Arts Page 5
Take the stage vol. 102, no. 49
friday, april 04, 2014
Omega seeks to fuse dance, worship
1 SECTION, 6 PAGES
Student-led recycling campaign launched
INSIDE SPORTS Women’s tennis takes on two Southland Conference teams
jesse harper student reporter
“The 16 [finalists] have another round of interviews and then an audition where they tweet and instrgram about their lives for four days,” she said. “After that, they will make their final decision.” Wood said she wants to be a part of #lifeonthehill because she sees the chance to give future students a clearer picture of college life. “I want prospective students to get a glimpse of the awesome experience they will have if they choose ACU,” Wood said.
A group classroom project transformed in to a recycling campaign that is receiving positive feedback from students. Professor Jim Cooke assigned the Environmental and Technological Science class a group project that required students to find an issue in the environment, create a proposal to decrease the issue and put it in to action. Christina Solomon, freshman history pre-law major from Chicago, Kelsey Maple, freshman English major from Kemah, Victoria Cortez, junior accounting major from San Antonio and Fabiola Vargas, freshman psychology major from Carthage, Mo., picked the topic of recycling on campus. Maple said she helped write the majority of the petition and that it had to address several problems in a short summary. “The petition had to be able to support several aspects of recycling in a brief description,” Maple said. “I wanted to stress the idea of as Christians it’s our responsibility to keep order, lead by example and preserve the environment the best way possible.” Solomon said she handled a majority of the meetings and phone calls to spread the word of the petition and gain student and staff support. “Getting the support from groups such as the ACU Students’ Association was a big accomplishment of ours,” Solomon said. “It’s definitely a small step, but it will definitely lead to bigger things in the future.” The group recently took a tour of the Abilene recycling center to better understand the process of recycling at a more complex level. Cortez said that the information they learned aided the construction of the petition. “The trip to the recycling center really made our group understand the process of recycling a lot better,” Cortez said. “We realized, as a group, that it would be an important task to take on but definitely worth informing and involving the students and staff on campus.” The recycling petition will be available to sign at a date that has not yet been announced. Solomon and Maple said they are trying to introduce the petition on Earth Day in the Campus Center. “People seldom realize how important recycling is to the earth,” Maple said. “We only have one earth and it is our responsibility to sustain it the best we can.”
contact the optimist at jmcnetwork@acu.edu
contact the optimist at jmcnetwork@acu.edu
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NEWS Best-seller Author Eric Metaxas will visit campus and speak in Chapel Page 3
OPINION The Editorial Board endorses candidates for SA president, vice president and treasurer
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dawne meeks ACU theatre director
NEWS Students organize upcoming prayer day to commemorate losses and tragedies Page 3
SPORTS ACU baseball prepares to take on the Lamar Cardinals this weekend
Mikayla Tipps, sophomore musical theatre major from Amarillo, and Rachel Faulkner, senior theatre major from Camby, Ind., rehearse for ACU theatre’s newest show “The Glass Menagerie.” The show will be performed April 10 -12.
Upcoming play explores memory Theatre department begins rehearsals for “The Glass Menagerie” james eldred staff reporter The ACU Theatre Department began rehearsals Tuesday for “The Glass Menagerie”, a powerful memory play that continues the season’s
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tommy evans Track prepares for difficult test in Lubbock against big Texas schools Page 6
ONLINE NEWS Poet Rebecca Balcarcel visits campus in honor of National Poetry Month acuoptimist.com
VIDEO Watch the JMC Newscast for an update on the latest news on campus
Read more at acuoptimist.com
has some kind of social disorder,” Tipps said. “She’s described time and time again as being extremely shy.” The play follows the Wingfield family through the attempt to find a “gentleman caller” for Laura, and the difficulties and tragedies the family brings with them. Laura’s brother, Tom, plays a pivotal role in the search for a suitor, Tipps said. “The way the story goes, see glass page 3
16 called back for media campaign student reporter
SPORTS
theme of exploring the intricacies of relationships. The play will come to the stage April 10-12 and 24-26 at 7:30 p.m. Dawne Meeks, associate professor of theatre, said the play fulfills a dream to direct a work by
Tennessee Williams. “His writing is so incredibly poetic,” she said. “He understood family dynamics in terms of creating honest characters that are truly multidimensional.” Mikayla Tipps, sophomore musical theatre major from Amarillo, portrays Laura Wingfield, a nervous young woman who suffers a limp from a disease earlier in life. “Many people today would also say that Laura
Enrollment Marketing has selected 16 students to callback for their social media campaign #lifeonthehill. More than 50 students applied for six positions in a social experiment put together by Enrollment Marketing. #lifeonthehill will follow students’ lives over social media as a marketing tool to show prospective students what life is like as a student at ACU. According to the #lifeonthehill website, the project’s goals are to “show the authentic, everyday life of a col-
lege student at ACU through their lens, provide a venue for prospective students to interact with current students and to increase ACU’s social media visibility with prospective students.” Brantly Houston, a junior advertising and public relations major from Abilene was one of the students selected for callbacks. Houston said he thinks the program can give an authentic look into the life of a student at ACU. “They want it to be authentic,” he said. “So for example, they know that sometimes we’ll be sitting in a class that sucks and we’ll tweet about it. They don’t
want to censor that. I think it can really give students a glimpse of what it’s like to be a student here.” Houston said the initial interview process, while professional in nature, was relaxed and focused on getting to know the candidates. “They really wanted to get to know us better,” he said. “I felt like I could just be myself for the interview and that was great.” Alikay Wood, a junior English major from Sacramento, Calif., is another finalist for the project and said the process ahead consists of another interview and a social media audition.
Speakers selected for 2014 Summit denzil lim student reporter The Summit committee did not waste time in organizing Summit fall 2014, beginning preparations last summer. The coming Summit will feature famed speakers ranging from an episcopal priest, Gilbert T. Rowe professor from Duke University and a young documentary producer. Summit 2014 is themed “Earthed: Discovering Our
Origin in God.” Earthed will focus on the narrative of Genesis. The theme emphasizes the beginning of life and its origin from God as portrayed by the title, Earthed. The word represents how God works through His creation and promises to bless all humanity through one group of people. Brady Bryce, director of ministry events, has coordinated Summit since 2007. “It is about the earthed nature of God’s creative work in his promises,” Bryce said.
