Cross-town rivalry Wildcats beat McMurry 60-17 Sports Page 6 vol. 102, no. 6
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
1 SECTION, 6 PAGES
Bible majors to see tuition reduction
INSIDE NEWS
cuss the possibilities. “We met as a campus online managing editor leadership looking at everything from financial A tuition reduction for aid to admissions to each Bible majors has been ap- of the offices involved to proved and will be imple- be sure this is something mented for next year’s in- that is affordable and is coming freshmen. it something that we can Dr. Robert Rhodes, offer and sustain,” he provost, said the College said. of Biblical Studies offered Rhodes said each stuthe initial idea, and cam- dent would know they pus leaders met to dis- would not pay more than
Melany cox
Students will be fully immersed in the study abroad program in Montevideo Page 3
NEWS CitySquare offers a tract for education majors in 2014 Page 3
half of the typical tuition coming in, which is typically the case with students already through scholarships and aid from the CBS. This way potential Bible majors would know ahead of time that cost will not be as big a factor as they might have originally thought. He said the College of Biblical Studies will establish guidelines and
review procedures similar to those for other scholarship recipients to monitor applicants and funding. Rhodes said several things prompted the reduction. He said more ministry training programs have been implemented in ACU’s sister schools. As a result, students have more and more schools
and programs to choose from, so the programs are getting smaller. Rhodes said the schools have different price points. All schools provide a cost calculator on their website that starts with total tuition. He said most students don’t pay total tuition but, as Bible majors look see tuition page 5
AN ALL-CLUB TOSS UP
NEWS A Master’s degree in Occupation Therapy is now offered at ACU Page 3
OPINON The Editorial Board discusses the relevancy of an iPad requirement.
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SPORTS Wildcat soccer blows out Golden Eagles on the road Page 6
NEWS Students now have the opportunity to learn Korean Garon Goodspeed Staff Photographer
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SPORTS Sophomore defensive back Tyler Chapa shows promise in his first two games
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OPINION Read Alikay Wood’s opinion on our culture’s obsession with Fifty Shades of Grey. Page 4
SPORTS Matt Sloan breaks down the first week of the NFL season Page 5
ONLINE VIDEO Watch students kick-off of the intramural season with flag football
Josh Haffner, sophomore kinesiology major from Seguin, and Thomas Evans, senior marketing major from Westlake, participate in a bean bag toss at the all-club tailgate rush before ACU’s game against McMurry at Shotwell Stadium.
Engineering dept. doubled in size Physics and Engineering , said it had only 30 students last year but more than 60 students call The Engineering Depart- themselves engineering ment starts its second majors this year. year as an established “The number of stumajor with more than dents we have now is the double the number of stu- number of students we dents than last year. thought we’d have after Dr. Rusty Towell, chair five years,” Towell said. of the Department of “We’re growing much
Linsey Thut
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faster than we had anticipated.” In the past, students were only offered the physics major and had to go to graduate school to learn about engineering or enter into the field right out of college. Dr. Kenneth Olree, the director of the department of engineering, said
the department was created to satisfy the high demand for an engineering education. “For some students, they might have found it a little harder to get into the engineering field from physics,” he said. “In some cases, students decided they really wanted engineering and so
they would go to another school.” Before coming to ACU last year, Olree was a part of Harding University’s new engineering program. “What was exciting to me about coming to ACU was I could get in at the see Engineering page 5
Feral Cat Initiative sets up feeders gabi powell features editor A minimized melody of meowing can be heard on campus compared to years past. Last semester, Campus Management took action against a cat-crowded campus by implementing a new program named the Feral Cat Initiative. Corey Ruff, executive director of facilities and campus management and main advisor for the initiative, said around 40 cats total have gone through the program and the number of kittens is noticeably smaller this semester. He said the program is making progress, with three cats having gone
ACUOPTIMIST.COM
through the program since the start of the semester. The Trap-Neuter-Return program has the cats inspected by a local veterinarian, who determines if they are in a condition to be spayed/ neutered. Each cat is then ear-tipped for identification and given a rabies shot. The entire process is completed within a matter of hours, ending with the cats’ return to campus. This semester, the first feeding station has been set up on the west side of the Central Plant. “We are fixing to put out two more feeding stations in areas of campus that have a higher Garon Goodspeed STaff Photographer
see CAT page 5
ACU has implemented feral cat feeding stations around campus for our furry friends.
The Optimist
acuoptimist.com
Abilene Christian University
@acuoptimist
OPTIMIST@ACU.EDU
Wednesday 09.11.13
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Wednesday
12 7 p.m. Sub T-16 Rush
Thursday
13
Friday
5 p.m. Frater Sodalis Dodgeball Rush
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4:30 p.m. VB at Northern Arizona University
Saturday
5 p.m. Sigma Theta Chi A League of Their Own Rush
3:30 p.m. Freshmen Follies 6 p.m. FB vs. New Mexico Highlands University
9 p.m. Trojans Rush
To date:
11 a.m. Freshmen Follies 1:30 p.m. Freshmen Folliles
7 p.m. Kojie/Moonie Cookout Rush
Chapel checkup
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Around Abilene
Remaining:
14 86 @acuoptimist
Sept. 11
Sept. 12
Sept. 13
Sept. 14
12 p.m. A memorial service in honor of Sept. 11 will be conducted at the Comanche County Courthouse in Comanche.
5 p.m. Artwalk will take place in Downtown Abilene. There will be live music and free food.
7:30 p.m. A dance featuring Midnight Blues will take place at the Oplin Community Center. Admission is $5.
