THE Vol. 95, No. 48
IN THIS ISSUE CAMPUS Burglaries solved
Two juveniles were detained in connection with automobile burglaries behind Nelson Hall, page 3
New editor
The Optimist chose its editor in chief for the 2007-08 year, page 3
Kirk Goodwin Run
The Kirk Goodwin Run, organized by Galaxy, will benefit local families in need of medical assistance, page 3
ARTS
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OPTIMIST
1 section, 8 pages
FRIDAY
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April 13, 2007
www.acuoptimist.com
Elections give clear-cut results n Matt Worthington, Daniel-Paul Watkins and Kevan Kirksey won their respective positions for next year by large margins after voting ended Wednesday. By KELSI PEACE FEATURES EDITOR
Matt Worthington was playing “Guitar Hero” and making some Easy Mac with his roommates when the SA elections committee chair,
Maher Saab, called with the election results. “I was like, ‘What’s the word?’ and he said, “‘How are you tonight, Mr. President?’” Worthington said. Worthington, junior English major from San Antonio, defeated Brandon Smith, international relations major from Kansas City, with 782 votes to 477, earning 62 percent of the vote. This year, 1,307 students
went to the poll. Daniel-Paul Watkins, sophomore political science major from Fredricksburg, Va., won the vice presidency with 819 votes, defeating Ryan Stephen, sophomore finance major from Spring, who received 450 votes. Watkins said he was confident the three-legged cat he used in his Chapel speech made the difference. “I felt like I was the un-
derdog,” Watkins said. “I felt like it was me versus the establishment.” In this case, Watkins said, the regular man won. “Thank God for three-legged cats,” he said with a laugh. Stephen said that while his supporters were confident he would win, and some did not vote, he thought it was back and forth between himself See
The story of a West Texas ranch told through the eyes of a Japanese Student.
By CHRIS HANSON STUDENT REPORTER
PAGE DESIGNER
Cowboys, rodeo and a ranch: Texas has a good old American tradition. In Abilene, I sometimes see people wearing cowboy hats, boots and belts with big buckles at Wal-Mart. People dress like cowboys and speak like cowboys. What a good old Western tradition. Growing up in Japan, I had so much interest in American culture. Drive-in theaters, high school prom and super-sized food, but more than anything,
SPORTS
See
SA page 7
n The Campus Center, Don H. Morris Center, and Sikes Hall are set to undertake major renovations during the summer months to enhance the facilities.
By ATSUMI SHIBATA
Film critic Cole Williams reviews Quentin Tarantino’s newest picture, ‘Grindhouse,’ page 4
Christal Pitts, junior graphic design major from Richardson, votes for the Students’ Association executive officers on Wednesday.
Buildings to receive summer fix
Konichiwa, y’all
Newest feature
BRIAN SCHMIDT SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
RANCH page 5
During the summer heat, many buildings will be renovated, remodeled, built or altered. The projects include changes to McGlothlin Campus Center, Don H. Morris Center and Sikes Hall. Phil Schubert, vice president for finance, said the projects help enhance the student experience and meet the growing expectations of prospective students. The first phase of the Campus Center remodel involves replacing the Hilton Room with a more open looking food court, said Bob Nevill, director of physical resources. “The living room will stay intact; the post office will stay where it is; the book store will stay where it is, but most of the rest of the space will alter in some way,” Nevill said. The Don H. Morris Center renovation will begin this summer and is likely to continue See
RENOVATIONS page 7
Adjunct opens children’s home in India
Playoff implications
LSC South fifth-place ACU plays fourth-place Eastern New Mexico in Portales, N.M., needing a win to help their playoff chances, page 8
n Adjunct professor Ray Pettit and his wife, Amanda, decided to start a children’s home in India after hearing a guest speaker at his church. By LAUREN SUTTON OPINION EDITOR
Like many have done in the past, Ray and Amanda Pettit sent their $50 check to support Christian humanitarian work overseas. But for this couple, a monthly check was not enough. On June 1, after supporting an Indian ministry for 11 years, Ray Pettit, adjunct professor in the College of Computer Science, and his wife Amanda opened Sanctuary Home, a children’s home in Tenali, a town in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. The Pettit’s interest in India began after a guest speaker came to their church to talk
Netting an upset
The ACU men’s tennis team upset East Central, the No. 1 team in the South Central Region, page 8
SPEED READ Student loan concerns
Fifty one percent of student loan recipients say it will take them more than 10 years to pay off their student loans, up 5 percent from two years ago. The survey was conducted nationally using an online poll placed on the CollegeGrad.com home page during Feb., 2007. The results are based on more than 1,300 respondents. -CollegeGrad.com
EMILY SMITH PHOTO ILLUSTRATION
See
Seven faculty prepare for sabbatical n Faculty members will take a sabbatical during the fall, spring or both semesters in the 200708 year to undertake academic pursuits outside of the classroom. By MICHELLE JIMENEZ COPY EDITOR
The 2007-2008 academic year will have to do without seven professors as they leave for year- and semesterlong sabbaticals. Sabbaticals, meant to allow professors time to pursue special interests. Spring 2008 will be Dr. Jeanene Reese’s, associate
Department of Journalism and Mass Communication
professor of Bible, missions and ministry, first leave on sabbatical. While on leave, Reese said she will work on writing and publishing three or four articles on the theology of service learning, on how to conduct scholarly research in the classroom, on the findings of what her students have shown her about what they have learned in the process of ministry and on how she has changed as a teacher in the seven years between finishing her dissertation and becoming a tenured faculty. Reese said she hopes the
sabbatical will be the “jumpstart, the deeper opportunity to write.” “This opportunity I’ve wanted to do for so long,” Reese said. “It’s really a process of getting ready for what I hope is going to be a rich experience.” Dr. Rusty Towell, associate professor of physics, will be on a year-long leave to continue his research on the PHENIX experiment at the Brookhaven National Laboratory on Long Island, N.Y. The purpose of the experiment is to understand what is inside of a proton and how it is built from the parts that are
Abilene Christian University
inside of it. “The way [the university] supports us and allow us to go do this is wonderful,” Towell said. “Not only does it give me a break from teaching so I can go do this, but it means that we can involve our students in a whole different way because if I’m overseeing a project, then I can easily plug in students next summer when they’re ready to work on it in ways that I couldn’t if I hadn’t been working on it all year long.” E-mail Jimenez at: mmj04b@acu.edu
ORPHANAGE page 7
SABBATICAL LEAVES n Dr. Frederick Aquino, associate professor of theology n Dr. Joseph Cardot, professor of communication and chair of the department n Dr. Michael Frazier, associate professor and director of computer science n Dr. Mark Hamilton, associate professor of Old Testament n Dr. Jeanene Reese, associate professor of Bible, missions and ministry n Dr. Rusty Towell, associate professor of physics. n Dr. Wendell Willis, associate professor of Bible, missions and ministry.
Serving the ACU community since 1912
Chapel Checkup Credited Chapels to date:
Wednesday, March 29, 2006 Friday, April 13, 2007
13
Calendar & Events 14
Friday
Purple Friday Last Day to withdraw from a class for the fall semester 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. The softball team plays Eastern New Mexico at Wells Field. 6:45 p.m. Dinner begins for Spring Dinner Theatre. Tickets for dinner and the ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ show are $25. 8 p.m. ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ is performed in Fulks Theatre. Tickets for the show alone are $15.
Saturday
7:30 a.m. Alpha Kai Omega garage sale until 3 p.m. on the corner of Campus Court and Ambler. 8 a.m. The 23rd Annual Kirk Goodwin 5K Run sponsored by Galaxy to raise funds for families in need of assistance with medical bills. This run will begin at the intersection of Campus Court and College Drive. 6:45 p.m. Dinner begins for Spring Dinner Theatre. Tickets for dinner and the ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ show are $25.
