acuoptimist.com
Optimist the
Official Opening, page 3
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Vol. 99, No. 40
1 section, 8 pages
STATE
Grass fires scorch Texas burned across the state over the weekend, mostly West of Abilene Managing Editor and in the panhandle. The regional fires prompted TFS to This weekend’s high winds, warm temperatures and low humidity set up its Incident Management Team triggered multiple wildfires across at the regional office in Merkel. Kearney said Sunday’s weather conditions the state and the Big Country. Lewis Kearney, public informa- set the stage for a major fire event. “Sunday you had the compotion officer for the Texas Forest Service, said a total of 120,000 acres nents of high winds, low humidity
Jeff Craig
DANIEL GOMEZ // Chief Photographer
Firefighters track the path of a West Texas grass fire and anticipate the wind as they refill their truck with water from a fire hydrant before returning to fight the blaze.
and warm temperatures,” Kearney said. “When you have an ignition those winds push fires really fast.” Kearney said TFS was called to 30 fires across the state, but was only able to respond to 25 because high winds prevented them from using any aviation assets. He said high see BURN page 4
STUDENT LIFE
The Great and Powerful Woz
Student Activities leader to retire Matthew Woodrow Opinion Page Editor
After five years at her position as coordinator of Student Activities and Organizations, Mauri Westbrook will retire to raise a family as a stayat-home mom. Westbr ook said she Westbrook was excited to be raising a daughter but was also sad to be leaving. “ACU will always hold a special place in my heart, but this is the best thing for our family,” Westbrook said. “I’ve been involved with so many fun and exciting things like Beach Bash, Sing Song and all the social club activities, but the best part is working with students with what they’re passionate about.” Westbrook graduated from ACU in 2002 and then returned in 2006 to become coordinator of Student Activities and Organizations. “My husband and I were moving back to Abilene and we found out this position was becoming open,” Westbrook said. “I knew I loved ACU, and this job fit my interest and skill and it was just one of those perfect opportunities where I could do what I loved.”
DANIEL GOMEZ // Chief Photographer
Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, speaks on topics of academics and the future of technology at the 2011 ACU Connected Summit.
Apple co-founder predicts technology’s future Linda Bailey Editor In Chief
Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple and personal computer pioneer, predicted the future of technology during his onstage Q&A session with Dr. Bill Rankin, director of educational innovation. After starting a social and technological revolution with the invention of the Apple computer, Wozniak encour-
Find more photos and a video of “A conversation with Woz,” and footage of the Rocketboys performance.
acuoptimist.com
aged attendees to be brave as mobile technology continues to get better and change the way people do things in life. He also predicted the majority of books would be digital rather than printed within 20
years and iPhones would further implement the use of voiceactivated commands. Wozniak also presented his ideas for a more innovative classroom, teaching kids to learn by motivating them to learn instead of teaching them facts. “If you cant motivate a student to want to learn, that’s so much more important than what’s in the book,” Wozniak said. And teachers can moti-
vate students in a technology-focused classroom with an emphasis in personalized learning, he said, at least until technology replaces human instruction, that is. But, Wozniak said that hasn’t happened yet. In his life, Wozniak found passion in things he did and went for his dreams, and he encouraged others to do the same. see SUMMIT page 4
see STUDENTS page 4
CAMPUS
Overheard at ACU creates in-campus Twitter
‘‘ ’’
what they say on its on page. Students are also able Opinion Page Editor to post what they heard on A new social media pres- campus themselves. Scott Kilmer, direcence “Overheard at ACU” is retweeting and posting what tor of Online Marketing, students at Abilene Christian said the site is not being University are talking about. administered by any uniThe site’s administra- versity official but is still tors trawl students walls an interesting forum of and tweets, and then post student voices.
Matthew Woodrow
inside news Dr. Shelly Sanders, assistant professor of English will blog one chapter per week of her novel, That was Everything. page 4
When people have something to say, they go to social media sites. SCOTT KILMER // director of online marketing
“It is not the voice, in an official sense, but we have many people following it to get a feel of what students
are thinking,” Kilmer said. “When people have something to say they go to social media sites, and by reading
website
feature Simple recipes allow Girl Scout Cookie enthusiasts to enjoy the tasty treats even after the Girl Scouts stop selling. page 5
what they say we can get a feel of the general mindset of how people are feeling and what’s going on here.” Overheard at ACU’s Facebook page is liked by more than 300 people and follows more than 180 ACU faculty, staff and students on Twitter. One of its Twitter followers Will Foster, junior
education major from Mesquite, really likes the idea of the site but hope it does not get spammed. “I’ve read several entries and a couple of them are pretty funny,” Foster said. “But I can see it being quickly overrun with people just see TWEET page 4
weather
photo gallery Find more photos of grass fire damage to much of West Texas and the Panhandle on our website, acuoptimist.com.
Abilene Christian University
Wed.
Thurs.
Fri.
78° 46°
83° 51°
82° 47°
2
Campus Wednesday, March 02, 2011
02
Day
calendar & events
Wednesday
11 a.m. Chapel with Eric Wallace and the American Cancer Society in Moody Coliseum
03
Thursday
11 a.m. Small group Chapel in various locations around campus
04
Friday
11 a.m. Praise Day Chapel in Moody Coliseum 3 p.m. Softball at Midwestern State University
3 p.m. Softball vs. Southeastern Oklahoma State University
7 p.m. Baseball vs. Texas A&M International University
5 p.m. Softball vs. Southeastern Oklahoma State
7 p.m. FilmFest Host and Hostess auditions at The World Famous Bean
8 p.m. Orchestra and Concert Band concert in Cullen Auditorium
05
Saturday
8 a.m. AMTA Piano Contest at the Williams Performing Arts Center recital hall 1 p.m. Softball at Arkansas Technical University 2:30 p.m. Baseball vs. Texas A&M International 3 p.m. Softball at University of the Incarnate Word
follow us on Twitter: @acuoptimist // become a fan on Facebook: The Optimist
announcements Civil Rights Tour Students can receive academic credit for Summer Session I by joining the ACU Freedom Ride on May 15-21. The seven-day, 1,800-mile guided bus tour will visit significant sites of the American Civil Rights Movement. Registration is now open. For more information, contact Dr. Richard Beck at beckr@acu.edu, Dr. Jennifer Dillman at jennifer.dillman@acu.edu, Dr. David Dillman at dillmand@acu. edu or an academic adviser.
