Keepers Newton and Dombrowski lead ‘Cats in goalie box
vol. 103, no. 15
what’s INSIDE NEWS A former Wal-Mart executive spoke to students yesterday on campus Page 4
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wednesday, october 15, 2014
1 SECTION, 8 PAGES
Sports Page 7
I assure you, the reality on the ground in West Africa is worse than the worst report you’ve seen.”
SPORTS Wildcats dominate in final nonconference game on Saturday
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FEATURE A professor and his wife publish an illustrated book they wrote for their children Page 5
NEWS Members of SA Congress ask for better lighting around campus Page 3
paige otway staff photographer
Dr. Kent Brantly shares his Ebola story on stage with Dr. Randy Harris in Moody Coliseum on Friday afternoon.
Brantly speaks on behalf of West Africa madeline orr editor in chief
OPINION The number of Americans winning Nobel prizes is dwindling and it’s for the best
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INTRAMURALS It’s playoff season and Daniel Block fills us in on which teams should head to the championship Page 2
NEWS University takes another look at proposal for doctoral education degree Page 4
Dr. Kent Brantly attended ACU Homecoming this weekend for the first time since he graduated in 2003, but he didn’t come just to reconnect with alumni; he came to share with students about his experience with the Ebola virus. Kent was the Grand Marshall of the Homecoming parade on Saturday morning. Brantly spoke in Chapel on Friday morning. Then, he and his wife, Amber (‘06), spoke in two afternoon sessions with students and in a public question-and-answer
session with Dr. Randy Harris in Moody Coliseum. Harris, instructor of Bible, missions and ministry, asked the Brantlys about the crisis in West Africa, Ebola’s spread to the U.S. and their story of faith. Kent and Amber both insisted that, in spite of their journey, they are just regular people. “We’ve been labeled as narcissistic idiots, and we’ve been labeled as heroes, and we don’t feel like either,” Kent said. “We’re just two ACU alumni who were seeking to be faithful to God’s call in our life.” For Kent, 33, that call was to be a medical missionary in West Africa. He was in Libe-
ria when the Ebola outbreak began in April. After treating thousands of patients suffering from the deadly disease, he contracted Ebola on July 23. The Brantlys have been in the national spotlight ever since. Kent said he was unaware of media reports when he was sick in Liberia and when he arrived in America. “This is not about me,” he said. “This is about our great, loving, compassionate God who has called us to love our neighbors. This is about the more than 3,800 people who have died from the Ebola virus disease in West Africa.” He said there has been so much media attention on the
Ebola case in the U.S., and that while those who have been in contact with the patient need to monitor their symptoms and cooperate with authorities, the rest of us don’t need to be afraid. “We’ve had a national frenzy about one case of this disease, while the World Health Organization says there have been over 8,000 cases in West Africa in the last 10 months,” he said. “We need to stop worrying about the irrational and start figuring out how to love our neighbors now to effectively end this outbreak in West Africa.” Harris said in some ways, they have become the faces of what it means to be a faith-
contact orr at mco10b@acu.edu
Dryer sets fire in Barret laundry room daniel block intramurals editor ACU Police and Abilene Fire Department responded to a call from Barret Hall early Friday morning and found smoke gushing from a clothes dryer. At 12:08 a.m., officer Mike Walters of ACUPD received a call from a student regarding a possible fire in the Barret Hall laundry room, Lieu-
tenant Randy Motz said. Walters proceeded to notify the fire department. Walters entered the laundry room to the sight and smell of smoke, Motz said. He pulled the smoking dryer away from the wall and unplugged it. Once the fire department arrived, the fire crew removed the appliance from the laundry room and unloaded the smoldering clothes in the parking lot. The clothes were hosed
down so a fire would not ignite. Motz said the problem did not arise from a faulty dryer. “The gist of the problem, it wasn’t the dryer it appears; (Walters’ police report) says the dryer had too many clothes inside,” Motz said. “It was so packed full of clothes from top to bottom it could barely spin and it could barely get any air in it. You couldn’t fit another
article of clothing in it.” No one claimed the clothes nor the use of the dryer at the time of the incident, Motz said. Tyson Tindol, sophomore from College Station, owned the clothes in the dryer. He declined to comment. ACUPD will not pursue the investigation further, Motz said. “The reason we didn’t follow up on it is ... it wasn’t done on purpose,” Motz
said. “But it’s not a crime; we just follow up on the crimes. As far as doing stuff that wasn’t real smart or student conduct-type affairs, that’s handled with Res Life ... I want to stress it’s not a criminal act.” Motz offered a reminder to the student population regarding ACUPD’s role on campus. see fire page 5
Mystery solved: Freshman drives fan van Linsey Thut features editor
what’s online VIDEO Kai Cremer, GATA president, wins Homecoming Queen
Jarred schuetze chief photographer
Read more at acuoptimist.com
ful follower of Jesus in extraordinarily difficult circumstances. “It’s a huge responsibility, and I don’t want to treat it as a burden, but it’s heavy,” Amber said. “So many people have prayed for us and prayed for Kent. We need those prayers to continue that we steward this responsibility and do it well.” When asked, “What’s next?” Kent answered, “We don’t know.” He said for now they are focusing on being parents to their two children, ages 3 and 5.
A student’s Mystery Machine was driven in the Homecoming parade on Saturday.
Abilene Christian University
Jinkies! The case of the Mystery Machine van parked in Gardner Hall parking lot has been cracked. The mysterious driver of the acclaimed van from Scooby Doo is none other than Nathan Reynolds, a freshman biology major from Kingwood. The idea for the van came to Reynolds his freshman year of high school when he realized he would be driving the family’s 17-year-old gray GMC Safari van. “It was old and not in the best condition, so I was like ‘I should fix this up,’” he said. During his senior year,
after finally getting the car engine to run, Reynolds took the car on its first drive – to his school’s auto shop. “It is probably a $3,000 paint job or more, but I only paid like $665,” Reynolds said. Reynolds’ Mystery Machine is based off of a toy keychain of the van from Cracker Barrel that, though faded, still hangs from his key ring. “Anyone that worked on my car got these and I said, “Make my car look exactly like this,’” he said. And that’s exactly what he got. The Mystery Machine could pass the test of any true fanatic, with likenesses to the cartoon both inside and out. With purple see van page 4
Wednesday 10.15.14
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wednesday
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thursday Softball double header at 4 and 6 p.m. at Wells Stadium vs. Ranger College
Chapel checkup To date:
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friday 7 p.m. Volleyball game versus Houston Baptist University
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saturday
2 p.m. Volleyball game at Texas A&M Corpus Christi
Fall Break 7 p.m. Soccer game at Texas A&M Corpus Christi
6 p.m. Football game at McNeese State
Around Abilene
Remaining:
39 30 @acuoptimist The Optimist
Oct. 16
Oct. 17
Oct. 18
Oct. 21
6 p.m. Bill Minter of the Abilene Preservation League will speak about the importance of preserving Historic Downtown Abilene and lead a walking tour of a rarely-seen abandoned downtown building. This event is free, but requires a reservation. Call 325-673-4587 to secure your free spot.
5 p.m. The Heavenly Rest Chamber Music Concert Series will continue it’s 2014-2015 season. The featured artists are Peter Isaccson, violin and Mark Puckett, piano. They will be performing works by Corelli, Part, Ravel and Brahms. As always our concerts are free and open to the public. Visit http:// www.heavenlyrestabilene. org
8 a.m. Cancer Services Network Run Together 5K to support efforts to continue providing gifts of hope to cancer patients and their families in West Central Texas. The event starts and ends at Frontier Texas. Packet pick-up and race day registration begins at 7:00 a.m. Call 325-672-0040 for more information.