Help prevent residence hall thefts and burglaries; lock your room anytime you’re away from the room.
Police Log Edited for space
Tuesday 04/03/2007 6:47 a.m. Unlocked vehicle at Teague Lot 1:30 p.m. Unlocked vehicle at University Park Lot 3:40 p.m. Parking violations on main campus 6:15 p.m. Report of suspicious subject at 2200 Campus Court, checked area unable to locate 6:18 p.m. Parking violation at Smith Lot Wednesday 04/04/2007 8:10 a.m. Parking violation at Chambers Lot 3 p.m. Parking violations on main campus lots 4:09 p.m. Medical emergency at
Monday
7 p.m. The last Chapel forum of the semester: will be a video interview between Bono and Bill Hybels of Willow Creek. Students may receive two chapel credits for attending this forum, which will take place in Moody Coliseum. 7 p.m. Delta Theta spring rush at 810 Harrison Avenue 9 p.m. Tri Kappa Gamma spring rush in the Bean Sprout
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Tuesday
7 p.m. GATA spring rush at 774 EN 13th 7 p.m. Frater Sodalis spring rush at 802 Green Valley 9 p.m. Ko Jo Kai spring rush in the Campus Center Hilton Room 9 p.m. Trojans spring rush at Sonic
8 p.m. ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ is performed in Fulks Theatre. Tickets for the show alone are $15.
ACU Police Tip of the Week
Monday 04/02/2007 11:58 a.m. Unlocked vehicle at University Church Lot 12:36 p.m. Unlocked vehicle at Vanderpool Lot 1:15 p.m. Assisted student with retrieving keys dropped in drain in Library Lot 4 p.m. Unlocked vehicle at Nelson Lot 6 p.m. Assisted student with changing tire in Business Lot
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Medical Clinic, one female transported to Hendrick ER 4:32 p.m. Unlocked Cullen to retrieve lost item 8:53 p.m. Parking violation at Library Lot Thursday 04/05/2007 12:30 p.m. Suspicious subject at Gardner Hall, contacted, Subject waiting on his girlfriend 3 p.m. Placed three students on Criminal Trespass at McKinzie Hall 4:50 p.m. Unlocked vehicle South Lot Friday 04/06/2007 7:04 a.m. Assisted subject with flat tire at EN 10th & Loop 322 Saturday 04/07/2007 1:30 a.m. Checked Onstead-Packer Biblical Studies Building 3 p.m. Checked Don Morris Center Sunday 04/08/2007 4:40 p.m. Report of subject stuck in vehicle window. Subject was out upon arrival. 11:35 p.m. Fire alarm at Gardner Hall, unable to locate fire all okay
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.
Announcements Spring Break Campaign Committee applications for the 2007-08 school year are available in Room 129 of McKinzie Hall. The deadline to turn in applications is Friday. Make sure to sign up for an interview time when turning in applications. For more information, contact Jennifer King at jjk04a@acu.edu. The last day for students to withdraw from a class for the fall semester is Friday. Students who want to receive a “W” for a course must have the withdrawal from class form turned in by that date. The forms are available in the Depot, the Registrar`s office, or in each adviser`s office. The 23rd Annual Kirk Goodwin 5K Run will be Saturday at 8 a.m. and will begin at the intersection of Cam-
pus Court and College Drive. This is a charity run sponsored by Galaxy to raise funds to help community families in need of financial assistance with medical bills. There will be door prizes and prizes for overall winners. Seniors, come to Joe Allen`s Lytle Bend Ranch on April 19 from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. for free food and fun. Enter the drawings to win prizes including gift certificates and a digital camera. Wear a crazy hat and compete for a prize. RSVP to (325) 6742737 or seniorexperience@acu.edu by Friday. For more information, go to www.acu.edu/seniors. Residence Life is looking for bands for the Backyard Bash on April 28. If interested, contact Jae Webb at jkw02a@acu.edu or at (325) 260-7347. The First Annual 5k Saving Babies Race will be April 28. This race will be held by March of Dimes in conjunction with Walk America. The race will start at 8:30 a.m. Check in at 7:30 a.m. at Redbud Park. The Entry fee is $25. Awards will be given to the top overall runners and the top-three males and females in each age category. For more information, e-mail sks06k@acu.edu or call (325) 6720566. Download an entry form at www.abilenerunners.com.
Credited Chapels remaining:
57 15
Volunteer Opportunities Local Christian radio station, KGNZ, has a couple of opportunities for volunteers. They need help answering phones and entering data for its annual fundraiser between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. every day this week until Friday. Volunteers are also needed Saturday from noon until midnight to help with their “Thank You” event for the radio station. Contact the Volunteer Service-Learning Center in the Bean Sprout. ACU for Abilene is coming April 21. Students, staff and faculty will join together to serve the Abilene community in a variety of ways at a number of locations. Watch for more information and make plans now to join in this time of service. I-CAN, Interested Citizens of Abilene North, need help with community clean up Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Volunteers will cut yards, trim hedges, plant gardens, pick up trash and help with household tasks. Contact the Volunteer Service-Learning Center in the Bean Sprout for more information. Freedom Fellowship Church needs volunteers to assist with a variety of after-school activities for at-risk youth, such as tutoring, basketball and air hockey Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. and Fridays from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Contact the Volunteer Service-Learning Center in the Bean Sprout for more information. MOPS at Highland Church of Christ is having its annual Great
Moms Walk and family day out April 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Nelson Park. For more information please contact Julia Stewart at (325) 690-9023. Volunteers are needed to be peer visitors or in a support group for amputees. Both men and women are requested to help. For more information, contact Wayne Briggs at (325) 691-1672 or (325) 829-1961. 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. Big A Club of City Light Community Ministries has an urgent need for volunteers to ride buses and vans with elementary-age 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. 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.
ACU Career Information Upcoming Career Events and Workshops ACU CAREER DAY Deal Or No Deal: Just In Case... You have not yet landed a job, or you don’t know where to look, or you don’t know what to do, or (Career-related fill-in-the-blank.) April 19 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. ACU Campus Center Featuring: -Gifts for graduating seniors -Networking with 20 employers -Resume, Cover Letter, and Job Search Advice -One-on-one with career counselors -Free food and drinks This Week’s CareerLink Statistics: Number of Part-Time Jobs: 137 Number of Internships: 284 Number of Full-Time Jobs: 769 Number of Opportunities Since Sept. 2006: 1574 Number of Employers in Directory: 3078 Hosted By: The Office of Career and Academic Development www.acu.edu/ocad
Upcoming On-Campus Interviews April 17: Woodforest National Bank Learn more on ACU CareerLink April 19: J-W Operating Human Resources Internship Interview Open Schedule Sign-up deadline: April 15 April 24: Arrow Ford Multiple Positions All Majors Sign-up deadline: April 22 To schedule an on-campus interview, go to www.acu.edu/ careerlink or contact Bradon Tharp at (325) 674-2653. IT’S NOT A JOB IF YOU LOVE IT: Recent Jobs Posted on ACU CareerLink (www.acu.edu/careerlink) Job ID #5276 History Internship with Lopez Garcia Group Job ID #5300 Community Outreach Specialist Internship with Gilda’s Club North Texas Job ID #5421 Customer Services Operations Coordinator Cadbury Schweppes Job ID #5453 Field Technology Engineer with Halliburton (Houston) Job ID #5454 Advertising Account Manager with Centro, LLC (Dallas)
CAMPUS NEWS
Friday, April 13, 2007
Page 3
‘Optimist,’ ‘Prickly Pear’ select 2007-08 editors in chief n Jared Fields, junior print journalism major from Paducah and the 2006-07 managing editor of the ‘Optimist,’ has been chosen as next year’s editor in chief. By TAKISHA KNIGHT Student Reporter
The Optimist anticipates a fresh start next year with Jared Fields leading the way as editor in chief. The junior print journalism major from Paducah is the managing editor and will replace Mallory Schlabach, senior print journalism major from Orrville, Ohio, as editor in chief. While the decision seemed “pretty obvious,” said Dr. Kenneth Pybus, assistant professor of journalism and Optimist adviser, the committee had much to consider. “The Optimist is nearly 100
years old,” Pybus said. “The committee is looking for a person who has experience, who has dedication, a person who has maturity, who can carry on the quality reputation the publication has.” A committee composed of Dr. Royce Money, president of the university; Cade White, Prickly Pear adviser; Dr. Susan Lewis, assistant professor of journalism and mass communication and chair of the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication while Dr. Cheryl Bacon is on sabbatical; Pybus and Schlabach, chose Fields. “In most situations it begins to become obvious who the front runners are by the middle of the spring semester,” Pybus said. “Occasionally, the field is wide open.”
