Facts & Stats Visualize enrollment, demographics and more
vol. 103, no. 8
wednesday, september 17, 2014
Features Page 5
1 SECTION, 6 PAGES
what’s INSIDE NEWS Chinese and international students bring culture to campus Page 3
SPORTS Wildcats’ third game results in first FBS win against Troy
Page 6
IM SPORTS Daniel Block recaps the Sub-T, Galaxy and other men’s champ team games from last week Page 2
SPORTS Soccer can’t hold off 7th-ranked Red Raiders Page 6
GRANDE
OPENING
Education proposes new doctorate rachel fritz copy editor
OPINION The Editorial Board supports and encourages new visitation rules
Page 4
OPINION Daniel Zepeda challenges the NFL to pull itself out of a bad week Page 4
NEWS U.S. News ranks ACU high in the country’s best colleges Page 3
what’s online VIDEO Students race kayaks and participate in an entire night of activities at RecFest
Read more at acuoptimist.com
Mariana Cedillo Staff Photographer
Kelly Jones, co-chair of the Abilene Chamber of Commerce Redcoats, commences the grand opening of Starbucks in the Brown Library with Dr. Allison Garrett, executive vice president of the university.
The Department of Graduate Studies in Education faces closure due to a lack of student enrollment, but the decision has been put on hold until next month to consider adding a doctoral program. Dr. Donnie Snider, chair and dean of the college of education and human services, Dr. Bruce Scott, assistant professor of education, and Dr. Stephen Johnson, dean of the graduate school, have been working on a doc-
toral school proposal for months. The proposal was presented to the Graduate Council in the monthly meeting which takes place every second Tuesday of the month. “The decision has been delayed,” Johnson said. “Rather than close the master’s program, we’re considering leaving the department open for a new program. We want to consider the value of leaving the MED as an option.” If the program proposal is denied, the closure of the graduate school
will likely follow. “Basically, we are victims of everybody’s success,” Scott said. “We’re not getting the number of applicants and students in those programs that we need to make it financially viable.” Low admittance has made it difficult for the program to continue operating at a quality standard. “Funding the program and having a quality program is the problem,” Scott said. “You really can’t have a quality program with only one or two students. You can’t build
the kind of class discussions that you need or the interaction with the professor that you need to have a quality program.” The long-existing program is has been at ACU for around 50 years and was transitioned to an online degree seven years ago. “When I came in 2003, there were less than five in the superintendent program and less than 20 in the principal program,” Snider said. “Abilene is limited because if you take out Wiley and Abilene ISD, the surrounding districts
are really small, so we couldn’t grow the program.” After the transition, the program grew. “At the time, we were early adopters,” Snider said. “Not many universities across the United States were offering a fully online masters in educational leadership administration and we grew. We grew from about 25 to over 230 in 37 states.” As more universities adopted the idea of an online program at a lower see education page 3
Ambassador program to launch on Friday reese gwin staff reporter The Office of Admissions will unveil a new student ambassador program Friday during Wildcat Preview Day. More than two dozen students will be positioned around campus to interact and connect with perspective Wildcats as they tour campus for the first time, said Mackenzie Mascorro, director of student ambassadors. The ambassadors will work in multiple capacities to serve the visi-
tors, but all will attempt to show how ACU is different from other places they visit. “This program is all about relationships because that’s what separates ACU from other places,” said Mascorro, junior management major from Abilene. “It’s all about that one-on-one connection.” Leslie Hayes, director of campus visits, said her office looks forward to expanding the program, which already has about 30 ambassadors. Although they work on a volunteer basis, the job still has its perks. Ambassadors
receive free Wildcat gear, free food and free tickets to ACU events. Ambassadors will perform multiple duties during preview days. Some will work to greet the perspective students as they arrive, others will guide them from location to location and some will eat with them. Admission counselors heard that perspective students were interested in a personal connection with actual college students during their visits and tried forming an ambassadors program several years ago. Their efforts were not suc-
cessful, but it was not until they went to a conference in Chicago that they figured out how to address the need. There, they learned other universities were using student ambassadors to connect with campus visitors. The role of being the face of the university previously fell on the shoulders of campus tour guides. However, on large preview days, there were too many perspective students for tour guides to make any kind of personal connection. A former tour guide, Mascorro already had a
