Orchestrated Screams Ensemble features Halloween tunes Arts Page 5 vol. 103, no. 20
friday october 31, 2014
1 SECTION, 6 PAGES
what’s INSIDE NEWS Texas Supreme Court Justice Jeff Boyd to visit campus Page 3
SPORTS Coach Collums to take on alma mater, UCA
Page 6
OPINION We think that students make some good points about their CORE experiences Page 4
paige otway staff Photographer
Kayli Denson, Tori Wilson, Kelsea Marshall and Elley Arrington get ready Halloween carving pumpkins together at Kojie club on Wednesday night.
Frats’ Island scares 500 first weekend
NEWS Beltway Park closing in on finishing construction on their north campus Page 3
OPINION Our cartoonist illustrates the feeling many freshmen and that dreaded annotated biography
elijah Evans staff reporter Now that Halloween has finally arrived, the Frater Sodalis haunted house is in full swing. Over 500 people came for a scare during their opening weekend, last Thursday, Friday and Saturday. “It’s gone really well and people seem to be pretty scared,” said Jonathan Juarez, vice president of Frater Sodalis. The 32-year club tradition is the longest run-
ning haunted house in Abilene. It doles out a legitimately frightening 15 minutes of terror every year. The theme for this year’s event is return of The Haunted Island. It will be open from 7:30 p.m. to midnight Oct. 30-31 and, for the fourth straight year, will take place at 401 N. Loop 322. Keith Sanders, club fundraiser and event planner, encourages everyone to come out for the last two nights. “We’ve historically
done a lot of zombie themes, but we are trying to stay away from that this year,” said Mathew Solomon, president of Frater Sodalis. “I’m just really excited for it because every year, it is probably the best thing about being a Frat.” Club members have been hard at work on the haunted house, said Sanders, senior advertising and public relations major from Abilene. The location is one of the most important aspects, he said.
The Haunted Island is a collection of paths and islands interconnected by bridges surrounded by a swampy lake. It provides the extra element that makes The Haunted Island one of the most terrifying haunted houses in the area, Sanders said. “It usually takes about 15-20 minutes to get through; it’s a pretty good trek,” he said. With the size of the Haunted Island comes a tremendous amount of work involved in the set-
up. Frater Sodalis members have been building fences, props and other integral elements for weeks. “I think it’s going to be fun,” said Cade Allen, sophomore engineering major from Abilene and new member of Frats. “I’ve heard it’s one of the most fun things we do as a club. It’s not an easy thing to do, but it’s worth it.” contact evans at ece12a@acu.edu
AES students meet with president, provost madeline orr editor in chief Page 4
SPORTS Women’s soccer finishes season with a winning Southland record Page 6
INTRAMURALS Siggies, GSP win flag football championship
Page 2
what’s online VIDEO Frats prepare for the return to their Haunted Island
Read more at acuoptimist.com
Students from the Department of Agriculture and Environmental Science met with the president of the university, Dr. Phil Schubert, and the provost, Dr. Robert Rhodes, to discuss the future of their degree plans and programs in light of the recent restructuring proposal. Schubert assured students that he and Rhodes are fully committed to teaching out the programs they are currently enrolled in regardless of the future of the degrees. “Know that our commitment is that you get the education that you came here to pursue,” he said. “I’m not aware of any significant degradation or losses in quality that will occur for you guys who are here today in your current degree program.” Rhodes said he hopes to see many of the unique
traditions of the department such as Beast Feast and the ACU Rodeo continue. He also addressed questions concerning endowments of the department as well as the future of Rhoden Farm, which he thinks will remain a part of future classes, labs and will see increased usage by other majors. Rhodes said another critical piece in the timing of this is the building of a new science complex. “We need to think about what these two degrees look like, how common is the partnership in pre-vet and biology nationally, and what does it look like physically?” Rhodes said. “I don’t want us to build a building and not have thought about that.” Junior agribusiness major from Lubbock, Brody Benge, attended the meeting. He said he thinks that there are still a lot of questions that need to be asked and answered to determine what the fu-
ture holds for students. “I’m not very hopeful in the fact that they’ve realized everything that is going to have to change,” he said. “I think more discussion and a deeper understanding of what is going to be required to fulfill those degree plans is needed on both sides.” Rhodes acknowledged the community found among students in the department and the unique bond they have created through both commonality and circumstance. “I don’t think the barriers of the department define that,” he said. “It’s not about the four walls that you’re in and it’s not just about the name of your department but there is something special about your group and I think it’s important that that lives on, whatever the configuration is. emily guajardo staff Photographer contact orr at mco10b@acu.edu
Dr. Robert Rhodes, provost of the university, spoke with AES students about the future of their department.
