A imperfectly perfect year: Journey after a rare, unexpected diagnosis
vol. 103, no. 47
wednesday, arpil 15, 2015
Feature Page 5
1 SECTION, 6 PAGES
ON YOUR
what’s INSIDE NEWS Annual Miss Frontier Texas competition crowns winner Page 3
SPORTS Baseball suffers first conference sweep against TAMCC
MARK
GET SET GO GRAY
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OPINION Campus carry bill in the Texas legislator is messy, even for private universities Page 4
SPORTS ACU inducts five new members into the sports Hall of Fame Page 6
yam saowatarnpong staff Photographer
Top: Ed Gray, the late Elmer Gray’s son, fires the starter pistol for the ceremonial races at the opening of the new stadium. Bottom: Students fill up the new stands at Friday’s pep rally after Chapel.
Jennings elected treasurer in run-off
OPINION Brittany Jackson shares her clicking confession
Page 3
the beginning. “Chuck and Cameron were great and I was super nervous about everything,” Morgan Jennings was elect- she said. “It definitely ed the 2015-2016 Students’ wasn’t something I could Association executive trea- take for granted.” surer in the run-off elecJennings said she spent tion Tuesday. Jennings beat all of Tuesday texting and Chuck Oputa by 29 votes. messaging students on Jennings, sophomore Facebook. accounting major from “I sent messages to 390 Abilene, said she was ner- people almost,” she said. vous about the race from “I didn’t want to be obtru-
madeline orr
editor in chief
student reporter
KACU seeks supporters in annual spring pledge drive Page 3
SPORTS Track and field place second in the Wes Kittley Invitational
Page 6
Current freshmen can look forward to online-only housing registration that will let them choose where they want to live, right down to their room number. An update to the housing registration software used by the Office of Residence Life Education and Housing will allow freshmen to pick their roommate, select their preferred hall and choose their room. An information meeting explaining how to use the
ONLINE Savanah Silva hosts this week’s newscast covering arts, sports and more
Read more at acuoptimist.com
goals for next fall. “I really want to be better about communication within SA, about budgets and why decisions are made,” she said. “I can’t wait to meet with everyone and see what they need this year.”
contact orr at mco10b@acu.edu
new housing system will be from 7-8 p.m. April 22 in Hart Auditorium. This is the first time the ResLife office has done online selection for housing, and Director of Residence Life Bob Strader is already preparing for improvements to the system. “When you do something for the first time, you usually have some glitches that you need to improve on the next year,” Strader said. “I feel really good about this, but I also know we’ll find some things we’ll need to do differently as we move forward.”
Residential Services Coordinator Debbie Stewart said this new system will be an easier, more efficient way for students to register for sophomore housing. “In the past with the lottery system, if you didn’t have a high lottery number, you weren’t guaranteed to get the place that you wanted and couldn’t be sure what your housing situation was going to be like,” Stewart said. “Once you select a housing assignment on the new online system, you know immediately what your housing selection is going to be.”
Students will be able to validate their roommate selections with PINs they must set up in order to register. “The PIN number will be given to the person you want to room with, so if you don’t want to room with someone, do not give them your PIN number,” Stewart said. After students follow the instructions for roommate selection, they can then choose their desired dorm, look at a map of each floor and select which room they want to live in. The map shows exactly how many beds are in a room, which
rooms are still available and where rooms are in relation to exits and lobbies. Strader said this new system will be an improvement in the registration process for students and administrators. “I think it’ll be easier on everybody,” Strader said. “Students won’t have to wait, they’ll have much more access to specific rooms and, of course, we won’t be sitting behind a desk seeing one person at a time.” contact the optimsit at jmcnetwork@acu.edu
Speaker from UN Women Skypes in with faculty abbey bowling
what’s online
gress next year.” Orr said he is excited for Jennings. “She is very experienced and I jennings can’t wait to work with her in the SA office next year,” he said. Jennings said she is excited to work with Carter and Orr and has lots of
New software streamlines housing process mercedez Hernandez
NEWS
sive–I felt like we had already gotten our message out.” Caleb Orr, recently elected SA vice president, said he thought the treasurer race was exciting and close on both sides. “I’m really thankful for Chuck for running,” Orr said. “He’s one of our most passionate SA congress members and I hope that he’ll do great things in Con-
student reporter Dina Deligiorgis, a representative from UN Women, spoke to ACU faculty, staff and students Tuesday about the progression of gender equality and how to end violence against women. Deligiorgis is a knowledge management specialist for UN Women, a United Nations organization that was created to address the issue of gender inequality. “From a young age, I’ve been very concerned with everyone’s wellbeing and it’s just over time that I started realizing that my heart was really in gender equality work,” Deligior-
gis said. “Violence against women and girls, in particular, is such a lifelong detrimental experience for women. It actually impinges everything else – it impinges their productivity, their mental and physical health... it’s something that colors the rest of their life experience.” UN Women particularly works with prevention methods of violence against women. They implement concepts at the individual level and community level with institutions to deconstruct masculinities, femininities, relationships and social norms, Deligiorgis said. “A trend we’ve seen in the last five years is engaging men and boys to end
violence against women and girls,” Deligiorgis said. “Not because they’re primarily the perpetrators, which does happen to be the truth, but because there are a lot of male champions out there who understand and believe that violence is wrong.” This semester, a faculty reading group has been reading former President Jimmy Carter’s book, A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence and Power, in which Carter addresses the issue of ongoing discrimination against women. “Carter’s book reads almost like a catalog of erika bolado Staff Photographer 11 primary ways that vioDina Deligiorgis, UN representative speaks in the Adams lence Center on Tuesday. see speaker page 3
Abilene Christian University
Wednesday 4.15.15
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wednesday
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thursday 5 p.m. Zeta Rho paint rush 5:30 p.m. Men’s and women’s tennis versus Texas A&M Corpus Christi
To date:
9 a.m. Don Smith Memorial Golf T ournament
8:30 a.m. Jinkerson Golf Scramble
2 p.m. Baseball versus Sam Houston State University
3 p.m. Softball at Sam Houston State University
7 p.m. Kojie/Moonie outback cookout rush
7:30 p.m. Beethoven’s 9th with the Abilene Philharmonic at the Abilene Civic Center
6 p.m. Baseball versus Sam Houston State University
9 p.m. Trojans Sonic rush
Chapel checkup
saturday
TED x ACU
5 p.m. Frater Sodalis rush
6:30 p.m. Baseball at Texas A&M Corpus Christi
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friday 4:30 p.m. Men’s tennis versus HardinSimmons University
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Around Abilene
Remaining:
58 15 @acuoptimist The Optimist
April 16
April 18
April 18
April 21
7:30 p.m. Crimes of the Heart opens at the Abilene Community Theatre. This tragic comedy is about the three Magrath sisters, Meg, Babe and Lenny, who reunite at their grandfather’s home in Hazlehurst, Mississippi after Babe shoots her abusive husband. Tickets are $12 for students and $15 for adults. The play runs through Saturday.