7:30 p.m. Guest artist recital featuring Christopher Adkins, cello. The concert will be in the Williams Performing Arts Center Recital Hall.
optimist@acu.edu Announcements Come to Cullen Auditorium at 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24 for a free screening of the film Believe Me and a talkback session with the writer, director and producer. This event is hosted by ACU FilmFest. Books in the library are being relocated to movable compact shelving on the first floor of the library. The move will take place through September and October and will make it difficult to access some of the books. The move will open up more of the library for study spaces on the first and third floors. We apologize for any inconvenience and ask that you seek librarian assistance at the main floor research desk if you are not able to easily find what you are looking for.
Seekers of the Word Drama Ministry meets for Chapel on Thursdays in the Bible building, Room 104. Our Chapel is open to everyone. Come study the Bible, pray, worship, talk and laugh with us, and get a Chapel credit in the process! Don’t get sick and miss out on any fun (or classes) this season! Flu shots are now available in the ACU Medical Care Center for $20. We accept cash, check, credit, debit or you may bill it to your ACU Banner account. Office hours are 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Watch for announcements of special clinic hours.
Looking for a summer job? Visit the various camp booths in the Campus Center Nov. 12-13 to learn more. You are invited to play video games for science. Every person who participates in our research study will be placed in a drawing for a $50 Visa gift card. We are asking participants to fill out a few questions when they sign-up, play some specific games that are free online for two weeks and fill out a few questions when they are done. To sign-up, go to https:// www.surveymonkey.com/s/M7DMF2Z
TEDxACU will feature one student speaker. Apply to the 2015 Student Speaker Competition by Oct. 24, and that student could be you. Read more about the competition online at acu. edu/tedxacu Sigma Tau Delta’s Short Story and Flash Fiction contest is open to all writers! There will be cash prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners! Judges will be published authors from the Abilene Writers’ Guild. Short Stories: 1000-7000 words, Flash Fiction: 1000 words or less. Turn in paper copies, with a cover sheet, to Admin 212. The deadline is Oct. 31. Send questions to sdh11a@acu.edu.
Volunteer Opportunities Big Brothers Big Sisters “Lunch Buddy” program is looking for volunteers. Each volunteer is matched with an elementary-age child. Volunteers spend just 30 minutes per week eating lunch with their “little brother” or “little sister” at local elementary schools, while mentoring through the simple act of friendship. Participants can enjoy playing card games, reading books and visiting during lunch. Each volunteer can choose their own “lunch buddy day” that fits best with their schedule. 138 children are on the waiting list. Contact Jamie Bearden at 325-6743113 or jbearden@bbbstx.org for more information.
Communities in Schools needs 1020 reading and lunch buddies at Ortiz Elementary. Volunteers are needed anytime between 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. weekdays. Contact Sheila Ashford at 325-671-4945 ext.5351 or sheila.ashford@abileneisd.org for more information. Friends for Life needs volunteers to work with the elderly and people with disabilities, focusing on those that don’t have family or friends to care for them. Some live in nursing homes and some live independently. For nursing home clients, we have friendly visitation, reading to the blind, entertainment, playing games, help writing letters,
special holiday recognition, adopt a grandparent and Gifts for Grannies and Grandpas at Christmas. For those living independently, we have minor household repairs, transportation to the grocery store or doctor appointments, running errands, reassurance calls, change light bulbs and mow lawns. Dates and times are flexible and able to work around students’ schedules. Contact Cecilia Barahona at 325-672-2635 or cecilia@friendsforlife.org for more information.
how: a one-day event, six-week series or year-round troop! Volunteer positions are ongoing and varied. Contact the Michelle Lawson in the Girl Scout Office for current opportunities at 325670-0432 and mlawson@gs-top.org.
Girl Scouts is seeking volunteers to help make a difference in the life of young girls. Girl Scouts offers several flexible ways to volunteer. You choose
For more service oportunities, visit http://www.acu.edu/campusoffices/ ccsl/ministry-service/service-opportunities/index.html
Keep Abilene Beautiful is looking for volunteers to help with litter cleanups. Small and large groups are both needed. Contact Nicole Eaves at 325734-3301 and nicole.eaves@abilenetx. com for more information.
Intramurals
Playoffs!? Don’t talk about playoffs! THE VAGABONDAGE REC-COVERING SAMANTHA SUTHERLAND ADDICT
DANIEL BLOCK
Today I’m going against Jim Mora’s wishes and talking about playoffs. You know, that little mini-tournament teams play in at the end of the year which claims to crown a league champion, but really only determines which team plays the best in cold weather? Yes, playoffs. Oh, you still don’t know what I’m talking about? You’ve never heard of playoffs? You must be a Cowboys fan. Men’s Champs League The regular season concluded Tuesday night with a matchup between first-place MACC Attack and basement-dwellers Boyz in Motion. MACC Attack will more than likely have finished
first following Tuesday night’s game, going undefeated in the regular season in the process. The Attack’s accounting boys have helped bridge the gap between nerds and jocks this season, proving that counting by seven is the easiest way to balance the books at the end of a game. MACC Attack captain Corban Brown believes his team has a distinct advantage with John David Baker at the helm. “I think JD’s biggest asset is his beard,” Brown said. “I mean obviously he is a NCA A Div. I caliber quarterback, but who isn’t these days? Beard intimidation is one of those intangibles that goes a long way when the game is on the line.”
As the top seed, Brown knows MACC Attack is the target for all other teams. He believes his mathematicians are up to the challenge. “Joey McKillop always tells our team that ‘legends are born on the intramural fields, and heroes go through puberty in the endzone,’” Brown said. “We’ll be disappointed if we come away with anything but the championship.” Sub T-16 remained in second after wrapping up its schedule last week. While the rest of the teams battled for tightly-contested playoff positioning, the Subbers used the time off to get a jump on other clubs in preparing for Sing Song in spring. Galaxy finished alongside Sub T at 4-1 after an important 13-7 win over GSP on Thursday. Hunter Rhyne, Galaxy’s intramural director, credits the win to Moonie superstar Phillip Holeman. Hole-
man proclaims himself to be the “Terrell Owens of f lag football.” “(Phillip) caught one touchdown and played great defense,” Rhyne said. “We often call Phil ‘the man’ and that’s exactly what he was on Thursday.” Looking ahead to playoffs, Rhyne is confident in his team’s ability to beat any other team that takes the field. “We are currently preparing for playoffs by having team water aerobics on the weekends,” Rhyne said. “We don’t really care who we play, as long as they’re past their prime and outta shape, just like us.”
