acuoptimist.com
Optimist the
Four Score, page 6
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Vol. 99, No. 44
1 section, 6 pages
CAMPUS
Technology team promotes QR codes Linda Bailey Editor in Chief
Square bar codes popping up around campus are not just for decoration. ACU innovators say they will help integrate the print and digital information worlds. The bar codes, called quick response codes, allow students to transfer printed information into
a digital format by simply scanning a code – and ACU provided all students with a free code reader download Tuesday After a student scans the QR code, content is immediately sent to the mobile device. Content ranges from calendar events to opening a Web browser. So, if a group plans to use a poster to advertise an event,
they can generate a QR code, add it to the poster, and when a user scans the code on his or her mobile device, the event will automatically upload to the phone, said Josh Tooley, Team 55/Help Desk Manager. The organization could add a QR code that would put contact information directly into a mobile device or send directions to the lo-
cation straight into the map on the device, he said. Other areas of campus also plan to implement QR codes. Tooley said Team 55 will use the codes to link to a website that will allow students to schedule time to meet with a Team 55 representative. Any office on campus can put a see SCAN page 5
FILMFEST
Host, hostess chosen for show Christina Burch Page 2 Editor
DANIEL GOMEZ // Chief Photographer
Janice Hahn, ACU alumna and city council member for Los Angeles, speaks in Chapel about her life at ACU and experiences in politics.
Hahn-orable Mention
L.A. Councilwoman, ACU alumna reflects on political, collegiate experiences
J
Story by: Jeff Craig
anice Hahn makes a lengthy commute to work every day in her blue Honda Civic Hybrid. She calls in graffiti, downed trees and potholes during her 40-minute drive to work every day after stopping for a cup of coffee. However, Hahn isn’t your typical L.A. resident; she is one of 15 city council members representing the nation’s second-largest city. Hahn speaks with a degree of intensity and energy as strong as the city she
represents. She is confident and to the point with what she has to say. For Hahn, the road to political notoriety in the Golden State traveled through Abilene. The 58-year-old Los Angeles City Councilwoman and former candidate for California Lieutenant Governor won’t deny she’s a Californian through and through. However, the Long Beach, Calif., native says some of her most formative years were spent on the plains of West Texas and not the beaches of Southern California.
Hahn attended ACU from 1970-74 to study speech and physical education – hoping to one day become a gym teacher. Her career took a drastically different path. Hahn grew up in the Churches of Christ, but never had any intention of attending ACU. She and one of her friends, Marilyn Young, attended ACU together after daring each other to go to school in Texas – even though Young’s father, M. Norvel Young,
After a talented pool of students attended the FilmFest host and hostess auditions on March 3, the FilmFest production team has announced its selection. The 2011 FilmFest host and hostess will be Ben Miller, junior art major from The Woodlands, and Carrie Tansey, senior special education major from North Richland Hills. “I feel completely honored and blessed to be FilmFest hostess this year,” Tansey said. “I would like to thank those in charge of FilmFest for giving me this opportunity.” As FilmFest host and hostess, the pair will introduce the featured films, announce the winners of each category and keep the crowd entertained at the FilmFest Awards Show, which takes place from 8-9:30 p.m. on March 25 at the Paramount Theatre in downtown Abilene. Tickets are $5 and the attire is semi-formal. Both Miller and Tansey have been involved in ACU productions and have a history of performing either on stage or for amateur film.
see HAHN page 3 see MOVIES page 5
CAMPUS
Bowling alley to decrease hours days from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. and Saturdays from Contributing Reporter noon to 11 p.m. Joel Swedlund, manThe on-campus bowling alley was forced to cut its hours ager of the McGlothlin of operation as a result of the Campus Center, said the dropping interest in bowling bowling alley would still be available for bowling as a weekday activity. The alley’s new hours parties since many stutook effect Monday. The dents, faculty and groups lanes will now only be from the community ofavailable for use on Fri- ten rent it for their events.
Samantha Sutherland
Seth Thomas, junior computer science major from Abilene and bowling alley attendant, said the alley typically averages two or three bowling parties a night. “Sometimes I’d sit down here and never see a soul,” Thomas said. He said most weekends are relatively busy as stu-
dents try to find a fun and inexpensive activity. He also attributes some of the decreased use to an increase in personal video games and other activities. “It’s mainly about popularity of video games and stuff like that because every kid’s got a console in see LANES page 5
website
inside opinion With criticism on the rise for Rob Bell’s newest book, the Editorial Board encourages readers to keep an open mind. page 4
sports Four ACU track athletes beat the odds to win the Indoor National Chapionship in New Mexico during spring break. page 6
TANNER FREEMAN // Staff Photographer
ACU’s bowling alley has six lanes for student and community use.
weather sportscast Sportscasters Ryan Cantrell and Ben Warton recap ACU’s 53rd NCAA Track and Field Championship and other spring break sports highlights.
