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Vol. 95, No. 31
IN THIS ISSUE CAMPUS Create-a-major
Students who can’t seem to fit within a major can blend majors to create one perfect for the dream job they’d like to have, page 4
Blend of coffee, music Homer Hiccolm and the Rocketboys will perform Friday at Monks Coffee Shop, page 4
FEATURES
A healing touch
Dr. Jon Ashby travels to Ethiopia to work at a deaf school and train people to use hearing aids, page 6
ARTS Wii are amused
Contributing writer Tripp Page begins his three-part series reviewing the Nintendo Wii starting with the system as a whole, page 7
SPORTS
Snapping a streak
The ACU Women’s basketball team broke its seven-game losing streak on the road after winning 73-67 Wednesday against Texas Woman’s, page 10
Making space
Powell Fitness Center’s remodeling will be complete by May and allow space for two weightrooms: one for athletes, the other for students and faculty, page 10
ONLINE Under surveillance
The ACU Police installed security cameras on residence hall roofs during the Christmas Break. Find out how and why online at www.acuoptimist.com
OPTIMIST
1 section, 10 pages
FRIDAY
January 26, 2007
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www.acuoptimist.com
‘Exhibit A’ art show opens n Artwork displayed in the Shore Art Gallery includes everything from caricatures to wall hangings to photography to graphic design packaging for barbecue sauce. By SHARON RAPELJE Staff Writer
Seven seniors will reveal the contents of “Exhibit A” on Friday. The art exhibit, created by fine arts, interior design and graphic design majors, will include a variety of art, a live jazz band and free food from
Police install campus video cameras
7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Shore Art Gallery in the Don Morris Building. Upon entering, students will come face to face with a legendary monster: Godzilla. Cole Williams, senior graphic design major from Fort Worth, created the 12 to 15 inch blond sculpture. He will also display a portrait of a woman’s face outlined with the lyrics from a song; a caricature of Bill O’Reilly, host of the O’Reilly Factor, as the incredible hulk; and favorite comic strips he
has done for the Optimist. “Humor and weirdness is always a big part of my work,” Williams said. The name “Exhibit A” was chosen to represent the first show of the semester and because the participants each have the letter “A” in their name. Jamie Shelburne expects more than 100 people to come. The Facebook group made to promote the show boasts 90 reservations. Shelburne, senior graphic See
ART page 9
LACI ADKINS STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Seniors Erin Holland, art major from Abilene; Kalyn Gensic, art major from Abilene; and Jamie Shelburne, graphic design major from Amarillo, sort through works of art to be displayed as part of the “Exhibit A” student art show in the Shore Art Gallery on Wednesday.
Song: a universal language SA plays host to student leaders n More than 100 student leaders are expected to attend Invision, SA’s leadership retreat created to help students effectively lead campus organizations.
n Mabee Residence Hall became the second hall to have video surveillance cameras installed on campus during Christmas break in an attempt to deter crime.
By KELSI PEACE Features Editor
The Students’ Association will enhance students’ leadership skills this semester with Invision 2007 and a student government conference in Jacksonville, Fla. SA will host Invision 2007, a leadership banquet and training session for student leaders on campus, at 6 p.m. on Sunday in the Williams Performing Arts Center. Any organization requesting money from SA is required to send two representatives to Invision. In the past, students have generally enjoyed Invision
By JARED FIELDS Managing Editor
Mabee Hall received an upgrade during the Christmas break. The freshmen men’s residence hall had 52 cameras installed in and around the building as part of a camera system for use by the ACU police department. “We started talking about it in the summer, but it’s tough to do while occupied,” ACU police chief, Jimmy Ellison, said. The 52 cameras in Mabee are set up to monitor parking lots, entries and exits, lobbies, stairways and other common areas. The camera system is the second one installed at a residence hall; Barret Hall was the first. Mabee and Barret are the first of what Ellison called a long-range plan to get camera systems up campus-wide. Ellison said a plan is in place to get camera systems up in all residence halls over the next few years. The camera system in Barret has proven effective. Other than deterring crime, ACU police have relied on it See
CAMERAS page 5
See
brian schmidt SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
Children from Children of the World International Children’s choir perform their second song “Praise Him All You Little Children” during Chapel on Wednesday in Moody Coliseum. The group consists of 15 orphaned or disadvantaged children from Brazil, India, the Philippines and Uganda. The choir travels to various churches and schools to raise awareness about the situations children face in their home countries.
Clinic notes fewer flu cases this season n Despite fewer flu cases being observed on campus, nurses in the Medical Clinic advise students to wash their hands frequently and drink fluids. By LAURA SMITH Student Reporter
Angela Estes, director of Nursing for the Medical Clinic, is certain to do at least one thing consistently all day long: wash her hands. Avoiding sickness and infection makes the washing well worth it. It’s flu season, and it hasn’t even reached its peak yet. During this time of year, measures like washing hands regularly go a long way in
Department of Journalism and Mass Communication
preventing the flu, as well as getting ample sleep and not sharing drinks, Estes said. She also suggests not coming into close contact with it, such as kissing. “I was a college student once; I remember,” Estes said. These simple steps seem easy enough, but several confirmed flu cases have already appeared since students returned to campus, Estes said. Drinking lots of fluids helps prevent the flu as well, as one student can attest to. Stephanie Jarvis, junior political science major from Stamford, narrowly avoided a bout over the break. Three members of her family be-
came sick one after the other. Several days later, Jarvis was still up and running feeling fine. Her secret? Besides her self proclaimed strong immune system: fluids. “I’m all about the healthy drinks,” Jarvis said. “I drink everything I can.” Cases of confirmed flu are less than previous years, but Estes said Sing Song could bring an increase of the flu in the student population. The long hours and close quarters with many people helps the illness along, Estes said. Estes suggests getting the flu shot if one has not already, especially if a chronic or respiratory disease like
If the flu is caught within 24 hours of noticing these symptoms, an antiviral medicine can be taken to prevent the illness from lasting so long. n fever n body aches n cough n headaches ACU Medical Clinic hours are: 8 a.m. - noon, 1-1:30 p.m. The cost is $20 and can be charged to a student’s account. asthma or diabetes and cardiac or kidney problems
Abilene Christian University
FLU page 9
iTunes U awaits OK to launch n Professors will soon be able to post lecture notes, PowerPoint presentations and other classroom materials on iTunes U, which can be accessed through iTunes. By JEREMY POND Staff Writer
Flu symptoms
See
SA page 9
The words “iTunes” and “iPod” have become synonymous with all that is cool and sexy as they have become the cornerstone for a generation obsessed with mobile media. A team at ACU is now in the process of integrating cool and sexy into the classroom. For months, staff and faculty members have been working closely with Apple, Inc. on a new system known as iTunes U. While still only in the beta testing stages, the new system promises to make classroom materials more mobile than ever before. See
iTUNES page 9
Serving the ACU community since 1912
Chapel Checkup Credited Chapels to date: Credited Chapels remaining:
Wednesday, March 29, 2006 Friday, January 26, 2007
Announcements
Note: Due to space, the Police Log and ACU Police Tip of the Week will appear in next Wednesday’s issue of the Optimist.