ing into the playoffs. The matchup had all the features of a heated rivalry, and ESPN has taken notice. The network will broadcast next year’s Siggie-KJK game, halftime show and all, to a national audience. ACU is looking forward to the opportunity to finally have a high-caliber football game broadcast on national television. Eta Pi had already clinched first place heading into its contest against The Heat, but the opportunity for a perfect season remained enticing. In what may be deemed the upset of the season, The Heat eventually forced Eta Pi’s perfect season bid to crumble, winning 14Women’s Champ League 13. Bethany Lebeau, capLast week, we witnessed tain for The Heat, knows two of the most enter- this was a big confidence taining games of the sea- boost for her team which son. will head into playoffs as Sigma Theta Chi de- the third seed. feated Ko Jo Kai, 14-13, After Eta Pi captain, and took hold of the sec- Marissa Mueller, said Eta ond seed position head- Pi was out to “beat The
Heat,” Lebeau responded, “Um, what? Was that supposed to be a hard win? We had no idea.” Lebeau believes her team was underestimated by Mueller’s Eta Pi. “Maybe next time you should estimate me,” Lebeau said, quoting Michael Scott from The Office. Lebeau plans for her team to ride this momentum through the playoffs and coast to the championship. “We’re not (preparing for playoffs) because we don’t need to,” she said. Time will tell if Lebeau’s words come back to haunt her like Mueller’s did. The playoff schedules have not been released, but the first round of games will likely take place next week for both men’s and women’s champ leagues. contact block at djb13a@acu.edu
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news
Wednesday 10.15.14
SA illuminates dark issues around campus keith sanders student reporter Students’ Association last week passed resolution addressing the lack of lighting around campus and campus security. Emily Moreno, freshman biology major from Uvalde, and Emily Guajardo, freshman convergence journalism major from San Antonio, made the motion. “Every night, I walk toward my dorm and have to face the darkness of campus as I walk alone,” Guajardo said. “It’s seriously pitch black between the Foster Science Building, the Phillips Education Building and
the dorms. Not to mention that there are several other places that need lighting in order to prevent danger and injury from happening.” Guajardo’s concerns are not only for herself but her friends also. “More lighting will help students to wander campus feeling safe and have a greater opportunities to do more on campus at night rather than hide away when the sun is down,” she said. Moreno said the resolution addresses adding lighting throughout campus entirely. “While campus undergoes renovations, I would like to see lights added to more areas,” Moreno
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More lighting will help students to wander campus feeling safe and have a greater opportunity to do more on campus at night, rather than hide away when the sun is down.” emily guajardo freshman journalism major from san antonio
said. “I’ve had friends trip due to bad lighting, and I have friends that don’t feel safe at night.” ACUPD officers agree lighting is important to student safety, but not the end-all solution. “Lighting is an important element of overall campus security, but not the sole indicator,” said Jimmy Ellison, ACU
chief of police. “We conduct light surveys twice a year. The ACU Police Department and Facilities Management survey the lights on campus early in the summer and winter to try and stay up to date on lighting problems.” Ellison said this specific area of campus has already been discussed for improved lighting as
part of the pending construction and expansion projects. “That area of campus needs different types of lighting due to the heav y tree cover,” he said. Though they already monitor lighting conditions, Ellison was not dismissive of the SA resolution. “ACUPD is always open to student ideas and concerns and works hard to keep the campus community informed not only of crime trends, but of ways to prevent students from becoming a victim,” he said. “We value ourselves as a private school but we intentionally provide what amounts to a public campus. Buildings
and grounds are basically open to the public.” Safety is ACUPD’s highest priority, but Ellison encourages those on campus to take responsibility, too. “Every year I look at 1,000 moms and dads and tell them I will do everything in my practical power to keep their sons and daughters safe after they move in,” Ellison said. “However, the police department can only do so much. Students and faculty/staff have to act as the first line of defense. If something looks suspicious, report it.”
contact the optimist at jmcnetwork@acu.edu
Former Walmart CEO speaks on campus jonathan ward staff reporter The former CEO of the largest company in America, Wal-Mart Stores Inc., told students integrity and trust with employees is the most important aspect of being a successful business leader. Mike Duke, retired president and CEO of WalMart Stores Inc. spoke to an audience of nearly 300 guests Tuesday afternoon as part of COBA’s Distinguished Speaker series. Duke spent the day on campus, visiting classes in the College of Business Administration, speaking at the luncheon and meeting with a group of faculty members. At the luncheon Tuesday, Dr. Rick Lytle, dean of the college of business, conducted a question and answer session with Duke. Audience members were able to text in questions for Duke. He covered a variety of topics, from Wal-Mart business happenings, to his personal life and to advice on faith and business. Duke spoke to the importance of integrity as a leader. He said a leader could be smart or orga-
nized, but if employees didn’t trust the leader, nothing else mattered. Duke this duke said belief is what Wal-Mart is built on as a company. “Integrity is really the foundation of WalMart,” Duke said. “It is one of the core beliefs of our company. We can average our sales, we can have good days and not so good days, and the average will be okay. But you can’t average integrity. Your lowest point becomes the measure of your integrity. When you slip that becomes the way people look at you and your integrity. All other strengths as a leader are built on that.” An audience member submitted the question, “What can college students do to stay strong in their faith when entering their career?” Duke said the transitional time from college to career is a time when many big decisions are made, but faith is crucial in those decisions. “Often you can get caught up in all of the big
decisions and put aside the foundation that has gotten you through your life,” Duke said. “It’s so important to start the day with prayer and to make big decisions in life on a rock of faith. Business doesn’t require you to compromise your faith.” Wal-Mart is very competitive in prices, and several audience members were curious as to how the company goes about competing in the market and still operating on the foundation of integrity. “You can play to win, but play by the rules,” Duke said. “At Walmart, we are intense competitors, but we do it the right way. We compete with integrity and fairness.” Duke closed by talking about the future of WalMart. He said the rate of change is going faster all the time, driven by technology. Wal-Mart’s next challenge will be figuring out how technology is integrated into brick and mortar business.
jarred schuetze Staff Photographer contact ward at jtw12a@acu.edu
Kai Cremer, GATA president, was crowned Homecoming Queen during halftime of Saturday’s fooball game.
Actor Kevin Sorbo headlines benefit dinner the event will go towards maternity care for women who experience unplanned pregnancies. Christian Homes & Kevin Sorbo, an actor Family Services conduct- who played the role of an ed the God’s Not Dead atheist philosophy prodinner Monday night to fessor in God’s Not Dead, benefit the organization. was featured as the guest Christian Homes speaker of the event. & Family Services is a In the movie, released 52-year-old local adop- in March, Sorbo’s charaction agency and materni- ter challenges his philosty care ministry that pre- ophy class to support his pares Christian couples belief that God is dead. to adopt and provides Later, the audience foster homes for children realizes his character taken in by Child Protec- is setting the stage for a tive Services. biblical lesson learned Proceeds raised from just in time for the Easter
Sarah Stephens STUDENT reporter
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I was pleasantly surprised to learn about his background and very excited that he accepted our invitation to speak in Abilene.”
