The •
Vol. 95, No. 42
1 sections, 8 pages
CAMPUS
n Residents locked out of Smith Adams Hall discovered a security system reboot is the culprit for stopping ID cards from opening doors at night.
Singing from the soul
Five women from step squad SHADES decided to form a singing group called Silhouette, page 3
By CAMILLE PAINTER
Meet and greet
Student Reporter
EMILY SMITH CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
This is one artifact on display in the Brown Library from Wendell and Betty Broom’s time spent in Africa as missionaries.
Voting from home
More than 1,000 people who attended Sing Song on Friday night or Saturday afternoon chose to participate in the new online voting system, page 4
SPORTS
WEDNESDAY
March 7, 2007
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www.acuoptimist.com
System reboot knocks card access
IN THIS ISSUE
Students involved in ACU’s chapter of the National Broadcast Society will travel to Chicago after spring break to meet with professionals, page 3
OPTIMIST
Brooms display African artifacts
Aldon Wickliffe, resident director of Smith Adams Hall, was awakened by a latenight phone call. The caller, a resident in Smith Adams, could not get into the dorm. “I was working on a project in the lobby area, and I was just going between the
lobby and computer lab trying to get things done, and all of a sudden, I went to go slide in to get into Smith Adams and my card wouldn’t work,” said Byron Martin, the late night caller. Wickliffe was not Martin’s first resort. “I went to the desk worker and the desk worker’s card wouldn’t work so we called Aldon,” said Martin, sophomore psychology major from Mesquite. Wickliffe got out of bed and drove to the residence hall to resolve the situation
only to find that not only was the resident’s card not allowing them access into the residence hall, but his wasn’t either. At a certain time each night, the card readers do not recognize codes in the resident’s cards because the card system reboots. For about 15 minutes, a resident cannot enter the hall because the system will not read his or her card. “After we all tried our cards multiple times, I ended up having to call my friend and wake him up from his
sleep to come open the door,” Martin said. This has been known to occur a few times in the middle of the night at Smith Adams Residence Hall. Wickliffe said he called the help desk to find out more about the situation. “I’ve been told it’s been resetting the system just to rejuvenate the software. It’s kind of a PC kind of thing,” Wickliffe said. “Usually I’m asleep at that point. I’ve only been awakened once with See
ACCESS page 7
Working miracles in Abilene
n In collaboration with the Broom Colloquium last Friday, 33 African artifacts were loaned to the Brown Library for a display from Wendell and Betty Broom. By ANDREA LUCADO Student Reporter
Holding the streak
The men’s baseball team held on to its winning streak at home this weekend when it dominated Southeastern Oklahoma State, page 8
Winning a title
The Flyboys won the Men’s Champ League intramural basketball championship Tuesday against the Fresh team, page 8
ONLINE Picking sides
Sophomore students have begun the search for offcampus housing and now have a choice between University Park Apartments and the Grove, view students’ reactions online at www.acuoptimist.com
SPECIAL ISSUES Taking a break
After Friday’s edition of the Optimist, another edition will not come out until March 28 because the Optimist staff will be in San Antonio at a journalism competition.
An exhibit of African artifacts in the Margaret and Herman Brown Library has been dedicated to the mission work of two ACU alums. The objects on display are from the collection of Wendell and Betty Broom, former missionaries in Africa, and was completed Friday, coinciding with the Broom Colloquium. The Brooms worked as church-planting missionaries in southeast Nigeria from 1955 until 1960. Since then, they have returned to Africa on three occasions to live for one year and have returned for short-term and long-term mission trips. “They’ve had a long run of collecting,” said Beth Purcell, collections manager at ACU. She said she visited the Broom’s house a couple of weeks ago to look through this collection and chose 50 as possible candidates, narrowing it down to 33 items now on public display. The items range from a “Talking Drum” made of skin and wood from Ghana to a “Two Faced God” mask to a Nigerian bamboo yard See
DISPLAY page 7
ADRIAN CRUZ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Members of the cast from ‘The Miracle Worker’ perform a scene from this weekend’s performance of the play. The play was directed by senior Ryan Massie, theatre major from San Antonio, and ran during Sing Song weekend and this past weekend.
Faculty focus on boundaries in forum n The Counseling Center sponsored a Chapel forum Tuesday night for students to ask faculty and mentors advice on making healthy choices. By VALERIE VALLE Student Reporter
As a part of Making Choices Week, sponsored by the Counseling Center and the Peer Health Education, a Chapel forum took place in Cullen Auditorium on Tuesday in efforts to promote
a healthy and safe spring break for students. The Chapel forum gave students the chance to ask questions to faculty and peers about making wise choices when faced with peer pressure. Students had the opportunity to pose questions to the panelists or write their questions anonymously on note cards. To go along with this year’s theme of Making Choices Week, “Know Boundaries,” questions were focused more
particularly on the issues of alcohol use and sex. “Focusing on the issue of boundaries before spring break is a way to remind ourselves to make godly decisions during spring break,” said Cara Flanders, therapist for the Counseling Center and coordinator for Peer Health Educators. Jeff Arrington, associate dean of Campus Life, facilitated the panel, which included Dr. Richard Beck, associate professor of psy-
chology; Dr. Stephen Johnson, assistant professor of Bible, missions and ministry; Steven Moore, assistant professor of English; Jared Mosley, director of athletics and compliance coordinator; Dr. Traci Shilcutt, assistant professor of history; Marie Thomas, Judicial Affairs officer; and Cari Bonneau. There were also additional panelists from the student body. Students, who attended See
FORUM page 7
Class project begins fair trade brew on campus n What began as a class project to have Fair Trade coffee sold on campus became a campus-wide decision after meeting with the director of retail and purchasing. By KELSI PEACE Features Editor
Tucked away on the bottom floor of the Hardin Administration Building, just underneath the stairs, a small room bids students to come inside for a cup of social justice. A new sign, typed, recently replaced the handwritten sign that once read: “Suggested donation: 25 cents (to cover part of the cost of the coffee)” and every day students walk in and ask, “Is this the coffee place?”
Department of Journalism and Mass Communication
While this humble room is where Fair Trade coffee was first introduced to some, today it is merely one venue that offers Fair Trade coffee on campus. In fall 2006, Fair Trade coffee spread across campus when the Social Work Practice II class, taught by Dr. Paul Ammons, director of the School of Social Work, decided to lobby for Fair Trade coffee across campus as part of the final project. With support from Emily Hardegree, administrative assistant in the Office of Social Work, the class approached the director of retail and purchasing, Anthony Williams, with their plan. Williams stole their thunder, opting to use Fair Trade
coffee in all venues on campus before the students could begin lobbying. Instead, the students transformed their project into a campaign to educate the student body that continued into the spring semester, when members of the class presented the Fair Trade label in Chapel. As of spring 2007, all venues on campus offer Fair Trade, and Williams said feedback has been nothing but positive after the first four weeks of classes. However, he said, the evaluation period is not over. “We made a pretty radical shift,” Williams said. The shift was no small ordeal — dining services’ See
COFFEE page 5
Fair Trade v. Conventional Coffee, 2004 Conventional: $0.60
Middleman $0.15 Farmer $0.28 Exporter $0.17
Fair Trade: $1.26
Co-op $0.26 Farmer $1.00
Courtesy of www.usft.org and TransFair USA These charts show where money from a coffee purchase goes depending on whether the coffee is Fair Trade coffee or a conventional brand sold in most grocery stores and coffeehouses across the country.