Want to study abroad this summer? There are a variety of classes offered that directly transfer to ACU. Scholarships are available. The deadline to sign up is Sunday. For more information, e-mail timmermanj@acu.edu. Come to “ResLife: Caffeinated” in the Hilton Room on Tuesday at 5:15 p.m. to get free coffee and desserts, play some games, win some prizes and learn more about ministry opportunities. Applications are available in McKinzie West and on the Employ-
ment Opportunities section of the ResLife Web site. The first Service Saturday of the year will be Feb. 3. Students may sign up Tuesday through Friday in the Campus Center ticket windows. WorldWide Witness is now accepting applications for more than 40 summer internships around the world. Apply online at www.worldwidewitness.org. For additional information, contact Gary Green or Wimon Walker at witness@bible.acu.edu.
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About This Page The Optimist maintains this calendar for the ACU community to keep track of local social, academic and service opportunities. Groups may send announcements directly to optimist@acu.edu or to the Page 2 Editor at mxe06a@acu.edu.
To ensure that an item will appear on time, the announcement should be sent at least 10 days before. The Optimist may edit items for space and style. Corrections and clarifications of published news articles will be printed in this space in a timely manner.
Calendar & Events
Friday
Purple Friday
6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. Free Movie Night in Cullen Auditorium showing “Invincible.” 7 p.m. “Exhibit A” Senior Art Show on display until 9 p.m. at the Shore Art Gallery.
Saturday
2 p.m. Women’s Basketball team plays Texas A&M Kingsville in Moody Coliseum. 4 p.m. Men’s Basketball team plays Texas A&M Kingsville in Moody Coliseum.
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Monday
9 a.m. Summer Camp Job Fair in the Campus Center. Representatives from 20 camps will be on campus until 4 p.m. to interview and hire staff for this summer.
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Tuesday
Last day to get an 80 percent refund on class withdrawals. 5:15 p.m. “ResLife: Caffeinated” in the Hilton Room.
Volunteer Opportunities Noah Project, a center for victims of family violence, has a number of volunteer opportunities available. These include coverage of the crisis hotline and helping with dayto-day operations. Volunteer training classes will be held on Tuesday, Thursday, Feb. 6 and Feb. 8 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. You need only attend one. For more information, contact the Volunteer Service-Learning Center in the Bean Sprout. The Beltway Park Baptist Church Preschool Department needs two volunteers on Feb. 3 from 10 a.m. to noon to paint a
wooden countertop and door. For more information, contact Sandi Muniz at (325) 692-6540, ext. 127. Hendrick Retirement Village needs volunteers to plan a Valentine’s Day party for residents, decorate and clean up. The party will be Feb. 13 from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, contact Jennifer Green at (325) 690-1400. The Betty Hardwick Center needs help in their office answering phones, filing, copying and running errands. For more information, contact the Volunteer Service-Learning Center in the Bean Sprout.
Friday, January 26, 2007
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CAMPUS NEWS
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Friday, January 26, 2007
University helps students create their own majors n Students can take advantage of interdisciplinary degrees, which allows students to form a major not offered at ACU, to study for their career goals. By TODD PIERSALL Arts Editor
Can’t find a major? Blend a major. Dr. David Merrell, director of curriculum who is in charge of interdisciplinary degrees, said he enjoys the challenge of finding a major that is right for every student. Merrell said he estimates there are around 150 stu-
dents who have composite interdisciplinary degrees. The composite interdisciplinary degree is designed to work with the life goals of each individual student and form a major from each academic department. Merrell said the interdisciplinary degree is not very well known among students mainly because other department advisers do a great job in helping struggling students explore other opportunities. However, if a student knows what they want to
do in an occupation and ACU doesn’t offer it as a major, Merrell can help. “We try to accommodate a combination of career goals and academic interests for people who don’t quite fit any of the degree plans,” Merrell said. “The possibilities are pretty much as good as your imagination.” Merrell said he enjoys hearing what people come up with. “I had one kid who wanted to be a hospital clown,” Merrell said. “She thought the most useful thing she could
do for humanity was to work in a situation where children needed to be cheered up.” For Merrell a career choice that might seem strange to some would not be strange at all to the person who wants to achieve it. Interdisciplinary degrees must fit within ACU’s course inventory and must be approved by the dean and advisers of all academic departments involved. Evan Young, junior engineering and international studies major from
Abilene, didn’t know about the interdisciplinary major until he learned about it from a friend. Young said he came to ACU knowing they had a good language program and a great Christian influence and wanted to take advantage of the classes offered. “I want to do automotive mechanical engineering in Germany,” Young said. “This interdisciplinary degree is exactly what I need.” Young, whose previous major was engineering and physics, said he can
now take advantage of classes that will prepare him for his job. Merrell said he doesn’t want every student to use the interdisciplinary degree because of the many great academic departments. However, if a student can’t find anything that fit’s their goals, Merrell would be the one to see. “We try and make it to where whatever you want to major in, you will have a good major,” Merrell said. E-mail Todd Piersall at: tdp04a@acu.edu
‘Homer’ to perform at Monks 18:38 Chapel suspended for spring n Homer Hiccolm & the Rocketboys will perform at Monks Coffeehouse along with three non-local bands to entertain people for $5 Friday. By EMILY SMITH
Chief Photographer
Monks Coffeehouse will serve up a cup of Homer Hiccolm & the Rocketboys and three out-of-town bands at its downtown location Friday night. For $5 at the door, Homer Hiccolm enthusiasts also can enjoy Soular from Albuquerque, N.M., The Oscillations from Tyler and The Hero Factor from Tulsa, Okla. “The Hero Factor, from what I hear, actually opened for Hanson – that teen trio from the mid 1990s,” said Brandon Kinder, guitarist, pianist and lead vocalist for Homer Hiccolm and a 2006 ACU alumnus from Memphis, Tenn. Kinder said he didn’t know much about Soular, but said The Oscillations was an interesting group, if only for its size. The band is comprised of 12 members and has instruments such as cel-
los and violins. “It’s almost like symphonic type music but kind of folk,” said Philip Ellis, junior business management major from Van and drummer for Homer Hiccolm. “It’ll be interesting to pack them all into Monks,” he said. Monks Coffeehouse, located on 233 Cypress St., will open its doors at 7 p.m. and the concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. Though Monks is a relatively small locale, Ellis believes the space will allow the bands to be in closer contact with the audience, he said. He expects a big turnout, and he said he hopes people will recognize the concert as a chance to do something in a town with a reputation for being uneventful. “Abilene offers some really great concerts and has some really great bands, but many times people don’t know about them,” said Mitch Holt, senior journalism major from Memphis, Tenn. Holt is the lead guitar-
ist and backup vocalist for Homer Hiccolm. Holt said Monks Coffeeshop shows offer students and other people in the community a chance to see some interesting music culture. All of the bands coming for the concert are excellent and well known within their own towns, Holt said. “They’re looking for a welcoming Abilene audience to which they can present their art, which they’ve worked hard to develop,” he said.
Concert information n Place: Monks Coffehouse on 233 Cypress St. n Date and time: Friday, doors open at 7 p.m., concert begins at 7:30 p.m. n Tickets: $5 available at the door. n Bands: Homer Hiccolm & the Rocketboys, Soular (Albuqerque N.M.), The Oscillations (Tyler), and The Hero Factor (Tulsa, Okla.)