4 p.m. Hope Haven’s Backyard BBQ and Cornhole Tournament at Frontier! Texas. This event, benefiting Abilene Hope Haven, will feature local food trucks, a kids’ zone and entertainment, as well as the Big Country’s first official Cornhole Tournament. Entry is free.
9 a.m. Insane Inflatable 5K at the Taylor Country Expo Center. Get ready to experience an obsticle course filled with the world’s largest and most extreme inflatable obstacles ever produced. Register online at http://insaneinflatable5k. com/.
5 p.m. Three Days Grace concert at the Taylor County Expo Center. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. The price is $28-$40 per person. Visit http:// www.rsnc.us for more information.
optimist@acu.edu Announcements The second annual Finals Fun Fest will be April 25. The four-on-four grass volleyball tournament will be at Sanders Intramural Fields. Cost is $80 per team. Each team can have a maximum of five players, but only four can participate at a time; at least one player must be female. The play schedule will be sent by email beforehand. For more information or to register, contact Ijeoma Moronu at ish07a@acu.edu or 325-674-2383. The Second Chance Dance is an event to give everyone, including the residents at Hill Resources, a “second chance” at prom. Gain admission by bringing one toiletry item, a game or puzzle to donate to the residents. Wear your old or thrifted prom dress to Gym D on Friday. Get ready to dance the night away!
Want to earn money while empowering high school students for academic and personal success? The Upward Bound program is now hiring summer advisers. Help prepare disadvantaged youth for college achievement by being a mentor during our six-week UB Summer Academy held June 1 - July 10. Travel, meals and housing are included. Contact Ms. Mado Assani, UB Educational Coordinator, at 674-2713 or mxa09a@acu.edu for more details. Join KACU for the Spring 2015 Pledge. Your continued involvement is important. We had a great response to the new programming begun last year, and more great programs are being added this spring. Programming comes with a cost, and we need you to donate to help!
ACU Theatre’s spring musical is Ghost: The Musical, a timeless fantasy about the power of love. Don’t miss this roller coaster ride of music, romance and comedy. The musical will run at 7:30 p.m. this Friday and Saturday and April 24-25. There will be a talkback after the performance on Friday. Tickets are $15 and available for purchase at http://acu. edu/theatre.
Sublease at University Park Apartments for $395 per month for the summer! Apartments are fully furnished! Ten-dollar electricity coverage per month. Some extras such as lamps and some kitchen supplies may be included as well! Let me know if you are interested via email at nlj10a@acu.edu.
Join BSA Friday from at 6 p.m. at the Abilene Zoo! Admission is $3 for nonThe Shinnery Review release party is BSA members. There will be a picnic April 23 at 7 p.m. Graduating language where you can bring your own favorite and literature majors are invited to join food or purchase from the concession us for an honorary dinner at 6 p.m. stand. A scavenger hunt is planned with Come for live music, readings and food. prizes for the top four winners! Cocktail attire is preferred. The address is 10947 CR 224 Abilene, TX 79602.
volunteer opportunities Big Brothers Big Sisters “Lunch Buddy” program is looking for volunteers. Each volunteer is matched with an elementary-age child. Volunteers spend just 30 minutes per week eating lunch with their “little brother” or “little sister” at local elementary schools, while mentoring through the simple act of friendship. Participants can enjoy playing card games, reading books and visiting during lunch. The waiting list has 138 children. Contact Jamie Bearden at 325-674-3113 or jbearden@bbbstx.org for more information. Communities in Schools needs 10 to 20 reading and lunch buddies at Ortiz Elementary. Volunteers are needed anytime between 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. weekdays. Contact Sheila Ashford at 325-671-4945
ext.5351 or sheila.ashford@abileneisd.org for more information. Girl Scouts is seeking volunteers to help make a difference in the life of young girls. Girl Scouts offers several flexible ways to volunteer. You choose how: a one-day event, six-week series or year-round troop! Contact Scout Office. rent opportunities at 325-670-0432 and mlawson@gs-top.org. Keep Abilene Beautiful is looking for volunteers to help with litter clean-ups. Small and large groups are both needed. Contact Nicole Eaves at 325-734-3301 and nicole.eaves@abilenetx.com for more information.
Kingdom Kids (Beltway Park Baptist Church) is looking for assistance with Sunday morning activities for Kingdom Kids (physically and emotionally challenged children). 5-6 volunteers are needed. Contact: Sharla Sanders at beltwaykids@beltway.org for more information. REACH @ Abilene North Apartments is seeking volunteers. Volunteers will be a part of building relationships with at-risk kids and their families through a unique and developing apartment ministry. The program takes place Mondays from 4:30 p.m.-6 p.m. Contact Caroline Thompson at 281-782-2956 or crt12a@acu.edu for more details. Special Olympics is seeking volunteers for two upcoming events. The first is September 26-27. They will be hosting a Bocce Ball tournament at Centennial Park. 20 volunteers per day are needed to keep score, hand out medals, escort athletes and cheer! The second event is November 6-8. They are hosting a bowling tournament at the Abilene Bowling Lanes. 30-35 volunteers are needed per day to sit with the athletes at the lanes, make sure each athlete bowls on his/her turn and handle issues of stuck balls and lane malfunctions. Contact Luann Chastain at 325-677-3200 or lchastain@sotx. org to volunteer. The Alliance for Women and Children is seeking volunteers for afterschool child care for Pre-K-5th grade children, 6th-8th grade children and A-Teens Middle School Girls Program. For more information about times and location, contact Toni Brown at 325-677-5321 or info@afwconline.org. The International Rescue Committee in Abilene needs your help in welcoming refugees to our community. We are seeking the following donations: hygiene and cleaning supplies, bed linen, towels and kitchen items (dishware, silverware, pots/pans etc). Donations are accepted Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 2-4 p.m. or by appointment. Their office is
located at 3303 N. 3rd St. Suite D. For more information contact Marie-Pascale Manishimwe at 325-675-5643. Love and Care Ministries is looking for volunteers to help with sorting clothing, stocking their food pantry, assisting in prayers in their prayer room and serving food to the homeless. For more information call 325-670-0246. Volunteers are needed to help with daily activities organized by the staff at Chisholm House. This could involve playing board games, helping with arts and crafts and helping with a walking club. For some of these tasks volunteers may be asked to lead a group or work alongside a staff coordinator. Volunteer opportunities are from 2-4 p.m. or 6-8 p.m. daily. Contact Larissa Blankenship at 817-578-9296. The Noah Project is seeking volunteers to help with tasks such as answering phone calls, providing child care and doing maintenance and housekeeping. To volunteer call 325-676-7107. The Betty Hardwick Center is seeking volunteers for the Human Resources Center to help with filing and organizing. This job requires someone with attention to detail who wishes to learn more about Human Resources. The job is open Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. To volunteer, please contact Martin Walker at 325-690-5235 or mwalker@bhcmhmr.org. House of Faith is an organization that seeks to take Jesus to neighborhood children. Volunteers are needed to help with the various programs they do throughout the week. Backyard Bible studies are hosted Mondays and Wednesdays and a youth program takes place on Thursday evenings. The organization is seeking volunteers who can commit to a specific day a week. House of Faith lasts from 3-5:30 p.m. To volunteer or for more information contact Amy Jeffers at abj09a@acu.edu or call 832-331-5324.