that he accepted our invitation to speak in Abilene.” Sorbo is known for his roles in several movies, including Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Sherri Statler president of christian homes and family services Andromeda, Soul Surfer and Hallmark’s The Santa Suit. holiday. president of Christians Sorbo also leads A Sorbo may have played Homes & Family Ser- World Fit For Kids, an the role of an atheist on vices. “They are Chris- organization that proscreen, but off screen, tians, pro-life advocates vides mentors and trains he is known as a devout and spokesmen for orga- inner-city kids to become Christian to viewers. nizations that promote positive role models for “In crazy Holly wood, Godly, family values. I younger children. Kevin and his wife are was pleasantly surprised In 1997, the organiexceptions,” said Sherri to learn about his back- zation was awarded the Statler, ACU alumna and ground and very excited Governor’s Gold Star rec-
A cappella chapel returns on Thursdays haley remenar staff reporter The a cappella chapel, “Drenched,” has returned to Chapel On the Hill. Mark Jackson, co-director of Chapel and associate director of student organizations, said this small group Chapel takes place on Thursdays as an alternative to Immersed. ACU has had a cappella worship because it was founded in the Church of Christ. However, as the student population has grown, the directors of Chapel wanted to give students more opportunities to worship instrumentally. Immersed, an instrumental Chapel that takes place every Tuesday and Thursday in Moody, was the solution, but many students still longed for a cappella worship. That led to the founding of
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We do have stricter requirements this year. There must be a minimum of 10 people attending.” Mark Jackson co-director of chapel
Drenched Chapel. Drenched changed leadership at the transition from Spring 2014 to Fall 2014, Jackson said. This semester, many students requested the Chapel, but few wanted to lead it, Jackson said. Now, Mabree Moore, sophomore elementary education major from Brownwood, and Mary Kate Rotenberry, sophomore kinesiology major from Abilene, have volunteered to lead, and Drenched Chapel is back in session every Thursday in Chapel on the Hill. “We do have stricter requirements this year,”
Jackson said. “There must be a minimum of 10 people attending a small group Chapel, and an oncampus advisor must be present.” About 40 people attend Drenched, and Dr. Libby McCurley, assistant professor of kinesiology and nutrition, and Larry Henderson, co-director of WorldWide Witness, advise. Drenched is one of 64 small group Chapels available to students this year. Jackson said he and the Chapel leadership team want to see more students engaged and invested in Chapel, and he was impressed to see more than 50 students seeking prayer during Come To The Quiet last week. “The Lord is really showing up,” he said. contact remenar at hrr13a@acu.edu
ognizing it as the most successful after-school program in the state of California. “I’m not the perfect Christian; I don’t pretend to be,” Sorbo said in a released statement. “I’m sure there are smarter atheists out there that can make me look like a complete fool, but that’s why they call it faith. If I’m wrong, I’ve lost nothing, and if I’m right I’ve gained everything.” contact the optimist at jmcnetwork@acu.edu
news
wednesday 10.15.14
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Doctoral program proposal in last stretch Rachel fritz copy editor Last month, the Department of Graduate Studies in Education (GSE) faced a likely closure of the department and its masters’ degree programs, but may have the opportunity of staying open with the addition of a doctorate of education in organizational leadership. Dr. Donnie Snider, chair and dean of the College of Education and Human Services, Dr. Bruce Scott, chair for the Department of Graduate Studies in Education, and Dr. Stephen Johnson, dean of the graduate school, have been working on a doctoral school proposal that was presented to the Graduate Council earlier this month. The proposal was vetted
and approved by the Graduate Council and will move on to a full faculty vote, which has been scheduled for later this month. “The date has been set back twice as the faculty have requested additional opportunities for discussion and analysis,” said Dr. Joe Cardot, chair of the Department of Communication and Sociology and chair of Faculty Senate. “There are many questions that people have about how the program will be directed, staffed and monitored.” A majority vote must be achieved in order to take the next step. “Once the proposal had achieved a majority vote, it goes to SACS (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools), our regional accreditors, to sign off and approve,” Scott said.
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Whether that’s school or a non profit organization like the Red Cross...The goal we’re looking at is creating experts in leadership and organizations and understanding Christian vocation.” Dr. Bruce scott chair for department of graduate studies in education
Once SACS approves the program proposal, marketing and course development will begin. Snider and Scott have allowed two months in their plan for SACS to review the proposal. “We think it’ll go well with SACS, but SACS handles numerous states and they’ll get to it when they get to it,” Scott said. “You can’t hurry them up.” Despite the possibility of a delay in the process, Snider remains optimistic. “We’re close,” he said.
“We’ve cleared a lot of hurdles and we’re down to the last few hurdles.” If the proposal is passed, the program will be the second doctoral degree offered by the university aside from the Doctorate of Divinity offered through the Graduate School of Theology. “This addition of another doctorate is kind of a big deal,” Snider said. “Master of Divinity is currently the only program and graduates two or three a year. This program could
have four, five, six hundred students all around the world.” The program will be entirely online, making it possible to include students beyond Abilene. The program will also offer opportunities for non-education majors to pursue a doctorate in education. “We want people to understand it’s interdisciplinary,” Snider said. “Even though it says doctorate of education, it’s not just for education. An Ed. D. is accepted as a terminal degree in many fields not just in education, it appeals to a lot of disciplines. Doctorate of education is a general term; it is a doctorate in organizational leadership.” Snider and Scott hope the program will attract a wide variety of students. “We’re looking at people
who want to be top executives in their chosen field,” Scott said. “Whether that’s school or a nonprofit organization like the American Red Cross or a hospital or higher education advocation. The goal we’re looking at is creating experts in leadership and organizations and understanding Christian vocation.” The two have high hopes for the program. “We’re really excited about it because it’s interdisciplinary,” Snider said. “It just gives you a better chance to be successful.” Their goal is to start doctoral courses in the second session of the spring semester, which starts March 3.
contact fritz at ref11a@acu.edu
ACUPD investigates more car burglaries abby runnels page 2 editor More car burglaries have taken place since the three break-ins on the night of Sept. 20. There have been three car burglary attempts and one successful burglary on campus since Oct. 1. The culprit attempted to steal the cars by tampering with the steering column. One of these attempts was successful as
a student’s pickup truck was stolen from the parking lot between Mabee Hall and Edwards Hall at 5 a.m. Oct. 9. Other burglary locations include Smith Adams Hall, University Park Apartments, EN 13th St. and College Dr. Car burglaries are not unusual on campus, said Jimmy Ellison, chief of ACU police. However, these are not typical burglaries. “It is unusual to have
people try and steal the car itself,” he said. “It’s critical that people lock their cars to keep this from happening.” The suspects have been caught on camera multiple times. The pictures have not been released to the public because the incidents are under investigation. The suspects are going from car to car, typically in the late hours of the night and early hours of the morning, pulling on
handles to see if the vehicles are unlocked. If the vehicle is unlocked, Ellison said, they get inside and rif le through things left inside, taking items such as sunglasses, iPods and navigation systems. In response to the recent spike in the rate of break-ins, ACUPD has increased patrols and added more overtime patrols at night in areas prone to burglary. “The biggest key is locking your car and re-
porting suspicious activity,” Ellison said. “We’re doing our part. Students have got to do their part. It’s a crime of opportunity, and we have to stop giving that to them.” ACU is not the only place where burglaries have increased in recent months. The increased rate of break-ins corresponds to an increase city-wide, Ellison said. In the past, about 70 percent of car burglaries
in Abilene occurred when cars were unlocked. Recent numbers show that percentage has risen to about 82 percent. “ACUPD hasn’t analyzed the data yet, but we expect the numbers on campus to ref lect those in the city of Abilene,” Ellison said.
contact runnels at anr11a@acu.edu
Fire: Barret dryer stuffed too full with clothes from page 1 “That was really good that the student who saw that reported it immediately,” Motz said. “I want to keep encouraging ACU students ... they are the best deterrent in regard to crime and
in regard to personal safety. If they see something that doesn’t look right, they need to call ACUPD.” The police department is available at any hour of the day or night. Students should not worry that they may be bothering the offi-
cers, Motz said. “That’s what we’re here for,” Motz said. “We’d rather make sure everything’s alright.” Dr. Bob Strader, director of Residence Life Education and Housing, commented on the incident.
