OPTIMIST_2005-04-01

FRIDAY April 1, 2005

OPTIMIST THE

Department of Journalism and Mass Communication

Abilene Christian University

Vol. 93, No. 46 1 section, 10 pages www.acuoptimist.com

Serving the ACU community since 1912

Sweeps spell success:

Campolo coming to campus:

Remake lacks substance:

Two series sweeps put the baseball team on a ninegame winning streak.

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Dr. Tony Campolo will speak at a dinner for Just People Inc., a nonprofit organization, in the Teague Special Events Center on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.

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Ashton Kutcher and Bernie Mac’s remake of Guess Who provides a few laughs.

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Elections continue despite voting mix-up Conflict with freshman registration puts plans for E-vote on hold

By JONATHAN SMITH EDITOR IN CHIEF

Less than 24 hours before the Students’ Association election for executive officers was to take place online for the first time, network administrators informed the elections committee that online voting could not happen because of a conflict with freshman registration.

Dr. James Langford, director of Web Integration and Programming, said he did not real-

ize online voting, set to begin at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, would coincide almost directly with freshman registration, which began at 3 p.m. Wednesday.

“We were concerned about trying to roll [online voting] out on the same day,” Langford said, because there was no way to know how the relatively untested voting system would affect my.ACU network traffic on university servers. “It just seemed like a bad risk.”

In normal situations, Langford said university servers can easily handle network traffic as people sign on and off of See E-VOTE Page 9

Congress discusses ways to increase sporting attendance

By JONATHAN SMITH EDITOR IN CHIEF

BRIAN SCHMIDT/Chief Photographer

Chad Snow, sophomore environmental science major from Andrews, casts his ballot of SA executive officer Wednesday.

In one of the last official Students’ Association meetings of the year, Congress devoted its entire meeting not to votes and resolutions but to brainstorming ideas to increase student attendance at university sporting events.

College of Business Administration Building Rep. Paul Harshman, Williams Performing Arts Center Rep. Zach Tabers and chief financial offi-

cer Keith Robinson brought this issue before Congress for discussion by listing some of the ideas they had to increase attendance.

“Several of the games were very close,” Harshman said, “and I think having a few more rowdy fans could have helped.”

They said attendance at basketball games during Sing Song dropped even lower than normal because the clubs and classes spend several nights each week practicing their acts.

To encourage clubs to attend basketball games during Sing Song, clubs would have designated sections in Moody

Students look for housing options

Opsitch allowed to return after three-month ordeal in France

By SARAH CARLSON ARTS EDITOR

By LAURA STORK STAFF WRITER

See HOUSING Page 8

See SA Page 9

Coordinator solves green card issue

Sophomores begin weighing possibilities on, off campus When April rolled around their sophomore year, Jen Perkins and her four future roommates still desperately needed a place to live the next fall.

Through a random connection, Perkins’ roommate Anna Lee Shoulders found a house previously occupied by five ACU students who had just been evicted because of lack of cleanliness.

Perkins said the tenants had not only left the house filthy but had also left some belongings behind.

Despite Barnard knowing the house would need new carpet, countertops, paint on the walls and a good cleaning, the girls immediately snatched the house.

“The first month we were here, I walked into the laundry room, and there was a rat so big it was slow,” said Perkins, senior social work major from Austin. “I screamed and woke up the house.

“Then last spring, we had roaches. Big ones came out — in the shower, in the bedroom, on the wall; we called the exterminator and then had the problem of finding dead ones everywhere.”

Sophomores who are looking for a place to live next fall need to begin searching early, use connections, compare prices, talk to others who have found housing or landlords who rent houses, use available resources or else live with the messy consequences.

Dr. Mimi Barnard, director of Residence Life Education and Housing, said living options for juniors and seniors are an off-campus house or apartment, ACU’s on-campus apartment complex University Park, or as a resident assistant.

The best tip for finding a good house and a positive experience, Barnard said, is asking around.

“Word of mouth is the most

Coliseum to sit in, and the loudest club or class could win extra practice time on the Sing Song stage.

They said this was one of several ideas they had discussed with Kendall Massy, director of student productions, and they wanted Congress to comment on it as well as include ideas of its own.

Several members of Congress quickly rejected the idea of using Sing Song practice times, saying it would not be a good enough incentive for many of the groups, and it would only appeal to a small

EMILY CHASTAIN/Staff Photographer

Tim Evans, textbook and media manager of the Textbook Department, works at his desk in the basement of the Campus Store. Evans is responsible for processing book returns and requests and checking the supply of books.

Textbook approach Evans spends long hours managing book store in The Campus Store

By LAURA STORK STAFF WRITER

Tim Evans stands in the Office of the Textbook Department, crammed in the back left corner.

He is selflessly sharing his office with two other paper-covered desks, five overflowing shelves, a few stacks of empty boxes, countless piles of books and three student workers.

“I’m usually glued to my desk, and I don’t get to see students a lot,” said Evans, textbook and media manager of the Textbook Department, which is located in the The Campus Store basement.

During the time he spends glued to his desk on a normal workday, Evans is processing book returns, sorting through book requests from professors, handling accounts payable and checking the supply of books in The Campus Store.

Evans oversees the books for

sale in The Campus Store.

In the middle of the semester, work is steady for Evans but not for long.

As finals week approaches, so does textbook buyback week, which means workdays will become longer.

“It’s about to get really crazy,” said Evans, who expects he’ll be sorting books until 9 p.m. most nights during textbook buyback week. “I’m upstairs, and then I’m downstairs and back again.”

He added although it gets crazy, he enjoys the week because of the rare opportunity he will have to interact with students.

Krystal Scott, assistant textbook and media manager, said Evans is a “people person,” who not only enjoys getting to know students who come into his office and students who already work there.

“He takes into account the personalities of each employee,” said Scott, who considers Evans a good friend because of the great amount of time she works with him. “He handles each one of us how we See EVANS Page 8

During April, the Optimist will feature stories about the daily lives of some of the most active but unseen members of the university’s staff.

Yann Opsitch, one of five missions coordinators, has returned from his almost threemonth stay in Paris. After spending Christmas break in the country, Opsitch, a native Frenchman, was unable to return to America with his wife, Rita, because he did not have a valid green card.

Opsitch was nearing the end of a 20-month process of applying for a green card Opsitches when he went to France during the break but was unaware of certain See OPSITCH Page 8

Country star brings act to Paramount Former student was one class from graduating before music career

By JACI SCHNEIDER OPINION EDITOR

EMILY CHASTAIN/Staff Photographer

Tim Evans stands at the bottom of the stairs that lead to the textbooks in The Campus Store.

Country singer and former ACU student Aaron Watson will return to Abilene on Tuesday for a concert and the release of his latest CD. The concert is planned for 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday at the Paramount Theatre, and tickets cost $12 in advance or $15 at the door. All audience members also will receive Watson’s CD, Live at the Texas Hall of Fame, which will be released Tuesday.

“We run a good, clean show,” Watson said.

He described his music as “honky tonk” and See CONCERT Page 8

ACU for Abilene to center more on missions Annual service day sign-ups begin April 11 in Campus Center

By MITCH HOLT STAFF WRITER

The annual ACU for Abilene service day, planned by the Service Action Leadership Team, will be April 16.

Students who participate will take on a more intensified and mission-centered role this year than in the past.

“We often talk about wanting to serve God and helping those in need,” said Jordan Swim, sophomore Christian ministries major from Richardson and co-chair of ACU for Abilene. “Well, here is a chance in our own community,

and all you have to do is wake up on a Saturday morning.”

ACU for Abilene is a service day designed to further the good of the Abilene community. Swim said the difference in this year’s event is the passionate desire of the student body to see Abilene transformed.

“So often, we have had simple service days, which isn’t a bad thing, but this year we

want to answer the call to unify as a student body and try to meet the needs of those in the community as a result of that call,” Swim said.

SALT has arranged opportunities for volunteers to serve at women’s shelters, nursing homes, the neighborhood surrounding the school and several other venues. The students who have been praying

for and planning the event have been surveying the needs of the city and observing what can be done in the community, Swim said. Volunteers will be working in yards, cleaning and praying with people of the community.

“ACU for Abilene is something that SALT begins praySee SERVICE Page 8

CAMPUS Friday, April 1, 2005

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Calendar&Events Friday

The Campus Store garage sale, 7 a.m.-11 p.m., Hilton Room.

Gamma Sigma Phi Habitat for Humanity fund-raiser, 7 a.m.-11 p.m., Campus Center.

International Students’ Association skate party, 7 p.m.-12 a.m., First Baptist Family Center.

Deadline for voting on Students’ Association executive officers, 5 p.m., Campus Center.

National Treasure, 6:30 and 9 p.m., Cullen Auditorium.

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DAY

Gamma Sigma Phi Habitat for Humanity fund-raiser, 7 a.m.-11 p.m., Campus Center.

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Sunday

Peer Leader training, 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m., Hilton Room.

Monday

Gamma Sigma Phi Habitat for Humanity fund-raiser, 7 a.m.-11 p.m., Campus Center.

Bonita Park recruiting, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Campus Center.

Big Brothers Big Sisters meeting, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Hilton Room.

Saturday

Bible Bowl, 7 a.m.-5 p.m., Living Room.

The Campus Store garage sale, 7 a.m.-11 p.m., Hilton Room.

Leadership Camps staff training, 47:30 p.m., Hilton Room.

ACU Rodeo sign-up, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Campus Center ticket windows.

Visions of Grace art show, 7-10 p.m., Living Room.

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Tuesday

Gamma Sigma Phi Habitat for Humanity fund-raiser, 7 a.m.-11 p.m., Campus Center.

Pear Leader training, 11:45 a.m.12:45 p.m., Hilton Room.

ACU Rodeo sign-up, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Campus Center ticket windows.

Shane & Shane ticket sales, 11:50 a.m.-1 p.m., Campus Center ticket windows.

Spades tournament sign-up, 11:30 p.m.-3 p.m., Campus Center ticket windows.

Leadership Camp staff training, 4 p.m.-7:30 p.m., Hilton Room and Living Room.

Bonita Park recruiting, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Campus Center.

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Wednesday

Peer Leader training, 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m., Hilton Room.

ACU Rodeo sign-up, 11:30 a.m.3 p.m., Campus Center ticket windows.

