OPTIMIST THE
FRIDAY September 3, 2004
Department of Journalism and Mass Communication
Abilene Christian University
Vol. 93, No. 5 1 section, 10 pages www.acuoptimist.com
Serving the ACU community since 1912
Cats ready to go:
Summer blockbusters hit and miss:
Set for California:
The football team begins its season Saturday against Central Oklahoma. Page 10
Arts editor Dee Travis reviews a summer of blockbuster and sequel movies such as The Terminal, Spider-man 2 and The Village. Page 7
The volleyball team plays its second tournament this weekend in California. Page 10
SA uncovers $30,000 expense Congress forced to pay for electronic bowling scoring built last year By JONATHAN SMITH EDITOR IN CHIEF
Amid confusion and questions of financial mishandlings, the Students’ Association this week found itself owing $30,000 for the electronic scoring in the bowling alley that should have been covered by last year’s SA budget. Executive treasurer Tyler Cosgrove explained to the new Student Congress in its first meeting Wednesday
night how last year’s administration overspent its budget by almost $80,000. About $48,000 of that was covered by budget rollovers from previous years, leaving the $30,000 electronic bowling to be paid this year. “This is not the fault of the voting members from last year,” said executive president Layne Rouse during the meeting. Exactly who is at fault remains as unclear as how $268,000 was spent by Congress last year, the executive officers said. Cosgrove said poor budget
documentation last year has made it difficult to tell where some of last year’s money was spent. He said the officers had not yet spoken with last year’s executive treasurer, David Shinn, or president, Jonathan Wilkerson, who could know more about the situation. Although they will continue to investigate what happened, Rouse and Cosgrove said the main focus now is to move ahead and decide how Congress will cope with a $65,000 budget instead of $95,000. See SA Page 8
BRIAN SCHMIDT/Chief Photographer
Executive treasurer Tyler Cosgrove addresses Student Congress on its first meeting Wednesday about the current financial crisis.
Snowcones popular with students, who disagree on best vendor By DEE TRAVIS ARTS EDITOR
Have you tried a fuzzy naval lately? How about tiger’s blood or a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle? Strawnana, anyone? As many college students know, these are snowcone flavors, and the average stand has at least sixty to choose from. Any college town has a built-in market for such a business, and the suffocating heat of West Texas only helps. Bill Luttrell, owner of Cajun Cones, says the south side of town alone has about nine snowcone stands, and the north side has about five. “Our busiest times are definitely April and May,” Luttrell said. Cajun Cones seems to be one of the most popular snowcone places in town, partly because of how long it’s been open: 17 years. Luttrell said he decided to bring a piece of the Cajun country with him when he moved to Abilene after being stationed in southern Louisiana during his Air Force days. “That’s where I had my first snowcone, only there they were called snowballs,” he said. “I had never found anything in Texas quite like that.” Luttrell said he owns three permanent stands and one portable stand. “The one on Judge Ely Boulevard is our original location,” he said. As for the competition, Luttrell said new stands are always appearing. “People drive by in the summer, see the long lines, and think, ‘I could open a snowcone stand,’” he said. “There’s more and more stands popping up every year, but we have our regular customers.” Many college students have made Cajun Cones a tradition.
By EMILY CHASTAIN STUDENT REPORTER
More than 300 students attended the pledging interest meeting Monday night where Mike Spell, adviser of social clubs, gave students information about rushing , including important dates, deadlines, eligibility and other rules. Mary Kay Knight, administrative coordinator for the Office of Judicial Affairs and Social Clubs, said the registration deadline has changed this year. Students now can attend open
$95,000
2003-04 SA budget plus rollover from previous years:
$238,000
Amount spent by 2003-04 Congress:
$268,000
How much SA has left for fall 2004 budget:
$65,000
Departments implement tutoring plan By LORI BREDEMEYER MANAGING EDITOR
EYAKEM GULILAT/Staff Photographer
Lauren Gumm, 4, daughter of Eric, director of orientation for the First-Year Program, and Sherry Gumm, eats a snowcone Aug. 19 during Welcome Week outside of Bennett Gymnasium. Students have a variety of snowcone choices in Abilene with such businesses as Cajun Cones and New Wave Ice.