“The source of the fire was the lint had not been removed,” Strader said. “And it was a little bit overloaded as well. It was noticed by people in Barret, the fire department was called then the fire was put out. They’re still using
the dryers over there, not that one of course, but everything’s still usable over there now. So we’re moving on.” Strader offered a tip to students. “It’s always just a good practice and habit to re-
move the lint from your dryer before you use it,” Strader said. As of 1 p.m. on Tuesday the dryer had not been replaced. contact block at djb13a@acu.edu
Jarred Schuetze Staff Photographer
A resident of ACU’s Christian Village Retirement Home throws highlighters to onlookers during Saturday morning’s parade.
Van: Scooby Doo fan customizes car from page 1 shag seat, mirror and steering wheel covers and a radio that glows purple, the only thing missing from the groovy vehicle are a few boxes of Scooby Snacks. Reynolds said he has a couch for the back seat, but left it at home to save space in his car. As for the exterior, Reynolds handpicked everything to make sure it resembled the original Mystery Machine. “The decals on there are a picture off of the cartoon,” Reynolds said. “They aren’t handmade; they’re identical.” And, of course, no Mystery Machine would be complete without its lovable duo, Shaggy and Scooby. “I won a Scooby doll at Six Flags, and he constantly sits in the passen-
ger seat with me when my girlfriend’s not sitting there,” Reynolds said. In high school Reynolds had longer hair and dressed up as Shaggy, khaki pants and all. Students around campus have taken notice of the colorful van. Kayla Holcomb, sophomore computer science major from Witchita Falls, said the Mystery Machine has been a popular topic of conversation. “I think that this guy is really creative,” Holcomb said. “It’s something that stands out even on a campus that’s this big.” While the Mystery Machine receives praise from onlookers, Reynolds said no one is a bigger fan of the van than his 6-year-old nephew. “I’d pick him up from school sometimes and he’d tell everyone it was
the real Mystery Machine off the cartoon,” Reynolds said. Reynolds’ love for customizing cars has only grown after meeting others with the same hobby. In Kingwood, he met a guy who created a Batmobile out of two Corvettes. “He said ‘If you ever customize a car, you can never get a normal car again,” Reynolds said. Reynolds agreed and said his next dream venture is to create an “Ecto1” from the movie Ghostbusters. But until then, he said he’d settle for some more purple shag and a DVD player for his van. And perhaps he’ll even consider buying a few Scooby Snacks. contact thut at lct10a@acu.edu
5
Features
Wednesday 10.15.14
Paige Otway sTAFf Photographer
Above: Houston Heflin and his wife Karen read the book they wrote, I Promise It’s True, to their four daughters Gable, 4, Haven, 7, Emoree, 10 and Matalee, 12.
Publishing
Love linsey thut Features Editor love you when you’re good, I love you when you’re bad. I love you when you’re happy, I love you when you’re sad.” This phrase, and variations of it, can be heard in the whispers of Karen Hef lin to her four daughters each night. This tradition has tucked the Hef lin children in bed for 12 years. Now, Gable, Emoree, Matalee and Haven Hef lin don’t have to wait for their mother’s good night kiss to be assured of her love. It’s available for them, and multiple other children, in the book I Promise It’s True by Houston and Karen Hef lin. The children’s book portrays the unconditional love of parents through seven scenarios where children question their parent’s love, and each time, the parent replies with one of Mrs. Hef lin’s rhymes about love. “She would say, all the time, things like ‘I love you when you’re sad’ or ‘I love you when you’re sick,’” said Houston Hef lin, assistant professor of Bible missions and ministry. “It became this little rhyme that kept growing and growing.” Mrs. Hef lin said she would create a rhyme about why they loved the girls and say it to them each night based on what difficulties they had encountered that day. And that’s where Mr. Hef lin got the idea for the book. “Each of the parents’ responses in the book, I would say that to the girls each night,” Mrs. Hef lin said. One day, Mr. Hef lin, took his wife’s responses and started creating scenarios that would fit them. “He wrote what the kid is saying and came up with the situation to make it unique and put it together with this rhyme that I’ve said for 12 years to the girls at night,” she said. What makes the story so special to the Hef lins is that each character’s situation is based on a real situation from their family. “They’re either one of his, one of the girls’ or a cousin’s story,” Mrs. Hef lin said. Mr. Hef lin said the first scenario he dreamed up was based on an incident from his own childhood. “When I was a kid, I kicked a soccer ball through the window of my parent’s house,” he said.
It stuck with him because he said he was shocked they still loved him even though it was an expensive window. In their book I Promise It’s True, the little boy, just like Mr. Hef lin, discovers his parents adore him, despite his mistakes. Each of the Hef lin daughters can describe which incident in the book is built on their own personal experiences. Gable, the youngest Hef lin girl at 4-years-old, recounts a character in the story that has a sore throat and questions her parents’ love because she’s sick. Gable said it is her favorite part because she knows it is about her and it reminds her of her parents’ love. “I like it because it makes me feel like mom is taking care of me,” Gable said. Other family stories shared through the book include a cousin who lost a spelling bee and a spilled jug of milk, which Haven Hef lin, 7, bashfully admitted was her. Emoree’s moment in the book was losing a race. Mrs. Hef lin said they put her experience in the book because the wanted the 10-year-old to know the emphasis was not on winning, but that she tried. “She really wanted to win but we were so proud of her for just running the race in the first place,” Mrs. Hef lin said. Mr. Hef lin said after he came up with the scenarios he wanted to use, he sent them to his sister, Heather Hodges, an artist in Dallas, to see if she could come up with any pictures for the book. “I just sent her the poem of the book and said ‘Hey what could you do with this?’” Mr. Hef lin said. “The next day, she sent me images.” The whole idea for the book, he said, was just to demonstrate their love for their children. “We wanted to leave them with something that, if we weren’t here tomorrow, they would have something from us to remember how much they are loved,” Mr. Hef lin said. nd his four daughters said this mission was accomplished. They are constantly reminded of their parents love, even without reading the book every night. Emoree said a lot of the mistakes in the book they still make, such as spilling milk or getting grumpy. When these things happen, their parents remind them of the love rhyme in the book. “A lot of the scenarios will happen again and
they’ll say it again” Emoree said. “We grew up hearing it.” Matalee, their oldest daughter at 12-years-old, said there are two reasons she loves reading I Promise It’s True. “I like reading these stories because they are good, but I also like reading the story because it’s about me,” she said. The Hef lins said besides just reminding their children they are unconditionally loved, they wanted to show their children that anything – even publishing a book –is possible. “If it’s something that you value that’s from your heart and you love to do, then do it, put it out there,” Mrs. Hef lin said. This lesson is catching on quickly with the Hef lin girls. Most of them already have dreams of publishing their own books. moree was inspired to try her hand at writing books and has written several stories that only her younger sister Haven is allowed to read. Nonetheless, she has set her sights on one day publishing a book of her own. “When I was little, I thought it was so cool to publish a book,” Emoree said. “Now that I’ve seen it, I think that’s even cooler.” And for the Hef lin’s, what started as a little book for their children, has spread to other parents, selling over 400 copies since it was published in August. Mr. Hef lin credits the children’s book’s success to the notion that all parents feel this way about their kids, but just never knew how to say it, and the book does. “Parents are trying to express that in lots of different ways in the way they talk to them and interact, but this is just another way to reinforce the way they feel about their kids,” Mr. Hef lin said. He said he hopes the unconditional love in this book can be passed down through their family and around to other families. “I would love for children everywhere to hear the message of how much they are loved from parents, grandparents, guardians, whoever,” Mr. Hef lin said. “We’d love for people to hear this.”
contact thut at lct10a@acu.edu
Opinion
6
Wednesday 10.15.14
editorial
The United States thinks it’s more Nobel than you the issue More Nobel prize winners have been awarded to U.S. citizens than to any other country.
our take This year, the two winners were from India and Pakistan. We think that sharing the spotlight is a good change and a trend that might be healthy to continue.