Gamma Sigma Phi Habitat for Humanity fund-raiser, 7 a.m.-11 p.m., Campus Center.

Shane & Shane ticket sales, 11:50 a.m.-1 p.m., Campus Center ticket windows.

Spades tournament sign-ups, 11:30 p.m.-3 p.m., Campus Center ticket windows.

Bonita Park recruiting, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Campus Center.

About This Page The Optimist maintains this calendar for the ACU community to keep track of local, social, academic and service opportunities.

Groups may send announcements directly to optimist@jmc.acu.edu or to the Page 2 Editor, ACU Box 27892, Abilene, TX 79699.

To ensure that an item will appear on time, the announcement should be sent at least 10 days before. The Optimist may edit items for space and style.

Corrections and clarifications of published news articles will be printed in this space in a timely manner.

Volunteer Opportunities Volunteers are needed to help with children’s activity booths during Founder’s Day on April 9 in downtown Abilene.

Volunteers will be assisting children with arts, crafts and games.

Time shifts are 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and 2 p.m..-6 p.m. For more information, contact the Volunteer and Service-Learning Center.

The Mayor’s Round-up, a 5K run, needs volunteers on April 9 from 7:30-9:30 a.m. For more information, contact the Volunteer and Service-Learning Center.

KGNZ, Abilene’s Christian radio station, needs volunteers to answer phones during Sharathon 2005, taking place Monday through Thursday. For more information, contact Doug Harris at doug@kgnz.com .

Healing Hands International is in need of volunteers to help repair bicycles before they are shipped to Zambia. For more information, contact the Volunteer and Service-Learning Center.

The American Heart Association needs help decorating the Civic Center for a fund-raiser of the year Friday. For more information, call Sharon Earnest at 627-0070.

Senior Buddies needs volunteers to spend time playing dominos with residents at Christian Village, located on East North 19th Street. Volunteers visit Mondays at 6:30 p.m. For more information, call Nathan Grey at 677-6142.

The International Rescue Committee needs volunteers to mentor families in Abilene through a refugee program.

Volunteers will assist with transportation, tutoring or translating.

For more information, call Debi Wheeler at 675-5643.

University Place would like volunteers to call bingo for elderly residents on Mondays from 2:30-3:30 p.m. University Place is located at 1250 E.N. 10th St. For more information, call Teresa Taylor at 676-4946.

Focus Inc. needs volunteers to supervise court ordered visits and safe child exchange for families in Abilene on Thursdays and Saturdays during two or three hour shifts at 241 Cypress St., Suite 100. Training is provided. For more information, call Jan Brokaw at Ext. 2803.

Volunteers are needed to be bus monitors, help with snack time, play games after school and help with homework after school as part of the Communities in Schools program. For more information, call Samanthan Manski at 672-8544, Ext. 320.

The House That Kerry Built, a local daycare, needs volunteers to work with medically fragile children. Assistance is needed Monday through Friday 8 a.m.-12 p.m. or 2-5 p.m. For more information, call Doma Saige at 672-6061.

Pregnancy Counseling Services of Abilene needs volunteers to help with donations and data entry Monday through Friday. Three different shifts are available for those interested. For more information, call Holly Whitehead at 672-6415.

Chapel Check-Up Credited Chapels to date: Credited Chapels remaining:

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CAB organizes free spades tournament Students play cards to meet new people, compete against

By SHAVONNE HERNDON STUDENT REPORTER

Movie nights, concerts, blood drives and now a spades tournament. The Campus Activities Board provides venues for students to enjoy each other’s company at a low-cost or free event.

CAB will have a spades tournament at 5 p.m. April 9 in the Bean Sprout for free.

Kayla Anderson, sophomore English major from Waco, said she isn’t sure when the tournament began, but it has been a popular event through the years.

“Right now we are structuring the list of rules,” Anderson said. “Hopefully we can get the teams to sign up within the next week or so.”

The spades tournament should encourage students to meet new people while appealing to the competitive nature of the participants, she said.

Candace Williams, sophomore social work major from

Garland, agreed.

“It will be a fun way for people to compete with friends or against them and possibly win some good prizes,” she said.

Organizers say students should sign up in pairs. If someone doesn’t have a partner, he or she can sign up as a single, and CAB will try to match the singles together.

Students can sign up April 5 through 8 from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. in the Campus Center ticket windows.

“CAB wants people to come out to have fun with their friends,” Anderson said. “We hope that people will enjoy the competition whether they win or lose.”

Other CAB events coming up in April include National Treasure in Cullen Auditorium on Friday and a Shane & Shane concert on April 7.

Students can participate in a Free Night Out at Starbucks on April 19, and Ocean’s 12 will be playing in Cullen Auditorium on April 29.

E-mail Herndon at: optimist@acu.edu

Announcements The spring dinner theatre is Pride’s Crossing, a memory play written by Tina Howe and directed by Adam Hester. The play is about 90year-old Mabel Tidings Bigelow who, in 1928, swam the English Channel from Dover, England to Calais, France. Shows are April 7-9, 15-16 and 22-23 in Fulks Theatre.

Shane & Shane is coming to ACU on Thursday in Cullen Auditorium with Amy Stroup opening.

Tickets are $10 each and are sold in the Campus Center ticket window from 11:30 a.m.- 1 p.m. weekdays or in the Campus Activities Board office. For more information call Ext. 2772.

Applications for all paid Students’ Association staff positions and petitions for sophomore, junior and senior class senators are available in the SA office New phone books are available in the Team 55 office, Zellner 120. Old ones may be brought in for recycling.

Spring Break Campaign Committee applications for spring 2006 campaigns are available. Anyone who is interested in applying should e-mail Rachel Klick at rek00a@acu.edu for an electronic application. Deadline is Monday at 5 p.m.

Applications to serve on the Spiritual Life Core during the 2005-

2006 school year are due Tuesday.

Outstanding staff nominations are due to Human Resources on Friday. Nominations are for one or more members of the staff, including examples of service to ACU. Cynthia Leibrock, an internationally known expert on designing for the aging, will speak at Hart Auditorium on Friday. Two presentations will be given, one at 3 p.m. and another at 6:30 p.m. To preregister for presentations, call Ext. 2087 or Ext. 2350.

Mu Phi Epsilon is organizing an educational music fair for kindergarten through fifth grade called Music and Me. The event will last from 10 a.m. to noon April 9 in the central lobby of the Williams Performing Arts Center.

Faculty and staff are invited to attend this year’s Abilene Christian Schools dinner on Monday.

The speaker will be Stephen Mansfield, the bestselling author of The Faith of George W. Bush. To reserve tickets, $25 per person, call 6721711.

Open Houses on the Hill will be held Sunday, with five homes open from 2-6 p.m. The homes open are those of Mimi Barnard, Betty Shipp, Darlene Ashby, Carole Mahanay and Marisue Meyer. Cost is $10 per person.

Friday, April 1, 2005

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CAMPUS NEWS

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Friday, April 1, 2005

Sixteen professors chosen to receive funds for research Professors given Cullen, Math, Science grants to begin in summer

By TIFFANY WILLIAMS COPY EDITOR

Five professors were chosen to receive Math and Science Grants for summer research, and eleven professors will receive Cullen Grants, funds allocated from the university for research in areas other than math and science.

The Cullen Grant recipients

will receive money through a large endowment, while money from the annual fund and smaller endowments provide for the Math and Science Grant, said Dr. Carol Williams, assistant provost for research and service and dean of the graduate school.

The grant recipients were required to submit “proposals that demonstrate potential for serious research and creative activity” by January 15, according to the Cullen and Math and Science Grant Web site.

Recipients chosen were notified in March.

Facebook networks its way into school Web site attracts students, disapproval from administration

By EMERALD MCGOWAN STUDENT REPORTER

Although the Web site administrator of ACU Facebook, an online directory and networking community, remains unknown, the service is sweeping the university community.

ACU Facebook provides anyone with a verifiable ACU e-mail address access to profiles of other students and alumni who want people to know more information about them than what can be found on my.ACU. More than 1,500 students have joined ACU Facebook to date, and the number grows everyday.

“Friends would send me little e-mails, asking me to accept their Facebook, and I said, ‘Well, sure’ and signed up,” said Katelin Corbin, sophomore nutrition major from Portland, Ore. “It seems like everybody is signing up.”

Though ACU Facebook uses the university’s name and requires users to use valid ACU e-mail addresses, it is not affiliated with the university. Furthermore, university officials seem to know very little about the service.

Dr. Michelle Morris, assistant vice president of university and alumni relations, said she had never heard of ACU Facebook. Kay Reeves, director of technology support, said she had only heard of ACU Facebook through a student.

Wayne Barnard, dean of Campus life, knew nothing about ACU Facebook until a student e-mailed him to report an inappropriate picture found on the Web site.

“To be honest, I had not ever heard of the ACU Facebook, and I had to do some investigating to even find out what the student was talking about,” Barnard said. “I viewed every photo and only found one, the photo in question, to be

inappropriate.”

Barnard e-mailed the student to ask him to remove the photo from the Web site, and he did.

“I can see some possible positive aspects of such a site,” Barnard said, “but knowing how similar sites have been abused, I can certainly anticipate the possibility of significant abuse with this site. My hope is that our students will give great consideration to photos and language on the ACU Facebook, and that we all seek to remain faithful to our Christian worldview as we participate in Web sites such as this.

Despite the rush to join ACU Facebook, some students still question the identity of its administrator.

“The administrator won’t give out their name. I know; I’ve tried,” said Phillip Campbell, sophomore youth and family ministry major from Nashville, Tenn.

Campbell, who uses the networking service to meet new people, contacted the administrator through a link on the ACU Facebook Web site and asked his identity.

Campbell wanted to thank him for the service ACU Facebook provides the community. The administrator replied from a nondescript Facebook e-mail address, saying that he wished to remain anonymous.

Though Hannah Kemp, senior theatre major from Abilene, does not use ACU Facebook, many of her friends do.

“Some friends tried to get me to join, but I’m just too busy,” Kemp said. “It is kind of interesting, though, considering we’re giving personal information over to people we don’t know.”

“I do believe that the creator of this Web site should have discussed this site with me,” Barnard said. “There are issues to be discussed, and I would have appreciated the opportunity to do so before the site was launched.”