CORE requirements to be revevaluated allison brown managing editor The General Education Review Board has met several times over the month of October to discuss the university’s CORE and general education requirements. Dr. Gregory Straughn, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said the committee is still in the
data-gathering phase of the review. “We are asking are the outcomes being met, what’s good or bad about them and we want to see how things are working,” Straughn said. The committee is composed of five faculty and three ex officio members: Dr. Neal Coates, Dr. Lauren Lemley, Trevor Thompson, Dr. Stephen Baldridge, Dr. Orneita
Gray Burton, Dr. Phyllis Bolin, Dr. Chris Riley and Dr. Eric Gumm. When the CORE curriculum was established several years ago, committee members voted to have a review process after four years. This comprehensive review of general education and CORE classes is taking place to evaluate these academic areas. In addition to the committee meeting together,
Abilene Christian University
they have had discussions with all faculty, conducted student conversations and randomly sampled students for surveys. “I think there will be some changes, but I am more encouraged now by what I am hearing than what I was hearing four or five years ago,” Straughn said. “I still think there is a good amount of work to do for us to make the experiences as high as we
can.” The board will sift through the data in November and present a report with their commendations for things done well and recommendations and suggestions for changes in the curriculum.
contact brown at akb12b@acu.edu
friday 10.31.14
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friday
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saturday 4 p.m. SALT’s Trick or Feed
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sunday
monday
10 a.m. The Shinnery creative workshop
Spring/Summer 2015 registration: juniors
2 p.m. Football game versus University of Central Arkansas
7:30 p.m. Guest artist recital: Lungta Duo with Nick Lantz
2 p.m. Volleyball game versus University of the Incarnate Word
Announcements
Chapel checkup To date:
Remaining:
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!
50 22 @acuoptimist
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.
The Optimist
The ACU Graduate School’s academic journal, Conversations, needs peer reviewers for its upcoming submissions. Engage in the most modern academic dialogues while expanding your resume! Email snw12a@acu.edu by Nov. 7th.
Come to Chapel on the Hill Thursdays for Drenched a cappella chapel. See you there for a time of fellowship and reflection!
The Departments of Music and Language & Literature present poet Nick Lantz of Sam Houston State University in a special event Nov. 3 from 4-5 p.m. in Mabee 301. If you like your poetry funny and with an unsparing stance towards the foibles of modern civilization, Nick Lantz is the poet for you. You don’t want to miss the chance to hear this award-winning poet reading his best stuff!
SSWA is collecting donations for the Community youth outreach in Conroe, TX until Nov. Looking for a Summer 2015 in- 24. You can place your donaternship? Come visit with Arms tions in the box in the Campus of Hope recruiters in the Cam- Center. Items such as toiletries, pus Center Nov. 4 and learn small notebooks, pens, sunabout the opportunities at the screen, repellent, bandages, Medina Children’s Home. hand sanitizer, Tylenol and Looking for a summer job? Visclothes for 16 to 24-year-olds it the various camp booths in are welcomed! the Campus Center Nov. 12-13 to learn more.
optimist@acu.edu Police log SELECTED ACUPD CALLS FOR THE WEEK 10/23/2014 3:03 a.m. An ACU student reported damage to her car that occurred while it was parked in the University Park lot. 10/24/2014 10:25 a.m. A student reported the theft of two personal iPads and a Dell computer battery from the library. 10/25/2014 1:25 a.m. ACUPD detained a student for public intoxication in the parking lot between Mabee and Edwards Hall, issued them a citation and released them to Resident Life staff. 10/27/2014 9:23 a.m. An ACU grounds employee accidentally damaged a campus employee’s parked vehicle. 10/27/2014 3:15 p.m. ACUPD investigated a solicitor asking for funds in the University Church of Christ parking lot. Subject was located and advised to leave ACU property. 10/28/2014 9:50 a.m. ACUPD assisted the Abilene City Marshall in serving a municipal warrant on a non-ACU employee in the McGlothlin Campus Center. 10/29/2014 12:25 p.m. A student’s bike was stolen from outside the student’s University Park first floor apartment Weekly Stats For Week of Oct. 23-30, 2014 - Total Events: 367 FOOT PATROL 18 PARKING LOT PATROL 16 FOUND PROPERTY 4 PARKING VIOLATION 5 HIT & RUN 3 PATROL VEHICLE: MAINTENANCE 3 INFORMATION REPORT 1 PATROL VEHICLE: REFUEL 5 INTOXICATED PERSON 1 RANDOM PATROL 22 INVESTIGATION FOLLOW UP 20 REPORT WRITING 1 LOST PROPERTY 3 SOLICITING 1 MAINTENANCE: UNIV. ASSETS: CCTV 10 STOLEN VEHICLE 1 MAINTENANCE: UNIV. ASSETS 1 SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY 1 MEDICAL EMERGENCY 2 SUSPICIOUS PERSON 8 MOTORIST ASSIST: INFLATE TIRE 1 THEFT 3 MOTORIST ASSIST: JUMPSTART 12 URINATING IN PUBLIC 1 MOTORIST ASSIST: UNLOCK 6 WARRANT SERVICE 1 OTHER 11 WELFARE CHECK 1
ACCIDENT 3 ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIVITY 10 ALARM 2 ANIMAL CALL 2 ASSIST 1 BARRICADES 6 BOOT/UNBOOT VEHICLE 2 BUILDING LOCK/UNLOCK 8 BURGLARY (RESIDENCE) 1 CHECK BUILDING 165 CITATION ISSUANCE 1 CRIMINAL MISCHIEF 2 DISTURBANCE 1 ESCORT 2
Police Chief Tip of the Week: Friday is Halloween. Please drive with extreme caution around local residential neighborhoods, being cautious for trick-or-treaters and other pedestrians.