passion for incoming students and had experience in bridging the gap between students and visitors. “I wasn’t one of those kids where ACU was the only school I looked at,” Mascorro said. “I know there are other schools with excellent academics and bigger athletic departments, but ACU has something special to offer.” As the student director, Mascorro works hand-inhand with the ambassadors. Meanwhile, Hayes works more behind the see admissions page 3
Chapel adjusts small group meeting days allison brown managing editor Some student groups will have to change their small group Chapel meeting days from Wednesdays to comply with a change in policy by the Chapel Office. The new policy requires groups to meet on either Tuesdays or Thursdays during the semester. Mark Jackson, associate director of student organizations and programs, said the change will allow the Chapel Office to emphasize larger Chapel services on
Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Come to the Quiet Chapels are still planned for some Wednesdays, and seniors will speak some Wednesdays throughout the semester. “We’re really trying to create an environment on Wednesdays,” Jackson said. “We want to do things in there that the whole student body can be a part of.” A few groups that traditionally have met on Wednesdays now face some scheduling trouble as they try to work around the Chapel Office’s decision. For
several years, the Student Alumni Association, the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization and the Honors College have conducted their small group Chapel meetings on Wednesdays. Jackson said the Chapel Office will allow some groups to keep meeting on Wednesdays this semester and has been willing to talk and listen to groups, but still is asking them to move to Tuesdays or Thursdays in the spring. “For the most part, once they hear what we’re trying to do, that we’re wanting to be together, we’re
Abilene Christian University
wanting to do great things, we’re wanting God to take back what’s happening in Moody, the conversations have been going really well,” Jackson said. “You know there are some groups that already have a system set up, and we know that,” he said. “We’ve said, ‘Hey let’s get through the semester and next semester we’re going to ask you to go to Tuesday/ Thursdays, and they’ve been like ‘Hey, that makes total sense, we can do that.’” Drew Richie, senior officer of the Student Alumni
Association, said changing SAA’s meeting day will be difficult. “It’s going to be a challenge to work around that request,” said Richie, Biblical text major from Lake Jackson. “With groups like SAA, there is a correlation with our student members and involvement with a lot of other things on campus.” Students who are involved in many areas need Wednesdays to meet with organizations, Richie said. “We take pride in how involved our student memsee chapel page 3
Wednesday 09.17.14
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wednesday
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thursday Constitution Day
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friday 5 p.m. Call Night
saturday
3:05 p.m. Football game versus Incarnate Word
Family Weekend begins
11 a.m. Senior chapel speaker Cayla Chastain
4 p.m. Guest Artist Masterclass: Mark Ford, marimba
11:30 a.m. Homecoming Queen nominations open
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7 p.m. Last Freshman Follies performance
5 p.m. Bid Night 6:30 p.m. Soccer vs. Sam Houston State 7 p.m. First Freshman Follies performance
Chapel checkup To date:
Around Abilene Remaining:
19 60 @acuoptimist
Sept. 18
Sept. 20
Sept. 20
Sept. 20
6 p.m. Have fun and meet new people while playing the world’s greatest card game! Free bridge lessons will be held every Thursday in September from 6 - 8 p.m. at The Grace Museum.
7 a.m. There will be a farmer’s market at Mesquite and N. 1st from 7 a.m. - 12 p.m.
8 a.m. The Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimers will take place at Rose Park Senior Center located at S. 7th and Barrow St. The two mile walk begins with opening ceremonies led by this year’s honorary chair, Mayor Norm Archibald. Visit http:// www.alz.org/walk for more information.
8:30 a.m. The TSTC Color Dash will take place to help raise funds and awareness for the Campus Save Act. The price is $35 per person for a team, $40 for an individual and $85 for a family. Packet pick up is at 8:30 a.m. and the run begins at 10:30 a.m. at the TSTC Sweetwater Campus. Visit https:// www.eventbrite.com/e/ the-color-dash-sweetwatertx-registration to register.
The Optimist optimist@acu.edu Announcements If you are a fan of hockey or want to learn how to play, you should join the ACU Hockey Club! The team plays at the DII college level of Inline Roller Hockey. Email our club president, Ryan Podany, at rap10c@acu.edu or our team captain, Tim Holt, at tdh10b@acu.edu for more information. Want to work for Summit 2014? Visit the ad on my.acu.edu to apply to work at the 108th Annual Summit Sept. 21-24. Freshman Follies is a musical variety show performed entirely by ACU freshmen every fall. This year’s theme is “Freshman Follies: Road Trip,” and will take place on Sept. 19-
20. Join us as the freshman class takes you on a journey across the 50 states. For more information about getting involved with Freshman Follies or purchasing tickets, go to acu.edu/follies. 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.