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news
wednesday 4.15.15
Machine breaks at downtown Monks store bailey werderich studnet reporter The espresso machine at the downtown Monks Coffee Shop is finally on its way to recovery. Emily Eastman, Monks employee of over a year, said they bought the espresso machine used and have had it for about six months now. “It just stopped pulling shots,” said Eastman, a recent ACU graduate. “The water wasn’t coming up to pull the shots, and the pressure was very low, so we thought the boiler went out.” Eastman said they initially tried to have someone in town fix the machine. “There’s only one person in Abilene who knows how to fix espresso machines, and she kind of put it off and
austin kilcullen staff photographer
The espresso machine sits idly at Monks’ downtown location. put it off,” Eastman said. “So finally, we decided she couldn’t do it, so we sent it to
Austin for repairs.” It was thought to have a two-week turnaround, but
the two weeks have passed. Eastman does not know how much longer the re-
pairs will take. The espresso machine at Mezamiz Deux Coffee Shop on S. 7th Street is also broken. Eastman heard they were performing the annual cleaning and found something wrong with it. The only person who knows how to fix espresso machines in Abilene works at Mezamiz Deux. The new Monks location on Ambler has a working espresso machine. Eastman said it’s a lot slower at the downtown location in the mornings now. “Thankfully, in the mornings we have a lot of just black-coffee drinkers, so it doesn’t really affect them as much, but we still lost some business,” Eastman said. “We try to tell everyone that we have a functioning espresso ma-
chine at the store on Ambler.” The downtown Monks location can still make all iced drinks. “It’s supposed to be in the 90s all week, and we do have a chilled espresso we can use,” Eastman said. Maggie Marshall, Monks employee at the Ambler location, said the broken espresso machine has sent a lot of customers to the Ambler location. “Despite the inconvenience, it’s helped get the word out about the new location, which we desperately needed,” said Marshall, senior English major from Tulsa, Oklahoma.
contact the optimist at jmcnetwork@acu.edu
Energy-saving idea wins Springboard one with any electronics knowledge, I had to fix it all,” Cannon said. Originally Cannon wantAspiring entrepreneur ed to create a magnetic verBurton Cannon won the sion of the plug, but when college division in the 8th he started researching it he annual Springboard Ideas saw someone had already Challenge Thursday night. thought of it. Cannon said Cannon, a junior engi- his hatred for wall outlets neering and physics major produced his next idea. from Mill Creek, Washing“I found out that the ton, said his idea, Mod- technology in wall outlets Plug, came to him while is 100 years old and they working in the oil fields allow this thing called over the summer. phantom loss,” Cannon “The trailer brake plugs said. “So I created an outbroke almost every day on let that turns off when not all the trucks at the yard, in use, automatically.” and because I was the only To become a finalist
jonathan raitz student reporter
each contestant is required to write an eight-page business plan. Cannon said other than winning, this was his favorite part because he was able to write it easily. “When I have my own personal goal in mind, I love it,” Cannon said. “If I had to do an essay it would be like pulling teeth.” The Springboard program is put on by the Griggs Center for Entrepreneurship and Philanthropy, and is split into two divisions: the community division and the college division. Karen Heflin, springboard program coordinator,
said the process of selecting the winners and awarding the money is similar to the TV show Shark Tank. “They are basically just trying to provide students with an opportunity to present their business plan before they have to go out and have do it in the real world,” Heflin said. As the grand prize winner, Cannon received $10,000 and office space for a year to help start his business. Cannon said his next step is to complete the programming for his outlet and create a good, clean plan for his product.“It’s
all a learning curve,” Cannon said. “I’ve been an entrepreneur since I was 10 years old. So it’s always been a learning curve, with the mindset of ‘let’s tread these waters.’” Alex Carstens, junior biochemistry major, and Zach Carstens, junior Bible and ministry major, both from College Station, won second place and $3,000 in the college division for their Lavender Mattress idea. Aaron Burch, freshman biology major from Flower Mound, was awarded third place and $1,000 for his eco-friendly fish
hook.Nick Seedorf, founder of two multi-million dollar businesses and guest speaker for the Springboard awards dinner, said it is great to see so many creative ideas and be able to encourage Christ-centered entrepreneurship. “It’s okay to learn, it’s okay to take risks,” Seedorf, an entrepreneur from Long Beach, California, said. “It’s necessary to be talking to God throughout the whole process.” contact the optimist at jmcnetwork@acu.edu
Annual pledge drive changes operation jonathan raitz studnet reporter K ACU kicked off its annual spring pledge drive Monday with new incentive for its supporters. “We’ve essentially made a promise this time to the public that if they will help us hit our goal, then we’ll stop the pledge drive,” said Nathan Gibbs, general manager of KACU. The goal has been increased to $45,000, $5,000
more than the last pledge drive. Gibbs said, as a station, there has been a lot of change over the last 16 months, so new expenses have to be taken care of. “When we add new programming, we have a ramp up in the cost,” Gibbs said. “We currently do pledge drives because they are a reliable source of income.” Along with the promise to end pledging if the goal is reached, Gibbs said the station will give
away thank-you gifts such as coffee mugs and portable chargers for donations of $60 or more. “Typically, we don’t give away a lot of these gifts,” Gibbs said. “People often want to give, and they want all their money to go to programming. So we’ll see. We haven’t tried giving people new things in a while.” This is the first pledge drive since K ACU transitioned its frequency from 89.7 to 89.5, which wid-
ened its broadcast range. It is also the third drive since shifting programming to all-day talk format in January. Business manager of KACU, Caleb Robinson, said he hopes the change in frequency will produce more donors, but more importantly, keep more people informed on what is happening with our local, state and national news. “The response from our listeners continues to be extremely positive,” Rob-
inson said. “We’re excited to continue connecting Abilene to the world.” K ACU has found success over the last few pledge drives, raising an average of $37,500. However, Robinson said he knows fundraising isn’t fun to listen to. “I’d love to see us hit our goal way before 6 p.m. on Friday,” Robinson said. “Other stations around the country have started fundraising like this and have had tre-
mendous success.” This will also be the first time K ACU will be offering a student level of membership at $25. The pledge drive will continue to run from 7 a.m.-6 p.m. through Friday or until the station’s goal of $45,000 is reached.