Intramurals
GSP, Siggies crowned flag football champs THE VAGABONDAGE REC-COVERING SAMANTHA SUTHERLAND ADDICT
DANIEL BLOCK
Well folks, that’s a wrap. The f lag football season has run its route, with the championship games played Tuesday night. Don’t worry, this column’s not going anywhere. Volleyball and waterball start up imme-
diately, and I’ll be courtside and poolside to bring you all the happenings around the ACU intramural world. But first... Men’s Champ League The
first
semifinal
took place Monday night, when MACC Attack looked to keep its perfect season alive against GSP. On paper, this was a mismatch. Unfortunately for MACC Attack, most of the members of the team are accounting majors and are used to playing games only on paper. GSP brought its A-game on the field, where the score counts, and stopped MACC Attack late in the game with a defensive stand, walking away with a 14-12 upset and a berth in the final. The second semifinal was as rowdy as a rodeo. Although Sub T-16 and Galaxy battled for a berth in the Super Bowl of intramural sports, the semifinal should have been dubbed the Super Bawl. They bawled about the reffing. The Moonies complained about Barrett Brown, giving him the Subber-most-hatedby-Moonies-ever award. The teams even argued about how to count to four. I’m not joking. Perhaps Sub T should have enlisted the MACC Attack boys to help them with their counting. They called each other names as colorful as a West Texas sunset, but I’ll refrain from repeating those names here for fear of losing my position. And let’s be honest, I enjoy poking fun at social clubs far too much to relinquish my intramural-covering duties.
When the dust settled, and it was established post-game that three plus one does in fact equal four, Galaxy escaped with a 19-18 victory in overtime. The Moonies had only an hour to rest before the Champ League final against GSP. Unfortunately for Galaxy, they would be without Ross Walker and Coleman “Coco” Stapp, due to ... ahem ... unsportsmanlike behavior ... in their previous victory over Sub T. GSP jumped out to an early 6-0 advantage, and led 12-0 at halftime. It was 19-0 before Galaxy finally scored a touchdown, but it was too little, too late. GSP won 19-8 and claimed its fourth consecutive Champ League title. Entering the playoffs, no one would have thought GSP had a chance at the championship, owning a lowly 2-3 record. Much of the team was new, and it took some time for the players to come together as a team. Kinsman Cole McClellan credited GSP intramural director, Parker Tennet, for turning the team around. “His blocks were always so solid, and he never missed a snap,” McClellan said. “Hopefully we can pull it together (next year) and win another championship for the five-peat.”
“
regulation game of the season between the two rival clubs. In the final, it seemed as though the ball was more difficult to catch than a golden snitch. Much like the Siggies connor cuevas semifinal game, the score siggie Champ team was tied 0-0 heading into player overtime. Both teams failed to score on their first attempts, but Ko Jo Women’s Champ League Kai seemed to be on the verge of taking the lead Last Thursday, Sig- with a second down at ma Theta Chi and GATA the one-yard-line in the played the first semifi- second overtime. nal. It was boring. After regulation time and The Siggies put down three overtime sessions, their pumpkin-spiced the score was deadlocked lattes and stepped up on at zero. Finally, in the defense, stopping the Kofourth overtime period, jies three times to keep Eboni Ellerson scored for them out of the endzone. the Siggies and proceed- Their offense proceeded ed to get turnt in the en- to punch the ball in on its dzone for her touchdown next possession to capdance. ture the championship. But ask Emily Sears, Conner Cuevas, Sigintramural director for gie football star, thanked GATA, and she’ll tell you her hero for inspiring the her team should’ve won. team to victory. She’ll also tell you I’m a “We wouldn’t have terrible columnist—in won without the one who front of two hundred motivates us most,” Cuepeople at GATA grub, vas said. “Alikay Wood. nonetheless. #loth.” Ko Jo Kai faced off She then predicted against league-leader what the remainder of Eta Pi on Monday, for a the year will look like for chance to meet the Sig- Siggie intramurals. gies in the final. This “More championgame was much more en- ships with a side of spicy tertaining and went into ranch,” Cuevas said. overtime. Jessica Carrigan, replacement quarterback for the Kojies, led her team to a 19-18 edging of the regular season contact block at favorites, bringing about djb13a@acu.edu a rematch of the final
More championships with a side of spicy ranch”
3
news
Friday 10.31.14
Texas jurist to speak at honor society dinner Madelyn bane student reporter Supreme Court Justice Jeff Boyd will speak at the Alpha Chi National Honor Society induction ceremony at 6 p.m. Thursday at Chapel on the Hill. Boyd is an ACU alumnus as well as a member of Alpha Chi. Colton McCoy, president of ACU’s chapter of Alpha Chi National Honor Society, said he looks forward to hearing Boyd speak to new members. “It’s cool for students
who are being inducted to be able to see someone speaking at the induction ceremony who has gone on to become a Supreme Court Justice,” said McCoy, senior Spanish and biology major from Granbury. Invitations to join the organization were sent to 417 eligible students with 179 accepting. About 126 new members and 128 guests will attend the induction ceremony. To be eligible for induction, students must be juniors, seniors or graduate students and be in the top 10 percent of their class.