Abilene Christian University
Serving the ACU community since 1912
Chapel Checkup Credited Chapels to date: Credited Chapels remaining:
Wednesday, March 29, 2006 Wednesday, March 7, 2007
ACU Police Tip of the Week Make safe and healthy choices during the week of spring break.
Police Log Edited for space
Monday 02/26/2007 9:35 a.m. Medical emergency at Hardin Administration Building. Ambulance transported to Hendrick Hospital. 2:31 p.m. Report of juveniles playing inside Gibson Health and P.E. Center, contacted five subjects, removed from premises. 3:15 p.m. Parking violation at main campus 4:30 p.m. Unlocked vehicle at Gardner Lot 6:05 p.m. Unlocked vehicle at WPAC Lot 8:06 p.m. Assisted vehicle with flat tire at Edwards Lot 6:10 p.m. Report of juveniles climbing on Jacob’s Dream, contacted and advised to stop 9:07 p.m. Assisted motorist with contacting wrecker at University Park Lot Tuesday 02/27/2007 8:06 a.m. Vehicle alarm sounding at Bible Lot, unable to contact owner 9:10 p.m. Jumpstart vehicle at Business Lot 9:55 p.m. Contacted vehicle driving reckless in University Church Lot, gave verbal warning Wednesday 02/28/2007 4:10 p.m. Assisted motorist in Bible Lot 4:33 p.m. Report of suspicious male on Mabee Hall roof. Checked OK, roofing worker 5:10 p.m. Unlocked vehicle at Avenue F and EN 16th 5:50 p.m. Subject shooting dove with air rifle at Barret Hall. Advised. 9:15 p.m. Hit and run accident at Gardner Hall 9:55 p.m. Contacted vehicle driving reckless in University Church Lot, gave verbal warning
Thursday 03/01/2007 7:50 a.m. Parking violations at West Campus North Lot 8:21 a.m. Parking violations at University Church Lot 9 a.m. Parking violations at ACU Drive South Lot 9:13 a.m. Parking violations at Bible Lot 12:05 p.m. Theft and disturbance at Pizza Hut between student and employee 11:45 p.m. Report of dog barking at Ave D and College, unable to locate 11:47 p.m. Attempt to locate vehicle involved in burglaries around campus Friday 03/02/2007 7:48 a.m. Parking violation on Library Court 11:08 a.m. Jumpstart vehicle at Teague Lot 10:46 p.m. Report of suspicious subject between Sikes Hall and Gardner Hall, contacted all okay Saturday 03/03/2007 1:35 a.m. Noise violation at 600 EN 23rd, did break up the party 2:55 p.m. Unlocked vehicle at Barret Lot 6:05 p.m. Unlocked vehicle at University Park Lot Sunday 03/04/2007 12:25 a.m. Report of loud party at College and Ave D, checked area no violation 3:51 p.m. Burglar alarm at Maintenance, checked area all okay 1:09 p.m. Unlocked vehicle at Barret Lot 4:05 p.m. Unlocked vehicle at 1600 Morrow 7:16 p.m. Burglar alarm at Brown Library, alarm will not reset 9:22 p.m. Unlocked vehicle at Smith/Adams Lot
Volunteer Opportunities
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About This Page
Big A Club of City Light Community Ministries has an urgent need for volunteers to ride buses and vans with elementaryage children and to help with Bible studies. This takes place on Wednesdays from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Contact the Volunteer Service-Learning Center in the Bean Sprout for more information. Meals on Wheels needs volunteers to deliver meals to seniors and adults with disabilities. This usually takes about an hour, and students can have one day of Chapel per week excused for this service. Contact the Volunteer Service-Learning Center in the Bean Sprout for more information. Girl Scout Troop #1550 needs young women who want to make a difference in young girls’ lives through Girl Scouting. The girls are from underprivileged homes, and they need positive Christian influences in their lives. Volunteers will help conduct meetings, including arts and crafts. Help is needed
every Thursday from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. until May. For more information, contact Diltzie Andrews at (325) 673-6379. Big Brothers, Big Sisters is looking for young women willing to volunteer time and energy mentoring in a program called Y-teens. Through activities and service projects, this program will empower young girls with knowledge about life skills and will build self-confidence while creating an atmosphere for learning and emotional growth. Help is needed every Thursday from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Franklin Middle School and Lincoln Middle School. For more information, contact Erin McMullen or MC Jennings at (325) 677-7839. Day Nursery of Abilene needs help setting up for their annual Mexican dinner, prepare and serve food and clean up. The dinner will be held on March 24 at the Abilene High School cafeteria. Help is requested from noon to 10 p.m. For more information, contact Pat Peck at (325) 670-0002.
The Abilene March ArtWalk will be Thursday from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in downtown Abilene. This event, sponsored by Ballet Abilene, will feature free art activities, live music, dance performances and demonstrations, drama performances and more. For a schedule of events or more information, contact the Center for Contemporary Arts at (325) 677-1171. The Women for Abilene Christian University are accepting scholarship applications through March
23. The scholarship is for $1,000 a semester for the 2007-08 school year. For a copy of the application or more information, e-mail Samantha Adkins at samantha.adkins@alumni.acu.edu. 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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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.
Announcements
Calendar & Events
Wednesday
11:30 a.m. Informational booths focusing on making good choices will be stationed in the McGlothlin Campus Center until 1 p.m.
Thursday
11:30 a.m. Abilene National Merit Finalists will sign “Letters of Intent” in the Hilton Room to demonstrate their commitment to attend ACU. 5 p.m. The Abilene March ArtWalk will be in downtown Abilene until 8:30 p.m. This event will feature free art activities, live music, dance performances and demonstrations, drama performances and more.
Friday
5 p.m. and 7 p.m. The softball team plays Texas A&M Kingsville at Wells Field.
Saturday
12 p.m. and 2 p.m. The softball team plays Texas A&M Kingsville at Wells Field.