In this case, Pybus said, Fields stood out. He said there weren’t many applications for the position to pool from, which is usually the case. In a way, he said, the staff contributes to the appointment by not applying for positions they feel another applicant might do well at. Pybus said his experience was another deciding factor. Fields began working with the Optimist during his freshman year covering softball for sports. He became sports editor his sophomore year and managing editor his junior year. For about a year he has been covering Abilene Christian High School sports for the Abilene Reporter-News. “He has the interest in building on what the Optimist already is,” Pybus said. “[He] has a dedication to journalism.; he
has the capacity to lead.” Fields will get to put that dedication to work next year. Schlabach said, “If you’re the editor of the Optimist, it’s like having a baby that never stops crying.” You have do whatever it takes to get things done, she said. One of the most challenging things, she said, is getting everyone to do their jobs on time. She said the best advice she can give Fields is “to see the big picture” and “all the mechanics” of it at the same time. After all, the big picture is made of small parts, she said. “Most of all you must be patient. You have to let people do their own work, even if you think you can do it better,” she said. “You have to be flexible,
to go with the flow and change things at the last minute.” Fields said he’s not worried about the challenge. In fact, he welcomes it. This year, as managing editor, he learned the ins and outs of ACU; next year he’ll get to put his knowledge to work in new ways. “I want the challenge and to see how I’ll perform under the circumstances,” he said. “And also there’s a bit of an ego thing to it; you want to leave your mark and see how it measures up against those who came before you and to other publications at other universities.” Fields said he’s looking forward to being the first Optimist editor in chief to work in the news convergence center, which is in the works on the second floor of the Don H. Morris Center.
Fields said he’s also looking forward to adding some new touches to the look of the Optimist by redesigning, as is tradition for each year with new editors. As for the Prickly Pear, Rachel Davis, sophomore print journalism major from Atlanta, will return as the editor for the second year in a row. “It’s a great opportunity and I’m looking forward to another year of editing the yearbook,” she said. Coming in with a year of experience already, Davis said she’s learned some things she’ll change next year. “I think it will be easier next year. I know not to procrastinate as much.”
E-mail Knight at: optimist@acu.edu
HSU police catch suspects Galaxy sponsors Goodwin Run n Two male juvenile suspects were detained by HardinSimmons University campus police for burglarizing ACU and HSU in March. By ATSUMI SHIBATA Page Designer
Two students suspected of burglarizing cars at both Hardin-Simmons and ACU were detained, after three cars were broken into on campus. Jimmy Ellison, chief of police, said two of the cars, which belonged to residents of Nelson and McKinzie Halls, were found around 3:45 a.m. March 11 at a parking lot behind Nelson Hall soon after HSU police caught suspicious men at the HSU campus around 3:30 a.m. HSU police caught two juveniles carrying a stereo in their hands and also discovered several valuables that
were stolen from ACU students in their cars, said Frank Rosa, chief of HSU police. Ellison said some of the belongings were recovered, and he will be following the case. The suspects were 16 and 17 years old males, but juveniles are not the only burglars, Rosa said. “We were lucky we caught them,” Rosa said. Some thieves often appear at several spots on the same day, Ellison said, but it is unusual to catch them. Also, thieves are more likely to target vehicles that are unlocked and have valuables inside, especially when the campus is vacant during a holiday, Ellison said. The number of auto burglary at ACU campus has increased to 23 cases this year from 15 cases last year as of April 1.
Rosa said the number of auto burglaries on HSU campus varies each year, and no auto burglaries were reported last semester. Ellison said crime on campus reflects crimes happening in the city. “Whatever happens in the city happens on campus whether it is good or bad,” Ellison said. Ellison said students always need to lock their cars and park in the lighted area. Also, to make their cars less targeted, Ellison suggests putting all valuables out of sight. He also encourages people to be observant and report any suspicious behavior. Students can contact ACU police at (325) 674-2305 or visit the office at 1634 Campus Ct.
E-mail Shibata at: axs03d@acu.edu
Summit to bring Scriptural discussion n The sixth Ministry Summit will take place Thursday and Friday, and Richard B. Hays, internationally known New Testament scholar, will be the guest speaker. By ERIN JORDAN Student Reporter
The office of Ministry Events is sponsoring the sixth Ministry Summit on April 19-20. This year’s theme focuses on reading Scripture in community. “The Ministry Summit is a way for us all to come together and talk about ministry and build understanding,” said Dr. Mark Love, assistant professor of ministry and director of Ministry Events. “The way Scripture is used in the church and the way people read the Bible is different than Bible scholars do.” The summit will focus on the interpretations of Scrip-
ture among churches. Richard B. Hays, New Testament scholar and chair of the Biblical Division at Duke Divinity School, will be the guest speaker at the Summit. Hays is expected to bring more students to this event this year because he’s internationally known. This year’s event is estimated to bring in about 150 people, he said. “Richard Hays is well known. Graduate school professors use Hays’ textbooks in their classes, so the graduate students should be more familiar with him than some of the speakers in the past,” said Kate Miller, Ministry Events coordinator. When addressing the issue of interpreting Scripture and how the church can take advantage of all the gifts of the Bible, Hays was the best choice, Love said.
On the Web www.acu.edu/events/ summit.html The summit will be two days long with 10 different parts. “Guests are allowed to register up until the event,” Miller said. ACU faculty, staff and students of the Graduate School of Theology can attend free of charge, while students attaining their doctor of ministry degree will be charged $30, and others wanting to attend will be charged is $60. “The event is geared toward church leaders, and it’s used as something that we plan specifically with them in mind. We have people that come from all of over Texas,” Miller said.
E-mail Jordan at: optimist@acu.edu
n The 23rd annual Kirk Goodwin Run, named after a student who died in 1984, will take place to raise funds for medical assistance for local families. By SARA SNELSON Student Reporter
The men of Galaxy will play host to the 23rd annual Kirk Goodwin Run on Saturday. All money raised from the participants will go to families in the community in need of financial assistance because of medical bills. The run is named after Kirk Goodwin who died in a car accident in 1984. After Goodwin’s death, the men of Galaxy decided to come together and raise money in order to help his family pay for the medical expenses and his funeral. After this, a fund was set up in his name, and Galaxy has been playing host to the benefit 5k run ever since. “The money we raise is placed in an account until a situation arises, and then the money that has been compiled through the years is given to the family
to help them out,” said Jeff Edwards, junior biology major from Fort Worth and Galaxy president. Registration to participate in the run began Monday, as Galaxy members handed out free T-shirts to those who bought tickets for $10 in the Campus Center ticket windows. Late registration will also be offered Saturday at 8 a.m. before the race starts. Door prizes will be given out at the event as well as prizes for the over-all winners. “This is a great event in which the community and businesses in the community come out and support this cause,” said Will Morris, senior management major from Cypress. “People rally around, and it is a good way for ACU to reach out to the community.” Last year about 200-300 students supported this fund, and about 100-150 people participated in the run. “Next year, Galaxy has a bigger idea for the run and would like to move the run somewhere different in or-
der to reach out to the community more in honor of this great cause,” Morris said. The race starts on the corner of Campus Court and College Drive at 8:30 a.m. “This run is a fantastic thing that has affected many families throughout the years,” Edwards said. “Kirk Goodwin’s family returns every year to participate in the event as well, so it obviously means a great deal to them.”
