The Optimist 9.18.15

THE OPTIMIST VOL. 104 NO. 5

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2015

1 SECTION, 12 PAGES

ZETA RHO TO ACCEPT ZETA BROS PAGE 4

SA PASSES BUDGET WITH ONE AMENDMENT PAGE 3 First year students practice their acts at dress rehearsal as they prepare for Freshman Follies and Family Weekend.

LYDIA LAWSON STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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• • •

Freshman Follies preview show at 8 p.m. in Cullen Auditorium Big Country Balloon Fest begins at Red Bud Park Entra a La Plaza at the Hunter Welcome Center from 6 to 9:30 p.m.

FRIDAY

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*Number is based on days Chapel is offered in Moody

• • • •

SATURDAY

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• •

Walk to End Alzheimer’s at Rose Park begins at 8 a.m.

Freshman Follies shows at 1 p.m. and 3:15 p.m.

Students Association tailgate at Shotwell from 4 to 6 p.m.

Football v. Houston Baptist University at Shotwell Stadium at 6 p.m.

Men’s social club coffees Summit begins at 7 p.m. in Moody Coliseum with keynote speaker Brady Bryce

SUNDAY

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• •

West Texas Book Festival begins at the Abilene Public Library at 11:45 a.m.

Summit Late-Night music performance featuring Claire Frederick in Chapel on the Hill at 8:30 p.m.

MONDAY

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• •

Paint Night with The Art Shack will be at The Mill Winery at 6:30 p.m.

Summit Late-Night Music Performance by No Face, a local Christian hip-hop duo, in Cullen Auditorium from 8:30-9:30 p.m.

•

The Price is Right Live will be at the Abilene Civic Center at 7:30 p.m.

Mike Cope will be the closing speaker for Summit in Moody Coliseum at 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY

24

THURSDAY

Men’s soccer club looks Students create new to relive its past pre-veterinary club Students who enjoy playing soccer will have a new opportunity to compete at the collegiate level next fall.

Austin Linehan, sophomore nursing major from Burleson, and Benjamin Johnston, sophomore advertising and public relations major from Aledo, are two students helping to start a men’s soccer team on campus this year.

With the predicted start season being fall 2016, the team is going to start playing scrimmages against other colleges such as Texas Christian University and University of North Texas once they receive funding.

By Allison Barksdale

Summit team invites hip-hop duo to perform

• •

Bid Acceptance Night Grace After Dark short film screening at the Grace Museum will begin at 8:30 p.m.

Animal science majors have created a club on campus specifically for students looking to become veterinarians.

A subgroup of the Agricultural and Environmental Science Club, the pre-vet club is for science majors who are interested in veterinary medicine and hope to attend to veterinary school after their undergraduate studies. . Students will be able to interact with one another and build connections with the veterinarian community.

By Mariana Cedillo

Freshman Follies to hit the big screen

Christian hip-hop collective No Face, comprised of Javan “Ki’Shon” Furlow, the area coordinator for Edwards Hall; and Darren “KNUOrigen” Hagood, a graduate student, will perform during this year’s Summit. The duo will perform Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. in Cullen Auditorium.

Freshman halls are adding the finishing touches for their “Silver Screen Showcase” Freshman Follies performances as part of Family Weekend.

The shows premiere Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 1 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. A special pre-showing will be on Thursday night at 7 p.m. for a reduced price of $5 at the door.

Tickets are $10 Friday and Saturday.

By Emily Muhlberg

By Emily Guajardo

published by the department of journalism and mass communication

•

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NEWS

09.18.15

3

Local Summit speakers offer diversity For the 109th Summit, most of the speakers have a Church of Christ background. This is different from past Summits, where speakers who were featured were typically well-known and from diverse religious and geographical backgrounds.

Having only seven months to plan and coordinate Summit, Dr. David Wray, interim director of Summit, and his team were able to schedule 128 speakers. Around 30 of them are faculty and staff from ACU. “Timing was an issue,” Wray said.

“You have loyalty to where you have relationships. You don’t just step in at the last moment and get these internationally known people. We did invite numerous ones, and they all declined because of their schedule.”

Summit 2015 Keynote Speakers Brady Bryce Sunday, 7 p.m.

Director of Contextual Education Abilene Christian University Abilene, TX Love Overflowing with Knowledge (Philippians 1:1-11)

Chris Smith Monday, 7 p.m.