Online Summer Courses Registration for online summer courses is now open. Students can choose from 15 courses, and each course is three weeks long. For more information, visit www.acu. edu/summeronline. All-school Chapel The Chapel Office encourages students to participate in “Bring Your Professor to Chapel Day” and invite their professors to Chapel as a part of the campuswide effort to attend Chapel every Monday.
Springboard Ideas Challenge The mini-business plan competition offers students the opportunity to get their business up and running and the chance to win cash prizes. Students must register at www.acu.edu/springboard by Friday to compete. Swing Cats The Swing Cats meet every week 7-9 p.m. on Sundays in Cullen Auditorium. No partners or experience are required. FCA The ACU chapter of Fellowship of Christian Athletes meets at 9 p.m. every Thursday in the Campus Center Living Room. FilmFest Entry forms for the 2011 FilmFest can be found in McKinzie Hall, Room 122, at www.acu. edu/filmfest or acufilmfest.tumblr.com. D!SCOVERY The Career Center is sponsoring a five-week workshop to help students decide, confirm or narrow their major and career choices. For more information, contact the Career Center at 674-2473 or visit www. acu.edu/careercenter. ACUltimate The university’s ultimate frisbee club meets at 6 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. Contact Kyle Thaxton at krt06d@acu.edu.
about this page The Optimist maintains this calendar for the ACU community to keep track of local social, academic and service opportunities. Groups may send announcements directly to optimist@ jmcnetwork.com. To ensure an item will appear on time, the announcement should be sent at least 10 days in advance. The Optimist may edit items for space and style. Corrections and clarifications of published news articles will be printed on this page in a timely manner.
Chapel Checkup 32 41
Credited Chapels to date
Credited Chapels remaining
READ THE OPTIMIST ON YOUR iPad . iPhone . iPod
volunteer opportunities National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature Students can assist with art activities, sell books and welcome visitors from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. or 1-3 p.m., Tuesdays-Saturdays. For more information, contact Debby Lillick at 673-4586, or visit www. nccil.org. The Madison Middle School is looking for male volunteers to participate in a weekly “Boys2Men” lunchtime program for eighth grade boys. Speakers will be addressing different aspects of growing up. Contact Jeff Womack at 692-5661 or jeffrey. womack@abileneisd.org. Breakfast on Beech Street Students can help set up, prepare and serve breakfast for the homeless at First Christian Church on Third Street and Beech Street. Serving time is 6:30-7:15 a.m. on Monday-Friday. Visit www.fccabilene.com for more information. The Salvation Army Volunteers are needed at the 1726 Butternut St. Salvation Army to sort and price items and help with kitchen or yard work. Volunteers are welcome any time MondaySaturday. Contact J.D. Alonzo at 677-1408, or visit www.satruck.com for
more information on the program. Mesa Spring Healthcare Center needs volunteers from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. any day of the week to help with fun activities for the residents, including playing instruments, calling bingo and sitting and talking. All help is appreciated. Contact Laura Reynolds at 692-8080 or lgreynolds@sears-methodist.com. Abilene Hope Haven is seeking volunteers for childcare any night, Monday-Thursday, from 6:45-8:15 p.m. For more information, contact Kathy Reppart at 677-4673. Global Samaritan Resources Volunteers are needed to sort through clothing and repack boxes Monday-Thursday at any time. Volunteers should call ahead. Contact David Catalina at 676-9991 for more information. Aimee’s Art Studio is seeking volunteers from 9-10 a.m. or 1:30-2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, to assist with homeschool fine arts classes. No formal art skills or training is required. The studio is a five-minute walk from ACU’s campus. For more information, contact Aimee Williams at 672-9633.
Meals on Wheels Volunteers are needed to deliver meals to seniors and adults with disabilities. Routes are available 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Monday-Friday. Volunteers must be at least 18, with a valid driver’s license, auto insurance and a desire to serve. Training is provided. Students may be exempted from one Chapel per week if delivery time conflicts with Chapel. Contact Samantha Barker at 672-5050. Betty Hardwick Center Volunteers are needed in several departments at the Betty Hardwick Center, specializing in mental health. Students can help mentally-andphysically challenged people play games, run track and go bowling. Students can volunteer from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. on Monday-Friday. Contact Angel Seca at 690-5235 for more information. Center for Contemporary Arts needs a gallery assistant to help with exhibit setup and preparation. The work can be done any time from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesday-Friday. Call 677-8389 or e-mail info@center-arts.com. HERO Hendrick Equine Rehabilitation Opportunities needs volunteers from March 22-May 5 to help with its horse therapy program. Volunteers will walk or jog alongside horses and provide safety for clients as they ride. No horse experience is necessary. Volunteers must attend one of two training sessions offered prior to the beginning of the program. Contact Beth Byerly at 660-3465, or e-mail herocoord@ netzero.com. International Rescue Committee Students can work with refugees who recently moved to the United States, teaching English, helping with homework and mentoring. Volunteer times are flexible. Call Daina Juryka-Owen at 675-5643 ext. 16 to make an appointment. For more information on the International Rescue Committee, visit www.theirc.org.