E-mail Smith at: eds04c@acu.edu
n An interactive Chapel, which took place on Thursdays last semester, is canceled this semester because of its leader’s conflicting schedule. By MALLORY EDENS Page 2 Editor
18:38 Chapel, which took place in Moody and Hart Auditorium on Thursdays last semester, is cancelled this semester because of time conflicts on the part of its leader, Matt Worthington. 18:38 is an interactive Chapel created by the Spiritual Life Core where students address current issues. Mark Lewis, director of Spiritual Life and Student Ministries, asked Worthington to lead 18:38 because the increased student leadership within the group would enable attendees to feel it was more relevant to their lives. At the time, Worthington had also just taken the position of the Students’ Association executive secretary. He also had begun leading “Jesus and the Hip-Hop Prophets,” a study based on the Biblical example of Paul in Acts 17, which is held on Thursday evenings to dis-
cuss the music of inner-city poets such as Tupac Shakur, Lauryn Hill, Kanye West and Common. The study also examines how the truth in music may be relevant to Christians today. “Jesus and the Hip-Hop Prophets” was originally supposed to last only nine weeks, but over time it gained such a large following that its duration was lengthened. With Worthington’s responsibilities prolonged, his workload in classes and acting as SA secretary taking up much of his time, Worthington said he began to get overloaded in all his activities. He decided it would be best to suspend 18:38. “I wanted to remain faithful to the groups I was leading, and I felt like if I had stayed with 18:38 I really would’ve just burnt out. That wouldn’t have been good for anything I was a part of, including 18:38,” Worthington said. “Hip-Hop ended up developing such a strong community that Mark [Lewis] and I felt it best for me to remain faithful to the HipHop community since they were tighter, and a lot of our
goals for Hip-Hop had come to fruition. So in the end, it wasn’t that 18:38 was bad or it had problems; it was just that Hip-Hop became more than we had ever expected.” Worthington said the Spiritual Life Core is working to see what changes can be initiated to make 18:38 more efficient and effective. The Spiritual Life Core expects 18:38 will be back up again next school year. However, Worthington says this will not happen unless they find more leadership for the group. “18:38 was great last semester and [the] semesters before, and in the future I think it will be great,” Worthington said. “Just like anything else though, you have to have committed people to make something happen. So, until the Spiritual Life Core finds some more willing students on campus who would really like to be a part of programs that challenge people spiritually, emotionally and intellectually in whatever capacity, then we won’t see programs like 18:38 take place.” E-mail Edens at mxe06a@acu.edu
CAMPUS NEWS
Friday, January 26, 2007
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Students to offer Lectureship input Cameras: 52 installed in Mabee Continued from page 1
to go back and review video to solve cases. Ellison said he hopes to have camera systems in Sikes and Gardner within the next year. “They are expensive, but are an investment in safety,” Ellison said. “Camera systems are a proven deterrent, offer a safer environment and are a better starting point to begin an investigation.” Ellison said before the Christmas break a rash of burglaries occurred on campus. He said it could have been prevented or solved
with a camera system. Ellison said Residence Life has supported the camera systems and is partnering with them to get the systems in place. The cameras record video electronically and will be called upon once something has occurred. The use of the camera system will be controlled by a policy the police and Residence Life set. “[Camera usage] will be very strictly managed and controlled by policy,” Ellison said.
E-mail Fields at: jrf03b@acu.edu
n Dr. Wayne Barnard, dean of Spiritual Formation, selected 20 students to discuss Lectureship ideas that could influence the ACU community in the future. By ANDREA LUCADO Student Reporter
For the first time in 90 years of Lectureships a 20-student panel has been formed to influence what is said and taught during next fall’s Lectureship taking place on Sept. 16-19. Before Christmas break, Dr. Wayne Barnard, dean of Spiritual Formation, selected 20 students to make up a panel whose goal is to target a portion of the lectures to personal agendas they believe will influence the ACU community. Ministry Events coordinator, Kate Miller, is work-
ing with these students who are led by a key group of seven students. Miller said each student has different agendas that will create a more complete program for Lectureship. With Micah 6:8 as its theme, Miller said the panel is focusing on issues that coincide with the verse’s words: “To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Some topics the panel is discussing include social justice and spiritual identity, and they are finding ways to incorporate these themes while adding some variety such as music and theatrical performances, Miller said. Matt Worthington, junior English major from San Antonio, is one of the
seven key members of the panel. Worthington’s personal agenda for Lectureship is social justice. “I really want to point people to the big picture, the global picture of Christianity,” he said. Worthington said he hopes to achieve this through lectures and classes that promote reconciliation among ethnic groups, and he is in contact with groups like Hispanos Unidos and Essence of Ebony to help reach this goal. Worthington also said the panel is working well together and are “trying to look at everything we bring to the table and see what makes a meal.” Anna Peters, junior elementary education and children and family min-
istry major from Houston and member of the student panel, is focusing on lectures about spiritual identity and said she wants “to have topics that will merge the old generation with the new generation.” Some ideas she has that would accomplish this are a jazz concert and a panel lecture in reverse where the faculty listen to the students. Peters said one problem the panel has encountered with Lectureship is that professors encourage students to attend lectures but rarely release them to do so. The panel will be working with faculty and staff on this issue.
E-mail Lucado at: optimist@acu.edu
Team 55 technicians repair campus computer problems n Team 55, a technical support group composed of ACU students, works to help eliminate computer problems and technological difficulties across campus. By TAKISHA KNIGHT Student Reporter
Leann Black said her computer had “issues.” The freshman biochemistry major from Weatherford sent it to Team 55 where a student employee declared “software corruption.” It took half an hour for the technical support team to confirm the problem, and though she has to go back to Team 55 to be sure their virus protection fixed the “issue,” Black said she is pleased with the results. “They were very helpful; took a long time but
helpful,” she said. She was impressed by how friendly student workers were. Team 55, the campus front-line technical support team, is not made up of professional, educated technicians, but of a trained group of tech savvy and cordial students, as some students have said. Katlyn Haney, freshman interior design major from San Antonio, said she had to go to Team 55 after her father installed virus protection that was so secure it blocked her internet access altogether. Team 55 uninstalled the program and installed their recommended protection, which is free to all students. Haney said she appreci-
ated the workers’ enthusiasm to help her, even though it was their lunch hour. They had just arranged their lunches at the help desk, she said. “I felt really bad about that, but they were so nice,” she said. No more than half an hour later, Haney’s computer problems were no more, and the workers enjoyed their meals. As manager for Team 55, Joshua Tooley said he’s responsible for finding employees who excel in technical skills and interpersonal skills. “It’s not always an easy match to find, but it is important that our employees can clearly communicate what to do while at
the same time being able to back up the conversation with technical reasoning,” he said. Team 55 student workers must answer questions gauging general computer knowledge and experience and situational questions about working with people on the online application. Those who are hired go on to two training sessions. The first session is one week before the fall semester begins, and the second is a two-day refresher before the spring semester, Tooley said. In training sessions, workers learn hundreds of policies and process, he said. “Other parts of our time
are spent going through troubleshooting obstacle courses, taking tests and even doing practice phone conversations,” Tooley said. While Team 55 is equipped to handle software problems, it leaves hardware issues to offcampus experts. “Unlike the machines owned by ACU, students’ machines often have no consistent standards,” Tooley said, “This means that there are multiple models and brands of machines that Team 55 students would have to be certified on before they could do hardware related repairs.” Also, he said most student computers have warranties that may be voided
if Team 55 made repairs. To keep such a variety of parts in stock for the computers would be difficult. With a resident Team 55 employee in each dorm and office hours everyday of the week, students are just about guaranteed to get technical help when they need it. “I believe they appreciate the fact that we will support just about any computer-related problem,” Tooley said about students who have used Team 55’s services. “We go far beyond what most schools do to help resolve technical issues with their personal computers.”