“The other part of earthed is that there were a lot of earthy stories. There are some difficult and troubling stories about people that are in Genesis that help us reflect on our own lives and how we might live in light of God’s word.” Bryce said themes are usually planned 10 years in advance. “Right now I have probably about six or eight years out,” he said.
Abilene Christian University
see summit page 3
SUMMIT 2014 SPEAKERS Don Mclaughlin Pulpit minister from North Atlanta Church of Christ, Atlanta, Ga.
Sam Gonzalez Campus minister, Oak Hills Church– Outer West Campus, San Antonio
Lawrence Murray Assistant professor of Pyschology & Family Studies/ Liberal Arts from Okla.
Randy Harris Instuctor of Bible, missions and ministry
Sam Barrington Pastor from Living Stones Church, South Bend, Ind.
friday 04.04.14
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friday
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sunday
saturday
6 p.m. Men’s baseball vs. Lamar University
8 a.m. Project 341 garage sale
7:30 p.m. Omega Dance Company Spring Show
2 p.m. Men’s baseball vs. Lamar University
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monday
1 p.m. Men’s baseball vs. Lamar University
3 p.m Fall 2014 registration: sophomores
7:30 p.m. Omega Dance Company Spring Show
Announcements
Chapel checkup To date:
Remaining:
73 27 @acuoptimist The Optimist optimist@acu.edu
The ACU Kinesiology Club will have a pickle ball tournament. Teams of two may enter for $10 and first and second place winners will receive a prize. The tournament will be from 5-11 p.m. today and tomorrow in the Student Recreation and Wellness Center. For more information, email nas08a@ acu.edu or ggh11a@acu.edu. Upward Bound Summer Academy is seeking students to work as student advisors this summer. For more information, contact D’Angelo Sands at 324-674-2514.
Registration for the Kirk Goodwin Run is open. Applicants can register for the Run the West half marathon for $80 or the classic 5k for $20. The race will be on April 26. To register, visit www.kirkgoodwinrun.com. Farmer’s Insurance Group is seeking students graduating in May to apply for full-time jobs in Abilene or the Wichita Falls area. To apply, visit www.acu.edu/campusoffices/careercenter/careerlink/ and fill out an application by April 9.
The ACU A Capella Chorus and University Chorale will perform with the Abilene Philharmonic at 7:30 p.m. on April 12 at the Abilene Civic Center. Tickets are available online at abilenephilharmonic.org or at the door for $5. SHADES Step Squad will perform in their spring show at 7 p.m. on April 11-12 in Cullen Auditorium. Tickets are on sale in the Campus Center. The ACU Jazz Ensemble Concert will be April 8 at 7:30 p.m. in Cullen Auditorium.
ACU Theatre will perform the Glass Menagerie at 7:30 p.m. on April 10-12 and 24-26 in Fulks Theatre. Tickets cost $15. To purchase tickets, visit acu. edu/theatre or call 325-6742787. Austin Randolph and Chantal Mwiza will lead Remember Life, a short ceremony dedicated to prayer and rememberance from 7:30-8 p.m. on Monday at the amphitheatre. The Percussion Ensemble and Steelband Concert will be at 7:30 p.m. on April 14 in Cullen Auditorium. Admission is free.
Police log SELECTED ACUPD CALLS FOR THE WEEK 03/26/2014 12:15 p.m. Unknown suspects sprayed a sticky substance onto a student’s vehicle to create an obscene graphic and text while the vehicle was parked in the Mabee Edwards Lot at about 11:33 p.m. on 03/24/14. 03/27/2014 7:40 p.m. An administrative staff employee reported a suspicious package outside the Administration building near a trash receptacle. ACUPD investigation examined the backpack and found clothing and athletic equipment – no threat. 03/27/2014 1:55 a.m. Unidentified suspects sprayed some type of orange sticky substance on the hood and front bumper of a white vehicle while it was parked in the Gardner Lot. 03/28/2014 12:13 p.m. ACUPD assisted APD in recovering stolen street signs from an ACU student’s vehicle off campus. 03/30/2014 1:00 a.m. ACUPD assisted APD at a large noisy party and fight at a residence and in the street in the 500 block of EN 21st. Patrons ran from the scene as officers arrived. The tenant was initially uncooperative, eventually cooperated, closed the party down and was issued a warning. 03/30/2014 2:45 a.m. APD dispatched ACUPD to a report of a male exposing himself at 500 N Judge Ely near Comet Cleaners and some storage units. Officers were unable to locate him. Weekly Stats For Week of March 18 - March 25, 2014 - Total Events: 326 ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIVITY 13 FOUND PROPERTY 3 OTHER 4 THEFT (NON VEHICLE) 3 ALARM 2 HIT & RUN 1 PARKING LOT PATROL 12 TRAFFIC HAZARD 1 ASSIST 3 INDECENT EXPOSURE 1 PARKING VIOLATION 2 WELFARE CHECK 2 BARRICADES 1 INFORMATION REPORT 4 PATROL VEHICLE: MAINTENANCE 4 BUILDING LOCK/UNLOCK 19 INTOXICATED PERSON 1 PATROL VEHICLE: REFUEL 4 If you have any information related to who BURGLARY (RESIDENCE) 1 INVESTIGATION FOLLOW UP 12 RANDOM PATROL 4 is responsible for posting the sexually and CHECK BUILDING 159 LOST PROPERTY 1 REPORT WRITING 7 racially offensive prank parking citations CRIMINAL MISCHIEF 4 MOTORIST ASSIST: JUMPSTART 8 SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT 2 on vehicles on March 18th, or for recent DIRECT TRAFFIC 1 MOTORIST ASSIST: OTHER 1 SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY 2 spray-paint vandalisms of parked vehicles DOMESTIC DISTURBANCE 2 MOTORIST ASSIST: UNLOCK 10 SUSPICIOUS PERSON 3 on campus, please contact ACUPD. ConFOOT PATROL 8 NOISE VIOLATION 3 fidentiality can be assured.