CAMPUS NEWS
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Students form all-girl band n Silhouette, an all-girl singing group composed of five students, will make their musical debut in April at the SHADES Show. By ERIN JORDAN Student Reporter
Five ACU students have formed an all-girl singing group called Silhouette; they identify their genre of music as “life music” because it’s about their lives. They recently recorded their first single and are currently negotiating a record deal. Silhouette is composed of SHADES members Vanity Thomas, sophomore marketing major from Conroe; Franchesca Collins, sophomore psychology major from Dallas; Danielle Spence-Morrow, class of 2006; Nichelle Wall graduate student from Abilene; and Rebecca Schumacher, sophomore interior design major from Abilene. The group began three
months ago when Schumacher suggested it to Wall. “Nichelle and I were driving back from an ACU football game, and we were listening to Danity Cane or something really cheesy and I was like, ‘Hey we should make a girl group,’ kind of saying it jokingly and Nichelle ran with it,” Schumacher said. Silhouette members have plans of being a big success. “We hope to make it to the charts. We’re currently in contact with a major producer; hopefully we’ll get signed to his record label,” Wall said. “We have a lot coming up right now; we’re just trying to keep it under wraps and not let all the information out of the bag, but we have a lot going on,” Wall said. They plan to have their first performance in April at the SHADES show. “We’ve sang for a few people like friends and family, but we plan to make our
debut at the SHADES show,” Collins said. The group based its name on its religions beliefs. “We are Christians. We want to follow in God’s image,” Wall said. “A Christian group already has the name Image, and so we decided to call ourselves Silhouette.” They said they don’t want to be defined as a gospel or R&B group, but as a group that performs “life music.” “‘Life music’ is pretty much what we’re going through at that time — a testimony about what God has done for us,” Wall said. “We don’t want to categorize ourselves as anything. We just want to sing what we’re going through.” To find out more information about the group or to hear its first single “Open Book” you can visit its Web site at www. myspace.com/silhouetteworld. E-mail Jordan at: optimist@acu.edu
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Virtually wasted
Emily Smith CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
Students wait in line to see what it feels like to be intoxicated behind the wheel Monday. Located near GATA Fountain, “Wasted behind the wheel” used a virtual simulator to show what driving intoxicated feels like.
JMC students to attend NBS Convention in Chicago
n Students will attend the 65th annual NBS Convention in Chicago where they can learn and receive advice from broadcasting professionals. By KARIE SCHMIDT Student Reporter
Thirteen ACU students, two ACU alumni and two sponsors will fly to Chicago for the 65th annual National Broadcasting Society Convention on March 27. There are around 85 universities involved with the National Broadcasting Society, including the University of Florida, West Texas A&M, Stephen F. Austin and University of Nebraska. Daley Anderson, junior electronic media major from
Cross Plains, who plans to attend the convention, said, “I’ve never been to any NBS convention at all, so I’m not really sure what to expect. I’m just ready to go with my eyes and ears open, and hopefully I’ll come home with some new ideas and some fresh motivation.” Those attending the convention get the opportunity to network, listen to media professionals’ advice, compete in competitions and receive a chance to tour Chicago’s media facilities. At the convention, NBS students will get a chance to meet professionals of the radio, broadcasting and electronic media industries. Participants are allowed to
bring business cards and resumes to begin networking and contacting professionals to get their name available to help them find a job or internship. “I decided to go to Chicago because I feel the trip offers me a great opportunity for networking that I otherwise would not have,” Anderson said. Chris Tarrant, class of 2006, has been to past conventions and plans to attend the convention in Chicago. “I entered things into a competition and the man who judged this [was who] I was applying for,” Tarrant said. “He was familiar with my name and my work all because of NBS.”
During the convention, there will be radio, broadcast and electronic media professionals speaking in sessions at the convention. Each year, the convention has a keynote speaker. This year’s speaker will be Robert A. Iger, president and chief executive officer of the Walt Disney Company. NBS executives are working to obtain tickets to another one of Chicago’s nationally known celebrity TV events, “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” However, because of the rarity of these tickets, final plans have not yet been made. Another aspect of the NBS convention that is not to be overlooked is the competi-
tions. Over the last year, NBS students have been working to prepare to enter their work in the national competition. There are several categories to enter, and five ACU students have made it to the finals for the competition. While at the convention there is a 24-hour competition, “Avid On the Spot,” where a group of students receive a topic and have 24 hours to shoot and edit a package to present to the NBS executives. The NBS executives vote and give an award to the video with the best over-all appearance. John Kincaid, junior communication major from Abilene, was in a group that competed and won the
“Avid On the Spot” competition last year at the national convention. “In the electronic media industry, being able to work as a team is vital,” Kincaid said. “As one out of a large number of people pursuing this profession, the ‘Avid On the Spot’ competition has given me one piece of an edge that employers are looking for.” According to the official NBS Web site, the National Broadcasting Society goes beyond the classroom to prepare college students and earlylevel professionals for careers in the electronic media.
E-mail the Schmidt at: optimist@acu.edu
CAMPUS NEWS
Page 4
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Student volunteers help San Antonio community n Thirteen students participated in a weekend campaign in San Antonio last weekend. The group helped with landscaping and spent the rest of the time with their host families. By KACI FLORES Student Reporter
Not afraid of getting their hands dirty, the San Antonio Weekend Campaigners helped the Christian Hope Research Center last weekend by laying grass, spreading mulch and other various types of landscaping. The 13 students involved
in the campaign arrived in San Antonio on Friday night and had a quick devotional before heading to the host houses they would be staying in for the weekend. They started working Saturday morning at the CHRC facility and were finished by mid-afternoon. Most of the landscaping work done by the campaigners involved using their bare hands and gardening tools. Mike Miles, sophomore youth and family ministry major from Ann Ar-
bor, Mich., is a co-leader of Weekend Campaigns. “Since it is in San Antonio, we thought it would be fun to go to the River Walk, but logistically, trying to keep 13 people together probably would not work,” Miles said. Instead, the group decided to go to the Riverside Mall and spend time with their host families. The campaigners went to church on Sunday with their host families then drove back to Abilene. This campaign was the first time Weekend Campaigns
worked with a community resource and type center. Amanda Taylor, sophomore Christian ministry major from Arlington and coleader, said all campaigns are different from each other. “One of the great things about campaigns is every campaign has its own personality and is an adventure of its own,” Taylor said. Weekend Campaigns is not limited to landscaping only. Miles said the campaigns do a variety of things from children’s ministry to
visiting cancer patients. The number of volunteers also varies each campaign. Miles said there are usually around a dozen campaigners, but it just depends on the campaign. Although most are regulars, many volunteers, who have never been on a campaign, sign up. “Even if we are going back to a place we have been before, it is always a new group of people,” Taylor said. There are usually three to five campaigns each semester. The previous campaigns
this semester were in Lubbock and Odessa. The next campaign will be assisting with the H.E. Butt Foundation Camp in Kerrville from March 30 to April 1. If interested in joining a weekend campaign, sign-up sheets are available in the ticket window the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday prior to a campaign. Anyone interested is also invited to attend Weekend Campaigns Chapel on Thursday in the Bean Sprout. E-mail Flores at: optimist@acu.edu
Chess Club seeks to regenerate more student interest n The Chess Club is trying to gather more students for its weekly activity in the Bean Sprout. The club welcomes anyone, even students who don’t know how to play. By LAURA SMITH Student Reporter
At one point, the Chess Club had a lot of lar members, but lately is little involvement. In the club’s thriving
ACU reguthere days,
it had leaders that carried it through and developed interest. However, graduation took those leaders away, causing a breakdown in commitment for the club. Now, David Hewell, senior accounting major from Houston and president of the club, is attempting to regenerate interest. The Chess Club meets every Monday at 5:10 p.m. in the
Bean Sprout. With portable chess sets spread across the tables, the members sit and play as they wait for their orders to be called out from the grill. “I enjoy chess. It’s a fun game. No one’s amazing here, so we just play for fun,” Hewell said. Anyone can show up to play. In fact, Hewell said they’ve had people show up
who didn’t know what the pieces were or how to play. “Those who know how to play will help those who don’t. The human contact is what is pleasing about it,” Hewell said. “I like to play in person. One-on-one [is] better than online because [in] one-on-one you can have conversations and interaction,” Hewell said. Although he has not been
involved in the Chess Club for a semester, Matt Stevens, sophomore political science major from Livonia, Mich., remembers the satisfaction he got from the Chess Club. “It was really fun and enjoyable. There were all kinds of different people, a competitive spirit, and you can sit down with friends and learn about chess in general,” Stevens said.