10 a.m. Antioch CME Church is having a fish fry. Cost for food is $7.
The Optimist optimist@acu.edu Police Log Announcements Students that would like to spread God’s Word through drama are invited to join Seekers of the Word. Audtions are 8 p.m. Sept. 11 in Room 115 of the OnsteadPacker Biblical Studies Building. For more information contact Emmy Sparks at eas09d@acu.edu.
Students interested in learning how to step are invited to audition for the Shades Step Squad. Auditions will be 7-10 p.m. Sept. 23-27 Room 103 of the OnsteadPacker Biblical Studies Building.
Students interested in buying used computers for a great price are invited to attend the ACU Computer Auction at 1 p.m. on Sept. 28 in the Cullen Auditorium.
The Career Center is conducting a Part-Time Job Fair 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Sept. Students interested in joining the Men’s 11 at the Hardin Simmons University Lacrosse Team are invited to attend the Campus Pond Area. Casual attire is apinterest meeting 6 p.m. Sept. 12 in the propriate for the event. Rec Center. The Sing Song 2014 Host and Hostess The deadline to register for men’s pledg- audtions will be Oct. 7 and 8. ing is 12 a.m. on Sept. 22.
The ACU Theatre is now selling tickets for the homecoming musical Les Miserables. Showtimes are 8 p.m. Oct. 18-19 and 2 p.m. Oct. 20. Tickets may be purchased online at acu.edu/theatre or at the box office 1-5 p.m. Monday-Friday.
If you are interested in joining the Abilene Catholic Student Association, contact Christina Wise at caw11a@acu.edu, Jazmine Moreno at jmm10d@acu.edu or Natalie Hudson at nlh11a@acu.edu for more information. Coming to ACU this fall is The Jeremiah Project, a student organization that will be working on Tuesday evenings with children struggling with grief at Hendricks Hospice. For more information, contact Kaitlin Pegoda at kep10d@acu.edu or call 936-577-9047.
Volunteer Opp0rtunities Alliance for Women and Children is seeking volunteers to care for children weekdays from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. To learn more contact Toni Brown at 325-677-5321 or info@ afwconline.org. The Center for Contemporary Arts needs volunteers to greet patrons, answer questions about the gallery and answer phones. Volunteer opportunities are avaliable Tuesday-Friday between 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and the second Thursday of every month for Artwalk from 5 p.m.-8:30 p.m. For more information contact Jennifer Parks at 325677-8389. 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. Love and Care Ministries is looking for volunteers to help with sorting clothing, stocking their food pantry, assisting in prayers in their prayer room and serving food to the homeless. For more information, call 325-670-0246. Volunteers are needed at the BCFS Abilene Transition Center for event planning and setup, assisting in teaching life-skills classes, accompanying transport, visiting homes and/or assisting in construction of facilities for assisting in the betterment of male and female youth ages 15-25. This opportunity is open each morning Mondays through Fridays. Students interested must contact Johnny Nguyen at 325-692-0033 or jnguyen@bcfs.net. 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 Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. If you are interested, please contact Martin Walker at 325-690-5235 or mwalker@ bhcmhmr.org by Aug. 31. 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. Volunteers that have a friendly personality and an interest in helping older adults are needed at University Place Retirement. Volunteers are needed to assist the activities director with various tasks throughout the week, as well as some weekends. Contact Haley Rude at 325676-9946 for more information. The Salvation Army is looking for volunteers for a variety of needs such as helping in the kitchen and/or doing yard work. Times are flexible and volunteers are needed Monday-Saturday. For more information contact J.D. Alonzo at 325-677-1408.
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. Rescue the Animals is seeking volunteers to work at the adoption center performing a variety of tasks, from playing with the animals to working in the office. For more information visit their website at http://www.rescuetheanimals.org/volunteer. 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 St. and Beech St. Service times must be scheduled in advance. To serve on Mondays contact Jody Depriest at 325-669-3312 or jody.depriest@gmail. com. To serve on Tuesdays contact Allen Daugherty at 325-660-6949 or ale.al@suddenlink.net. To serve on Wednesdays contact Jane Harvey at 325-695-0092 or jharvread@aol.com. To serve on Thursdays contact Margaret Beasley at 325-692-4149 or mbeasley5@suddenlink.net. To serve on Fridays contact Rachel Brown at rdb08a@acu.edu. The National Center For Children’s Illustrated Literature is looking for volunteers to greet patrons, assist with art activities, sell books and make visitors feel welcome. Help is also needed for special events like Artwalk and exhibit openings. The NCCIL is located at 102 Cedar St. For more information on times and dates contact Debby Lillick at 325-673-4586 or visit http://www. nccil.org/index.htm. The Center for International Education is looking for English speaking students to be paired with international students for English practice, conversation and cultural learning. Partners meet for one hour each week at a time and place determined by their partners. To volunteer contact Laura McGregor at laura.mcgregor@acu.edu. Volunteers are needed to help with daily activities organized by the staff at Chisholm House. This could involve playing board games, doing 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 International Rescue Committee is seeking volunteers to work with refugees who recently moved to the U.S. by teaching English, helping with homework and mentoring. Contact Susanna Lubango to make an appointment at 325675-5643.