CAMPUS NEWS
March 2, 2011
Page 3
HONORS COLLEGE
Honors College prepares murder mystery meal Zane Goggans
Contributing Reporter
The Honors College promises theater, mystery and food Friday, as it conducts its annual mystery dinner party. Typically, during mystery dinners, actors sit and eat with guests while dropping strategic hints, leading to the identity of the killer. By the end, the guests take stabs at who they think the killer is. Honors students produce
the mystery dinner to attract prospective students and to entertain anyone who wishes to come. Andrew Kinnaman, senior computer science major from Abilene, wrote this year’s mystery dinner script. Completing the script took him about seven months. He said he enjoyed writing the mystery dinner play. “I started right after the last murder mystery,” Kinnaman said. “I just kind of
made fun of all the detective shows that I watch.” The mystery is intended to be a humorous time for guests. Kinnaman said some of his comedic inspirations come from CSI: Miami. He likes the character Lt. Horatio Caine, a forensic analyst played by David Caruso. “Horatio’s one-liners are one of the ongoing gags in the script,” Kinnaman said. Practices began in early January. The mystery in-
Official Opening
cludes five scenes with a cast of eight characters. Kinnaman put himself in the murder mystery casting himself as Mark Malone, the lead detective. Amber Deschamps, senior biology major from Liberty Hill will play the part of Alice Byrd, the victim’s haughty best friend of 20 years who Deschamps describes as a grammar enthusiast. She said she wanted to be a theater major when
HEALTH
All students encouraged to receive meningitis shot Laura Gasvoda Staff Reporter
Texas A&M student Nicolis Williams, age 20, died Feb. 11 from bacterial meningitis after being hospitalized only a few days earlier on Tuesday of the same week. Williams was the second Aggie to contract meningitis at A&M in the last six months. Both A&M and ACU comply with Texas state law, which requires all students living on-campus to be vaccinated for meningitis 10 days prior to the first day of school. However, no state requirement exists for students living off campus – Williams was living off campus. The ACU office of admissions lists the meningitis vaccination as a requirement for all incoming students and has recommended it since before it became state-mandated, according to Dr. Ellen Little, physician and director of the Medical Clinic. ACU requires all incoming freshmen and transfer students registered to live in an on-campus dorm to
have the meningitis vaccination, Little said. In addition, the office of admissions asks every incoming student planning to live off campus to receive the vaccination—however, this requirement is not as easily enforced and there are some conscious objectors, according to Little. Dr. Little states that there has not been a case of bacterial meningitis at ACU in the year and a half that she has been on staff at the university. However, there have been cases of viral meningitis which can be equally as serious. The difference is that victims of viral meningitis often have a better recovery rate, Little said. There are many variations of the disease. Rabies and West Nile virus are both forms of viral meningitis. Medical literature used to say that getting the shot once was enough, Little said. But now a booster is recommended after five years. Many students first received the vaccination as juniors in high school and may be due for a booster.
“Go and get it done wherever you are; it is still worth it,” Little said, “It is a good idea to get a booster in five years.” Symptoms of bacterial meningitis include high fever, severe headaches, low responsiveness and a characteristic rash. “A high fever and bad headache are always reasons to seek medical attention,” Little said. Former ACU student, Kara Washam, junior education major at A&M, says that the Aggie student body has received multiple e-mails encouraging them to get the meningitis vaccination. Washam also pointed to the housing situation at A&M as part of the problem. “There is not enough space at all,” said Washam, “There is not enough oncampus housing to hold all the freshmen and many live off-campus.” For more information on bacterial meningitis contact the medical clinic at 674-2625. contact Gasvoda at
lag08a@acu.edu
contact Goggans at
optimist@jmcnetwork.com
Teacher writes, blogs novel Staff Reporter
JULIE COPPEDGE // Contributing Photographer
are $7 for a single ticket or $10 for a pair. The dinner will include chicken Parmesan and a vegetarian option will also be provided. Anyone is welcome to attend – even non-ACU students. Participants can buy tickets at a booth in the Campus Center after Chapel, or at the Honors College office on the first floor of Zellner Hall.
FACULTY
Laura Gasvoda
Dr. Kyle Dickson, associate professor of English; Dr. Phil Schubert, president of the university; AT&T Sales Vice President Xavier Williams and Bailey Brown, senior English major from Dallas, cut a ribbon officially opening the new AT&T Learning Studio on Monday.