Currently the Chess Club has no tournaments scheduled around campus, but once more people begin to regularly come to meetings, it will be able to get something started up. For now, they will continue to meet on Mondays in the Bean Sprout.
E-mail the Smith at: optimist@acu.edu
Students attend speech convention n Several speech pathology and audiologist majors will attend an annual speech convention in Houston. The convention will offer five advanced program courses. By HILLARY CRAWFORD Student Reporter
The 51st Annual Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Association Convention and Exhibition, “Taking Communication to New Heights,” will take place this year at the Hilton Americas and George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston on March 29-31, where several speech pathology and audiologist’s majors will attend to gain further knowledge in speech, language and hearing. The TSHA is known for providing advanced programming for the majors listed above. The convention offers five advanced program courses: language and learning disabilities, medical speech pathology, professional concerns, audiology hearing impaired,
and augmentative and multi-handicapped issues. The convention is taking place at the Hilton Americas and George R. Brown Convention Center because of a growing number of attendees, exhibits and presentations. In the past, when space was not a pressing issue, the convention was at the Westin Hotel in the Houston Galleria. Amy Tonick, senior speech pathology major from Rockwall, said, “I am very excited to attend the convention this year. One reason I am looking forward to going is because I like the Houston area, and it will seem like a bit of a vacation for me — only I will be learning more about something I am very passionate about. … There are several of my friends who are my same major attending as well, and we are all looking forward to staying busy over the weekend — trying to get to as many of
the sessions we can so we really feel like we get the most out of our trip.” The most prominent speaker over the weekend will be Monty Roberts, known as “The Man Who Listens to Horses.” Roberts became well known for his techniques of communicating to horses by using body language and something he calls “Join-Up.” His technique is building trust with the horses, which then creates a path to communicate. His speech will take place the first day of the convention on March 29. Dee Kirby, assistant professor of communication sciences and disorders, is attending the convention. “I want the students to see the importance of being involved in their professional organization,” Kirby said.
E-mail Crawford at: optimist@acu.edu
brian schmidt SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
Susan Clark, associate professor of social work, and Sharon Newman vote for their favorite Sing Song acts following the Friday night performance.
Sing Song online voting succeeds n A new online voting system, introduced to this year’s Sing Song for the first time, received a good turnout and will be used next year. By CAMILLE VANDENDRIESSCHE Student Reporter
Online voting showed efficiency as it was used this year for the first time in Sing Song history. 1,150 persons voted online on Feb. 16 - 17, and only a few votes were received after the time limit, said Tom Craig, managing director of Sing Song 2007.
“The turnout was good,” he said. “Everyone had a good grasp of how to use the system. It was a smooth process.” Craig said online voting will be used for next editions of the show. The possibility of voting online was offered to all attendants of Friday evening and Saturday afternoon’s sessions. All spectators were given a password to log in on any computer and vote for their favorite act. Susan Clark, professor of social work, voted online
on one of the eight computers donated by Apple that were set up in Moody Coliseum. She said it went fine and easy. The voting system was supervised by Carmen Foster and James Langford, who redesigned the system already used to elect Homecoming queens. “People were excited about the system,” said Craig. “I hope it will become more popular every year”.
E-mail Vandendriessche at: optimist@acu.edu
CAMPUS NEWS / FROM THE FRONT
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Page 5
Gerontology Center encourages, educates caregivers n Community caregivers learned how to deal with the stress that accompanies their role at the Pruett Gerontology Center’s ‘Seasons of Caring’ seminar. By LAURA SMITH Student Reporter
The Pruett Gerontology Center is focusing on providing care and relief for individuals who are doing the same for their aging family members.
Recently, faculty members at the Gerontology Center have organized two events for this purpose. Thursday, 1,300 older adults packed the Abilene Civic Center for the “Live Long & Love It” conference to hear informative speeches on geriatric issues as well as entertainment, heart-healthy foods and workshops. “It may have been the largest gathering of older adults
in Abilene history,” said Dr. Charlie Pruett, director of Pruett Gerontology Center. With so much involvement from the older community in Abilene, it suggests a growing need for support and education. The Baby Boomer generation is quickly reaching retirement age. They are already caring for their family members, but will begin to require more atten-
tion from caregivers themselves as well, Pruett said. As a result, the Gerontology Center provided a costfree program for caregivers Monday evening. Close to 50 participants gathered at Rose Park to here speakers from the Abilene community. The program, called “Seasons of Caring,” centered on the caregivers’ heart, mind, body and soul, said Jan Brokaw, service ad-
ministrative coordinator at the Pruett Gerontology Center. The event focused on four stages of caring each characterized by a season. Summer represented the beginning, autumn represented being in the midst of caring, winter featured issues with deciding on institutional support, and spring was the quiet place for focusing on prayer and Scripture. Brokaw is hoping the
event will become annual and spread deeper into the community. “I feel like these type of events are services we can take into the churches and make it a community event. There will be a growing need for it,” said Brokaw.
E-mail Smith at: optimist@acu.edu
Coffee: Label seeks to better conditions, community Continued from page 1 annual coffee sales neared an estimated total of 4,000 pounds this year. And at a guaranteed minimum price of $1.26 per pound, that’s a pretty staggering hill of beans.