E-mail Snelson at: optimist@acu.edu
Kirk Goodwin Run information n Participation fee: $10 with free T-shirts. n The race begins on the corner of Campus Court and College Drive at 8:30 a.m. n Late registration available at 8 a.m. before the race begins. n Door prizes and winning prizes will be given. n Total amount of money raised in: 2004: $6,000, 2005: $1,500
Page 4 Box Office Stats Newly released movies and gross rates for April 6-8. Total gross in parenthesis. n Blades of Glory: $22,522,330 ($67,905,237) n Meet the Robinsons: $16,715,437 ($51,947,271) n Are We Done Yet?: $14,262,724 ($18,517,017) n Grindhouse: $11,596,613 ($11,596,613) n The Reaping: $10,025,203 ($11,958,518)
Coming Soon Movies opening Friday: n Disturbia. Starring Shia LaBeof, Carrie-Anne Moss, David Morse, Sarah Roemer, AaronYoo. Withdrawn and reclusive after his father’s death, Kale shuts himself in his house leaving his mind to wander. Soon, Kale suspects one of his neighbors as being a serial killer. (THRILLER) n Pathfinder. Starring Karl Urban, Moon Bloodgood, Russell Means, Clancey Brown, Nathaniel Arcand. A thousand years ago, a Viking boy was left alone in North America after a raid on the eastern shores. After 25 years and being raised by Indians, the boy must fight against his own countrymen as they return to pillage and plunder. (ACTION/ADVENTURE) n Perfect Stranger. Starring Halle Berry, Bruce Willis, Giovanni Ribisi, Gary Dourdan, Nicki Lynn Aycox. After a friend’s murder, reporter Rowena Price goes undercover to see if powerful executive, Harrison Hill, is connected. As Rowena gets closer to uncovering the truth, she discovers people will go to great lengths to protect it. (THRILLER/DRAMA)
April 13, 2007
Gory ‘Grindhouse’ misses the entertainment mark n In ‘Grindhouse,’ directors Taratino and Rodriguez compiled two ‘B-movies’ to create an oldmovie house effect, yet the films fail to live up to their potential. By COLE WILLIAMS Cartoonist
I’m definitely in the target audience for Grindhouse. I love B-movies. Always have, always will. From my eternal love for Godzilla, to B-movies on “Mystery Science Theater 3000,” to Saturday nights renting and discovering forgotten gems like Wolfen, I love movies that are offbeat and deal with “normal” things “good” movies don’t. Heck I even paid to see, and enjoyed, Snakes on a Plane. So I’m seriously wondering if there’s something wrong with me for not liking Grindhouse. Grindhouses were movie theaters that would show mostly obscure films, exploitation fare or sometimes old classics and often had double features to boot. Sometimes they were nice, classy joints; other times they were a town’s ghetto theater. Such places no longer exist, so directors Robert Rodriguez (Sin City, Desperado) and Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill) decided to make one B-movie apiece then put them together, along with a few fake movie trailers, and create a double-feature that replicated the experience of going to a grindhouse. And for the most part, they’ve succeeded. But whether that’s an experience many people will enjoy, or whether the movies they’ve made are as good as B-movies
you can already rent, isn’t so sure. Rodriguez’s film, Planet Terror, is about a group of people banding together in a town that is infected with a virus that turns people into flesh craving, boil covered mutants. It’s the same type of over-the-top, gory, action filled romp as movies like Evil Dead 2 and Romero’s Night of the Living Dead films. Death Proof, Tarantino’s half, follows two groups of women who find themselves marked for death by a man with a “death proofed” car. It’s more in vein with speed freak films from the ’70’s like Vanishing Point (which plays a big role) and Hal Needham (Smokey and the Bandit) movies. Unfortunately, like a lot of B-movies with awesome content but flawed execution, the films fail to live up to their potential. Movies like Planet Terror, with mutants/zombies amuck, unique characters and outlandish violence have been done better in the likes of Night of the Creeps, the Evil Dead series and Braindead (also known as Dead/Alive, one of Peter Jackson’s first movies). And Death Proof, which has the awesome premise of Kurt Russell in full tough-guy mode hunting down women in a supped-up car, is really about the women he hunts. Instead of a tension filled game of cat-and-mouse ala Duel, Death Proof is, like a lot of disappointing B-movies are, filled with lots of boring talky scenes to pad things out until the cool car scenes. Either Tarantino intended this to capture the feel of a B-movie, or
courtesy of ROTTENTOMATOES.COM
The second film in Grindhouse is a Tarantino slasher-thriller where Kirk Russell plays a serial killer who uses his car to dispose of his victims. Both ‘Death Proof’ and ‘Planet of Terror’ combine for a three and half hour feature.
the long, pointless talking scenes are supposed to be entertaining. Either way, it misses the entertainment mark by a mile, and the movie drags badly. However, the car chase scene at the end is so amazing it’s almost worth the wait. That’s not to say that all of Grindhouse is disappointing. The fake movie trailers shown before and between Planet Terror and Death Proof are a blast and better capture the spirit of a grindhouse and B-movies than either of the full length features. There’s enough goofy and gross-out gore in Planet Terror to fill about three Italian horror movies. The final car chase in Death Proof is long, tension filled and exciting, and the women in both are gorgeous; from the steamy Rose Mc-
Gowan to real-life stuntwoman Zoe Bell, who plays herself in Death Proof and, with her girlish yet tomboyish attitude, almost steals that movie out from under Rosario Dawson and Kurt Russell. The rest of the cast is solidly rounded out, with B-movie vets like Michael Biehn and cameos by the likes of Tom Savini. Heck, even Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas gets eaten by mutants, which gets high points from me. Digitally added film scratches, fake “missing reel” segments and ’70s era soundtracks and title cards further enhance the grindhouse feel. I have to admit I may have shot myself in the foot when I saw Grindhouse because I saw it by myself in a near empty theater on a
Monday afternoon, which is definitely not how it or other B-movies should be seen. Then again, I saw Slither by myself and had a blast. Either way, Grindhouse is an experience, one better suited to a viewing with friends or on an empty Saturday night on DVD with lots of junk food and beverages ACU’s student policy forbids you from imbibing. But, with its three hour running time, very “un-ACU” subject matter (which may be a problem for some), and the fact that there are better B-movies you can rent already, Grindhouse is, sad to say, hard to recommend.
E-mail Williams at: cww02b@acu.edu
Friday, April 13, 2007
Page 5
FROM THE FRONT
Ranch: Student experiences cowboy culture Continued from page 1 grassland of vast extent with haystacks, cattle and horses aroused my interest. In my imagination, ranch people have a beard, wear a worn-out straw hat or a cowboy hat, old checkered shirt, a pair of overalls and leather boots. They sit on a rocking chair on the porch with a dog, drink coffee and read a newspaper. I realized I’ve never seen anything like that here in Abilene and thought, “How can I miss those things living in Texas for more than three years?” I wished I could be like one of those characters in the movies, but I looked too foreign to fit in my imaginary world of ranch people.
emily smith CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
Robin, named after Armstrong’s grandfather, is a three-legged cow dog Armstrong bought last year.