contact the optimist at jmcnetwork@acu.edu
Young calls for marrow donors in Chapel josh levinson studnet reporter ACU alumnus Earl Young, Olympic gold medalist and leukemia survivor, will kick off the 2015 Delete Blood Cancer Relay in Chapel April 20. Young won his gold medal in the 4x400 meter relay in the 1960 Summer Olympic games in Rome. He later faced a bigger hurdle after being diagnosed with acute myeloid leuke-
mia in 2011. He needed an immediate transplant, which came from a donor located in Germany who had no idea who he was or about Young’s gold-winning Olympian status. Since then, Young had made a full recovery and has devoted his time and efforts to promoting awareness of the need for willing bone marrow donors. After his announcement in Chapel, there will be booths set up through-
out campus where students can come and put their names on a bone marrow transplant list. “We’re hoping every single person on campus will be willing to donate,” said John Alan Archer, graduate English student from Pflugerville. Archer is a part of the team working alongside Jan Meyer, executive director of Center for Christian Service and Leadership. Meyer and Archer are coordinating the event
and are putting finishing touches on the relay and making sure everything runs smoothly. The slogan they’ve chosen for the event is “Get Swabbed.” “You’ll fill out some paperwork, and you’ll swab for about 10 seconds,” Archer said. “That’s how long it could take to potentially save someone’s life. So we’re really hoping every single student will be willing to set apart some time.” These booths will be in
the McGlothlin Campus Center, the Money Student Recreation and Wellness Center and every residence hall on campus. Each booth will have trained volunteers giving clear instructions to willing transplant candidates. “We’re going to be having hall programs for the residents on April 20 to give the residents a convenient opportunity to participate,” said Anne-Marie Coffee, senior graphic design major from San
Antonio and Morris Hall assistant director. “Morris and Sikes are planning on making this a major event for the hall, not only to encourage our students to take part in this program but to end the year off strong together.” The booths will be set up until Chapel the following Wednesday.
contact the optimist at jmcnetwork@acu.edu
Community gets second chance to dance josh levinson studnet reporter The Second Chance Dance, a dance that offers residents of Hill Resources Developmental a chance to experience a prom-like event, is back. The hoped-to-be-annual event started in 2013 by the Student Social Work Association, but they had to cancel their plans last year due to the renovation of the Bennett Gymnasium. This year, the dance will
take place from 7-9 p.m. Friday in Gym D of the Student Recreation and Wellness Center. All ACU students are welcome as well as residents of the Hill Resources Developmental and Disability Services. “Prom is an event that some students who came from private schools never had the chance to experience, and I know this is true for some of the Hill Resources residents as well, which is why this dance was created – to give them a second chance,” said Astrid Tzoc, president
of SSWA. It’s not very often the residents of Hill Resources get to attend a dance that is integrated with college students. “It is a heartwarming experience to interact with these community members who are so passionate about life who love to dance and who make friends with everyone they come into contact with,” said Sarah Floyd, vice president of SSWA. “It is inspiring to be around their contagious smiles. Everyone has a great time; it’s
impossible not to.” All the decorations for the dance are donations provided by a church and the Students’ Association, and some recycled items are also being used. “There is no specific theme, but we are just going to try to create a prom feeling with the resources we have,” said Tzoc, senior social work major from Houston. “Overall, it is just a fun way to give people who may not have had a prom, a chance to enjoy it. Old prom dresses are encouraged.”
Speaker: Book advocates equality between sexes from page 1 is practiced against women around the world,” said Joyce Haley, co-leader of the reading group. “He describes the discrimination and abuse as the number one challenge in the world today and points to the role the worlds’ main religions, especially Christianity
and Islam, contribute to the ongoing violence.” The book raises the question of what can be done to help advance the progression of women around the world to create equity and fairness, and one of the points Carter argues is that a correct interpretation of religion does not support the violent treat-
ment of women, said Trevor Thompson, co-leader of the reading group. “Carter directly calls on people of faith to step up and confront religious beliefs and systems that abuse and oppress women and girls,” said Jennifer Shewmaker, associate professor of psychology and member of the reading
group. “I think that’s really important, and as a faith based school, we should be leading the charge when it comes to offering equal respect, opportunity, and access to every child of God.” contact the optimist at jmcnetwork@acu.edu
The price for admission into the dance is to bring a toiletry item, game or puzzle to donate to the Hill Resources residents. “This is an awesome event, and everyone is invited,” said Floyd, senior social work major from Cedar Hill. “It is a great excuse to go thrift shopping to find unique and crazy outfits that you normally wouldn’t wear. It is a great
time to be together, to meet new people and create community.” SSWA will be selling Second Chance Dance T-shirts at the event, and further information leading up to the dance can be found https://www.facebook.com/ events/774423429331266/. contact the optimist at jmcnetwork@acu.edu
Opinion
Wednes day 4.15.15
4
editorial
Campus carry bill causes more problems than it solves the issue The Texas legislator is getting close to passing a bill that would allow those with CHLs to carry firearms on campuses
our take Not only are there some logistical flaws with the bill, but the implications of the bill are even messier.