E-mail Knight at: optimist@acu.edu
January 26, 2007
Page 6
gift of speech
The
Dr. Jon Ashby’s work with Desta, a Christian school for the deaf in Ethiopia, began in 1985. Ashby draws a national meeting when he visits. By Lauren Sutton
J
on Ashby loves to tell stories about Ethiopia. His twinkling eyes widen as he eagerly shares his knowledge about the country’s culture and heritage, occasionally pausing to look around his trinket-filled office as though he was once again in the place where all the stories originated. He almost instantly regains his demeanor to say that Ethiopia is the oldest Christian nation in the world. It is very modern in comparison to West Africa. The Ethiopians love capitalism, and there are more than 190 languages spoken there. The stories continue. And though Jon has traveled to Ethiopia multiple times and is a seemingly endless encyclopedia of information on the subject, he has yet to see the sights of the county that he has invested his time, his work and his heart in for the past two decades. “I have never been to the tourist spots, and if you look them up on the Internet, there are some wonderful spots,” said Jon Ashby, senior faculty member and professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. Instead, Jon’s deep-rooted love and knowledge of Ethiopia have come from spending time in a classroom full of hearing-impaired children as he has worked with Desta, an Ethiopian school for the deaf.
Background After graduating from ACU in 1964 with a bachelor’s degree in language therapy, Jon was approached by the director of his
program and asked if he was interested in traveling to Ethiopia. A call had been made to the school inquiring if a student would be willing to work with a newly instated school for the deaf. “I really wanted to do it, but I decided to go to grad school. I was engaged at the time, my new fiancé was very apprehensive,” Jon said. “I wasn’t overly enthusiastic about that,” said Jon’s wife, Darlene. “I thought of a plethora of reasons for him not to go. I thought that going so far away was the end of the earth.” Jon stayed in the United States. He began a family in Denton, pursued his Ph.D. at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge and moved back to Abilene to work for ACU in 1972. He successfully built the university’s speech and hearing clinic from a oneprofessor program to one that is now internationally recognized. Though Jon had put away his desire of traveling to Ethiopia, the devastating famine of 1985 and his expertise in communication disorders opened doors for him to offer his unique services to the African nation. Twenty years after his first invitation to Ethiopia, a friend from the Richland Hills Church of Christ contacted Ashby and informed him about an opportunity to provide relief for Ethiopia’s 1985 famine. An expert in his field, a group of church leaders presented Ashby an opportunity to go and serve them. “He was telling me what was going on over there, and I found myself weeping,” Jon said. “Working with handicapped people, I have seen a lot of stuff. I’ve worked with battered children. I’ve been to Haiti, Peru and Russia. I have seen a lot of stuff, but there was something about it when they were talking about what was going on. I got in the car and told my wife that I needed to do this.” “I was so proud of him,” Darlene said. “He was gone six weeks; I was a little bit anxious about being alone.”
The school for the deaf
Emily smith CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
Dr. Jon Ashby refurbishes old hearing aid equipment and then ships the equipment to clinics in Ethiopia.
Ashby has spent time working with Desta, a school for the deaf that was established in 1962 by a group of Church of Christ missionaries.
EMILY SMITH CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
Ethiopian herdsman sit and twirl wool into strands to weave hats like the one pictured here. The hat was purchased for 30 cents. Ethiopia suffered from a famine in 1985.
In its beginning years, schools for the deaf in the the school saw little states. He educates teachprogress until a member ers about hearing aids and “During the famine of the royal family who auditory training units days, [the children’s] so that they can learn to suffered from a hearing loss sought the school’s develop the speech of hair turns orange. services. Word went out children who have some among the Ethiopians You touch their head amount of hearing. that there was a school Because most of the and their hair falls for a deaf in the Capichildren will never detal, and the program has velop any speech, Ashby out. But they will steadily gained popularbrings dictionaries in ity since. never forget that you sign language and materiThe communists took als that can be used in the were there to touch over the country in 1978, classroom. and most of the churches In addition to instructthem.” in Ethiopia were asked ing, Ashby always reto leave. But they didn’t serves time to spend with touch the Church of the children. He gives Dr. Jon Ashby, professor emeritus of Christ. The Churches of them hearing tests, cleans communication sciences and disorders Christ didn’t lose a single out their ears and makes church or piece of propmolds and impressions of erty because they ran the their ears. school for the deaf. Jon’s work and attention gives special “The church is pretty amazing,” said value to the deaf children who are considJon’s son, Bart. “They’ve evangelized the ered outcasts in their society. He enjoys entire nation all by themselves.” bringing them treats like balloons and bubWhen the 1985 famine hit, the situation ble gum from the states. was so bad that it had become an interna“During the famine days, their hair turns tionally recognized event. orange,” said Jon. “You touch their head “It broke everyone’s heart to see the pain and their hair falls out. But they will never in this country. This was the first year I was forget that you were there to touch them, to asked to go,” Jon said. hold them. It gives great value to a kid. I try to have a picture taken or a piece of paper, and I’ll come back four years later and the child still has the paper wadded up. They At this time, the school for the deaf had never lost it.” gradually grown to three different locations “I’m glad that he’s doing it, and that he is around the country. Ashby was asked to able to help those folks,” Bart said. provide consultation and in-service training for teachers. They also needed an American to help coordinate the goods and services that were coming in from the outside. Jon hasn’t traveled to Ethiopia in sever“I learned to be not only a consultant and al years and doesn’t know when he will be teacher in a third world country going into able to return. schools with no electricity, water or things “When you are 65, you are a little more like that. I came to experience famine relief cautious, and when you are the only one, activities, humanitarian relief and also en- it’s a big job,” Darlene said. couraging indigenous Christians,” Jon said. The war in the neighboring Sudan and Jon has been back to Ethiopia three times Ethiopia’s current political unrest further since his first visit in ‘85, and despite trav- complicates this possibility. Still, Jon is eling complications, he enjoys training the hopeful for many more expeditions to his teachers and spending time with the kids. beloved Ethiopia. “When I go in there, it’s a big deal,” Jon said. “They have a national meeting, and they bring in the teachers of the deaf from all over the country. We have a big training program.” Jon conducts in-service training for an average of 50 teachers; he brings in hearing equipment that he accumulates from E-mail Sutton at: les03c@acu.edu