E-mail McGowen at: optimist@acu.edu

Williams said the recipients are chosen based on their ability to complete their research and produce a product in a reasonable amount of time.

“They have to do a study, write a paper, do a presentation or create an artistic product,” Williams said.

“We hope they will publish or present [their product], and that could affect future grants,” she said. “In the future, they could apply for external funding and get it because of what they have already accomplished through this initial grant.”

Dr. Brent Reeves, assistant professor of management information systems, plans to use the grant to examine the role people play in organizations, using a computer system he created called Zing’Em. Students use Zing’Em to evaluate their peers when they do group projects. Through studying the results of the evaluations, Reeves will investigate data patterns and learn to improve team health to make the group projects work more smoothly. He titled his project “Educational Technology Support of Student

Making music at McDonald

Groups.”

This is the first year for Dr. Lynette Sharp Penya, professor of communication, to receive a Cullen Grant.

Penya had never applied before and said she was happy to be able to work on what she wanted to.

She said she plans to research the mass reaction to corporate crises and hopes to use her studies to help corporations improve communication.

Research isn’t new to Penya.

She worked on a similar subject for her dissertation and teaches a

By SARAH CARLSON ARTS EDITOR

EMILY CHASTAIN/Staff Photographer

E-mail Williams at: tnt00b@acu.edu

Thompson to be given Morlan award April 8 Education Department recognizes alumnus, students at dinner

Jason Drysdale, freshman Christian ministry major from St. Louis, strums his guitar outside of McDonald Hall on Tuesday afternoon.

graduate course titled “Communication Research Methods.”

Despite her experience, Penya said she knows not to overwhelm herself as she works on her project this summer.

“I don’t think I’ll be teaching any classes,” she said. “I do have two small children who will take up a lot of my time.”

“Allowing professors to continue their research enriches their knowledge, which in turn enriches their classes,” Williams said

The Department of Education will award Frances (McBroom) Thompson, class of ‘63, with the Morlan award, which recognizes distinguished alumni from the department, on April 8 at 6:30 p.m. in the Teague Special Events Center.

Dr. Jerry Whitworth, professor of education, said the committee that chooses the recipient of the award chose Thompson because of her work in the state of Texas with math education.

“The award recognizes one outstanding alumnus who has made a contribution to the field of education,” Whitworth said.

Thompson is a professor of mathematics at Texas Women’s University in Denton.

Whitworth said during her career she has worked to develop techniques to help students better understand math concepts, publishing several books on the subject such as Hands-On Math and Five-Minute Challenges, as well as developing training modules for Texas Education Agency.

Thompson was

awarded in 1998 with a Distinguished Alumni Citation for her work in education.

The Morlan Award, which is given annually, is named after Dr. Grover C. Morlan, chair of the department in 1934-58. Morlan also penned the university’s alma mater, O Dear Christian College, soon after he became a faculty member in 1916.

According to Dr. John C. Steven’s book No Ordinary University, Morlan adapted the alma mater from a college song used at Highland Park College in Iowa, where he was an undergraduate. In 1934, Leonard Burford, long-time chair of the Department of Music, rearranged Morlan’s adaptation, which has served as the alma mater ever since.

Also at the awards dinner, more than 20 education students will receive award scholarships based on academic achievements, service and financial need, Whitworth said.

Students must be at least juniors to be eligible and have already been notified of the award. The dinner is invitation only, Whitworth said, but if any are interested in attending, they can contact the Education Department at Ext. 2112.

E-mail Carlson at: skc02a@acu.edu

Evangelical minister to speak at nonprofit fund-raiser Dr. Tony Campolo to be speaker at Just People Inc. dinner

By LAURA STORK STAFF WRITER

Evangelical minister Dr. Tony Campolo will speak at the Abilene-based nonprofit organization Just People Inc.’s fourth annual dinner and fund-raiser at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Teague Special Events Center.

Campolo is the founder of the Evangelical Association for the Promotion of Education, which provides leadership to create, nurture and support programs for at-risk children in cities across the United States and Canada. He has helped establish schools and universities in several developing countries, according to the Tony Campolo Web site.

As a media commentator, Campolo has spoken about reli-

gious matters on programs such as Nightline, Crossfire, Politically Incorrect and CNN News. He hosts a weekly radio program in England called From Across the Pond.

Diane Morphew, Just People Inc.’s office manager and youth financial manager, said organizers asked Campolo to speak at the benefit dinner because he is a worldwide advocate for the less fortunate and has the same goals as the organization.

“He has created and implemented programs all over the world to help the hungry and the needy,” Morphew said.

She said the fund-raiser dinner is conducted every year to raise awareness within the community and to raise money for Just People Inc. programs.

Just People Inc. is a faithbased organization designed to help disadvantaged youth, the working poor and the poor who want an education or employment assistance, according to

“Our clients are not people who have a voice. They are some of the neediest people in the community.”

Diane Morphew, office and youth financial manager at Just People Inc.

the Just People Inc. Web site.

“Our clients are not people who have a voice,” Morphew said. “They are some of the neediest people in the community. We want people to know what we do and to be supportive of it.”

Last year, 250 to 300 people came to the benefit dinner and heard speaker Dr. Jeri Pfeiffer, who co-founded Just People Inc. This year, Morphew expects more people to attend the dinner.

“We’re really excited,” she said. “We believe we’ll have about 500 people. That significantly exceeds the amount of people we had previously.,” She said she expects more

people will attend partly because Campolo has an important message to share.

The benefit dinner, which is open to the community, costs $45 for an individual ticket. The nonprofit organization will also accept donations. Those who want to donate money have the option of donating at the platinum level for $1,250, the gold level for $900 or the silver level for $450.

Students who want to volunteer as a mentor, tutor or intern for Just People Inc. can contact the organization for more information.

E-mail Stork at: las00f@acu.edu

ARTSFRIDAY OPTIMIST

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The Box Office Figures are for the weekend of March 25-27 and are in millions. Total grosses in parenthesis.

1 Guess Who—$20.7 (new) 2 Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous—$14 (new) 3 The Ring Two—$13.6 ($57.9) 4 Robots—$12.9 ($87.3) 5 The Pacifier—$8.1 ($85.8) 6 Hitch: The Cure for the Common Man—$4.3 ($166.4) 7 Hostage—$4.1 ($26.2) 8 Ice Princess—$3.7 ($13.3) 9 Be Cool—$2.8 ($52.3) 10 Million Dollar Baby—$2.6 ($94.1)

Today’s Movies Sin City (R)—Starring Bruce Willis, Clive Owen, Benecio Del Toro, Jessica Alba, Rosario Dawson, Mickey Rourke, Alexis Bledel, Brittany Murphy; directed

by Robert Rodriquez, Quentin Tarantino and Frank Miller A stylized, film noir adaptation of Frank Miller’s graphic novels based on the fictional town of Sin City, where criminals, crooked cops and strippers are all out for vengeance.

Beauty Shop (PG-13)— Starring Queen Latifah, Alicia Silverstone, Andie MacDowell, Mena Suvari, Kevin Bacon, Djimon Hounsou; directed by Bille Woodruff Gina Norris (Latifah) works in a prestigious Atlanta hair salon but leaves her job when her outlandish boss takes credit for her work. She takes the shampoo girl Lynn (Silverstone) with her, buys a rundown salon and opens her own beauty shop, working hard to fulfill her dreams.

Video Releases New this week: Closer (R)—starring Jude Law, Julia Roberts, Clive Owen and Natalie Portman; directed by Mike Nichols Vera Drake (R)—starring Imelda Staunton, Philip Davis; directed

by Mike Leigh

‘Guess’ provides laughs, little substance

By SARAH CARLSON ARTS EDITOR

Guess Who PP

Starring: Ashton Kutcher, Bernie Mac, Zoe Saldana, Judith Scott; directed by Kevin Rodney Sullivan Rated PG-13 (for sex-related humor) When he’s not hyperactive and self-congratulatory on his MTV show Punk’d, Ashton Kutcher can be bearable to watch and even prove slight comedic chops. He’s toned himself down in his latest comedic venture, Guess Who, starring alongside Bernie Mac. The film is an updated version of the classic 1967 Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, the last team effort of Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. In the original, Hepburn and Tracy’s daughter, played by Katharine Houghton, brings home her black fiancé (Sidney Poitier) to meet her white suburban family. In Guess Who, the roles are reversed when Theresa Jones (Zoe Saldana), who is black, brings home her white boyfriend, Simon Green (Kutcher), to meet her family.

The updated version continues the conversation of racial prejudices and comfort zones in America but does not carry near the political weight its predecessor did, especially since it comes almost 40 years later.

This version begins with Simon quitting his successful job in New York City after his boss makes a racist comment

Sideways (R) — starring Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church; directed by Alexander Payne Spanglish (PG-13) — starring Adam Sandler, Paz Vega; directed by James L. Brooks

Ratings Key

PPPP PPP PP P

Excellent Good Fair Poor

when he learns Simon and Theresa are engaged. But, of course, Simon can’t tell Theresa he’s just lost his job on the day they are traveling to New Jersey to meet her parents. So he lies.

The two show up in Jersey and deliver quite a shock to her parents, Percy (Bernie Mac) and Marilyn Jones (Judith Scott), who had heard all about Simon — except the part about him being white.

Naturally, Percy and Marilyn try their best to be welcoming to Simon, though Percy continues to beleaguer him with questions and size him up. Once Percy catches the couple kissing in Theresa’s bedroom, it’s out the door for Simon and into a hotel room that Percy booked months in advance, assuming he wouldn’t like Theresa’s boyfriend. But the hotel gave his room away, and Percy is forced to let Simon back into his home, this time having him sleep in the basement. Percy not only padlocks the basement door but also sleeps on the pullout couch with Simon, just to make sure he doesn’t sneak out to visit Theresa.

Guess Who is forced to rely on other plotlines outside of race relations because the tension interracial couples faced in the ’60s has changed dra-

Photo courtesy of WWW.AZCENTRAL.COM

Simon Green (Ashton Kutcher, left) lies uncomfortably next to the father of his girlfriend, Percy Jones (Bernie Mac, right) in the film ‘Guess Who.’ Percy makes Simon sleep in the padlocked basement when he stays at the house, sharing the same bed in order to keep an eye on him. matically during the past 40 years. The role reversal is a pleasant change, however, with Simon coming from a singleparent household with a mother who worked three jobs to support him. The Joneses live in a nice suburban home, wear nice clothes, drive expensive cars and eat at fancy restaurants. Marilyn and Percy also are celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary during Simon and Theresa’s stay. The reversal also touches on the reservations other races have toward white people instead of the normally represented outsider coming into a white home.

