The Optimist - 10.10.12

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Always Ahead Football team dominates ENMSU from opening kickoff vol. 101, no. 14

wednesday, october 10, 2012

Sports Page 8

1 SECTION, 8 PAGES

local

Drive-in reopens but faces uncertainty

INSIDE NEWS Conversations Chapel relating faith and politics as election approaches Page 3

NEWS COBA juniors and seniors required to attend new JumpStart sessions

Kirsten holman

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student reporter Business has been hard for the treasured Town & Country Drive-In Theatre, especially since film companies receive most box offie traffic. The drive-in could be in danger of closing permanently. The drive-in was quiet this September and closed because business was slow because of the beginning of school and football season, but October is proving to be a promising month for the drive-in theatre. However, with film companies requiring movies to

NEWS Honors to include trip to presidential inauguration in short course Page 4

OPINION Health, wellness shouldn’t be limited to one week

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The drive-in is something unique to Abilene and a special trip back in time that all ages can enjoy.”

courtney martin junior youth and family ministry major from new braunfels

SPORTS Volleyball team wins three straight matches in tournament Page 8

FEATURES People hide to worship in countries with limited freedom of religion

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NEWS SHADES, Sanctify and Omega planning joint dance show

brittany willia,ms staff Photographer Two ACU freshmen two-step their way into the spotlight during Freshman Follies.

Freshmen acts entertain maggie marshall student reporter

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ONLINE NEWS Religious diversity of student population continually increasing acuoptimist.com

NEWS Psychology Club conducts interest meeting acuoptimist.com

PHOTOS Go to our Flickr page for more photos from Freshman Follies

Various groups of freshmen were busy performing for the 40th annual Freshmen Follies last weekend. With more than 200 freshman participants, audience members had a wide variety of acts to look forward to. Hall acts, dance troupes, specialty acts and other performances were featured in this years’ show, “Have No Fear, Follies Is Here!” “We chose the theme because of the current superhero trend with all the new movies coming out,” said Carly Branscum, one of the assistant directors of Follies. The superhero theme proved to be beneficial to the show. “I feel the theme this year was much more interactive,” said Zeke Morgan,

brittany williams staff Photographer Claire Warlick, freshman graphic design major from College Station, performs during Freshman Follies.

sophomore psychology major from Keller. “The superhero theme helped the audience interact better with the acts.” Freshmen Follies fea-

tures hall acts, in which a specific hall from a dorm creates an act. Specialty acts include independent groups of men and women. Performances included

slam poetry, singing groups and dance. This year, unlike past years, there were fewer men’s acts and more hall acts in the show. “Normally in the past,

be in digital format after 2013, the drive-in might experience complications with this drastic transformation. The new technology will provide a better picture on the screen, but this operation demands around $165 thousand. “That’s a lot of money for a mom-and-pop operation,” said Ray Andress, one of the owners of the Town & Country Drive-In Theatre. The drive-in makesthe bulk of their money through concessions, which is one of the reasons business is slowly declining. Many drive-in theaters across the country have gone out of business because moviegoers bring in outside food. Andress said they provide “real reasonable prices at the concession,” and good quality food. The drive-in was built in 1956. It is still one of the biggest drive-ins in Texas. The Town & Country DriveIn was the second drive-in in the country to have digital sound. Andress got involved in the movie business when he was 12 and has been in the movie business all his life. He and his partner Glenda Thornton bought the drive-in in 2000 and have diligently stood behind it ever since. The drive-in allows “people to enjoy a little part of nostalgia,” said Andress, and this is one of the reasons why he takes pride in owning and operating the drive-in. He also said he loves to see people come out with their little kids, ecstatic to enjoy the see drive-in page 4

study abroad

Montevideo program remodeling flickr.com/acuoptimist

audrey schaffner copy editor

VIDEO Watch this week’s Ken Collums Show

acuoptimist.com

This spring’s study abroad program to Montevideo, Uruguay is full of new opportunities, both cultural and educational. Nil Santana, originally from Brazil, has been teaching in the Department of Art and Design for the past 12 years. Santana will be accompanying students to Montevideo in spring 2013 for his first full semes-

ter teaching with a study abroad program. He has previously taught in England, Italy, Spain and France as a part of the ACU study abroad summer program based in Oxford. Santana, who will be the faculty-in-residence at the ACU housing in Montevideo named “Casa ACU,” is excited about a new opportunity that study abroad students will experience come spring. Santana said students will participate in a pro-

longed stay of about 10-12 days in Brazil compared to the previous excursions which were much shorter. Students participating will also stay for more than a week on the island of Florianópolis and will get to participate in a different South American culture. “Spring semester, traditionally speaking, they only go to Iguazu Falls,” Santana said. “Since I’m originally from Brazil, I thought maybe it would be interesting if we could add a little more of

Abilene Christian University

an academic program into the Brazil experience.” Santana returned last week from a trip to Brazil where he spent time establishing contacts with local universities in Florianópolis, along with Montevideo resident directors Wimon and Rosalinda Walker and program director Stephen Shewmaker. “We are hoping that students will be engaged in a symposium-like lecture series for five to six days engaging with the local profes-

sors and then hopefully, as the universities have already suggested, instead of just having guest speakers in our classes, our students should somehow interact with their students as well.” Santana who primarily teaches graphic design and photography at ACU, will be teaching a Core class on identity and community and a course titled Photography and Society. Santana said he is excited see abroad page 4


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