Not a passing fad
TransFair USA, a nonprofit organization, is the only organization that certifies the Fair Trade label in the United States. The organization authorizes products to bear the Fair Trade label only after determining the production and sale of the product meet strict criteria, including: n A guaranteed premium for the producer n Fair labor conditions n A democratic decisionmaking process and freedom of association for farmers n Regulated use of agrochemicals and compliance with other environmental standards n Pre-harvest lines of credit available for cooperatives The label also brings better health care, education and economics for small farmers. Fair Trade’s formula for offering “fair” wages and social benefits to the community, but only slightly raising the cost of the coffee, is a simple one: remove the middleman. Normally, after production costs and cuts from the wholesaler are taken from profit, small-scale farmers often are left with 24 percent of the retail price. “It’s kind of like living in the old South with slavery,” said Dr. Monty Lynn, professor of management. “We are buying [small farmers’] products at prices that are substantially less than ours because that system allows that to happen. And so it’s kind of like living in the old South with slavery — it’s just that our slaves live in
another country.” Lynn said he thinks cries from i mpov eri shed people in developing countries are being heard across the nation, and increasing concern with social justice on campuses and in businesses seem to support his theory. In 2004, United Students for Fair Trade formed to educate students and bring Fair Trade to college campuses. Today, TransFair USA estimates more than 400 colleges and universities in the U.S. serve Fair Trade coffee, including Harvard, Georgetown, University of Texas and University of California at Los Angeles. Jean Walsh in the TransFair USA outreach office was surprised to learn ACU offers the brand. “I’m always happy when I hear about Fair Trade reaching communities in traditionally red states,” Walsh said in e-mail. “[It] just proves that Fair Trade is a model everyone can embrace.” Universities aren’t the only institutions embracing Fair Trade. Big retail names like Starbucks and Peet’s Coffee have been offering Fair Trade coffee since 2000, and more businesses offer the brand as consumer interest increases. Lynn said he applauds widespread use of Fair Trade, but cautions that the socially conscious run the risk of growing legalistic, and the unaware may turn it into a trend. “It’s not a question of
judging people on whether they’re drinking Fair Trade or wearing non-sweatshop clothing,” Lynn said.
Battling self-interest In April 2006, the 100-millionth pound of Fair Trade coffee was purchased in the U.S., hitting the $1 billion total sale mark and providing coffee farmers with an estimated $75 million total, according to the TransFair Web site. Lynn made the statistics more personal and explained what a coffee addict’s daily cup of coffee accomplishes. “It takes environmental protection, it takes fair wages, it takes gender equity, it takes protection against child labor into those countries where either those laws don’t exist or aren’t enforced. It makes a dramatic change in the work and lifestyle of individual farmers and producers. It’s not
small, and it’s certainly not meaningless. It’s sort of an integrity of consumption,” Lynn said. And it’s the “integrity of consumption” that inspires consumers to pay the extra 5 or 10 cents per cup for Fair Trade coffee, said Dr. Ian Sheppard, assistant professor of management sciences. Generally, Sheppard said, pricing is based on self-interest, with the dollar representing the consumer’s “vote.” “We vote for what we enjoy,” Sheppard said. “And typically, we want to maximize our joy. To maximize our joy, we’ve got to have lots more of those dollars.” In the name of self-interest, consumers seek the lowest price — except when the higher price may buy good social decisions, Sheppard said, noting a trend among corporations to make good social decisions. But it may only work well for so long. The burden on a company like Fair Trade is to stay fair and honest and to continuously remind the public why the extra few
cents are worth the cost, Sheppard said. At ACU, consumers don’t have to pay the extra price. Instead of raising the cost per cup by the planned 5-10 cents, Williams said dining services absorbed the price increase, leaving consumers’ pocketbooks unaffected. Prices may be adjusted later, however. Fair Trade has also moved to the purchasing warehouses, where departments on campus buy its coffee, which satisfies another goal Hardegree set for Fair Trade on campus. According to Hardegree, the battle for social justice doesn’t end with getting the coffee on campus. The next step may be promoting the label in Abilene, where Hardegree said the brand is difficult to find. “I think ACU has a very prominent voice in our community,” Hardegree said. “If ACU pushed it … I think that would have a big impact.” She ought to know — after all, she watched Fair Trade coffee grow from her small office and a few sparse locations to all ven-
ues on campus. Who knows where that handwritten sign will pop up next.
OTHER products from fair trade The Fair Trade Label Organization certifies many other products. According to www.fairtrade.org, products include: n Bananas n Chocolate n Cocoa n Cotton n Dried fruit n Fresh fruit and vegetables n Honey n Juices n Nuts, oil seeds and purees n Quinoa n Rice n Spices n Sugar n Tea n Wine
E-mail Peace at: knp04a@acu.edu
ViewsWednesday Optimist
Page 6
March 7, 2007
Be part of the change to end slavery
The issue:
With the abolition of the Atlantic Slave Trade in the early 19th century, the slavery issue would appear to be one the Western world has successfully kicked. And though the U.S. is still dealing with the effects of its inhumane treatment toward a multitude of foreign individuals, fears and thoughts of slavery would seem to pose little threat to the great majority of people living in our free, capitalistic society. On one hand, the West has great reason to rejoice as February marked the 200th anniversary of the Atlantic slave trade’s abolition, and yet several sources including the U.N., The New York Times and Amnesty International estimate there are at least 27 million slaves in the world today — a number
February marked the 200th anniversary of the slave trade’s abolition, but slavery remains an issue today.
Our view:
Any frustration or sense of injustice we may feel in response to the problem of slavery must be combatted with action.
The solution:
Sign “The Petition to End Modern Day Slavery”, give spare money to “Loose Change to Loosen Chains” or meet with other people who care about this issue to end slavery in the world.
representMartin Luther King Jr. said injustice anywhere is the situaing a larger tion. Just a threat to justice everywhere. So what are we amount as leaders doing to promote the sanctity of mankind of people in the abothan the litionist through global freedom? one durmovement ing the 200 years time when the abolitionist physically from loose hu- ago made huge strides movement took place. man rights laws. in eliminating slavery, Slavery still exists toBeing aware of the we are capable of taking day. Whether it is in the world’s slavery problem is part in the movement to form of bonded or forced only helpful if it leads to rid the globe of modernlabor, sex slavery or traf- social reforms. Martin Lu- day slavery. ficking, how aware are we ther King Jr. said injustice Become an abolitionist that slavery continues to anywhere is a threat to jus- by signing “The Petition take place on a global, na- tice everywhere. So what to End Modern Day Slavtional and local level? are we doing to promote ery,” which is accessible at There are 17,500 for- the sanctity of mankind www.theamazingchange. eign individuals traf- through global freedom? com. One person cannot ficked into the U.S. each Last Thursday ACU change such a far-reachyear, and 50 percent of invited an anti-slavery ing problem, but with the these individuals are group, the Great Change, unity and action of likechildren. Non-profit or- to speak at a campus- minded people, the hope ganizations fighting this wide forum. Here the of change is achievable. atrocity report stories advocacy group not only Instead of spending of Americans, some of informed students about your extra cash to indulge whom are convicted pe- how slavery is affecting your stomach in yet andophiles, traveling to for- millions of people across other Chik-fil-A chicken eign countries in hopes of the nations but empow- sandwich, give your spare profiting monetarily and ered students to change change to the Internation-
Cole Williams
Let Loose
Become an abolitionist today Slavery is no longer a After attending the International Justice Mission problem. Chapel forum on Thursday my eyes have seen the The time of slavery was glory, and I realize slavery is still a thorn in the the time of a bearded, topside of this world, perhaps more than ever. hat wearing president and the “Battle ing awareness about mod- writing sports stories and Hymn of the ern slavery, there are more taking Fundamentals of Republic.” than 27 million slaves in Communication? At least the world today. I was worrying about that’s what That are more slaves frivolous things in Abilene I used to than were transported in while 27 million people Stereotype think. the history of the trans- suffer daily and are treatFree After at- atlantic slave trade, more ed like pieces of property tending the people than the population in countries all over the Daniel I n t e r n a - of Abilene multiplied by world. I felt like there was Johnson tional Jus- 270 and almost 10 percent little I could do personally tice Mission of the population of the to help. Chapel forum on Thursday United States. It was true; there was my eyes have seen the gloWith a gaping mouth and little I could do myself, but ry, and I realize slavery is look of disbelief, I absorbed there was something I could still a thorn in the side of those facts and reacted with do if I united with others this world, perhaps more feelings of disgust, outrage who were devoted to freethan ever. And I need to do and confusion. But most of ing these slaves. And that’s something about it. all, I felt ashamed. what I did. According to www. How could I not be aware I went to the Amazamazingchange.com, a of this problem? And why ing Change Web site, Web site devoted to rais- have I been wasting my life searched online news
E-mail Johnson at: djj04a@acu.edu, optimist@acu.edu
India
China
Jeremy Ship
Kaylynn Nossaman
In Your Words Where in the world do you think has the most amount of slaves?