Naturally, Percy learns Simon is in financial trouble and that he lost his job, and through their arguments they alienate Marilyn and Theresa, who jump in their Lexus and head to Marilyn’s sister’s house.

Simon and Theresa are forced to analyze their relationship, and Percy reconsiders his treatment of Simon.

While not nearly as painful to watch as Meet the Parents, the film forces the same type of uncomfortable laughter during embarrassing situations you can somewhat relate to and pray you will never be in. But, it is at times entertaining to

watch because of Mac’s and Kutcher’s bantering and antics.

Guess Who is an unnecessary remake of an already good film and fails to offer many political and societal issues to contemplate or even solutions to the issues it does present.

The only theme that is apparent after viewing the film is that race is only an issue because humans make it an issue. The family experiences trouble when they fail to look beyond skin tone and stereotypes.

E-mail Carlson at: skc02a@acu.edu

‘Pride’s Crossing’ offers retrospect on life’s opportunities Story centers around woman who swam English Channel

By MITCH HOLT

Out Tuesday:

April 1, 2005

STAFF WRITER

Pride’s Crossing, a theatrical production about the dilemma-filled life of an aged woman, will open Thursday in Fulks Theatre, followed by two weekends of shows.

One of the most prevalent themes in Pride’s Crossing is the idea that life brings opportuni-

ties, said Jessica Patterson, musical theatre major from Winchester, Va. The story is told from the perspective of Mabel Tidings, a 90-year-old woman who has lived a life full of difficult choices since swimming the English Channel in 1928.

“The play is more about regret, choices and chances that are given to us and how we handle those opportunities,” said Caleb Todd, sophomore theatre major from Dallas.

Cast members began re-

hearsing the week before spring break from 7 to 11 p.m. with director Adam Hester, chair of the Theatre Department.

“In this production, each cast member has multiple parts, and the plot moves between time periods, so it is hard for each cast member to see the big picture with a memory play like this one,” said Jason Kennedy, musical theatre major from Abilene.

“Hester is doing a great job telling us what will work, giving us feedback and letting us

know what is going on artistically and logistically,” he said.

The production is not limited to the cast members. Most members of the Theatre Department are involved in Pride’s Crossing, Patterson said.

Each theatre major is required to participate in a practicum, in which they must work and learn costuming and set building for several hours each week.

The dates of the show are April 7 through 9, 15 and 16 and 22 and 23. Students can charge tickets to their ACU

accounts. Tickets for Pride’s Crossing are available in the Williams Performing Arts Center and cost $12 for the show and $25 for dinner and the show.

“If you look at the play from a surface standpoint, it looks like an extremely dramatic production,” Kennedy said.

“However, the play is more humorous than anything and will be a rather enjoyable experience.”

E-mail Holt at: mah02f@acu.edu

VIEWSFRIDAY OPTIMIST

Page 6

Service should be university’s priority

The issue: Project Abilene has been a hot topic on campus lately, and ACU for Abilene is planned for April 16.

Our view: While these are great opportunities for students to serve, service should not be reserved for special days and projects.

The solution: Service needs to be a priority on campus, for students, administrators, faculty and staff. It needs to be an integral part of campus life.

April 1, 2005

You’d be hardpressed to find a student on campus who hasn’t heard ACU’s mission statement, or at least read it on a poster. “…Educating students for Christian service and leadership throughout the world” is etched on many of our brains, but the reality and implications of the statement generally fail to permeate our everyday lives.

The service initiative Project Abilene has been discussed recently in Chapel through several sources and appears to be one of the greatest attempts in quite some time made on campus to

truly integrate These planned events are wonderful opportunities, dead, so faith without deeds is students’ faith but are not enough; service ... is a way of life. dead.” It is not and everyday enough to prolives. fess our faith.

Students will be able to participate in Project and working to rebuild that Our actions must resemble our Abilene during ACU for Abilene which has long gone to ruin. speech.

Project Abilene has the potenon April 16, and had the oppor- Poverty-stricken families and tunity do so during last month’s neighborhoods are on ACU’s tial to help reshape the culture of doorstep, a direct contrast to the ACU into being more serviceService Saturday.

These planned events are affluence the majority of those in driven. Not only students, but administrators, faculty and staff wonderful opportunities but, ul- our community enjoy.

If the ACU community con- should be involved in reaching timately, are not enough. Service is more than a scheduled activity; tinues to neglect these neighbor- out to the community on a frehoods, or at least only visits them quent basis, and more time and it is a way of life.

The key idea of Project on designated Saturdays, we will funds should be given to improvAbilene is the ACU community no longer be living out or own ing our community.

Instead of focusing on coninfiltrating the surrounding com- creed.

James writes in chapter 2, “As stantly improving the landscapmunities of our campus, meeting the neighbors, picking up trash the body without the spirit is ing of our campus, the university

Where have all the fun, humor gone?

April Fool’s Day is upon us.

Everywhere you go, anyone with the tiniest bit of youth in his heart lets free impish and unadulterated fun in whatever form he can find it.

S o m e pranks will, I’m afraid, probably run on the mean side. But No Pun for if it’s kept in check, April 1 Barcroft can be a wonDaniel derful excuse Barcroft to make things happen that cause you to smile or laugh your head off at the world around you.

And you’ll see no sign of it in this paper. There was a time long ago, when such youthful exuberance, spiced with just the right amount of cheek, took over the paper when April 1 fell on an issue day. The paper changed its name and devoted itself to truly creative, makebelieve news stories designed to put a smile on the readers’ faces.

Those days are gone, and it

Editor’s note Because of technical difficulties, letters in response to Damon Parker’s March 15 Chapel speech and the subsequent letters to the editor could not be posted online after Wednesday’s paper was published. They will be posted online beginning Friday. The Optimist apologizes for the inconvenience.

We are not to be grinning idiots, but we are to be smiling and laughing children. leaves me quite sad — not because of their absence, but because of the attitude with which they go. Upon suggesting that we revisit those days this year, I learned that by all appearances they are gone forever.

“We’re a more professional paper than that,” were, I believe, the words of our faculty adviser when I brought up the idea.

I may be wrong or overreacting, but this seems to me part of a growing trend: the misunderstood ideal of “professionalism” as a crutch for the chronically stiff.

Fun and humor (in measures more than some of us would like to admit) are fellow, rather than mutually exclusive, traits. When kept in proper amounts, each brings the other to greater and greater degrees of effectiveness. Solemnity and seriousness are not synonymous.

Terms like “professional” denote how much you seem to care about your work. What better road to professionalism than to make that care natural?

Why not choose work you can integrate into your way of thinking, emotions, family life and hobbies?

The perceived trouble is that when one is blessed enough to be able to do this, the result is not what most of us use to measure “work.” High levels of stress, frantic rushes and stiff adherence to rules and protocol don’t come from this kind of work. But we should never be deceived into looking at this as inefficiency or unprofessionalism because it’s a symptom of just the opposite.

We too often trade in “noble,” “pure” and “lovely” for “efficient,” “proper” and, yes, “professional.” We hide in protocol and run ourselves ragged making sure we do well in our work. We forget to also

In Your Words Do you have any pranks planned for Friday— April Fool’s Day?

Editorial and letter policy Unsigned editorials are the opinions of the Optimist Editorial Board 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, its Editorial Board or the university.

The Optimist encourages reader response through letters to the editor but reserves the right to limit frequent contributors

Leave smoky haze behind—it’s worth it

Daniel Barcroft

In My Words

or to refuse to print letters containing personal attacks, obscenity, defamation, erroneous information or invasion of privacy.

Please limit letters to 350 words or less. A name and phone number must be included for verification purposes. Phone numbers will not be published.

Address letters to: ACU Box 27892 Abilene, TX 79699 E-mail letters to: optimist@acu.edu

do good in it.

Every part of our lives that we make a priority should give us joy. From God to our spouses and children to work; the things God tells us to value are the same things in which He tells us to seek joy. Joy isn’t equal to happiness—we’re not to be grinning idiots, but we are to be smiling and laughing children. That’s a notion that is easy to agree with in church on Sunday, and easy to forget when we’re surrounded by folks in suits who use words like “triplicate.”

I’m sad about no April Fool’s Day paper. But I’m sadder that we might make decisions now, in college, that will have us feeling so trapped in 20 years by our work that we have to hide behind or bury ourselves in our “professionalism.”

The sluggards do need to go to the ant, but I think some of the ants need to go to the butterfly.

Respond to Barcroft at: dwb99a@acu.edu or optimist@acu.edu

should invest the money in planting trees, building or rebuilding houses through Habitat for Humanity and increasing recycling in our surrounding neighborhoods. Instead of a Welcome Week service project sending students door-to-door asking for canned goods, students should go around neighborhoods simply talking to people, learning their stories and showing that they care.

All incoming freshmen should be aware from their first time on campus that ACU is dedicated to the Abilene community. Until then, the university needs willing leaders to step up to the plate and take on the challenge.

Dependence must be I felt physically drained hereditary — I come from a and mentally confined. Even long line of addicts. though I’m only 22, smoking My grandpa started smoking was killing me.

But I’ve recently found when he joined the military and some independence. On Dec. continued for 19, I reversed my worst choice about 25 years and made one of the best deciuntil he got sions of my life — I officially colon cancer in quit.

I had been trying to quit all the ’80s.

My grandma semester, but the sudden started smoking death of my grandfather a few Lori’s Story after her par- days earlier made me decide I Lori ents died when didn’t want the habit to have she was about such a prominent place in my Bredemeyer 15. She contin- life anymore. I’ve spent the ued until she died of throat past 15 weeks saving money, smelling better and breathing and lung cancer at 58. easier.

They passed Almost everythe addict gene I felt physically one who smokes to me — I started knows the perils smoking when I drained and it poses to their was 17.