coming to ACU, but decided to study biology. However, she still enjoys acting. In last year’s mystery, she played the part of the detective. “The play is hilarious,” Deschamps said. “The way the script is written is great and is full of great characters.” The murder mystery take place Friday, at the Williams Performing Arts Center. Dinner starts at 6 p.m. and the event ends at 8 p.m. Prices
Dr. Shelly Sanders, assistant professor of English, is taking an innovative approach to publishing young adult fiction online as co-author of a new novel titled That was Everything. Although navigating the chasm between Gardner and Mabee dorms to meet in the Brown library for a group project may seem difficult, Sanders and her co-author Dr. Scott Peterson, English professor at the University of Maine, have taken on the challenge of writing a novel while separated by the vast miles between Texas and Maine. “It has been an amazingly easy process,” Sanders said. “Scott is very organized; he made charts and outlines to keep us on track. Technology has also really helped us to be successful.” Sanders and Peterson met at the annual Sports Literature Conference a few years ago and first
decided to begin writing together in the summer of 2007. They each did a dissertation on sports literature and share an interest in sports. “Sports weren’t always linked with my writing,” Peterson said, “But about 10 years ago I wrote a story that was accepted in Aethlon: The Journal of Sport Literature, and I saw the opportunities of combining two of my primary interests.” Sanders and Peterson do much of their collaboration through e-mail and using GoogleDocs. They will post their novel, one chapter at a time, on a blog. The blog is updated with one new chapter per week, which will continue until all 18 chapters are posted. That was Everything is about the romantic relationship between Travis and Astrid, high school athletes each dealing with weighty secrets linked in ways they do not at first realize. Travis,
an all-around jock, is hiding his use of steroids and Astrid, a swimmer, is hiding her mysterious gift of healing. Sanders describes the blog as an online workshop for the writers and hopes to gain feedback from a built-in audience of family, friends and interested readers. Sanders said she is especially thankful for the support of her colleagues at ACU. “It has been great to have support from other faculty and connections through the ACU English department following the story and giving feedback,” Sanders said. Sanders and Peterson plan to publish the novel and are in the process of sending the manuscript to agents. In the meantime, they continue to gain readership through the blog, Facebook and Twitter. Chapters can be found online at thatwaseverything.wordpress.com. contact Gasvoda at
lag08a@acu.edu
FROM THE FRONT
Page 4
March 2, 2011
LOCAL
Burn: High winds, warm air fuel grass fires Continued from page 1
winds were the main factor making the fires volatile. “When conditions are like this, people need to be very cautions. Don’t use fire, don’t burn trash and keep grass really short around homes,” Kearney said. “But sometimes, when nature is in charge
and you have fires like Sunday, there is not a whole lot you can do. That’s a fact.” On Sunday, a major fire began to burn near Lake Fort Phantom. Lt. Greg Goettsh, public information officer for the Abilene Fire Department, said the fire burned for nearly 14 hours and charred nearly 1,000 acres. Goettsh said AFD
was first on the scene, but 60 officers from four departments were called in to battle the blaze. “It was rapidly growing and very difficult to get to,” Goettsh said. “There are very few roads and they are actually mostly cow paths. It was a really difficult area to map, especially in the dark.” The fire began just east of
CAMPUS
the lake, near F.M. 1082. Goettsh said the fire had the potential to threaten the Middleton and Robertson prison units, burning to within 1 ½ miles of the units. “Being out that long and doing that hard of work was impressive,” Goettsh said. “Those guys took a beating. It was gratifying to see them stick with it
that long without it causing any damage.” Joel Dunn, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in San Angelo, said weather conditions for the rest of the week create a moderate risk for grass fires. “The humidity is still low so we’re at a pretty moderate risk,” Dunn
said. “We have no criterion for a warning, but when you have dry conditions you have a risk.” Dunn said winds would be sustained at 10-15 mph, but humidity levels would stay around 20 percent through the week contact Craig at
jrc07d@acu.edu
CONNECTED SUMMIT
Tweet: Site echoes students Summit: Apple co-founder discusses mobile education Continued from page 1
tweeting whatever. It has the potential to be really cool, but only if the administration does a good job regulating what gets put up.” Emily Kay Taylor, sophomore Biblical text major from Arlington, likes the Facebook page of Overheard at ACU because it is more relevant to her life than other Facebook posts. “Most things in my news feed is stuff that doesn’t re-
ally effect me,” Taylor said. “So I liked Overheard because I hoped that things people said around campus would make my news feed more entertaining.” “Overheard at ACU” isn’t the only website anonymously created about ACU, Kilmer said. “A couple of years ago a student tried to set up an almost identical site. Things like this pop up annually almost like clockwork. Especially around major events
like Homecoming or Sing Song,” Kilmer said. “The concept has stayed the same while the forums of social media have evolved over the years, it used to be sites like blogs and now it’s tweets.” There are many “overheard” sites around the Internet, ranging from what people are saying at Harvard or New York City, to what is being overheard at the beach. contact Woodrow at
mrw08a@acu.edu
Continued from page 1
“I like it when small groups of people, just like a couple of kids in a dorm start talking about an idea, and you know it’s a long, long project—it might take half a year to a year—but I just love it when small groups start talking about projects that might change life,” Wozniak said. And that idea matches
the advice Wozniak gave to college students trying to find jobs in this economy. He said this is an exciting time of change where software companies are open to new ideas and young, start-up companies are looking for creative people with new ideas. After the event, many students and faculty lined the Moody concourse to take photos, get autographs
and shake Wozniak’s hand. Jackie McBroom, assistant superintendent for Sanger ISD, said he enjoyed the relaxed nature of the event. “I really enjoyed listening to him ramble.” McBroom said. “His stream of consciousness is inspiring. He really is a legend.” contact Bailey at
ljb07a@acu.edu
STUDENT LIFE
Students: Assistant intramurals director to fill vacancy Continued from page 1
Dr. Jean-Noel Thompson, vice president and dean for student life, said Westbrook’s retirement was bittersweet. “We are thrilled she has chosen to take some time and be with her family, but we will miss her here,” Thompson said. “It’s hard to replace
a Mauri. She has just done so much to help the students here on campus. Hundreds of social club activities have gone through her and she’s done an amazing job.” Mark Jackson was selected to replace Westbrook as the new coordinator of Student Activities and Orgnizations. Currently Jackson
is the assistant director of Intramural Sports and will be starting in his new position on May 2 at the latest. Jackson graduated from ACU in 2002 and then spent 6 years at Southwest Christian Schools. While there he served as a campus minister and freshman Bible teacher as well as coach-
ing various sports. While working with intramurals Jackson worked closely with many of the social clubs but said that he’ll be working even closer with more groups in his new position. “I’ll now be working with several student groups on campus like social clubs, SHADES,
Hispanos Unidos, Essence of Ebony and more,” Jackson said. “I’ll be working with those groups and their leaders to make sure their goals are being met and they’re being an integral part of ACU.” Jackson is shadowing Westbrook to be ready to take over as soon as Westbrook’s baby arrives.