Abilene Christian University
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calendar & events Wednesday
Track and field meet at Angelo State University 11 a.m. Come to the Quiet Chapel in Moody Coliseum
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Thursday
Track and field meet at Angelo State University 11 a.m. Small group Chapels in various locations around campus
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Friday
12 a.m.-7 p.m. Voting period for the FilmFest People’s Choice award on the ACU FilmFest Facebook page 11 a.m. Praise Day in Moody Coliseum
8 p.m. Free showing of The Social Network in Cullen Auditorium 10 p.m. Talk-back and Q&A session with FilmFest judges Dusty Bennett, Randy Brewer and Kris Young in Cullen Auditorium
2-4 p.m. Free showings of all the FilmFest submissions at the Paramount Theatre
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Saturday
1 p.m. Softball vs. University of the Incarnate Word 2 p.m. Baseball vs. Northeastern Oklahoma University 6 p.m. International Food Festival at the Hunter Welcome Center
3 p.m. “That’s Entertainment” panel discussion with the FilmFest judges in the Campus Center Living Room
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Relay for Life The American Cancer Society is organizing a Relay for Life to raise funds for cancer research and to honor and celebrate the lives of cancer survivors and fighters. The event is from 7 p.m.-7 a.m. on April 29-30 at Elmer Gray Stadium. To sign up with an Abilene team, click on the Relay for Life myACU log-in ad or visit www.relayforlife.com. Online Summer Courses Registration for online summer courses now is open. Students can choose from 15 courses, and each course is three weeks long. For more information, visit www.acu. edu/summeronline. ACUltimate The university’s ultimate frisbee club meets at 6 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. Contact Kyle Thaxton at krt06d@acu.edu.
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Swing Cats The Swing Cats meet every week 7-9 p.m. on Sundays in Cullen Auditorium.
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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.
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8 p.m. Show begins
Friends of the ACU Library is hosting its annual spring banquet and membership meeting, featuring Dr. Abraham J. Malherbe, founder of Restoration Quarterly, at 6:30 p.m. on March 24 in the Hunter Welcome Center.
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.
Credited Chapels to date
7 p.m. Doors open for the FilmFest Awards Show at the Paramount Theatre
FilmFest Tickets and shirts can be purchased for $5 each in the Campus Center from 11:30-5 p.m. until Friday.
about this page
Upward Bound Summer Advisors Students interested in helping disadvantaged high school students can apply to become an Upward Bound summer advisor from May 29-July 8. Advisors will receive free room and board plus $925. For more information, call 674-2529 or 674-2713. Horse Marriage Workshop The Equine Assisted Learning Program is hosting a free staff-and- faculty-only workshop for married couples entitled “The Herd at Home” from 2-4 p.m. on March 26 at Rhoden Farm. For more information, contact Steve Eller or the University Counseling Center at 674-2626.
Mexican dinner fundraiser Volunteers are needed to work from 2-9 p.m. on March 26 at the West Cafeteria at Abilene High School. Volunteers will help prepare and serve south-of-the-border fare. To sign up, contact Sheila Cory at 673-1110 or scory@ abilenedaynursery.org. 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. 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 email info@ center-arts.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 JurykaOwen at 675-5643 ext. 16 to make an appointment. For more information on the International Rescue Committee, visit www.theirc.org. 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. Windcrest Alzheimer’s Care Center needs volunteers to clean out and organize closets any day Sunday-Friday at any time during the day. Contact Chris Stephenson to arrange a time at 6921533 or clstephenson@ sears-methodist.com.
CLASSIFIED For Rent: 3 -1 bedroom/1bath unfurnished apts. $300/mo. (no pets & no smoking) utilities not included, located within walking distance to ACU, available June 1 649 ½ E.N. 15th 649 ½ E.N. 16th 1233 ½ Washington Call 325-677-1942 if interested.
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. 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 conf licts with Chapel. Contact Samantha Barker at 672-5050. The Dyess Youth Center needs help with a Ping Pong Exhibition from 4-6 p.m. every Friday. Volunteers will preside over tournaments and help with an exhibition for the students. Transportation will not be provided, and volunteers cannot have any sexual assault charges or charges pending. For more information, contact Sheri Frisby at 696-4797, or email sheri.frisby@dyess.af.mil. HERO Hendrick Equine Rehabilitation Opportunities needs volunteers until 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 6603465, or email herocoord@ netzero.com. Betty Hardwick Center Volunteers are needed in several departments at the Betty Hardwick Center, specializing in mental health. Students can help mentally and physically 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.
CAMPUS NEWS
March 23, 2011
Page 3
ALUMNI
Hahn: Councilwoman remembers time at ACU Continued from page 1
was president of Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif., at the time. “My time at ACU was absolutely positive,” Hahn said. “I went there on a dare with a friend, only intending to stay a short while. I stayed the whole time.” Hahn said she had never been to Texas before enrolling at ACU, and her time in Abilene opened her eyes to a world she had never seen. “It was one of the best experiences of my life,” Hahn said. “It was good for a Southern California girl to experience Abilene, Texas. It broadened my horizons.” Hahn was an active student. She was a member of the women’s social club Sigma Theta Chi and also holds the distinction of being the very first Willie the Wildcat mascot. “I tried out for varsity cheerleader and lost. It was more devastating than any political battle I’ve ever lost,” Hahn said jokingly. “I talked to the basketball coach about being the mascot. My friends made me a costume. I just remember it being furry and hot – but it was worth it.” Hahn viewed her time in historically conservative West Texas as a challenge. “Everybody wrote me off as ‘that Janice Hahn from L.A.’,” Hahn said. “I was born and raised a Democrat, and I always tried to move people that way.” Hahn said she received an excellent education from ACU, but it was the Bible classes that most helped shape her into the person she is today. “The Bible classes were important for me to have a good foundation,” she said. “When I left ACU it was my faith and not my parents’ faith.” Hahn said her favorite teacher at ACU was Dr. Tony Ash. Ash, a professor of Bible, Missions and Ministry, said he fondly remembers Hahn as a diligent student. He said he knew she would one day make something of herself. “I remember Jan as a good student, full of life and energy,” Ash said. Ash said Hahn possessed a fresh attitude for her classes. He said she had the mentality it would take to be successful as a politician or whatever she wanted to be, even during her time at ACU.
