Optimist the
Vol. 98, No. 46
Rulers of the Rink
PAGE 5 1 section, 8 pages
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
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BREAKING NEWS, VIDEOS, PHOTOS, DISCUSSION AND EXCLUSIVE CONTENT FINANCIAL AID
New aid available to counter tuition increase
Whitney Puckett Contributing Reporter The financial aid team designated $500,000 to make next year’s 12 percent tuition increase bearable for qualifying students. The Application for Additional Financial
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Assistance gives students with unmet financial need the opportunity to receive assistance from ACU. Buck James, associate vice president for enrollment management, and his team have worked diligently to provide what is called the Application for
QUICK FACTS The university set $500,000 aside for returning students who struggle to afford the tuition increase. Follow these steps to apply: n n
Fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Fill out the university application at acu.edu/additionalassistance
Additional Financial As- struggling to make ends sistance. The team hopes meet in the wake of into assist students who are creasing costs.
“We want to make sure that we set aside a certain amount of money for families who are struggling,” James said. Applicants are required to fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid form along with the online university appli-
cation provided at www. acu.edu/additionalassistance. They then must submit the information to the Financial Aid office by April 30. After reviewing the applications, the office will award students see COST page 4
SOCIAL CLUBS
Piping Away Disaster
Policy restricts women’s formals Abby Anderson Contributing Reporter Every spring, the members of female and male social clubs prepare for one of the biggest social events of the year: spring formal. Formal has been a tradition for decades and is an opportunity to socialize, dress up and have a fun night with friends. This year, a change has been introduced into the policy for females’ spring social. Typically, the venue for spring formal is out of town; clubs have chosen cities all over Texas to host their special evenings in the past. This practice will continue for male social clubs, but as of this year, female social clubs must select a venue in Abilene. This change has elicited a wide range of emotions from club members, as female social clubs adjust to the new rule. Katie Findley, senior education major from Colleyville and president of Sigma Theta Chi, said the transition and rule change was the result of numerous things. Though clubs spend roughly the same amount of money regardless of
ZAK ZEINERT Staff Photographer ZAK ZEINERT Stafff Photographer
Workers prepare to dig between the McGlothlin Campus Center and the Biblical Studies Building.
The $5 million project will ease legitimate fears that the aged and corroded system could fail at any moment. Colter Hettich
to heating and cooling the campus. Kevin Roberts, chief informaEditor in Chief tion officer, said an abundance of Yet another major construction corrosion and the addition of the project commenced Friday and Money Student Wellness and Reccould have students going to their reation Center left the university iPhones for help navigating around no choice. “If we let this continue, we will the obstruction. The 8 to 11-foot-wide trench have a catastrophic failure in the between the McGlothlin Campus system,” Roberts said. “We’re going Center and the Onstead-Packer to do everything we can to make Biblical Studies Building is one of this as nonintrusive as possible.” five phases of a $5 million project to install new pipes essential see PIPES page 4
Image courtesy of OPERATIONS
PHASES
April 6 - May 17 March 29 - May 17
June 23 - July 28
May 18 - June 22
July 29 - Oct. 10
May 18 - June 29
July 29 - Oct. 10
see FORMAL page 4
CHAPEL
University embraces ‘Holy’ tradition Shea Rattan Contributing Reporter For the first time, the celebration of Holy Week is part of ACU Chapel. For centuries, the last week of Jesus’ life has been a time for believers to come together around their central tenet of faith: the
death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. In the Christian year, it is the week immediately preceding Easter and the last week of Lent. The week includes Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday (Holy Thursday) and Good Friday. It is also the first day of the new
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season, commemorating the last week of Jesus’ life on earth before his crucifixion and his resurrection on Easter Sunday. Although Holy Week caps the 40-day period of Lent, Easter is by far the most celebrated holiday during this time. In order to better focus
on the life of Jesus, Chapel this week will revolve around his last seven days on earth, with a different theme each day. On Monday, Russ Kirby, director of Student Services for the Graduate School of Theology, spoke about see HOLY page 4
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KELSI WILLIAMSON Chief Photographer
SHADES performs during Chapel on Monday. Palm leaves covered the aisle in honor of Holy Week.
Online
SOME TRADITIONS should not be modernized or refreshed. Holy Week should not be forced onto 4,000 students during mandatory Chapel. Page 6
ACU SPORTS HISTORY is filled with champions. Our sports staff picked four legendary atheletes whose legacies deserve to be etched in stone. Page 8
VIDEO
LOUDandCLEAR
Are you egg-cited for Easter? a. Yes, I’m hoppin’ with anticipation. b. Yes, but it has lost its true meaning. c. I get excited about any weekend. Students React to Health Care
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