Volunteer Opp0rtunities Beltway Park Baptist Church is seeking volunteers to help with special needs children in their program Kingdon Kids. Volunteers would be needed on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. For more information, contact Sharla Sanders at 325-692-6540 or sharlasanders@beltway.org. Grace Point Church is looking for creative students with craftsmanship skills to volunteer for Vacation Bible School. Volunteers will be creating props, sets and decorations in preparation for the program. For more information, call Ruth Gregory at 325-675-5060. New Life Alliance is searching for tutors, Khan Academy coaches, junior acheivement teachers and volunteers for its upcoming Easter program. For more information, contact Ashley Parker at 325-672-1636 or aparker@newlifealliance.org. The International Rescue Committee in Abilene needs your help in welcoming refugees to our community. We are seeking the following donations: hygiene and cleaning supplies, bed linen, towels and kitchen items (dishware, silverware, pots/pans etc). Donations are accepted Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 2-4 p.m. or by appointment. Their office is located at 3303 North Third Street Suite D in Abilene, Texas. For more information contact MariePascale Manishimwe at 325-675-5643. Treadaway Kids is looking for more students and volunteers to join the group. For more information, contact Carly Henderson at cah10a@acu.edu. JUMP @ Abilene North Apartments is seeking students to asssist in teaching the Gospel to at-risk low-income children. Students must be avaliable to volunteer from 4-5:30 p.m. on Mondays. Service opportunity begins Jan. 27 and lasts until April 28. For more information, contact Caroline Thompson at 281-782-2956 or crt12a@acu.edu. Friends for Life is seeking volunteers to help with both elderly residents and independent living elderly. Nursing home service opportunities include visiting, playing games, reading to the blind and assisting in arts and crafts. Independent living service opportunities include mowing lawns, grocery shopping and changing light bulbs. To volunteer contact Cecilia Barahona at 325-672-2635 or cecilia@ friendsforlife.org. Volunteers are needed to help with daily activities organized by the staff at Chisholm House. This could involve playing board games, helping with arts and crafts and helping with a walking club. For some of these tasks volunteers may be asked to lead a group or work along side a staff coordinator. Volunteer opportunities are from 2-4 p.m. or 6-8 p.m. daily. Contact Larissa Blankenship at 817-578-9296.
The Noah Project is seeking volunteers to help with tasks such as answering phone calls, providing child care and doing maintenance and housekeeping. To volunteer call 325-676-7107. The Betty Hardwick Center is seeking volunteers for the Human Resources Center to help with filing and organizing. This job requires someone with attention to detail who wishes to learn more about Human Resources. The job is open Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. If you are interested, please contact Martin Walker at 325-690-5235 or mwalker@bhcmhmr.org. House of Faith is an organization that seeks to take Jesus to neighborhood children. Volunteers are needed to help with the various programs they do throughout the week. Backyard Bible studies are hosted Mondays and Wednesdays and a youth program takes place on Thursday evenings. The organization is seeking volunteers who can commit to a specific day a week. House of Faith lasts from 3-5:30 p.m. To volunteer or gain more information contact Amy Jeffers at abj09a@acu.edu or call 832-331-5324. Breakfast on Beech Street is seeking volunteers to help set up, prepare and serve breakfast to homeless/lower income folks any Monday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday at 5:30 a.m. or Tuesdays at 5 a.m. B.O.B.S. is located at First Christian Church on 3rd Street and Beech Street Service times must be scheduled in advance. To serve on, Mondays contact Jody Depriest at 325-669-3312 or jody.depriest@gmail.com. To serve on Tuesdays contact Allen Daugherty at 325-660-6949 or ale.al@suddenlink.net. To serve on Wednesdays, contact Jane Harvey at 325695-0092 or jharvread@aol.com. To serve on Thursdays, contact Margaret Beasley at 325-692-4149 or mbeasley5@suddenlink.net. To serve on Fridays contact Terry Stremmel at terry.stremmel@acu.edu. Love and Care Ministries is looking for volunteers to help with sorting clothing, stocking their food pantry, assisting in prayers in their prayer room and serving food to the homeless. For more information call 325670-0246. Univerity Place is seeking volunteers to help with resident birthday parties for residents on the third Wednesday of each month at 2:30 p.m. For more information, contact Linda Tijerina at 325-676-9946. The Food Bank of West Central Texas needs volunteers to help sort and stock food and other items any weekday Monday - Friday from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. The Food Bank is located at 5505 N. 1st St. For more information contact Janice Serrault at 325-695-6311 or abfoodbk@camalott. com.
The Christian Service Center is seeking volunteers to help with filing requests for items such as clothing and bedding from the donation center, sort and organize donations and occasionally pick up donated items. Volunteers are needed every weekday and the first Saturday of each month between 9 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1-4 p.m. For more information, contact Roberta Brown at 325-673-7561 orrobertabrown51@hotmail.com. For more information on the program visit http://www.uccabilene.org/ministries/ csc.htm. Big Brothers/Big Sisters offers two volunteer programs. Lunch Buddies pairs volunteers with a little brother or little sister to have lunch with once a week for 30 minutes. Lunch Buddies has a preferred time of 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. The Community Based program pairs volunteers with a little brother or little sister that they will hang out with two to four times a month. Both programs require committment to the program for 12-18 months. To sign up, stop by the Big Brothers/Big Sisters office at 547 Chestnut St. or contact Randy Woods at 325-674-3102. The Salvation Army is looking for volunteers for a variety of needs such as sorting and pricing items in the thrift store, helping in the kitchen and/or doing yard work. Times are flexible and volunteers are needed Monday Saturday. The Salvation Army is located at 1726 Butternut St. For more information contact J.D. Alonzo at 325-6771408 or visit www.satruck.com. Meals on Wheels Plus needs volunteer drivers to deliver afternoon meals to seniors and adults with disabilities Monday-Friday between 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Drivers must be at least 18 years old and have a valid driver’s license. Training is provided. For more information contact Samantha Barker at 352-672-5050 or visit http://mealsonwheelsplus.com. Christian Ministries Food Pantry needs volunteers to help with tasks such as cleaning up, stocking shelves and bagging flour. It is looking for students who can make a commitment of 1-3 hours a week. For more information contact Becky Almanza at 325-673-5295 or balmanza7@ sbcglobal.net. The Center for International Education is looking for one male and one female volunteer to serve as conversation partners with ACU scholars who are looking to improve their English language skills. Volunteers will be required to spend one hour a week practicing conversation, but the day, time, and location are up to the students to decide. For more information or to volunteer, contact Leanne Moore at 325-674-2821 or lmm10b@acu.edu.