sites and became informed on the issue. But most importantly, I exercised my First Amendment right and signed my name on a petition next to thousands of other people who want to do something about slavery, who want to see slavery be history throughout the world. Don’t be ignorant; be aware that slavery is still a world issue that we need to do something about. If we are truly a Christian university wouldn’t the idea of slavery be in conflict with the ideals and morals we claim to live by? Become a modern day abolitionist. Get informed, sign the petition, join the campaign and help free the slaves.
junior criminal justice major from Colleyville
graduate student in the Department of Biblical Studies from Olathe, Kans.
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
U.S. plays a role in global slavery Modern-day slavery al- thought was a decent job ways seemed distant to — and instead turned me — somewhere, across out to be a humiliatan ocean and in a world ing captivity in the sex wholly dif- trafficking market. Acferent from cording to the Gate, San my own, I Francisco is one of the knew peo- largest commercial cenple were ters of the $8 billion sex living hor- trafficking industry, and rific lives most traffickers stop in as someone California, New York, else’s prop- Las Vegas and Texas. Thoughtful erty. But At www.iabolish.org, Ramblings when the reports of human traffickspeaker at ing in the United States are Kelsi Peace IJM’s Cha- disheartening. According pel forum to the Web site, the CIA eslast Thursday dangled timates 14,500 to 17,500 shackles that are in use to- victims are trafficked in the day, slavery seemed a little U.S. per year — and 22 of more concrete. the 50 states have reports When did I become of slavery on the site. complacent and arrogant In summer 2000, the enough to think today’s site reported seven Housworld is so enlightened ton residents were charged and advanced we are far with smuggling women beyond chaining our own from Thailand and China and selling them for hard for prostitution. In Mission, labor or sex? Maybe we a couple brought two unhaven’t addocumented vanced as women into much as we the country No, I do not own like to apunder the slaves. But neither plaud ourguise of good selves for am I aware enough employment. as we learn Once the to decry what is about slavery women arhappening to the in the 1800s rived, they 27 million people and scorn were used plantation as slaves in enslaved today. owners for the couple’s their cruelty. day care and No, I do home and not own slaves. But neither reported working without am I aware enough to decry pay and enduring harasswhat is happening to the ment and threats. The 27 million people enslaved couple was charged with today. human trafficking. The most embarrassAnd apparently some ing thing, I think, was that have taken to enslavjust when I began reading ing U.S. citizens as well. stories of modern-day slav- WORLD magazine reery in India and Cambo- ported in its latest issue dia, I stumbled across the that a Florida man was top three destinations for sentenced for enslaving sex trafficking in the San homeless men for his laFrancisco Gate: the United bor camps, which were States, Japan and Australia. part of a cocaine ring. While I look at other counAll the accounts of tries and think, “I should slavery I read saddened do something to help their me, but what I found enslaved,” my country is even more heart wrenchamong the worst. ing was my surprise. I In October 2006, the think it’s time America Gate ran a shocking four- removed the plank from part series about sex her own eye. trafficking, focusing on a Korean college student who, at age 22, came to E-mail Peace at: knp04a@acu.edu, optimist@acu.edu America for what she
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
al Justice Missions’ based “Loose Change to Loosen Chains” campaign. Simply investing a small amount of cash to this organization can help emancipate modern-day slaves. Lastly, allow your heart to be stirred for people living under such oppressive conditions by regularly discussing slavery issues in small groups. Being informed is the first step in advancing the abolition cause. Celebrating the slave trade abolition anniversary and letting our response end at that would be naivety on our part. With the knowledge and resources you have to aid this world wide problem, join the Great Change to end slavery once and for all.
Editorial and Management Board Mallory Schlabach
Published by the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication Newsroom: (325) 674-2439
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Online: www.acuoptimist.com
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Page 7
FROM THE FRONT PAGE/SPORTS JUMPS
Sweep: Maj pitches Pioneers: Kingsville for win and save Continued from page 8
brian schmidt SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
George Carstens lunges for a ball during ACU’s matches this weekend. Carstens and the rest of the Wildcats combined to win both of their weekend match ups against Tyler Junior College and New Mexico Military Institute.
Tennis: Teams win weekend Continued from page 8 The ACU women cruised over Tyler Junior College 90 and conference rival, Tarleton State, 8-1 on Saturday. The Wildcats, ranked No. 5 nationally, are now 9-2 on the season. “Tennis is just a scary sport for a coach,” said head coach Hutton Jones. “Sometimes when you’re better, there’s too many variables. It’s nice when you go out and don’t allow that other team to hang around and get lucky.” Before cruising over New Mexico Military, the Wildcat men jumped out to a quick start on Tyler Junior College by taking all three doubles matches, but Tyler Junior bounced back by stealing the first four singles matches, two of which were decided
by a third set. “I think we did really well in doubles,” said sophomore Ryan Hudson. “But we have some room to improve in singles.” With the Wildcats down 34, Hudson evened the match with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Dustin Phillips, and Hawk clinched the 5-4 comeback win for the Wildcats with a 63, 4-6, 6-3 victory over Carlos Bataller. “This is our third match where it’s come down to the last match,” Jones said. “We’re 3-0. It doesn’t mean that it’s always going to happen, but I like to get used to thinking we can get it done. To get it done is good.” The ACU women swept their competition Saturday with wins over Tyler Junior, the No. 4 junior college in the
nation, and Tarleton State, the No. 35 team in the nation. Including both matches, ACU took 10 of the 12 singles matches in straight sets. “They stepped up and took care of business,” Jones said. “It could’ve been a much closer match, but we didn’t allow it, which was good. If you can beat someone badly, beat them badly.” The Wildcats’ 8-1 victory over Tarleton State marked ACU’s sixth-straight win. Both Wildcat teams will be back in action Saturday when they play Schreiner at 9 a.m. in New Braunfels. Then at 2 p.m. in San Antonio, ACU will play Incarnate Word, and then go up against St. Edward’s on Sunday in Austin.