The Christian Service Center is seeking volunteers to help with filling requests for items such as clothing and bedding from the donation center, sorting and organizing donations and occasionally picking up donated items. Volunteers are needed every weekday and the first Saturday of each month between 9 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1 p.m.-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. 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. Eternal Threads is seeking volunteers to help with packing and organizing shipments, labeling products, running errands and cleaning any weekday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. For more information contact Pam Early at 325-672-6000 or pam@eternalthreads.com. University Place is seeking volunteers to help with 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. Christian Homes & Family Services is seeking volunteers to do minor landscaping such as raking, trimming bushes, minor apartment repairs and general upkeep MondaySaturday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information contact Shaylee Honey at 325-677-2205 or Shoney@ ChristianHomes.com. Big Brothers/Big Sisters offers two volunteer programs. Lunch Buddies pairs volunteers with a little brother or 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 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. Pregnancy Resources of Abilene is looking for volunteers to perform tasks such as help at the front desk, answer phone calls, teach sexual integrity classes and silent witnessing for STDs and ultrasounds. For more information contact Mary Bone at 325-6726415. The Abilene Zoo is looking for volunteers to help with general labor such as grounds cleanup and painting any weekday at any time between 12 p.m.-4 p.m. The Zoo is located at 2070 Zoo Ln. Contact Joy Harsh at 325-6766487 for more information. For additional volunteer opportunities visit: www.acu. edu/campusoffices/ccsl/ministry-service/volunteeropportunities/
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news
Wednesday 09.11.13
ACU professor publishes book in French Melany Cox Online Managing editor Yann Opsitch, ACU instructor of French, published a book entitled “La Sagesse et L’Adversite” in June. The book is written entirely in French. The title translates to “Wisdom and Adversity.” Opsitch said he was invited last fall to present at a conference in Colmar, France about the theme of wisdom in the Bible and decided to write a book to reach more people. He began
writing in late November and worked through Christmas break. Wisdom and suffering are key themes throughout the book. “All of these chapters are dealing with questions that, in my experience, the French people are really struggling with,” he said. “I talk about the future because a great number of French people go to astrology to find out what the future is and they’re worried about it.” Opsitch is French and was a minister and writer in France and uses ma-
terial found throughout the Bible, including the words of Solomon and Jesus. He said the book blends philosophy with the Bible and life experience. The book is written from the perspective of a non-believer who could open it and immediately become interested in it. “It’s really written for the French person who doesn’t have much faith and doesn’t know the Bible,” Opsitch said. He presented two conferences about the book June 21 - 22 in Colmar. Over the course of two
evenings he presented the basic themes of the book to both nonbelievers and Chrisopsitch tians who attended the conference. He said he presented the book in Colmar because there are Christians trying to plant a church there. The book is available on Amazon in Europe and the United States and has received good reviews, Opstich said. He is hoping to make the book
available for Kindle in the future. Bren White, director of Operation French World in Laurel, Md., commented on Opsitch’s book on Amazon.com. “Yann has done an excellent job of helping people to see the practical nature of God’s Word, from the writings of King Solomon to the teachings of Jesus Christ,” White said. “He demonstrates how the wisdom of God brings meaning and power and peace in the most difficult times of this life. I think French readers will be encouraged, chal-
lenged and blessed by this book. I look forward to the next book in the series.” Opsitch said his next step is to market the book to bookstores in France, to both Christian and non-Christians. “Wisdom is something that the French people are very interested in. Over the years I’ve done some research on books people buy, and they are looking for solutions to life,” he said. contact cox at mkc09b@acu.edu
Dept. of Language adds new Korean course James eldred student reporter Korean language classes began this semester. The course is a new addition to the Department of Language and Literature. Dr. Harland Rall, assistant professor of Language and Literature, is the language coordinator for Dialektos. “Dialektos is a name we gave to the language program for non-traditional
languages on campus,” Rall said. “It patterns after programs in other places where there’s a supervising professor who contracts the syllabus, mid-term and final for us, and then a native speaker tutors the students for us.” Rall explained that several students had accompanied Dr. Kilnam Cha to his home country of South Korea on a mission trip. “Some of the students came back wanting to study Korean, so we were able to
make some plans and get it into the schedule last spring,” he said. The class is held in a repurposed office in Chambers Hall. Each class, or language pod, consists of five students or less and an international student as their “conversation partner”. “Dialektos allows us to have a language without hiring a professor on campus,” said Rall. “We use a lot of similar teaching techniques in our regular classes, but we don’t have those
language professors here.” For the Korean course, a professor in New York was contracted to provide the syllabus, curriculum and finals. Junior Kinesiology/ Sport and Recreation Management Monica Bae, of Suwon, South Korea, serves as the conversation partner. Kelsy Kotara, a junior international studies major from Ft. Worth, said she enjoys the way the course is set up. “You’re working with a fellow student, so you can
talk comfortably,” she said. “But you can ask them questions and they’ll know the answers because they’re fluent in that language. You learn a lot more in the small time you have.” The Korean class is expected to be offered for four semesters. If four or five students new students apply in the fall, a first-year beginner’s program will be created. Students are also welcome to pursue any other language with Dialektos.
