Optimist Print Edition 03.31.23

PHOTOS BY MEGHAN LONG AND DANIEL CURD

Top Left: Freshman Wizard of Oz belt their final note.

Top Right: The men of Frater Sodalis play a round of Wheel of Fortune.

Middle: Clark Sullivan performs a solo.

Bottom Upper Left: The Senior bowling pins get knocked over.

Bottom Lower Left: The women of Delta Theta are scared of a Rabbit.

Bottom Right: The women of Ko Jo Kai perform as toy soldiers.

Hosts, hostesses soon to take Sing Song stage

BY BRYLIE LEACH STAFF WRITER

The 2023 Sing Song hosts and hostesses have dedicated the past several months to rehearsals and preparations for this weekend’s production.

Host and hostess vocal coach Marlow Rodgers said the four women and two men who will host the show will take the entertainment and talent of Sing Song to the next level.

“They sing group numbers, duets, solos and even dance in a few songs, as well,” Rodgers said. “They

are required to commit to roughly six hours of rehearsal a week.

We started working on their solos in November.

We started their duets and group numbers the Monday before the start of the Spring semester and have been working through all their numbers since then. It’s been a fun few months.”

Student Productions facilitated host and hostess auditions in the fall semester.

Students interested in becoming a host or hostess went through two rounds of

2023 Hosts and Hostesses

Alyssa Burkhead, senor communication sciences and disorders major from Black Diamond, Washington

Joan Lavaki, senior ministry and vocation major from Abilene

Hansen Penya, senior sociology major from Abilene

Clark Sullivan, senior ministry and vocation major from Abilene

Erin Venette, junior management major from Cypress

Anna Wasson, senior social work major from Corinth

auditions around mid-October before StuPro made the final decision.

Anna Wasson said she hopes to keep the crowd engaged through a variety of songs and create an enjoy-

able show.

“My main goal as a Sing Song hostess is to entertain everyone watching the show and to sing well for them while they wait for the next act,” Wasson said.

Alyssa Burkhead said Sing Song is a great opportunity for students to connect with others they might not otherwise spend time with.

“My favorite thing about Sing Song is that it brings all different types of students together,” Burkhead said. “It’s an opportunity for students to bond over a love of music and being goofy.”

With countless hours of work and effort going into this production, participants said they hope attendees and other participants are able to take something away from

this experience.

Wasson said she hopes the participants take away a fun college experience and a sense of pride for all the work they put into their acts.

“I hope people take away from Sing Song how unique an experience it is for a whole campus to come together to put on a show and compete with one another,” Wasson said.

“I also hope they can see and appreciate all the work it takes from so many people in order to bring the show together.”

Student directors produce, solve puzzles behind the scenes

BY BRYLIE LEACH STAFF WRITER

This year’s Sing Song student directors have diligently been at work alongside the Courtney McGaha, director of student productions, in their preparation for this year’s production.

“Student Directors are hired each year to lead the production team and help me run the production the week of the show,” McGaha said. “Each student director leads their own area of the production, including upstage, downstage, business and operations. Each one has different duties depending on their position.”

Upstage refers to the club and class acts, and downstage includes the hosts and hostesses and the dance teams that perform.

Business operations include tickets, merchandise sales and advertising, and operations covers house responsibilities, judges and more.

To become a Sing Song

student director, student leaders are chosen through an interview process based on their Sing Song and leadership experience and who McGaha believes can most efficiently help run the show.

Caroline McKnight said her goal as a Sing Song leader has been to make the experience as fun and stress-free for students as possible.

“My main goal as a student director is to lead my team successfully and efficiently to deliver a unique Sing Song experience for the participants and alumni judges,” McKnight said. “I also strive to be a safe place and neutral zone for my team of underclassmen. We all know college is not easy. Specifically, juggling responsibilities for a large student-led event, school, work and personal life can be a lot. I never want Sing Song to be a source of severe anxiety.

That would defeat the purpose of why I am in this leadership position.”

The Sing Song student

2023 Directors

Caroline McKnight, senior corporate and nonprofit communication major from Pittsburg, Kansas

Sam Onstead, senior finance and accounting major from Sugar Land

Taylor Watson, senior psychology major from San Antonio

Eboni Wescott, senior communication major from Dallas

Jake Wewe, sophomore engineering major from Austin

director position requires students to attend weekly meetings with the other student directors. These directors conduct interviews for the student leadership team as well as search for judges via the alumni database. All of these factors are taken seriously so the experience will be enjoyable for everyone.

“I hope all the participants (1) have a great time, (2) en-

joy being present in every moment good or bad, (3) remember that being open to the friendships and challenges Sing Song offers is all part of the process,” McKnight said. “I just want to urge everyone to keep Sing Song in perspective. It can be such a hectic and busy season of life. Don’t get wrapped up in unnecessary worry or drama. Your mental health is not worth sacrificing for something as fleeting as Sing Song.”

With so much effort going into Sing Song, the crew hopes that attendees and participants will take something away from the production.

Sam Onstead said he hopes Sing Song provides joy for others.

“My favorite thing about Sing Song is the community aspect,” Onstead said. “There is nothing more special at ACU than when we are all in a community together. I hope that for many of our students, watching the show gives them an opportunity to escape that stress for a bit.”

Picking a prize-winning theme

Directors deliberate on skills, music and past inspirations

BY SHERIDAN WOOD MANAGING EDITOR

Sororities, fraternities and class acts have spent the last several months preparing for Sing Song by learning music, choreography and designing and creating sets and costumes to match this year’s act themes.

William Grandell, senior nursing major from Carrollton, is GSP’s Sing Song director. He said GSP had done a Top Gun inspired act in the past, but Grandell wanted to recreate it for this year’s competition following the 2022 release of the movie’s sequel, Top Gun Maverick.

“One of my favorite acts GSP did for Sing Song was 2004’s Top Gun act, and then Top Gun of course was a big deal this year,” Grandell said. “I just thought this would be the perfect time to redo it but put a twist on it with the sequel.”