“Alpha Chi does a number of service activities and social events,” McCoy said. “We provide scholarships and networking opportunities to our members and we have numerous students every year present their research at the Alpha Chi National Convention.” In addition to serving as president, McCoy is also on the National Council for Alpha Chi. The organization is comprised of seven regions throughout the country. McCoy is the representative of Region I which is host to about
280,000 members. McCoy said bringing new members into ACU’s chapter will not only offer more involvement with service projects but will also allow Alpha Chi to sponsor more events. “We’re doing something at the end of the semester with a guy named Ernie Halter,” McCoy said. “He’s a musician from Nashville and he’s going to do a concert. With more members, we are able to do stuff like that.” The concert will take place Dec. 2 at The Warehouse, in downtown Abilene. Alpha Chi
National Honor Society will partner with the freshman national honor society, Phi Eta Sigma, to aid in funding the event. McCoy is not the only Alpha Chi member to serve on the National Council. Dr. Mikee Delony, who sponsors the Alpha Chi chapter, serves as one of 12 at-large members on the National Council. “Of all the stuff I do, this is the thing I am most passionate about,” Delony said. “It is all 100 percent about students. When students are on committees, they have equal voice, equal vote.”
Delony has been a sponsor of the Alpha Chi National Honor Society at ACU for the last five years. In that time, she said membership has grown from 43 members in 2010 to an average of 300. “I would like to see much more participation from our members,” Delony said. “Since we’re partnering with the freshman honor society, we hope there will be some transition over into Alpha Chi.” contact the optimist at jmcnetwork@acu.edu
Construction progresses on Beltway North ANNA KOISTENEN STAFF reporter Beltway Park Baptist Church is projected to open its North campus early in the spring semester. The new campus will be 1.5 miles from ACU’s campus, whereas Beltway’s main campus is 14 miles south. This $7.5 million to $8 million project will include a worship center that will seat as many as 850 people, a 25-room children’s ministry area, a two-story indoor playground, an upstairs youth ministry and adult classroom space and a full-service coffee shop. Beltway college ministry intern Zachary Stromberg said he looks forward to the new church campus.
“I think one thing that is going to be really cool is that it’s going to have a real, legit coffee shop that’s going to have Wi-Fi where people can come and hang out and study,” said Stromberg, senior business and psychology major from Brattleboro, Vermont. “Kind of like the Starbucks in the library.” Seventy-five percent of the project’s expenses have already been paid or pledged after the Beltway congregation unanimously voted to go foward with the project. The North campus will have its own pastoral staff while under the same eldership as the South campus. “The most important thing about this whole project has nothing to do with buildings,” said Keith Roberson, North campus pastor.
“A building is only a tool for people to have the incredible reality of knowing the heart of God and living the full measure of all he has for us. What we are most excited about is people.” The new location will be on Highway 351 past East Lake Road toward Albany. “What I’ve heard consistently is that a lot of students don’t go to Beltway because its too far,” said Shannon Conaway, junior early childhood education major from Plano. “I’m happy we don’t have to spend as much money on gas to get down there, and it won’t feel like such a burden to get filled up.” erika bolado Staff Photographer contact KOISTENEN at ANK12A@acu.edu
Construction continues on Beltway’s north campus and remains on schedule to open next semester.
Campus Court house proposed to be coffee shop hannah little student reporter An ACU graduate wants to turn a house on Campus Court into a coffee shop. Abilene businessman Caleb Ensor, who owns the house at 2126 Campus Court, said a coffee house at that location could help stimulate further retail near campus and provide a meeting place once the on-campus stadiums are complete for soccer, track and football. “The thought that
Campus Court could be so much more attractive and better served as a retail district started the idea,” Ensor said. “This would bring new businesses and fresh ideas to the area. It would also provide jobs for the students within walking distance and entertainment for all that live on and visit campus.” Some neighbors have opposed the idea, arguing it will produce more traffic. A few students who live in the surrounding area, however, like the idea and say there is already traffic on the street.
Regardless, the plan still faces a few hurdles. The house is now zoned “residential” by the city of Abilene and would have to be rezoned to allow commercial use. That proposal by Ensor is still being considered at city hall. “It is not inevitable,” said Jon James, director of planning and development services for the city of Abilene. “Planning and zoning denied the request, and now it goes to the city council for its final decision.” The plan will likely increase business across
various platforms throughout the area, Ensor said. “The idea has come from many conversations regarding the lack of restaurants, shops and hangout spots around campus,” Ensor said. “A coffee house would provide a different off-campus atmosphere where students could hang out inside or outside on the patio overlooking the new stadium.” However, the idea was denied for various reasons by the city’s planning and zoning commission.
Increased traffic is one of the chief worries, James said. The plan will be taken to the city council on Nov. 6 for a public hearing. “Anyone interested can speak at that meeting,” James said. “It is not specifically authorized to be a coffee shop, but simply whether to authorize retail. The approval of retail zoning could allow a coffee shop, restaurant or retail shop.” The process is similar to a recent situation that occurred near Campus Court. Previously, residents
of northeastern Abilene expressed opposition to the rezoning of a property in the neighborhood north of Ambler because of concerns related to traffic and I-20 access. The property owners intended to build an assisted living facility. The area had been zoned residential, but Abilene City Council voted to approve the rezoning of that property.
contact the optimist at jmcnetwork@acu.edu
Truck stolen from men’s dorm parking lot elijah evans student reporter A student’s truck was stolen from the Mabee Hall and Edwards Hall parking lot Oct. 8, one development in the rash of motor vehiclerelated crimes during the past month. The Ford F-150 crew cab pickup was reported stolen on Oct. 9 by owner Justin Rasco, freshman criminal justice major from Frisco.