Scan this QR code to find a story detailing Hahn’s visit to ACU.
DANIEL GOMEZ // Chief Photographer
ACU alumna Janice Hahn speaks in Mel Hailey’s political science course on her involvement with the city of Los Angeles. Hahn is running for the U.S. Congress, representing her district in California. “She is definitely not a shrinking violet,” Ash said. “She isn’t intimidated by anyone; she possesses a great deal of political savvy.” Los Angeles City Council After graduating from ACU in 1974, Hahn entered the corporate world, working in a wide array of industries ranging from energy to banking. She was elected as the representative for the City of Los Angeles’ 15th district in 2001 and has served in that capacity ever since. Her district alone has more than 250,000 residents and includes several neighborhoods in Southern Los Angeles. However, while she represents a major world city, she said her job is no different than any other city council member or citizen. “Even though it’s the nation’s second-largest city, we deal with the same things all cities have,” Hahn said. “Everyone wants to live in a clean, safe city.” She said problems that affect Los Angeles affect all cities, but she said the main difference is everyone watches to see what L.A. does. She said even the mundane things she does every day can have far-reaching impacts. “I’m in the big leagues. The issues and money we deal with are huge,” Hahn said. “The issues we deal with every day are far-reaching; people watch us.”
Immigration In May, Hahn and her fellow council members grabbed national headlines when the city of Los Angeles boycotted the state of Arizona over its immigration policies. The boycott called for the city to end all contracts with Arizona-based companies. Hahn and Councilman Ed Reyes co-authored the resolution to boycott Arizona. The vote passed by a 13-1 vote, with Republican Greig Smith as the lone dissenter. “I have always opposed using the Los Angeles City Council to weigh in on non-related social issues that are not within the purview of Los Angeles,” Smith said in a public statement after the vote. Hahn said immigration should be dealt with at the federal level. “It was an overwhelming vote on the city council. We voted to boycott Arizona,” Hahn said. “We believed very strongly that this is a constitutional issue, and the right path for addressing it is through Congress.” She said the government needs to secure the borders and provide a way for illegal immigrants already here to get citizenship after paying a fine. She also said she was worried that American citizens of Hispanic descent and legal immigrants could be the target of what she calls a discriminatory policy.
“To me, this law could end up targeting American citizens who would be subject to this discrimination,” Hahn said. Hahn said her biggest surprise in response to the city council’s vote was the resentment people showed toward her. Hahn said she received hate mail and even some death threats after the vote. “It’s amazing how hateful some people can be, and how fearful others are,” Hahn said. “I got the most negative response of anything I have ever done. We kept all the hate mail, emails and faxes and printed them out. We stacked them up and they went pretty tall,” she said. Her favorite negative response involved her routine morning coffee stop. She said she always parked her car at a veterinary supply store to walk over for her coffee, but after the vote to boycott Arizona she was told she could no longer park there. “It really stirred up a lot of emotions in Americans,” Hahn said. “However, I would stand up against the law again, even knowing the response.” Run For State Office Last December, Hahn attempted to jump to statewide office when she ran in the
STUDENTS
Students serve during break Zane Goggans
Contributing Reporter
‘‘ ’’
Nearly 200 students participated in Spring Break Campaigns last week. Campaigners traveled to 10 different U.S. cities and four different countries. Spring Break Campaigns are student-led missions in which students partner with a local church or nonprofit organization to work on making a difference in a community, according to the ACU website. Students often work with children and help build churches and buildings. Each SBC has at least two group leaders who undergo training to lead students into the field. Every campaign lasts the entire spring break. Berkeley Wilks, sophomore elementary education major from Sugar Land, went to New Orleans on her first SBC. The 18 students split up into three groups. Her group worked closely with kindergarten children in a classroom setting. Wilks assisted an elementary school class outside of downtown New Orleans. She read books, taught lessons and went over basic math with mostly under-
Schools in Louisiana are pretty bad. Some of the children were wearing the same clothes all week. BERKELY WILKS // sophomore elementary education major from Sugar Land
privileged children. “Schools in Louisiana are pretty bad,” Wilks said. “Some of the children were wearing the same clothes all week.” After school, several of the children came to the church the campaigners partnered with. There, the campaigners played games with the children and talked to them about Jesus, Wilks said. From the three groups on the New Orleans trip, one group built a sidewalk for a local Church of Christ. Not every student who did mission work over Spring Break went on a campaign. Some traveled with families and students from other universities to do their own outreach. Kendra Unamba, sophomore nursing major from Arlington, traveled to Haiti. Unamba and two other ACU students joined five University of Texas students and the Gautney family from Kansas City,
Mo. Brad Gautney is the president of Global Health Innovations and an ACU alumnus. Unamba and her team traveled to Lagosette, Haiti where they performed skits to teach children about the dangers of malaria. The team also passed out mosquito nets to teachers and nearly 200 kids in Lagosette and surrounding villages. “I guess you could say [giving away mosquito nets] was the main purpose of our trip,” Unamba said. “Our focus was to be Christ-like.” Unamba emphasized the language barrier she experienced in Haiti. Haitians speak mostly French and Haitian Creole. However, this language barrier did not stop them from finding common ground, she said. “We still had fun,” Unamba said. “They were so accepting of our love.” Unamba also said an
unexpected craze brought the two cultures together: Bieber fever. She said many of the Haitian children enjoy songs by popular singers including Justin Bieber, as do many American children