For additional volunteer opportunities visit: www. acu.edu/campusoffices/ccsl/ministry-service/volunteer-opportunities/
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news
friday 04.04.14
Well-known author to speak on campus shera Niemirowski student reporter New York Times best-selling author Eric Metaxas will be on ACU’s campus April 13. Metaxas will speak in Friday’s Chapel. Students and the Abilene community are welcome. ACU’s Center for Building Community will also host a luncheon for Metaxas in the Hunter Welcome Center after Chapel on Friday. “What we tried to do is make him available to everybody, so anybody can go hear him in Chapel and it’s free,” said Dr. Eric McCaleb, vice president of ACU. “So it’s not like any-
body is going to be denied the opportunity to hear him because of the tickets, but then the luncheon will be a longer time to talk.” The Center for Building Community makes an effort to bring in guest speakers throughout the year, but getting a hold of Metaxas was no easy feat. “Since it’s the Center for the Building Community, we like it to be open to the community. Not only at ACU, but Abilene,” McCaleb said. The process of getting the nationally recognized author to campus was an long process. “We’ve been working on this for close to a year,”
McCaleb said. “He made headlines when his book “Bonhoeffer” came out and went into the New York Times bestseller list, so that really carried him into a higher level of awareness. On the wings of that, he was invited to speak at the president’s prayer breakfast and right after that, we contacted his office saying we were interested in seeing him come to ACU.” Metaxas’ newfound success only made the situation tougher. “We didn’t want him to come in the summer time because students wouldn’t be here, and that also takes December and January off the table,
which leaves pretty much half a year,” McCaleb said. The Center for Building Community was eventually able to get a spot amid Metaxas’ worldwide travel schedule. Students can expect to hear about Metaxas’ book, “Seven Men: And the Secret of Their Greatness”, which provides a glimpse into seven of the world’s most well-known men such as George Washington and Jackie Robinson and how they found greatness. “We have found out in some cases ‘Seven Men’ is more popular with college students, so our understanding is he’s going to discuss something about
that book,” McCaleb said. Hannah Knight, sophomore psychology major from Midlothian said, “I’ve read ‘Seven Men’ and I was definitely impacted by it, not only seeing those people’s accomplishments, but what they did beyond themselves.” The luncheon after Chapel will provide an indepth speech from Metaxas on his New York Times bestseller, “Bonhoeffer”. “‘Bonhoeffer’ is an amazing book of not only the writings of a man who was totally committed to honoring God in his life, but what Metaxas has done in this one book is used the life of Bonhoeffer and has weaved within it
the story of the war, what was going on in Germany, the story of Hitler,” McCaleb said, “and so it’s like taking one person’s life and telling it in a way that takes a slice out of a very critical, important time in history.” Tickets can be purchased directly from The Center for Building Community office at 325-6742156 or online at acu.edu/ metaxas. The price for the luncheon is $30 per person or $200 for a table. Space and tickets are limited.
contact the optimist at optimist@acu.edu
Prayer day remembers Rwandan genocide rachel fritz page 2 editor Two students have come together to organize a time of prayer on Monday at 7:30 p.m. in the Amphitheater to remember different traumatic events that have affected the student body. Chantal Mwiza, sophomore accounting major from Kigali, Rwanda and Austin Randolph, senior mathematics and engi-
neering major Alexandria, Va., have formed a partnership and created the event Remember Life and invite students to join them in a short ceremony to do just that. “We believe in the power of praying in groups to God and for ourselves,” Mwiza said. “So, we put together this prayer session for ACU students and friends to come and pray for the painful life changing struggles we go
through, personally, locally and internationally.” This will be the first time this event will take place, and they have high hopes for a good turnout. “This was a very random thing,” Mwiza said. “I had been thinking about doing something like this and I knew that Austin lead prayer in SALT, so I asked him to help me do this.” April 7 marks the anniversary of the Rwandan
genocide, an event that has had a significant effect on Mwiza. “I had the idea of prayer and grief and he had the prayer background and came up with a way to use both of our strengths,” Mwiza said. After Mwiza recruited Randolph, they set out to make the idea a reality. “She wanted to create an event where people could come together and remember things that have
had a deep effect on their lives,” Randolph said. This event is for all students. “I imagine that people’s personal culture will play a part in this because some people’s culture has affected them in a deep way,” Randolph said. “For some people, it’s because of their culture that they have been affected by these things.” Bob Strader, director of Ministry and Service, will
speak about the importance of communal prayer and then Randolph will lead students in prayer. “We will be praying together and individually for about 10 minutes, and towards the end we plan on singing some softer hymns and doing more personal prayer,” Randolph said.