was written by Jeff Berryman, who will perform at 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 21 The Conversation Partners Program is of- at Fulks Theatre. fered through the Center for International Education (Admin 124) and pairs native and Homecoming Queen nominations will non-native English speakers so they can open at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. learn about each others’ cultures. It is a 17, and close at midnight on Friday, Sept. great way for non-native speakers to prac- 19. Log on to acu.edu/queens to nominate tice their English language skills and learn your favorite senior. about U.S. culture in an informal social setting, and native speakers can learn about Want to learn how to swing dance? Come another culture. Contact Leanne Moore at to Swing Cats every Tuesday night for a lmm10b@acu.edu or 324-674-2821 if you lesson and social dancing! We are located are interested or have more questions. in the Recreation Center upstairs in Studio B. Bring a friend! Intermediate lessons are Leaving Ruin is a free Abilene Christian at 8 p.m. and beginner lessons are at 9 p.m. University Summit production. The show
Intramurals
Squirtle Squad, Galaxy top first football week daniel block intramural editor A little over a week into the intramural season, some teams have already established themselves as frontrunners for a run at the coveted championships. Early indications point toward a severe lack of parity in Men’s Champ League, while the Women’s Champ League standings remain as close as a Siggie and the African child in her profile picture. Men’s Champ League Squirtle Squad and Galaxy put up the most impressive performances in week one, winning 28-0 and 27-0, respectively, although both teams defeated the lowly Boyz in Motion. The two powerhouses faced off on opposite sides of the ball Tuesday night, unfortunately too late to include the
result in Wednesday’s Optimist. Sub T-16 cruised through its first contest against the Thunder Ducks, winning 22-0, thanks to the brilliant play of quarterback and Sub T-16 Intramural Director Paul Figel. However, Figel is quick to deflect the praise to his teammates. “JP Festa was clutch last week with the Kool-Aid Jammers and orange slices,” Figel said. “Our guys felt re-energized for the second half, which allowed us to pull away.” Sub T-16 is also expecting a boost in its offense. “Hayden Free is currently our best center but is quickly becoming our best quarterback,” Figel said. “He’s been practicing snapping the ball to himself so that is something to look for in the future.” Figel emphasized the im-
portance of having a large cheering section at intramural games, a benefit he credits to the Samson-like hair of Barrett Brown. “Barrett Brown is now going 10 weeks strong using Head & Shoulders twice a day, every day, and the female population has taken notice,” he said. “We expect a larger crowd next week as this hype continues to grow.” Despite Brown’s flowing locks and a sizeable crowd at Monday night’s game against Tri Bi Delt, Sub T-16 was unable to come away with the win, losing 12-7 in what turned out to be a heated affair. Should these two teams meet in the playoffs, expect sparks to fly. On the other end of the spectrum, Boyz in Motion is now 0-3 and yet to score a point after a Monday night blowout-loss to Gamma
MEN’S CHAMP FOOTBALL STANDINGS AS OF 6 P.M. SEPT. 16
Squirtle Squad, 1-0
Boyz in Motion, 1-2
Galaxy, 1-0
Trojans, 0-1
Tri Bi Delt, 2-0
Thunder Ducks, 0-1
MACC Attack, 1,0
GSP, 0-2
Sub T-16, 1-1
Sigma Phi. The Boyz appear to have jumped straight into the Champ League deep end without their water wings. Aqua Aerobics is to be done in the Rec, Boyz in Motion. Looking ahead, two important games are on the slate for Thursday night. Both Squirtle Squad and MACC Attack will be looking to remain near the top of the standings when they clash like a Craig Sager sports coat at 8 p.m. The Squad’s defense is tougher to solve than an algebraic equation, but John David Baker and his mathematical magicians are more than capable of providing an answer. Immediately following, the members of first-place Tri Bi Delt will need to rely on their chicken-legged physiques to outpace the Thunder Ducks. Women’s Champ League
Each team has now played three games, but last night’s results will not be featured until a week from today, leaving many to wonder what intriguing developments might have arisen in the gauntlet that is the Women’s Champ League. The two non-club associated teams, Eta Pi (2-00) and The Heat (1-0-1) sit atop the standings. Eta Pi thrashed Alpha Kai Omega 19-0 in its opener, then defeated Sigma Theta Chi 13-6. Marissa Mueller, captain of Eta Pi, has gone on record to say her team is actually taking it easy on the competition. “Coach Cruz is our best player, by far,” Mueller said. “She is so good that it would have been unfair to any of the other teams to let her on the field, so she sidelined herself and assumed the po-
Sept. 18
sition of coach.” Mueller even went so far as to provide a rival team with bulletin board material for upcoming games. “We’re looking to beat The Heat.” Mueller said. “There is only enough room in our oven for one of us!” Many of the social club athletes claim their busy pledging schedules are hampering their early season performances. But, much like non-fair trade chocolate or coffee, we are not buying that. Eta Pi and The Heat are busy pledging too–pledging to win football games, that is. Editor’s note: This is intended to be a humorous column and all opinons are Block’s own.
contact block at djb13a@acu.edu
MEN’S CHAMP UPCOMING GAMES Squirtle Squad versus MACC Attack Sept. 18 Squirtle Squad vs. MACC Attack 8 p.m. Field 2 Thunder Ducks vs. Tri Bi Delt 9 p.m. Field 2
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news
Wednesday 09.17.14
Moon Festival brings Asian tradition to UCC Tori Valdivia staff reporter The Chinese Students’ and International Students’ Associations teamed up Friday night to conduct the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival at University Church of Christ. Aside from the Asian community on campus, most ACU students don’t know about or have never heard of the festival because it is predominantly celebrated by Chinese and Vietnamese ethnicities. According to popular legend, the queen of heaven gave one man a potion of immortality, which he passed on to his wife for safekeeping. As word got out of the special potion, jealously grew in the hearts of others and it became too dangerous for her to defend. In order to protect her gift and save her life, the wife drank the potion and died. Surprised and saddened by the news, her husband wept for her but soon saw her figure next
to the moon in the night sky. In honor of her immortality, the man gathered all his favorite foods and offered them to his wife, which later became an annual Asian tradition known as the MidAutumn Moon Festival. The Moon Festival is a well-known celebration in most Asian cultures, but receives little attention on campus because the international community at ACU is not well known. Students involved in ISA make it a priority to bring these types of traditions to international students in order to remind them of home and provide a familiar atmosphere for them. “Putting on events like this brings a little piece of home to them,” said Keyi Zhou, senior journalism major from China. “We also invited a lot of students and different community members because we want them to know something about the Chinese culture.” Not only does it ease the sting of being homesick, but it also informs
Alicia adams Staff Photographer
Chinese Students Association and Interantional Students Association serve up culture at University Church Friday night. other students about different cultures. “As an international student from a very different culture, I’ve learned to appreciate
the different cultures,” said Fiama Molina, junior from Honduras and treasurer of ISA. “Being exposed to different cultures helps you learn a
lot about yourself, a lot about your own country and your culture. I love serving the international community. I find in them a family.”