contact Goggans at
zdg08b@acu.edu
Democratic primary for lieutenant governor of California. She eventually lost in the primary to San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom, who received 55.5 percent of the vote to Hahn’s 33.3 percent. If she had won the primary and the election, Hahn would have been the first woman to serve as lieutenant governor in California, a state that has also never had a woman serve as governor. “It was clearly something all women hold in our hearts, as we look at glass ceilings yet to be broken and would like to be the one to smash them,” Hahn said. Hahn said her biggest platforms in the race were improving California’s university system by lowering tuition and cleaning up the state’s ports. Hahn said she was disappointed by the loss, but knew it would be an uphill battle once Newsom entered the race. “In politics you have to keep moving forward,” Hahn said. “I was disappointed; I thought I would have been a great lieutenant governor for California.” The Future Hahn is running for a seat in Congress, vacated by Democrat Jane Harman, who announced she was resigning in February to become CEO of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Hahn said a Congressional run was the next logical step in her political career. “I do think this makes perfect sense,” Hahn said. “My experiences working in Los Angeles positions me perfectly to represent the district.” Hahn said she likes her chances in the Congressional election. She said everything seems to be moving in the right direction. “The momentum is different than when I ran for lieutenant governor,” Hahn said. “Everything is f lowing better. It just feels right.” The democratic primary is May 17. contact Craig at
jrc07d@acu.edu
Opinion
Page 4
March 23, 2011
EDITORIAL
Bell’s lessons continue to have value In a recent video promoting his new book “Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived,” pastor Rob Bell questioned one person’s certainty that Gandhi was in Hell. That one statement has sparked a firestorm of controversy. Via blogs, YouTube, sermons, comments and discussion, Bell’s single question has been attacked, disregarded and razed by people labeling him a heretic and universalist. All because a man who the Chicago Sun Times said was
the next Billy Graham, suggested, not said, that Gandhi might be in Heaven. But does one differentiation of belief really deserve such condemnation? For the past years we have all watched his Nooma videos at church, at home, and ACU even had a Chapel based on the series and his preachings. Just because Bell has said one thing thousands may disagree with does not make his previous material any less worthwhile, meaningful or truthful. Bell is entitled to his opinions just as we are en-
titled to ours. Calling him a heretic is a strong term. Bell has never, to our knowledge, claimed that what he writes and says is scripture. All he claims is that he writes what he believes to be true. Instead of name-calling and mudslinging, those who wish to disagree with Bell should read his book, then open up their own Bibles and read what it says about the afterlife. Comparing the two and giving concrete evidence of why you disagree is much more substantial and effective than pointing fingers and screaming.
The Funny Funnies
But we should never take any writers’ interpretations of the Bible at face value. There is no way we can believe everything that is written about any topic, especially religion. If we should not listen or study the teachings of those who advocate beliefs other than our strict interpretations of the Bible, then many classes we have here on campus need to be cut. We can say goodbye to philosophy classes and many of the ethical studies classes. English classes’ reading materials will need to be curtailed and we should just
the issue
Rob Bell’s new book has created a stir among Christians because of his controversial stance regarding Hell.
our take
Valuable lessons can still be taken from Bell’s books, videos and sermons despite current disagreements. trash the political science department. Those are just a few of the areas that aren’t explicitly Christian. But instead of doing that, we take what is good from the various teachings and try to become better Christians because of it. That is exactly what we should do with Rob Bell. We are not the judges of who gets into Heaven, and
we do not want to be. What we do want is everyone to be open to scripture and make their religion their own – and to do that we often need to read what we might disagree with. Regardless of what Bell’s book says, we can still value him as a theologian. contact the Optimist at
jmcnetwork@acu.edu
COLUMN
By Morgan Davis
ADs need tight grip on coaches Rounding the Bases By Brandon Tripp
COLUMN
Good friends provide support Conscientious Conjecture By Laura Acuff
On a shelf in the corner of my living room rests a picture frame with an old photograph: A gaggle of gangly girls posed cheerfully alongside a creek. Several squint through wireframed glasses, a couple of smiles glitter Acuff through the wiry confines of braces and ankle socks set the scene. And everyone in the picture sports a matching tie-dyed T-shirt. These are my friends. Another picture, displayed nearby, portrays the people we became: significantly less awkward and markedly more fashionable. Over the years, we sold Girl Scout cookies together, commiserated about our “out-of-touch” mothers and tended each others’ broken hearts. In high school, we labored over chemistry and
Spanish homework together. They conducted speed reviews when I showed up for school, on many occasions, having forgotten about major tests. They offered their own, meticulously crafted statistics notes when seemingly inescapable fits of “narcolepsy” rendered mine illegible. After graduation, we kept in touch, one in Abilene, one in San Antonio, and a couple remaining in College Station. They mailed care packages and letters to me. We didn’t call often, but when we did, the conversations lasted from 45 minutes to an hour each time. And our Skype sessions always bordered on marathon. Every long break, we tried to organize a reunion trip. We visited Galveston, San Antonio and even the tiny, historic town of Jefferson, carefully guarding the time and knowing that each trip, with our lives becoming busier and more distinct, might be our last — for a while, at least. This year, we’ve faced another transition: our futures.