“I’ve already started working with him and teaching him what’s going on, even though he hasn’t officially started yet,” Westbrook said. “The plan right now is for me to work right up to the due date then stay home and raise a family.” contact Woodrow at
mrw08a@acu.edu
March 2, 2011
Focus
better
Page 5
batter
Everyone loves a Girl Scout cookie. As their season comes to end, here are a couple recipes for carbon copy confections.
These Thin Mints were surprisingly delicious. It did not seem possible for a Ritz cracker to taste like a Thin Mint. Nevertheless, they did! Obviously, they were not the highest quality cookie. If one did not know though, they probably would not be able to tell the difference.
thin mints Ingredients 12 oz bag of mint chocolate chips 4 oz semisweet chocolate morsels Ritz crackers Directions 1. Melt mint and chocolate chips in microwave or double boiler. 2. Dip Ritz crackers in chocolate mixture. 3. Place on wax paper-lined cookie sheet. 4. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Store in air tight container.
samoas Make sure to add enough coconut to the mix! Without it, the cookie does not have much substance and stays very gooey and sticky. These were so simple to make, and they turned out much like the original Samoas.
recipes courtesy of food.com and grouprecipes.com
Ingredients 6 tblsp butter 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup light corn syrup 1/2 can of 14 oz can of Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 4 cups toasted coconut 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips Directions 1. Combine butter, sugar and corn syrup in saucepan over medium heat. 2. Boil for 3 minutes, constantly stirring with a wooden spoon. 3. Slowly pour in condensed milk while stirring. Continue cooking over low heat for a few minutes. 4. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Beat until creamy. Immediately stir in toasted coconut. 5. Spoon into mounds on buttered wax paper. Flatten and use straw or end of wooden spoon to create holes in each cookie’s center. 6. Once cooled, melt chocolate chips and drizzle over cookies. Store in an air tight container.
Opinion
Page 6
March 2, 2011
EDITORIAL
Caregiving demands human element In mid-2010, Japanese engineers shipped our future caregivers into the country through the same customs office that clears electric wheelchairs for distribution in the United States – only this caregiver was a plush, baby seal. Paro, the robotic, baby seal, was designed by the best and brightest engineers to simulate interaction between patients and caregivers. It’s meant for use in nursing homes as an alternative for the traditional, old-
fashioned and time-consuming practice of physical interactions between human beings. With one of these robopups costing about $ 6,000, some who don’t see the tremendous value in owning a stuffed animal that moves and “coos” might think the price is steep. They are overlooking the obvious perk, which is the hours of unfaltering, synthetic love Paro offers without complicating the situation with his own calendar to keep, kids to
raise or Glee episodes to catch up on. Kleenex tissues and visits from children will be a fashion sported by last year’s nursing home residents. The resident of tomorrow will bury their sorrows in the plush, artificial, hypoallergenic, anti-bacterial fur of a baby robot-seal. And, maybe, considering our technological upbringing, we should have seen this coming. We grew up alongside technology. We nursed
our Nano Pets through elementary school. Upon graduation to middle school we somehow convinced our parents that we would become more responsible if they purchased a ridiculous, squawking Ferbie. We hit high school with our artillery of cell phones causing teachers to set aside their note-intercepting skills and develop a texting radar that would make the Navy drool. And now, at ACU we are up to our ears in mobile learning.
By Morgan Davis
The Funny Funnies
the issue
Japanese inventors have developed a robotic seal to interact with patients at nursing homes in lieu of caregivers.
our take
Despite advances in technology, the comfort and care given by humans can be substituted but not replaced. By the time we hit nursing homes, if such a thing still exists, society won’t need us anymore, our kids will be gallivanting around with computer chips in their heads and the technology we nurtured in elementary school will be the only thing caring for us.
FaceTime, Skype and robotic seals might be increasing in popularity, but no matter how advanced technology gets, nothing will fully replace the comfort that comes from direct human interactions. contact the Optimist at
jmcnetwork@acu.edu
COLUMN
Students should research future Self-Examination By Ryan Self
letter to the editor
Sonograms educate potential abortionists While I agree that the govern- tion perceives little downsides ment should pull its hand out of to these procedures. Thankfully personal health care choices, I there are extensive screening, find the mandate of sonograms education and counseling refor women seeking an abor- quirements to ensure the pation to be in the best interest of tient can handle the surgery the patient for many reasons. and after effects both physically First, I don’t think a sonogram and psychologically. If these I liked candlelight devo because it was cool to see is primarily about health care, procedures were given to anyall ofinstead the lights and listen to the speaker. one who wanted them, without but about education. TYLER PINKERT proper warnings or education, Education in the sense that she Freshman business management major from Red Oak knows fully what will be going they would later find themselves on within her body. Secondly, a feeling misled, betrayed and in I liked the service project. I got to know a lot of little jelly on her belly and a few a worse off situation than they peoplewaves and my and Ieven had a blast. were before. The same is often sound are group in no way, true for abortion. Women are, potentially, risky or harmful. As a dietetic major, I know a more often then not, misinlot about the entrance and exit formed and not fully aware of counseling required for those the negative effects an abortion having or dealing with major procedure can have, including: health problems or procedures. bleeding, infection, depression, In the case of most any bariat- infertility, nightmares, or in rare ric surgery, the general popula- cases death. Pregnant women
often rush into an abortion because they feel pressured, and are looking for a quick fix, which is rarely, if ever, the best option. The sonogram is about giving the patient a better, honest, unadulterated, view of what will be removed from her body in an abortion. Once she sees the head, feet, arms, eyes, ears and heartbeat (detectable at 4 weeks) of her growing baby I hope she will think twice about having a medically unnecessary procedure to remove it. Furthermore, I find it ironic that in the “our take” of your editorial you wrote, “Health care decisions should not be mandated unless they protect the innocent … ” and to that I ask, what could possibly be more innocent then an unborn baby?