contact the optimist at ref11a@acu.edu
Summit: Speakers found for conference from page 1
Stephen Johnson, dean of the Honors College and director of ACU City Square in Dallas, has been working with Bryce to bring in speakers, such as Barbara Brown Taylor, to Summit. Johnson said he looks forward to the theme of Earthed which presents our faith as, not an ethereal perception, but grounded in dust and flesh from the story of creation. “We want to form students who are careful and attentive observers of the world from many perspectives that see their own faith and spiritual journey as a lens to engage the world,” Johnson said. The speakers are diverse in age, knowledge and professions. Barbara Brown Taylor is one of the renowned preachers in the states. An episcopal priest since 1984, Taylor is also the butman professor of religion and a theologian at Piedmont College, Ga. As an undergraduate, she attended Emory University and proceeded to study at Yale Divinity School. In 1996, she was named one of the twelve most effective preachers in the English language by Baylor University. Author of the New York Times bestseller An Altar in the World,Taylor won the 2006 Author of the Year award from the Georgia Writers Association. She lives on a farm with her husband, tending animals varying from wild turkeys, red foxes, horses and chickens. Stanley Hauerwas is the Gilbert T. Rowe professor of theological ethics at the Divinity School of Duke University. Known for his work in theology and ethics, Hauerwas’ main focus
is to show how theological convictions are meaningless when not embodied into the human life. A graduate of Yale Divinity School and Yale Divinity Graduate School, he completed his undergraduate at Southwestern University. Hauerwas was a faculty member at the University of Notre Dame and began working at Duke University in 1984. He is a member of many educational and theological societies such as the Society for Christian Ethics, the American Academy of Religion and the American Theological Society. Andrea Dilley is an author and documentary producer whose works have been published in Christianity Today, Huffington Post, CNN Belief Blog, American Public Television and more. Dilley is the daughter of Quaker medical missionaries and her early childhood was spent growing up in Kenya. Her memoir Faith and Other Flat Tires: Searching for God on the Rough Road of Doubt won the “Best Books of 2012” from Byron Borger of Hearts & Minds. In addition to the featured speakers, Summit has organized a group of theme speakers that will present throughout the week and lead other events on campus. The schedule for the event has been set and is viewable at acu.edu/summit. The preachers have been placed into different days to create a flow for the overall theme, Bryce said. Students should look for Coffee Houses that will take place on campus focusing on literature. Jeff Childers, a professor in the Graduate School of Theology, will be coordinating a Coffee House on Tolkien and Tony Ash is organizing
another on C.S. Lewis. “Most speakers are very easy to work with because they care about the setting of ACU and they want to serve our students and administration,” Bryce said. “I’m always surprised, financial-wise, that we can bring in these people because I don’t have the budget to bring in the highdollar people. But different folks coming to campus will contribute to different departments.” Departments around campus have been working with Summit to help with the budget to bring in needed speakers. Some speakers such as Andrea Dilley and Barbara Taylor were possible because of the efforts of the English department and Honors College. “A young mom, Andrea Dilley wrote a book about growing up as a missionary kid and going to college and losing her faith completely,” Bryce said. Dilley has produced many documentaries with a Christian perspective and is a great contribution to Summit, Bryce said. The Honors College collaborated with Summit to acquire Taylor as a speaker. “We have been talking with her for seven years to see if she would come,” Bryce said. “She is one of the top preachers that are alive today.” “Honors will host a dinner that Honors’ students can attend with Barbara Brown Taylor, “ Johnson said. “We are working with Summit to have a Q-andA session in a bigger room that anyone can come to. She’s an outstanding preacher, so it’s an opportunity to hear from one of the leading voices in preaching.” Preparations for Summit are planned about 15 to 18
Glass: Theatre warms up for next performance from page 1 it looks like it’s about Laura,” she said. “But it’s really about Tom. There’s conflict with him - whether he should stay or whether he should leave and have his own life.” The way Tom reacts to his family adds to the elusive concept of the production as a memory play, Meeks said. “Tom functions as the narrator, and then he steps back into the world of the play and gets to participate in it,” she said. “I wanted the play to be like our own memories. They’re a little
jagged, not quite finished out - fuzzy on the edges.” Meeks said that in keeping with the dream-like theme of memory, the set was designed to look like it was almost floating. “We wanted that magical, fantastical experience,” she said. “And yet, you see those actors that are rooted in an honest place as they tell the story.” The performance also incorporates an original score by Marc Sanders, a pianist that also played for ACU’s performance of “Next to Normal.” “It’s almost like he’s
providing the subtext for the actors,” Meeks said. “He’s able to fill in those unspoken words with the magic and beauty of that piano score - it’s just stunning.” The innovative set design and an original musical score will make “The Glass Menagerie” a formidable experience when it shows. Tickets are available at the Box Office Monday-Friday from 1-5 p.m. or online at acu.edu/ theatre. contact the optimist at optimist@acu.edu
months prior to the event. Each summer, a year before Summit, time is spent collecting ideas, reviewing scriptures and modeling themes. A list of featured speakers is organized and once a book from the Bible is chosen, Bryce spends the summer reading the text. “We always take a biblical text,” he said. “If it’s an Old Testament or New Testament book, I will speak with our Old or New Testament scholars and talk about text and themes that might be appropriate.” In the Fall, time is spent on campus to survey faculty, departments and organizations to receive opinions about speakers to invite. Toward the end of the semester, design and construction of Summit brochures and the Summit magazine will begin and flow into the following summer. Summit is open to receive ideas for themes year round. “Everything is collected into a folder named potential. There are no bad ideas.” Bryce said. Johnson said, “What I appreciate about what Summit offers is a theme that is broad enough to bring in different perspectives to hear about. I would encourage students to take advantage of the opportunity and see it as a continuity with their experience here.” As housekeeping and finalizing details for the event and speakers continue this spring
and into summer, Summit welcomes the public to submit their ideas to summit@acu.edu. The committee and Students’ Association are also
working together to raise funds to bring the Christian band, Jars of Clay. contact the optimist at jmcnetwork@acu.edu
Opinion
Friday 04.04.14
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Guest Column
From the president’s desk: SA leadership is a lifestyle Dylan Benac SA President For 90 years, the Students’ Association has been advocating and representing the student body here on the ACU campus. For two of those 90 years, I have had the pleasure to serve in a roll high up in the Executive Cabinet. In my time as vice president and as president of the Students’ Association, there
is one key element that rings true: To be an effective leader, you must make leadership your lifestyle. When you are in Executive Office on this campus, your life is under a microscope. Every post, picture and party that you attend is under scrutiny. What you get done in the office can easily be overshadowed by what you do on the weekend. In every meeting that you sit in, the administrators
that you work with care just as much about your opinion as they do about your performance in the classroom. Though it may seem like excellence is unattainable, if leadership is made a lifestyle, people begin to take notice. An interesting dynamic on this campus is what I like to call the water cooler effect. In essence I can have a meeting with an administrator who I have never met, but I can guar-
antee you that they know who I am and what I’m about. This includes both the good and bad. They have stood around the water cooler and have heard someone speak about me. Though at times this can be frustrating, it proves that being a leader on campus requires you to always be on. In the next week our University will be selecting the student leadership for the 2014-2015 school
year. More than anything, VOTE. Your opinion in this matter is important and your vote matters. (This is coming from a guy who lost an election by one vote his sophomore year). On top of that, make sure that you are educated. What is said in elections isn’t always the truth. You must have your own filter. In the end, effective SA leaders make leadership their lifestyle. Finally, I leave you
with this. A few observations from the desk of the president. People take you more serious when you wear a suit. Breakfast meetings are the best meetings. Never pass up an opportunity to listen to others. Teams are more important than individuals. You never have enough time. contact The Optimist at jmcnetwork@acu.edu
CAST YOUR VOTES
SA OFFICER ENDORSEMENTS The Editorial Board scheduled interviews with all five candidates running for Students’ Association officer positions. We met with each of them and heard their platforms and ideas. After much deliberation, we have endorsed one candidate for each position.
