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. Page 10
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. Page 4
Ashton Kutcher and Bernie Mac’s remake of Guess Who provides a few laughs. Page 5
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