Grandell said he chose to parody songs that were done in the 2004 act, as well as add

new songs that are included in the movies soundtracks.

Molly Mercer, freshman vocal performance major from Abilene, is leading this year’s Freshman Purple act with the theme Wizard of Oz.

Mercer said she and her co-director were workshopping lots of potential Sing Song theme ideas, but landed on the Wizard of Oz for its potential for a variety of costumes and a colorful set.

“We thought about very abstract ideas and themes that wouldn’t be thought about from some other groups,”

Mercer said. “We were wanting them [costumes and the set] to look good on stage, and have lots of creative costumes. We thought about wizards, and Wicked, and tied it all together to come up with the Wizard of Oz.”

Both Grandell and Mercer said they plan on bringing their act to life by putting act participants in charge of creating set and costumes based on their majors and skill sets.

BY DANIEL CURD | PHOTOGRAPHER Sing Song hosts and hostesses perform this year's closing act.

BY DANIEL CURD | PHOTOGRAPHER Sing Song student directors are recognized for their hard work and dedication.

Smilin’ Bob Remembering the life and legacy of Dr. Robert ‘Bob’ Hunter

BY SYDNEY VARNER EDITOR IN CHIEF

Robert ‘Bob’ D. Hunter died Feb, 11, 2023 at the age of 94. He spent his life in service to Abilene Christian University, the greater Abilene community, the state of Texas and Texas higher education through his multiple roles. And while Bob is remembered for his nearly half century of service to the university and roles as a representative in the Texas state legislature, those who knew Bob remembered him for his character: a truly positive, enthusiastic and personal individual.

Beloved Traditions

Sing Song, a campus wide a cappella production was spearheaded by at the time director of special events Bob Hunter.

Hunter had heard wind that Abilene Christian College was being called “the singing college” and decided to lean into the nickname.

“He came up with [the name Sing Song] because when the football team went to some competition, they were flagged as the singing college,” said Courtney McGhaha, director of student production and promotions.

“[Hunter] said, ‘Well, why don’t we lean into that?’ and so he was the first director of the show.”

The first production of Sing Song took place in the spring of 1957.

Hunter became the university’s director of alumni relations in 1957 and though it was not his primary job, Hunter continued to be heavily involved in the annual production of Sing Song, bringing in students as cochairs and directors to help put it all together.

“He just took it upon himself to run the show,” McGaha said. “That’s why, I think, there were co-chairs and [positions] like that is because he needed help doing it but also just to empower students, which is what we always want to do.”

Despite the show’s success, Hunter did not participate in the production of Sing Song for many years.

“He didn’t do it for very long before it passed on to

somebody else but, just by the nature of he started it and he did do it for a few years, enough time for it to become a thing that everybody wanted to participate in,” McGaha said. “He has been around it for this whole time, he never really left it.”

To McGaha when Sing Song becomes a part of you, it never lets go and she attributes this to Hunter.

“Having been in this position, I can attest to when Sing Song takes you, takes your soul, and it doesn’t let go because it’s just such a special thing,” McGaha said.

“ I think that was the thing for [Hunter]. He made it this special thing.”

Hunter is also is credited with creating nearly two dozen ACU traditions. These traditions all focus around one thing: enriching the student experience at ACU.

a new student. Later on the two were reintroduced when Sanders was pledging Frater Sodalis.

BY SYDNEY VARNER

COURTNEY

“He cared so much about the students, the student experience that he poured into it and made it such a fun experience even 66 years ago,” McGaha said. “It still is living and thriving to this day… He was such an innovative creative force for so long that even after he wasn’t doing it anymore, it didn’t go away because he was still around, still smiling and happy and loving it.”

In 2022, the newly renovated Sing Song stage in Moody Coliseum was named the Bob Hunter Sing Song Stage in his honor.

All Cows go West

Bob Hunter enrolled for courses at ACC in the fall of 1948 and found himself as a member of social club, now fraternity, Frater Sodalis.  Going on to become Frats president, Hunter stayed invested in the club and in the young men joining the brotherhood long past his presidency and graduation.

One of those men, Larry ‘Satch’ Sanders (‘75), met Hunter in the fall of 1971 as

“Just obviously communicated a deep engagement, not only to the university and to students in general, but that relationship he had with Frats.” LARRY “SATCH” SANDERS (‘75)

“I introduced myself and [Hunter] asked where I was from and we had, just right outside of Moody Coliseum, this introductory conversation. That was the fall of 1971 and I did not see Dr. Hunter again until the following fall,” Sanders said. “Dr. Hunter walked up to me and called me by name, said, ‘Brat Sanders, how are you doing and how are your folks in Fairlawn, New Jersey? … ACC was not as large as ACU is today, but nonetheless… just with an absolute short-term introduction after Chapel one morning almost a year later, Dr. Hunter recalls all these details about me personally.”

Hunter was said to never miss a Frater Sodalis Homecoming Breakfast and would, on occasion, attend Sing Song rehearsals to give comments on his expectations for the club.

“He would come into some of our rehearsals and give us kind of a cheerful, uplifting comment about how he expected Frats to do excellent this year,” Sanders said. “Just obviously communicated a deep engagement, not only to the university and to students in general, but that relationship he had with Frats. That was emphasized every year at the Homecoming Breakfast. And he never missed one of those breakfasts.”

To current members of Frater Sodalis, Bob Hunter was still heavily involved in the club. Every Wednesday at University Retirement Place, Frater Sodalis members host Frat church, and Hunter took that time to get to know the members of his club. Hunter was on the front row every week, providing feedback and reaching out to the new members.

“The thing to me that

always stood out though is he would try to be your friend,” said Frater Sodalis president and senior journalism major from Abilene, Kauy Ostlien. “He would take down note cards with your name on them, your position, where you’re from. Sometimes he would ask where you went to church and then he would ask your phone number.”

To current and new Frats, Hunter is and will continue to be “the guy” for his many stories.  “He’s someone that we’re going to miss because to us he was an icon,” Ostlien said. “He’s one of those pillars of your group that everyone knows about.”