In March, the Texas Senate passed “campus carry” legislation that would expand the state’s concealed handgun license (CHL) rights to allow CHL holders to also carry their guns into certain buildings in Texas’ public colleges and universities. It’s expected to pass the House as well, and Gov-
ernor Abbott has said he will sign any open carry bill that comes across his desk. While the bill allows private universities to opt out, there are several parts of the legislation that don’t make sense for any campus, ACU included. The bill logistically seems to be creating prob-
lems where there were none. Because a majority of students on campus are under 21, they can’t legally carry a firearm even with the bill. So the argument that everyone is safer since everyone can pack heat is irrelevant, seeing as it still leaves half the student body defenseless. The second logistical issue it creates is the question of a university’s right to make its own decisions about student safety. ACU is given some discretion in deciding whether to adopt campus carry or not, but a clause in the bill states that before making their
decision, private universities are required to consult students and faculty. The administration and the board already make decisions regarding student safety. They set our curfew freshman year and threw down huge speed bumps in the parking lots, all without first consulting students or faculty. So of all safety decisions to make, a university should have a right to decide if firearms are appropriate for its campus or not, without first having to sift through a bunch of votes or petitions. Apart from logisti-
DAILY doodle dosage
cal errors, a few aspects of guns on campus don’t mesh well with ACU. To allow guns in our library, Campus Center and elsewhere, is to create a new set of problems that had never been a concern before, such as someone under 21 and not licensed to carry accidentally picking up or stealing a bag with a firearm in it. Or the repercussions of guns not properly stored or accidentally discharged. These all seem so much more likely to occur than a student needing a gun for self defense. This bill seems as if it
was hastily pushed onto the floor without first considering the logistics or repercussions. Actually, that’s exactly what happened. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick put the bill on a fasttrack through the Senate, and it is expected to pass the House on Friday. Hopefully, if it’s eventually enacted and approved, ACU won’t be so quick to pull the trigger on bringing campus carry to the hill.
contact The Optimist at jmcnetwork@acu.edu
Ben Todd
hashtagACU April 14 10:53 a.m.
No chapel? No class? Nap time.
@camzilla_k
April 14 4:00 p.m.
I just want to go home... and sleep. I want sleep.
@dani_b315
April 14 2:10 p.m.
“I’m more average than most” -Randy Harris
@CassiNoelle
April 13 12:18 p.m.
Fresh cookies from the Bean are life giving!
@briAnna_joyful5
April 14 12:30 a.m.
Wouldn’t it be cool if you could actually slap some sense into people
@isabellaa99
What you can’t get from Buzzfeed I’M SORRY VAGABONDAGE MISS JACKSON SAMANTHA SUTHERLAND BRITTANY JACKSON
Confession time: I’m a serial clicker. I have about 12 tabs open on my screen as I type right now, all of them stories, Buzzfeed lists and recipes I’ll eventually look at. The bottom line is, I love to learn. And before you roll your eyes, think about it. Think about it– you want to make a good recipe, you log into Pinterest. Want to educate yourself on (slightly slanted) social justice issues? Tumblr is the place. Need to see what Australians look like trying American food for
the first time? Buzzfeed. All of these sites have something in common though– the ability to satisfy a short attention span. Two seconds into an article on Hillary Clinton, I’m done. I got the recipe off Pinterest, now I feel like I’m the master of chicken quesadillas. I now know how funny Australians can be, what a great life skill. But none of these things are enriching. I’m going to throw a twist, one I know you’ll all cringe at. As much as I loathe
them, research papers are vital to my education. To be more exact, research papers are vital to my self-education. In 1993, Anders Ericsson said it takes a person 10,000 hours of practice to be an expert at something. Let’s be clear, I don’t spend that much time on research papers. In fact, I’ve definitely written a few 10 pagers the night before. But the concept remains: the more time you spend on something, the better you will become at it. I’ve written research papers on the stigma of homelessness, the First Amendment rights to video record police conduct and the impact of Latin American authors in the world of literature. Am I an expert on those topics? Nope. No, defi-
nitely not. But I looked up at least seven sources for each paper. I scoured through peer-reviewed journals and tried to balance the facts, as well as deconstructing each argument. All of these papers have challenged me to put a stop to my serial clicking, and more importantly, to critically think about what information I’m digesting. So, to all of my professors that required a research paper this semester (all five of you), thank you for pushing me to self-educate. But also, I can’t wait to get back to my serial clicking.
That awkward moment when ur in the bathroom and you hear someone take a pic in the stall next to you
@laurennswankk
April 13 6:50 p.m.
Column
April 14 1:22 p.m.
I just want to curl up into a ball for the rest of the semester...
April 14 4:42 p.m.
@AmandaSelves96
I love Jersdays because that just means that’s one less outfit I have to plan per week.
April 14 2:24 p.m.
#blessed that I got 4 canvases & 12 paints at Michaels for under $20
@hayleysissy So much rain already this month...But you know what they say, April showers bring May f...inals. They bring finals
@MorlanKelsey Wow I have so much due tomorrow. *proceeds to waste two hours on my phone*
YikYak
YikYak
Life is too short to use cheap toilet paper
I personally believe Monday the 13th is worse than Friday the 13th
YikYak
YikYak
contacT Jackson at BKJ12A@acu.edu
Column
Small realizations in moving into a big space DAILY DOODLE VAGABONDAGE DOSAGE SAMANTHA SUTHERLAND BEN TODD
Buying a house is one of the most adult-like things I could possibly do on my list (It’s just underneath getting married and doing my taxes properly). Just a few days ago, my friends and I finally signed the lease for our house. What exciting times! Well… poop. Now I
have real responsibilities. My days of being a reckless, carefree college student are over; but hey, it’s probably not that bad. Ever since I’ve received the key for my new abode, my mind has been zipping around about all the possibilities and pitfalls of this new step in my life.