Rebekah Leitner senior nutrition major from Cincinnati
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 personal attacks, obscenity, defamation, erroneous information or invasion of privacy. Please limit letters to 350 words or fewer. A name and phone number must be included for verification purposes. Phone numbers will not be published. Address letters to: ACU Box 27892 Abilene, TX 79699 E-mail letters to: optimist@acu.edu
Optimist the
Published by the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication
newsroom (325) 674-2439
sports desk (325) 674-2684
The New York Times recently highlighted many pitfalls of law school with the troubling story of Michael Wallerstein, a recent law graduate with a crushing debt of $250,000 Self and few job prospects. Closer inspection reveals that Wallerstein’s predicament is more a product of his own poor decisions rather than any environmental factors, however. First is the fact that he attended a fourthtier law school with an Ivy League tuition rate in one of the most expensive areas of the country, San Diego. He also chose to hunt for jobs in New York City, where he would be competing with graduates from Columbia, Cornell and NYU in addition to many of the other Ivy League schools in the region. Spending a semester in Prague probably didn’t help his bank account either. Many graduates, like Wallerstein, may be under the delusion that holding a law degree – from any school – is a one-way ticket to a six-figure salary. Unfortunately, that is not the case. The law profession is not immune to the economic recession that has plagued many other industries. During recessions, applications for graduate and law schools increase dramatically meaning the competition upon graduation is now significantly greater. At the same time, law firms around the country are scaling back on their hiring and some are even laying off associates, according to the National Law Journal. Don’t be fooled by the inflated statistics given by law schools. When a law school reports that a certain percentage of graduates have gained a job within a
9-month period, they are including any job, not just ones related to law. That statistic includes graduates who have gone on to work at prestigious law firms in Washington D.C. and those who find themselves taking orders at Chili’s to make ends meet. The rankings of law schools are also a complicated and an arguably biased source if you want to find out which school offers the best law education. The U.S. News & World Report rankings have come under criticism in the past few years for the way they are administered. According to the American Bar Association Journal, “Deans from 164 accredited U.S. law schools (including highly ranked Columbia, Cornell, New York University, UCLA, Virginia and Yale) signed a letter sent to 93,000 potential applicants saying the rankings are flawed and urged them to rely on their own observations and individual investigation.” That is good advice. Forty percent of a school’s ranking is based on the vague, subjective category of “reputation.” The bar passage rate accounts for only 2 percent. Why does the defining element of a law student’s ability to practice law account for only 2 percent? This system of ranking hardly seems like a good resource for such a monumental decision. Attending law school as an alternative to hunt for a job in a sluggish economy does not appear to be a safe bet. Graduates can expect more competition, fewer job prospects than before and a mountain of crushing debt. If law school has been a lifelong dream and you are committed to the considerable commitment it takes, then go for it. Otherwise, it’s best to avoid the fate of Michael Wallerstein and look for other avenues after graduation. contact Self at
rcs06g@acu.edu
editorial & management board Linda Bailey
Matthew Woodrow Christina Burch
Laura Acuff
Kenneth Pybus
Editor in Chief
Opinions Page Editor
Page 2 Editor
Copy Editor
Faculty Adviser
Jeff Craig
Brandon Tripp
Hannah Barnes
Bailey Griffith
Cade White
Managing Editor Sports Media Director
Features Editor
Copy Editor
Faculty Adviser
Jozie Sands Sandra Amstutz
Daniel Gomez
Morgan Davis
Cara Lee Cranford
Online Editor
Chief Photographer Cartoonist
Arts Editor
photo department (325) 674-2499
advertising office (325) 674-2463
multimedia desk (325) 674-2463
Advertising
subscriptions ($40/year) (325) 674-2296
FROM SPORTS
Page 7
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
March 2, 2011
EX-FACTOR
Game: ACU tries to pull upset Speed: Gates’ draft stock rises Continued from page 8
DANIEL GOMEZ // Chief Photographer
Sophomore guard Cecilee Perez drives to the basket against Midwestern State on Saturday night in a 90-78 loss.