contact valdivia at vmv12b@acu.edu
ACU ranks high in nation’s Best Colleges hannah little staff reporter ACU was ranked 17th in the 2015 edition of Best Colleges in Regional Universities (West) in U.S. News & World Report. As ACU kicks off its 109th year with 974 freshmen among the 4,427 total students, the site commends the school for its exceeding accomplishments. Student enrollment has experienced immense growth over the
years, and Kevin Campbell, chief enrollment officer, said this year’s group of students will be an engaging unit. “Compared to last year, freshman enrollment is up 11 percent in our highest-ability students and down 14 percent in our lower-ability students,” Campbell said. “This should lead to a more engaged undergraduate student body and increased retention for next year.” The vibrant, innovative community that en-
gages students in spiritual and intellectual growth has added to the success and well-set reputation of the school. Along with many achievements in the school’s departments, there have been new programs produced that are excelling in numbers. “Twenty-four students are in the new M.S. in Occupational Therapy program, nine students in the new Dietetic Internship graduate certificate program conducted in partnership with ACU
at CitySquare in Dallas, and 10 students in the new M.Ed. in Teaching and Learning program,” Campbell said. For graduate students, ACU offers a variety of programs through its business and nursing school, among other academic programs. “On the graduate side of the university, we have 777 students, a nearly six percent increase over last year’s total,” Campbell said. “That includes 314 new grad students, up nearly 37 percent from
230 in fall 2013.” JP Festa, senior multimedia major from McKinney, said based on his experience at ACU, he believes bigger plans are likely to come. “In the future, I think ACU will be much like it is today,” he said. “Some policies or buildings may change, but the heart of this university will remain the same. Thanks in large part of the Christian atmosphere created by the faculty and students.” Aside from the many
contributing factors to the university’s wellknown success, the idea is to further plans and depth for the school. “We continue to plan for growth across our campus as more academically advanced, missionfit students are learning about and applying to join our community,” Campbell said.
contact little at hll12a@acu.edu
Education: department proposes doctoral program from page 1 cost, ACU’s program was quickly forgotten. “Other universities over saturated the market,” Snider said. “There was so much demand and a lot of the online programs in Texas were taking over.” Cost was a contributing factor in the decision to close the school as ACU could not lower prices to match other public universities and make profit. “We’re not the only ones going through this,” Snider said. “A lot of universities across the state
are closing their masters programs and living off their doctoral program. As of now, graduate degree programs only exist within the four colleges at ACU. The Department of Graduate Studies in Education resides in the College of Education and Human Services. “Any degree on campus has to have a home on campus and we’re that home,” Scott said. “We’ve been chosen as the host for the doctoral degree.” In preparation for the possible closure of the program, the de-
“
Other universities oversaturated the market. There was so much demand and a lot of online programs in Texas were taking over.”
Dr. Donnie snider Associate dean of the college of educational and human services
partment stopped accepting students in the summer. If the proposal for a doctoral program is approved, the graduate program will remain open, though. The Graduation Council will vote in October on whether to keep the program open or close it,
which may not be a bad thing. “A lot of times when you close a program people are going to be out of a job, but in this case, we’ve timed it so that’s not happening so it feels a little better and it’s not as hard,” Snider said. Two professors teach
Chapel: small groups move days from page 1 bers are, and I think it will cut down on the number of students able to be involved in our meetings,” he said. Alison Spencer, Honors College academic coordinator, said she was unaware of the new policy. She said Honors Chapel already has a speaker booked and will continue to meet on Wednesdays for the remainder of this semester, Spencer said. In the
spring, Honors Chapel will likely move to Tuesdays or Thursdays, she said. But she still has some concerns. “I’m not too worried, but I hope it doesn’t take away from people’s opportunity to attend either Honors Chapel or other small groups,” Spencer said. The change could force students involved in different groups to choose which Chapel they will attend. “We have a ton of Hon-
ors students, and they are all involved with different things,” Spencer said. “If they’re having to choose between groups, that’s going to be really sad. I don’t want them to have to do that, and I also still want them to attend Honors Chapel.” Honors will meet with the Chapel office to figure out how to move forward in the future. “We’re going to ask what’s the best way to handle this because obviously we want to be ac-
Admissions: students revamp campus visits from page 1 The program already has around 30 ambassadors. Although they work on a volunteer basis, the job still has its perks. Ambassadors receive free Wildcat gear, free food and free tickets to ACU events. Ambassadors will perform multiple duties during preview days. Some will work to greet the perspective students as they arrive, others will guide them from location to location and some will eat with them. Qualifications for an
ambassador are relatively simple. Mascorro was in search of students who love Christ, love ACU and love people. With the help of the admissions office, he recruited help from the admissions office to find students who would fit the criterion. Two weeks ago, he received a list of names has chosen and trained his volunteers for Friday. “I remember what it was like to be a high school kid on a college campus,” said new student ambassador Kyle Karnei, accounting ma-
jor from McGregor. “It can be an overwhelming experience, but a friendly face can make all the difference.” The ambassadors have yet to work a preview day, but Mascorro and Hayes already have plans for expanding the program. The ideas of developing a shadowing program and in-house visits are in discussion.