Rasco discovered the vehicle was missing at 6:45 p.m. Jones County Sheriff department recovered the vehicle the next weekend after discovering it abandoned on a remote county road in Jones County. “First I was really shocked because that’s something you don’t expect to happen to you until it does,” Rasco said. “They didn’t break a window, so it was probably unlocked.”
Before the motor vehicle theft, several car break-ins that took place at various student dormitories were under police investigation. “The motor vehicle theft was a little bit of a gamechanger for us,” said ACU police chief Jimmy Ellison. “Because now, other than the run-of-the-mill person breaking into a car and stealing whatever he could find, we had an issue with someone actually stealing the vehicle.”
The ACU Police Department is actively following up on leads dealing with suspects regarding the thefts and investigating the crimes, Ellison said. “We began to aggressively investigate it and have developed some proving leads and a possible suspect in the case,” Ellison said. “We employed some other tactics – increased patrols, assigned some officers out on overtime,
saturated patrols, surveillance of certain areas and extensive review of camera footage from the network of cameras across campus.” Ellison said most vehicle break-ins involve unlocked cars with valuables visible on the inside. It is vital that students do their part in protecting their possessions by locking their vehicles, removing valuable items and never leaving an extra set of keys
inside the vehicle, he said. “This is another great example that we, the police department, can’t do this alone,” Ellison said. “The police department can’t be the first line of defense. The students and employees who park their vehicles on and around campus have to be the first line of defense.”
contact the optimist at jmcnetwork@acu.edu
Opinion
Friday 10.31.14
4
editorial
CORE and Gen Ed classes need some adjustment the issue After it’s first four-year cycle, CORE and general education classes are up for review. Conveniently , the students are speaking up.
our take Here are some student ideas we’ve heard, and fully agree with.
The General Education Review Board is in the midst of reviewing the university’s CORE and general education courses. A committee of five faculty members and three ex officio members has conducted meetings with faculty, held student focus groups, and randomly sampled students by survey to gather data regarding CORE and general education requirements. The committee is assessing whether or not CORE and general education are meeting the outcomes that have been set for students. These expectations are not just established by ACU, but are national standards from the Association of American Colleges and Universities. The outcomes include integrative thinking, problem solving, high levels of written and oral communication, ethical behavior and responsible citizenship. In looking at these goals, the committee will present a report of their commendations of what’s being done well and suggest changes to curriculum requirements. Dr. Gregory Straughn, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said he thinks
the data gathered from these recent meetings will lead to some changes in CORE and general education curriculum, but most changes would be small scale. In general education, a few topics have emerged as major discussion points. As general education stands, history courses are not required for students to graduate. Straughn said the question of whether it ought to be required has come up again. “What is our exposure for students to have a historical understanding?” Straughn said. “How do I understand the past and how it informs who I am today?” This question is an important one. If one of the university’s outcomes for students is to leave this place with integrative thinking skills, requiring history falls right in line. Requiring students to engage in the past and think critically about how it shapes the future would only strengthen the education ACU students receive. A second topic brought up in meetings with student focus groups was the idea of having smaller freshman
Bible classes. Having class sizes north of 100 students comes as a disadvantage to both students and professors. “It’s hard having large classes,” Straughn said. “It’s efficient, but is that really what we want? We ask everyone to take them, we think they are important, so shouldn’t we make them as rich and formative as possible?” Though smaller Bible classes could lead to increased number of classes and professors, the benefits that come with small class size outweigh the cost. Smaller class size could provide better opportunity to facilitate meaningful discussion than lecture halls full of 100 plus students. Many honors students have this opportunity and as a result, have richer experiences that derive from the setting of their class. Wes Robbins, sophomore psychology major from Clear Lake, has had three semesters of small Bible classes that he said have been very formative for him. “Being in a small Bible class is an incredible thing because of the community you develop,” Robbins said. “Having less people, you have less commotion and regular classroom hoopla you have to jump through leaving room for more relational-type stuff that can make a Bible class so rich. Small classes force you into
close proximity with the ideas, and there’s no hiding. You have to come to grips with the tougher things when there’s less bodies to hide behind. It’s so much more than just a class, but rather becomes a journey you’re on with people who know you best.” Kalyn Prince, senior political science major from Plano, participated in the student focus group that discussed what in the general education requirements should be reevaluated. She said many of the other students in the group that came from COBA or hard sciences voiced that their writing skills had improved little to none over the course of their college career. “They think having better writing communication skills would improve their ed ucation experience and they think that needs to come in through general education courses,” she said. Many of us on the editorial board, being in a communications department, cringe upon hearing that our peers may enter the workplace without sufficient writing skills. Maybe some of them feel rusty because they finished their English credits in high school. But if students are admitting they don’t feel confident in their writing ability, they will be lacking a skill that is necessary in most jobs.
DAILY doodle dosage
Ben Todd
The solution may not be to add more English requirements, but perhaps add a more writing intensive element to one of the CORE classes. Finally, among talks about general education is one of the university’s buzz words, “intercultural.” Prince said when asked about intercultural experiences, students responded that all of their intercultural experiences had come from Study Abroad, not their general education classes. “Nothing intercultural really took place in the general education courses and not as much as you would hope for in the CORE classes,” she said. When students list Study Abroad as their only educational intercultural experience, it is indicative to the idea that it has to be experiential. Just learning and reading about Islam like we do in BCORE doesn’t necessarily count as having an intercultural experience. Not to mention that Study Abroad is only an option to a fraction of our students. Finally, perhaps the most controversial of the general education curriculum has been the CORE classes. The main reason we’ve found the inconsistency among sections of classes because of the difference in professors. Prince said she had a really good experience with CORE because as an honors student she lucked out with
Oct. 30 7:54 p.m.