Work
Hopes of Returning
January 26, 2007 Box Office Stats Newly released movies and gross rates for Jan. 19-21. Total gross in parenthesis. n Stomp the Yard: $12,287,352 ($40,550,946) n Night at the Museum: $12,012,724 ($204,852,656) n Dreamgirls: $8,008,749 ($77,415,704) n The Hitcher: $7,818,239 ($7,849,304) n The Pursuit of Happyness: $6,310,133 ($146,121,200) n Freedom Writers: $5,207,062 ($26,524,683)
2007 oscar nominations Best Picture n Babel n The Departed n Letters from Iwo Jima n Little Miss Sunshine n The Queen Best Actor n Leonardo DiCaprio in Blood Diamond n Ryan Gosling in Half Nelson n Peter O’Toole in Venus n Will Smith in The Pursuit of Happyness n Forest Whitaker in The Last King of Scotland Best Actress n Penelope Cruz in Volver n Judi Dench in Notes on a Scandal n Helen Mirren in The Queen n Meryle Streep in The Devil Wears Prada Best Director n Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu n Martin Scorsese for The Departed n Clint Eastwood for Letters from Iwo Jima n Stephen Frears for The Queen n Paul Greengrass for United 93 Best Cinematography n The Black Dahlia n Children of Men n The Illusionist n Pan’s Labyrinth n The Prestige
Page 7
‘Tripp’-ing through the Wii: system analysis n The gaming console, Wii, is broken down into a threepart series consisting of the system, the controller and the games. First up: the system. By TRIPP PAGE Contributing Writer
The Nintendo Wii is what one might call, a sexy work of electronicness. It has that oh-so-hip Apple White color we have all come to associate with trendy, a stand that lets it sit vertical so it sits high and mighty, and a glowing blue light that surrounds the disk drive slot when the system has an update available. Based on looks alone: if it was a girl, I would date it. However, a video game system needs more to go on than just it’s aesthetic appeal, which it has a lot of. First let us talk about the thing that might seem most important but in reality matters the least: the graphics. Developers were given what you might call, modified Nintendo Gamecubes, to design the first batch of Nintendo Wii games. This shows in the current lineup of games for the Wii. If you are looking for the next visual masterpiece, the Nintendo Wii will not deliver plain and simple. This is not to say the games are ugly, but in no way will you ever see PS3 quality graphics from the Nintendo Wii. The thing about graphics however is that, no matter how pretty a game looks, you won’t play it unless it is fun. On the other side of things one does think that with a year gap between the Wii and the 360 some
graphical advances should have been made. Next let me bring your attention to what I will refer to as the home screen. If Apple were to make a video game system, the home screen of the Wii represents what Apple would make. This home screen is very minimalist and straight to the point. You have pages of “channels” you can pick from each one having a different use. Present is your Wii/ Gamecube game channel, and yes the Wii is backwards compatible with all your Gamecube games and Nintendo Licensed controllers, your Mii channel (to be discussed later), shopping channel, weather channel, internet channel, news channel and channels for each of your purchased virtual console games. I realized I mentioned a platter of things with no description, but fear not, true believer, your time has come. The Mii channel is almost a game in of its self. Once inside the Mii channel you can create your own personal avatar, a digital recreation of your self. It is surprising how much depth is present inside the Mii channel. I have seen all forms of characters made, which will show up in games such as Wii Sports and Wii Play, from Harry Potter to king of the snakes, Samuel L Jackson. After the Mii channel you have Nintendo’s shop channel. Using the systems built in Wi-Fi Internet connection you can hop onto Nintendo’s little shopping center. Here you have two categories, Virtual Console
and Software. All you will find in the Software section is a free downloadable Internet browser for your Wii (the browser is Opera based). In the near future Nintendo hopes to provide other things here as well. Then we have the Wii’s love glance as I like to call it, the Virtual Console. Here you can purchase Wii Points (one penny equals one point) with said Wii points you can dive into re buying your childhood. NES, SNES, N64, Genesis, and Turbographic 16 games are the treasure that awaits you in exchange of your Wii points. You can find it all here, from the popular classic such as Bomberman and Super Mario 64 to some of the cult favorites like Gun Star Heroes and Star Soldier. And if the current line up of virtual console games somehow don’t get your mouth watering in a festive manner, Nintendo drops new games to buy every Monday. Games are all well and good I suppose, but what about my inner longing— that lustful desire to know the weather in places like Mt. Everest? Fear not, the Wii has you covered. The Weather channel is simply put, a weather channel mixed with Google maps. Awesome, yes? Indeed. The only downside to the Wii’s weather channel is the fact that it doesn’t update the weather in anything but six hour intervals. This isn’t all the Wii has in store for us, the system also uses Bluetooth for all its wireless needs.
The system comes with 512MB of storage with a SD card slot in case that isn’t enough for you. I do wish the system had shipped with a hard drive because 512MB of internal storage is awfully small once you own a few games and get to buying things of the virtual console — at least Nintendo was kind enough to give us the SD card slot. Overall the system itself is very strong and my main complaints are that the internal memory storage is small, the current graphics are good but could have
been better (as with any console, the true power of the system won’t surface until well into the systems life) and the online marketplace pales into comparison to what is offered on the Xbox Live service. However, the Wii’s virtual console and internet browser more than make up for a lack on content.
E-mail Page at: optimist@acu.edu
Page 8
The issue:
Dialogue about racism continues as Steven Moore challenged students to “get mad and do something” Thursday in Chapel.
Our view:
If students would take Moore’s advice and act on their passions, the university wouldn’t have to prove it’s a multicultural institution because it would be lived out in people’s lifestyles.
The solution:
Recognizing that racism is an issue on campus is the first step in combatting this problem. Be stirred, and act on your passions.