while freshman Renata Marquez had 13. The game stayed close until midway through the second half when the Mustangs went on an 11-1 run and opened up an 11-point lead. ACU would get no closer than 10 the rest of the way as the Mustangs cruised to victory 90-78. Saturday wrapped up regular season play and eight of the 16 teams in the LSC will make the drive to Bartlesville for the postseason tournament. All four first-round games will take place Wednesday while the semifinals will be Friday and the championship will be played Saturday. The Wildcats drew the fourth and final game on Wednesday. They will have to play the LSC North’s top seed Northeastern State University. The Riverhawks are 12-2 in conference play and have won 12 of their last 13. The teams have some
tape of each other from earlier in the year as the Riverhawks beat ACU badly back in December. The ’Hawks held the ’Cats to only 44 points, their lowest total this season. The Wildcats are confident that at this point in the season, they can play with any team. “We are all really excited for the tournament,” Lankford said. “Although we are coming in as underdogs, we are confident that we will do well. As long as we play like we know we can, we can beat anyone we come up against.” That will have to be true for the Wildcats’ season to continue past this week. The only way the Wildcats will be able to move into the NCAA tournament is by winning the LSC tournament. It will be a daunting task considering the Wildcats are the only team in the tournament that doesn’t have 10 conference wins. contact Gwin at
agg07a@acu.edu
SOFTBALL
Errors: Wildcats prove resilient Continued from page 8
‘‘ ’’
to focus on staying down on the ball,” Head Coach Bobby Reeves said. In game two, both offenses came out swinging. ACU would put one run on the scoreboard in the top of the first, but that lead would be short-lived as St. Edwards scored three in the bottom of the first. But the ACU offense responded and would tie the game in the second with back-to-back home runs by Brianna Fowlkes and Lyndi Smith to lead off the inning. “Anytime someone hits a home run, it’s a huge boost for the team. You’re instantly put right in the game and it provides a spark on many levels,” said freshman Kara Stutesman.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Coach: Spot to be filled quickly Continued from page 8
ACU is in search for its fourth coach since 1999. The program has struggled the past 12 years, as they are 123-195 overall and a mere 32-114 in division play. “We just have to look forward now and see where we can go from here,” Warton said. As signing day is approaching for the Wildcats, ACU is looking to find a replacement for Copeland quickly. “With signing day coming up in April we are looking to move as quick as possible, so that the replacement coach can go out and get the players he needs for this program,” Mosley said. “We want to make a quick move, but also make sure that we bring the right person in here to build the program up, and for it to mirror the level of some of our other programs.” contact Cantrell at
jrc07f@acu.edu
Anytime someone hits a home run, it’s a huge boost for the team. KARA STUTESMAN // freshman softball player
Brittany Rexroat would then settle in on the mound as she allowed six hits over the span of the game, leading the Wildcats to a 6-3 win. On Saturday, St. Mary’s got the best of the Wildcats in both contests. In the opener, ACU led 4-3 before giving up four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. All-American Rattler catcher Kelly Baker hit a three-run home run that tied the game in the sixth. Relief pitcher Shelby Hall suffered the loss, giv-
ing up four runs in only two innings. Sarah Martinez was 2-4 and had a two-run home run in the fourth, while Candice Miller was 2-4 as well and contributed to the score with a two-run triple in the fourth. In Saturday’s nightcap, ACU was limited to a mere three hits. Freshman Peyton Mosley gave up five runs and nine hits in her three innings of work. ACU (9-11) will return home for an afternoon doubleheader Thursday against Southeastern Okla-
homa State. First pitch is scheduled for 3:05 p.m. Last season, the Wildcats played the Savage Storm twice and split the two games, losing the first 4-3 before beating Southeastern Oklahoma 4-2 in the second game. contact Shake at
bxs09a@acu.edu
DANIEL GOMEZ // Chief Photographer
Edmund Gates in uniform for the Wildcats during his senior year. Continued from page 8
outs on March 31. Gates hopes to improve his broad Gates solidified himself as jump time and would like one of the top deep threats to be able to complete the coming into the draft and cone drills that he forwent one of the better receivers in Indianapolis. “The biggest thing to overall. Some scouts have Gates going as high as the work on is getting healthy,” second round with his im- said Gates. “I want to get pressive showing at the back to 100 percent for my pro-day.” NFL Combine. Edmund will have another chance to prove to scouts he belongs in the contact Tripp at NFL with his pro day workbjt07a@acu.edu
Sports
Page 8
Standings
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Copeland resigns
MEN’S BASKETBALL Team
Div.
Tarleton St. 13-1 WTAMU 9-5 MSU 9-5 ENMU 8-6 ASU 7-7 UIW 5-9 TAMU-K 4-10 ACU 1-13
Ovrl. 22-4 22-5 21-7 13-13 11-15 16-10 9-17 9-17
Ryan Cantrell
Sports Multimedia Editor
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Team Div. Ovrl. Tarleton St.13-1 10-4 ASU WTAMU 10-4 8-6 ACU 6-8 MSU 5-9 UIW ENMU 3-11 TAMU-K 1-13
23-3 17-9 17-10 11-15 10-16 9-17 5-21 3-23
BASEBALL Team
Div.
Ovrl.
Cameron 8-1 WTAMU 5-1 SE. O.K. 5-1 Tarleton St. 7-2 UIW 7-2 SW OK St. 8-4 ACU 5-4 TAMU-K 4-5
9-1 13-2 7-5 10-2 8-4 10-4 6-4 6-6
SOFTBALL Team
Div.
Ovrl.
0-0 ASU WTAMU 0-0 UIW 0-0 0-0 TWU Tarleton St. 0-0 TAMU-K 0-0 ACU 0-0 ENMU 0-0
17-0 12-1 8-4 8-5 8-5-1 9-10 9-11 3-11
Briefs n The Lone Star Con-
ference announced Wednesday a threeyear agreement with the city of Allen allowing the city to host the LSC men’s and women’s basketball championship tournaments for three consecutive years, beginning in 2012. Allen will relieve Barltesville, Okla. of its role as host since 1975. n Senior outfielder Will
Calhoun was honored by the Lone Sar Conference recently and named LSC Hitter of the Week. He hit .438, had 5 RBI’s and two doubles last weekend. He had multi-hit games in each of the Wildcats’ final two games. Calhoun also picked up two wins on the mound.
Upcoming n The
women’s basketball team will travel to Bartlesville, Okla. to play in the LSC Conference Tournament. The team will play Wednesday at 8:30 p.m.
n The softball team will
host Southeastern Oklahoma in a doubleheader Thursday starting at 3 p.m. The team will then travel to a tournament in Wichita Falls on Friday. n The baseball team will
host Texas A&M International Friday at 7:05 p.m. The team will then play them in a doubleheader Saturday with first pitch at 2:35 p.m. n The
men’s and women’s tennis teams will host the ACU March Invite Tournament on Friday and Saturday.
March 2, 2011
DANIEL GOMEZ // Chief Photographer
Jason Copeland, former ACU men’s basketball head coach, resigned Monday after six seasons at the helm. In his last two seasons, Copeland has gone 2-24 in LSC division games.
