OPTIMIST THE
FRIDAY March 18, 2005
Department of Journalism and Mass Communication
Abilene Christian University
www.acuoptimist.com
Serving the ACU community since 1912
Season’s end:
Going into all the world:
Sweetwater’s snakes:
The Wildcats’ season ended in the first round of the regional tournament. Page 10
Project Abilene, which will be a service program to the neighborhoods near the university, will officially begin next semester. Page 3
The 47th annual Sweetwater Rattlesnake Round-up was last weekend. Page 8
School upgrades e-mail system Webmail still does not operate correctly with some Internet browsers By JACI SCHNEIDER OPINION EDITOR
While students and faculty were away from campus for spring break last week, my.ACU administrators used the opportunity to upgrade Webmail, cal-
endars and address books. “We try to do these things at a time when it will be least inconvenient,” said James Langford, director of Web Integration and Programming. “The timing turned out pretty well.” Langford said they updated the e-mail, calendars and address books to the latest version, which was necessary to keep up with support services.
The upgrade offers a unified client for the three functions and will work better with other e-mail clients, such as Outlook or Eudora, Langford said. The upgrade changed the spam filters on the e-mail system that sorts the mail as it comes in based on the sender and subject, and the sorting will occur before users access their e-mail, Langford said. “I don’t know if students will
see the difference as much as faculty and staff,” he said. “Those filters are pretty handy.” Instead of costing the university money, the recent upgrade has saved the university the cost of buying a new server—about $30,000 to $40,000, Langford said. The new filters in the email block spam from coming into the server, so it was possible
E-mail system upgrade issues Students and faculty still having difficulties with Webmail on my.ACU should update their Internet browsers, like Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and Safari, said Josh Tooley, manager of Team 55. Students also should frequently check my.ACU for technology updates and announcements.
See UPGRADE Page 9
Chili cook-off planned to honor teacher
By SARAH CARLSON ARTS EDITOR
By MALLORY SHERWOOD FEATURES EDITOR
Eating chili and listening to jazz music were two of the late Dr. Charles Trevathan’s favorite things, and the two will come together Saturday at a chili cook-off to honor the instructor of sociology and social work who died Oct. 12. The men’s social club Pi Kappa will sponsor the event in the mall area near the GATA fountain. Members of social clubs, churches in Abilene and those who knew and loved Trevathan are entering chili recipes, which will be judged and tasted from 5 to 7 p.m., said Matt Hurley, Pi Kappa president, director of the chili cook-off and social work graduate student from Abilene. Each group that participates is asked to submit a chili recipe and supply enough chili for guests to eat. Spectators who want to taste various recipes are asked to pay $3, which will benefit the Charles Trevathan scholarship fund. “One thing I can say about my precious husband is he loved chili,” said Phyllis Trevathan, Charles’ widow. “For 46 years, everywhere he went, even in Oxford, he would try to find chili. I had to cook chili for him for many, many years. He was a chili-addicted man.” Phyllis Trevathan will judge the chili, which will be divided into categories like vegetable chili, meaty chili, spicy chili and others. Hurley said the evening will be fun and entertaining because jazz music and entertainers will be present. “We want people to come and have a good time and to recognize what he stood for,” Hurley said. He said he expects all social clubs to participate along with several churches in Abilene, including the Trevathan family’s church. Members of Pi Kappa brought the idea of the chili cook-off to Hurley as a way to remember Trevathan and what he stood for, Hurley said. Trevathan was the first advisor of Pi Kappa. He remained actively involved with the club and its leaders for many years and became a mentor to the men.
Review team looking at core classes Rewritten proposal may not come in time for original deadline
Proceeds of event will go toward scholarship fund
See CHILI Page 9
Vol. 93, No. 43 1 section, 10 pages
EMILY CHASTAIN/Staff Photographer
Robert Daniel, R-Virginia, who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1972 to 1982, holds up a credit card to demonstrate the size of his congressional voting card he used while in Congress as he and Harold Volkmer, D-Missouri, who served in Congress from 1976 to 1998, talk to students Monday. Daniel and Volkmer were in Abilene with the Congress to Campus program.