January 26 2007
Moore says, “Do something about apathy” In a period of one week, Chapel speakers have addressed issues of race and segregation three times. A small group will meet Monday to discuss the Black Panthers, and “Jesus and the Hip-Hop Prophets” will revisit issues surrounding race. As such, the Optimist editorial board thinks that racism and segregation are pertinent issues on the ACU campus, and we applaud Stephen Moore for addressing the student body with an unapologetic, passionate message: “Get mad and do something.” While it’s fine for students to feel strongly about an issue, to act irate and voice their opinions, these students affect little change. Rather, students need to take action—and stop talking about doing so. ACU prides itself on be-
ing a mulMoore’s speech If students are truly taking Moore’s advice and ticultural in Chapel Thursday doing something in addition to getting mad, the roused students to communiuniversity wouldn’t have to ell people about the jump to their feet ty — just ask any multicultural community—it would be apparent and cheer in standperspecing ovation. in the atmosphere and lifestyle. tive stuBut one point he dents who made left the stuare readdents glancing uning literacomfortably toward ture from the university’s If students are truly tak- their neighbors. When social admissions department. ing Moore’s Advice and do- clubs were pointed to as a “Campus globalization” ing something in addition prime example of segregation, is part of the Centennial Vi- to getting mad, the uni- no one cheered and prepared sion, and at the university versity wouldn’t have to to tear down any walls of segWeb site, www.acu.edu it tell people about the mul- regation there. Students are says “4,800 students, 60 ticultural community — it fine discussing segregation as nations” beneath a photo would be apparent in the an idea — pointing a finger at of the ceremony of flags. atmosphere and lifestyle. obvious perpetrators and deCampus literature wants to Although the Optimist en- claring their offenses wrong communicate that ACU is courages students to take ac- — but when the problem hits multicultural. tion, the question still remains closer to home, students tend But if we were truly a uni- of how to take action, how to to turn away. Problems still fied, multicultural student change the culture of our cam- exist when students are more body, would the universi- pus to eliminate segregation concerned about someone ty have to continue to tell and racism and how we can calling social clubs segregated people about its diversity? display a truly multicultural than they are with the possiProbably not. environment. bility of the accusation being
Alex York
Lebensgefahr
Chapel apology not necessary Political correctness can be a good thing. But as most redundant sermons or lectures will tell you, too much of a good thing is bad. One recent example of unneeded political correctness Stereotype was Matt Free Worthington’s apology Daniel last Friday for Johnson comments he made in his speech about racial reconciliation on Jan 18. Worthington stood in front of a body of students prepared to celebrate “Praise Friday.” And instead of singing praise songs, students were confronted by an apology that seemed unnecessary to most. Including this half-Korean audience member. The seemingly forced apology was for the portion of Worthington’s speech
Worthington’s words were perfect for the point he wished to instill in the minds of his audience with this sentence: separatism is real. that read: “We have seen groups like the KKK and the Black Panthers, and though we do not adopt their hate and anger…we do adopt their separatist behavior,” Although it is true that the Ku Klux Klan and Black Panthers are in no way similar in the way they expressed or carried out their separatist behavior, anyone who can read a high school history book can discover that the Black Panthers were in fact a group of “hate and anger.” Provoked hate and anger, but hate and anger nonetheless. Worthington’s words were perfect for the point he wished to instill in the minds of his audience with this sentence: “separatism is real, and these are two
historical examples that prove it.” Worthington should not have apologized for his controversial and convicting words because the apology overshadowed the effect it would have had on people who were moved. Great speakers in the history of this country didn’t stray from controversy. And Worthington shouldn’t have either. Would there be a Black History Month or Martin Luther King Jr. Day if Dr. King believed it necessary to apologize to the mounds of people he offended in the 1960s. No. Would Senator Barrack Obama be running for president if he apologized to his critics for the numerous anti-war
speeches he has proclaimed throughout his career. Of course not. I am not placing Worthington’s speech, topic or audience on the same pedestal as King’s or Obama’s, but his apology just wasn’t necessary. We should not be forced to apologize for our passions. We should not be forced to apologize for other people’s discomfort. Discomfort promotes change. Discomfort is memorable. We must face discomfort. A reworked version of the “aphorism” Provost Dwayne VanRheenen echoed through Moody Friday after the apology sums it up best. “Sticks and Stones may break your bones…” But no apology is necessary.
E-mail Johnson at: djj04a@acu.edu or optimist@acu.edu
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 79699 E-mail letters to: optimist@acu.edu
E-mail the Optimist at: optimist@acu.edu
Understanding, embracing Islam Two years after the Sep- zines of Arabs who, for no tember 11 attacks, the Fed- reason except their origin eral Bureau of Investigation and religion, were treated reported it had investi- with contempt and often gated 507 harassed by the public. hate crimes I don’t mean to make a g a i n s t light of the terrorist action m e m b e r s that took place on 9/11 or of the U.S. to convey that people’s fear M u s l i m and uncertainty in response c o m m u - to those actions were unnity, and a justified. But to respond list of the to people in a way that is State of s h a m e f u l hostile, harmful or perhaps Mind i n c i d e n c e s even sarcastic does not alleLauren followed. viate past events or provide Sutton In Hun- a resolution for the future. tington, As the U.S. has seen with N.Y., a 75-year-old man at- the Japanese, the Chinese, tempted to run over a Paki- Native Americans, African stani woman in a shopping Americans and now the mall parking lot screaming Arab people, making over that he was “doing this for generalizations and stehis country.” In the same reotypes damages a culyear, a group of demon- ture. We are still working strators in Chicago con- through the animosity that ducted a march at a local was built between black mosque where and white peothe Associated ple before the Press reported a Civil Rights Making over 19-year-old sayMovement, and generalizaing, “I’m proud our nation will tions and to be an Ameriall be held acstereotypes can, and I hate countable for damages a Arabs, and I alconflict that risways have.” es between any culture. There is no subcultures, inquestion that cluding the Isthese are extreme lamic culture. cases of racism Effectively against America’s Islamic working against a tendency community, but I wonder if of isolating and judging the derogatory comments this people group means spoken about Muslims, the studying their culture and racial profiling of Arabs or proactively learning about the suspicious glances peo- who they are. Numerous ple of Middle Eastern dissent ACU students’ views on Isreceive in public places like lamic culture have changed airports don’t stem from the because they have taken same mind set—fear of the classes on Islam, dialogued unknown. with Muslims in the area In the wake of 9/11 a and even traveled to Middle great shift took place in Eastern countries. the way society as a whole In these contexts, we can viewed Islamic culture, and begin to change the fear of it wasn’t for the better. the unknown into the known Civil liberties were infringed and destructive racism beupon through the Patriot Act comes less of an issue. and many began to perceive Muslims as “the enemy.” Multiple stories surfaced E-mail Sutton at: in newspapers and magales03c@acu.edu or optimist@acu.edu
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
true. And club is simply the easiest example to point out on campus — clubs are not alone in contributing to segregation on campus. One merely has to observe where students sit, live or eat to find segregation. To solve this problem, the student body has to stop discussing segregation and start looking for institutions, traditions and attitudes that support it on campus. And then, those things must be changed. As the old adage goes, the first step to solving a problem is admitting you have one. The university has done the right thing by choosing to address this issue head on, with an honest, direct approach. And students have certainly gotten mad. So now they just have to do something.
Editorial and Management Board Mallory Schlabach
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Friday, January 26, 2007
Art: Show features seven Continued from page 1 design major from Amarillo, is an assistant gallery coordinator and put much of this together. She will show a hanging wall piece made of cut up bottles and mono print pieces which she said are “accidents that happen, and you just happen to like them.” Danielle Rhoades, senior graphic design major from Overland Park, Kan., will be displaying her work for the first time in a gallery show.
However, her work has been displayed before on campus. Her pieces will include photography, graphic design packaging for barbecue sauce and root beer and large-scale paintings illustrating the works of Shel Silverstein the author of A Light in the Attic. “I kind of grew up on reading him a lot. A lot of my art is really silly and funny, and he kind of fits along with that,” Rhoades said. Each person has put months of work into their
pieces, and the group as a whole has been preparing since last semester. The art will continue to be displayed for a week after the show. Williams said the point of this show is “really just us putting out the best that we did from our time here at school. It’s just a culmination of our work and what we’ve learned.”
E-mail Rapelje at: optimist@acu.edu
Intramurals: Season starts Continued from page 10 major from Stephenville and the club’s intramural director. “We want to be really good,” Edwards said. “I want to win club points overall.” Alpha Kai Omega took a slightly different approach. The club’s intramural director, Tate Douglas, soph-
Flu: Surge expected in February runs in the family. The Medical Clinic has an ample supply, Estes said. The Clinic is open during the week from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.. It costs $20 and can be charged
to a student’s account if the student doesn’t have a check or cash on hand. Symptoms of the flu are fever, body aches, cough and headaches, and will occur suddenly, Estes said. But, if caught within 24 hours of the symptoms, there is an antivi-
ral medicine that will decrease the symptoms and keep the virus from reproducing in your body—preventing the illness from lasting so long.