The only reason I get on Twitter anymore is to try to make it into @acuoptimist
@wyatt_trevor_tw
I’m going to college so I’ll have a good job and make money so my future kids can get Starbucks with bean bucks too.
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
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Address letters to: ACU Box 27892 Abilene, TX 79609 E-mail letters to: optimist@acu.edu
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I lost my planner and with it my purpose in life
Oct. 29 2:12 p.m.
Oct. 29 11:40 p.m.
It’s actually more of a mercy ruling. Marvel, it seems, has been planning ahead for years, a move DC would have done well to follow. One of the announcements Marvel made Tuesday was that the Avengers final storyline would be split into two films, focusing on the Civil War between Captain America and Iron Man. This will give us even further character development for our favorite heroes as well as two or three more hours of Robert Downey Jr. than we were expecting in the Marvel universe. Brilliant. But, marketers knew the Avengers characters only had a few movies left in them, so they decided
Oct. 29 2:30 p.m.
@TessLenae
@chloe_braaten
Superman has always been my favorite superhero. I’ve been in many a heated debate about who’s better between the Man of Steel and Batman. It’s something I’ve always felt pretty strongly about. However, in the past few years I’ve had to do some reevaluating. I’ve jumped on the Marvel train. Lately, DC has just seemed, well, irrelevant. The Internet exploded earlier this week when Marvel announced a new slate of superhero films to be released up through 2019. With this announcement, I think the race between DC and Marvel officially ended. Marvel wins; there’s no chance of catching up.
Super glad that somebody is deciding to fill the silence upstairs in the library! I was starting to feel like I was, ya know, IN A LIBRARY.
@DearPrudence17
Oct. 29 10:20 a.m.
to launch several new franchises. They rebooted The Amazing SpiderMan series, returning more to the original comic book storyline. Guardians of the Galaxy was a gamble, but turned out a complete hit and will now have its own trilogy. Ant Man is expected to have the same amount of success after Guardians proved that Marvel fans go see the movies not for name recognition, but for the quality of the film. They are loyal enough to go watch a superhero they may have never heard of because they know it will be good. The list of new characters announced Tuesday started with Black Panther, who will have a standalone film to be released in November 2017. Chadwick Boseman, a proven character actor with as strong of performance as Jackie Robinson and James Brown under his belt, has been
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hashtagACU Oct. 29 3:19 p.m.
A debate of comic proportions
really good professors. CORE always seems to come down to who your professor is. “In that respect, I think the university is doing a better job at picking better professors for it,” she said. Because CORE evolved from the idea that professors of different disciplines could come together to offer a richer teaching experience, it lead to much incongruity in what students in each section were actually learning. When the General Education Review Board begins to consider how much CORE has evolved over a full four-year cycle, they should not just listen to student and faculty voices, but consider whether the curriculum they are creating goes beyond the goal of “critical thinking.” Critical thinking is another buzzword, not just at universities, but among grad school and job applications. Yet it’s a quality that hasn’t been found quantifiable. In reevaluating the CORE curriculum, let’s stop asking students if they feel capable of critical thinking and instead ask them if they have 1) have learned from historical events of the past 2) can synthesize information in writing and 3) have seen the world through an intercultural lens.
I only have like 6 or 9 more hours worth of work to do tonight but it’s cool because I’ve had four thousand cups of coffee today.
perfectly cast as the lead. The other movies list- @hannzzle ed were Captain Marvel, which will feature Marvel’s first female lead Oct. 29 3:39 p.m. character, Doctor Strange I wasn’t in the acu and the Inhumans, none optimist but I was in teh of which have been cast GATA newsletter, so baor given a release date. sically my road to fame I can’t help but wonder is beginning what Marvel will have in store for us for years to come, how long they could possibly keep this up. I shudder to think how much money I’ll @SPhernetton spend on movie tickets over the years. I wish I could say the same for Today’s so pretty that I DC. Batman v. Super- almost feel bad about man: Dawn of Justice sitting in my room and Wonder Woman look and watching Netflix. promising, but as long as Almost. DC keeps taking years between movies and focusing more on their Justice League television YikYak shows, they will always be in second place.
Laynie just stole a mass quantity of copies of The Optimist in order to stuff her Halloween costume. They are currently littering my bed.
@ainsleyhaley Oct. 30 10:45 p.m.
We grow lettuce here #acudifference
@mocker05 Professor asked what I was doing on my phone. I looksed at her straight in the eyes and said “yakking”.