“This particular program is given some flexibility because of the administration’s support,” said Rall. “We can offer just about any language. If we have a native speaker on campus we can find a professor who will work with us. It depends on student demand and the international students.”
contact eldred at jfe11a@acu.edu
CitySquare to offer program for education majors nering with those in need”. Their goal is to empower student reporter those in poverty and find ways to connect them to In the fall of 2014, the people and resources. CitySquare program is ofDr. Dana Pemberton, fering an opportunity for chair of teacher education education majors to shad- said, “Over 90% of teachow teachers in urban class- ers are white and the marooms. jority comes from middle CitySquare is a faith class and advantaged backbased organization located grounds. The learners these in downtown Dallas that teachers encounter in ur“exists to fight the root ban classrooms have not causes of poverty by part- experienced the same back-
Laura Benson
ground and largely because of this mismatch, over 50% of beginning teachers leave the field within the first 5 years.” “The mission of the ACU Department of Teacher Education is to prepare exemplary, committed educators for service in diverse and multicultural communities for the glory of God,” Pemberton said. “City Square offers a unique context for our program as we seek to
fully live out this mission. Our teacher candidates are primarily white and economically advantaged. Still, many have the heart to serve in high needs urban settings. City Square offers us a way to more fully prepare these future teachers for what they will encounter so that they will be more likely to persist in the profession, and specifically in urban settings.” Teacher candidates for
Study Abroad program creates Spanish-intensive trip for 2014 rachel fritz staff reporter A new and rigorous Spanish-intensive course will replace regular study abroad courses at Montevideo, Uraguay in Fall 2014. Stephen Shewmaker, executive director for international education said they were urged to create the program. “Paul Roggendorff challenged us to develop a program that would provide an even more r o b u s t purpose that would Roggendorff serve as a capstone experience for students majoring and minoring in
Spanish,” Shewmaker said. Dr. Paul Roggendorf, associate professor of Spanish and director of World Languages, proposed the idea to the study abroad team last year. “It was based on my experience at another college where Spanish majors were required to attend a semester in an immersion study abroad experience in a Spanish-speaking country during their junior or senior year,” Roggendorff said. Roggendorff will be joining the students in Montevideo for the first semester with resident directors Wimon and Rosalinda Walker. “I grew up across the river in Buenos Aires,where my parents served as missionaries for ten years,” Roggendorff said. “In a way,
its like going back home for an extended visit. I’m also thrilled my family will be going and I will be able to share with my kids a bit of the culture I experienced at their age.” Like other study abroad trips, students will learn in and out of the classroom. Plans are being made to visit cities like Machu Picchu, and Cuzco, Peru and Buenos Aires, Argentina, and local attractions. Students will also be allowed one week to travel on their own. “These types of experiences are excellent for language learners because it serves as an internship of sorts where they get to put into practice what they have learned in class,” Roggendorff said. “And I’m not talking about just the language, but the cultures
Occupational therapy masters program begins degree accredidation process James eldred staff reporter A program for a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program is in the process of being approved for the summer of 2014. The Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition is currently accepting applications. Since there is no specific corresponding bachelor’s degree, any student with the prerequisite science courses can apply, said program director Dr. Hope Martin. “We have a heavy psychological background,” she said. “Typically we get people from exercise science, kinesiology or biology. We can get psychology or social work majors.” The degree program,
currently in the process of being accredited by the American Occupational Therapy Association, was partly created because of the field’s anticipated growth. Martin said there are currently only five occupational therapy programs in Texas, with ACU’s being the sixth. “The United States Bureau of Labor predicts a 34 percent growth in the field over the next ten years,” Martin said. Dr. Joe Bell, chair of the Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition, said that although the degree has been introduced, the finished product is still in progress. “We haven’t hired all our faculty yet,” he said. “We’ve got a program director and a couple of adjuncts committed, but the
“
The U.S. Bureau of Labor predicts a 34 percent growth in the field over the next 10 years.” Dr. hope martin Occupational therapry masters program director
faculty will be phased in over the next few years.” The Master’s degree provides an excellent way for students to carry out the university’s mission, Martin said. “Occupational therapy is utilized to restore function and well-being in people who have been injured in various ways,” she said.
contact eldred at jfe11a@acu.edu
as well.” Students will be able to choose between an intermediate track or an advanced track based on whether they are majoring or minoring in Spanish. Students will take separate classes on each track for six to seven weeks and will combine to take the same courses for the last eight weeks. All courses will be taught in Spanish. Expectations for the new program are high and there are few doubts of its success. “With this program, we just hope to further the university’s mission as best we can,” Roggendorff said.
contact fritz at ref11a@acu.edu
the CitySquare program gram during the Welcome will apply to current fresh- Week academic meetings. man during their spring semester. The education decontact Benson at partment will provide more leb10b@acu.edu information about the pro-
The Optimist optimist@acu.edu
@acuoptimist ACUOPTIMIST.com
Opinion
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Wednesday 09.11.13
editorial
‘Device of choice’ could quickly change iPhone. Five years ago iPhones, and smartphones The university is requiring incoming students to purchase iPads in general, were uncomor iPad minis. mon. Now nearly every freshman arrives with a smartphone. ACU acour take knowledged this by disTechnology’s rate of change has accelerated. ACU should continuing the doling out take this into cnsideration before requiring students to purof mobile devices. Techchas expensive devices. nology trends have since gravitated toward tablet This is a loaded moment mobile-learning initia- devices, proving to be a for ACU, where technol- tive and we are now seeing better platform when it ogy takes precedence and the on-campus repercus- comes to education. Hence affordability in education sions of what technology the ACU iPad requirement. seems to play second- is known for: changing Maybe it is because the string. quickly. AT&T-sponsored stipend It’s been five years since The mobile-learning for the mobile initiative the university started the initiative began with the ended. Maybe it is because
the issue
we are adopting the theory that an iPad is as essential as a textbook. Either way, ACU is transferring the financial burden of technology to the students. Electronic books are cheaper and there are a plethora of substantively educational apps. There are benefits with the iPad that we didn’t previously have with the iPhone. However, this idea of improvement, and the rate at which it changes, is a characteristic of technology that no other generation before us has experi-
enced. There were 58 years between the invention of the record player and the invention of the cassette tape, and more than 40 years between the cassette tape and the CD. Seeing what short amount of time it took ACU to switch from one platform to another should be a good indicator for the length of time that it will take for us to move on to the next one. Dr. Susan Lewis, vice provost of the university, said, “We have shifted our focus from the iPhone to
the iPad, now that it is the device of choice.” If it is the markets that are determining the “device of choice,” then let them decide. If it is the preferences of students that are guiding the university’s focus, then so be it. But ACU needs to take more consideration into the length of time a “device of choice” will actually be affordably relevant.