Congressmen meet with students Former representatives visit campus as part of national tour By LORI BREDEMEYER MANAGING EDITOR
Two former congressmen visited campus Monday and Tuesday to speak to classes and meet with students about careers in public service. They came to the university as part of the Congress to Campus program, which sends former congressmen to colleges and universities across the nation to educate young people about Congress and what it means to serve the public. Robert Daniel, R-Virginia, served in the House of Representatives from 1972 to 1982, and Harold Volkmer, D-Missouri, served from
1976 to 1998. Daniel said he was invited to participate in the program and has visited schools such as the University of Mississippi, University of North Carolina and University of Texas for the past eight years. “I found it interesting to
past six years he has visited the University of West Virginia, University of California and University of Indiana, among others. He said he thinks higher education benefits the entire nation, and that’s one reason he enjoys meeting with col-
“I think it’s desirable that our young people know the nature of the job of congressmen.” Robert Daniel, U.S. congressman from Virginia from 1972 to 1982
meet with students and not only talk to them but see what they have to say on different things, and it keeps me in touch,” he said. “I think it’s desirable that our young people know the nature of the job of congressmen.” Volkmer also was invited to participate, and for the
lege students. “Without it, a lot of our high school graduates would be relegated to that [high school]—that’s it, they go no further,” he said. “So it’s a waste of a lot of talent and is injurious to the country as a whole. We all benefit from it — from people being able
to continue their education.” The congressmen attended several political science, journalism and agriculture classes, visited with Lynay, Pope Fellows and other student leaders, and met with students individually to discuss careers in public service. Volkmer said many students and people across the nation do not care about Congress or the government, but through the Congress to Campus program, he wants to try to educate young people about the nation’s leaders. “Government has a lot to do with your life,” he said, “and if you don’t like the way the government is or you think the government should change, you better get in there and do something E-mail Bredemeyer at: lmb00g@acu.edu
Faculty discussions about the General Education Review will continue throughout the semester with no clear sign of a rewritten proposal being ready, said Dr. Jeff Arrington, associate dean of Campus Life and cochair of the General Education Review Committee. The original suggested goal for the rewritten curriculum proposal was April 1. The committee presented faculty members with three proposals before the beginning of the semester. The committee, which is reviewing the u n i v e r s i t y ’s core courses— classes all students are required to take, such as exercise science, math and English. “I think that Arrington there is enough interest and diversity in thought that we will not have a proposal at that time,” Arrington said. He said the committee is dealing with large, new ideas presented by faculty members and needs time for the faculty to come together on an agreement. “I think that we’re going to be into the next year before we can get everything done,” he said. Pat Simpson, professor of education and co-chair of the committee, agreed and said faculty members need plenty of time to discuss the proposals and send a clear signal of what they want. “Until the faculty really finishes discussions, we’re not going to be ready to rewrite the proposal,” Simpson said, adding that more discussions will take place after a new proposal is written. Faculty members have expressed three sentiments to the three proposed curriculum changes, Arrington said; some are excited, some unhappy and others are mainly concerned See REVIEW Page 9
Students return from missions Spring Break Campaigns experience ‘very smooth year’ By TIFFANY TAYLOR PAGE 2 EDITOR
Spring Break Campaigners have returned from what Clay Rich, chair of Spring Break Campaigns, described as “a very smooth year for campaigns.” A total of 35 groups, 515 campaigners, participated this year, and at the last minute the Scotland campaign received five offers to join after an
announcement was made March 4 in Chapel that the campaign needed one more person to be able to make the trip. Feedback from group leaders, campaigners, host churches and contacts has been positive so far, said Rich, senior finance major from Abilene. One congregation in Salem, Ore., “said their congregation had been truly blessed and was thankful for the campaigners,” Rich said. Many students also felt blessed by the experience. “Just seeing God work through these people was really
amazing,” said Katy Galloway, freshman social work major from Coppell. Galloway took part in the Seek and Follow campaign. Seek and Follow participants traveled through Murphreysboro, Tenn. Little Rock and El Dorado, Ark., and then to Shreveport, La. In Shreveport, the students ministered on the street, talking and praying with people they met and shared their food with the homeless. Galloway said she found the spontaneity of Seek and Follow See SBC Page 9
BRIAN SCHMIDT/Chief Photographer
Clay Rich, senior finance major from Abilene and chair of Spring Break Campaigns, watches a slide show presentation in Chapel on Wednesday after he spoke about campaigners’ experiences. More than 500 students participated in campaigns this year.