Sanderson has been a part of the Students’ Association for the past three years. During that time he has served as the Mabee Hall, Edwards Hall and off-campus representative. His past experience and specific goals have led us to endorse him for president. Sanderson’s leadership skills and interaction with numerous student groups qualify him for this position. If elected, he plans to meet with every student group on campus to help connect and meet their needs. He also wants to encourage students to join committees and will continue student involvement in the search for a new vice president of Student Life. He also realizes the importance of getting students involved on campus and with SA. He wants to make sure students are aware of events and changes at ACU in plenty of time so they can be informed and involved. We believe Sanderson has good ideas and is prepared to take on the office of president. We believe students can trust him to follow through with his plans.
OUR CHOICE FOR VICE PRESIDENT:
Also running for president
Beau Carter
OUR CHOICE FOR PRESIDENT:
David Sanderson Junior biochemistry major from El Paso
Rodney Johnson, junior marketing major from Odessa: Johnson had good ideas for increasing student involvement in SA, but didn’t give a specific plan for reaching his goals. We know SA needs to be a voice for the students, but how? Johnson does have experience and would make a good president, but ultimately Sanderson was more convincing. Maybe he’ll elaborate more in the upcoming debate.
Sophomore political science major from Farmers Branch We have chosen to endorse Beau Carter for executive vice president whose duty is to manage events and maintain interpersonal relationships within the Students’ Association Congress. Passion is what drives Carter – passion to give the students of ACU a voice. He plans to do this by making students aware of what Congress can do for them. Carter believes his biggest challenge will be helping to ensure Congress works cohesively and continues passing bills. He promises to fight against complacency and inefficiency of SA. Carter has experience as sophomore class president to back him up where his main contribution was helping plan Christmas Slam. Unfortunately, his campaign is not supported by many strong specific goals. He does, however, plan to expand on issues he worked on as class president this year. He is a fan of organizing events for the whole student body in order to facilitate a sense of community. This is also reflected in his hope to increase student activity at sporting events. We also are troubled that Carter is running unopposed – a concern Carter shares. He promises, if elected, he will work to inspire more competition in next year’s election.
rodney johnson
OUR CHOICE FOR TREASURER:
Andrew Tate Junior biology major from Abilene
Last year, the Students’ Association Treasurer J.P. Ralston made big promises to improve SA’s overall spending. And he did good. Andrew Tate wants to continue Ralston’s promise, and do even better. If elected, Tate made it his goal to spend 95 percent of the SA budget, holding student groups accountable to make spend more efficiently. Tate would like to allocate more money toward student groups that are designed for professional development and groups that develop community on campus, rather than serving their own purposes. And Tate has all the treasurer traits – familiar with SA and managing finances. He Chantal Mwiza, sophomore accounting and finance major from Kigali, currently serves as the vice president of the junior class and serves on the traditions Rwanda committee. Minoring in business, he understands what specific areas of the budget need improvement. He’s well-versed in money matters and the sort of guy we feel Mwiza has not served with SA, but she did serve as the treasurer for confident in handling our cash. the African Students’ Association. If she is elected she plans to help student groups with fundraising. She is personable, which is a good trait for other positions, but she did not display the skills necessary These endorsements reflect the opinion of the Optimist Editorial Board. for treasurer.
Also running for treasurer
Chantal Mwiza
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5
arts
Friday 4.04.14
DANCING
QUEENS
This Week Friday, April 4 HSU Theatre presents “Sweeney Todd” at 7:30 p.m. The show will take place in the Van Ellis Theatre and ticket prices range from $5-10. The Joe Banamassa Concert Tour is coming to the Abilene Civic Center. The concert starts at 8:00 p.m. Saturday, April 5 The Annual City of Abilene Evening Easter Hunt will take place in the Action Zone on Cottonwood Street. This year the hunt will span over 6,000 eggs. The event begins at 7:00 p.m. and is completely free.
deanna romero chief Photographer
Omega Dance Company rehearses for their spring performance. Their show is on Friday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $7 at the door
Omega seeks to fuse dance and faith brantly houston arts reporter Omega Dance Company was founded in the 2010-2011 school year to fuse the art of dance and worship. “The mission of Omega is to educate girls about dance and how it can be used as a form of worship to God,” said Lizzie Folwell, junior marketing and management major from Abilene and member of Omega since 2012. Kelcie Broom (’13) founded the group because she saw a need for a dance group with a higher purpose. “We’ve tried to not change too
drastically about our mission or the types of dance that we do because it was meant to fulfill a void on campus where there wasn’t that type of dancing,” Folwell said. At the end of each practice, there is a time for members of the group to worship how they choose—either through dance, prayer or quiet time, Folwell said.
“
When we’re up there we’re not performing for ourselves.” Lizzie folwell junior marketing major from abilene
“As dancers we have to have time to rejuvenate,” she said. “That renewal comes through dancing as worship, but it’s important to incorporate that worship into our performance. When we’re up there we’re not performing for ourselves.” Omega performs primarily modern, lyrical and jazz dances. The group has performed in the Ethnos Culture Show and the homecoming parade in the fall, while in the spring many members dance in Sing Song. The group performs at other locations in Abilene and ends the year with a showcase. This year the group’s showcase is titled “I Am” and allows the members to incorporate their own
stories into their dances. “I think it’s a beautiful way to see inside who people are,” Folwell said. The show has one remaining performance tonight, Friday, at 7:30 p.m. in Cullen Auditorium. Tickets are $7 at the door or $5 for groups of eight or more. Folwell said she hopes people will attend. “We’ve worked really hard so it would be great if everybody could come out and see what we’ve been preparing,” she said.
contact Houston at arts@acu.edu
Chorus Abilene presents their Masterworks Spring Concert at Aldersgate United Methodist Church. The show begins at 8:00 p.m. and student tickets are $8. The Don’t Mess With Texas Trash-Off volunteer event will kick off in the K-Mart parking lot at 9:00 a.m. Tuesday, April 8 The ACU Jazz Ensemble Concert will take place in Cullen at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free. Thursday, April 10 Abilene’s monthly Art Walk takes on a Cajun theme in downtown Abilene from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.