I didn’t realize how much the dorms on campus provided. On top of the utilities and Wi-fi, they gave us a bed and dresser too. Now that I’m in a house, I have to search for those things myself, not just to get me by for the year, but long-term. When I think about a lamp I want to buy, I’m also thinking about if I can take it with me post-college. In other words, I’m planning to make long-term investments in the things I’m buying. I’m going to be living
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side, I can have anyone over whenever I want. Pizza parties, movie nights, board game night, sleepovers, LAN parties, cookouts, karaoke, and the list goes on, given that I have the resources. Also, my guests aren’t restricted to the same gender… dang, I guess I have to keep the place clean then. The biggest dread I have to owning a home is groceries and cooking. There is a much stronger chance of having cold pizza for breakfast and cookie dough for dinner
now that the Bean is not a walk away. On the plus side, rumor has it that one of my housemates can cook, so I may be doing him a few favors in return for cooked meals. If not, I’ll be buying a lot of Kraft Mac’n Cheese. If you have any tips for living, lifehacks for housing, or a mouthwatering kolache recipe, I’m all ears.
contact Todd at BAT12A@acu.edu
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with three other guys, and so far, I feel very lucky to call them my housemates. I hope it will stay like that in the next few months. I’m glad that my buddies come from different majors rather than all of us being in graphic design (imagine how messy that house could be). This way, we can work off of each other’s strengths. I may not have all the know-alls about recording music, but I know a guy. He lives down the hall from me. On the extreme plus
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featureS
Wednesday 04.15.15
GIVING UP
PERFECT jarred schuetze chief Photographer
How my view of a successful year was redefined by a tumor linsey Thut features editor
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othing stood in the way of my perfect senior year. I had just finished the dream internship as a production assistant for The Daytripper, one of my favorite shows, in my dream town, Austin. I returned to school in August ready to take on my last year of college. The list of opportunities in front of me was endless: I was features editor of the Optimist, a cast member of the social media campaign Life on the Hill and president of the campus Society of Professional Journalists chapter. Everything was lining up to make this the best year yet. But all of that was before Friday, Oct. 24. Before that Friday, my days were packed full, as I eagerly took every opportunity that came my way. Before that day, I was just another senior making her way toward graduation, daydreaming about the career God had planned for her future. But on that Friday, time halted. During my summer internship, the right side of my stomach started hurting and became much firmer than the left. Soon, even wearing sweatpants hurt. But I brushed it off, figuring maybe it would just go away. As school started, I was too busy to notice the huge bulge that was becoming more obvious in my waistline. However, as weeks passed, the pain became too much to ignore. In October, I finally decided I’d allow myself to take a break to figure out what was going on. I assumed I’d be back without missing a beat. Then came that Friday. On that day, the doctors told me a desmoid tumor was attached to my stomach wall and was growing quickly. I had never even heard of a desmoid tumor – and my doctor barely had. These tumors are so rare, the Desmoid Tumor Research Foundation says only two to four people out of a million are diagnosed with one each year. They are benign and don’t spread like cancer but grow large and wrap tightly around whatever they are attached to. Mine was so big, surgery would most likely mean missing the rest of senior year because surgeons would have to reconstruct my stomach. And so, just like that, instead of worrying about grades and Chapel credits like a normal senior, I wasn’t even sure I’d be able to graduate. The next three weeks were booked with daily appointments with different doctors, MRIs and lab tests. My parents and I were driving 45 minutes through traffic to Dallas and back every day as the doctors tried to figure out where to go next. Because the tumor was attached to my stomach wall, the doctors were
pretty sure they could remove it easily with surgery, which seemed much less frightening than the alternative: chemotherapy. et, even in the middle of this uncertainty, as I awaited surgery surrounded by my family, God showed himself to me through the love that was being sent my way from ACU. Professors sent kind words in emails and called to check up on me. Friends sent me homemade videos to keep me laughing. One night, after a week of doctors’ appointments, my mom called me down to the kitchen because my college group at Hillcrest Church of Christ had sent me a package. I pulled out the oversized white card that read, “We Love You Linsey.” But there was more. About 60 multicolored homemade construction-paper cards cascaded out of the larger card and into my lap. I was speechless as I tearfully read the giant card with about 30 signatures in it and spent the next hour reading card after card of encouragement and love from friends and strangers. And the love didn’t stop there. Over the next two weeks, letters and packages constantly arrived at our doorstep, from gift boxes covered in Taylor Swift lyrics containing homemade crafts from friends to cards signed by my classmates and professors. Staying hopeful was so much easier because of the compassion from those around me. till, the journey was far from over. In November, my doctor decided that the tumor was too large for surgery. Instead, he wanted to try shrinking it with chemotherapy first. And just like that, I watched my perfect senior year slip even farther away. The chemo center was a façade of reassurance, with bright walls and rows of heavily-padded recliners with options for massage and heat to distract patients from the poison being pumped into their bodies. It smelled of sterilizing alcohol, and the nurses in brightly colored scrubs smiled a little too happily. Screens with window-like scenes of serene landscapes and babbling brooks on the walls separated rows of chairs. Yet, despite the attempts at comfort in the centers, nothing could calm my fears about being there. My first treatment was terrifying. The cancer patients around me looked so pale and thin; I wasn’t ready to look like that. I wore for the first time what was to be my regular attire for the next few months: a T-shirt so they could get to my arm easily, sweatpants and a jacket because my ever-shrinking body was always freezing. The nurse tried to encourage me with, “I don’t expect you to lose all your hair.” She stressed the word “all.” After receiving a few treatments at home to make sure the medicine didn’t
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make me too sick, I decided to go back to school and continue the treatments in Abilene so I could to catch up on some of the homework piling up from the past few weeks. It was so good to be back at ACU, but nothing was the same. The worst part was having to hand over the positions I had worked so hard for. I said goodbye to my jobs at the Optimist and Life on the Hill. It was hard enough to just make it to class, let alone muster the strength to sit through Chapel. The chemo was a vacuum, sucking the life out of me. Everything I ate
even a Thriller dance-off. Everyone was taking care of me and rooting for me. Even when it was hard to see God through my exhaustion, His love lived in the compassion of those around me. At the beginning of February, after 10 treatments and two extremely hard months, the tumor still hadn’t shrunk. The doctor decided to stop my chemo treatments, and instead, we are keeping an eye on it and hoping it will stop growing until I graduate. We put off the surgery until this summer.