contact the optimist at jmcnetwork@acu.edu
DAILY doodle dosage
column
Ben Todd
Fifty Shades of women’s roles KNOCK ON WOOD ALIKAY WOOD ARTS EDITOR
Few have been able to escape the “Fifty Shades of Grey” craze that has consumed our culture over the last several years. The story of an innocent college student’s sexual education from a wealthy, tortured billionaire has become one of the best selling, and most controversial, books ever written. Fifty Shades of Grey is a story about dominance and submission and the roles women secretly desire to play in romantic relationships. The Christian world has reacted to the series’ popularity with disgust and judgment although these same ideas are central to traditional Christian teaching, which has long advocated for the submission of women to the authority of men. Our culture has progressed far beyond the patriarchal practices that were once considered common sense, but for some reason the idea of submission, especially in romantic relationships, still appeals to women. If we’re being brutally honest, Christianity teaches many of the same qualities that are present in the Fifty Shades series. A dominant, controlling man is considered attractive while an innocent, submissive girl is portrayed as the ideal woman. More than 70 million copies of “Fifty Shades of
Grey” have been sold. Millions of people who are not ashamed to admit they find these ideas sexually appealing, relate to this dynamic on some level, with many others remaining silent about their intrigue. Christianity has created a culture where young women are taught that their lives should center around men and they can only be completed through marriage. Women are raised with the idea that their purpose is submission and service to the man who will someday be their husband. The delivery of the message is obviously very different in both cases. Instead of graphic sexual descriptions, the Church preaches about purity, obedience and service, but the outcome is the same. Women are taught to believe that their greatest calling is to be a wife and that submission is sexier than equality and partnership. At least “Fifty Shades of Grey” is honest about this worldview instead of disguising it as God’s will. The next time the topic of women’s roles in the Church comes up, think of chains and whips. That’s what they’re really getting at, anyway.
contact wood at akw10a@acu.edu
column
Chapel should get more respect worship. Sometimes I sit there thinking about how stressful my day is. But I still see Chapel as a blessing, not an inconvenience. It’s thirty minutes of my day that I have no control over. It’s thirty minutes I can spend reflecting on how unfathomable God’s love for us is. Why wouldn’t you want to appreciate that? There are people who come to Chapel for the sole purpose of earning another Chapel credit. After they slide out for the 55th time, they are never seen in Moody again. If their heart isn’t in it, fine. However, they should be respectful of those who are trying to pay attention. Don’t ruin the experience for the rest of us. Then there are the people who complain about going to Chapel. They don’t just complain about the 55 required credits. They complain about the over-
DISTURBANCE IN THE FORCE
MELANY COX OPINION PAGE EDITOR
I am a senior and I still like going to Chapel. Chapel is one of the traditions that makes ACU so unique. It separates us from hundreds of other schools. It’s usually taken for granted, but lately I’ve been noticing people treating it with no proper respect at all. Chapel provides students with a half-hour break from class and studying every day. The minutes surrounding it provide a chance to sit with friends and spend time catching up on everyone’s morning. More importantly, Chapel is an open opportunity to praise God with singing, scripture and prayer.
It is not the time to be frantically completing last minute homework assignments. It is not the time to be skimming through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. It is a designated time to stop talking, stop texting and focus on something bigger than us. It’s only half an hour out of the entire day. For a group of mature adults, it shouldn’t be that hard to stop talking, sit still and pay attention. Those skills were supposed to be refined in elementary school. I admit it. When it comes to glancing at my phone or sending a quick text, I’m as guilty as the next person. I confess, I’m guilty. My heart isn’t always in the
all experience. I feel sorry for these people. They are completely missing the point. They’ve been given a rare opportunity and don’t get a single thing out of it. True, sometimes Chapel is a little slow, or the speaker can’t be heard very well or the singing is pitched a little to high. But there’s an overall message people are overlooking: we’re celebrating God’s presence in our everyday lives. As college students we should take pride in the fact that this type of service is even allowed to take place on campus. Christians should be taking advantage of every opportunity to praise God. This means every day not just during Praise Day. It’s time for a campuswide attitude adjustment.
contact COX at mkc09b@acu.edu
hashtagACU Sept. 9 8:40 p.m.
Sept. 9 8:00 p.m.
The iPad is cool but pretty useless. The cornerstone textbook, my only ebook, is a good idea but pretty elementary in scope #ACUiPadMandate
@acuoptimist Not sure about #ACUiPadMandate, care deeply about Chambers demolition. Renovations long overdue, but history has value also!
@Pocolocoelijah
@mexivanilla
Sept. 9 7:50 p.m.
@acuoptimist #ACUiPadMandate marginalizes students with limited resources and gives preferential access to those with abundant resources.
@mexivanilla
Sept. 9 6:56 p.m.
Sept. 7 6:31 p.m.
Who does homework at a football game... I mean, besides the freshman sitting in front of me... @ overheardACU
@ninjagirl52
Sept. 9 11:11 a.m.
Hand painting Jesus in less than 10 minutes, that’s incredible. #Chapel #IAmSecond
@bmarcus88
Sept. 6 11:03 a.m.