Culture Shock The day before Thanksgiving, I finally got a chance to experience an old culture of America. I woke up at 7 a.m. and spent 20 minutes trying to find the best clothes for my first ranch experience. I didn’t have any ranch clothes, but I tried my best. A dark blue sweater, a red checkered shirt and a pair of blue jeans — clothes that are a bit different from what I usually wear. I was meeting a young present-day cowboy in front of Nelson Hall, but I had no idea how he or his car looked like. Having lost my cell phone a few days ago, I didn’t have any way to reach him. “What am I going to do if I can’t find him?” I wondered. The next moment the worry left me. A white, unusual-looking truck with a big silver tank on the back and mud on the tires was parked along East North 16th Street; I knew that car would take me to a ranch. Casey Armstrong, 25year-old ACU alumnus, is one of those present-day cowboys. He used to travel around the states to compete in rodeo. He works at two ranches on the west and east side of Abilene: Tye Ranch and Hardy Grissom Ranch. Since he graduated from ACU with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural business in 2005, he has been working full time at Phil Guitar’s ranches for about a year. The Tye and Grissom ranches belong to the Abilene division of Guitar’s ranches, and two other divisions are in Big Spring and Spur. The owner, Phil Guitar, is the third generation to manage the Guitar family’s ranches, according to Big Ranch Country Productions Web site. Five days a week, Armstrong’s day begins at 7:30 a.m., putting on a black cowboy hat, a pair of blue jeans, a belt with a big buckle and cowboy boots. He drives a white truck to Tye Ranch, where his father used to work. He takes care of cattle, patrols around the field and he goes to train horses at Grissom Ranch
emily smith CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
emily smith CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
Hoyt Foster of Cross Springs repairs a horseshoe for Jet at the Grissom Ranch on Wednesday after the horse’s shoe fell off. Jet belongs to the ranch’s owner, Phil Guitar.
Armstrong, an ACU alumnus, herds bulls into a trailer at the Grissom Ranch outside of Abilene with Robin’s help.
until around 5 p.m. During a 20-minute drive to Tye Ranch, I was already experiencing a culture shock as we exchanged brief life stories. I was surprised that most of his family members can ride horses, and he was surprised that I had never seen a horizon until I came to Texas. As I was staring at dry land from the passenger seat, the white truck passed through the gate of Tye Ranch. An endless, straight road and vast, flat land, a small cabin, a windmill and no sign of technology was before me. I was having a real culture shock, finally.
park in Japan, but it was really a pony. A real horse looked much bigger than I thought, but surprisingly, I wasn’t scared at all. I grabbed the leather saddle with a cross and flowers elegantly engraved on it, put my left foot on a foothold and hopped on Bill’s back. I didn’t feel very comfortable, but the view from Bill’s back seemed different. I gently squeezed my legs to tell Bill to start walking. He didn’t respond at first, but slowly Bill began walking. Walk, stop. Walk, stop. Bill seemed a little confused, but we began communicating better after a few tries. Bill and I were just making a little circle in the middle of the field, but still it was a special experience. “You did well. You weren’t scared,” Armstrong said to me. “Many people are usually scared at first, but there is
All in a day’s work Armstrong told me Tye Ranch is about 2,500 acres and Grissom about 6,500. It sounds really huge, but for some foreign people like me, the unit acre is uncommon. Compared with my only knowledge of the unit — Winnie the Pooh’s 100Acre Wood — those numbers sounded huge. Natural gas and oil deposits bring more than 75 percent of the ranch’s income.
The rest of income comes from selling cattle. The ranch usually keeps about 200 cattle of horses and cows and sell older cattle in spring and replaces them with younger ones. As he patrolled around the ranch, he pressed one of several buttons that are uncommon in a normal type of car. Suddenly, a loud, stunning siren went off. Shortly after, the truck was surrounded by a group of black and dark brown cattle and some newborn ones. Those cows are trained to respond to the siren that announces dinner time. “This is just like an African safari!” I said. The wildness of the sight was well beyond my expectation. As I said that, a cowboy next to me laughed. “You get to see a lot of wild life here,” Armstrong said. Around noon, Armstrong and I went to the Grissom Ranch, which is on the east side of Abilene. While Armstrong was patrolling around the ranch, a group of hunters came from the front. “Did you catch anything?” Armstrong began talking with
a father of the hunting family. They chatted for a while over the car window in the middle of the dry field. “Take care,” Armstrong said to them. Even an everyday conversation like that sounds different and unordinary in a wild environment like that.
New friends After a short drive, I met a beautiful 7-year-old horse, Bill. He had ocher smooth hair, a dark brown mane and big kind eyes. Armstrong took Bill and another younger unnamed horse with dark brown hair to the inside of a field surrounded by a wooden fence. “You can name the horse if you want to,” he said to me, but I couldn’t think of any good name for the horse. He first let the young one run free and he rode on Bill. Armstrong usually rides and trains horses for about five hours a day, four days a week. After a while, I had a chance to ride Bill: the first horse ride of my life. I always thought I had ridden a horse at a ranch theme
nothing to be scared of.” While Armstrong was training those horses, a few older and younger cowboys came and talked with him. “He’s a good cowboy,” a younger cowboy said about Armstrong. Had there not been big trucks around them, they seemed like cowboys from the Western movies. After the training, I led Bill to a shed and patted his back and face. I said thank you to my first horse friend. My six-hour-long ranch experience became something memorable in my studying abroad college life. When I went to New York, I thought that was America. But I was wrong. Surely, America was in Texas.
E-mail Shibata at: axs03d@acu.edu
Page 6
April 13, 2007
Worthington romances ACU student body
The issue:
Matt Worthington won the race for SA student body president.
With the election of Matt Worthington for Students’ Association president, the student body can now only wait to see if Worthington will impress like he said. Worthington did not give a huge list of things he wanted to accomplish, but instead compared his plans with going on a date. Worthington said when he takes a girl on a date, he has a plan but doesn’t detail the events ahead to his date. Now, he says he is taking the same approach with leading the student body next year. Matt may have an idea of what he wants to do, but the student body does not. We are being taken on a blind date and want to know what
Our view:
Worthington has made many promises to lead and communicate with the student body, which he should pursue and remain committed to.
The solution:
Like Worthington proposes, he should not make a list of things to do, but make it his priority to be in relationship with students.
to expect. decisions for While the Optimist endorsed Worthington beWorthingthe students cause of his wanting to be a leader amongst SA about changton will undoubtedly es in policy Congress and views of being a communicator use his to the student body, Worthington needs to fulfill that could be skills, and affected. his promise of making next year similar the skills Worthingto a good date. of those ton also says surroundhe wants to ing him, cut back on to be the president the stu- discussions, forums and some of the spending on the dents expect. dinners to campus to brand Cabinet and put it towards While the Optimist en- the SA name. monthly forums and builddorsed Worthington because Part of communicating ing relationships with the of his wanting to be a leader with the students, Worthing- campus. With the money amongst SA Congress and ton said, will be to be a voice that each student pays into his views of being a commu- for students to faculty and the SA budget, Worthington nicator to the student body, administrators. Worthing- should be the president to Worthington needs to fulfill ton is serving on a com- ensure that the students’ his promise of making next mittee looking at changes thoughts and concerns reach year similar to a good date. in social club changes. His the appropriate people. Worthington speaks of on-going involvement with To use an acting analcommunicating with the the committee gives him the ogy, Worthington said he student body by bringing experience needed to make wants to be the director for
Alex York
Lebensgefhar
Make something of life, make a difference The biggest mystery of the year — and perhaps the decade — was solved earlier this week. After months of debate, a Bahamian court revealed that Danny Birkhead was indeed the father of Anna Nicole Face the Smith’s 11Facts month baby Dannielynn. Mallory A d o r i n g Schlabach fans, gossip mongers and everyone else entranced by perhaps the final saga in Smith’s life can rest assured. We now know who the father is. But the court’s announcement made more than one thing clear this week. Not only did I learn truth about the baby’s paternity, but also I realized the value of life. It’s not usually in good taste to speak ill of the dead, but if my life is remembered for my unusual marriage choice, distasteful profession, suspicious death and debate over the father of my child — then my life was a waste. This year the U.S. expectancy rate reached an all-
If you want to make something of your life, and not necessarily through fame or riches, find your identity in service, giving, community and charity. time high, despite the fact that it seems half our population is either obese or diagnosed with cancer at 78 years. Although the country isn’t even in the top 10 for expectancy rates, the rate has improved from age 74, 30 years ago. If the majority of people in our country continue to live longer, then most of us have more than 50 years of life left in us, Lord willing. Why not make something of your life — and not just as much money as you can. Organizations around the world focus on making a difference in the world. The opportunities that one has today to make a difference of any size is incredible. They can range from using your education to find a cure for cancer, AIDS, leukemia to being a mentor in a child’s life through Big Brothers Big Sisters, local churches or after-school programs to making the personal decision to recycle.