“The chemo was a vacuum, sucking the life out of me.”
made me sick, sometimes just the word “chemo” nauseated me. Exhaustion took over, and I had no energy to do much besides sleep. I avoided looking at my comb after each shower, knowing weaved in it were too many locks of my hair as it thinned. A stranger stared back at me in the mirror; I’d lost so much weight, and my skin was pasty. ut the changes weren’t just physical. The things I’d once enjoyed doing, like hanging with friends, no longer made a difference. I lost the sparks of my personality, my humor and joy, because I was always just too tired. It was like I couldn’t even remember who I’d been before starting chemo. I was shuff ling through the days like a zombie. Still, I pushed on, because even if it couldn’t be the best senior year, I was determined to at least graduate with my friends. And though the hope seemed small, that’s where the love of those around me came back in. People would text me to see if I needed a ride any where. Everyone stopped me on the way to class to encourage me through the day. Neighbors brought me homemade food. On weekends, which were especially hard because my chemo treatments were every Friday, friends would bring me dinner and watch movies with me until I went to bed at 8:30 p.m. My social club, Alpha Kai Omega, dedicated its Sing Song act to me, even though I couldn’t participate because practices were usually starting at my bedtime. My friends helped me throw a Halloween party in January because I’d missed the holiday in October and had the tutu for my costume made since August. We had pumpkin treats, costumes and
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wo months since quitting chemo, I’m still working to put myself back together. The process of rediscovery has been much tougher than I’d imagined. Some of the dreams that fueled me last August are still trying to resurface after the chemo as well. My hair still hasn’t regrown fully, and the scars from needles still dot my arm. Yet each week, my body slowly returns to what it once was, and I find hope in that. I’ve returned to school, living my regular life – thankfully chemo-free – but still with the foreboding idea of surgery hanging over my head. I’m taking 16 hours and racing against the everticking clock to finish the two classes I had to take in-progress last semester just so I can be cleared to graduate. Yet, even as I put this journey to words, something occurs to me. My senior year has turned out to be nowhere near what I planned it to be. I’m working harder than I ever have, and I may just barely make it to graduation. But that’s all right with me. Instead of a list of all the accomplishments and honors I would have received this year, that list is now filled with the times God picked me up where I fell and sent friends to carry me when I was too weak. And ironically, when I walk across that stage in May in front of the community that helped me get there, I’ll be prouder of myself than I would have been if my senior year had worked out as perfectly as I’d wanted it to.
contact thut at lct10a@acu.edu
sports
wednesday 4.15.15
Track shines in new Elmer Gray Stadium Hannah Null sports reporter The grand opening of the new Elmer Gray stadium was successful for the Wildcat’s track and field team. With two victories and 34 top-five finishes, ACU held their own against tope Div. I competition at the home opening Wes Kittley Invitational. The Wildcats faced big opponents – TCU, Texas Tech, South Plains and Western Texas – in the one-day meet. The meet welcomed ACU alumni and previous players who received multiple honors in their years as Wildcats. Multiple ACU track members were deserv-
ing of some honoring this weekend as well. Sophomore distance runner Marina Guerrero put up big numbers for the ‘Cats. Guerrero placed first in the w o m e n’s 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time Guerrero of 11:17.59. The time earned her a new meet record, a new personal best and a placement in the record books as the sixth fastest all-time at ACU. Guerrero also placed fifth in the women’s 800-meter run with a time of 2:21.91, following teammate Petrene Plummer’s second place
time of 2:15.75. Sophomore distance runner Alexandria Hackett earned a personal best in the women’s 5,000-meter run with a time of 17:34.02 and a first place finish. Hackett was under half a minute faster than teammate Diana Garcia Muñoz, who finished in second with a time of 18:00.94. Other big Wildcat contributors were second place victors – sophomore pole vaulter Kenzie Walker, junior thrower Jelani Rainey. junior multi-event competitor Luke Woods and freshman vaulter Jaden Dement. Walker earned a personal record, a new meet record and a fifth place all-time ranking in the ACU record
books with a vault jump of 4 meters. Rainey impressed his opponents in the men’s hammer competition with a throw of 54.15 meters ending in a second place finish. “I think the meet was good,” said Rainey. “I am becoming more consistent in my throws and correcting Rainey the things that need to be fixed.” Rainey also placed eighth in men’s discus with a throw of 46.33 meters behind teammates Kai Schmidt – who took fourth – and fifth place finisher
Morgan Knight. “I am not exactly where I wanted to be distance-wise, but I am headed in the right direction,” said Rainey. Woods took second in the men’s javelin with a throw of 48.20 meters. Dement earned second place in the men’s pole vault by achieving a height of 4.85 meters. “I am extremely happy about the opening of the new track because it is showing ACU’s Div. I progress,” said Rainey. “It is overall great for the program and we are to thank those that have supported us for many years.” contact Null at Hln12a@acu.edu
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standings 2015 Baseball Standings
Team
Div.
SELU 11-4 NSU 12-5 MSU 12-6 HBU 10-5 SHSU 11-7 UCA 9-6 Nicholls St.10-8 TAMU-CC 7-8 Lamar 7-9 ACU 6-9 SFA 6-11 NO 2-13 UIW 2-13
Ovrl 26-11 20-15 22-15 19-15 18-19 18-12 21-14-1 17-15 18-18 8-24 12-23 12-24 11-23
2015 Softball Standings
Team
Div.
NSU 14-2 UCA 14-4 SELU 13-4 MSU 12-5 Lamar 12-6 Nicholls St.10-8 TAMU-CC 8-10 SFA 7-10 SHSU 4-12 HBU 4-13 ACU 3-15 UIW 3-15
Ovrl 24-14 26-15 19-20 26-17 21-19 24-16 13-24-1 15-26 12-24 10-23 9-29 9-31
Who’s Hot Sophomore longdistance runner Alexandria Hackett took first Hackett place in the 5,000-meters race at the Wes Kittley Invitational. Hackett finished with a personal record of 17:34.02.
briefings
yam saowatarnpong Staff Photographer
The Wildcats suffered their first Southland Conference series sweep this past weekend and move to 6-10 in conference. ACU lost a close 5-4 game to start the series, but were then handled easily with 12-2 and 8-1 losses.