contact gwin at erg12a@acu.edu
commodating, but these are concerns that we have,” Spencer said.
contact brown at akb12b@acu.edu
in the department along with another who teaches graduate and undergraduate courses, but none face the risk of losing their jobs. “Two professors have given verbal notice of retirement and the other will just go not teach graduate courses anymore,” Snider said. “It’s good timing that we can
close the program out at the same time two professors are retiring.” Johnson said he hopes to know the fate of the master’s and doctoral program by the beginning of next year.
contact fritz at ref11a@acu.edu
Opinion
Wednesday 09.17.14
4
editorial
More dorm visitation hours are long overdue the issue The office of residence life recently allotted for an additional night of dorm visitation hours.
our take We support their decision and think that it will only reap postitive benefits for freshmen and sophomores.
Last Monday, freshmen and sophomores all over campus could be heard rejoicing because more open-house hours were finally extended. And it’s about time. Students of the opposite sex will now be able to visit each other’s dorm rooms on Wednesday and Thursday nights instead of having to find on- and
off-campus places to hang with their friends. The Editorial Board fully supports ACU’s addition of open house nights because it will help freshman and sophomore students bond outside of just their dorm halls. It’s hard enough to make friends in a new situation without the added pressure of finding a place to hang
out with them outside their residence halls. Now, students can surpass that old-fashioned (and high school-like) thinking that it’s wrong to have friends of the opposite sex and get to know each other with a little less constraint. There is still the question of why it took so long for ACU to allow one more visitation day, though. Many might argue that men and women visiting each other’s dorms is not safe because of the situations they could get into. That’s not a sound reason. On the contrary, it seems it would be safer
“
There’s the fact that these are adult college students who will probably find a way to do what they want, even if it’s not allowed.”
for students to meet in a dorm than elsewhere because they are required to check in all visitors and keep doors open at all times. Also, since this is an alcohol-free campus, students who choose to stay in dorms with their friends on Thursday nights are probably mak-
ing safer choices than those who go off campus. And last, there’s the fact that these are adult college students who will probably find a way to do what they want, even if it’s not allowed. So, at least open house will give them the chance to make smarter decisions.
In the end, more openhouse days for students will allow them to bond with each other and actually feel like they have a little more freedom. Props to ACU for making life in the dorms more fun, but why stop there? Open house days seem to help more than they hurt, so how about taking it one step farther and considering open house hours on weekends, too?
contact The Optimist at jmcnetwork@acu.edu
DAILY doodle dosage
Column
Ben Todd
Get it together, NFL
T
here is a bad week, and then there is the NFL equivalent of a bad week. The National Football League has undergone extreme scrutiny lately, primarily due to recent events involving domestic violence cases. The week of Sept. 8 can already be regarded as one of the ugliest for the league in recent memory. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, chances are, you’ve heard about Ray Rice and his Atlantic City incident with his then-fiancé. The video of him punching and knocking her unconscious was released Sept. 8 and gave an image to what most had already suspected. Immediately, the Baltimore Ravens, Rice’s former team, terminated his contract as a cut-all-ties message. The NFL even took a step in the right direction, moving what was Rice’s two-game suspension to a lifetime ban. But even that move drew criticism because it raised the question of could, or should, the league hand down second punishments after an already reached decision? So, that was Monday; an ugly event that left every NFL fan ready to move on. But unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell came under fire on Sept. 9 when reports indicated his office received a tape of the incident that occurred back in April. Goodell denied knowing about the tape before the general public did, but let’s take a mo-
ment to think. If TMZ, a glorified paparazzi service, was able to get a hold of this tape, a tape the NFL didn’t know about, a tape that, apparently, law enforcement didn’t know about, a tape that did not in any way, shape or form come to the attention of the NFL, how can the NFL claim ignorance? Then there was Friday. As if the football world had not been through enough, report of another star running back, Adrian Peterson, made its way to the surface, as he was arrested on charges of child abuse. Peterson was charged with disciplining his 4-year-old son with a switch (small tree branch) that left injuries all over the child’s legs. Peterson claims he is a loving father who disciplined his son the way he himself was disciplined as a child, but a jury of his peers will decide this “loving” gesture’s validity. The NFL, first off, needs to dismiss itself of Mr. Goodell. Love him or hate him, there is a small chance that he is telling the truth when he claims he did not see the tape. He saw the tape and chose to give one of the stars in the league a slap on the wrist instead of a heavy punishment. With Peterson, NFL fans will have to wait to see what becomes of him. In the meantime, it is truly disheartening to see another great player of this league on the sideline due contact zepeda at djz11a@acu.edu
Column
Sharing books, shared connections THE OXFORD VAGABONDAGE COMMA SAMANTHA SUTHERLAND
ALLISON BROWN
Lately I’ve been thinking about books more than I normally do. And if you know me, you know that I’ve always loved books. Books are not only my primary method of decoration in my room, but I’d say they might even have the top spot on my list of enjoyable recreational activities. Someone recently asked me via Facebook to share 10 books that have impacted me and stuck with me over the years. They didn’t have to be my favorite books of all time, but ones that have kept me thinking, ones I’ve gone back to. I loved the moments that
followed as I sifted through my mental library, turning pages in my mind, reliving adventures of my fictional friends and remembering the beautiful, and even difficult, things about life books have taught me. It was significantly more worthwhile and impactful than I anticipated the simple Facebook post to be. Why? I took time to stop and think and remember things I’ve learned and held dear. Those books formed who I am. By sharing that with others, I was able to connect with people who had read the same books before
me. I’m always amazed at how some words printed on pages bring people together in very deep and meaningful ways. This is the point where I could try and turn this into a Buzzfeed-esque column of 27 reasons why you should read books, but I don’t think I’m going to go there. Instead, I would simply encourage you to go back to the crumpled paperbacks, the illustrated children’s books, the memoirs, the biographies, or the works of fiction that have shaped you. Think about them, make a list, share it with others, and see how it connects you. Now I’m sure you’re wondering what in the world my list of books was, and if you weren’t wondering, too bad, because here it is anyway.