Students express interest in social clubs Interest meeting draws large crowd; rushes begin next week
How much SA has for budget each semester:
Some add lower-level classes, night sessions to replace LEC
See CONES Page 8
An employee of New Wave Ice grinds a block of ice into the familiar texture of a snowcone.
(amounts approximated)
Cost of electronic scoring in bowling alley: $30,000
Frozen treat helps beat the heat
EYAKEM GULILAT/Staff Photographer
SA budget data
rushes Monday “We are really trying to emphasize relationships. with younger people,” through WednesPreast said. “It's a good day and then reg- Club is a blessing. We don’t want to be superficial.” way to connect through ister to pledge bethe classes.” Rosalyn Perry, president of Sigma Theta Chi fore 5 p.m. Rosalyn Perry, senior Wednesday. elementary education As of Wednesmajor from Abilene and day, 112 men and 242 women had loway said. “I had hoped they would Sigma Theta Chi president, said she’s registered. This number is about the provide a few more reasons why we looking forward to the rushes her same as the total number of pledges should do it.” club is having. She has prepared by last fall. Knight said she’s not sure Bryan Preast, junior business talking to members about the direcwhether people have just registered management major from White- tion the club is going. early or if this year’s numbers will house, also attended the meeting as “We are really trying to emphaexceed last year’s. well and said it gave him the infor- size relationships and make it more Jonathan Holloway, sophomore mation he needed, and he’s pretty real and intentional,” Perry said. biology major from Abilene, at- sure he’ll pledge after he rushes. “Club is a blessing. We don't want to tended the meeting and said al“I like the idea of having an or- be superficial.” though it was useful, he was looking ganization where I can meet some for more reasons to rush and pledge. people who are older than me, and E-mail Chastain at: “I was a little disappointed,” Hol- then when I get older, make friends optimist@acu.edu
Departments across campus have begun instigating programs to replace the tutoring services lost when the Learning Enhancement Center closed last semester. Each department was responsible for identifying the areas in which it would need tutoring, and the department chairs submitted proposals with requests for funding. The Provost’s Cabinet met Wednesday and discussed the departments’ requests, and most of the funding was approved, said Dr. Colleen Durrington, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. She said the tutoring will allow departments to work more closely with students than the LEC did. “They (LEC) did a very good job,” Durrington said, “but we believe the tutoring can be tied more closely to the classes and the specific needs of students in departments by Durrington having it handled this way. We hope we can make a positive out of it by making the tutoring more focused and more beneficial to students.” The Department of Mathematics and Computer Science has added extra lower-level classes with tutoring sessions attached to fill the void. Dr. Shankle David Hughes, chair of the department, said his tutors can help the students more effectively because they have taken the classes they’re tutoring. “The LEC hired good students, but they didn’t always know the purpose and direction of Math 120 and Math 130,” he said. “We’re changing that. We think we’re hiring good students who also know what the direction is and have that experience.” The department is also planning to conduct tutoring sessions three nights a week in addition to the new courses. Hughes said the process will be trial-and-error this semester. “We don’t know how many people to expect in those sessions,” he said, “and we don’t know whether we’ll have a few and not have enough to do or whether we’ll be overrun with people so that the tutors can’t keep up. So it’s kind of a learning experience this semester.” The English Department has also added new courses to help students who are not ready to begin regular entry-level English classes, and the classes each have a peer tutor to assist the professor, said Dr. Nancy Shankle, chair of the department. “By having the trained peer tutors in the room, it’s like cloning the teacher,” she said. “… It makes it possible for us to accomplish our goal of teaching the class in a writing workshop and giving the students the individualized attention they need.” She said the pressure of finding tutors and supporting a larger-than-normal freshman class has been alleviated by the University Writing Center, which is still in operation in the LEC space. “The university has been so open about See TUTOR Page 8