At first it was mentally confined. health, but the pleasure they such a thrill. I was Even though I’m find in smoking sneaking around outweighs behind my paronly 22, smoking far the thought of ents’ backs doing was killing me. death 40 years in something they the future. I had explicitly fordon’t want to list bidden — my mom threatened to pull my all the dangers of smoking or lungs out through my nose if the statistics about death she ever caught me smoking. rates — you can call Liz in Exercise And I knew she really might Rotenberry try if she ever knew what I Science if you need those, and was doing, but I was about to she’d be happy to talk to you.

I just want to say I know be a high school senior, so I thought I could do whatever I what it’s like. I’ve been down that smoky road, and it sucks. wanted.

Of all the mistakes I’ve So if you do smoke — and made in my life, smoking many ACU students do (I probably ranks No. 1. It’s not know; I’ve been to Denny’s at just that I could die from it — night) — I want to encourage everyone knows that. But you to quit.

Without smoking, I don’t smoking is an oppressive and overwhelming, dominating have to worry about craving during a long road trip with and devastating habit.

In high school, it ate up my my family, feeling the urge in hard-earned waitressing mon- the middle of class or needing ey, made my sports perform- to leave the Optimist office to ance suffer and made me “go for a drive,” which so deceitful. often happened last year. I’ve In college, the addiction felt free for the first time in interfered with my school- four years. work, interfered with my role Defeating a predisposition on the Optimist staff and again to addictions hasn’t been easy, made me deceitful. but it’s achievable and imperaIt made such a liar out of tive to a less stressful life. And me — I was untruthful with now my graduation in May my parents, my friends and and life thereafter will be everyone important in my life. much sweeter without the Besides harming my lungs, smell of smoke. heart and entire cardiovascular system and literally sucking the breath out of me, smoking also sucked the life Respond to Bredemeyer at: out of me. lmb00g@acu.edu or optimist@acu.edu

“My girlfriend and I are celebrating our 6month anniversary, and I’m planning on breaking up with her and telling her April Fool’s.”

“No. I hadn’t planned on it. I’ll sleep on it, and maybe something will come to me in a vision.”

“I hadn’t even thought about it. I’ll probably just jump out and scare my roommates or something.”

Chris Coggin

Brooke Johnson

James Kinzie

sophomore communication major from Pflugerville

sophomore speech pathology major from Kemp

graduate student in accounting from Waco

OPTIMIST THE

The Optimist Editorial Board

Published by the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, Abilene Christian University

Editor in Chief

Opinion Editor

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Jonathan Smith

Jaci Schneider

Sarah Carlson

Dr. Cheryl Bacon

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Lori Bredemeyer

Tiffany Williams

Brian Schmidt

Christi Stark

Optimist contact information Newsroom: (325) 674-2439

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Online: www.acuoptimist.com

CAMPUS NEWS

Friday, April 1, 2005

‘What do I have to do today?’

Professor chosen for elite seminar Dr. Caron Gentry one of 12 chosen to attend session

By CIANA HARDWICK STUDENT REPORTER

EMILY CHASTAIN/Staff Photographer

Amanda Steffins, sophomore biology major from Irving, makes some notes in her planner while sitting outside of the Campus Center on Tuesday afternoon.

Visions of Grace shows women’s talent OSME celebrates Women’s History Month with exhibits

By MONICA SMITH STUDENT REPORTER

On Monday, the Office of Student Multicultural Enrichment will introduce Visions of Grace in honor of Women’s History Month.

Visions of Grace is a showcase for the women of ACU to display talent as writers, artists and musicians.

“Women’s History Month was actually in March,” said Noel Cothren, sophomore art major from Albuquerque, N.M. “But April was the closest date we could get because

of spring break.”

Esmeralda Silva, freshman marketing major from Torreon, Mexico, said the event is more than just a fine arts show.

“This is an opportunity to celebrate female talent, hear what [the participants] have to say and enjoy art,” said Silva, who works in OSME. “I think it’s important to recognize women’s’ place in the society — our contributions to the world — and honor what women have done in the past to bring us here today.”

The students who are performing and those whose art will be exhibited were gathered from departments across campus. Many who are displaying art were contacted

through the Art Department, and the members of the Shinnery Review were contacted for names of female writers.

Others approached organizers, asking if they could help or participate.

Because this is the first Visions of Grace, Cothren is unsure of the outcome.

“We don’t know what to expect because this is the first time for something of this type to be done,” she said.

The show will begin at 7 p.m. in the Living Room and last about an hour. Refreshments will be served.

E-mail Smith at: optimist@acu.edu

‘Prickly Pear’ offers portrait incentives Students can win MP3 player if photograph is taken for yearbook

By MARY TAN STAFF WRITER

Students will have the chance to win the latest MP3 player from Macintosh if they have their picture taken for the Prickly Pear. This is the first time a prize will be given away.

The photography session will happen Tuesday and April 12 in the Living Room from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Students who participate will be entered into a drawing for an iPod Shuffle, which plays songs in a different order each time it is used.

Students who had their picture taken last semester or in February will be entered into the iPod Shuffle drawing automatically, said Sarah Reid, senior electronic media major from Abilene and editor-inchief of the Prickly Pear.

The extra session was organized because the Prickly Pear office received calls from students who wanted their picture taken, Reid said.

“We want to give them another chance to get it done,” she said.

Reid said 600 students have had their picture taken so far,

and she hopes the iPod Shuffle will attract another 200 students at least.

“We’ve actually seen the numbers go down over the years,” she said. “To increase the turnout, we wanted to get people excited about getting their picture taken by offering the chance to win a prize.”

For Adriana Clonts, freshman vocal performance major from Temple, the iPod Shuffle is the one thing that changed her mind about being photographed for the yearbook.

“I didn’t intend to take a picture this year, but now that there’s an incentive, I probably will,” she said.

However, Clonts said she would only buy the yearbook her senior year, even if her picture appeared in this year’s Prickly Pear, a trend that worried Reid.

“Prickly Pear sales have been dropping,” she said.

“There seems to be a misconception that it’s just for seniors, but it’s not.”

The yearbook covers events that involve students of all classifications, like Welcome Week and Sing Song, Reid said.

“The drop in sales is something the company [that publishes the Prickly Pear] is also concerned about,” Reid said.

To cut the publishing company’s losses, Reid said all

future editions of the Prickly Pear beginning with this year’s edition, will no longer be sold in The Campus Store. Instead, the yearbook will be sent directly to the individual who ordered it.

“The publisher will only print as many books as they are ordered,” Reid said.

Reid said the changes would not affect the quality of the yearbook.

“It’ll continue to be as good as it’s ever been,” she said. The yearbook includes a DVDROM that covers university events.

“We’ve also archived every page of the Optimist in high resolution and every picture that goes in the yearbook will be on the DVD-ROM,” she said. However, Reid said the DVD-ROMs would not replace the yearbook anytime soon.

“In 20 years, when you’re driving back to school, you’re not going to be popping in a DVD,” she said. “You just want to hold something tangible like the yearbook.”

To order the 2004-2005 Prickly Pear or for more information, students may visit the Prickly Pear Web site at http://pricklypear.acu.edu, or call the Prickly Pear office at Ext. 2050.

E-mail Tan at: mtt04b@acu.edu

Page 7

Dr. Caron Gentry, assistant professor of political science, is one of only 12 professors in the nation selected to attend a faculty seminar this summer exploring the relationship between power and the American Christian Church.

Gentry will travel to Pennsylvania to attend a seminar, which Gentry will be May 16 to June 10 at Rosemont College, located 20 minutes outside Philadelphia.

The summer seminar, titled “Power and the New American Century: Christian Representation,” consists of four weeks of presentations and small group discussions.

The selected professors attend the seminar at no personal cost; all expenses are covered, including program fees, airfare, food, housing and costs of weekend trips. Prior to the seminar, participants read assigned texts to prepare them for the discussions. The program is basically “like going to college for a month,” Gentry said.

The seminar is sponsored by the Lilly Fellows Program, a Christian foundation that “seeks to renew and enhance the connections between Christianity and the academic vocation at church-related colleges and universities,” according to the LFP Web site.

“The issue of American power and how Christians and the American church engage in, view or understand this power is intriguing to me and is something very integral to my teaching and independent research,” Gentry said she wrote in her application.

She said she was surprised to receive the e-mail congratulating her for being accepted to the summer seminar.

She said she walked into the office in the Department of Political Science and said, “I got the Lilly! I think.”

Her colleagues helped her re-read the e-mail and confirm she had been accepted.

Dr. Neal Coates, acting chair of the Department of Political Science, said being chosen to attend the Lilly seminar is an honor for Gentry, especially because of its exclusiveness.

“The Lilly foundation does a really great job of helping teachers to think about their teaching and where they want their teaching to go,” he said.

The seminar will benefit Gentry by expanding her knowledge, supplying her with new ideas for teaching and increasing her awareness

of new literature in the political science field, Coates said.

Gentry said she is excited about the seminar because she thinks it will be a challenge, enhance her research and enable her to expand on what she already teaches.

Gentry teaches several classes related to the topic of the summer seminar, including an Honors Program class called “Introduction to Social Sciences,” a general class called “International Relations” and an advanced class called “Topics in International Relations: Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation.”

The ideas of truth, justice and reconciliation are Christian ideals, and Christians should take a role in international justice, Gentry said.

“We must recognize that as Christians we are called to be stewards—caretakers of the blessings we have been given.

As citizens we take care of the community and state of which we are a part, and this is open to a larger, global caretaking,” she wrote in her application.

Through studying injustice and international relations, Gentry said she saw her faith at work. As Christians, “it’s what we do about those bad things that set us apart,” she said. “We can do so many things in our own individual lives to affect international trends.”

E-mail Hardwick at: optimist@acu.edu

Dress-up day for ACU Rodeo on April 12 Students can attend rodeo, participate, wear western clothes

from 5-D Custom Hats and Leather, a western apparel store.

The rodeo was organized with students in mind, said Stuart Bozeman, senior agricultural business major from Idalou and president of the Rodeo Club.

“We’re doing a service project for the entire ACU community,” he said. “We organized the rodeo so all students could have a fun night out.”

Bozeman said participation is usually high. About

The Rodeo Club members also plan to hang flyers and banners around campus.

Organizing the event was hard work, Bozeman said.