OUT
NOW MOVIES
Rated PG-13
136 min.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Deanna romero chief Photographer
This years show focuses on allowing the performers to express their individual spirits through the dances.
Food Review The truth about Taco Bell’s new breakfast menu alikay wood arts editor Taco Bell officially released its new breakfast menu last week after several years of testing. After noticing the success of competitors with breakfast menus, Taco Bell began experimenting with one of its own and found success with several unique items. Taco Bell is known for its cheap, filling take on Mexican food. They have built a reputation on creating unique food with items such as the Doritos Locos Tacos and the Fruitista Freeze smoothies. Taco Bell’s newest invention is the waff le taco, a waff le that folds over eggs and sausage for a hands-on dining experience. The waff le taco has received the most media attention but there are many other items on the menu. Cinnabon Delights have been on the dessert menu for some time but are now offered with breakfast as well. Besides the waff le taco, the menu consists of Mexican inspired dishes centered around torti-
llas, eggs and breakfast meats. This includes a variety of breakfast burritos, tacos and the a new invention the A.M. Crunchwrap. Taco Bell also serves morning beverages like coffee and orange juice. Taco Bell is purposefully extending their breakfast hours through 11 a.m. – one hour later than McDonald’s – to give themselves a leg up in the competition and begin to challenge McDonald’s dominance in the world of breakfast. The breakfast menu is exactly what you would expect from Taco Bell: cheap, greasy and artificial. The food is good despite the high caloric content and prices are reasonable. Fans of Taco Bell’s other options will enjoy its creative take on breakfast foods. While it is definitely not the healthiest option, Taco Bell’s new breakfast menu offers satisfying options and is the perfect guilty pleasure for breakfast indulgence.
Rated PG
AM
113 min.
God’s Not Dead
MUSIC
London Grammar wyatt morgan staff Photographer
contact wood at akw10a@acu.edu
Taco Bell’s new breakfast menu offers unique items such as a waffle taco and A.M. crunchwrap.
If You Wait
sports
friday 4.04.14
6
ACU slated for a pair of matches standings Baseball Standings
daniel block sports reporter The ACU women’s tennis team is back in action this weekend with two matches on Saturday. The Wildcats will host Nicholls State University in the morning and McNeese State University in the second match of the day. Both games are part of the Southland Conference regular season schedule. Nicholls currently sits fifth in the conference standings with a record of 4-2 and 10-5 overall, just one win ahead of the Wildcats at 3-2 and 11-4 overall. Both teams will be looking to bounce back from recent losses. The Colonels had a five-match winning streak snapped last weekend at the hands of Texas A&M Corpus Christi, losing 3-4 in a tightly contested match. ACU did not compete last weekend, but is coming off a disappointing pair of matches the previous weekend, which saw
jarred schutze Staff Photographer
Kaysie Hermsdorf returns the serve for ACU in Abilene.
the team drop consecutive 3-4 decisions on home court to Northwestern State University and Stephen F. Austin University. Both teams were near the top of the conference standings, and the opposition this weekend will be no different. “I think having the weekend off was a benefit to get some rest and have some down time,” said sophomore Nada Marjanovic. “We were able to take ourselves out of ten-
nis mode for the weekend and just relax and have time to train on our own and prepare for this weekend’s matches. We are really looking to redeem ourselves to try to get wins on the board.” Marjanovic leads the Wildcats with a 12-3 record in singles play, and will likely match up at the No. 5 position against Colonels’ Isla Brock, who holds her own impressive 11-1 record. The afternoon portion
of the doubleheader will feature the McNeese Cowgirls, who currently sits in second place in the conference with a 6-1 record and 11-5 overall. The Cowgirls’ most recent match was a 7-0 drubbing of Incarnate Word. ACU will need to use its strong doubles play to get a jump on the opposition in both matches. The Wildcats have picked up the doubles point in 12 of 15 matches this season. “We need to be aggressive in our doubles play from the beginning. The teams are [going to] bring tough competition so we have to be willing to take the heat and bring back better competition,” said sophomore Kaysie Hermsdorf. Hermsdorf and her sister, Micah, a senior, have been an integral part of the Wildcats’ success. The pairing is 13-1 in their doubles matches this year. “Playing with my sister has been an absolute blast,” said Kaysie Hermsdorf. “We mix well on the court, our attitudes and
style of play go well with each other. Getting to play with my sister at this level of competition, you can say has taken something off my check list because I’ve always wanted it to happen. She is graduating this year and playing with her I’ve seen how much we have grown to be best friends and that she always has my back. It’s going to be extremely sad to not have her on the team for my last two years.” In the meantime, the Hermsdorf sisters will be aiming to help put the Wildcats back in the win column. Victories this weekend could prove the team belongs at or near the top of the Southland Conference. The opening match against Nicholls is scheduled for Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Eager Tennis Pavilion on campus. The afternoon match against McNeese will start at 2:30 p.m. contact block at djb13a@acu.edu
‘Cats on prowl for Cards collin wieder assistant sports editor ACU baseball’s Southland Conference season started off well this last weekend when the Wildcats won their first Southland Conference series 2-1 over University of Incarnate Word. They head into another series this weekend against Southland opponent, Lamar. ACU enters the game with a 12-13 overall record and a 2-1 Southland record, while Lamar enters with a 15-14 overall record and a 2-7 Southland record. The Wildcats will need a solid weekend from their pitching staff as Lamar brings in a great offense that has a .286 team average and a .384 on base percentage. To combat Lamar’s great offense they will need help from starting pitcher Garrett Demeyere. Demeyere leads ACU in earned run average with 2.47 and is fourth in the conference in innings pitched with 47.1. The ‘Cats will also be looking for a second great start from freshman Mack Morgan. Morgan went six innings in the last game against Incarnate Word and allowed zero earned runs. Garrett Demeyere said he felt that Morgan’s performance was not out of the ordinary, even though it was his first start. “He did what he usually does mixing pitches and throwing strikes,” Demeyere said. “That’s really what we expected out of him, it’s hard to hit a guy like him.” The Wildcats offense
sports reporter Track and field will travel to Lubbock this weekend for the Texas Tech Open, a one-day meet starting Saturday at 10:30 a.m. with the men’s javelin throw. The Wildcats are coming off a respectable weekend in Austin and San Marcos. A handful of athletes traveled to the University of Texas to compete in the Texas Relays for the first time since 1973, while a second group of Wildcats went to Texas State University for the Bobcat Invitational. ACU picked up several top-eight performances at the Texas Relays against some of the top schools in the nation, including University of California Los Angeles, University of
Div.