Jersey day: segregation at its finest.
@RAR_Wildcat15
How hard is it to not talk/laugh obnoxiously during chapel.. 30 minutes.. We’re adults.
Sept. 6 11:11 a.m.
We’re sassy in chapel today. #acudifference
@rebeccaagulick
@JaymieJ725
@KennedyAshleym Sept. 6 7:26 p.m.
Freshman girl: I lost my schedule and I don’t have my classes memorized yet! It’s the second week of school?
Sept. 6 11:06 a.m.
Men of McMurry, modest is hottest. Put some clothes on, no one wants to see your speedo #lookatyourlife #lookatyourchoices
@rebeccaagulick
@tomevans74
@frizzyLizzyyy
@AbigailKellogg
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.
ACU BAND IS PLAYING THE GAME OF THRONES THEME I AM DYING
@kathrynndavis
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Address letters to: ACU Box 27892 Abilene, TX 79609 E-mail letters to: optimist@acu.edu
Sept. 5 9:13 p.m.
Sept. 6 9:57 a.m. Sept. 7 5:17 p.m.
newsroom (325) 674-2439
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Had my first encounter with the police tonight. Broke up the nerf gun war in the Bible Building. #rebel #dontcallmymom
“Let’s all wear our club shirts to advertise the rush tomorrow” said no guys club ever.
Sept. 7 7:48 p.m.
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
Sept. 6 11:15 a.m.
I really like having the iPad... its good for class and for watching Netflix... it was a great excuse to get one #ACUiPadMandate
Sept. 6 11:37 a.m.
Very thankful for @ ChrisPlekenpol, his incredible story, and his enthusiasm while sharing during good ol’ ACU chapel! @ iamSecond #jesusrocks
@juliaaprior
Sept. 9 7:49 p.m.
Today in Bible I learned that Jesus is like Optimus Prime, Obi Wan Kanobi, and Harry Potter.
Sept. 9 2:36 p.m.
I’m officially on twitter! Now where are the birds? I’m hungry! #ACU @overheardACU
@KdGene11
@ACU_Wildcat
Trying to do homework. Then Dr. McCracken invited me to play League of Legends. #Goodbye4pointo #ACUDifference
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news/sports
wednesday 09.11.13
Tuition: Reduction for majors to help ACU compete from page 1
“
We need th next generation of ambassadors being trained here who will go and work in churches, but also be advocated for ACU.”
our students on average,” Rhodes said. “We’ve never advertised it that way. for a school, they chose So we have to take the a school with cheaper students that seek us out tuition before they get a and then begin to work michelle nix good look at ACU. with them, and there’s senior interior design major from dallas “Where we typically some who don’t seek us end up with our Bible out because we seem too majors, both through and endowment support Biblical Studies, is very expensive.” institutional support through the College of close to half tuition for Rhodes said the tu-
ition reduction will show ACU is competitive in price and provides greater value than an online calculator shows. He said he thinks it is important to have the next generation of ambassadors for ACU who are in churches, whether in the pulpit or youth
ministry. “We need the next generation of ambassadors being trained here who will go and work in churches, but also be advocates for ACU,” he said. contact Cox at mkc09b@acu.edu
Engineering: New department increases rapidly from page 1
ders”. “We’re trying to do some things that will be not only interesting but fun for the students,” Olree said. Candace Brooks, sophomore engineering major from Bedford, said the
department has grown so much that some of her classes are taking place in the library to provide more space. “I wasn’t expecting it to explode like that,” she said. Brooks said she was surprised at how much more there was to learn about the world after tak-
“
We’re trying to do something that will be not only ing classes in physics and engineering. interesting but fun for the students.” “You think you know how the world works,” Brooks said, “then you get into physics classes and michelle nix then you’re like, everysenior interior design major from dallas thing you know is wrong, pretty much, and is way more complicated.” wonders of the world and “Even, like, simple Brooks said she can see feel his power in the way things we think we unGod’s handiwork in the things interact. derstand, we really don’t,”
she said. Students who are interested in learning more about the Physics and Engineering Department are encouraged to contact Dr. Ken Olree at kxo12a@acu. edu. contact Thut at lct10a@acu.edu
Cat: Number of wild cats decreased from last year from page 1
Garon Goodspeed STaff Photographer
ACU has implemented feral cat feeding stations around campus for our furry friends.
cat population,” Ruff said. “These feeding stations will allow better control over the food source for the cats.” Ashton Pruitt, a sophomore criminal justice major from Denton, became involved in the feral cat initiative when assigned a class semester project aimed to fix an issue on campus. She said students can play a part in helping keep the kitten crowds under control. “Don’t feed them,” she said. “I know they are
adorable and remind us of our pets at home, but outside feeding will attract non-native cats that have not passed the veterinarian’s examinations and could pose a heath threat to the cats inhabiting the campus.” With the many years of cat colonizing, Ruff said the program’s success will be gradual. “It has taken several years for the ACU cat population to get to where it is today,” Ruff said. “So it will take a little time for the TNR program to start making a significant impact on the number of cats on campus.”