During a recent Rodeo Club

By MARY TAN meeting, members considSTAFF WRITER ered participant safety and The annual ACU Rodeo other ways to promote the will be April 12, and particirodeo. They also focused on pants will compete in events borrowing animals for the like barrel racing, goat dressevent. ing, a calf scramble, steer “We don’t do things that wrestling and wild steer put people outside their combranding. fort zone,” Bozeman said. “We The event will be at the want people to see a side of the Abilene Expo Center Horse western life they wouldn’t othBarn at 6 erwise see.” p.m.

Profits from Ti c k e t s the event are “People who haven’t been before should go cost $2 at donated to the Camcharities or because it’s a taste of Texas.” pus Center other campus ticket winbased nonJaida Brown, freshman biology major from Hartley dows April p r o f i t 4 through organizations, 12, from Bozeman said.

11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. or $3 at 100 to 150 students sign up Jaida Brown, freshman biolthe Expo Center ticket for the events and 500 to 600 ogy major from Hartley, said booth on April 12 at 5:30 people watch the rodeo. He she might attend the rodeo. p.m. said he expects the numbers “People who haven’t been Students who wish to to increase this year because [to a rodeo] before should go participate in the events can of Western Day on April 12, because it’s a taste of Texas,” sign up at the ticket win- when students are encour- she said. dows for $20. Participants aged to wear western attire.

For more information, stuwill receive intramural “This is the first time dents may visit http://www.points. we’ve ever organized some- acu.edu/academics/cas/agenv/Nominees from female thing like Western Day,” organizations.html. social clubs will also com- Bozeman said. “Hopefully pete in a queen competi- it’ll spread the word about tion. Winners from all com- the rodeo and get more stuE-mail Tan at: petitions will receive awards dents involved.” mtt04b@acu.edu

FROM THE FRONT PAGE

Page 8

Friday, April 1, 2005

Housing: Several options available for college students to rent es,” Crumpler said.

Former UP resident Lauri Anne Hemphill, senior graphic believable,” Barnard said. “If design major from San Angelo, you have a friend who had a said she had an unpleasant positive experience, get that experience during her one-year house or rent another house stay. from that landlord.”

“I had a bad housing situaShoulders, senior human tion before I moved into UP, so I communication major from was thrown Keller, agreed that into a four talking to people “Sharing a bathroom with someone you bedroom is a great way to apartment find a helpful don’t know can be weird.” with three who landlord people I owns a livable Lauri Anne Hemphill, senior graphic design major from San Angelo d i d n ’t house. k n o w, ” “Start netHemphill working as soon as you can,” Shoulders said. “If two, sophomores will be receiv- said. “Sharing a bathroom with you have a job, ask other em- ing a packet containing infor- someone you don’t know can be ployees if they know anything. mation about UP, a price com- weird.

“Even though I was in an “Look for houses with good parison sheet, information landlords who will help you about UP open houses and a apartment, I didn’t feel free. I still had an RA and maintenance keep the place up,” she said. lease in their ACU box.

“We lucked out. Our house was Katie Beth Crumpler, junior people could come in whenever nothing great, and [our land- missions and pre-med major I wasn’t there,” she said.

Students looking for a little lord] helped us clean it up.” from Fort Worth, said she likes more freedom have the option Barnard also said to compare living in UP. prices, especially on apartments.

“It’s cozy, and it’s also nice to of renting an off-campus house “I recommend getting close walk to class,” Crumpler said. “I or apartment.

Now that Hemphill lives in a to campus for bad weather days, have a really good roommate going to the library or other and that makes a big difference.” house, she said she has more friend’s houses,” Barnard said. “I On the down side, Crumpler privacy and a bigger living also recommend UP for the said she thinks it is expensive space.

“If I want to go for a walk at good deals they have right now.” and hard to entertain company night, I don’t have to worry Juniors or seniors who want in the small living space. to stay on campus can live in UP. “You usually have to go to about trying to get out of a Students who sign a lease other people’s houses, but I still gate,” she said. “My closet space with UP before April 15 will like it. It’s a good escape from is bigger, I use my own furnireceive this year’s rates and a the chaos of other people’s hous- ture, I can use a bigger bed and Continued from Page 1

monthly subsidy, which means ACU will pay a portion of the student’s rent. That could possibly lead to savings of up to $162.

Katy Marr, UP resident assistant and junior finance and accounting major from Belton, said within the next week or

if something bad happens, I get Cawood also advises land- presents dorm-to-dorm.

The program idea, which is into trouble with my landlord— lords and future tenants to meet not ACU.” at the house for a walk through. still in its infancy, would be a Grant Mankin, senior “This is an opportunity to see 20-minute presentation in sophChristian ministry major from if you think you can communi- omore dorm lobbies that will Carrollton, said the benefits of cate and get along with each help students learn what to do after moving out and how to living in an apartment are not other as tenant and landlord.”

Students who would prefer make smart choices. having to keep up with a yard Barnard hopes to collect a list and having a lot of neighbors, to live in a house and need more and if something goes wrong, a information about off-campus of preferred landlords that stucall to the landlord should fix opportunities have several dents, who report their positive experiences, will ultimately options. things right up.

Campus Center manager Joel compile.

Like everywhere else, apart“The long-term plan,” ments have their downfalls, said Swedlund said the bulletin Mankin, who added apartments board near the post office in the Barnard said, “is to have a prein Abilene aren’t very nice Campus Center is a great place ferred list. This time next year, hopefully, we can say go to this to look. because they are old.

“A lot of people with houses Web site or bulletin board for “Sometimes they’ll paint or put in low-line carpet, but that’s close by advertise up there,” this information.”

Until then, about it.” student’s opLandlord seem limMarion Ca“It’s better to live in a dingy house with your best tions ited to word of wood, voice friends than have to separate.” mouth, campus p r o f e s s o r, resources and gave several Anna Lee Shoulders, senior communication major from Keller “ d r i v i n g tips for stuaround, writing dents who are down phone about to dive numbers,” Shoulders said.

Swedlund said. into a lease.

“Our house is definitely livHe said students can find the She tells potential roommates to make sure they can get most current housing opportu- able now that we’ve fixed it up, along and parents to make sure nities because he and his staff and we’re glad we didn’t back clean off the crowded board out,” Shoulders said. “It’s better to read the rental agreements. to live in a dingy house with “Everything should be in once a week.

Barnard said she and several your best friends than have to writing so no one will be surprised or misled in any way,” others have discussed a program separate.”

Cawood said. “Tenants should idea that would model current also complain about whatever is programming that takes place in bothering them about the house campus dorms, such as Chief E-mail Stork at: las00f@acu.edu Ellison’s safety program that he before they sign the lease.”

Concert: Former student to play Continued from Page 1 said he likes the old kind of country.

Watson is from Amarillo and attended ACU from 19982001. He said he’s only one credit away from earning his degree in biology.

“I was only three hours away till graduation when my music career took off,” Watson said. “So it was like make money or pay ACU. “I’ll probably go back and finish up my degree sooner or later,” he said.

He said he spent most of his time at ACU taking guitar lessons, but now he spends much of his time traveling across Texas in a tour bus and performing concerts.

“I always try to play at a good, clean venue,” Watson said. Tuesday’s concert will be smaller than his regular concerts, and he said it hasn’t been promoted very much.

“It will be low key and more of an intimate acoustic show,” Watson said. “We always do really well in Abilene.”

Watson said his goal is to play good music and to set a good example. He said his band has turned down beer sponsorships.

“I don’t allow anyone to drink or lead that kind of lifestyle,” he said.

The CD that Watson will release Tuesday was recorded in College Station at the Texas Hall of Fame. Gino Genaro, Watson’s manager, said the

album was recorded in February in front of a sold-out show of more than 2,000 people.

“In the last few years, Aaron’s developed a really strong following,” Genaro said.

Watson said he’s proud of “Live at the Texas Hall of Fame,” which will include 19 tracks.

“I think the CD turned out really cool,” he said.

Currently, Watson is in the process of recording a Gospel album that will be released late this summer. He also plans to record another country CD this summer.

E-mail Schneider at: jrs02a@acu.edu

Opsitch: Time used to minister but are still interested in talking with him again. restrictions he had to abide by Opsitch takes a group of while he waited for the card. students to France every year “When you apply for a through the organization green card, you’re not supWorld Wide Witness. He said posed to leave the country,” it was difficult organizing the Opsitch said. “I didn’t know trip from overseas, but the that, and I had convenience a valid visa, of e-mail so it was conand tele“Abilene is great. There’s no Eiffel fusing.” p h o n e s Tower, but I love it.”

Opsitch helped him had to remain prepare the Yann Opsitch, missions coordinator in Paris while group for Rita, an their sevenAmerican, week trip came back to Abilene to green card.” this summer. retrieve important documents He said they met many peo“These things happen, but needed in the green card ple who are not Christians and they have other sides to them,” process, such as his marriage used the opportunity to make he said, adding he is happy to certificate. She returned to new friends and contacts for be back at ACU to continue his Paris, and Opsitch went when they return. He said he work. through the application found France to be more open “Abilene is great. There’s no process again through the to the Gospel than ever before, Eiffel Tower, but I love it.”

American embassy in Paris, which was an encouraging although this process proved change for him, and met about E-mail Carlson at: quicker because he had already 40 people who are unbelievers skc02a@acu.edu Continued from Page 1

been through the process before. The couple stayed at a Christian widow’s apartment in the city and used their time there teaching and preaching.

“We took it as a direction from God,” Opsitch said. “It had nothing to do with the

EMILY CHASTAIN/Staff Photographer

Tim Evans packs some books into boxes in The Campus Store book room Thursday afternoon. The books are being returned to the distributor because they are left over from this semester.

Evans: Job affects most students Continued from Page 1 need to be handled.

“Like me,” she added. “My job is stressful. I’m everywhere. I place orders, check in books, but we tag team it. He makes the job enjoyable for me.”

Evans said he likes his job because he deals with his

employees and the occasional student, but he also deals with the faculty and staff.

“My job allows me to supply the tools essential for learning and the tools essential for the professors to teach,” Evans said.

“I feel like I am contributing to the overall purpose of ACU.” While Evans does greatly

contribute to ACU, Scott feels he doesn’t get as much credit as he deserves.

Evans said he doesn’t do his job hoping to receive recognition—he does it to serve.