E-mail Smith at: optimist@acu.edu
than planned after the architects had to make sure the soil was stable, he said. The construction actually started on Sept. 1 with a hope to complete it on March 1, said Hess. However, as it is impossible to pour concrete
Continued from page 1 but complain it lasts too long, said Jordan Williams, SA executive vice president. This year Invision is scheduled to end at 8:30 p.m. Williams said he expects about 100 participants, who will enjoy free food, fellowship and speaker Brenda Bertrand, independent consultant for organization and time management company Franklin Covey and Guardian Quest. Bertrand also works for the United States Office of Personnel Management in Washington, D.C. Invision is important to help new leaders emerge for the future, as well as to give them some guidance, Williams said.
“Lots of leaders get caught up in the year… before they know it, they’ve failed to pass on their wisdom and experience,” Williams said. Leaders within SA have an opportunity to train at a conference in Jacksonville, Fla., beginning on March 30 to April 3. At SA’s first meeting of the semester on Wednesday, Jamie Spires, sophomore integrated marketing communications major from Arlington and chief communications officer, encouraged the 36 members of Congress who were present to apply. Only four students will be selected to attend from those who apply. The conference focuses on maintaining student government through the summer,
which is why she selected it, Spires said. SA pays for students to attend the conferences with money that has been allotted in the budget, Spires said. The conference is not religiously affiliated, which exposes students to issues with attitudes not prevalent on a Christian campus, said Spires, who attended a conference last semester. “I think more of our students’ eyes need to be open to what’s going on,” Spires said. SA Congress meetings are open to students and are conducted in the Onstead-Packer Biblical Studies Building, Room 114 at 5 p.m. Wednesdays. E-mail Peace at: knp04a@acu.edu
Games are played three nights a week. Championship games are played in Bennett Gymnasium and recreation league games are played in the Gibson Health and Physical Education Center. An intramural schedule will be posted Friday. E-mail Hansen at: optimist@acu.edu
in cold weather, it has been delayed and resumed Tuesday. Mosley said the building should be complete by May. In addition, Mosley said he wants to set up a plan within in a period of six months to replace the equipment in the original
weight room. As the membership for students will remain $100 a semester for a better service, Hess expects regular users to increase to 200-225 students from 125 students.
E-mail Vandendriessche at: optimist@acu.edu
iTunes: Feature benefits all Continued from page 1
SA: Invision retreat Sunday
omore education major from Austin, formed teams more simply. “The girls told me what team they wanted to be on,” Douglas said. “I told them that on the competitive team the girls that were better were going to play. If they just wanted to have fun and play more then choose the recreation team.”
Powell: Space allows more in Continued from page 10
Continued from page 1
Page 9
FROM THE FRONT PAGE
Once fully up and running, the iTunes U program will function like Blackboard on steroids. Possible future applications include immediate availability of class lectures for download on iTunes, locations for students to post examples of their work for public view and an entirely new range of marketing to new students. According to ACU webmaster Carmen Foster, iTunes U is currently just a skeleton, a bare framework off of which Apple and its partnering universities are building. “We still don’t even have a ‘go-live’ date,” Foster said. “We’re working with Apple to set a release date and are now trying to figure out what people will really be looking for in this.” Until now, only the ACU
World Wide classes have been using the new program. Professors can use it to send out PowerPoint presentations, video clips, audio files, etc. Within a few months, however, Foster said she hopes the system will be ready for full activation. “This is certainly something the student body will be aware of and that we want them to get involved with,” she said. The system is two-fold. First, there is a public section anything with access to iTunes can reach. The university already has plans to use the page for media pertaining to the university’s history and traditions, including video and audio of such events as the annual Welcome Week Candlelight Devo. Second, secured behind a log-in page, is the academic side, complete
with every kind of multimedia capability a professor or student could want. Scott Delony, visual media specialist and senior electronic media major from Houston, said at this point it is impossible to predict exactly when the system will go fully online. “Apple hasn’t given us any time line on that yet,” he said. “They are, however, making each part of the system virtually as soon as they develop it.” And apparently, the iTunes U has so far been as attractive to its users as iTunes itself. “We have yet to receive one single negative comment,” Delony said. “Professors are chomping at the bit to get this.”
E-mail Pond at: jlp04b@acu.edu
SportsFriday
Page 10
ScoreBoard Standings MEN’S BASKETBALL
Team
Div. 2-0 1-0 2-1 1-2 1-2 0-1 0-1
ENMU MSU WTAM ACU Angelo St. TAMK-U Tarleton
Overall 8-8 12-3 10-7 10-7 6-11 13-3 11-5
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Team
WTAM ACU TX Woman’s Tarleton Angelo St. TAMU-K MSU ENMU
Div. 5-0 3-2 3-2 2-2 1-2 1-2 1-3 0-4
Overall 16-3 12-7 9-9 9-5 10-6 6-10 8-8 9-2
Scores Tuesday MEN’S BASKETBALL ACU 92, Angelo State 76
Friday, January 26, 2007
Second straight win relies on confidence n The ACU men’s basketball team has a chance to win its second straight conference win when it takes on Texas A&M Kingsville on Saturday. By DANIEL JOHNSON Sports Editor
The ACU men’s basketball team has a new found confidence heading into its fourth conference game—confidence stemming from solid team defense. The Wildcats’ grabbed 20 steals and held the Lone Star Conference’s second leading scorer, Marcus Hubbard, to only eight points in their 92-76 win over Angelo State on Tuesday. “We really shut him down because of a team effort,” guard, Philip Brooks, said. “We came at him real quick.” If ACU wants to grab its second consecutive division-
Men’s Basketball al win on Saturday, it must carry over its quick defense to limit last season’s LSC South Most Valuable Player: Texas A&M Kingsville guard, Yusuf Remi. “I don’t know if you Copeland can really shut him down,” head coach, Jason Copeland said. “You just have to limit him and make it as hard as you can on him.” Remi averages 18.8 pointsper-game and has a .519 field goal percentage and .813 free throw percentage. Brooks’ will be the Wildcat defending Remi and has complete confidence in his team’s ability to slow down the MVP. “We’re gonna come at him
aggressive,” Brooks said. “We just need to play good team defense.” Brooks is confident that a good offense will accompany good defense. “If we play good defense, the outside shots will come,” Brooks said. Brooks leads ACU in scoring averaging 15.3 points-pergame with a .494 field goal percentage and a .832 free throw percentage. Despite the impending face off between the two leading scorers, Brooks isn’t concerned with a shoot-out between the two, just playing good team basketball. “I don’t look at it like that,” Brooks said. “I’ll just step up to the challenge and try to play good as a team.” ACU stepped up to the challenge Tuesday, after downing Angelo for its first win in divisional play. The win was ACU’s
ninth at home—something Copeland and his players don’t take lightly. “It’s a big advantage,” Copeland said. “You’ve got to take care of your home court.” Kingsville is 3-2 on the road, 0-1 in conference and 13-3 overall before its game against Angelo State Thursday. In addition to protecting their home court, Copeland said he is most concerned with two things being high Saturday: his team’s focus and confidence. “We got to get our minds right,” Copeland said. For Brooks, Kingsville is the Wildcats’ chance to start a winning streak. “I believe we will go on a little roll,” Brooks said. ACU and Kingsville will tip off Saturday at 4 p.m. in Moody Coliseum.