1. Pride and prejudice by Jane Austen (always and forever number one in my heart, but really just read it and you’ll know) 2. A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller 3. Til We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis 4. Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo 5. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseni 6. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak 7. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith 8. Love Does by Bob Goff 9. The first 200 pages of Les Mis (still haven’t finished) by Victor Hugo 10. Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller Happy reading. contact brown at akb12b@acu.edu
hashtagACU Sept. 12 1:47 a.m.
Sept. 12 2:00 p.m. Sept. 16 1:45 p.m.
Living in Abilene has taught me to never trust the weather channel
@Marcus_L_W
Attention all ACU Chapel Leaders: “There’s something ‘bout the spirit of Jesus that makes me sing well, well, well, well.” #grammarproblems
@megandoreen
Sept. 12 4:48 p.m.
Is your name Faith? Cause you’re the substance of things I’ve hoped for. #ACUPickUpLines #faithfriday #hopefullyyournameisfaith
@ACUPickUpLines
Sept. 15 10:44 p.m.
Trying to explain what core is to someone that doesn’t go to ACU is literally impossible
@MayesNathan14 Sept. 15 10:18 p.m.
Sept. 16 7:45 a.m.
I’m so glas the rushing process is immensely different for guys than it is girls
@ryne_parrish
So many budding romances from the past week. I think something is in the Abilene water. #theACUdifference #ringbyspring
@joshsmith_93
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Address letters to: ACU Box 27892 Abilene, TX 79609 E-mail letters to: optimist@acu.edu
newsroom (325) 674-2439
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Sept. 12 8:58 a.m.
So if it’s gig’em Aggies, wreck’em Tech, sic’em Bears, and hook’em Horns, what’s ACU? God bless ‘em Cats...
@salvatoreangela
#ACU really needs to do something about parking. I paid for a pass but I have to park in front of homes off campus b/c student lots are full
Sept. 12 7:22 p.m.
Abilene Construction University #ACU
@Gwiner25
@LizCMcKay
Sept. 16 2:43 a.m.
My greatest struggle with Foster Science is that I have no idea where the bathrooms are so I just have to go to another building
The fact that all fruit loops are the same flavor is why I have trust issues...
@caroliingrace
What if we use emojis so much we circle back to hieroglyphics?
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5 Stats & Facts
featureS
Wednesday 09.17.14
of the
Student Body
4,427
Total Students
1200
Students in each class
1000 800 600 400 200 0
51 states represented 55 countries represented
1112
806
762
892
78
777
Freshman
Junior
Special
Sophomore
Senior
Graduate
Ethnicities
Religions Church of Christ
White Multi-Racial
Baptist Community Church Christian Church
Unknown Non-Residential American Indian/ Alaskan Natives
Catholic
Asian Methodist
Black
Other
Hispanic
Enrollment over the past five years
1200
Freshman retention rate over the past three years 80%
1000
79.4%
79%
800
78%
600
77%
400
76%
200
75%
0
0 982
864
958
1030
2010
2012
2011
2013
2012
974
75.1%
75.1%
2013
2014
2014
Design by Linsey Thut
Ethnicity up with slight enrollment decrease Rachel Fritz Copy Editor The university’s enrollment and retention rates are down slightly from last year, but ethnic diversity is at an all-time high, according to enrollment data released last week by the university. This year’s freshman class sits at 974 students, while last year’s recordbreaking class consisted of 1030 students, a 5.4 percent decrease. In total, 4427 students enrolled this year compared to 4461 last year – a decrease of less than 1 percent. “We are extremely pleased with the enrollment for this academic year and the high quality of the students that have chosen to enroll at ACU,”
said Dr. Eric Gumm, registrar and director of the First-Year Program and academic development. “The number of students on campus and their hours of enrollment ref lect strong progress toward the completion of their degree and graduation from ACU.” The number of students enrolled breaks down to 1,112 freshmen, 806 sophomores, 762 juniors, 892 seniors, 78 “non-traditional” and 777 graduate students. The retention rate, the percentage of last year’s freshmen returning to campus, went down to 75.1 percent from 79.4 percent, a 4.3 percent decrease, but Gumm said that number is close to the university’s average retention rate. Six years ago, the university set a
retention rate goal of 80 percent, but the average since has been 75.2 percent. Though the goal has not been met, the rate of returning students has remained steady, he said. This could be the cause for the decrease in enrollment numbers, accompanied by graduation rates which are not yet available. “Students who seek seek a Christ-centered environment will be better able to understand the environment and expectations of ACU and make the decision to remain here and complete their degree, but each student’s situation is complex and their decision is unique to them,” Gumm said. “ACU seeks to provide a variety of services and supports to help students make the decision
“
We are extremely pleased with the enrollment for this academic year and the high quality of the students that have chosen to enroll at ACU” Dr. Eric Gumm Registrar and Director of the first year program and academic development
to remain at ACU and complete their degree here.” Despite lower enrollment and retention rates, the university can boast a rise in the ethnicity rate. That figure sat at 30 percent last year but has jumped to 35 percent this year with greater variety in ethnic and racial groups. Students enrolled have come from all over the world, specifically, from 51 states and territories and 55 foreign countries.