E-mail Stork at: las00f@acu.edu

Service: Sign-ups begin April 11 Continued from Page 1 ing for during the fall,” said Jessica Masters, junior English major from Tallahassee, Fla. and co-chair of the Involvement and Publicity Patrol. “The bulk of the work happens at the beginning of the spring semester once committees have been assigned.”

The committees perform their respective tasks in order to make every aspect of ACU for Abilene a success.

Students will be able to sign up for the event April 11 through 15 after Chapel until 2 p.m. at the Campus Center ticket windows.

The service day will begin

“ACU for Abilene is something that SALT begins praying for during the fall.”

Jessica Masters, junior English major from Tallahassee, Fla.

in the morning with a time of prayer and singing.

Student groups like Spring Break Campaigns and social clubs are encouraged to adopt a site for the event, Masters said.

Members of SALT hope this year’s ACU for Abilene will be the biggest thus far because of the intensified focus on God’s call to ministry in the community, Swim said, adding students, faculty and staff should

ask themselves if they are willing to accept their radical calls to service and answer the call of Christ.

“I think that with the continual messages about evangelism that we hear in Chapel and other locations on campus,” Swim said, “the Lord is really trying to arouse the attention of the student body.”

E-mail Holt at: mah02f@acu.edu

JUMPS

Friday, April 1, 2005

Page 9

Baseball: Wildcats on nine-game streak Continued from Page 10 In four of the past nine games, the Wildcats have reached double digits in runs, and their team batting average sits at .339. During the winning streak, ACU has outscored its opponents by six runs a game.

They’re not just winning, they’re manhandling the competition.

The Wildcats’ roster features 10 players hitting over .300 for the year. Ruben Rivera leads the way with a .454 average in 56 at bats, and Johnny Zepeda is at .405 in 79 at bats. Ten Wildcats have double digit RBI totals, with Cody Cure, Joel Wells and Brenan Herrera totaling over 30 apiece.

Although the nine game winning streak is nice, it will

mean nothing if the wins don’t continue in South Division play. The Wildcats will have a good opportunity to keep the wins coming in their first divisional series against West Texas A&M, a team that has not won consecutive games all season.

WTAMU’s record is 10-23, the exact opposite of ACU’s 23-10 record.

Against Southwestern Oklahoma

State and Southeastern Oklahoma State, two teams ACU went 8-0 against, WTAMU is 1-7.

Entering conference play, ACU’s record is tops in the South Division ahead of Texas A&M-Kingsville’s 2110 mark.

E-mail Gray at: weg02a@acu.edu

Kicker: Nelson looks to continue playing Continued from Page 10

BRIAN SCHMIDT/Chief Photographer

Merrell Cotton III, sophomore criminal justice major from Abilene, fills out a ballot for Students’ Association executive officers on Wednesday after Chapel in the Campus Center.

E-vote: System to be tested this weekend was informed that voting might not take place online my.ACU. However, during Tuesday afternoon and after times when students can reg- working through several opister for classes, many stu- tions, learned about 5 p.m. dents sign on to my.ACU and that voting would have to take sit and wait for registration to place on Scantron ballots. begin instead of soon logging Leech said even with that off. This causes increased net- surprise, voting has gone work traffic that can some- smoothly so far. Between the times overload eight people on the elections the servers, committee, Leech said they causing them were able to cover the voting to crash. table at all times with at least Langford one person or more. said his office Results will not be able to typically debe tallied as quickly with votes two serpaper balloting as with online vers to handle voting, but Leech said once my.ACU netthe ballot box is opened for Langford work traffic. the first time at 7 p.m. Friday, After students first had the results can be tallied by 8 p.m. opportunity to register March Online voting was sup16, administrators devoted a posed to increase voter turnthird larger server, which dou- out among students for elecbled the sertions where vers’ capacity. turnout has With the been regularadded capacity, ly less than Langford said 30 percent.

Friday is the last day to sophomore, Even withvote for executive officers; junior and seout online students can vote after nior registrav o t i n g , Chapel until 7 p.m. Friday tion all went Leech said in the Campus Center. relatively he hoped s m o o t h l y. that a highly Elections for class senators However, incontested will be April 11 through 13. creased traffic race for exeduring freshcutive presiman registradent would tion Wednesdraw more day — even without online vo- students to vote. ting in place — had already Should executive officer caused one server to crash. elections require a runoff next Langford said although he week between the top two canwished that at least one more didates for executive president, test could have been per- Langford said he is hopeful formed on the voting sys- that online voting could be tem — which likely will be implemented for that. Online performed this weekend — he voting should also be in place still would not have allowed for class senator elections April the voting system to open the 11 through 13. same day as registration.

SA elections chair Patrick Leech, sophomore history E-mail Smith at: jvs02a@acu.edu major from Tuscola, said he Continued from Page 1

Voting times

said. “They sell the kicking shoe that most kickers use, and they sell the tees that everyone in the NFL uses.”

Nelson said that he and nine other kickers were selected by the Pelfrey’s to arrive in Reno a week early. The program selected their elite 10 to prepare them for the NFL scouts, who will show up to the camp Monday. Twenty other kickers from the program will join the group that includes University of Hawaii kicker Justin Ayat, University of Alabama’s Brian Bostick, San Diego State’s Garrett Palmer and fellow Lone Star Conference player A.J. Haglund from Central Oklahoma.

Nelson said they have been kicking four hours a day and then breaking down their individual performances through film later in the day. Nelson admits one of his weaknesses is kickoffs, but he said on Wednesday he had several kicks hang in the air for 4.2 seconds and was consistently kicking the ball seven yards deep into the end zone. The NFL expects hang times of 3.9-4.1 seconds.

When working on field goal kicks, the camp sets the posts just nine feet wide for partici-

pants as opposed to the NFL’s width of 18.5 feet and the NCAA’s 23’4”.

“It’s smaller than Arena League, and they raised the goal post to get our ball placement higher,” Nelson said.

“Right now A.J. and I are probably among the top here on field goals. It’s going really well.”

Scouts arriving Monday is

show them why we’re legit.”

For kickers like Nelson, chances at a spot on an NFL roster won’t be answered until after the NFL draft on April 23 and 24. After all, since 1982, only 71 kickers were acquired through the draft, and only five have ever gone in the first round. Although Elam was drafted in 1993, all the other kickers — including Longwell

“It’s obviously my dream to kick in the NFL, but I don’t see myself spending years and years trying like a lot of these guys do.”

Eben Nelson, place kicker

the Pelfrey’s chance to sell their players to NFL teams in hopes of proving their worthiness of playing at the next level. The Web site said that as many as 30 NFL kicking coaches and scouts show up every year and participate in evaluating the program’s talent.

“We’ll be kicking, and they’ll show film on us,” Nelson said. “They’ll have breakfasts and lunches with all of the scouts and tell them about us and talk us up since a lot of us weren’t really noticed that much in college, and they’ll tell them we’re legit and

and Mare — that have gone through the company programs were picked up as undrafted free agents.

Nelson won’t turn down the opportunity to play professionally if it’s not in the NFL. “I’d play for an arena I team, I’d play for Canadian [Canadian Football League] or I’d play in the NFL Europe,” Nelson said.

If he is chosen by a team this season, PKS will require 8 percent of his earnings during his professional career, but it won’t necessarily be a bad thing because his connections

with the Pelfreys means he most likely will not need an agent unless he desires one.

If he’s not selected to play professionally this year, Nelson is unsure about his future pursuits in football.

“I’m not sure what I’d do; I’ve got a lot more goals in my life, to get a job and look at my future,” he said. “There’s a lot more things important than kicking. It’s obviously my dream to kick in the NFL, but I don’t see myself spending years and years trying like a lot of these guys do.

“They say a lot of players don’t get picked up until the second year in the program,” Nelson said. “But they’ve told us this year that a few of us might have a chance to get picked up this season.”

After the combine, Nelson will attend another free-agent combine in April where the qualifier will be in Dallas, and then will move to Indianapolis.

Between now and then, all he can do is keep working on his game in Abilene with the hope and anticipation of a call.

“If I get the call,” Nelson said. “I’ll go wherever I’m needed and show ‘em what I’ve got.”

E-mail Robarts at: kdr00c@acu.edu

Intramurals: Team thinking about future Continued from Page 10 playing, the team explored the university’s campus.

“Some went to a U of A game,” he said. “The University of Arizona is in the Elite 8, so everything was about college basketball. We got to see how Division I worked.”

The teammates returned to Abilene early Monday morning for classes.

“The whole experience was definitely a positive one,” Luke said. “We ended up winning as many games as we could.”

All of the teammates except for Drew, who will grad-

uate in May, anticipate the next intramural basketball season and the next regional tournament. They practice every day after class “They’ll stay together,” Drew said. “I’m sure they’ll win next year. It will be the same team except for me.”

“The rest of us will be

here; we’ll keep going, and I’m pretty sure we’ll keep winning,” Luke said. “We have a good chance of doing that.”

E-mail Williams at: tnt00b@acu.edu

SA: Congress strives to aid sporting events Continued from Page 1 portion of the student body.

“It’s kind of using Sing Song in an inappropriate way,” sophomore Sen. Jake Roseberry said.

Congress then moved on to suggesting other ways it could help increase game attendance.

Senior Sen. Jeffrey Rasco asked members why so many people spent so much money to attend professional sporting events even if the teams were not good.

“It’s because of the atmosphere,” Rasco said, answering his own question. “Make it fun.”

Some ideas to accomplish that goal included having

halftime contests with prizes and free giveaways for fans in attendance.

“College students: We love free stuff,” junior Sen. Justin Scott said. “If people know they have an opportu-

cessful sporting program is what it would take to increase attendance, not gimmicks — a premise that executive vice president Melanie Booker strongly opposed.

“I don’t care if they’re not

“I don’t care if they’re not the best in our district.

We need to be out there supporting them.”

Melanie Booker, vice president of the Students’ Association

nity to get something if they go to the game, that will really help.”

Some members of Congress, although they thought increasing attendance was a noble goal, said a truly suc-

the best in our district,” Booker said. “We need to be out there supporting them.”

Roseberry said if SA expects to be successful in increasing game attendance, Congress must get behind

the initiative.

“You either have to go all out 100 percent, or it’s going to totally flop,” Roseberry said. “Do all these ideas. Do as many as you can.”