E-mail Freeman at: mxf04b@acu.edu
Flyboys: Justice league wins Continued from page 8 the Flyboys victory was guard Landon Sheets, premed major from Muleshoe, finishing the game with 12 points. On other end Lewis finished the game with a
team-high of nine points teams, but it was not enough to pass the Flyboys players. In the men’s rec league, the Deuce Droppers won after defeating James Thompson 50-43. On the girls side, the Justice League won the
women’s champ league and Jasiri won the women’s rec title after winning the championship games Thursday.
E-mail Matai at: optimist@acu.edu
Display: Brooms lend artifacts Continued from page 1 broom. Purcell, who has a master’s degree in museum science, said she probably spent about 30 hours piecing together the Broom exhibit. She said she chose pieces and arranged them based on color, texture and country from which each piece came. She said she wanted the exhibit to tell their story, and among the artifacts are plaques with text describing about each piece and a few telling parts of the Broom’s experience in Africa. The Brooms were told about the exhibit around six weeks ago and saw it all put together for the fist time Friday.
“We feel…” Wendell Broom said. “Very honored,” Betty Broom said, finishing her husband’s sentence. Both attended ACU in the 1940s and then returned in 1970 when Wendell Broom joined the Bible faculty. He taught until 1992 and has an office on campus where he continues to do the statistical research he began in 1950 about church growth in Nigeria. The Brooms said their favorite piece in the exhibit is “The Slave,” a statue hand carved from ebony that they purchased in 1956 in Nigeria and have yet to find a replica. “It’s our most prized of the whole bunch,” Wendell said. They said they hope for all students to see the exhibit
and for it be up for September Lectureship attendees to see as well. Betty said Africa is renowned for its political unrest, and people are rarely given the chance to know the Africa she and her husband have come to love. “We’d like for them to see the beauty that is there, too,” Betty said. Purcell said she does not know how long the display will be up but guesses anywhere from three to four months. Because this is a short-term exhibit and the artifacts are on loan by the Brooms, she said students who want to see it should come soon.
E-mail Lucado at: optimist@acu.edu
but ACU battled back in the bottom of that inning to tie the game with one inning remaining. A C U closed the gap with a three-run performance in the botMaj tom of the sixth. Closer Jameson Maj, who recorded one win and one save over the weekend, took the mound and
struck out two batters and allowed no hits to give ACU a chance to win. After loading the bases, Schmitt hit the game-winning single between second and first base to bring in the game-winning run. ACU’s next series will be a four-game road series in Weatherford, Okla., against Southwestern Oklahoma State starting Friday.
E-mail Johnson at: djj04a@acu.edu
next on Wildcats’ schedule Continued from page 8
we will be tough to beat.” ACU has been toughest in the fifth and six innings, scoring 27 of its runs in those two innings. The Wildcats return to action this weekend against Texas A&M-Kingsville at home. E-mail Davis at: optimist@acu.edu
Access: Students wait out flaw Continued from page 1 in at that time. Usually they just have to wait a few minutes; then they’ll be good to go.” Wickliffe said the system works well and is easy to work around. “I don’t really have any complaints, and I can understand whoever had an issue with it,” Wickliffe said. “Maybe coming in at a better time would be the best thing
because [the reset time] is so late for a school night or a weekend night.” The university will not post the times of reset for safety reasons. Martin said he wishes they’d post the times so students can work around them. “The funny thing is, I was up just the other night until about [the same time], and I had no problems. So, maybe I just got lucky and caught it at the wrong time or some-
thing,” Martin said. “My question would be is it necessary to reset it every night?” Wickliffe said nothing is being done to fix the rebooting system because it’s not much of a problem. “The desk manager can be available to let them in, and they can just sit in the lobby and wait. It’s safe; there’s no worries,” he said.
E-mail Painter at: optimist@acu.edu
Forum: Week ends with info booths Continued from page 1 the Chapel forum that lasted from 7-8 p.m., received two Chapel credits. After the Chapel forum, Making Choices Week activities continued with Spring Fling Fiesta in the Bean Sprout with free food. The event was sponsored by Campus Activities Board and Campus Life. Activities began Monday with the DUI simulator pro-
gram. The simulator gave On the Web students the feel of what it www.acu.edu/campusoffices/counmight be like to drive while seling/events/choices.html intoxicated — giving the effects of impaired vision, bad judgment and the con- Campus Center for students sequences of drinking and to learn about alcohol and driving. sleep deprivation awareness Events concluded Monday and crime victim issues. Peer in the Campus Center. From Health Educators were also 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. stu- available to answer any quesdents had the opportunity to tions students may have. participate in Dance Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero II. Booths were set up in the E-mail Valle at: optimist@acu.edu
SportsWednesday
Page 8
ScoreBoard Standings
Flyboys claim title with last-second shot B-Ball champs
Scoreboard as of Tuesday
Div. 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
ACU TAMK-U Angelo Tarleton ENMU WTAM
Team
The intramural basketball season ended Monday after the final championship games were played. The women played their championship games Thursday.
BASEBALL
Team
Overall 15-3 12-5 13-6 11-9 10-10 4-11
Men’s champ league n Flyboys
SOFTBALL
Div. Angelo St. 4-0 TAMK-U 4-0 ACU 2-2 TX Woman’s 2-2 Tarleton 0-0 ENMU 0-4 WTAM 0-4
Men’s rec league
Overall 19-5 10-4 10-6 10-16 13-5 11-14 5-13
Scores Friday BASEBALL ACU 12, Southeastern Oklahoma State 11 ACU 15, Southeastern Oklahoma State 3
SOFTBALL ACU 1, Texas Woman’s 2 Texas Woman’s 6, ACU 1
n Deuce Droppers Women’s champ league brian schmidt SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
Willis Hogan, junior physical education major and member of the Flyboys intramural basketball team drives to the basket during the champ league championships Tuesday.
n The Justice League Women’s rec league n Jasiri
n The Flyboys won the intramural champ league basketball championship Monday night after downing the Fresh Team 46-43 on a last-second, 3-point shot. By BLESSED MATAI Sports Writer
The Flyboys won the intramural basketball champ league with a 46-43 win over the Fresh Team on Tuesday. The Flyboys led throughout the game until the final minute when the Fresh Team guard Sam Jones, freshman undeclared major from Houston, hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 43-43 with 55 seconds left on the clock. “I thought I was going to win the game, but they came down
Intramural basketball and hit the shot,” Jones said. That shot was a game-winning 3-pointer by Flyboys guard Zach Laughlin, senior business management major from Dallas. Before the shot, it appeared the Fresh team would win until a backcourt violation gave the ball back to the Flyboys with less than 10 seconds remaining in the game to set up Laughlin’s last-second shot. “It feels good to me, especial for my boy Zach who is graduating next December. It’s a good one to go out with,” said Flyboys guard Willis Hogan, junior physical education major from Sundown. The Fresh team had the ball
back and tried to take the game to overtime, but the referee called a travel on Quinton Lewis of the Fresh Team. Flyboys controlled the game with an inside-and-outside game. Willis, who dominated the inside-and-outside game for the Flyboys, recorded a game-high 18 points and five rebounds. “We should have executed better in offense and played a better defense,” said Lewis, sophomore Biblical studies major from Kansas City, Mo. “The execution was the biggest problem, and that cost us the victory on a game that we should have won easily.” The other contributor for See
FLYBOYS page 7
Sweep slides No. 8 ACU to 15-3 n The nationally ranked ACU baseball team extended its home streak to 12-0 after sweeping Southeastern Oklahoma State on Friday and Saturday. By DANIEL JOHNSON
Saturday
Sports Editor
BASEBALL ACU 9, Southeastern Oklahoma State 6 ACU 19, Southeastern Oklahoma State 5
SOFTBALL Texas Woman’s 6, ACU 1 ACU 5, Texas Woman’s 1
MEN’S TENNIS ACU 5, Tyler Junior College 4 ACU 8, New Mexico Military 1
WOMEN’S TENNIS ACU 9, Tyler Junior College 0 ACU 8, Tarleton State 1
Upcoming Friday TRACK & FIELD ACU at NCAA Division II Indoor Championships, Boston.