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
And slowly but surely, they are falling into place. Kathryn graduated in December — a semester early — and now discusses wedding plans with her long-distance boyfriend. Rebecca accepted a job in public relations with a company in Chicago. And Renee, a studious chemical engineering major, has offers to attend graduate school at Ivy League institutions across the country. She has spent the last two months visiting each university, every program trying to convince her to attend. I was the last piece of the puzzle. My graduate school applications were submitted. And a Fulbright scholarship application, promising an English teaching assistantship in eastern Europe, floated in the uncertainty. I hung in limbo, not knowing on which continent I would end up, let alone a city or state. The possibilities ranged from Portland, Ore. to College Park, Md. to Bulgaria. And I had no guarantees. The verdict finally came in the shape of an over-
sized envelope, sitting in my mailbox on Thursday morning. I would be venturing farther in the next year, than anyone in my immediate family previously had dared move. I texted the news to my friends and family. Amid reading their congratulatory responses, I tried to take deep breaths and still my shaking hands. Reading Renee’s celebratory response, she had queried, “Guess who’s coming to visit you?” And I knew: If anyone would, if anyone could come visit me, it would be her and the rest of our friends. Just as they had held my hand through intermediate school, then middle school, then high school and, now, college, they will continue to support me from thousands of miles away. For me, the old proverb hits home. “Hold a true friend with both of your hands.” I will, because they have. And I remain forever grateful.
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contact Acuff at
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Bruce Pearl, now the former head coach of the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team, was let go on Monday after over a year’s worth of allegations and Tripp turmoil over illegal contact with recruits. For a little background on the story you need only look back to the middle part of the fall semester when Pearl was suspended by the SEC (Southeastern Conference) for eight conference games for lying to the NCAA about infractions he had committed. During all of this time the athletics director for Tennessee, Mike Hamilton, did nothing to get ahead of this and show the rest of the conference and the country that he was serious about running a clean program. Hamilton instead slapped Pearl on the wrist, took some of his money away and made him stay at home when his assistants were recruiting. He let Pearl coach throughout the year with this hanging over his and Pearl’s heads and chose to not stand up and say that his department would not stand for blatant and numerous violations. Now that Hamilton has fired Pearl, just a few days after Tennessee was bounced from the NCAA tournament, many people are beginning to wonder why if this was the plan from the beginning of the season, why Pearl was allowed to coach at all?
Hamilton now looks bad for letting Pearl continue when clearly they wanted him out after the season and allowing him to coach because they were picked as one of the top teams in the SEC and the country heading into the year. To make matters worse for Hamilton, it was not even his call that ultimately led to Pearl’s firing. The University of Tennessee’s chancellor Jimmy Cheek had the final say in the matter showing that Hamilton didn’t have either the guts or the concern to spare his athletics program from this. Hamilton isn’t the first AD to be put in the line of fire for not putting his foot down when it came to proving he was willing to run a clean program with no exceptions. Former USC AD Mike Garrett was summarily fired from his post after failing to maintain order in his department and saying many people, including the NCAA suffered from “Trojan envy.” Paul Krebs is another AD to fall into this category. In 2009, after the University of New Mexico head football coach punched one of his assistants, Krebs kept the coach giving him only a letter that was placed in his personnel file. Athletics directors, especially at big-time programs, have got to start putting their foot down on issues with blatant NCAA violations. The people responsible for committing repeated violations have to be dealt with immediately instead of stringing the situations along until their backs are up against the wall. contact Tripp at
bjt07a@acu.edu
editorial & management board Linda Bailey
Matthew Woodrow Christina Burch
Laura Acuff
Kenneth Pybus
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FROM THE FRONT/SPORTS
March 23, 2011
Page 5
SOFTBALL
Wildcats win five of six, move into first place Bryson Shake
Assistant Sports Editor
The ACU Wildcats softball team kicked off the break the same way the weather did – hot. They continued that streak into spring break, going 5-1 and moving into a tie for first place in the Lone Star Conference South Division. The team put on an offensive showcase in their series against Eastern New Mexico. The Wildcats put up 50 runs in their threegame series against the Zias, which equaled a sweep. “We are simply hitting the ball right now,” Head Coach Bobby Reeves said. “From top to bottom in
our lineup, everyone is contributing, and it’s a coach’s dream to be on the right end of that. It’s kind of like our hitters are seeing beach balls out of the pitcher’s hand.” In the opener, ACU pummeled ENMU 22-11, pounding out 21 hits in the effort. Melissa Mendoza and Megan Brigance each went 3-6 with four RBIs, while Valentina Nabayan was 4-6 with 2 RBIs. ACU put the game away with a six-run sixth inning and an eight-run seventh to secure the win. In those final two innings, ACU had 10 hits. The team continued its dominance Saturday, rout-
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ing Eastern New Mexico 11-4 in the first game and 17-2 in the second game to complete the sweep. The offense continued its destructive ways, producing 29 combined hits in the two games. Mendoza played a big role once again, recording eight of those hits. She hit .667 with seven RBIs in the series, going 4-5 in both games Saturday. ACU scored 10 runs before even producing an out in the first inning in the first game. West Texas A&M was next on the schedule for the ’Cats, as they would host the No. 10 Lady Buffs for three games. ACU would score three runs
It’s kind of like our hitters are seeing beach balls out of the pitcher’s hand. BOBBY REEVES // Head Softball Coach
in the bottom of the first without producing a hit and get a solid outing from sophomore pitcher Shelby Hall en route to a 3-1 win. Hall allowed only eight hits over seven innings. Solid defense behind Hall also played a part in the win. “That was a great allaround game for us. We were clicking on all cylinders. We had some key double plays, were patient at the plate and played sound defensively,” Reeves said.