YikYak Oh? You Woman Crush Wednesday’d your girlfriend? Didn’t see that one coming
YikYak contact Seidel at eks13b@acu.edu
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arts
friday 10.31.14
Symphonic
Screams Catherine blakemore arts editor
For the second time in ACU Orchestra history, the orchestra played a fall Halloween concert Thursday in complete costume with themed music. The students in the orchestra began rehearsing for the performance during the second week of school under Dr. Steven Ward, director of bands and orchestra. The music varied from Glaser to Mussorgsky to Grofe to Humperdinck to Anderson and even Harry Potter. “Getting to play as principal trumpet in the ACU Orchestra has been great overall,” said Andrew Penney, principal trumpet in the orchestra. “I get to play a lot of awesome repertoire and lead the brass in a lot of ways. What I’ve enjoyed about playing principal this semester is getting to play Mussorgsky’s Night on Bald Mountain. I’ve always listened to an old recording of the work performed by Bud Herseth with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and getting to finally perform it myself is exciting.” Shorter than most orchestra concerts, the Halloween concert lasted one hour with music that the students spent two months practicing the music. “It’s a great concert to come to if you’ve never been to an orchestra concert, to come to this concert as your first one,” Ward said. “It’s really fun and a little more laid back.” This was the first complete orchestra show for the department. Though some students participated in playing in the pit for the Homecoming musical, this performance will include all of the orchestra students. “It’s really great music,” Ward said. “We play Harry Potter and the Andersen Waltzing Cat is really funny, there’s the Mussorgsky Night on Bald Mountain which is very difficult, it’s a real mix of challenging music and of fun music.” A string quartet of four students, Sean Estes, Mackenzie Menan, Nattapat White and Roger Gee, began the show last night. This is only the second Halloween concert done by the ACU Orchestra. The first was performed two years ago. “Our programming for our ensembles depends on what is happening that year,” Ward said. “It just depends on whether we have something else we need to do or whether our Christmas Vespers concert is a lot of music or really hard music. It depends on what the orchestra has to do in a given year whether we can do (the Halloween concert). This year, the costumes were picked by the students to wear while they played. With candy at the entrances and the Halloween spirit in the air, the concert provided something fresh for traditional orchestra. “I hope that everybody, the people on stage the audience, I just hope everybody (had) a great time, and gets to hear great music in a fun environment,” Ward said. contact Blakemore at crb13a@acu.edu
Top Right: Roger Gee, principal cellist, Junior computer science major from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Bottom Right: Grayson Hancock, sophomore instrumental music teaching major from Abilene Below: Claire Warlick, Junior Mathmathics major from College Station and Sean Estes, Freshman instrumental music teaching major from San Antonio concentrate on reading music during rehersal.
All photos by mariana Cedillo staff Photographer
sports
Friday 10.31.14
Collums takes on alma mater, UCA collin wieder sports editor ACU football hits the road for the third consecutive week as they travel to Plano for the annual DFW game. The Wildcats will play in John Clark Stadium against second-place conference opponent Central Arkansas. ACU will enter the game at 4-5 and 2-3 in the Southland while Central Arkansas enters at 5-4 with a 4-1 Southland record. Ken Collums will play his alma mater for the first time as head coach. Collums led the Central Arkansas Bears to a NAIA national championship in 1991. “I have never been real fired up to play the UCA Bears,” Collums said. “I am a product of the University of Central Arkansas. It’s a little different.”
the head, but we are going through our normal protocol on concussions.” McKenzie has started every game this season for the Wildcats and is leading the Southland in passing yards (2,530) and touchdowns (20). Despite the loss, Collums has faith in the team as a whole. “When you lose your starter, it’s not easy,” Collums said. “But that’s why it is a program; it’s not about one player but the team.” The keys to ACU’s highpowered offense will be handed over to redshirt freshman Kade Munden. Munden has played in three games shera niemirowski sports multimedia director this year and went 7-for-8 for Senior reciever Demarcus Thompson fights for yards 59 yards in his backup role. after a catch against Sam Houston State last Saturday. Munden has a great supporting cast to help him in his ACU will be without in ACU’s 38-21 loss to Sam first career start. The offense starting quarterback Parker Houston State. has eight skill-position playMcKenzie. McKenzie suf“He will be fine,” Collums ers with double-digit recepfered a concussion last week said. “He just has a bump on tions on the year. The running
game will look to bounce back after last weeks’ game where De’Andre Brown and Herschel Sims combined for 14 carries for only 32 yards and one rushing touchdown. The defense will also be limited this week as freshman starting linebacker Sam Denmark is listed as questionable to play with a high ankle sprain. Denmark is second on the team in tackles with 65. The linebackers will have to lean on seniors Lynn Grady and Justin Stephens to pick up the slack with Denmark being out. “They do have so many NFL prospects at the wide receiver position,” Stephens said. “They are a really good football team fighting for the conference championship. They will be out there ready to contact WIEDER at CPW11A@acu.edu
6
standings football Standings
Team
Div.
SELU UCA SFA MSU SHSU Lamar NSU ACU HBU UIW Nicholls St.
4-1 4-1 3-1 3-1 3-1 2-2 2-2 2-3 1-4 1-4 0-5
Ovrl 6-3 5-4 6-2 5-2 4-4 5-3 4-4 4-5 2-6 1-7 0-9
soccer Standings
Team
Div.
SFA 9-0 SHSU 7-2 HBU 6-1-2 ACU 5-4-2 SELU 5-4 MSU 5-5 Nicholls St. 4-5 TAMU-CC 3-5-1 UIW 2-4-3 Lamar 2-6-2 UCA 1-7-1 NSU 1-7-1
Ovrl 13-2-1 8-8 7-6-3 8-9-2 12-5 7-9-1 8-8 4-7-3 2-11-3 4=11-2 5-10-2 4-12-1
volleyball Standings
Team
Div.