Leo Buscaglia once said, “Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” If you want to make something of your life, and not necessarily through fame or riches, find your identity in service, giving, community and charity. Makeadifference.org lists projects and gives ideas of how one person to 100 people can reach out in their own community. 43things. com is a Web site where “dogooders” can make lists of what they want to accomplish in the world and whom they want to help. The lists become a form of blogging and allow the philanthropist to find encouragement and inspiration from the site’s other members who offer advice and suggestions on how to achieve those goals of service.
The ONE campaign was created with the idea of getting every American to help make poverty history and find a cure for global AIDS by donations. The organization derives its name from the belief that by allocating an additional 1 percent of the countries budget could change the future for the world’s poorest countries. Bethecause.org lists service opportunities across the country people can participate in from helping an interior designer in Michigan makeover a bedroom 30 women share at a battered woman’s home to volunteering to give free hugs in Manhattan Beach, Calif. Planet Earth is an organization that gives tips on conserving energy and water, slowing global warming and how to reduce, recycle and reuse every day objects. Making a difference can be as hard or as easy as you want it to be. The choice is up to you. How will you make a difference?
E-mail Schlabach at: mes02e@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
Helping those close to home Early last semester on in developing countries. Sept. 27, I made a comic They have even less opsome people feel made fun portunities than the fiof IJM. While I didn’t intend nancially poorest people that, and here, but I think there’s have noth- another side to it, a side ing against that appeals to a sense of IJM, what good, old-fasioned, liberal I did in- guilt and pride in helping tend was the “less fortunate” from to make exotic lands. Honestly, a point. which sounds more imAnd, with pressive: that you do misThe Mouth Pam Cope sionary work in Abilene, of Madness s p e a k i n g or that you do it in Afriin chapel ca? That you’ve adopted Cole r e c e n t l y a child from Vermont, or Williams and oth- one from Vietnam? er things I’m not going to say happening in my life, I that all people work in or think the point should be adopt from poorer counbrought up again. tries for those reasons, I’ve always seen a lot of and I’m not implying it attention paid on helping in the case of Mrs. Cope. the less fortunate in the But I’m not going to say world, and here at ACU it doesn’t happen either. that attention is often fo- Sorry for being cynical, cused on people in poorer but hey it happens. foreign countries, on feedI’m not saying we ing them, shouldn’t clothing help peothem, freeple in othing them I’ve always seen a lot of er parts of from slavthe world, attention paid on ery, even but we helping the less adopting shouldn’t fortunate in the world, f o r g e t them. But I think those at and here at ACU that there are home eiattention is often foother peother. Peocused on people in poor- ple ple we’re talk er foreign countries. not paying about resenough atcuing othtention to, ers from which is slavery in terrible bethe world, cause they’re all around but there’s more than one us. I think we need to re- kind of slavery. There’s member to take care of the slavery of poverty, of what’s at home, of our drug addiction, of being own lives, of those in our born in a violent househometowns, of those right hold. The people around down the street, before us are just next door, and we fly halfway around the they’re the people we live world. with, grow up with and There are plenty of peo- die with. We can’t forget ple right here in Abilene to plant the seed of good who need help. How many will and a better life in homeless people do you our own gardens while see on the average day watering those of others, begging for change by the or else our gardens are side of the road? What going to rot. about people born into the poverty that overruns parts of this town? Don’t they need help too? I can understand why people are sometimes more willing and interE-mail Williams at: cww02b@acu.edu or optimist@acu.edu ested in helping people
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
the cast of actors in SA. His willingness to be a strong leader will be needed to a Congress that has faced attendance problems. Cracking down and being a leader to the campus and rest of Congress while trying to bring more people to SA will be a positive step for SA. Summing up his thoughts on what he wants to accomplish, Worthington said it would be a tragedy to do a lot of good thing, but to never do the right thing. If Worthington lives up to what he says, then the students will feel like the date is successful.
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Friday, April 13, 2007
Page 7
FROM THE FRONT/SPORTS JUMPS
Renovations: Construction filled Summer Continued from page 1
into the fall. The renovation includes extensive alterations to the second floor and minor changes to the first floor which should make the spaces more functional for the departments of design and journalism and mass communication. The Sikes Hall remodel is already underway. Construction had to be started early to allow enough time to
complete the project by next fall because the project is so massive, Nevill said. “We have 70 days in the summer to do whatever we’re going to do to residence halls,” Nevill said. “It’s very, very tight. That’s the reason we had to start Sikes this spring.” The renovation includes extending the rooms and making the exterior of the building look like Barret Hall. Other buildings will also
receive alterations in addition to normal maintenance. Mabee Hall will receive new carpet, paint and drop ceilings; the exterior of Edwards Hall will be sealed to fix leaking; and Chambers Hall will receive a minor renovation to the clinic. New windows will be installed in Smith-Adams Hall, and the open patios will be screened to prevent unwanted pigeons from roosting there. Construction of the Diane
and John Duncum Center for Conflict Resolution will also begin this summer. The 6,000 square foot building will be located at the corner of Judge Ely Boulevard and East North 16th. There are also other projects physical resources plans to have completed by fall, which includes resurfacing five parking lots and extending and resurfacing the tennis courts. The parking lots that will
be affected are the lots next to Barret Hall, Gibson Health and Physical Education Center, Larry Sanders Intramural Field, Williams Performing Arts Center and the lot across from the Zona Luce Building. Nevill said he has three people acting as project managers and will employ 100 student workers this summer.
E-mail Hansen at: optimist@acu.edu
Orphanage: Sponsorships only $30 a month Continued from page 1 about the needs in India. Intrigued, the couple asked how they could support work going on in India, and for more than a decade, the couple has financially supported missionary Isaac Palaparthi and his family. The Pettit’s love for India grew gradually as they, through correspondence, became friends with Palaparthi and looked for new ways to increase their support. Each Christmas, the Pettit family
would buy clothes and rice for the widows and orphans of India, and in 2006 they even asked their relatives to help fund Indians as well because Palaparthi was looking to open a children’s home. Little did the Pettit’s know that Palaparthi wanted them to begin the home. Ray said he and Amanda prayed about the situation and were sure they weren’t supposed to serve in that capacity. “We kept looking for a way to tell Isaac we couldn’t do this without letting him
down,” Ray said. But through a strange series of events including connections with people from Eternal Threads and the partnering of Ruth Jackson, a missionary to Haiti, the couple decided to not only start the home but travel to India to meet the children who will live there. Through the financial support of other Christians, Sanctuary Home was opened in June of 2006, which provided 15 Indian children a home, and in
four short months, 42 children were sponsored. Americans can sponsor a child for $30 a month, which provides the child with school uniforms, bedding and utensils for the home, special medical treatments and surgeries and legal bills. Last December, the Pettits traveled to Tenali for the first time. Amanda said it was amazing to finally see all the children they had been supporting from the states.