The Nobel Peace Prize was recently awarded to two individuals – Malala Yousafzai, a 17-year-old Pakastani who was attacked by the Taliban for advocating the education
of Muslim girls, and Kailash Satyarthi, an Indian actively fighting against the exploitation of children. Yousafzai is the youngest to ever receive a Nobel
hashtagACU
Prize. Her story is filled with incredible displays of bravery, strength and gumption. Satyarthi’s story is also honorable with his many peaceful protests reminiscent of Ghandi. These were two out of thirteen winners awarded Nobel Prizes this year. Four of those winners were from the United States. It’s easy to think the only newsworthy ideas, events and people are in the U.S. We’re prominent. We’re loud. We’re proud.
Let’s beat a dead horse. The Ebola coverage reveals something about us. While more than 3,800 people in Africa have died from Ebola, attention to the disease only peaked on Twitter when news broke that the virus had come to the U.S., according to social media analytics service Topsy. Kent Brantly’s main goal when he came to ACU’s campus was to say just the opposite: this isn’t about us. This is a lesson the United States as a whole needs to learn.
The U.S. has produced the highest number of Nobel prize winners - 353 in all – dwarfing other countries. The second highest winning country is the the U.K., who’s had 113. It’s not surprising we’ve had so many successes. We have a large population, available resources and a conducive environment. But the gap between the number of awards we’ve received and the rest of the world seems grossly disproportional.
Though four of this year’s winners were from the United States, last year’s Nobel prizes were awarded to nine Americans. Hopefully that’s a trend that will continue, and we’ll get better at sharing the spotlight. Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi are the best kind of reminders that the world has so much more to offer than the U.S. contact The Optimist at jmcnetwork@acu.edu
DAILY doodle dosage
Ben Todd
Oct. 13 3:27 p.m.
Just explained “YOLO” to my history professor. #ACUDifference
Oct. 14 3:54 p.m.
A coffee a day, keeps the bad grades away
@jbc30 @hmwhitmire
Oct. 14 5:05 p.m.
Lol at the girl behind me in the library talking about getting engaged. You do you girl. I’ll just be here studying my bones.
Oct. 13 8:06 a.m.
To the boy wearing shorts and a t-shirt...The weather app is free #youneedajacket
@b_armstrong3
@carriganjessica
Oct. 13 5:16 p.m.
The nursing building is like an agar plate. It takes microoraganisms from one sick nursing student and it colonizes until all of us are sick
Oct. 13 4:02 p.m.
.@Suddenlink (noun) 1) the worst ISP in the history of the world 2) productivity ruiner
@amyynicole
@BranceArmstrong
Oct. 12 10:45 p.m. Oct. 14 8:54 a.m.
“You’d think my 40k would pay for better wifi” @davidgrizzy18 #ACUDifference
Column
Let’s just keep Abilene boring
Why can’t ACU just install a coffee “water fountain” already?
VIEWS VAGABONDAGE FROM GOODY SAMANTHA SUTHERLAND TWO-SHOES
LINSEY THUT
@austinkilcullen @EricLHamilton
Financial status: just rinsed a paper plate
Hobbies and skills: really good at collecting an excess abundance of Walmart plastic baggies
When I first visited ACU’s campus, I made my parents stop by Monk’s Coffee Shop so I could purchase a “Keep Abilene Boring” T-shirt. But at that time, I had no clue about the depths of Abilene’s boringness, or why in the world anyone would want to keep it that way. Then, this summer, I had an internship in Austin which is New York City compared to
YikYak Good thing I was going for the wind blown look today. Thanks, Abilene.
YikYak
YikYak
Abilene. There were millions of things to do at every hour of the day, and that’s no exaggeration. At first, I was amazed by food trucks and concerts and hipster shops galore. I was just racing to make it to each top spot in town before the summer ended. Yelp became my best friend and I was constantly looking to find the coolest place in town. But then, something happened I never
saw coming—I missed Abilene. I missed the simple act of just sitting down to have coffee with a friend. I missed conversations that were deep and about each other, instead of the new place we tried last week. Because there was always something to do, my friends and I never just stopped to catch up with one another. It was always go, go, go. And then, one warm July night, while hanging out with a friend with everything to do within our reach in Austin, we instinctively found ourselves in a Walmart parking lot, talking in her truck for the next three hours. That’s when it all
came together. Abilene is boring. So much so, that most of the ACU student body can be found at Walmart late on a Saturday night, and many weekends are spent at home watching movies together. But that’s exactly the reason why I love it. Abilene’s lack of allure forced me to bond with my friends over swing sets at midnight and car rides for no reason. We were forced to create our own fun, no matter how stupid. And with that, I realized the true reason to keep Abilene boring. contact thut at lct10a@acu.edu
Column
TBH, TBTs are the result of our knack for nostalgia VAGABONDAGE THE ORRACLE
SAMANTHAMADELINE SUTHERLAND ORR
Despite all the forwardthinking techy trends that are constantly abuzz, we seem to retain an obsession with nostalgic snap shots of the past. We make #ThrowBackThursday posts on social media so we can display old pictures of ourselves as children being dysfunctional and wearing too much denim. And when we don’t have old pictures, we just apply desaturating filters and edit our iPhone photos in an attempt to create the
same sense of nostalgia. We love every other decade but our own. ‘70s, ‘80s, or ‘90s, it doesn’t matter—if you slap a decade theme on any party or social gathering, people break out the costumes. We may not be on top of the trends of our own decade, but at least we can pretend we would have totally “fit in” back then. We love old clothes. Goodwill is considered a gold mine. But only those willing to dig through
that rack for the coveted faded t-shirt from 1996 with a perfectly retro logo get rich. Students proudly wear their dad’s vintage Sub-T sweatshirt around campus or occasionally break out a fanny pack to make the statement, “Hey, I’m bringing these back.” We love to indulge ourselves a look into our pasts. People often refer to the past as a simpler time. Maybe we are hoping that by reminiscing in those memories or by pretending to be a part of another era, that we will find a simple moment in the midst of our complicated present day. Those times may have seemed less complicated on account of fewer
editorial and Letter Policy Unsigned editorials are the opinions of the Optimist and may not necessarily reflect the views of the university or its administration. Signed columns, cartoons and letters are the opinions of their creators and may not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of the Optimist or the university. The Optimist encourages reader response through letters to the editor but reserves the right to limit frequent contributors or to refuse to print letters containing
personal attacks, obscenity, defamation, erroneous information or invasion of privacy. Please limit letters to 350 words or fewer. A name and phone number must be included for verification purposes. Phone numbers will not be published.
published by the department of journalism and mass communication editorial and management board
Address letters to: ACU Box 27892 Abilene, TX 79609 E-mail letters to: optimist@acu.edu
lawsuits, less seatbelt wearing and no place for something such as a gluten-free menu. But those decades had worries and complications of their own. That picture of you from 1995 involving something Fisher Price might have been taken while the country was still in shock about the Oklahoma City bombing. That picture of your parents wedding in the 80’s you posted for their anniversary was snapped in a world that feared nuclear war between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. I realize this could be a depressing way to look at old memories. Don’t let the bad things that are always happening in the
“
We make #ThrowBackThursday posts on social media so we can display old pictures of ourselves as children being dysfunctional and wearing too much denim.”