SFA UCA TAMU-CC SHSU HBU NSU SELU Nicholls St. Lamar UIW MSU ACU NO
11-0 10-0 7-3 6-3 6-3 7-4 5-5 4-6 3-6 3-8 2-8 2-9 0-11
Ovrl 18-7 15-7 14-13 13-9 12-12 10-14 8-14 8-15 3-18 7-17 12-14 4-21 6-19
Who’s Hot
paige otway staff Photographer
Freshman Sam Denmark recorded a career high 14 tackles in ACU’s denmark game against Sam Houston last weekend in the team’s 38-21 loss in Huntsville.
briefings Soccer defender Kelsie Roberts was named to the Capital One Academic All-District 7 Second Team by the College Sports Information Directors of America. Quarterback Parker McKenzie continues to lead the Southland in passing yards per game (286.) and in touchdown passes (20). The soccer team finished up its season ranked fourth in jarred schuetze cheif Photographer the Southland. The The women’s soccer team ended its 2014 season last weekend with a win against Lamar and a loss against McNeese State. The Wildcats finished the season ‘Cats had a winning conference record, with an 8-9-2 overall record with a 5-4-2 record in Southland Conference play. Had the team been eligable, ACU would have advanced to the playoffs. going 5-4-2.
SOPHOMORE SUCCESS Youth, experience propel ‘Cats to winning Southland record daniel zepeda sports director
The women’s soccer team concluded its 2014 season earlier this week as second-year members of the Southland Conference. The Wildcats finished the year 8-9-2 with an in-conference record of 5-4-2. ACU finished with a lesser record than last year, going 13-5-1 overall and 7-5 against Southland programs. But with a lot of new faces for the Wildcats, a transition year was to be expected. “All in all, we would have liked a few more wins this year in conference play, but qualifying for Southland Conference postseason play in each of our first two seasons is a great feat,” said Casey Wilson, head coach. “All you can do is put yourself in a position to get in the postseason. After that, it is anyone’s game in the tournament in which the tournament champion
receives an NCAA bid, if we were post-season eligible.” While ACU finished fourth in conference this year, as new Southland members, the Wildcats do not qualify for postseason competition. With construction of a new soccer field beginning this semester, the Wildcats were forced to play at Shotwell Stadium. “It’s definitely different playing on a turf field, but
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a way to figure it out before each game and make the necessary changes during our games.” The Wildcats started off the season with difficult opponents set in the schedule, going up against top teams across the state such as University of North Texas, Texas Christian University and nationally ranked Texas Tech University. ACU entered conference play with a 3-5 record before taking on Sam Houston and Houston Baptist on the road. “By not being afraid of playing the best teams in the country, you allow your team to be exposed
All in all, we would have liked a few more wins this year in conference play, but qualifying for Southland Conference postseason play in each of our first two seasons is a great feat.”
practicing all preseason on turf helped make the adjustment easier,” said Baylee Mitchell, freshman forward from Flower Mound. “We knew the changes of the game the type of field had, so we just had to find
casey wilson head coach acu soccer
to an elite level regardless of the wins and losses,” Wilson said. “If you can compete in that arena, then you should be able to play on the upper crust of the Southland Conference. Sam Houston, SFA
and ourselves stacked our schedule with great nonconference competition, and that helped each of us in conference play.” ACU started off 4-2 in conference play before its showdown with numberone ranked Stephen F. Austin. After a tough battle, the Wildcats weren’t able to overcome the Lumberjacks, falling 1-0 at home. The Wildcats struggled down the stretch of the season, dropping three of the team’s final five games with one double-overtime tie coming against the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio. With a solid group of seniors like Madison Brown, Taylor Brown, Katie Stivers and Sarah Schoch, the team was able to rely a great deal on their veteran leadership. Young faces also had an impact on ACU, especially newcomer Baylee Mitchell. Mitchell led the Wildcats in scoring and was one of the top offensive players in the conference. She finished tied for fourth in the Southland in goals scored with seven. “I think freshman year has been an awesome learning experience for
me,” Mitchell said. “I know my role on the offensive end, and working with my teammates for a season now will help all of us move forward in a positive direction. I know what my teammates and I are capable of and plan on going into offseason and next year’s season with a mindset to have an even better year next season.” The Wildcats finished as one of the top offensive teams in the conference registering as one of the top five teams in all offensive categories. The combination of sophomore goalkeepers Kelsey Dombrowski and Sydney Newton helped form one of the best duos in the conference. ACU finished second in the Southland with 104 saves. “We competed in every game we played in Conference,” Wilson said. “The losses we had were 1-0 in overtime, 1-0, 2-1 and 1-0. There was not a single game we played where we did not have the opportunity to win which is a positive and all we can ask for.” contact zepeda at djz11a@acu.edu
Football has two players ranked in the top 10 in the Southland for touchdowns scored. Receiver Cedric Gilbert has seven on the year while running back De’Andre Brown has six. Be sure to follow @OptimistSports on Twitter for more stories and the latest ACU sports news coverage.
Upcoming Football will go to Plano Saturday to play in Clark Stadium against Central Arkansas. The game will begin at 2 p.m. Volleyball will play a home game on Saturday against conference rival Incarnate Word. The match begins at 2 p.m. Men’s and women’s tennis travel to Phoenix on Nov. 7 to play in the Grand Canyon Invitational. Matches begin at 8 a.m. Cross country will compete in Southland Conference Championships on Nov. 3 starting at 8 a.m.