OPTIMIST THE
FRIDAY January 28, 2005
Department of Journalism and Mass Communication
Abilene Christian University
Vol. 93, No. 32 1 section, 10 pages www.acuoptimist.com
Serving the ACU community since 1912
Special ‘Delivery’:
Globetrotting into Moody Coliseum:
High expectations:
Elvis Costello mixes rock ‘n’ roll, blues and country in his latest album. Page 5
The Harlem Globetrotters, the world-renowned, traveling basketball team, will play in Moody Coliseum on Feb. 3. Page 9
The men’s track team looks to defend its title, while the women hope to regain theirs. Page 10
Searching for
A desire for peace and truth in life led Dr. Fred Aquino away from his religious upbringing but finally back to God and the Church.
Authenticity
By Lori Bredemeyer, managing editor
Enrollment projections follow trend for spring About 300 students leave university, including December graduates By MALLORY SHERWOOD FEATURES EDITOR
EMILY CHASTAIN/Staff Photographer
Dr. Fred Aquino, assistant professor of systematic theology, grew up as a Roman Catholic but turned from God in his teens. His search for truth in his life led him back to God and to ACU as an undergraduate and graduate student. He has now taught at ACU for almost seven years. Dr. Fred Aquino teaches at a Church of appreciation and patience.” dards of living added to his confusion and Christ university, but unlike many of the Aquino, 41, allows his faith to lead his life unbelief. professors at ACU who have followed that now, but he did not always have so much “I also saw institutionally just tradition their entire lives, Aquino began his devotion to God. In high school, he started hypocrisy—racism, people who claimed to with different religious views. to question why things happen and gave up be Christian and were at times no different Aquino, assistant professor of systematic his belief in God. from the people who didn’t claim to be relitheology, grew up in Niagara Falls, N.Y., with “I never could make sense of why people gious at all,” he said. “So I pretty much his Italian Roman Catholic family in the ’60s who talked about religion were sometimes checked out and thought, ‘I’m going to find and ’70s. He said although authenticity elsewhere.’ his views on God and reli“I tried through sex; I gion have changed since “I remember reading the Gospels for the first time in my life. tried through drugs; I tried then, he continues to allow through relationships; I I discovered that the figure Jesus could heal broken people.” that upbringing to influtried through several ence his life and works to avenues, and I still found Dr. Fred Aquino, assistant professor of systematic theology balance his Roman myself lacking. … There Catholic background with was this longing for his current Church of wholeness and longing for Christ beliefs. incapable of giving answers to questions peace and authenticity.” “For Roman Catholics who become evan- like, ‘Why do horrific tragedies happen in Aquino said he continued searching for gelicals or members of the Churches of the world?’ And I remember when I was 14 that wholeness throughout his teens and Christ, the tendency is to go back and basi- or 15 asking God to explain to me how to into the Air Force, where he worked as a firecally obliterate everything that you've inher- reconcile the notion of a good and all-know- fighter. One time on a flight, his friend, ited as a Roman Catholic, so there's this anti- ing and all-powerful God and the obvious Bruce Cutshall, tried to talk to Aquino about Catholic sentiment. However, I've tried to and pervasive aspects of evil in the world.” See AQUINO Page 8 work through this tension with great care, Aquino said conflicting morals and stan-
By SARAH CARLSON ARTS EDITOR
Abilene residents have two new options for dining: T.C. Luigi’s Pizza and Oscar’s Restaurant, both of which opened in November. T.C. Luigi’s serves New York-
style pizza as well as Greek and Mediterranean food, the owner of the franchise being from Greece. Greg Bondick, along with his wife, Lynnette, bought into the Arizona franchise and opened their restaurant at 4001 John Knox Blvd. near Target. Bondick owned a local Pizza Inn and said he has been in the restaurant and pizza business for many years. He found the Web site for Luigi’s while he was searching