Pulpit Minister Harpeth Hills Church of Christ Brentwood, TN Practicing the Mind of Christ (Philippians 2:1-18)

Raymond Carr Tuesday, 7 p.m.

Professor of Religion Pepperdine University Malibu, CA Lost in Knowledge of Christ (Philippians 3:1-11)

The team spent around two months identifying who they wanted to invite to be speakers, as well as focusing on who they wanted to get to speak on this years theme.

“We were lead to believe that we needed to extend a higher number of invitations because only a limited responded with a yes,” said Mandy Scudder, administrative coordinator of ministry events. “What we started finding was there were lots of yes’s coming in.

We were all pleasantly surprised at the amount of people that responded pretty quickly and said yes.

Having to rely not only on relations to schedule the speakers, but finding speakers who could have universal messages of diversity, openness and acceptance was very important. One of the goals with finding speakers was finding

Mike Cope Wednesday, 7 p.m.

Senior Minister Gold Course Road Church of Christ Midland, TX In Everything Pray (Philippians 4:1-14)

Richard Beck Monday, 11 a.m.

Department of Psychology Abilene Christian University Abilene, TX Imprisoned for Christ (Philippians 1:12-21)

Amy Bost Henegar Tuesday, 11 a.m.

Minister Family Life and Spiritual Formation Manhattan Church of Christ New York City, NY Living Worthy of the Gospel (Philippians 1:27-30)

Phil Brookman Wednesday, 11 a.m.

Pulpit Minister Memorial Road Church of Christ Edmond, OK Same Mind, Same God (Philippians 3:12-21)

“We tried a number of people outside of our ‘tribe,’ but we didn’t get any of them. So we felt we would use the best of the best.”

Judy Siburt

people who would be able to connect to not only visitors and loyal Summit attendees, but to students as well.

“It basically boiled down to who can we get that’s going to speak to the students and speak to the people who’ve come for years and still offer something on the cutting edge,” said Judy Siburt, volunteer and wife of late Dr. Charles

Siburt. “We tried a number of people outside of our ‘tribe,’ but we didn’t get any of them. So we felt we would use the best of the best.”

The team also looked into current issues and made sure to get speakers who could talk on these topics. One session, being taught by Dr. Steven Moore, associate professor of language and literature, is focusing on the most recent conflict between young black men and white police officers.

“Steven Moore did his dissertation on black rage, so he is addressing some of the issues that are going on with black people being incarcerated by white police officers,” said Wray. “Dr. Neal Coates, who is a faculty member, is talking about the genocide that’s going on with Copts Christians in the Middle East.”

Summit begins at 7 p.m. Sunday in Moody with Dr. Brady Bryce, assistant professor of practical theology and director of contextual education, as the

4

NEWS

09.18.15

Zeta Rho to accept honorary male members

BY BRITTANY JACKSON Zeta Rho could be gaining a few bros this semester.

After almost 60 years, the women’s social club is revamping its policy accepting honorary male members. As of Thursday, the club is looking forward to inducting three men.

It all started when Barrett Corey, junior management major from San Antonio, emailed the club asking if there was any way he could pledge the traditionally service-oriented women’s club.

Dr. Kristina Davis, Zeta Rho on-campus sponsor and assistant professor of communication and honors studies, said shortly after Corey’s inquiry a few of the members were looking through the 1960 edition of the Prickly Pear and found mention of a Zeta Rho Star, also referenced as the Zeta Rho Beau, a male member being honored for his service with the club.

“We were able to prove that it was part of our history, and we were able to move in that direction,” Davis said.

“So we approached Mark and asked if we could have someone who was kind of an honorary member who would be a part of pretty much everything we do, but not an official Zeta Rho member.”

She said the women will be able to nominate a man, go through a similar voting process that all social clubs experience and decide if the nominated man is a good fit for the club.

To modernize the title, the women are changing “beau” to “bro.”

Jackson, associate director of student organizations and programs, said an honorary member is not uncommon for clubs, such as Trojan’s Helen of Troy and Alpha Kai Omega’s Kaio King.

“In this case, this young man, if this is what he wanted to do, could be an honorary member, but he wouldn’t actually be a member of Zeta Rho,” he said. “So he could help very much the same as Helen of Troy and Kaio King.”