“Each individual student arrives at ACU with a unique background and commitment to ACU and the pursuit of a college degree and once they are here they have a variety of academic, social and spiritual experiences as students,” Gumm said. This year’s statistics show that the student population is about 65 percent white, 13 percent Hispanic, 7.75 percent black, 5.5 percent unknown, 4 percent multiracial, 1 percent Asian and less than .4 percent
American Indian/Alaskan native. About 4 percent are non-resident aliens. Religious variation is also a part of the growing trend of this year’s diverse data. Church of Christ affiliation is still a majority at almost 39 percent, but other religious groups have become more prevalent on campus. Of those who reported, statistics show the student population is made up of 16 percent Baptist, 13.2 percent community church, 11.3 percent Christian Church, 4.3 percent Catholic, 4.1 percent Methodist and 12.4 percent other.
contact fritz at ref11a@acu.edu
sports
wednesday 09.17.14
6
standings football Standings
Team
Div.
Lamar SELA SFA MSU ACU
0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
UCA NSU SHSU HBU Nicholls St. UIW
Ovrl 2-1 2-1 2-1 1-1 1-2 1-2 1-2 1-3 0-2 0-3 0-3
soccer Standings
Team SELU SFA UCA Nicholls St TAMU-CC ACU NSU MSU Lamar HBU SHSU UIW
Div. 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0
Ovrl 7-0-1 4-0-2 4-2-1 4-0-3 1-2-2 3-5-0 3-5-0 2-4-1 2-5-0 1-5-1 1-6-0 0-6-0
volleyball Standings
Team
Div.
MSU SHSU SFA HBU TAMU-CC NO UCA Nicholls St. NSU UIW SELA ACU Lamar
0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
Ovrl 9-3 6-4 6-5 5-5 5-6 4-6 3-6 3-6 3-6 3-7 2-8 1-8 0-9
Who’s Hot michael wade photography
Top left: Junior quarterback Parker McKenzie makes a side-arm pass in the first quarter against Troy. He finished with over 300 yards passing and two touchdowns. Top right: Sophomore kicker Nik Grau made his only attempt of the night, a 27-yard field goal to put ACU ahead in the fourth quarter. Bottom left: Senior defensive lineman Nick Richardson stops the Trojan run as he comes up with a big tackle. Bottom right: Freshman running back De’Andre Brown finds the hole and scores a touchdown on this 47-yard run. Brown had eight carries for 72-yards in the game.