for franchise opportunities and said he couldn’t pass it up. He said the traditional New York pizza’s crust is thin and crispy but still foldable, and they also offer a deep-dish pizza. “We’re just ordinary pizza at an ordinary price,” Bondick said. “That’s our motto.” He said the prices are competitive, business is doing well, and even though Luigi’s doesn’t currently offer any student specials, it has
See ENROLLMENT Page 8
SA approves project funds for Sikes Hall
Congress to look for more funding to connect Sikes, WPAC parking lots By JONATHAN SMITH EDITOR IN CHIEF
several lunch specials he thinks students will like. T.C. Luigi’s is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekdays and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. weekends and delivers all over Abilene. For something closer to campus, Oscar’s Restaurant offers a variety of food ranging from Mexican dishes, breakfast burritos, rib-eye steak, cheeseburgers
The Students’ Association’s first official business meeting of the semester Wednesday began by revisiting a project approved last semester. Sikes Hall Rep. Lauren Hart explained that although the university’s administration was in favor of Congress’ proposed project to connect the Sikes and Williams Performing Arts Center parking lots, the money was not available this semester for the $9,000 project. Connecting the parking lots would have allowed traffic flow to circulate around Sikes instead of coming to a dead end. In November, SA approved funding for part of the project — an amount to be determined at a later date. On Wednesday, Congress reaffirmed that commitment by unanimously approving $2,000 for the construction costs. Although the university cannot fund the rest of the project this semester, Hart said she still wants to see the parking lots connected. “I’m going to do my very best to find donors because I want to see this done before the end of the semester,” Hart said.
See RESTAURANTS Page 8
See SA Page 8
New restaurants provide foreign flavor T.C. Luigi’s, Oscar’s restaurants looking to entice students
The Admissions Office estimates an increase in enrollment from the 2004 spring semester, and official numbers were not released until Wednesday. Robert Heil, director of admissions and enrollment management, said between 4,375 and 4,440 students enrolled this semester. University officials are inHeil creasing recruiting efforts as the Centennial Campaign draws near. They said they hope to counter the number of students who leave after the fall semester. This past fall, ACU set a new record with an entering class of more than 1,200 students. Total enrollment was 4,786 students. More than 300 students left ACU after the fall semester, including December graduates, but this is a trend that occurs every year, Heil
$20,000 donated to Theatre Department Gift given to honor Rob Sommerwerck, who died in 2003 By LORI BREDEMEYER MANAGING EDITOR
The mother and step-father of Rob Sommerwerck donated $20,000 to the Theatre Department, and Dr. Wayne Barnard, dean of Campus Life, presented the check in Thursday’s theatre small-group Chapel to Adam Hester, chair of
the department. Sommerwerck was killed April 15, 2003, when his car was broadsided by a truck on East Highway 80 near Loop 322. He was 20. Barnard said James and Sheril Brown of Cypress, Sommerwerck’s step-father and mother, wrote him a letter dated Jan. 10 that he received last week. The $20,000 check was included with the letter, and Barnard said he was “blown away.” “I think it speaks volumes
of our Theatre Department,” Barnard said. “I think a culture exists in our Theatre Department that is very accepting and loving and friendly, and Rob was a recipient of that.” Although Sommerwerck had not declared a major, Barnard described during the presentation how he found a place to fit in with the theatre students. “He had found his home, literally, in the Theatre Department,” Barnard said. “In fact, it was in this department
that he had his most meaningful sense of belonging here at ACU. … He felt deeply about the love and the acceptance he had found here with his theatre friends.” Hester said during Chapel that Sommerwerck was the kind of person everybody loved to be around. “When we think about Rob, we think about a kind of joyousness about Rob,” he said. “He was both goofy and friendSee GIFT Page 8
BRIAN SCHMIDT/Chief Photographer
Shenoa Cramer, junior theatre major from Houston, speaks after Dr. Wayne Barnard, dean of campus life, presented the Theatre Department with a $20,000 gift honoring Rob Sommerwerck, who died in 2003.