Right now, the couple is raising money to build another children’s home in hopes of one day having multiple houses as a part of Sanctuary Home. “I think what’s so exciting is that it takes so little for us to make such a huge difference,” Amanda said. “It’s making a difference for a child’s whole life and for many future generations.”
Watten, who also starts at shortstop and never pitched before this season, has an opposing batting average of .232 and is fifth in the LSC in strikeouts with 49. In addition to one of the conference’s best starters, ACU has one of the nation’s best closer in right-hander Jameson Maj. In his first season at ACU, Maj already holds the career and single-season records for saves (10) and has made more
appearances (24) than any other pitcher in the league. Maj also is fifth in the nation in Division II baseball for saves and has five wins on top of his saves. At the Maj plate, centerfielder Matt Spotanski has been the most consistent hitter for the Wildcats, with a team-leading 63 hits and
eight triples. “I try not to think; I just go up and hit,” Spontaski said. Spotanski’s eight triples broke the single-season record for ACU set by Brain Runnels in 1995 and the eighth in the nation for triples per game. Seven of ACU’s 10 losses have been on the road, but ACU has won the last two meetings between the Javelinas. Kingsville, who is tied for second in the LSC South with Angelo, is coming off of a series loss to Tarleton
E-mail Sutton at: les03c@acu.edu
and Watkins. “I’m OK that it’s D.P.,” said Stephen, who plans to apply for the chief advancement officer position again. Kevan Kirksey, sophomore finance major from Tyler, was elected treasurer with 736 votes; his opponent, Kyle Moore junior management major from Double Oak, received 481 votes. Kirksey said he waited
for results from a Rangers game in Dallas. “It was the least-enjoyable baseball game I’ve ever been to,” said Kirksey, who didn’t hear the results until the ninth inning. “I was kind of surprised,” Moore said. “I think a lot of people wanted [Kirksey] because he was the chief financial officer.” But Moore said he isn’t done with SA. “I still have projects that
I want to do,” Moore said. “Just because I didn’t win treasurer doesn’t mean I’m going to cop out.” While the work of campaigning is over, the newlyelected cabinet members have several things on the agenda for the rest of the semester. On Thursday, Worthington met with Jim Holmans, executive assistant to the president, and Kevin Watson, associate vice presi-
The ACU baseball team leads the Lone Star Conference in numerous offensive and defensive categories. n Hits (484)
Continued from page 8
n RBI (323)
One of the five starters is Belgian golfer Hugues Joannes who has finished top 15 in every tournament so far this season. “Hugues was a good junior player before he came to ACU, and now he’s still doing great,” Campbell said. Campbell said Curt Harris has really come on strong with his tie for fifth with Joannes in the Kickingbird Classic last March and his top 15 finish at North Alabama. Campbell also explained that Patrick Hanauer and Stephen Knight have really played well when needed this season. The Wildcats will head into the LSC Championship on Monday ranked tied for 13th with Valdosta State in the Golf World/NIKE Golf Coaches Poll. ACU will be the top-ranked LSC team at the tournament with Central Oklahoma not too far behind at 16.
LSC LEaders
State, and ACU is looking for its first series win on the road since March 13 against Southeastern Oklahoma State. ACU leads the series against Kingsville overall at 37-30 and won the last two series between the two in 2005 and 2006. ACU will play a doubleheader starting at 4 p.m. Friday in Kingsville and will finish the series with a doubleheader Saturday at noon.
n Batting average (.367) n ERA (4.48) n Saves (10) n Runs scored (366) n Fielding percentage (.973)
E-mail Johnson at: djj04a@acu.edu
dent for administrative services, and a few candidates for the vice president of Campus Life position. He said he is ready to meet with his executive cabinet and establish a plan as a team. “That’s what I said I was about,” Worthington said. “Community.” Smith was unavailable for comment by press time. For the rest of the semester, Watkins said he plans to meet with about half
all sports other than football and basketball as part of the Lone Star Conference’s 75-year anniversary commemoration. In the 11 years that Jones has been head coach of ACU tennis, his teams have racked up 459 wins and only 167 losses. “I can’t believe I’ve been here for 11 years,” Jones said. “It seems like I’ve just started. Whatever award you win is because of a lot of other people. I mean, it’s nice, but it’s hard to take any credit because of all the players and then the supporters of the program.” The only other ACU tennis honorees were Donna Sykes, who played for the Wildcat women from 1986-89, and Michelle King, who played for ACU from 1988-92.
Golf: ACU golf enters ranked No. 13 in nation
SA: Worthington prepares for year as president Continued from page 1
Continued from page 8
E-mail Freeman at: mxf04b@acu.edu
Kingsville: ACU boasts league’s best closer Continued from page 8
Upset: Three athletes honored by university
the student groups, and all three plan to begin making connections with administrators. Worthington, Watkins and Kirksey will also review applications for the appointed officer positions and make their selections before the end of the year.
E-mail Peace at: knp04a@acu.edu
E-mail Macdonald at: optimist@acu.edu
Angelo: ACU runners change events to sharpen specialties Continued from page 8 of the training for some of his runners. Serge Gasore, usually a 5,000-kilometer and 10,000kilometer runner, will run the 800- and 1,500-meters this weekend. “We’re training him there,” Hood said. “It will be part of
training to run a faster pace.” Hood is using Julius Nyango the same way, running him in a longer event than he usually runs. “We need to do the opposite with him,” Hood said. “Build up his endurance.” To build his endurance, Nyango will run the 5k, a far stretch from the 800-meters
and 1,500-meters he is accustomed to running. Women middle distance runners, Denise Morgan, Mary Mwangi, Vanessa Whittle and Olha Kryv’yak, will have the weekend off to rest an d train. “They’ve had about three weeks of competing so they need some time to train through,” Hood said.
Nicodemus Naimadu is taking the weekend off after winning the 10,000-kilometers at Stanford, then the steeplechase in Austin in consecutive weeks. The rest for Naimadu is a welcomed break after his two tough weekends. In practice, Hood said Naimadu felt fine except for a few cramps, or “stitches,” in
his side. His legs and back had been troubling him, but Hood said that is behind him now. “Other than a few stitches in his side, he’s OK,” Hood said. “He’ll run the 5k at TCU.” Some field event athletes are taking some time off as well, but the rest will compete in San Angelo. Even some sprinters are tak-
ing time off to recuperate. “I feel a lot better from indoors; I was out for most of indoors,” said sprinter Sasharine McLarty. While McLarty does feels better, she said she’s not at 100 percent yet, but will help prepare her for the TCU meet. E-mail Fields: jrf03b@acu.edu
SportsFriday
Page 8
ScoreBoard Standings
Men upset Central Region leader St. Edwards n ACU’s upset of top ranked St. Edwards in its last regular season match should enhance the Wildcats chances of hosting the Central region tournament.