world overshadow the good in those captured moments, but don’t forget to find the good in the present day either. I love a good #TBT as much as the next Instagrammer, but don’t get caught up in wishing you could still get away with that awkward haircut. Instead, embrace the memory and then come back to the present—live in all the awkwardness or dysfunctional memories
that today offers. Because even though we love dressing up like we lived in those simpler times, I bet if you stepped into that perfectly filtered photo and talked to your younger self, you’d hear yourself making some of the same complaints about your mom that you did today. contact orr at mco10b@acu.edu
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sports
wednesday 10.15.14
7
Volleyball can’t close out Sam Houston Tori Valdivia sports reporter The ACU volleyball team dropped their sixth Southland Conference game against Sam Houston State Saturday afternoon in three matches (30-28, 29-27 and 25-20). The Wildcats now stand 0-6 in conference play while the Bearkats improved their record to 4-1. “We faltered late in first two sets and weren’t able finish when we had set point on multiple occasions,” said Jason Bibler, head coach. “We just gave Sam Houston too many opportunities to tie it back up.” The first set was hardfought on both ends, featuring 21 ties and 17 lead changes. ACU had set
point twice (27-26 and 2827), but ultimately could not handle the Bearkats’ offense. Sam Houston tied the score both times and eventually clinched the win. Sam Houston’s offense was led by Deveney Wells-Gibson, senior outside hitter from San Antonio, with 19 kills. Jordyn Vaughn, freshman outside hitter from Huntsville, and Carling Urben, junior middle blocker from Salado, recorded nine kills each. The Bearkats also had nine service aces throughout the match. ACU had a strong outing for Set 2 with three set points and even as much as a three-point lead (22-19). The Wildcats had the lead at 2422 on a kill from Jennie Loerch, junior outside
hitter from Georgetown, but were unable to finish from there. The Bearkats answered with consecutive points from Wells-Gibson and Shelby Genung, sophomore middle blocker from Austin, that tied the set at 24. The Wildcats regained the lead for the last time at 27-26 on a kill from sophomore middle blocker from Centennial, Lexi Mercier, until the Bearkats scored three points in a row to claim the win. “We’re struggling with the same thing, performing in clutch situations,” Loerch said. The Bearkats ran away with the third set as the Wildcats never had the lead. Sam Houston jumped out to leads of 9-3 and 22-10 before the Wildcats made some late
noise with an 8-1 run to cut their deficit to five points. ACU outblocked the Bearkats 8.0 to 3.0, half of which came late in the third set as the Wildcats battled against a 12-point deficit. Mercier recorded three blocks while Corinne Grandcolas, freshman outside hitter from Austin, had four block assists. The Wildcats hit .157 as a team, led by Loerch with 11 kills. “I know it sounds cliché, but we really are better than these teams,” Loerch said. “We just need to focus on scoring points in pivotal moments.”
paige otway Staff Photographer contact valdivia at vmv12b@acu.edu
Junior setter Sarah Siemens sets up junior right side hitter Rachel Riley for a spike. ACU plays HBU Thursday.
Two Goalkeepers anchor ACU defense Collin Thompson sports reporter The Wildcat soccer team has started the season 7-7-1 overall and stands at second place in the Southland Conference with a conference record of 4-2-1. They have outscored their opponents by a small margin this year at just 21 to 18 goals, but what sets the team apart is its goalkeepers. Amassing 81 saves between the duo over the season, compared to their opponents with just 57, sophomores Kelsey Dombrowski and Sydney Newton have been responsible for keeping their team in games. The two share the responsibilities as starting keeper for the team and are available when the other comes out of the game. “[The coaches] hold us as equals and just decide week to week who they’re going to play,” Dombrowski said. “We never know what’s going to happen. We don’t know who’s playing until right before the game.” Newton has 44 saves on the year with a Goals Against Average of 1.38 and has only allowed 10 goals while Dombrowski has 37 saves with a GAA of 1.30 and has allowed eight. “I think both of us in the first half of the season have already made more saves than we had the entire season last year, so it’s definitely been a lot busier and a lot more stressful, but it’s been fun,” Newton said. “Keeps the games exciting.” Splitting time between multiple players is not unfamiliar to the two, as they both had to deal with it when they played club soccer. Dombrowski said switching and having both available to play is beneficial to them and the team as a whole. “It’s nice for us because
paige otway Staff Photographer
Sophomore goalkeepers Sydney Newton and Kelsey Dombrowski have helped put the women’s soccer team in second place in it’s first year in the Southland. The two have split their playing time right down the middle as they have both played in 10 games.
we have had injuries on our team and us in particular as well, but we don’t need as much rest as our field players,” Dombrowski said. Newton said there are more benefits than just time to rest and injury prevention. “I think also it’s nice
to take off of each other,” Newton said. “You can see what our strengths are, and I feel like I’ve learned a lot from watching Kelsey play.” Dombrowski said, despite the lack of starting consistency, the two haven’t had any problems being at the top of the
depth chart. “Obviously we both want to play,” Dombrowski said. “If we kind of look back at our practices, I will say ‘You know what, she did better than me in practice. She deserves it more than I do. She’s doing well.’ You have to think of how our team’s
Cross Country looks to Southland conference championships Hannah Null sports reporter The cross country teams have finished their regular season meets and will attend the Southland Conference Championships Nov. 1. The women’s team has only had one finish lower than third place the entire season, when the team took 11th place at the Chile Pepper Festival on Oct. 4. They took first place in their first meet of the season, the West Texas Collegiate Open, and their last, the Incarnate Word Invitational. The Wildcats have high hopes going into the Conference Championships because of how well their season has gone. “I think we will rank top three at conference,” said Michaela Hackett, sophomore from Cranston, Rhode Island. “That’s
our goal right now, and looking at how the season has gone so far, there is no reason why we won’t be able to fight for that spot.” Sophomore Diana Garcia-Munoz, from Phoenix, has led the Wildcats this season and has taken the place as champion in two of the five races they have competed in. The men’s team has finished in second, fourth, sixth, seventh and 20th during the season. They have had a lot of success with the help of Daniel Block, senior from Saskatchewan, Canada. “The captains on our team have set a great example for the freshman, and I look up to them as role models for what I want to achieve in the future,” said Ryan Cleary, freshman from Prosper. “I try to mirror the work ethic of our lone senior,
“
“The captains on our team have set a great example for the freshmen. And I look up to them as role models for what I want achieve in the future.”