ACU lost the first game of the doubleheader Saturday 5-0 before rebounding in the rubber match, winning a 9-8 game that went down to the wire. Mendoza, once again, showed up in a big way, and laced a two-out single that would propel the Wildcats to a walk-off victory over rival West Texas. “After beating WT, we were so excited. Taking two out of three from the No. 10 team in the country
is huge for us. It shows that we can compete with anyone and shouldn’t be taken lightly,” Mendoza said. The Wildcats are averaging 6.27 runs per game and are using a combination of timely hitting and solid defense to put away opponents. Reeves hopes his hitters can continue their recent strong showing against Incarnate Word. UIW sits in fourth in the Lone Star Conference South. ACU begins their series with the Cardinals (16-11, 3-3) on Friday, with first pitch at 5 p.m.
contact Shake at
bxs09a@acu.edu
COLUMN
March Madness stretches to all corners of ACU March Madness has lived up to its hype this Sports Multimedia Editor year as six of the 16 reEvery March, millions of maining teams have pulled Americans brace them- upsets to get this far in the selves for the greatness tourney including four that is the NCAA basket- double-digit seeds. In one of the craziest tournaball tournaments in recent history, for ment. This many people after the first year was no weekend, their bracket was exception as already busted. the tourna“My bracket is in the hole ment now right now, but I have Duke features 68 and Kansas in the finals with teams, and Cantrell after last weekend only the Kansas winning it all so there sweetest 16 of them are is still a chance there,” ACU sophomore Cade Girod said. still alive. Ryan Cantrell
FILMFEST
Girod has been filling out brackets since he was in middle school. He said he and his family always fill out a March Madness bracket together. “I do one with my family every year and its fun because it sparks interest in tournament games that you wouldn’t normally have, but because you picked them you are interested.” Girod also set up a pool with his friends in club. Girod offered the winner a $20 cash prize as an incentive to join.
“I set up the pool for anyone to be able to fill out a bracket and have fun with it,” Girod said. “I offered 20 bucks to get people interested. If you get people interested in the brackets more people will fill them out and get excited about the games. That’s the main reason I did it, was to get others excited about the NCAA tournament.” For Girod and many others, the greatest part of watching the NCAA tournament is trying to correctly guess who is going
to win what game. Entering in a pool and going against your friends allows you to not only root for your team, but it also gives you someone to root for in games that you would not normally have a major interest in. I have filled out brackets for as long as I can remember and the second weekend of March has become one of my favorites every year. There is no greater feeling than correctly predicting a huge first-round matchup when
everyone else in your pool got it wrong. Sometimes your bracket gets busted early, but it’s okay because you love and hate March for the same reason. From the love of winning your pool, or to the anguish of your team losing on a controversial call in the final 15 seconds of a game, it all happens because of March Madness.
contact Cantrell at
jrc07f@acu.edu
CAMPUS
Movies: Judges Lanes: Alley to close during week to pick top films Continued from page 1
Continued from page 1
“For as long as I can remember, I have been doing comedy,” Tansey said. “Whether it was impersonating legendary Saturday Night Live players like Molly Shannon for groups of people or competing in tournaments for humorous interpretation. Making people laugh makes me happy.” Miller said that there will be a lot of great work shown and that he is very impressed by what he’s seen so far. “There will be a lot of improvisation and surprises, I’m sure,” Miller said. “Gee, I’m getting excited.” In her third year as FilmFest co-chair, Christina Johnson, senior English and professional writing major from Dallas, oversaw the auditions, where the FilmFest production team required host and hostess hopefuls to perform a monologue and deliver a cold reading of a sample script. Johnson said she had recognized Miller from seeing him play piano in the Bean. “We would ask him to make us laugh in 30 seconds and before that we were already dying laughing,” Johnson said. “There’s just something about his ad-libbing.” Johnson said Tansey brings comedy with a genuine spin. “She’s very personable,” Johnson said. “She performed monologues from other movies, and we didn’t even require that.” Johnson said both Miller and Tansey were very professional and worked together great. “These students have the potential to be the
next Saturday Night Live cast members,” Johnson said. “I don’t think we’ve had that before, so that’s very exciting for this year’s show. The sky’s the limit for them.” Johnson said they wanted FilmFest to mirror the Academy Awards,
with your friends,” Swedlund said. “It’s $2 a game if you’re a student and their room,” Thomas said. Swedlund said he that includes shoe rental, thinks people who want so if you bring a group of to go bowling will con- friends you can kill an tinue to do so, despite hour and it only costs you having other options for a couple of bucks.” Swedlund said the fafun activities. “People like to come cility will still be open over and bowl because it’s for other activities aside a very affordable date or a from bowling during desvery affordable thing to do ignated times Monday
through Thursday. Since bowling and video games are the only activities that require an attendant, the ping pong, foosball and air hockey will still be available for use. Reserving the bowling alley requires a $70 f lat fee for the first hour and an additional $50 per hour for each additional hour. The alley can be
reserved any day of the week. Campus groups who wish to reserve lanes typically receive a discount, Swedlund said. “It’s a very affordable means of entertainment and we want to keep that out there for the students to enjoy,” Swedlund said.
