty also approved a referendum changing the number of transfer hours students can earn after they enroll at the

university. Enrolled students who have taken less than 30 hours from ACU will be allowed to earn 15 hours from other institutions. Students who have earned between 30 and 59 hours at ACU can now only earn 12 additional hours outside of ACU. Those see POLICIES page 4

More Bean for your Buck

panoramic by DANIEL GOMEZ // Chief Photographer

Students enjoy lunch in the Bean. To see the entire panoramic image, visit our Flickr site at www.flicker.com/acuoptimist.

Revamp of meal plan to change student dining options Linda Bailey Editor in Chief

The university is overhauling meal plans next semester in an effort to continue their goal of creating a premier dining program. The new plan will offer meal plans by the day instead of by the individual meal. Instead of having scheduled meal times, the Bean will operate from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. and students can enter and eat as many times as they want for

the number of days the plan allows. However, students will only be able to use meal plans in the Bean and must use Bean Bucks in all other dining areas around campus. Anthony Williams, chief business services officer, said ACU Food Services will offer just two plans to next semester’s underclassmen. Plan A will offer seven days a week of unlimited access to the Bean with $200 Bean Bucks and Plan B will offer five days a week (Monday-Friday) of unlimited Bean access with $400 in Bean

Bucks. Both plans cost $2,300 per semester after taxes. Upperclassmen can also choose plans offering $400 or $600 in Bean Bucks or 120 or 90 days of eating in the Bean per semester. With the 120-day plan, students will receive $275 in Bean Bucks for around $1,230 including tax, and with the 90-day plan, students will receive $500 in Bean Bucks for the same price.

quick facts This semester’s top two meal plans: • Plan A: 21 meals per week, with $120 of Bean Bucks for about $2,381 each semester. • Plan B: 15 meals per week, with $120 of Bean Bucks for about $2,212 each semester. Next semester’s top two meal plans: • Plan A: Seven days per week unlimited access to the Bean with $200 in Bean Bucks for about $2,300 each semester. • Plan B: Five days per week unlimited access to the Bean with $400 in Bean Bucks for about $2,300 each semester.

see FOOD page 4

SOCIAL CLUBS

SING SONG

Students help Ukrainian ministry Parking presents pesky problems Bailey Griffith Copy Editor

A 6-year-old boy lives on the streets with his mother. She dies. The boy is then sent to live with his father, who wants nothing to do with his son. The father passes the boy off to his grandmother. After traveling 16 hours alone, he arrives at his drunken, abusive grandmother’s home. That is the reality for Artyum, a Ukrainian child supported by Jeremiah’s Hope through a program called the Sasha Project. The Sasha Project provides Ukrainian children with groceries, school sup-

plies and other necessities. According to their website, Jeremiah’s Hope is now serving over 60 children through this program. Jeremiah’s Hope also serves the children through village outreach, summer camps, orphanage outreach and a transitional home for children leaving the orphanage. Andrew Kelly, ACU alumnus, founded Jeremiah’s Hope in 2004. “We have kids who lived in a home who have been thrown out of second-story windows into dumpsters below on the ground floor, alive,” Kelly said. “They know that that’s their

news The Meek Blood Center is facing a blood shortage after winter weather caused four days without donations. page 3

Photos courtesy of JEREMIAH’S HOPE

A Ukrainian girl living in a hospital colors a card from ACU. background and they want to know, ‘What purpose do I have,’ so that allows us to really share who Jesus is and that your mother may have thrown you out of a window, but God is never

going to throw you out.” Multigenerational poverty runs rampant in the villages in which Jeremiah’s Hope team works. see UKRAINE page 4

website

inside feature ACU students have driven to Anson for several years trying to figure out the cause of its mysterious lights. page 5

away than in past years. “Obviously, it’s a challengPage 2 Editor ing year for parking across With Sing Song known to the board,” Craig said. Lieutenant H.E. Jenkins host thousands of guests, finding a parking space of the ACU Police Departmight be as competitive ment said he has one major piece of advice: Arrive early. as the actual show. “Plan to deal with conMoody Coliseum will be flooded with students, gestion and delays,” Jenparticipants, family mem- kins said. “It’s always a bers and out-of-towners, strain on our parking sysand each will have the tem to have so many peosame question as to where ple come at one time.” Jenkins said he encourto park their vehicle. Tom Craig, director of ages all drivers to be flexible student productions, said and patient. Depending on that although parking will be plenty, it might be farther see PATIENCE page 4

Christina Burch

weather videos Watch a Valentine’s Day video of local flower and candy vendors preparing for one of their busiest seasons.

Abilene Christian University

Wed.

77° 56°

Thurs.

79° 51°

Fri.

76° 49°


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