In the past, the Kaio King has helped with homecoming floats and projects, whereas Helen of Troy has hosted etiquette nights to teach members how to properly

“It’s one of those things that as we move into our future, we really want to see it be a part of who we are.”

Dr. Kristina Davis

treat women.

In terms of rushing and pledging, and events like Homecoming and Sing Song, Jackson said he doesn’t anticipate much changing.

“Our clubs are not coed, we have men’s clubs and we have women’s clubs,” Jackson said. “Since it’s an honorary member, I don’t think it’ll affect anything. Again, this person is not pledging; that’s not happening. It’s literally just an honorary deal.”

Davis said she shared the news of the prospective honorary member at a club meeting Wednesday night, garnering a positive response from all women present.

“Oh, the women are excited; they love the idea,” she said. “It’s one of those things that as we move into our future, we really want to see it be a part of who we are.”

As the women talked, a couple of them relayed that their male friends would be interested in the same prospect.

“We know that we’re kind of one of the smallest clubs on campus, but we’re hoping that bringing in a few of these Bros will kind of revitalize us in ways and then also give us a whole new group of people who want to be a part of service,” Davis said. “We love that that’s a part of the reason why we were originally contacted.”

Any men interested can contact Zeta Rho President Kristi McQueen at klm12a@acu.edu before next Thursday. bkj12a@acu.edu

09.18.15

SA passes budget with little debate

BY ALLISON BROWN Student Congress passed the Students’ Association fall budget in record time during Wednesday night’s session.

In a meeting lasting less than an hour, the $163,076 budget passed with only one amendment before being approved unanimously by the 51 members of Congress.

Because of the addition of the student activity fee last spring, SA had more money to distribute this year, leaving less need for students to debate over allocations.

The student organization budget increased to about $49,000 from last spring’s $39,000. Additionally, the appropriations fund more than doubled in size. That $8,000 – up from last year’s $3,000 – will be up for grabs for student groups who request additional funds throughout the semester. Also added to this year’s budget is the campus entertainment fund of $62,000, which makes up 38 percent of overall SA expenses.

Morgan Jennings, SA executive treasurer, along with chief financial officer Austin Cotton, said they put in many hours before the meeting hoping the budget would pass quickly.

“I’m really excited it was so successful, because, you know, you worry about things when you work so hard on them,” said Jennings, junior accounting major from Abilene. “I really appreciate Congress trusting us.

I was hoping it would pass this quickly, but did I anticipate it? Probably not, considering the historical track record of budget meetings.”

The budget meeting has, in the past, had a reputation for lengthy debate among student groups and representatives, but changes in the format reduced discussion to a minimum. When put on the floor for amendments, Room 201 was quiet before anyone motioned to amend.

Rachael Shudde, sophomore mathematics and political science major from Ovalo, submitted the only amendment to the budget. Shudde

5

NEWS

“I was hoping it would pass this quickly, but did I anticipate it?

Probably not, considering the historical track record of budget meetings.”

Morgan Jennings motioned to fund International Justice Mission’s Liberty in North Korea Chapel forum by moving funds from five different student groups.

Country Club, Sanctify and Student Association of Social Work each had $50 of their funds moved to IJM; $25 was pulled from both League of Wildcats and Wildlife Society. This $200 is now allocated toward hosting a Chapel forum related to humanitarian work in North Korea.

After Shudde’s motion passed with a 24-18-5 vote, Congress motioned to previous question, putting the budget up for final Congressional approval with no further amendments. This vote passed 48-0-3. In one swift motion, the overall budget was approved unanimously, made public and the meeting adjourned.

Cotton, senior finance major from Keller, said he felt good about his first budget meeting as CFO. “It was definitely a learning curve for me, not being in SA before,” Cotton said. “We’ve put in a lot of work these last few weeks, and it’s exciting to see it go through so smoothly, and we appreciate Rachael helping to make it even better.” akb12b@acu.edu

Students’ Association Budget ($) 2014 v. 2015 Accounts Payable

2014

2015

Appropriations Fund

3, 790

8, 000

Congressional Project Fund

4, 500

8, 000

Executive Cabinet Initiative Fund

4, 500

8, 000

Marketing Fund

250

3, 500

Class Allocations Freshman Sophomore Junior Senior

4, 000 1, 000 1, 000 1, 000 1, 000

7, 000

Accounts Payable Total

17, 040

Expenses

2014

Student Organization 39, 210 Allocation Budget Operational Expenses

Office Supplies 3, 000 Mailbox 51.50

Total Expenses

2015

48, 922.80

4, 132.32 51.50

42, 261.50 51, 106.62

7

F E AT U R E S

09.18.15

The world through her lens Photographer Eleanor Hamby has traveled the world and is bringing Middle Eastern architecture to Abilene.