BASEBALL ACU at Southwestern Oklahoma State, 1 p.m. (DH)
SOFTBALL ACU vs. Texas A&M-Kingsville 5 p.m. (DH)
n Home games listed in italics
Briefs McDonald, Johnson named Players of the Week
McDonald
March 7, 2007
Johnson
n ACU pitcher Kim McDonald and designated hitter Jessica Johnson were named LSC South Hitter and Pitcher of the Week. McDonald was 2-0 after 16 innings of work, and Johnson recorded two home runs and a slugging percentage of 2.000 over the weekend against Texas Woman’s.
Intramural Round-up Upcoming n The intramural schedule and points seen on the Optimist sports page are not final and subject to change. Any lastminute changes can be viewed on the intramural bulletin board in Moody Coliseum. INTRAMURAL VOLLEYBALL Intramural volleyball schedule will be posted on the intramural bulletin board in Moody Coliseum after spring break.
Head baseball coach Britt Bonneau knew Southeastern Oklahoma State, a former Division II College World Series champion, would be a challenge for the Wildcats this weekend. What he didn’t know is how well his team would step up to that challenge. “That team is always a tough team,” Bonneau said. “If you look over the history of ACU and Southeastern, we’ve had some wars.” ACU dominated this season’s war, winning all four games to sweep the series and extend its home record to 12-0. The Wildcats beat the Savage Storm 12-11 and 15-3 Friday and 9-6 and 195 Saturday. The wins pushed ACU to 15-3 overall and up one spot to No. 8 in the nation according to the Collegiate Baseball Magazine Division II poll, while Southeastern dropped to 5-11 overall. “[The series] challenged our pitchers and it challenged our hitters,” Bonneau said. “But we met those challenges and did a god job of stepping up when we needed to.” ACU’s batters stepped up, out-hitting Southeastern 5520 and outscoring Southeastern 55-25. But no matter how high ACU’s lead got or how many hits the Wildcats recorded,
brian schmidt SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
Outfielder Mike Elkerson slides into third base during a double steal in ACU’s first Saturday game against Southeastern Oklahoma State. ACU won the game 9-6 and swept all four games of the series, extending its undefeated home streak to 12-0 and overall record to 15-3.
Baseball Bonneau said he was weary of Southeastern’s ability to claw back into a game. “I didn’t care what the score was; there wasn’t any inning I relaxed,” Bonneau said. Catcher Jordan Schmitt hit two home runs in the series, while third baseman Alec Sowards and designated hitter Matt McGuire also hit one out of the park.
McGuire, who only played on Saturday for the Wildcats, led the team with a single game school record of eight RBI on five hits. Despite his team-leading, record-breaking performance, Bonneau said McGuire’s spot at the designated hitter position is unknown. “When [Matt] gets up there and swings the bat he does good things,” Bonneau said. “Right now he’s an off-and-on
Men and women sweep weekend
n ACU softball team went 2-2 in its first Lone Star Conference South Division series in Denton this weekend. ACU is now 12-8 overall. By RACHEL DAVIS Sports Writer
By MICHAEL FREEMAN Online Editor
See
TENNIS page 7
came to beating the Wildcats was in the first game of the series. After ACU had to go to its bullpen early because starter Ben Maynard reaggrivated a back injury, the game became a hitting battle as Southeastern scored at least one run in every inning of the game. Southeastern held an 11-8 lead at the top of the sixth, See
SWEEP page 7
Cats split with Pioneers
n Both nationally ranked men’s and women’s tennis teams won both of their matches this weekend. The men are 12-3 overall and the women are 9-2.
One set decided the victor between the ACU men’s tennis team and the No. 2 junior college team in the nation, Tyler Junior College. Freshman Luke Hawk won the crucial set, giving the Wildcats a 5-4 victory over Tyler on Saturday at the Eager Tennis Pavilion. The ACU men went on to defeat the New Mexico Military Institute 8-1 on Saturday to improve their overall record to 12-3.
guy, but hopefully he’ll be an everyday guy for us.” Pitchers Brian Kennedy and Chris Wiman posted the two best starts for the Wildcats in the series. Kennedy pitched a full seven innings in game two and only allowed four hits and struck out four batters, while Wiman pitched allowed only two hits in six innings while striking out six batters. The closest Southeastern
brian schmidt SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
Bryce Hicks returns a ball during a doubles match against New Mexico Military Institute on Saturday. ACU beat New Mexico 8-1.
The Wildcats split a four-game series this weekend with Texas Woman’s University in a Lone Star Conference South Division face-off in Denton. The team, now 12-8 overall and 22 in conference, split both games in each day’s doubleheader Friday and Saturday. “On the bright side, we fought to win two games,” said head coach Chantiel Wilson. “Kim McDonald pitched extremely well and was very effective winning both games she pitched. However, we struggled to drive in runs and make the right adjustments at the plate. We are never satisfied with splitting a series, but TWU was tough, and we played them at their field.” The team wasn’t very happy with its performance, said junior second baseman Tayler Wilson. “This weekend, I think we were all disappointed,” Tayler said. “We were looking to come out hard in our first conference series and to dominate; we weren’t thrilled.” Saturday, after losing its first game 6-1, the 19th-ranked Wildcats came
Softball back in the second game to win 5-1. Junior Jessica Johnson homered twice in the game to cap off the ACU offensive onslaught. “Jessica Johnson really stepped up the last game to drive in all five of our runs,” Wilson said. “Our pitching was pretty solid overall and kept us alive most of the series.” Johnson was named LSC South Player of the Week for her performance and ACU pitcher Kim McDonald, was named LSC South Pitcher of the Week. On Friday, ACU won its first game 2-1 and then lost 6-1 in the second game of the day. In the first game, senior third baseman Nicole Deel hit a solo home run to seal the Wildcat victory. ACU now moves up to fourth overall in the LSC South and is eighth in the conference in batting with an average of .289. “I think as a team we need to work on being more aggressive at the plate and scoring early in the games,” Tayler said. “We need to turn the corner mentally at the plate,” Wilson said. “If we can just get something going offenSee
PIONEERS page 7