EX-FACTOR
Sports Director
Despite re-aggravating a groin injury suffered in the final game of the season for the Wildcats, former ACU Wildcat Edmund Gates still managed to impress scouts and other players at the 2011 NFL Combine over the weekend. Gates’ participation in the Combine marked the third straight year that a former ACU player was invited to the premiere scouting event for the NFL draft and the fourth time in the last six years. “It was great for him to get that honor, he definitally deserved it,” said former teammate Chris Fowler. Edmund “Clyde” Gates topped all receivers in the 40-yard dash with a sub-4.4 time of 4.37, good for second fastest at the Combine with just the defensive backs left to run. He also preformed well in the broad jump and vertical jump, posting top-10 numbers in both drills. “I feel I did good with my workouts,” said
see COACH page 7
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Gates shines at NFL Combine Brandon Tripp
ACU director of athletics Jared Mosley announced Monday that Jason Copeland has resigned as the men’s head basketball coach. ACU ended its season Saturday with an 82-73 loss to Midwestern State. The loss dropped the Wildcats to 9-18 overall and 1-13 in the LSC South. Copeland was hired on May 4, 2005 and coached six seasons for the Wildcats. “Jason came in and put a lot of time into the lives of our student athletes,” Mosley said. “He was able to instill a lot of attributes into our athlete’s lives that will serve our students well down the road.” In Copeland’s first three seasons ACU steadily improved as ACU went from eight wins in 2005-2006 to 10 wins in 2006-2007 to 20 wins in 2007-2008. ACU also made the Lone Star Conference Post-Season Tournament in 2007-2008. The last three seasons for the Wildcats have gone the wrong way though. ACU has gone from 10 wins
in 2008-2009 to eight wins in 2009-2010 to nine wins this season. “It will be tough to see him go. He has been here my entire career here, all four years,” junior forward Ben Warton said. “When it comes down to it though its about winning and losing, but it is still tough to see him go.” The biggest struggle for the program was winning games in the LSC South. ACU is 16-56 over the last six seasons under Copeland in division play. The last two seasons ACU has struggled in the division going 2-24. ACU has finished last in LSC South Division five of the last six years. The 20072008 season was the only exception as ACU posted 20 wins that season. That was the Wildcats first time to win 20 games in a season since the 1998-1999 season. “I think he did a good job coaching, and he is a great man,” junior guard Zach Williams said. “We just had some key injuries at the wrong time this season.”
Gates. “I know I could have done better with some of the drills.” As fast as Gates was his time was merely second best among ACU players who have participated in the Combine. Gates outperformed his cousin Bernard Scott by fivehundredths of a second, but was not fast enough to overcome the 4.34 mark set by current Chicago Bears wide receiver Johnny Knox, set just two years ago. Gates was forced to pull out of the final three workout drills due to a lingering groin injury. The injury was sustained against Central Missouri, his last game in an ACU uniform. The injury is not the one that kept him from the Senior Bowl. “That little groin injury kept me from opening up and running like I wanted to,” said Gates. With the blistering 40yard dash time, and great drill workouts combined with a good showing in position drills, including the famed gauntlet drill,
DANIEL GOMEZ // Chief Photographer
Freshman point guard Mackenzie Lankford fights for a ball against Midwestern State on Saturday.
’Cats draw Riverhawks Austin Gwin Sports Editor
‘‘ ’’
The women’s basketball team is going to the Lone Star Conference post-season tournament in Bartlesville, Okla. on a sour note thanks to consecutive losses last week. On Wednesday the Wildcats lost to division-leading Tarleton State University in Stephenville by 17 points, but the tough loss came on Saturday against Midwestern State University. In what was senior Autumn Whitaker’s final
see SPEED page 7
The girls aren’t just happy to be here. They want to come out and make a statement. SHAWNA LAVENDER // head coach of ACU women’s basketball
home game, the Wildcats had an off night against an average Mustang squad. “I was a little concerned about going into the tournament because of the losses,” Head Coach Shawna Lavender said. “But after Wednesday’s practice, we are upbeat and positive. The girls aren’t just happy to be here. They
want to come out and make a statement.” Only freshman point guard Mackenzie Lankford seemed to be on track with 25 points, but even she had her struggles going 5 of 11 from the free-throw line. Sophomore post Kelsey Smith added 16 points see GAME page 7
SOFTBALL
Errors continue to hinder Wildcats
‘‘ ’’
In game one, St. Edwards cashed in on four ACU erAssitant Sports Editor rors and had 10 hits as they The cities of San Anto- handily beat the Wildcats nio and Austin proved to 7-1. The ACU bats stalled be unwelcoming hosts once again, only managing to the ACU softball team one run and three hits in last weekend, as the team the contest. A Megan Brigance went 1-3 during their time double in the fifth inning at each. The Wildcats played a that scored Ashley Calles doubleheader against St. proved to be the only run Edwards on Sunday, and St. Edwards would allow. split the games, losing one Calles reached base following a bunt single. and winning one.
Bryson Shake
last weekend against No. 12 Midwestern State put a We have to improve our damper on a five-run ACU play defensively and limit comeback and potential our errors. upset for the Wildcats BOBBY REEVES // head coach of causing them to fall to the ACU softball highly ranked Mustangs. “We have to improve St. Edwards began its ping her record to 2-7. She scoring early, putting up was responsible for all sev- defensively and limit our three runs in the third in- en Hilltopper runs, only errors. Timely errors have ning and then broke the three of which were earned now played significant roles in two games, and that’s game open, scoring four in though. Errors continue to be hard to swallow. We’ve got the fourth. Pitcher Shelby Hall took a recurring theme for the see ERRORS page 7 the loss for the ’Cats, drop- team, as two costly errors