Texas Education and the State Legislature

Bob Hunter’s tenure at ACU spanned nearly half a century until his official retirement in 1993. However, those outside of ACU may know Hunter for the 20 years spent in Austin as the 71 district representative. Hunter was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1986 in a special election by a narrow margin. In the 10 following elections, Hunter ran unopposed eight times.

During his service in Austin, Hunter worked to prioritize Texas Higher Education specifically through the Texas Tuition Equalization Grant which was passed in 1971: The TEG program was created to help equalize the cost of public and private institutions in the state of Texas and aligned with Hunter’s passion for making Christian higher ed more available for all students.

establish a fund at the state level that would provide, not commensurate, but some fraction of funding that would be state-supported or state-provided to private institutions that students attend that would help equalize the cost of it.”

Rep. Stan Lambert, who was elected to represent the 71 district in 2016, knew Hunter well before his time in the legislature. Lambert, an Abilene native, knew the Hunter family throughout his childhood and even worked with Hunter for a time at ACU. From there, Lambert watched Hunter build a legacy of friendliness in the state capital and said that Hunter left some big shoes to fill.

“He was always smiling, and it was always a friendly greeting, a hello friend or hello neighbor; He just was such a vibrant and just an outgoing person that everyone that still works in the Capitol that remembers when Bob served just speaks eloquently about his service,” Lambert said. “I know I can never fill those shoes, but he’s a great example for a lot of legislators to try to follow in that everyone’s a friend.”

Smilin’ Bob

countless students, alumni and visitors to the campus, something Sanders said is incredibly fitting.

“That’s why Abilene Christian University could not have any better welcoming center name on it than Dr. Bob Hunter because that was the nature of the man,” Sanders said. “He was a welcomer and a lover of relationships.”

Hunter had prominent influence throughout both the ACU and greater Abilene community, but consistently remained humble with humility that was off the charts, Schubert said.

“I just can’t begin to sayenough about the positive influence he’s been on me, on the university, on so many people that have been part of this community.”

DR. PHIL SCHUBERT, PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY

Dr. Bob Hunter held many titles in his lifetime, vice president of the university, state representative and founder of Sing Song to name a few, but the most important and most remembered to manny will be that of friend.  Hunter is described by those who knew him as someone who had connections with just about everybody and could not wait to introduce you to his other friends.

“I just can’t begin to say enough about the positive influence he’s been on me, on the university, on so many people that have been part of this community,” Schubert said. “A great man and an incredible leader. A true servant leader whose humility was just off the chart, but his drive came through a small stature and a big smile and a joyful heart all the time.”

To others, Hunter is remembered for his enthusiasm and joy even during bleak times.

“He was so kind and sweet and enthusiastic, not just about Sing Song, but about everything and he just always had a smile on his face,” McGaha said. “You could just feel that he was still a joyful person even in the hard things.”

“He was always smiling, and it was always a friendly greeting, a hello friend or hello neighbor; He just was such a vibrant and just an outgoing person...” REP. STAN LAMBERT

“He had a vision and a passion for Christian private higher education and certainly 98% of that passion was focused on ACU because this was what he loved,” said Dr. Phil Schubert, president of the university. “In his role as a state representative, he brought forward the vision to

“It was part of his brand, he reached out to everyone and everyone became his friend,” Sanders said. “He was always anxious to introduce his friends to his other friends and you have this matrix in every area that Dr. Hunter was a part of of relationships and friendships. And he was the common denominator. He would connect people.”

The Hunter Welcome Center on campus was named in honor of Bob and Shirley Hunter in February 2006 and has since welcomed

To Lambert, Hunter is remembered by one phrase encompassing his joy, servitude and welcoming nature “Smilin’ Bob,” Lambert said. “Smilin’ Bob.”

Hunter is survived by sons Kent Hunter (‘79) and Les Hunter (‘86), daughter Carole (Hunter ‘81) Phillips and five grandchildren, including Emily (Phillips ‘13) Danesi.

Visitation will take place April 28 with a memorial service to be held at 2 p.m. the following day.

| EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Vice president emeritus Bob Hunter waves while being introduced in Opening Chapel in September

“He cared so much about the students, the student experience that he poured into it and made it such a fun experience...”

MCGAHA DIRECTOR OF STUDENT PRODUCTIONS AND PROMOTIONS

FRATER SODALIS

Wheel of Frats: I’d Like To Buy A BT

The Frats have solved the puzzle. They will be trying their luck spinning the wheel for their fourth consecutive win.

2023 PREDICTIONS

Competition is heating up among this year’s Sing Song acts so The Optimist yet again called in the infamous Hal Hoots for his longawaited Sing Song predictions. Hal calls it like he sees it and has handed over his list of who he thinks will take home the gold in Men’s, Women’s and Mixed voices divisions.

Editor’s note: Staff members participating in a Sing Song act did not partake in the prediction process for their respective divisions.

MEN’S VOICES

Gamma Sigma Phi is gunning for the top spot, and they don’t have their heads in the clouds this time. Their vibrant set, nostalgic costumes and sharp choreography are setting them miles above second and third. Their performance may not be Oscar worthy, but watch as GSP flies by the competition.

“How Many Moonies Does It Take To Change A Lightbulb?” Not enough to get the top spot. Their dim entertainment and costumes cause a short in their performance, but their electrifying vocals might shock the audience. Galaxy will need to light up their act if they want to surge past current rankings.

Though the Frats are eager to spin the wheel, so far fortune is not in their favor. “Wheel of Frats: I’d Like To Buy A BT,” they should save their money and invest in better vocals. However, their choreography and set could keep them from going bankrupt. If they planned on solving the puzzle, they should’ve called Batman.

WOMEN’S VOICES MIXED VOICES

Reporting from first place is Sigma Theta Chi. The crisp vocals, bright set and costumes are newsworthy enough for the women to bring home the first place trophy. Reporting from Moody, Siggies are going for gold. Or should we say yellow.