Scoreboard as of Thursday
Team
BASEBALL Div. 6-2 5-3 5-3 2-4 2-4 1-5
ACU Angelo St. TAMK-U Tarleton ENMU WTAM
Team
Overall 31-10 28-12 22-19 17-23 17-23 9-27
SOFTBALL
Div. Angelo St. 15-1 TAMK-U 11-1 Tarleton 7-5 ENMU 5-7 ACU 6-10 TX Woman’s 2-10 WTAM 2-14
Overall 36-6 28-10 26-10 20-20 20-17 14-27 12-31
April 13, 2007
Tennis “This win gives us great momentum going into next week’s Lone Star Conference Tournament,” said head coach Hutton Jones. “Our goal is to not only make the national tournament but to also host a regional site. I think this win solidifies our case for that. The guys are playing good tennis right now, and it’s great that we are ending the regular season on a crescendo.” The men’s win Wednesday places ACU at 22-9 on the season. The women, who have a record of 21-3, played Lee College, the No. 2 junior col-
By MICHAEL FREEMAN Online Editor
The ACU men’s tennis team upset St. Edward’s, the No. 13 team in the nation and the top ranked team in the Central region, in Austin on Wednesday with a 5-4 victory. The win over the No. 1 team in the Central region gives ACU a good chance to be a regional host in the Division II National Tournament next month.
brian schmidt SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
George Carstens returns a shot against Cameron University on April 6. Carsterns won a crucial singles match against St. Ewards on Wednesday.
lege in the nation, on Thursday. On Friday, the women will face Division I foe Rice University. “It should be a good match,” Jones said. “Rice is a top 75-type D-I school, but I think we’re capable of beating a team like that.” The ACU men are now done with their regular season, and the win over St. Edward’s was an exciting way to end the season. On Wednesday, ACU dropped two of the three doubles matches, and St. Edward’s grabbed two singles matches to gain a 4-2 advantage. But the Wildcats, whose singles play has not been quite as strong as
its doubles in the past, clawed back to take the match. Senior George Carstens, senior Bryce Hicks and freshman Luke Hawk won the final three singles matches to give ACU a 5-4 win. Next up for the Wildcats is the Lone Star Conference Tournament which is set for April 19-20 in Oklahoma City. ACU’s consistent play over the years, on both the men’s and women’s side, helped name Coach Jones to the Lone Star Conference All-Sports Team on April 4. The list honored the top 75 studentathletes and coaches from See
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Crunch time
Upcoming Friday WOMEN’S TENNIS ACU vs. Texas Southern, Houston, 10 a.m. ACU vs. Rice University, Houston, 4 p.m.
BASEBALL ACU vs. Texas A&M-Kingsville, Kingsville, 4p.m. (DH)
SOFTBALL ACU vs. Eastern New Mexico, Portales, N.M., noon (DH)
Saturday BASEBALL ACU vs. Texas A&M-Kingsville, Kingsville, 1 p.m. (DH)
SOFTBALL ACU vs. Eastern New Mexico, Portales, N.M., noon (DH)
TRACK & FIELD ACU at Angelo State Relays, San Angelo, all day
Sunday MEN’S TENNIS ACU vs. Texas Southern, Houston, noon. ACU vs. Rice University, Houston, 6 p.m.
brian schmidt SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
Leisha Johnson gets caught stealing second base during Wednesday practice. Johnson and the rest of the ACU softball team will play Eastern New Mexico this weekend in Portales, N.M.
Wins needed for postseason appearance Softball
n Beginning with Eastern New Mexico, the ACU softball team needs to win its last three Lone Star Conference South series to secure a postseason appearance. By RACHEL DAVIS Sports Writer
Monday GOLF ACU at Lone Star Conference Championships, Roanoke
Tuesday GOLF ACU at Lone Star Conference Championships, Ronaoke
Briefs Long distance duo n ACU long distance runners Nicodemus Naimadu and Olha Kryv’yak each were named Lone Star Conference Track Athletes of the Week on Thursday after they each posted first place finishes at the Texas Relays in the 3,000 meter steeplechase. Naimadu won the men’s race and Kryv’yak won the women’s competition.
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. OUTDOOR SOCCER See intramural board for schedule. VOLLEYBALL Men’s and women’s champ league began Tuesday, see intramural bulletin board in Moody Coliseum for schedule. SOFTBALL Softball began Monday, see intramural board for team names and schedule.
ACU will play Eastern New Mexico this weekend in a Lone Star South division battle for a postseason tournament spot. Currently, ACU is ranked fifth in the conference, one game behind Eastern New Mexico, and to receive a tournament spot the team must be ranked at fourth
or higher in the division. “We know we need to take care of business the next two conference series with Eastern New Mexico and West Texas A&M if we are going to have a chance at postseason play,” said head coach Chantiel Wilson. The four-game series with Eastern New Mexico could make or break the team’s chances to appear for the third straight time in the postseason tournament, but Wilson said the team is uninfluenced by the
pressure situation. “I feel we can deal with that kind of pressure,” Wilson said. This weekend and next weekend’s games leave the team with only eight conference games left to play, and because the team has been struggling offensively this season, the games are crucial for them. “We feel if we can win at least five of the conference games, we’ll have a shot,” Wilson said. “But we are shooting to win all eight.” If the team does win all eight of its next games, they
will most likely receive a postseason berth ahead of Eastern New Mexico, Texas Woman’s and West Texas A&M. Postseason will be tough for ACU and its struggling offense, matching them up against teams that have been batting over .300 all season. ACU has kept an average between .270 and .260 this season and may have problems against Eastern New Mexico’s offense this weekend. Eastern New Mexico has an overall batting average of .317, several points ahead of the ACU offense.
First baseman Jenna Daugherty received special mention from the Lone Star Conference for her performance in last weekend’s games against Southeastern Oklahoma, where she was 3 for 6 with one run scored, one double, one home run and four RBIs. Her homerun was the securing score of the first game that ACU won 6-3. “We’ll continue to do the things we need to do to win four games this weekend,” Wilson said.
E-mail Davis at: optimist@acu.edu
First road test expected at Kingsville Rest, ‘Relays’ await Wildcats n The nationally ranked ACU baseball team will play in its first Lone Star Conference South series this weekend against Texas A&M-Kingsville. By DANIEL JOHNSON Sports Editor
After splitting a series with defending Lone Star Conference champions Central Oklahoma, sweeping Tarleton State and nearly winning its series against defending LSC South champs Angelo State, ACU may have already seen the best its conference has to offer. But if the nationally ranked Wildcats want to continue its way to its tenth straight playoff appearance, it won’t be the opposing teams keeping it out of the postseason. “Our toughest enemy right now is ourselves,” said head coach Britt Bonneau. The ACU baseball team will continue divisional play this weekend in its first LSC South road series against Texas A&M-
Baseball
Kingsville Javelinas. ACU will head to Kingsville with a first place divisional record of 6-2 and No. 12 national ranking; and for Bonneau the series is theirs to lose. “This time of the year every weekend is a big weekend,” Bonneau said. “It’s just a matter of us playing our game in a different environment.” ACU has continued to be the best in the LSC, leading in team batting average (.367), ERA (4.48) and RBI (323). Wildcat starting pitcher Trey Watten is the only starter in the LSC that has not lost a game and survived two pitching duels his last two starts. “Its only because [Watten] was in the game that we were able to pull something out,” Bonneau said. See
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n Some members of the ACU track and field team will rest this weekend while the rest will compete in San Angelo at the Angelo State Relays. brian schmidt SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
Designated hitter J.J. Pacheco runs past second base during the Wildcats series against Angelo State on April 6.
ACU squad favored at LSC tourney n The nationally ranked ACU golf team will enter the Lone Star Conference tournament on Monday and Tuesday as one of the favorites to win the tournament. By NATHAN MACDONALD Sports Writer
Monday the ACU golf team will face its first postseason
Golf step to becoming national champions at the Lone Star Conference Championship at the Trophy Club Golf Course in Roanoke. Although the step will be difficult, ACU golf coach Mike Campbell and his team are ready for the challenge.
“We are one of the favorite’s teams along with Central Oklahoma, and we are peaking at the right time so the chance is there for us to win it,” Campbell said. The Wildcats have finished third in the past two tournaments, being, at most, only five strokes behind the leader. The five starters who started
in Alabama will be the lineup Campbell believes will bring the most success for ACU. “The five starters all have different strengths and weaknesses, but they all are very competitive, and that will help us out,” Campbell said. See
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By JARED FIELDS Managing Editor
Depending on who you are on the ACU track and field team, this weekend will either bring rest or the Angelo State Relays. “It comes at a good time for half of the team who didn’t compete at the Texas Relays,” said distance coach Derek Hood. “For us at a training standpoint, it comes at a good time in the season; it’s about halfway through the season.” While some runners are taking time to rest, Hood is using the meet in San Angelo as part See
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