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contact Sutherland at
optimist@jmcnetwork.com
CAMPUS
Scan: University explores QR codes
It’s such an honor to see the talent we have on campus. It’ll be a night to highlight that. CHRISTINA JOHNSON // senior English and professional writing major from Dallas
granting student films the opportunity to snag awards such as Best Picture and Best Original Music. She said the awarded films will be chosen by a panel of prominent, experienced judges from in and out of town. Doors will open at 7 p.m., but students have the opportunity to view each FilmFest submission from 2-4 p.m. Students also have the opportunity to attend a talk-back session with the FilmFest judges on March 24, after the free screening of The Social Network in Cullen Auditorium at 8 p.m. “It’s such an honor to see the talent we have on the campus,” Johnson said. “It’ll be a night to highlight that.”
contact Burch at
clb10b@acu.edu
Continued from page 1
code outside their office that would immediately transfer contact information to a mobile device. The library already uses the codes giving users immediate access to additional content on their mobile device about certain books or book displays. Tooley said they would also like to see periodicals with QR codes that link to electronic versions of the periodical and possibly putting a QR code on complicated equipment like microfilm units that would link to a video of how to use it. As the codes increase in popularity around the U.S., Dr. James Langford, director of innovation
As mobile devices become more popular, it just makes sense to bridge that gap. JAMES LANGFORD // director of innovation and implementation
and implementation, said ACU innovators wanted to start using them on the campus. He said the convenience of the codes will make them popular. Many times, he said, students may see a sign for an event, and even though they’d like to attend, they are too rushed to stop and type the event into their calendar. However, pushing one button on your phone to scan a QR code takes a significantly less amount of time, he said.
“I’m hoping it will help in terms of convenience,” Langford said. “We’re going to have the print world for a long time. As mobile devices become more popular, it just seems to make sense to bridge that gap.” The goal of the entire project is to help bridge that print-to-digital gap. “The goal is not to use QR codes,” Langford said. “The goal is the enhance communication and make it easier to get from print to mobile devices.”
Tooley said students and faculty can download a free ACU version of the QR code scanner by clicking the link to the app emailed to them. Also, students can visit go.acu.edu to create their own QR codes. Kevin Roberts, chief planning officer, said ACU is a good place to explore QR code possibilities. “I think it’s going to take a little time for people to explore and get creative with using, but that’s kind of what we like about QR codes.” Roberts said. “We want to be innovating, providing tools and letting the community decide some of the best uses.” contact Bailey at
ljb07a@acu.edu
Sports FOUR SCORE
Page 6
Standings
TRACK AND FIELD
BASEBALL Team
Div.
UiW 13-5 SW OK St. 15-6 Tarleton St. 12-6 Cameron 10-5 SE OK St. 10-5 ASU 11-7 TAMU-K 10-8 ACU 7-8
Ovrl. 16-8 19-7 17-7 14-7 12-9 17-10 13-10 14-10
March 23, 2011
‘Fab Four’ athletes win Indoor Track and Field National Championship
Ramon Sparks 1st place – Triple Jump
Nick Jones 4th place – Shot Put
SOFTBALL Team
Div.
5-1 ASU ACU 5-1 Tarleton St. 4-2-0 3-3 UIW 3-3 TWU WTAMU 2-4 TAMU-K 1-5 ENMU 1-5
Ovrl. 25-2 19-14 14-9-1 16-11 14-10 22-6 18-15 6-20
By Austin Gwin and Daniel Gomez
Briefs n Sophomore
golfer Alex Carpenter will be competing in the PGAsponsored Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando, Fla. at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge on Thursday. Carpenter earned the opportunity to play in the tournament when he won the Southern Amateur Championship last summer.
n Both
the men’s and women’s tennis teams won their matches over Midwestern State on Sunday afternoon. The No. 10 men gave MSU its first loss of the season, while the No. 6 women rallied from an early deficit to trump the Lady Mustangs. Read the story online at www. acuoptimist.com.
Player Profile Melissa Mendoza, senior outfielder from Irvine, Calif., was named the Lone Star Conference’s Hitter of the Week after her Mendoza efforts in helping the Wildcats sweep Eastern New Mexico last weekend. Mendoza hit .667, going 10-15 with seven RBIs, three doubles and one home run. She also had two stolen bases. Mendoza finished the doubleheader Saturday with a combined eight hits. She leads the ’Cats in hits (52), runs scored (33) and is tied for first in RBIs (22). Mendoza is in her second season at ACU after transferring from Mt. San Antonio College.
Upcoming n The
baseball team will play against Northeastern State on Friday at 7:05 p.m. and Saturday at 2:05 p.m. Softball will host Incarnate Word on Friday in a doubleheader at 5 p.m.
n
n The track and field
team will compete Saturday at the UTEP Springtime Invitational Meet in El Paso.
A
CU sent only four athletes to Albuquerque, N.M. in hopes of maybe winning one or two individual events. What they left with was something far greater than anyone expected. Ramon Sparks, Desmond Jackson, Nick Jones and Amos Sang each placed in the top four in their events to win ACU its 56th overall NCAA national championship, and its 13th men’s NCAA Indoor Championship. “It feels awesome to call myself a national champion. It’s so hard to even put it into words,” Jackson said. “The championship was definitely a surprise though, I must admit. We weren’t expecting to win, but are thrilled about the way things turned out, obviously. This feat shows that all things are possible and that God is good.” The four athletes were only slated to compete in six events and with the winner in each event getting a maximum of 10 points, the most the ’Cats could garner was 60 points. “We might have been the smallest Amos Sang group there, but 1st place – no doubt we were the loudest 5000m in the stands,” 2nd place – Jones said.