With their stunning vocals, sharp choreography and eye-catching set, the Toy Soldiers of Ko Jo Kai marched into second place. The Kojies may have a chance at stealing first place – if they can boost their entertainment value enough to keep the audience from dozing off with visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads.

Scribbling their name on to the podium, the Women of GATA are taking third place. Although these crayons sure are cute, the dynamic set and costumes will not be enough to earn everyone’s favorite childhood art supplies a ranking higher than third if the dynamics in their vocals remain lacking. GATA should think – and color – outside the lines if they want to take a win.

This freshmen act followed the Yellow Brick Road all the way to the top spot with their wicked vocals, magical costumes and colorful set. With an entertaining costume change revealing Dorthy, the Scarecrow, the Tinman and the Lion, the freshmen showed they already have the hearts, brains, and courage to take this act all the way to win. Looks like they aren’t in Kansas anymore.

Though the seniors brought the entertainment with their nostalgic act, they didn’t quite have enough power to bowl their way to a strike. Though the vocals were a hit and the choreo left the audience rolling in laughter, the act itself couldn’t quite hit the spare and may have ended up with them in the gutter.

While the freshmen may have sang their way out the belly of the whale something about this act still smells a little fishy. Though the set reveal provided some entertainment, the costumes and vocals left the audience high and dry. Maybe this theme should have stayed in vacation Bible school.

DELTA THETA

Turnip The Beet, It’s Time To Grow

It’s harvest time. The Women of Delta Theta look to add to their garden of trophies with back-to-back wins.

GALAXY

GAMMA SIGMA PHI

FRESHMEN PURPLE

SENIORS

SOPHOMORES & JUNIORS

GSP To Moody, REOquesting A Fly By

We’re Off To See The Wonderful Wizard of Oz-C-U

You’re not in Kansas anymore. Join Toto and these Freshman on a trip to the Emerald City with their couragous vocals, brainy lyrics and lovely choreo.

Get In Seniors! We’re Going Bowling!

It’s time to hit the lanes. The Senior class has an act that is sure to be a strike. The returning class champs have talent to spare.

Everything Is Looking Up

GATA ROY-GATA-BIV Wheels up. Gamma Sigma Phi is taking off and is headed to the danger zone. Their high-flying vocals and entertainment will “take your breath away.”

Two classes are better than one. The sophomore and juniors join forces to take their act to new heights. Always remember, adventure is out there!

Red, yellow, black and white, GATA sing song is looking right. GATA is brings all the color to their act with their fun and unforgettable costumes.

How Many Moonies Does It Take To Change A Lightbulb?

Galaxy is back and brighter than ever. The Moonies will no doubt shed some of their light, bring tons of electricity and shock the compitition.

SUB T-16

Surfin’ Subbers

Surfs up! Summer is almost here, and the Men of SUB T-16 will prepare you for a whole lot of fun under the sun. Just don’t forget your sunscreen.

FRESHMEN WHITE

In The Belly Of Freshman Year

Oh Whale. These Freshman hope to escape the belly of freshman year with a win that will shift the tides.

TRI KAPPA GAMMA

Cloudy with a Chance of Kappas

Don’t forget your umbrella. The forecast calls for a shower of harmonies with a chance of a win for the women of Tri Kappa Gamma.

SIGMA THETA CHI

Breaking News: Siggies Steal the Show

This just in. We’re

KO JO KAI

Kojies In Toyland

Wondering what to buy for Christmas? The Women of Ko Jo Kai will fight their way to the top of your shopping list, with their eye-catching costumes.

1. GAMMA SIGMA PHI

2. GALAXY

3. FRATER SODALIS

1. SIGMA THETA CHI

2. KO JO KAI

3. GATA

1. FRESHMEN WIZARD OF OZ

2. SENIORS

3. FRESHMEN JONAH

Delta Theta hopes to bloom for repeat success

BY LONDYN GRAY FEATURE WRITER

Delta Theta continues to sow the seeds of success at this year’s Sing Song with their vegetable garden act. Though a healthier choice than last year’s winning theme, the Deltas are still hoping to cream the competition.

Last year’s sweet victory marked the sorority’s first win in 45 years. Winning director Eva Straughn, senior engineering major from Abilene, said the win was meaningful. “It meant a lot, not only because it showed that we can win, but it also was a representation of how much we’ve grown.”

Straughn is back in the director’s role to harvest more Delta Theta pride,” Straughn said.

Section leader, Evi Anderson, junior vocal performance major from Grapevine, said she feels Delta Theta established a greater presence on campus since the win. The Deltas gained 50 members after rushing season where Anderson noticed more student interest in the sorority.

Anderson said she believes the spirit of their winning act was the pull.

“Energy is huge,” she said. “I think that’s why we were successful last year because we were genuinely having fun, and you could see it on our faces. Others wanted to join in.”

Anderson said the sorority’s vision has not changed as they hope to attract others through their positive energy on stage. This endeavor

requires giving careful attention to the sorority’s morale as the competition surges.

“We have to remind ourselves literally after every practice, ‘Hey, we’re doing this for fun,’” Anderson said. “It’s this fun thing that ACU does, and it’s a really cool tradition that we’re all really blessed to be a part of. But at the same time, don’t overthink it.”

“We

Working to uphold last year’s win and simply enjoying this year’s process is proving to be a balancing act. Anderson said that last year was “all fun and games” until the sorority realized they were a true contender in the competition. This year, the Deltas are pouring more effort into their act as demands rise.

“The standard of performance in Sing Song has gone up drastically,” Straughn said.

Co-director McKenna Albrecht, junior graphic design major from Boerne, said she thinks competitors continue to challenge past acts by increasing the creativity of their costumes and sets.

“I feel like what makes a winning act is a lot of original-

ity,” said Albrecht. “You have to be strong in every way that has been shown in Sing Song in the past years while adding something new and shocking.”

The Deltas are planting these escalating expectations into their act.

“We’re definitely trying some creative concepts in it,” Straughn said. “We’re trying to, I guess, prepare ourselves for the competition this year.”

Straughn said she senses a heightened ambition to win among the sororities because it’s the first Sing Song in renovated Moody Coliseum.