E-mail Johnson at: djj04a@acu.edu
Losing streak snapped
Wednesday WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ACU 73, ACU 67
Upcoming
gary rhodes STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
ACU guard Tiago Souza moves toward the basket against two Angelo State defenders.
Intramural basketball to begin Monday n ACU Intramural basketball 5-on-5 season will begin Monday. Last year’s champions, team Nothing but Wet, made it as far as the national tournament at Georgia Tech. Nothing but Wet placed fourth at the tournament.
Saturday WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ACU vs. Texas A&M Kingsville, 2 p.m.
By CHRIS HANSEN Student Reporter
MEN’S BASKETBALL ACU vs. Texas A&M Kingsville, 4 p.m.
n Home games listed in Italics
Briefs Baseball chosen to win LSC South n The ACU baseball team was chosen to win the Lone Star Conference South over last year’s divisional champs Angelo State after receiving 9 of the 12 first place votes.
Softball favored in LSC South n The ACU softball team received 14 first place votes to be chosen as the favorite to win the Lone Star Conference South in 2007. The Wildcats finished last year with a program-best 42-19 record.
Online
View a video update on the ACU men’s and women’s basketball teams seasons so far at www.acuoptimist.com.
Intramural Round-up Upcoming n The intramural schedule seen on the Optimist sports page is not final and is subject to change. Any last-minute changes can be viewed on the intramural bulletin board in Moody Coliseum. BASKETBALL Season begins Monday, view schedule on intramural board Monday morning.
brian schmidt CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
Guard Alex Guiton drives past an Eastern New Mexico defender. Guiton and the rest of the Wildcats extended their conference record to 3-2 after beating Texas Woman’s 73-67 Wednesday. ACU will take on Texas A&M Kingsville on Saturday at 2 p.m.
n The ACU women’s basketball team snapped a seven-game losing streak on the road by beating Texas Woman’s 73-67 Wednesday. The win extended their conference record to 3-2. By MICHAEL FREEMAN Online Editor
The proverbial primate has been killed. The ACU women’s basketball team got the monkey of its back by snapping its seven-game road losing streak on Wednesday night. Now, the Wildcats will look to improve their 12-7 record (3-2 in conference play) on Saturday when they take on the University of Texas A&M-Kingsville in Moody Coliseum at 2 p.m. The Javelinas of Texas A&MKingsville own a mediocre record of 6-10, but that does not mean the team will be easy to beat. The Javelinas have won four of its last six games. And, Texas A&M-Kingsville forwards Angela Trotter and Lana Toki both rank in the top 20 in scoring in the Lone Star Conference. The duo of Trotter and Toki help the Javelinas put up an average of 61
Women’s basketball points per game. “Kingsville is tough. They’re playing a lot better than they were last year,” ACU head coach Shawna Lavender said. “But, I think if we play our game, and we’re disciplined about what we’re doing, it should be a game that we win.” ACU is entering Saturday’s game after an impressive 73-67 victory over Texas Woman’s University on Wednesday. Wildcat center Audrey Maxwell had a career night by racking up 20 points and 21 rebounds. Maxwell now leads the Lone Star Conference in rebounds this season with 178. But Maxwell was not the only ACU player who put up big numbers. Forward Ashlee Barr finished the game with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Also, guard Alex Guiton and forward Kristee Davidson added 12 and 11 points, respectively. The win over Texas Woman’s marks the first road win for the Wildcats since Nov. 18 when ACU defeated St. Edward’s University 63-52.
“Anytime you can win on the road in the conference is a good thing,” Lavender said. “We had some big performances. I felt like we played with a lot of confidence. We did a great job executing. I was really pleased the way we played as a team.” In Wednesday’s game, ACU did not lead until 5:02 remaining in the game. Down by one, ACU pieced together an eight-point run to take control of the game. Patiently waiting for the right moment to pounce, the Wildcats displayed the kind of discipline that is distinctive of excellent teams. Even when Texas Woman’s cut the lead to three with less than a minute to play, the Wildcats stepped up defensively with some key blocks to secure the win. “Even in the games we’ve lost recently, defensively, our effort has been really good,” Lavender said. “Our offense will kind of get back in rhythm, I think. If we can keep playing great defense, then we should be OK down the stretch.”
E-mail Freeman at: mxf04b@acu.edu
More than 30 teams will compete for fun, club points and for chance to travel to the University of Arizona for the intramural regional tournament when intramural 5-on-5 basketball starts next week. Forty-two teams and about 900 students participated last year, said Steven Saffel, senior history major from Abilene and coordinator of officials. Last spring, the men’s team called Nothing but Wet, previously known as team Dime, and the women’s Ko Jo Kai team won the championship league. The men’s team went on to win the regional tournament at the University of Arizona and placed fourth in the national tournament at Georgia Tech, losing only to the eventual national champion Clemson Tigers, 90-87. “Many players are all-state high school athletes,” said Danny Kittley, ACU’s intramural director. “They are really good.” Team Nothing but Wet was one of the non-club championship league teams. Typically four to five such men’s teams compete, and the remaining teams are club teams. Clubs enter between three and five teams, one or two of which are championship league teams. All but one player from last year’s Nothing but Wet team graduated. Daniel Jarrett, senior education major from Detroit, is the only player left from the team. Jarrett will play with the GSP championship team this year. “Last year [GSP] didn’t have all the pieces,” Jarrett said. “They were good they just didn’t have a big man.” Jarrett said he thinks that the team is good, but many of the players get overlooked. “Most of the guys went to Christian schools so they didn’t get the recognition,” Jarrett said. On the women’s side, Ko Jo Kai has had two tryouts to assess its talent, said Amy Kay Edwards, junior biochemistry See
INTRAMURALS page 9
Powell extends weight room to aid community n Powell Fitness Center is being expanded so athletes and students will have separate sections to work out. The changes are planned to be finished in May. By CAMILLE VANDENDRIESSCHE Student Reporter
With the start of the football off-season practice, student athletes know they’d better not show up in the weight room between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Because benches and squat platforms are continuously occupied and the right weights are rarely available, one knows they are going to struggle to achieve their workout properly. Built in 1992 for the usage of 250 students athletes, the Powell Fitness Center has clearly reached its limit now with more than 420 people working out regularly, said Jared Mosley, director of athletics.
“It was built for what we had at the time, but now it is so busy and packed during the day that some students are deterred to come work out,” he said. To face the problem, a new building is being constructed as an expansion of the current weight room. Student athletes will workout in this new separate room, emptying the other for regular students, staff and faculty. The rooms will be connected by
two doorways. With about 5,200 more square feet of space, the Powell Fitness Center will reach an overall space of about 10,000 square feet. “The new room will be a workout space only”, said David Hess, strength and conditioning coach at ACU. “There will be more machines for everybody.” The idea of expansion emerged in the fall of 2005. It is financed by Lee Powell, grandson of the donor of the
Powell Fitness Center. “We went to him”, said Hess, who attended ACU with Powell. Mosley estimated an overall budget of $300,000 that includes $100,000 of brand new engines and weights. Mosley said the original goal was to complete the construction during the summer of 2006 and get it ready for the fall. It took more time See
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