BY MERCEDEZ HERNANDEZ

H

Photos clockwise from top left: Eleanor Hamby takes a photo in Saudi Arabia.

Two camels wait outside The Street of Facades in Petra, Jordan.

The ruins of Al Ula in Saudi Arabia, Ad Dier Monastery in Peira, Jordan.

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF ELEANOR HAMBY

amby is a well-traveled photographer whose photos of ancient Middle Eastern architecture are being displayed until Oct. 24 at the Center for Contemporary Arts. Her works will also be shown Sept. 28 at ACU’s Shore Art Gallery from 7-8 p.m. where Hamby will make an appearance to speak about her photography and travels.

Hamby began traveling with her late husband, Kelly, who taught in ACU’s department of education soon after the two were married, but Hamby began traveling more extensively in the last 15-20 years. In Hamby’s 45 years of traveling, she has been to all seven continents, and over 100 countries, including Turkey, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

She also lived in Africa for 6 years and started the Zambia Medical Mission with her husband.

Hamby has had numerous exhibitions, both in Africa and in the U.S. but her current exhibition, entitled Nabataean Ancient Structures: Jordan to Saudi Arabia is her first show featuring photos of architecture. Her passion for photography began 15 years ago when she was inspired to document the lives of people around her.

“My main interest has always been people, not nec-

essarily architecture,” Hamby said. “I love to connect with people and cultures, and I love to be able to show those and

transport and staying in local hotels that’s when you meet the interesting people to take pictures of,” Hamby said.

things I will show are no longer in existence, but I’m glad I was able to capture them in photographs not knowing that they were going to be destroyed.” amby says she hopes her exhibition and presentation about Middle Eastern culture will educate gallery attendees about the importance of preserving history.

“This exhibition helps us to have an understanding of the world and see how important these things are to our history,” Hamby said. “Even though these structures are far removed from the United States, they’re still important to the world’s history.”

After her many years of travelling and documenting, Hamby has some advice for those wanting to pursue photography like she has.

“Don’t be afraid, if you really want to be serious about this,” Hamby said. “You’ve got to have confidence in yourself, which can be hard to do sometimes. Try to think of things that are your specialty. I focus on things that are dear to my heart and really mean a lot to me; being passionate about something usually makes for a good photograph.”

H The Qasr al-Farid in Saudi Arabia. express those connections through my photography.” omething that helps Hamby snap interesting photos on her trips is doing things that a typical tourist would normally not do.

“The kind of travel I do is kind of outside a lot of people’s comfort zones,” Hamby said.

“I take buses and stay in local hotels, I have even stayed in a youth hostel and I’m 74 years old, but those are some ways I have really been able to see the world.”

Hamby says that when she travels like a local that is when she becomes most inspired to take pictures.

“By travelling in public

S

“You’re documenting their lives, and the expressions on their faces say a thousand words. I’ve just always had a fascination and interest in that.”

When she comes to campus, Hamby plans to speak about her time spent in the modern Middle East. Hamby herself was in Syria at the time its civil war began and plans to discuss how the war has already destroyed and may destroy more rare structures.

“One of the main things I will speak about will be the war in Syria and the destruction of so many architectural ruins that are 2,000 years old,” Hamby said. “Several

mmh13a@acu.edu

“I love to connect with people and cultures, and I love to be able to show those and express those connections through my photography.”

Eleanor Hamby

7

F E AT U R E S

09.18.15

The world through her lens Photographer Eleanor Hamby has traveled the world and is bringing Middle Eastern architecture to Abilene.

BY MERCEDEZ HERNANDEZ

H

Photos clockwise from top left: Eleanor Hamby takes a photo in Saudi Arabia.

Two camels wait outside The Street of Facades in Petra, Jordan.

The ruins of Al Ula in Saudi Arabia, Ad Dier Monastery in Peira, Jordan.