“All the girls’ themes especially are just so creative and so original,” Straughn said. “We’re a little nervous because the competition is so stiff, but we’re excited to show what we did.”

For the Deltas, performing in a way that cultivates sorority pride would mean validating last year’s win while solidifying their new standard of excellence in Sing Song. Accomplishing this doesn’t necessarily mean taking the title.

“Obviously I want to win,” Straughn said. “We all want to win. But even just having a really phenomenal act and people seeing us and getting recognition... would mean a lot because it would prove that this isn’t just a fluke.”

The time is ripe for Delta Theta to keep their new leaf turned as they approach this weekend with purpose.

“It wasn’t just one good year,” Straughn said. “We’re a real sorority that competes well and is a presence on campus.”

Frater Sodalis seeking fortune to earn fourth consecutive win

BY LONDYN GRAY FEATURE WRITER

From the Dark Knight to Vanna White, Frater Sodalis is dead set on winning it’s fourth consecutive Sing Song with this year’s Wheel of Fortune act. But the reigning champions’ road to potential victory is proving to be puzzling.

Last year’s winning director, Jax Hernandez, senior Christian ministry major from Keller, said the Frats’ current director asked his brothers to “step in and step up” after being called to personal matters days before the competition. Hernandez was brought from the risers back into a leadership position along-

side assistant director J.C. Gambill, senior music education major from Wylie, who said he is taking on the director’s role.

After the 2020 “A-Frat-Acadabra” act conjured up the fraternity’s first win since 1982, the Frats became familiar with conquering complications. The Appalachian mountain men scaled the summit of the pandemic to win in 2021. The following year, a band of Batmen won the night with many members that had never experienced a traditional Sing Song. Now the group faces a sudden shift in leadership.

Gambill and Hernandez said, the last-minute change is not shaking the fraternity’s confidence. In-

stead, it is calling the Frats’ adage into action.

“Our motto is B.T., brothers together,” Hernandez said. “We kind of have formed our own family, and it means a lot to each of us.”

He said the Frats’ ability to come together amidst the chaos has allowed the preparation process to remain enjoyable, which is crucial to Sing Song success.

“A winning act, at the heart of it, has to be a group of people who really just are about having fun,” Hernandez said. “When we were at our best, it was when we said, ‘You know what? We’re just going to go out there and have fun.’”

Gambill said the Frats’ driving force of fun is nav-

igated by the fraternity’s shared objective: to win Sing Song.

“The biggest thing is having a vision in mind of what you’re trying to achieve from the beginning,” Gambill said.

The early days of preparation, the Frats decided what they wanted their vocals to sound like and their choreography to look like. They measured their progress against their goals consistently throughout the semester, and Gambill believes it is paying off.

“I think vocally we are top of our game at this point,” Gambill said.  But the Frats’ shared vision was not limited to how they wanted to win. They

also decided who they wanted to win for, recognizing that the Frats’ brotherhood runs deep.

“We’re hoping to keep the legacy, especially with the passing of Dr. Bob Hunter, who was one of our past presidents,” Hernandez said.

Robert “Bob” Hunter, longtime ACU vice president and former state representative, began the tradition of Sing Song in 1957. The former Frats’ president passed away in February of this year at the age of 94. Hernandez and Gambill said the Frats want to win in his honor, upholding their motto of “brothers together.”

“I think that really gets

back into the heart of what Dr. Bob Hunter had in mind when he built Sing Song way back when,” Hernandez said. “It was about having fun with the people that he loved and the people that he was close with: his brothers.”

Through the frenzy of final touches, the Frats diligently maintain sight of their end goal with three years of success supporting their vision. Gambill said he believes the Frats are building upon each win, getting better each subsequent year.

“This has been the best sounding we have been. Ever,” Gambill said.

“We feel really good,” Hernandez said. We feel really prepared. We’re ready.”

Community fundraises for Parmelly following leukemia diagnosis

BY MACI WEATHERS NEWSLETTER EDITOR

Kade Parmelly, former ACU football player and current Gamma Sigma Phi sponsor, was diagnosed with leukemia in December causing friends, family and the ACU community to rally together and fundraise for his treatment. So far, $68,000 has been raised.

Parmelly, originally from Abilene and a Wylie graduate, chose ACU to continue his football career and sited it not necessarily as a new chapter,

but a continuation of one he was already in.

“I wanted to play football out of high school, and that was a big reason I chose ACU,” Parmelly said. “Being from Abilene, it was kind of like 13th grade for me. I didn’t necessarily want to stay in Abilene but once I did it was one of the best decisions I ever made.”

Parmelly left for Duke after the COVID-19 pandemic began and gained an eligibility year to transfer football programs. Parmelly then graduat-

ed from Duke in May of 2022 with a master’s degree in management studies.

By that point, Parmelly didn’t have a way to support himself so he decided to move back home and live with his parents for a few months.

Once Parmelly returned to Abilene, he had the opportunity to become a Gamma Sigma Phi sponsor.

“The fact that he wanted to commit the time to being a sponsor meant a lot to us,” said Kaden Yowell, president of GSP and senior marketing

major from Carrollton. “He has the most happy, joyful personality of any person that I have met. He is a great role model for any of the members to look up to.”

Parmelly was diagnosed with leukemia in December. Parmelly shared the story of his diagnosis with the ACU community in the following months.

“I started feeling bad around December, I would feel sick, more or less that pattern continued,” Parmelly said in a video presented during Chapel. “I spent a couple of days in a hospital room and was taken to Dallas in an ambulance late Friday night and started getting treatment at UT Southwestern Medical Center.”

After the announcement of the diagnosis, a GoFundMe was established in support of his medical treatments and bills. Parmelly said he is overwhelmed by the enormous amount of support from the community.

“My first reaction was ex-

tremely overwhelming in a good way,” Parmelly said. “I definitely did not expect for as many people to give as generously as they did. Not even just from the GoFundMe, you have all these different clubs wanting to give without hesitation as just been so overwhelmingly thoughtful.”