Daniel Block, so that I can reach the level of success he has achieved. I have learned that you have to adapt to change, and you have to keep an open head.” As the Wildcats head into championships, they are keeping in mind and competing for their assistant coach, Drew Graham, who was in an accident in which he suffered a serious spinal cord injury while visiting Colorado. “One of the most important things I’ve learned this cross season
ryan cleary freshman ACU cross country
is to never take the ability to run for granted,” said Taylor Ochs, junior from Midland. “Everyone on the team really wants to honor God with the opportunity that we have to compete. Having our coach who’s a world class distance runner in the condition that he’s in really hurts to think about, and it really makes me want to run every race and workout the best I can.” contact null at hnl12A@acu.edu
going to benefit from it.” The main goal is to succeed. Newton said it doesn’t matter who the coaches put in the net as long as the team is working together to further the team and the ACU soccer program. “We basically always want to win,” Newton
said. “I think we go into every game wanting to prove to all these other teams that we’re a bigger deal than they think we are and we’re going to create a name for ourselves.” contact thompson at cnt13c@acu.edu
sports
wednesday 10.15.14
‘Cats can’t jump first place ‘Jacks Hannah Little sports Anchor The ACU soccer team fell 1-0 to Stephen F. Austin, the No. 1 team in the Southland Conference, last Sunday. Neither team scored until the 82nd minute when the Ladyjacks’ Zuri Prince made the gamewinning goal. This goal was Prince’s sixth of the year. For the defense, ACU sophomore goalkeeper Kelsey Dombrowski faced seven shots in the first half and made two saves. Sophomore goalkeeper Sydney Newton made two big stops in the second half of the game. “Overall we were controlling the game, but we could not complete any of our shots once we were in front of the goal,” Newton said. “The SFA offense did not pressure the goal as much as we expected, but they took advantage of opportunities they were given
which ultimately led to our defeat.” On the offensive side of the ball, junior Lindsey Jones led the Wildcats with three shots. ACU was able to take make 12 shots, four of which were blocked. Stephen F. Austin remains number one in the conference with a record of 6-0. The Ladyjacks didn’t let up on their level of play as the Wildcats were challenged with the toughest competition. “SFA is always a wellorganized team and will pay attention to the details of the game more so than a lot of teams we play,” said Casey Wilson, head soccer coach. “So, if you give them a small opening, they will take advantage.” However, ACU was able to stand strong as the defense held up well throughout the game. “Overall, defensively, we played a solid game,” Wilson said. “Our back line has been tough all year, and our keepers
have been solid as well. Our build-up of play throughout the game was good, but we did not test the SFA keeper enough throughout the game.” The Wildcats currently stand at number two in the conference with Southeastern Louisiana and Sam Houston State trailing behind at third and fourth. “We competed well like we always do and had three nice goals on Friday,” Wilson said. “This team knows what they are capable of and with that they have not gotten down after tough losses. We will bounce back.”
standings football Standings
Team
Div.
SELU UCA SHSU ACU SFA
3-0 3-0 2-0 2-1 1-1 1-1 1-2 0-1 0-1 0-2 0-2
MSU NSU Lamar UIW HBU Nicholls St.
Ovrl 5-2 4-3 3-3 4-3 4-2 3-2 3-3 4-3 1-6 1-5 0-7
soccer Standings
Team
Div.
SFA 6-0 ACU 4-2-1 SELU 4-2 SHSU 4-2 HBU 3-1-2 Nicholls St.3-2 MSU 3-4 TAMU-CC 2-3-1 Lamar 2-4-1 UCA 1-3-1 UIW 1-4-1 NSU 0-6-1
ACU will continue its fight as the team competes this Friday against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. On Sunday, the team will face Incarnate Word.
Ovrl 10-2-1 7-7-1 11-3 5-8 4-6-3 7-5 5-8-1 3-5-3 4-9-1 5-6-2 1-11-1 3-11-1
volleyball Standings Paige otway Staff Photographer
contact Little at hll12a@acu.edu
8
Senior defender Taylor Brown tries to steal the ball from a Stephen F. Austin forward. The Wildcats lost 1-0.
Team
Div.
UCA SFA SHSU SELU NSU TAMU-CC Lamar Nicholls St. HBU UIW MSU ACU NO
7-0 6-0 4-1 4-2 4-2 3-2 3-2 3-3 2-3 2-5 1-6 0-6 0-7
Ovrl 12-7 13-7 11-7 7-11 7-12 10-12 3-14 7-12 7-12 6-14 10-12 2-17 6-15
Who’s Hot Redshirt freshman running back De’Andre Brown had his best game Brown of the year Saturday against Ave Maria. Brown carried 10 times for 58 yards and three rushing touchdowns. Brown is second on the team in rushing yards this season with 379 and tied for first in touchdowns with four.
briefings Paige Otway Staff Photographer
Senior fullback/tight end Noah Cheshier hurdles an Ave Maria defender. Cheshier was second on the team in catches (five) and yards (60) Saturday. ACU football is now 4-3 on the season and heads to conference opponent McNeese State Saturday Oct. 18.
Football powers through Gyrenes collin wieder sports editor The football team scored more than 50 points for the second time this year on its way to a 55-14 Homecoming win against the Ave Maria Gyrenes. ACU improved to 4-3 overall on the year while the Gyrenes dropped to 1-5. The Wildcat offense put together another great outing, going for 513 total yards. The NAIA’s Gyrenes gave ACU some trouble early on. The Wildcats gave up a 48-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Clayton Uecher, making it only a 10-7 ACU lead at the end of the first quarter. ACU responded with a Herschel Sims rushing touchdown to make it 17-7, but Ave Maria answered with a 22-yard touchdown pass to make it 17-14 with 8:37 remaining in the second. The Gyrenes would not score again as the Wildcat defense shut down Ave Maria. The offense scored 38 unanswered points to finish the rout. “The first half it wasn’t pretty,” said Ken Collums, head coach. “But the players played well. We just need to clean some things up.” Sophomore quarterback Parker McKenzie started off rough in the first quarter, going only 4-for-10 for 64 yards, but rebounded to finish 22for-31 for 304 yards and a touchdown. Junior re-
paige otway Staff Photographer
The Wildcats put together a complete game Saturday. The defense gave up only 354 total yards while forcing a turnover. The offense had 513 yards and zero turnovers. ceiver Cade Stone continued his great season as he had eight receptions for 121 yards and the only receiving touch-
down. Tight end Noah Cheshier was second on the team in catches (five) and yards (60). ACU’s run game was
the story Saturday, as the team racked up 41 carries for 168 yards and six touchdowns. Junior running back Sims
led the team in rushing yards with 86 and added a touchdown as well. Freshman De’Andre Brown rushed for 58 yards and three rushing touchdowns. Backups Randy Gober and Adrian Duncan also picked up a touchdown each during the 4th quarter. “Me and Herschel are for real,” Brown said. “Once I leave the game and he comes in, we don’t miss a step.” Ave Maria put 354 total yards of offense, most of which came in the first half. Clayton Uecher was the leading in rushing and passing for the Gyrenes. He carried six times for 47 yards and went 18-for-36 for 276 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Linebacker Justin Stephens led the Wildcat defense in tackles with 12. Defensive end Nick Richardson was second on the team in tackles with five and tackles for loss with two. Richardson recorded his sixth sack of the year putting him at 5.5 sacks, just four away from breaking the ACU career record for sacks. “If we are going to have a chance to win the rest of our five games, you have to have great quarterback and defensive play,” Collums said. “If we can put four quality quarters together, we will have a chance to win.” contact WIEDER at CPW11A@acu.edu
Associate Director of Athletics of Operations Cory Driskill was named interim Athletic Director Monday. Sophomore cross country runner Diana Garcia-Munoz won her second race of the season this weekend. Munoz finished the course with a time of 22:54.2. Quarterback Parker McKenzie continues to lead the Southland in passing yards per game with 293.4. McKenzie has tossed 17 touchdowns to only four interceptions this season. Be sure to follow @OptimistSports on Twitter for more stories and the latest ACU sports news coverage.
Upcoming Men’s and women’s tennis travels to College Station for ITA Regionals Thursday. The tournament starts at 8 a.m. and goes until Sunday. Volleyball plays at home Thursday against Houston Baptist at 7 p.m. Women’s soccer heads to Corpus Christi to take on Texas A&M Corpus Christi. The match starts at 7 p.m. Friday.