1600m
Head Coach Roosevelt Lofton told the Wildcats to go out and try to get all 60. Saturday started exactly the way Lofton asked. Sparks, the reigning national champion in the triple jump, went out and jumped 53 feet on his second try, his longest jump of his indoor career. No other athlete came within 18 inches of that jump the rest of the day, and Sparks took home his second triple jump championship and 10 team points. As Sparks was competing in his event, shot putter Nick Jones began his. Jones also set a career mark, this one for the indoor shot put. He threw three times over his previous best, including a high mark of 59-10 1/2. That throw was good enough for fourth and five points toward a national championship. “I haven’t been this happy in a very long time,” Jones said. “Feelings of pride, optimism and humbleness have encompassed me all day. To win a national championship, especially indoors, where we’ve struggled in years past, is so gratifying.” Then the events moved to the track. Senior Amos Sang competed in the mile, and, as he has done his entire ACU career, came through when ACU needed him. He finished a close second and won ACU eight team points. It was Desmond Jackson’s turn after Sang. Jackson lost in the 60-meter dash by .02 seconds, but it didn’t matter as he got the Wildcats another eight points. Jackson’s second event was the 200-meter dash. Again, Jackson finished a close second and again the sprinter secured ACU another eight points. “I felt good about both of my times, I PR-ed in both events, so that was cool,” Jackson said. “I didn’t win, but I did all I could to put the team in the right position to come out on top.” Jackson’s 16 team points put ACU in the overall lead by one point over second place Lincoln University (Missouri) with only two events remaining, the 4x400 relay and the 5000 meter. “The atmosphere was electric. There were two more races after the 200, and we knew we were still in it despite our low number of participants,” Jackson said. “We all started crunching the num-
bers and were like, ‘We could do this.’” Sang, scheduled to compete in the 5000 meter, was ACU’s final hope to capture the most unlikely of national championships. All Sang had to do was cross the line in first. He delivered, running the 5000 in a time of 14:37:08, winning by eight seconds. “I’ll be honest, I started texting people that we won a national championship before Amos’s race because I knew he’d come through,” Jones said. “Amos is so clutch, probably one of the best runners in the U.S. I’d want no one else competing with a championship on the line.” The 10 points gave ACU 49 for the meet and 11 more than Lincoln. Even if Lincoln placed first in the relay, ACU would still have won. “It’s an unbelievable feeling and such a blessing to be a part of this championship team,” Jackson said. ACU, with 56 championships, sits in fifth among all NCAA schools in overall team championships behind Division I universities UCLA, Stanford, and USC and Division III Kenyon College.
Desmond Jackson 2nd place – 60m 2nd place – 200m
BASEBALL
Wildcats tame Tarleton with series win Brandon Tripp Sports Director
The Wildcats, after being swept by Angelo State two weekends ago, snapped a four-game losing streak winning two of three from rival Tarleston State in a Lone Star Conference showdown. Coach Bonneau’s squad used a three-run eighth inning Friday night to pull out the 8-5 win over the Texans. The Wildcats were up early on Tarleton as they jumped out to a 5-2 lead after just four innings. In the fourth inning, senior Cameron Watten got on with a lead-off double. Catcher Ian Tomkins, and infielder Bryce Gerhardt
reached base on a walk and hit-by-pitch respectively. With the bases loaded, senior outfielder Cameron Bankston blasted a grand slam off of TSU pitcher Ryan Salt to put ACU in front. “We saw some consistency at the plate, had some big hits from guys who got us back in games,” said Bonneau. The Texans fought back in the sixth, however, scoring three runs off of senior Will Calhoun and pitcher Kevin Justice to pull the score even after six. Calhoun would stay in the game as the DH. He came up huge for the Wildcats in the eighth inning that put ACU ahead for
good. In the eighth inning, with the bases already loaded, Calhoun hit a single that brought in both Watson and Tomkins. The two runs gave ACU the 8-5 win. On Saturday in the first game of a doubleheader with the Texans, the Wildcats struggled on the mound from the first pitch. Freshman Jason Harris was tagged for seven runs in the first inning, and that was all he would throw. Harris’s performance was in stark contrast to the Texans’ Nathan Lewis who threw a complete game allowing just two runs in seven innings and striking out nine. The Wildcat relievers didn’t do much to help
ACU’s cause giving a combined eight runs in the final five innings and the Wildcats were dismantled 15-2. ACU came back in the final game of the three-game set to take the series in an 18-6 thumping of the Texans. Aaron Oliver was spectacular for the Wildcats going 5 for 6 at the plate with two RBIs and scoring four times himself. Reed Watson also came up big for ACU with four hits and four RBIs. Pitcher Kris Carlson gave up an early run in the bottom of the first to give the Texans a 1-0 lead. Carlson pitched four innings giving up five runs on four hits and allowing six walks.
The Wildcats pulled together a three-run third inning and never looked back. Calhoun blasted a three-run shot to give the Wildcats the 3-1 lead after three. ACU would go on to score runs in every inning to follow including three in both the eighth and ninth innings. “I feel like we are starting to play a complete nine innings. We finally looked like we are turning the corner,” said Bankston. ACU will be back in action this weekend with a home series against LSC opponent Northeastern State.
contact Tripp at
bjt07a@acu.edu