Ruff said they will be setting up a booth in the Campus Center for National Feral Cat Day on Oct. 16 to help raise awareness about the TNR program. Any students interested in helping can email fera lcats @ g roupma i l. acu.edu.
contact Powell at gmp10b@acu.edu
Week 1 of NFL season brings excitement The Sloan Ranger Matthew Sloan Sports director
After one weekend of NFL football, everyone has already been reminded why they are so passionate about the sport. The fact is the NFL is compelling because each game is critical to a team and nobody knows what to expect. New England needed a last minute comeback to beat the lowly Buffalo Bills behind rookie quarterback E.J. Manuel. However, Manuel threw
for two scores and almost captured a win in his first start. Meanwhile, rookie signal caller Geno Smith is thrust into action because of an injury. He marches downfield to take his team to a lastsecond field goal and win his first game and left the Bucs with all kinds of questions. The Colts and the new age golden boy Andrew Luck took on one of the worst
teams in football. But the Raiders kept ithe game close until the last Luck dove into the end zone and left Raiders fans wondering if they will ever escape the decade long hangover from the tuck rule. Who could forget Super Bowl contender Seattle only scoring a dozen on a Panthers team that everyone had written off as the third best team in their division. The Titans out-Steelered the Steelers on opening Sunday as well. Physical football and watching a Mike Tomlin team get pushed around was fascinating for three full hours. St. Louis was a winner against the Cardinals on a last-second field goal and
“
The fact is the NFL is compelling because each game is critical to a team and nobody knows what to expect.”
San Francisco outdueled Aaron Rodgers in a shootout. The Cowboys forced turnovers in the clutch instead of giving the game away, and Chicago and their new coach straight out of the Canadian Football League last year and won a game against a playoff team from last year. The Super Bowl champ looked like they wouldn’t be able to win game in the Big East. Peyton Manning threw
deficit to win the game on a last second field goal. Matt Schaub looked mobile for his standards, and the Chargers looked the same. They have a ton of talent, no ability to finish off opponents. The NFL has mastered parity. Games are close evhis way into the hearts of ery week and fantasy footfantasy owners everywhere ball leaves every football fan as he tied an NFL record. sitting on the edge of their We saw even more fire- seat for games that don’t works Monday night. even affect their team. Chip Kelley’s offense Every Sunday until Feb., looked efficient and difficult people will be speeding to stop in the first half. Mean- home from church, throwing while the Redskins couldn’t on a football jersey and stareven get out of their own way ing at the television for hours and left themselves a hole on end. that was too big to get out of in the second half. contact sloan at Flip to the nightcap, the mes10b@acu.edu Texans overcome a 21-point
Defense: Chapa’s talent obvious after first two games from page 6 Chapa came to ACU from his hometown of San Antonio. In high school he played on both sides of the ball. He finished his senior year with 44 tackles, five broken up passes and six
optimist@acu.edu
interceptions. Chapa also played wide receiver and caught 23 passes for 407 yards and seven touchdowns. He earned a first team selection from the San Antonio Express-News All-Area Team in 2011. “I have always tried to
The Optimist
play as hard as I can and always give everything I have,” Chapa said. “Over the years, I’ve learned that the harder you push yourself and the tougher you play, the more success you’ll get.” Chapa said he felt a deep connection with
@acuoptimist
the other players on the team while visiting ACU. “Everyone here made me feel like one of the boys and a part of the team,” Chapa said. “After my visit I was pretty sure that ACU was where I wanted to end up.”
ACUOPTIMIST.com
Chapa joins a strong defensive core that held Concordia to six points and 269 yards of offense. They also held McMurry to 17 points and only 17 first downs, compared to ACU’s 31. “Our job is to go out there and get the of-
fense back on the field as quickly as we can,” Chapa said. “We take our job very seriously and we look to challenge on every play.” contact zepeda at djz11a@acu.edu
sports
wednesday 09.11.13
Wildcats run over McMurry 60-17 Matthew Sloan SPorts Director The Wildcats followed up a record-setting performance last week with another dominant offense showing, scoring 60 points in a 60-17 victory against McMurry Univeristy. ACU was led by senior running back Charcandrick West, who ran for 139 yards and four scores against the War Hawks. West also led the team in receiving yards with 59 yards on four catches. “I was just trying to go out and give my team my best effort,” West said. “I did not come out planning on scoring four touchdowns, I just wanted to win.” The Wildcat offensive line pounded the McMurry front seven for the entire night, which allowed a big night on the ground for quarterback John David Baker as well. Baker finished with more than 100 yards rushing and a touchdown. “The offensive line has done major things for us,” West said. “Without an ofmandy lambright chief Photographer fensive line, you can’t really Linebacker Jesse Harper meets a McMurry running back have an offense. They worked their butt off this spring and in the hole Saturday at Shotwell Stadium.