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF ELEANOR HAMBY

amby is a well-traveled photographer whose photos of ancient Middle Eastern architecture are being displayed until Oct. 24 at the Center for Contemporary Arts. Her works will also be shown Sept. 28 at ACU’s Shore Art Gallery from 7-8 p.m. where Hamby will make an appearance to speak about her photography and travels.

Hamby began traveling with her late husband, Kelly, who taught in ACU’s department of education soon after the two were married, but Hamby began traveling more extensively in the last 15-20 years. In Hamby’s 45 years of traveling, she has been to all seven continents, and over 100 countries, including Turkey, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

She also lived in Africa for 6 years and started the Zambia Medical Mission with her husband.

Hamby has had numerous exhibitions, both in Africa and in the U.S. but her current exhibition, entitled Nabataean Ancient Structures: Jordan to Saudi Arabia is her first show featuring photos of architecture. Her passion for photography began 15 years ago when she was inspired to document the lives of people around her.

“My main interest has always been people, not nec-

essarily architecture,” Hamby said. “I love to connect with people and cultures, and I love to be able to show those and

transport and staying in local hotels that’s when you meet the interesting people to take pictures of,” Hamby said.

things I will show are no longer in existence, but I’m glad I was able to capture them in photographs not knowing that they were going to be destroyed.” amby says she hopes her exhibition and presentation about Middle Eastern culture will educate gallery attendees about the importance of preserving history.

“This exhibition helps us to have an understanding of the world and see how important these things are to our history,” Hamby said. “Even though these structures are far removed from the United States, they’re still important to the world’s history.”

After her many years of travelling and documenting, Hamby has some advice for those wanting to pursue photography like she has.

“Don’t be afraid, if you really want to be serious about this,” Hamby said. “You’ve got to have confidence in yourself, which can be hard to do sometimes. Try to think of things that are your specialty. I focus on things that are dear to my heart and really mean a lot to me; being passionate about something usually makes for a good photograph.”

H The Qasr al-Farid in Saudi Arabia. express those connections through my photography.” omething that helps Hamby snap interesting photos on her trips is doing things that a typical tourist would normally not do.

“The kind of travel I do is kind of outside a lot of people’s comfort zones,” Hamby said.

“I take buses and stay in local hotels, I have even stayed in a youth hostel and I’m 74 years old, but those are some ways I have really been able to see the world.”

Hamby says that when she travels like a local that is when she becomes most inspired to take pictures.

“By travelling in public

S

“You’re documenting their lives, and the expressions on their faces say a thousand words. I’ve just always had a fascination and interest in that.”

When she comes to campus, Hamby plans to speak about her time spent in the modern Middle East. Hamby herself was in Syria at the time its civil war began and plans to discuss how the war has already destroyed and may destroy more rare structures.

“One of the main things I will speak about will be the war in Syria and the destruction of so many architectural ruins that are 2,000 years old,” Hamby said. “Several

mmh13a@acu.edu

“I love to connect with people and cultures, and I love to be able to show those and express those connections through my photography.”

Eleanor Hamby

09.18.15

OPINION

Budget passes with lack of conversation On Wednesday, the Students’ Association passed the fall 2015 budget in record time with a $9,712.80 overall increase in incoming revenue.

Congress passed the $163,076 budget with only one motion interrupting the flow of things.

The new student fee of $25, proposed and passed by SA last semester in an attempt to bring more entertainment to campus, is responsible for an increase in incoming revenue. The meeting went similarly to last semester’s, since former SA President Rodney Johnson stated in the Constitution it excuses student organizations from taking the floor for debate.

Instead, Congress members are responsible for reading up on the budget before hand and talking with any organizations they believe should have been given

more money.

In the meeting, the budget was announced and allocations shared, and a 5-minute recess followed to give Congress members time to talk with student organization representatives in the room.

Several members could be seen talking with organization representatives about why their clubs needed money for certain things, and quite frankly, it was a relief to hear the conversations between Congress and students.

Then, when the meeting was reconvened and the budget came into question, Congress members sat quietly in their seats.

Eventually, one Congress member motioned to reallocate funds from several organizations to pay for an International Justice Mission Chapel forum.

After that passed, silence resumed, with the budget passing in the next 10 minutes.

In fact, Congress members took longer looking at the syntax and grammar corrections of the budget than they did discussing the allocations during the meeting.

Every undergraduate student is giving $25 to this budget, and yet the Congress members (those responsible for representing them in Students’ Association decisions) remained mostly quiet.