Ovrl
Nicholls St. MSU NSU TAMU-CC ACU SELU UCA HBU SHSU SFA ORU UIW Lamar NO
7-2 6-3 6-3 6-3 2-1 5-4 5-4 5-4 4-5 4-5 3-6 1-2 2-7 1-8
15-16 16-11 16-12 16-15 12-13 18-11 16-10 14-11 19-10 13-14 13-14 7-19 15-14 8-18
Team
Div.
Ovrl
MSU ACU Lamar UCA SHSU HBU NSU SFA UIW Nicholls St. SELU TAMU-CC
8-3 4-2 7-4 7-4 7-5 7-5 6-5 6-5 3-3 3-8 3-9 2-10
24-10 15-18 12-15 17-22 18-17 11-17 17-15 15-18 14-18 12-25 10-17 7-28
Softball Standings
Who’s Hot Freshman Robert Johnson played well in his first- ever collegiate johnson tounament earlier this week. Johnson led the Wildcats to a seventh place finish and posted a +8 (229) score, good enough for a 13th place tie individually.
briefings The Wildcats football season opener against Georgia State at the Georgia Dome will be aired on ESPNU. Sophomore guard Parker Wentz was selected Tuesday to the Southland Conference’s All-Academic First Team. Senior forward Renata Marquez was selected Wednesday to the Southland Conference’s All-Academic First Team. Seniors Madison Buckley, Emily Conrad, Senior Seth Spivey hits a ball to right center field last weekend. Spivey is one of the top hitters in the Southland Confer- Ian Evans and junior Tyler Eager were ence, leading the conference in hitting with an average of .404 and has also hit three home runs. selected as ACU’s student athletes of the should continue their Gunnar Buhner, Aaron neau said he hopes to us to try and just figure month for March. jarred schuetze Staff Photographer
dominance heading into the weekend as their team batting average sits at .305. The ‘Cats have six incredible players who are hitting .300 or higher on the season. The offense has been helped by a group of young players this year. Three of the six players include three freshmen
Draper and Brandon Grudzielanek. Even with all the incredible numbers ACU has put up, they will face a great pitching staff in Lamar that will challenge them. Lamar ranks fourth in the conference in ERA with a 3.49 earned run average. Head coach Britt Bon-
find another starting pitcher this weekend and that the team will use the series against Incarnate Word to improve as they go along. “Hopefully we can carry this momentum, hopefully we can find a starter for game one,” Bonneau said. “Every week is going to be a challenge for
out what this league is about.” The first game starts Friday at 6 p.m. at Crutcher Scott Field.
Calfornia Berkeley, Baylor, Auburn, Duke and Oklahoma. Senior Baptiste Kerjean, a native of St. Brieuc, France came in second place in the men’s hammer throw, falling short to Florida’s Kyle Strawn by only 22 centimeters. The men’s sprint medley relay team came in seventh overall with a time of 3:22.00, finishing behind Arkansas, Louisiana State, Texas A&M and UCLA. Freshman Johnathan Farquharson and freshman Maliek Golden each ran 200 to kick off the race, followed by sophomore Osie AlleyneForte in the next 400 and junior Daniel Block in the anchor 800. Block, a transfer from Canada, added yet another top-five performance to his season, placing fourth in section B of the
“
It was a good meet for everybody to get into their stride for the season. I think everybody competed very well.”
men’s 1,500 meters. The women’s team was best represented by senior Amelia Mitchell, who finished sixth in the women’s javelin. Junior Lexus Williams ran the women’s 100-hurdles in 14.39 seconds, finishing sixth in her heat and 54th overall. “It was a good meet for everybody to get into their stride for the season,” Mitchell said. “I think everybody competed very well.” Meanwhile in San Marcos, the other ACU group
Amelia mitchell javelin thrower acu track
picked up eight personal records at Texas State. Senior Erik Forrester finished fourth in the men’s 3,000-meter run. Sophomore Jeremy Tatham also finished fourth in his event, conquering the men’s 110-meter hurdles with a personal best of 14.77. Senior Darian Hogg earned two top-eight finishes, finishing in seventh and eighth place in the men’s triple jump and long jump, respectively. Right behind him
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Upcoming contact wieder at cpw11a@acu.edu
Wildcats prepare for test in Lubbock emily seidel
Team
was freshman Malcolm Barnes, who finished ninth and 11th in the same events. Senior Aaron Bynum came in sixth place with the men’s javelin. Freshman Diana Garcia Munoz proved herself on the track, finishing ninth in the women’s 800-meter run with a personal outdoor record of 2:15.82. She defeated teammates Emily Hill and Cristian Engelmann, who finished 20th and 29th in the same event. After this weekend’s meet at Tech, the Wildcats will be halfway through their regular outdoor season. They are looking to pursue a Southland Conference Championship at the beginning of May. contact seidel at eks13b@acu.edu
Men’s tennis will take on Schreiner University at 1 p.m. Friday in Kerrville. Baseball starts its weekend series against Lamar at 6 p.m. Friday at The Crutch. Women’s tennis is set to face Southland Conference rivals Nicholls State and McNeese State. The Nicholls State match begins Saturday at 10 a.m. and the McNeese State match starts at 2:30 p.m. Softball hits the road to play a doubleheader against Stephen F. Austin at 1 and 3 p.m. Track heads to Lubbock to compete against Texas Tech on Saturday. Golf will travel to Jonesboro, Ark. to compete in the Arkansas State University Intercollegiate tournament Monday and Tuesday.