Troy folds under Mac attack Collums credits guts, grit in first FBS win over Troy collin wieder sports editor The ACU football team stunned the Troy Trojans this Saturday as it took down its FBS opponent 38-35. ACU moves to 1-2 after their three-game, nonconference gauntlet, and the Trojans drop to 0-3 on the season. The Wildcats battled back from a 21-7 first half deficit. Their offense bounced back and found its way as they outscored the Trojans 31-14 in the second half. Sophomore running back Adrian Duncan scored a nine-yard rushing touchdown with 1:17 left on the clock. Duncan’s run seemed to seal the game until Troy quarterback Dontreal Pruitt completed a 49-yard pass to receiver Josh Johnson to take the Trojans down
to the one-yard line. Running back Brandon Burks took it in from the one to make it a 38-35 Wildcat lead with 20 seconds remaining. The ensuing onside kick was recovered by junior cornerback Keith Barnett to seal a 38-35 Wildcat win. “That’s what this thing is about, execution under pressure,” said Ken Collums, head coach. The offense turned to a more balanced game plan this week as the running game carried the ball 40 times and the passing game attempted 34 passes for a total of 493 yards. Quarterback Parker McKenzie added to an already impressive first season as he went 25-for-34 for 312 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. McKenzie completed passes to 11 different re-
ceivers, with Demarcus Thompson leading the way with eight catches with 58 yards as well as a three-yard touchdown run. Receiver Cedric Gilbert caught a touchdown for the third consecutive week, adding three catches for 84 yards. Running back Herschel Sims turned in his best game of the season, carrying the ball 20 times for 96 yards. Freshman De’Andre Brown also added eight carries for 72 yards and one touchdown. Troy’s two-quarterback offense put together an impressive offensive day with 417 total yards of offense. Starting quarterback Brandon Silver went 12-for-21 for 187 yards and a touchdown. He also added five carries for 40 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Silvers left the game
in the second half with an undisclosed injury, so situational quarterback Dontreal Pruitt took over the offense for the rest of the game. ACU’s defense made second half adjustments, giving Pruitt a tough game as he went only 9-for-17 for 99 yards. Defensively the two senior safeties led teh way. Safety Justin Stewart was second on the team in tackles with seven. Stewart leads the team in tackles for the season with 25. Three-year starting safety Angel Lopez led the team in tackles with eight. Lopez sat out last week’s game against Northern Arizona to recover from the concussion he suffered against Georgia State. Defensive end Nick Richardson did not have a sack against Troy but led the defensive line in tackles with four along
with recording tackle for loss. The Wildcats spoiled a celebration for Troy’s head coach, Larry Blakeney, who was looking for the 176th win of his career. He would have had the third most winds of all time at an Alabama University. He also had never lost to an FCS opponenet in 24 years of coaching the Trojans. Blakeney dropped to 14-1 as the Wildcats became the only FCS team to defeat the Trojans. “I just love how we came together as a team,” McKenzie said. “We overcame adversity. That’s been our talks all week, and we really stepped up.”
contact wieder at cpw11a@acu.edu
Soccer drops one to Red Raiders daniel zepeda sports director The women’s soccer team took on its first nationally ranked opponent Sunday night as the Wildcats faced the seventh ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders in Lubbock. The outcome was less to be desired, as ACU dropped the match 2-0 and fell to 3-5 on the year. “Honestly, playing a nationally ranked Div. I team was really fun,” senior Katie Stivers said. “It was a great competitive game, and it’s cool to get to watch them play,” she said. “I think we not only learned from our mistakes that game but also learned something from the way that they played. I would prefer to play a team that really challenges us any day.” The Wildcats held the Red Raiders going into halftime, keeping the game scoreless. Sophomore goalkeeper Kelsey Dombrowski recorded three saves in the
first half and a strong defensive presence kept the visiting ‘Cats in the game. “First half against Tech was the best our team has done all season,” said senior Sarah Schoch.”Tech’s an awesome team and we came out and were able to compete with them, we may have lost but it was a huge learning opportunity for us.” The Red Raiders wasted no time after halftime, breaking the tie on a goal in the 45th minute. The Wildcats kept Texas Tech at bay for the next 20 minutes but were unable to get its own offense going. The Raiders outshot ACU, 18-2 for the game, and its offensive attack would lead Texas Tech to another score. In the 64th minute, the Wildcats would give up another goal, pushing its deficit to 2-0. “I thought the team played with a lot of heart and gave a great effort,” Stivers said. “We defended quite well for the most part, we just didn’t have many oppor-
Junior wide reciever Cedric Gilbert has been nothing if not efficent Gilbert so far for ACU. Gilbert has five catches this season, but has tallied 183 yards and three touchdowns off those catches. He had three receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown Saturday night against Troy.
briefings ACU football opens Southland Conference play Saturday against former Lone Star Conferene member Incarnate Word. Sophomore quarterback Parker McKenzie was named Southland Conference offensive player of the week for the second time this year. McKenzie has 880 yards this season with 8 touchdown passes and one rushing touchdown. Be sure to follow @OptimistSports on Twitter for more stories and the latest ACU sports news coverage.
Upcoming Men’s tennis will travel to New Mexico Friday to play in the New Mexico Invitational starting at 8 a.m. Women’s tennis heads to Oklahoma to compete in the Oklahoma Inviational this Friday at 8 a.m.
paige otway Staff Photographer
Volleyball goes on the road to Lubbock to this Friday to play a doubleheader against Texas Tech at 12 p.m. and Air Force at 4 p.m.
Senior Sarah Schoch moves the ball for the Wildcats in a home game at Shotwell Stadium.
Women’s soccer travels to Huntsville this Friday tunities to finish.” 12 teams in shots per game so that we are ready for the to take on Sam Houston The Wildcats now look (12.62) and goals made per pace and intensity going into State at 6:30 p.m. to conference play, with the Southland Conference schedule beginning with a trip to Huntsville for a matchup against the Sam Houston Bearkats. Currently, Abilene Christian is exactvly in the middle of the league as the sixth of
game (1.38). The Wildcats conference. I really think do lead the conference in to- this team has the potential tal saves this season with 50; to do great this season.” Lamar is second with 46. “Although our record is a losing one so far, we played some pretty difficult teams,” contact zepeda at Stivers said. “I’m glad that we djz11a@acu.edu played those types of teams
Football plays rival Incarnate Word at 3:05 p.m. Saturday at Shotwell Stadium.