With Congress members still lining up to offer suggestions, COBA Rep. Austin Brennen ended the evening of discussion by reminding Congress to do more than talk.

“We can keep throwing ideas out for another two hours,” Brennen said, “but nothing is going to happen if we don’t get out and do something.”

E-mail Smith at: jvs02a@acu.edu

SPORTSFRIDAY OPTIMIST

Page 10

Golf team places ninth in Oklahoma

LSC South Standings current through 03-30-05

Baseball Team ACU A&M-Kingsville Angelo State E. New Mexico Tarleton State West Texas A&M

Div. 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0

Tot. 23-10 21-10 14-15 12-16 14-19 10-23

Softball Team Angelo State Texas Woman’s ACU A&M-Kingsville Tarleton State E. New Mexico

Div. 7-1 5-3 5-3 3-5 3-5 1-7

April 1, 2005

Tot. 30-8 19-9 21-14 22-18 15-17 14-19

Kyle Byerly takes individual title at St. Andrews

By WARREN GRAY SPORTS WRITER

The ACU golf team finished ninth at the UCO Kickingbird Invitational on Tuesday, a week after taking home its highest placing of the season at the St. Andrews Invitational.

Curtis Harris led the Wildcats this week at Edmond,

Okla. Harris fired a 72 in the second round for the low ACU score of the tournament and finished in a tie for 25th place. Kyle Byerly finished three strokes back with a three-round total of 226 for a 32nd place finish.

Coach Mike Campbell said the weather in Edmond contributed to the high scores, specifically wind gusts of up to 40 mph.

“The weather was tough” Campbell said. “Plus we struggled on the greens.”

The ninth place finish broke a streak of tournaments

in which the Wildcats had improved their finishing place each time out.

“We had finished in fifth, third and second place, and I felt like we were making progress,” Campbell said.

“Last weekend, we just really struggled.”

The Wildcats’ second place finish came on March 22 at the St. Andrews Invitational in Pinehurst, N.C. ACU posted the lowest team round of the event in the first round with a 299 and hung on in round two with a score of 318.

“We played really well the first day, and it was a pretty difficult course,” Campbell said. “On the second day, it was really cold and windy, but we hung in there.”

Byerly hung around all the way to the final hole, when he birdied the 18th hole to take the individual title. Byerly shot a two-under 70 on the first day, but like most of the field saw his score fall in the difficult conditions of day two as he shot a 74. Only three of the 13 teams had a better team score on the second day.

The Wildcats had two

Looking for a soft place to land

Upcoming events in Wildcat sports...

Friday, April 1 BSB: West Texas A&M, noon SB: Eastern New Mexico, noon MTN: East Central, 8:30 a.m.

Central Okla. 2:30 p.m.

WTN: April 1-3, Cal Poly-Pomona Invitational

Champion Team Dime competes in tourney at University of Arizona

Saturday, April 2 BSB: West Texas A&M, noon SB: Eastern New Mexico, noon TK: Oliver Jackson Invitational MTN: Drury, 2 p.m.

WTN: Cal Poly Pomona Invitational

By TIFFANY WILLIAMS COPY EDITOR

Jason Elam of the Denver Broncos.

Nelson was hand-picked by the Pelfrey’s and went to Reno, Nev. March 27 to participate in Ray and Rob Pelfrey’s National Kicking Combine as a part of the company’s Pro/Free Agent Development program.

The program’s Website(www.pelfreykicking.com) boasts that, “It is football's largest—and by far the most productive — program of its kind in terms of getting players signed to contracts out of the try-out camp. On an annual basis, the Pro/Free Agent Development Program signs more punters and kickers to NFL player contracts than the draft and other Free Agent signings.”

“I’m telling you they wrote the book on kicking,” Nelson

Luke Witmire watched as his intramural basketball teammate successfully made a dunk. His team, Team Dime, was up by 12 with only a few minutes left for the win. He thought they had the game in hand.

“I was pretty sure we had complete control of the game,” said Witmire, junior exercise science major from Oklahoma City. “Everyone got pretty excited.”

But something changed.

The opposing team, the UhOhs, rapidly caught up to the players on the scoreboard and defeated Team Dime by one point in overtime.

As reigning intramural basketball champions at ACU, members of Team Dime felt privileged to be invited to the University of Arizona to play against teams from other universities in the regional tournament.

“We were definitely excited,” Witmire said.

His brother Drew is the captain of Team Dime. Drew said the only challenge of the tournament was finding enough time for every teammate to play.

“Of course, everyone on the team is on it for a reason. If they weren’t good, they wouldn’t be on the team,” said Drew Witmire, senior exercise science major from Oklahoma City. “The hardest thing while we were in Arizona was letting everyone do what they can do for the team.”

The team won every game they played in Saturday and Sunday’s tournament until they matched with University of Arizona’s Uh-Ohs. Despite the loss, Drew is glad for the experience.

“We are an unselfish team,” he said. “We’ve been playing since we were young. There is no reason to stop now.”

He said when they weren’t

See NELSON Page 9

See INTRAMURALS Page 9

Sunday, April 3 MTN: Rockhurts, 1 p.m.

WTN: Cal Poly-Pomona Invitational Tuesday, April 5 SB: Hardin Simmons, 5 p.m.

BSB: St. Edwards, 3 p.m.

Briefs Three ACU athletes were recognized as LSC Athletes of the Week in track and softball

Adeh Mwamba Mwamba posted the nation’s fastest time in the 1500 meters on Friday at the Stanford Invitational. She finished third in a mostly Division I field by turning in a time of 4:21.61 to automatically qualify for the NCAA Division II outdoor meet. Her time leaves her just outside the top 15 all-time performers in Division II history.

Katie Bryan First baseman Katie Bryan hit .613 last week (8 for 13) as ACU split four games. She totaled nine runs batted in, three runs scored, three home runs and two doubles. She had a pair of three-run home runs — one in each contest — during ACU’s doubleheader sweep of Incarnate Word on March 22.

— www.lonestarconference.org

E-mail Gray at: weg02a@acu.edu

Intramural basketball taken to new levels

(home events in italics)

Nicodemus Naimadu Naimadu posted the nation’s fastest time in the 5000 meters on Friday at the Stanford Invitational. He finished second in a mostly Division I field, turning in a 13:39.37 to automatically qualify for the NCAA Division II outdoor meet. His time makes him the seventh-fastest performer in Division II history, and it’s the top Division II clocking of this season by almost one minute.

other golfers in the top 20 of the event, with Matt Samples finishing in a tie for 16th with a 157 and Zach Starnes tying for 19th at 159.

Teammates will look to get back on the winning track on Monday and Tuesday in Amarillo at the Subway Invitational.

“I expect them to come back and compete on Monday,” Campbell said.

BRIAN SCHMIDT/Chief Photographer

Sophomore Jessica Blair clears the bar in the high jump during track and field practice on Thursday at Elmer Gray Stadium. The track team has been practicing all week for the Oliver-Jackson Invitational on Saturday. The track meet is the first of three home events and will begin at 9 a.m. at Elmer Gray Stadium. The next home meet will be the ACU Open on May 12.

Kicking through the door Former place-kicker Eben Nelson looks to professional future

By KYLE ROBARTS SPORTS WRITER

Who would have thought that shoe selection would have paid such large dividends?

In the early ’90s, Spike Lee and Michael Jordan teamed up for a Nike campaign that made famous the phrase, “It’s gotta be the shoes.” The joke was that Jordan’s playing ability was directly the result of his brand of shoes.

For former place-kicker Eben Nelson, his left-kicking shoe choice may not be responsible for his success as a player, but it did help open the door to the possibility and dream of playing in the NFL. The senior finished his

four-year career as a Wildcat this season and finished hitting 43 of 64 field goal attempts, accumulating 95 extra points, and 224 career points – all s c h o o l records.

On September 14, 2002 in Davis, Calif. the Wildcats squared off against the Nelson University of California at Davis where Nelson nailed a 50-yard field goal and two-extra points.

After the 34-17 loss, UC-Davis place-kicker Dusty Apocotos—who signed with the New Orleans Saints in February — approached Nelson and asked him if he liked his kicking shoe. Nelson replied “yes” and Apocotos

informed him that his uncle and grandfather designed the shoe and had taken notice of his performance.

Thus began Nelson’s relationship with Ray and Rob Pelfrey, the owners of Professional Kicking Services, Inc., a company that Sports Illustrated deemed “the best program of its kind in the country” in 1993. The Pelfrey’s business is designed to educate and develop high school, college and professional place-kickers and punters from around the country.

The company has produced 18 USA Today allAmericans in the past six years and has coached 30 current and former NFL kickers and punters including names like Ryan Longwell of the Green Bay Packers, Jay Feely of the Atlanta Falcons, Olindo Mare of the Miami Dolphins and

Men look to more success in LSC Baseball team prepares for conference foe West Texas A&M

By WARREN GRAY SPORTS WRITER

The baseball team was mired in what coach Britt Bonneau described as an “average” slump. In a twelve game stretch, the Wildcats went 5-7.

Two series sweeps later, the Wildcats find themselves on a nine game winning streak, and at just the right time.

Conference play begins Friday in Canyon against West Texas A&M. “We’re hoping to carry the

momentum into conference play,” Bonneau said after his team’s sweep over Southwestern Oklahoma State.

The Wildcats have been able to build momentum by winning with balance. A consistent and solid starting rotation has aided with the winning streak. Ben Brockman, Ben Maynard, Justin Whitlock and Brandon Moore have a combined record of 19-2 this season. Brockman is the unquestioned leader of the group with a 7-0 record and 2.20 ERA. Earlier in the season, Bonneau tabbed Brockman as his “only consistent starter.” But others are beginning to pick up the slack.

Both Brockman and Maynard, who sports a 3.76 ERA, have pitched two complete games this season, and both have one shutout on their ledger.

Finding consistent starters to fill the holes behind those two players has been a yearlong project but pulling Whitlock and Moore out of the bullpen has proved to be effective.

On the other side of the balance coin is the explosive offense the Wildcats have boosted of not only in the nine-game stretch, but all season.

See BASEBALL Page 9

File Photo by BRIAN SCHMIDT/Chief Photographer

Teammates congratulate senior center fielder Cody Cure after he hit a triple and scored on an error in the fourth inning of the 9-5 Wildcat victory over Southeastern Oklahoma State on March 19.