In addition to the GoFundMe, the fraternity is also putting proceeds from the annual Kirk Goodwin Run toward Parmelly’s treatment. The Kirk Goodwin Run, established in 1984, was created to cover the medical and funeral bills for the family of a then Nova who tragically passed away in an accident.

“Our goal is to help out any member of the ACU community whenever help arises,” Hayden Poorman, president of the KGR Foundation and senior financial management major from Abilene said.

“That’s the whole reason why KGR was established, there was somebody in the community that needed help, people stood up in order to make that happen.”

After receiving word from Gamma Sigma Phi about Parmelly’s situation, KGR decided to pick Parmelly as their beneficiary.

Traditionally, Gamma Sigma Phi and Galaxy are club rivals but have used this opportunity to come together, Yowell said.

“The best thing about ACU is when someone who is somehow tied to our community is in need we all come together, regardless of what club you’re in or you might not be in a club at all,” Yowell said.  “We all come together and try to support the person in need, right now that’s Kade.”

The Parmelly family encourages donations to the GoFundMe, but they also ask for prayers for Kade.

“Pray, really that is what we need,” Shawna Parmelly, Kade’s mom, said.  “Our needs are being met physically but just prayer. We are constantly humbled by that. It feels very comforting and when things feel overwhelming that’s the kind of outreach that you know you aren’t alone.”

BY TAELYN WILLIAMS | PHOTOGRAPHER

Last year’s Sing Song was sweet for Delta Theta, but their first win in 45 years was the cherry on top.

all want to win. But even just having a really phenomenal act and people seeing us and getting recognition... would mean a lot because it would prove that this isn’t just a fluke.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF KADE PARMELLY Parmelly, former ACU football player, and his parents after treatment.

General education requirements to change for ‘23-24 school year

Administrators are revising the university’s general education requirements to be implemented starting in the 2023-24 school year.

In past years, students have been required to obtain 56 general education credit hours; but starting in the fall, students will be required to obtain 54 general education credit hours.

Dr. Jessica Smith, associate provost for curriculum and assessment, said faculty puts a lot of thought into choosing general education requirements.

“The new general education requirements that we got represent what our faculty has said is the breadth of education that every student should have,” Smith said.

“One of the things that is most valuable about those requirements is the opportunities for students to see the connections among the things they care most deeply about and a lot of things about the way that the world works.”

The general education proposal team, led by language and literature professor Dr. Cole Bennett, professor of language and literature, collaborated from 2020- 21 to prepare their proposal for presentation in 2021.

The proposal went to the University General Education Council next, and was reviewed throughout the fall of 2021 and approved on Dec. 8, 2021. The University Undergraduate Academic Council approved the proposal in January 2022.

Finally, the team presented the proposal to the Abilene and Dallas campuses for a faculty vote a little over a year ago.

Bennett said what he hopes students will take away from the new requirements with four points:

“The broad student learning outcomes for the general education revision were that students will A) communicate clearly; B) examine diverse perspectives; C) gather and use information to address problems; and D) engage Christian approaches to community and the Bible,” Bennett said.

Throughout the process, the committee sent a survey to all current students asking what value they found in all of the general education requirements.

Faculty from all departments and from both campuses were invited to talk with the committee in focus groups to discuss what was working well for students and what was missing.

Bennett worked alongside other faculty members during the process, and said the decision making process was open to anyone who wanted to be involved in discussions.

“Many as had opinions,” Bennet said.

“There was a committee who facilitated the initial changes: myself, Dr. Sara Blakeslee Salkil, Dr. Stephanie Hamm, Dr. Monte Lynn, Dr. Autumn Sutherlin and Dr. Rodney Ashlock.”

Program initiators interviewed academic advisors at Wildcat Central to understand what challenges they regularly deal with. In addition, the committee reviewed the undergraduate requirements other institutions enforce and researched trends in education about how transferring credits affects abilities to complete general education requirements.

Dr. Eric Gumm, registrar and director of the first-year program and academic development center, said he is looking forward to the updated general education requirements being in place.

“The faculty took a careful look at our general education requirements and what we want all of our students to experience in their general education

courses, and this process resulted in a refocussed set of general education requirements which will provide a solid foundation for our students as they work toward their undergraduate degree at ACU,” Gumm said.

Most notable are changes to the university requirement catalog. The public speaking course requirement is now COMM 100, an introductory course rather than the previous advanced version, 211. The math requirements will be more specific. The humanities menu is expanded to include more courses approved to fulfill the requirement.

“The new general education requirements that we got to represent what our faculty has said is the breadth of education that every student should have.”

DR. JESSICA SMITH ASSOCIATE PROVOST FOR CURRICULUM AND ASSES-

The cultural awareness menu is renamed cultural literacy, with a slightly different list of course options to fulfill the category in student degree plans. The kinesiology/ PE requirement has been entirely removed. Other small changes have been made to the list of re -

quirements as well. These changes will be visible on the online catalog or on Degree Works starting in the fall semester.

Many students are speaking about the removal of the PE credit, but Smith said the changes are more extensive than just the PE credit change.

“So it wasn’t simply a matter of taking the current general education requirements and cutting out the PE activity requirements,” Smith said.

“We put everything on the table. We changed a lot of stuff throughout, but that for students will probably be the most notable change.”

This academic year, the University General Education Council, the group most involved in working out the details of general education requirements, has been in the process of hearing applications from faculty all over campus to determine which courses should be on those menus.

Menu options have since been determined, and confirmation that all majors align with these changes is currently being approved for the catalog release.

Maycie Bertling, freshman nursing major from San Antonio, said she can appreciate these changes to the requirements.

“I believe these revisions

will allow students to more fully explore classes that pique their interests instead of trudging through courses that are requirements to earn our degrees,” Bertling said.

“I appreciate not needing to obtain PE credits anymore and will instead fill those credit hours with courses I find will better my education and personal growth.”

The general education requirements are specific to a student’s catalog year. All incoming freshmen will be under the 20232024 catalog. Current students can change to the 2023-2024 catalog if they choose to, or they can stick with their current degree plan.