Whether it was from timidity or an unfamiliarity with the process, the lack of conversation was alarming, to say the least. Though on the surface the brief meeting was successful in approving the budget, we wonder how many thoughts were left unsaid.

EDITORIAL AND LETTER POLICY Unsigned editorials are the opinions of the Optimist 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 or the university.

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

containing personal attacks, obscenity, defamation, erroneous information or invasion of privacy. Please limit letters to 350 words or fewer. 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 79609 E-mail letters to: optimist@acu.edu

9

OPINION

09.18.15

Who says you can’t go home? hashtagACU Lamborghini Mercy Mercedez Hernandez Last Friday I went to a football game, my former high school’s first away game, to be exact.

Returning to my alma mater did not seem like an ideal Friday night, but my friend really wanted to go, and I had no plans of my own, unless you count watching Netflix as a plan. I ran a brush through my hair, swept some eye shadow on and was soon on my way to basking under some Friday night lights.

I have been to several high

school functions since graduation but have always taken care not to become “That Guy.” That Guy is a person who may or may not be trying to relive their high school days vicariously through things like sporting events.

As my friend and I took our seats on the long aluminum benches of the football stadium, I was trying my hardest not to look like That Guy. At first, I tried to be aloof; I was trying to appear cool and collegiate, whatever that means. That front wore down pretty quickly though, as I don’t have a cool bone in my body.

I thought about how I used to

enjoy games like this. I knew I could never recreate the feeling I had in high school, but honestly, whose business was it if I danced to a marching band playing Smoke on the Water? I shook off the worry of looking like That Guy and ended up having a great time.

You should never worry about looking like That Guy because he doesn’t even exist.

Just because you’ve graduated and are supposed to be a “real” adult now, does not mean if you maintain some ties to your high school you’re trying to go back.

And if someone judges you for doing so, I don’t think it’s you who needs to do the growing up.

Letters to the Editor

BY STEVE HOLT When ACU’s new Nike sponsorship was announced Friday in a press conference featuring president Phil Schubert, Athletic Director Lee De Leon said this: ‘There aren’t a lot of schools that get to say that they’re a Nike school. Well, after today, ACU gets to say that we are.’

This sentiment should give us pause. I love and cherish my experience at ACU, but I believe the efforts the last several years to bolster the school’s athletic profile are misguided. I say that as a huge sports fan and

former sports reporter/editor at ACU. Before someone thinks of ACU as a sports powerhouse, they should first think of it as an academic institution that consistently churns out leaders in their fields. Instead of a ‘Nike school,’ the administration should push to make ACU into a ‘biology school.’ A ‘medical research school.’ A ‘journalism school.’ I don’t think ACU is there yet, by a long-shot.

I also don’t believe a well-known sports program or being a ‘Nike school’ necessarily attracts more of the kinds of leaders in medicine/

journalism/academia/business/etc that many hope it will, an argument I’ve heard repeatedly in reference to going Division I and now by some in reference to the Nike sponsorship.

Maybe I’ve been living in New England too long, where athletics take a BIG back seat to academics, and where the impact of that in the form of program strength and graduate preparedness is undeniable.

BY SETH MONTGOMERY I saw something that shocked me the other day. It was a caterpillar stuck to the bottom of a tire on someone’s car. “Now what is THAT doing there!” I shouted, but the driver didn’t hear me because he was still in his car. After doing some research later that day, I discovered that caterpillars can only move an average of half a mile per hour. At this rate, the poor guy had no chance of escaping squashing blow of Jeep Wrangler.

I bet when this caterpillar kissed his children goodbye that morning and told his wife he would be

home late because of a busy day in the office, he didn’t expect to be flattened to death by a careless ACU student. Now the poor children have no one to teach them the proper technique for wrapping up a cocoon. I can’t begin to imagine the shame they will feel when the other dads begin turning into beautiful butterflies and they’ve got nothing to talk about because their dad is dead.

I think we as a student body have been growing more selfish in recent years. When you only think of yourself and what you must do to grab the last

good parking spot on the way to class, you become careless and turn baby caterpillars into orphan caterpillars. It doesn’t really take much effort to slow down or swerve out of the way when critters are crossing, but that only comes with a change of heart and a desire to put others first. Perhaps the answer for you is to leave 10 minutes earlier or maybe invest in a good bike. Please stop fighting for parking spots and start caring for things that truly matter.