‘Cats can’t swim past Islanders collin wieder sports editor The ACU baseball team, 8-24 overall (6-9) in conference, suffered its biggest setback of the season in last weekend’s sweep by conference foe Texas A&M Corpus Christi, 1714 overall and (7-7). First baseman Tyler Eager says the team just needs to forget about the weekend and move on. “Sometimes you just don’t play your best,” Eager said. “You have to learn to just f lush it and move on to Tech and A&M.” The Wildcats dropped a tough opener in Cor-
pus as the Islanders won in walk-off fashion, 5-4. The ‘Cats and Islanders traded runs all game, but the ‘Cats had a chance to tie the game in the ninth inning, trailing 4-3. Junior outfielder Heath Beasley would tie the game for the ‘Cats with a sacrifice bunt, bringing in junior infielder Kyle Carroll for the tying run. As the Wildcats went to the bottom of the ninth they brought in reliable saves leader, senior Kevin Sheets, to close out the game. Sheets would give up a double to start the inning and then follow it up with an intentional walk. He unraveled soon after, facing three more
batters before giving up the game-winning single to drop game one. Junior starting pitcher Garrett DeMeyere struggled all night, giving up four earned runs on seven hits in five innings of work. Sophomore infielder Aaron Draper led the Wildcat offense. Draper went 3-for-4 at the plate, recording two runs. Freshman right fielder Marcelle Carter added a 2-for-5 performance for the Wildcats as well. ACU’s weekend seemed to follow in that order as they would drop Saturday’s game 12-2. The Wildcats were down 2-0 for four innings be-
fore the dam broke in innings five and six. The Wildcats pitching staff would give up three in the fifth and four in the sixth to let the game get away. Starting pitcher Aaron Mason continued his rough start to the season losing his sixth game. The offense did not help the pitching staff much either as they recorded only five hits as a team Sunday’s game sealed the Wildcats fate as they lost the series finale 8-1. The pitching staff gave up the game in two innings. The game was tied 0-0 but in the bottom of the third senior pitcher Thomas Altimont gave
up four runs to give the ‘Ders a 4-0 advantage. Head Coach Britt Bonneau said the team had a great game Friday but committed too many mental errors in the other two games. “We played a really good game Friday and did some great things,” Bonneau said. “We just didn’t pitch the ball well the next two games and we weren’t able to do anything offensively either. Those are behind us now and we are getting ready for Texas Tech and Texas A&M.
ACU’s athletic department announced that it has partnered with HKS Architects to build ACU’s new football stadium. HKS is known for multiple major stadium constructions, most notably: AT&T Stadium (Dallas Cowboys), Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis Colts) and Amon G. Carter (TCU). The baseball team played No. 19 Texas Tech Tuesday night. It is the fourth time ACU has played a nationally ranked opponent this year. Be sure to follow @OptimistSports on Twitter and like the Optimist Sports Facebook page for more ACU sports news and updates.
Upcoming
contact wieder at cpw11a@acu.edu
The ACU baseball team continues its string of tough non-conference opponents as they travel to College Station to take on number one Texas Faulknor was one of the times in the quarter-mile when he won the 100-yard A&M Wednesday. The greatest triple jump athletes while at ACU. Originally from dash and helped the Wild- game starts at 6:30 to come through ACU. In Trinidad and Tobago, he was cats to a sweep of the 440, p.m.
ACU inducts five into Sports Hall of Fame Daniel Zepeda sports Director Five legendary track and field athletes were inducted into the ACU Sports Hall of Fame Friday night. The inductees, which includes Olympic athlete qualifiers, national champions and several letter winners, were inducted on the eve of the grand opening of the new Elmer Gray Stadium. “With the rich history that we have in track and field, we have probably overlooked these five individuals over the course of the years,” athletic director Lee De Leon said. “We thought this was an appropriate time, with the opening of the new Elmer Gray Stadium, to give them the recognition they deserve for their incredible accomplishment at ACU.” The new members, known as the Tradition Class of 2015, all continued the tradition of ACU’s track and field program. Brian Amos, Ann (Foster) Faulknor, Waymond Griggs, Ian Morris and Dennis Rich-
“
ACU track and field is synonymous with success. We have been blessed with numerous studentathletes and coaches who have carried ACU’s name across the globe.” Lee De Leon Athletic director acu athletics
ardson joined the Hall of Fame. With the new inductees, the Sports Hall of Fame now stands at 170 members. Amos was a two-time qualifier for the U.S. Olympic Trials, three-time Div. II national champion in the 110-meter high hurdles and male Athlete of the Year in Div. II track and field for 1994. Amos was the top collegiate hurdler in the country in 1994 and owned the alltime Div. II record of 13.37. At the U.S. Olympic Trials in 1992, Amos advanced to the quarterfinals in New Orleans and semifinals in 1996 in Atlanta.
her four years as a Wildcat, she was a four-time national champion, a three-time Lone Star Conference champion and finished in the top 10 at the NCAA Div. I national championships three times. Faulknor set the ACU record as a freshman with 4011 1/2, and she improved the mark each year to 41-9 1/2 as a sophomore, 42-0 as a junior and 42-4 1/4 as a senior. Griggs’ claim to fame is that he was a part of the ACU relay team that set three world records and won 16 titles at major collegiate relay meets (Texas, Drake, Penn, West Coast, Coliseum and California Relays). With Griggs leading off and fellow ACU Sports Hall of Famer Bobby Morrow anchoring, the two created a winning duo for legendary track and field coach Oliver Jackson. Griggs was a member of Wildcat teams that won the 1955 NAIA national championship and the 1956 Gulf Coast Conference title. Morris had one of the best
a two-time finalist at the Olympic Games in 1988 and 1992 and a silver medalist at the Pan American Games in 1991 in Havana, Cuba. At the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Morris narrowly missed a medal after finishing fourth in the 400-meter with a time of 44.25 seconds. He was a sixtime conference champion for the Wildcats with the 200 in 1986, 400 in 1986 and 1988, 4-x-100 relay in 1986, and 4-x-400 relay in 1986 and 1988. Richardson tied the record of 9.3 seconds for the 100-yard dash set by Olympic sprinter Bobby Morrow and Bill Woodhouse, was a member of the Wildcat 880yard relay team that established a world record in 1961 and he was the 100-yard dash champion at the Texas Relays in 1961 and Penn Relays in 1962. Richardson turned in one of the top performances in ACU track and field history at the Texas Relays in 1961
880 (with a world record of 1:22.6) and mile relays in Austin. In another memorable day in ACU track and field history, March 27, 1963 – the day his daughter was born – Richardson returned to campus from the hospital and won the 100- (9.3) and 220dash (20.9) and ran on both winning relay teams as the Wildcats defeated University of Colorado, 91-54, in a dual meet. “ACU track and field is synonymous with success,” De Leon said. “We have been blessed with numerous student-athletes and coaches who have carried ACU’s name across the globe through their performances at the national and international levels. The amount of exposure and publicity ACU has earned through its track and field program is unparalleled at our University.” contact zepeda at djz11a@acu.edu
Men’s and women’s tennis host Texas A&M Corpus Christi and Hardin-Simmons Thursday. Matches start at 11:44 a.m. Softball heads to Huntsville to take on conference foe Sam Houston State Friday. The first game starts at 3 p.m. Baseball hosts Sam Houston State this weekend for a threegame series. The first game starts at 6 p.m. Track heads to Waco Saturday to participate in the Michael Johnson Classic.