Smith said it is best for current students to talk with their academic advisors to discuss which catalog will be best for them to continue working under.

“We’d encourage current students to talk with their academic advisors about whether it makes the most sense to stay on their current path or change to the new requirements,” Smith said. “Students who change catalogs also must meet the major requirements of the new catalog, so there may be lots of differences that current students will want to take into account.”

Professor arrested on allegations of sexual abuse of a child

BY SYDNEY VARNER EDITOR IN CHIEF

Dr. Charles Wadlington, associate professor of psychology, was arrested Wednesday on allegations of sexual abuse of a child.

Wadlington has been charged with continuous sexual abuse of a child, apparently beginning more

than four years ago, according to the arrest records.

The crime is a first-degree felony, punishable by five to 99 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

The allegations all relate to members of his family, with at least one incident, it is alleged, having taken place in his

office on campus. According to an email sent by Dr. Phil Schubert, president of the university, Thursday, there are no reports of the involvement of ACU students, and Wadlington was placed on administrative leave.

Schubert said the university plans to cooperate

closely with law enforcement in the investigation of this issue.

“We take matters like this very seriously and will fully cooperate with law enforcement as needed throughout the investigation,” Schubert said in the email.

“The ACU Police De -

partment is in close communication with the Abilene Police Department.”

ACUPD was informed of the investigation during the second week of March, and were informed of Wadlington’s arrest on Wednesday.

Sgt. Thomas Valdez with

ACUPD said that despite being informed of the investigation, details were not shared with ACUPD immediately.

“We saw the story on the Big Country Homepage and that’s how we found out about the incident that took place on campus,” Valdez said.

Accountancy (M.Acc.)*

Ancient and Oriental

Christianity (M.A.)

Athletic Training (M.A.T.)*

Christian Ministry (M.A.C.M.)*

Clinical Psychology (M.S.)*

Communication (M.A.)

Counseling Psychology (M.S.)*

Divinity (M.Div.)*

Divinity Equivalency

Divinity: Missions (M.Div.)

English (M.A.)

Global Service (M.A.)

Liberal Arts (M.L.A.)

Marriage and Family Therapy (M.M.F.T.)

Ministry (D.Min.)

Modern and American Christianity (M.A.)

New Testament (M.A.)

Occupational Therapy (M.S.)

Occupational Therapy (O.T.D.)

Old Testament (M.A.)

Psychology (M.S.)

School Psychology (S.S.P.)*

Social Work - Advanced Standing (M.S.S.W.)

Social Work (M.S.S.W.)*

Speech-Language Pathology (M.S.)

Strength, Conditioning, and Human Performance (M.S.)

Teaching and Learning (M.Ed.)*

Theology (M.A.)

*Integrated degree program available

Wildcats walk off in Waco, take down Baylor

The Wildcats (19-6) took down the Baylor Bears (9-16) Tuesday night in Waco in an extra inning thriller.

ACU, coming off of a series win against Sacramento State, were looking to grab a big win against a power five opponent and continue to build off of their historic season so far.

The Bears, who have struggled so far this season, were looking to turn things around after a series sweep against the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

The Bears won the matchup last season in Abilene 6-4, and despite their record had won their last three midweek matchups heading into Tuesday.

Junior right hander Blake Anderson would be on the mound for the Wildcats and would throw for three scoreless innings and allowing only two hits and getting three strikeouts.

The pitching for both teams would be the story early in the game as it wouldn't be until the fourth when we would start to see some action.

In the fourth, ACU would make a bit of noise after junior infielder Garrett Williams would start off the inning by getting hit followed by junior outfielder Logan Britt taking a walk to put two on and one out. However the

Wildcats would fall just short from scoring the first run of the game after senior catcher Tanner Tweedt would go down on strikes to keep the game locked at zero.

Junior infielder Bash Randle would start out the fifth with a single to center followed by a walk from junior outfielder Jake Skaggs. With two on and no outs,  junior infielder Crewe Parke would make contact on a SAC bunt to advance the runners. With Randle on third and Skaggs on second, sophomore infielder Riley Bender would hit into a fielder's choice, but a throwing error from the third baseman would allow

Randle to find his way home and give ACU a 1-0 lead.

After junior outfielder Miller Ladusau would be called out at the plate on a controversial call to end the top half of the sixth inning, head Coach Rick McCarty would head out to home plate to discuss the call with home plate umpire Shaylor Smith. McCarty would be ejected in the middle of the inning after arguing with Smith.  The Bears would flirt with getting on the board in the sixth but ultimately would stay at zero after senior lefthander Adam Stephenson, who came into the game in the fourth, would get out of

the jam.

ACU would add to their lead in the top half of the seventh. After back to back singles from Tweedt and Randle and a wild pitch to get Tweedt to third, Skaggs would ground out into a double play but would allow Tweedt to get home putting the Wildcats up 2-0.

Junior left-hander Max Huffling would come into the game for ACU in the eight getting three straight outs to send the Wildcats into the last inning up two. After getting the first two outs, and being one strike away from putting the game away, Huffling would walk the batter leading

to Baylor’s Walker Polk hitting a game tying home run to tie the game at two and send us to extras.

After a stalled top half of the tenth for the Wildcats, Baylor would put the pressure on junior right hander Drake Boggan with the winning run 90 feet away. Boggan would get out of the jam however and give the offense another shot.

The eleventh would start with Ladusau needing one pitch to knock down a double into left field. Britt would take a walk to get on bringing up senior outfielder Grayson Tatrow. Tatrow, who leads the team in RBIs, would smash a home run into left field to give the Wildcats a 5-2 lead. It would be Tatrow’s third home run in three games.  Redshirt senior righthander Zach Smith would come into the game and get the save in the eleventh to secure the win for the Wildcats.

This gives ACU their second win against a power five team this season and their fourth three-game winning streak of the season.

The Wildcats are back at home this weekend when they face Texas A&M-Corpus Cristi at 6:05 p.m on Friday, Nebraska at 4:05 p.m. on Saturday, and TAMU-CC again at 1:05 p.m. on Sunday. All games will be streaming on WAC International.