Steve Holt is a 2004 journalism graduate now living in Boston.

Follow @acuoptimist on Twitter Sept. 15 9:20 a.m.

Just tried to swipe into the student wellness center with a Subway gift card and if that’s not a prohphetic mistake, I don’t know what is.

@kkevinb Sept. 14 8:46 a.m.

The library at 8 am is one of my favorite things because everyone looks so confused and angry

Checks Left* Checks Right* Takes Selfie*

@j_smith68 Sept. 15 9:22 a.m.

My professor just apologized for having to cancel class next week. What a sweet woman, we will get along just fine

@salvatoreangela @t_money754 Sept. 11 11:31 a.m.

Air Conditioning Universitu

@carlischeevel Sept. 10 1:04 p.m.

so in ten years will my adidas ACU stuff be #vintage and worth more? or is this like a beanie baby situation?

Sept. 16 6:57 p.m.

One hour left of work

means one hour until I @k_winz get to eat again.

@SoyTophu Sept 16 7:44 p.m.

Literally just sa a cardboard cutout of Beyoncé strapped in chillin in someone’s backseat #youdoyou

@alannarael @abbiquail Sept. 14 11:00 a.m.

SPOILER ALERT: every rushing video has a girl blowing glitter and lots of fake laughing. #TSCM #ripglitter

@totalsocialclub Seth Montgomery is senior information technology major from Abilene.

Sept. 17 11:01 a.m.

Sept. 11 2:19 p.m.

I am 90% sure I am witnessing a first date. in the library.

ACU library: where stress abounds + love apparently flourishes

@emjmuhl

10

SPORTS

All-Southland kicker Out for 2015

BY HANNAH NULL Football junior kicker Nik Grau has applied for a medical redshirt designation from the NCAA after struggling to recover from a chronic lower back injury.

The NCAA allows such a redshirt only if the athlete has played in 30 percent or less of the current season.

“I have been in a lot of pain so I’ve been rehabbing a lot, limiting my reps and reducing workouts,” said Grau. “I didn’t feel

well prepared for the season.”

Grau was a key component to the Wildcats 6-6 record last season. He received second team all-conference honors and multiple player of the week awards.

With 47 extra-point attempts on the season, the Grapevine native successfully completed 46 extra-points during his sophomore year. Last year, Grau was fourth in the conference in field goal percentage (82.4), going 14-17 for the season.

“My team needs a reliable kicker,” Grau said. “With the pain I am suffering from, I don’t feel confident enough to achieve that, so I’m going to give myself a year to heal.

It won’t be easy though because I already can’t wait to be back out there.”

For now, freshmen place-kickers Zach Lehr and Brad Mitchell are in the running to fill Grau’s spot this season.

Read more at acuoptimist.com hln12a@acu.edu

09.18.15

STANDINGS FOOTBALL STANDINGS

Team

Div.

MSU SELU HBU Lamar ACU

1-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-1 0-1

Nicholls St. SHSU UCA SFA UIW NSU

Ovrl 1-0 2-0 1-1 1-1 0-1 0-1 0-1 0-2 0-2 1-1 0-2

SOCCER STANDINGS

Team

SELU HBU MSU SHSU Lamar NSU Nicholls St. UCA UIW ACU SFA TAMU-CC

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

Ovrl 5-1-1 2-2-1 3-3 3-3-1 4-4 3-4-1 2-3-1 3-5 2-6 1-6-1 1-6 0-5-1

VOLLEYBALL STANDINGS

Team

TAMU-CC HBU Lamar NO SFA SHSU SELU Nicholls St. MSU UIW UCA NSU ACU

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

Ovrl 9-3 7-4 7-4 6-5 6-5 5-6 4-6 3-6 2-7 2-7 2-8 2-8 0-10

BRIEFINGS Stories available at acuoptimist.com Football opens Southland season against Huskies

by Collin Wieder A freshman connection: Sealey to Proctor

by Derek Marcelain Be sure to follow @OptimistSports on Twitter for more stories and the latest ACU sports news coverage.

09.18.15

11

SPORTS

The Road to Beaverton, Oregon

BY DANIEL ZEPEDA Director of athletics Lee De Leon surprised most people when he unveiled a new five-year contract between the Department of Athletics and Nike that will put Wildcats in the Oregon-based company’s gear well into 2021.