summer and have come together.” Baker became the first quarterback to rush for over 100 yards in an ACU uniform since 1965. The Wildcats potent rushing attack allowed them to own the time of possession battle Saturday night, keeping the ball for 38 minutes. Baker also tossed his eighth and ninth touchdown of the young season in the win. Baker finished 17-23 for 212 yards and backup quarterback Malcolm Ruben also threw a touchdown pass in the second half. The ACU tight ends also shone bright in the win, with Noah Chessier catching two touchdowns and Jamie Walker catching his third touchdown of the season. “Those were my first two touchdowns in college football,” Chessier said. “Just to have success with the team I have now, I have never been happier playing football in college. It has been a great experience here so far.” Darian Hogg had 54 yards receiving and Jeremiah Williams had 65 yards on the ground. The Wildcat defense also put together a solid
game. Although ACU gave up 406 yards of total offense, they made plays in the clutch to keep the War Hawks off the board. Seniors Thor Woerner and Angel Lopez led the team in tackles with 8.5 each. Woerner also intercepted his second pass of the season after the ball was deflected into the air by another ACU defender. Linebacker Blake Rudd also scooped up a fumble caused by safety Justin Stephens. The ACU defense has caused seven turnovers in the first two games. One of the only negatives of the game came in the third quarter when the Wildcats failed to field a kick off that resulted in a War Hawk touchdown. The score narrowed the gap to 32-17 before the Wildcats pulled away, scoring 28 unanswered points to finish the game. The Wildcats will play their third straight home game next Saturday when they host New Mexico Highlands at 6 p.m. in Shotwell Stadium. contact sloan at mes10b@acu.edu
Chapa’s big plays lead to big defense daniel Zepeda Sports Editor Third quarter, Concordia is on offense and the ball is snapped. Their quarterback scans the field and finds a receiver on the left side. He fires a strike, but sophomore defensive back Tyler Chapa sees it coming all the way. He picks off the ball and runs it all the way down the sideline to the end zone for a touchdown. “The rush of emotions along with the adrenaline was unreal,” Chapa said. “I never even had time to really think about what was happening until after the play. When I got back to the sideline, that’s when I asked myself ‘is this real, did that just happen?’” Chapa had two tackles in the Concordia game and blocked a kick. In Saturday’s game against rival McMurry Chapa had six tackles, including two huge hits that received a big reaction from both the home and visitor crowds. “It’s not something that I look to get every time I step onto the field,” Chapa said. “I am very competitive and sometimes big hits just happen. Obviously, you never look to hurt another guy out there, but it is pretty cool to hear the crowd after you make a big play.”
jimmy isbell
The ACU women’s soccer players left their home field undefeated looking to make a statement against many different foes around the country. Thursday, the team left early in the morning headed to Siloam Springs, Ark. to play John Brown University on Friday. The team left Alumni Field outshooting the Golden Eagles 23-6 on a 5-0 shutout victory. Four out of the five goals were split between senior AllAmerican, Andrea Carpenter and freshman Alyssa Gerner. With an obvious offensive effort throughout this season, the real story is ACU’s defense. With seniors Whitley Lindholm and Brie Buschman near the back line of defense, an opponent’s offense would have to prepare well if they even want to break through their re-
Soccer
Team
Div.
Ovrl.
UIW ACU Nicholls St. MSU SELU SFA ORU Lamar UCA SHSU TAMU-CC HBU NSU
0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
4-0-0 4-0-1 4-0-1 5-1-0 4-1-0 4-1-1 3-1-0 3-2-0 2-2-1 1-2-1 1-3-0 1-4-0 1-5-0
Team
Div.
Ovrl.
UCA ORU UIW SFA HBU MSU ACU SELU TAMU-CC Nicholls St. SHSU NSU Lamar NOU
0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
6-1 6-1 3-1 5-2 4-3 4-3 2-2 2-5 2-4 2-4 2-5 1-6 1-7 0-7
Team
Div.
Ovrl.
ACU MSU NSU UCA Lamar Nicholls St. SHSU SELU SFA
0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
2-0 2-0 2-0 1-1 1-1 1-1 0-1 0-1 0-2
Volleyball
football
New York Jets wide receiver Clyde Gates had one catch for 17 yards Sunday against the Bucs. St. Louis Rams running back Daryl Richardson had 20 carries for 63 yards and five catches for 33 yards against the Cardinals. Houston Texans safety Danieal Manning registered five tackles and a sack against the Chargers Monday night. Cincinnatti Bengals running back Bernard Scott was placed on the physically unable to perform list last week. Scott is trying to recover from a torn ACL
briefings
Sophomore cornerback Tyler Chapa caps off an interception with a trip to the end zone in the game against Concordia two weeks ago. Chapa has had a great start to his ACU career and has made impact plays in both games.
Carpenter and Gerner excel in win sports reporter
standings
ex- factor
mandy lambright chief Photographer
see defense page 5
6
lentless physicality. “There were a lot of crucial points especially in the Drury game having to win balls in the air, and fighting off the physicality and speed of their main forwards,” Lindholm said. After the ‘Cats beating of JBU they made their way to Springfield, Mo. to face a worthy opponent in Drury University. Drury made ACU earn its win after Andrea Carpenter blistered a shot past Drury goalie Jenna Jones. Along with another defensive effort, freshman goalkeepers Kelsey Dombrowski and Sydney Newton have only allowed two goals reach past them thus far. The defense stepped up in both overtimes, not allowing a single shot. “We had an attitude about scoring and we made it happen against John Brown,” Ferrara said. “We had some players with fresh legs step into the game which cre-
ated some opportunities for our defense to set up our midfield and forwards up for a few goals late in the game.” Junior Madison Brown set up the game-winning goal on a corner from the right side of the net laying it out nicely for Carpenter to get a goal. Carpenter, who last year ended her season early with an injury came back to settle the scores. She has stepped up this season with six goals in five games, serving her role as a dominant forward. The ‘Cats will play at Wayland Baptist University this Saturday.
The men’s basketball team participated in Street Feed, a program that gives out meals to people in low income parts of Abilene, on Monday. Senior soccer players Brie Buschman and Andrea Carpenter made the Southland Conference honorable mention list for their play this past weekend.
Upcoming The volleyball team will play Northern Arizona University at Moody Coliseum on Friday at 4:30 p.m. Cross Country will compete in the Texas Tech Red Raider Open in Lubbock on Friday at 5:30 p.m.
mandy lambright chief Photographer contact isbel at jri10a@acu.edu
The football team will wear a special ribbon decal on their helmets for their games in September to raise awareness for pediatric cancer.
Junior Emily Sumrall fights to keep possession of the ball as in a game against University of Texas El Paso.
The men and women’s tennis teams will play in the Racquet Club Collegiate invitational on Friday.