ACU faces abrupt season end in tourney loss to CBU

BY CARRIE JOHNSTON SPORTS DIRECTOR

ACU’s (13-17, 7-11) season came to an end on March 7 as the California Baptist Lancers (17-15, 7-10) held off the Wildcats, 69-62, in Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“It’s always a tough time of year, especially when you’re sitting here after a loss,” head coach Brette Tanner said. “We’ve been blessed as a program to be sitting here on the winning side of this many times.”

The Lancers drew first blood in the first half, going on a quick 7-2 burst to take an early lead. ACU quickly came back to tie the game at the second media timeout. The game stayed tight throughout the entire first half, but the Lancers shooting 7-12 from the free throw line, while ACU shot 1-2, giving them a 36-30 lead heading into halftime.

In the second half, CBU continued streaking and ACU struggled to score, allowing the Lancers to grow their lead up to 14 midway through the second half.

were easy fixes.”

But, in the Wildcats’ final possession, two missed three-pointers and a foul on CBU put the game out of reach, sealing the Wildcats’ fate and ending their season.

Daniels finish the final game of the season with 16 points on 7-11 shooting and added six assists. Behind him for the Wildcats in scoring was Madden with 11 points on 4-10 shooting with eight rebounds.

tential end of multiple seniors’ careers. Some of these include senior forwards Airion Simmons and Yuot Gui and senior guard Immanuel Allen, who all potentially have one year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Looking back at the season, Allen said one of the biggest takeaways he learned as a leader of the team was how important it is to never quit.

Baseball

Earlier this season, Daniels and Cameron became the winningest duo in ACU’s history, as well as all three played a significant part in ACU’s first-ever NCAA tournament win against the University of Texas in 2021. Daniels also finishes his career as the all-time steals leader at ACU.

Softball

Then, around five minutes left in the game, the Wildcats had one more rally fueled by graduate guard Damien Daniels and junior guard Hunter Jack Madden to cut the lead to four with 42 seconds left.

“We just knew that we had to continue fighting and we made mistakes in the first half that we could fix,” Tanner said. “We knew that we had to continue to fight and not get discouraged by the mistakes being made because those

After the game, Daniels credited his performance to his teammates creating opportunities for him and the idea of this being his last game.

“The thought really of having the last game, just going into it, I was wanting to give my all,” Daniels said. “The opportunity was there created by all my teammates. I was just going with the flow and it just happened to be a good night for me.”

With the loss comes the po-

“We never quit the whole entire year,” Allen said. “There were a lot of times where it didn’t go the way we planned. A lot of the things could have caused us to turn against each other, instead, we really galvanized ourselves and got behind each other."

Along with these seniors, ACU sees the loss of graduate guards Tobias Cameron and Daniels, as well as graduate forward Joe Pleasant, who all used their COVID-19 eligibility this season.

“It’s been a great time at ACU, just with the people I have met and the relationships we have built,” Daniels said. “There’s no place like this anywhere across the country. Everyone can talk the talk, but we actually walk the walk as a family, we’re connected on and off the court. It’s been a great experience and I will never forget it.” The loss concluded ACU’s 2022-23 campaign. The Wildcats finished the season 13-17, the program’s first losing season since the 2016-17 season when the Wildcats finished the season 13-16.

Softball earns first conference wins over Thunderbirds

The Wildcats sweep Southern Utah for their second series of the Western Athletic Conference play.

ACU headed into this series with a 6-24 overall record and a 0-3 conference record, getting swept by Utah Tech in their previous WAC series.

On Saturday, the Wildcats played a doubleheader, pulling ahead in close wins.

In the first game, ACU won the battle in the seventh inning, finishing, 3-2.

The Wildcats secured the first run of the game in the third inning when freshman

infielder Sammie Shelander doubled down the left-field line and sent senior outfielder Mercedes Eichelberger home. Later in the fifth inning, Shelander hit an RBI sacrifice fly to right field, allowing junior catcher Sydney Kaiser to score, pushing the Wildcat lead to 2-0.

In the seventh inning, Southern Utah was able to rally and secured a tworun home run off of junior pitcher Talia Nielsen to tie up the score. Yet in the bottom of the seventh, Eichelberger flied out to center field, sending sophomore infielder Logan Gaspar home,

securing the win.

In the second game on Saturday, ACU rallied back to gain the win, 5-4.

Southern Utah started off strong in the third inning by securing three runs, but the Wildcats were able to counter back with four runs in the fourth inning. Red-shirt freshman pitcher Bubba Rote started out the run by ACU by singling up the middle, allowing sophomore outfielder Olivia Taylor to score. Three runs followed play after play.

In the fifth inning, Southern Utah was able to tie up the game on an unearned run by a Wildcat error. Yet

in the bottom of the fifth inning, junior catcher Avery Miloch answered with a solo home run to left field, bringing the Wildcats to their final score, 5-4.

Rote gained her first win of the season from pitching 5.1 innings, recording one strikeout and allowing eight hits.

In the final game of the series on Sunday, the Wildcats pulled out a dominating start to bring the lead and hold it to the end, 5-1.

In the first inning, Taylor secured a three-run home run over the fence to give the Wildcats a confident lead starting the game. Then in the

fifth inning, Southern Utah shot a solo home run down the left-field line to make a dent in the Wildcat lead. But in the bottom of the fifth, junior outfielder Karli Manney and Eichelberger scored on errors by Southern Utah, finishing out the game, 5-1.

The Wildcats next take on Utah Valley for their third series of WAC play in Orem, Utah this weekend, with a doubleheader on Friday at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 1 p.m.

Quotes will be added following Monday's press conference with head coach Abigail Farler.

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"We’re connected on and off the court. It’s been a great experience and I will never forget it.”

DAMIEN DANIELS GRADUATE GUARD FROM KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI

KAYLEE KAHN | ASSISTANT SPORTS DIRECTOR Senior outfielder Grayson Tatrow celebrates a go-ahead three-run home run.