The partnership goes into effect on July 1, 2016. De Leon did not disclose the value of the contract.

Rewind a few months however, and De Leon and the athletics office would tell you that Nike was not a part of ACU’s immediate future.

“Originally we started contract negotiations with Adidas, and then Under Armour came into the picture and made us an offer, but in the end, we couldn’t turn down Nike,” De Leon said. “We have nothing against Adidas, they have done a great job the past three years, but in the end, we have to do what’s best for us and for where we want to be in the future.”

When negotiations began, it appeared that ACU’s next sponsor would be from Baltimore, Maryland.

“About three months ago I went to a conference and met some representatives from Under Armour, and they started coming after us pretty hard,” De Leon said. “They told me that they had 16 schools that they sponsored and they wanted ACU to be the 17th.

So at that time, I started going back and forth between Adidas and Under Armour, who both had given us great deals, but I really wasn’t sure which one to choose.”

One afternoon changed all that for De Leon and the Wildcats.

“I was meeting with our student body president Beau Carter one afternoon and he saw some Adidas and Under Armour stuff in my office,” De Leon said. “I told him we were negotiating between the two and he asked me ‘Why aren’t we Nike?’

“I know there are a lot of students on campus that want ACU to be a Nike sponsored school,” Carter said. “I honestly was just curious as to whether or not ACU joining Nike would be realistic.”

That single question would be the beginning of the negotiation process with the largest sportswear manufac-

ELIJAH EVANS VISUALS EDITOR

The athletic department chose Nike despite offers from current outfitter, Adidas, and Under Armour.

turer in the world.

“I told him that Nike wasn’t really interested in ACU, we didn’t have a big enough program and that it probably wasn’t going to happen,” De Leon said.

In July, Nike signed Michigan to a 10-year, $169 million deal and Tennessee to an eight-year, $35 million deal. The company also already partnered with four other universities from Texas, in Baylor, Texas Christian, Texas and Southern Methodist, making it unlikely that the sports apparel juggernaut would find interest in ACU. “Beau looked at me and said, ‘Well have you asked them?’,” De Leon said.

He had not. But as only a politician can do, Carter convinced De Leon to do just that.

“After he said that, I found the phone number for the director of collegiate athletic wear for Nike and called him up, put him on speaker with Beau, and we discussed if there was any possible future where ACU and Nike are partners,” De Leon said.

“The three of us talked and eventually it was through his connection with (ACU alum) Lance Barrow that got us through the door and talking about a possible deal.”

To be a part of that phone call, with the director of athletics of a Div. I university and a director with Nike,

was something Carter was not expecting.

“Originally, I was coming in to talk to him about the Student Association’ Tailgate Initiative that we have going on this fall,” Carter said. “I had no idea that this would happen and that I would at all be involved in the process.”

In the week’s that followed, De Leon continued to negotiate with Nike, but received little response.

“At the board meeting a few weeks later, Lee pulled me aside and told me that Adidas and Under Armour had both given us incredible deals but we hadn’t gotten anything from Nike yet,” Carter said.

Eventually, Nike did get back with De Leon and offered the Wildcats a deal they couldn’t refuse.

“Things got busy and we followed up about a week later and I told him what we were looking for and he came back with an offer that was exactly what we wanted,” De Leon said.

“I hung up the phone and let out the biggest yell that everyone could hear in the office. I had to apologize but at the same time, I got to tell my staff that we just hit a home run.”

The move to Nike opens up several doors for ACU. The new deal gives the Wildcats more flexibility financially, a huge recruiting tool and another step in becoming an established Div. I university.

“I hope this will primarily impact athletics’ recruiting over the next few years, as it is definitely a selling point to be wearing the top athletic brand in the world on your jersey,” Carter said.

“I also firmly believe that this will accelerate our transition into becoming a name in college sports regarding our Div. I transition.

“One of the big points we talked about in the office the day of the phone call was how big this would be for putting the Wildcats on the map.

We hope that this, paired with student involvement in sporting events through tailgates and game attendance, will fuel our transition and bring our school together behind our athletics department.” djz11a@acu.edu

SPORTS

THE OPTIMIST FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2015 PAGE 12

3-YEAR S TA R T I N G KICKER OUT FOR SEASON PAGE 10

WILDCAT ATHLETICS JOIN THE NIKE FAMILY PAGE 11