The Optimist Print Edition 11.18.16

WHAT'S INSIDE

NEWS

IJM students will stand outside the library for 24 hours to raise awareness for human trafficking.

Page 3

OPINION

Nobody wants to have hard conversations until they do. How do we respond after the week’s events?

FEATURE

SPORTS

Page 5

Page 6

World Famous Sarge: The story of one of the Bean’s own who served in the Army before serving food.

Page 4

Basketball’s Jarren Franklin and Jaylen Lewis look to shake up the Southland in their second season.

v

Friday, November 18, 2016 Vol. 105, Issue 14

A student publication of Abilene Christian University since 1912

LYDIA LAWSON STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Students gathered outside of the Campus Center Wednesday after Chapel to share experiences regarding race at ACU. The demonstration, organized by the Office of Multicultural Affairs came in response to a racially charged Snapchat video. The video went viral Monday and the university responded swiftly to the situation. Students involved are no longer enrolled at ACU. The event made national and international news.

Student athletes organize 5K for pediatric cancer

Campus demonstration draws a crowd

BY MIKAELA CLINTON STAFF WRITER

The Office of Multicultural Affairs set up a platform outside the Campus Center after Chapel Wednesday and allowed various students to speak out on issues of race for more than two hours. The demonstration, in a high traffic area on campus, drew upwards of 100 people at times.

Students of all ethnicities took turns at the microphone. Some told stories of how they’ve experienced or witnessed racism on campus; others challenged the crowd to listen and take a stand against racism.

The demonstration was a

Student-Athlete Advisory Committee has organized the second annual Hudson Wade 5K run/walk to raise money for the Play for Rex foundation Saturday. The 5K is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. at the Hardin Administration building and follow the Lunsford Trail around the ACU campus.

The run/walk honors the memory of 11-year-old Hudson Wade who passed away this past February after being diagnosed with Leukemia in 2015. Hudson’s parents, Kirk and Laura Wade are ACU alumni with strong ties to the community. Kirk is the president of Abilene Christian Schools while Laura is an instructor for ACU’s School of Nursing.

“This is one of my favorite events that I get to do all year,” SAAC President and senior golfer Kyle Karnei said. “I get to hear how Hudson and the Wade family has touched so many lives and see how the Wade’s molded faith over fear during such a difficult time. This event is more than just a 5K, it is an opportunity to let Hudson’s joyful personality and resilient spirit to live on forever.”

The participants in the 5K will be raising money in SEE 5K PAGE 2

BY HALEY REMENAR ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR

response to a Snapchat video that went viral Monday in which a white freshman woman appearing to wear “blackface” makeup said, “I’m a strong, independent, black woman.” The students involved are no longer enrolled, according to an email from Dr. Phil Schubert, president of the university. Prentice Ashford, director of OMA, said many students came to his office Monday morning to talk about the video. OMA hosted a meeting Monday evening, and students decided to demonstrate Wednesday after Chapel.

Ashford said at first the demonstration was to take place in the Campus Center, but the crowd would

have been too large for the space, so the office set up the demonstration outside. OMA invited the university’s Senior Leadership Team to witness the demonstration.

The demonstration started at 11:30 a.m. and lasted until 2 p.m., although Ashford said he wanted to let students talk all day.

“I was prepared to stay out here until the last student was done,” Ashford said. “I think students definitely need a platform to talk because they don’t get to do it publicly really ever.”

HRR13B@ACU.EDU

Snapchat video initially flagged by freshmen sparks university action

BY HALEY REMENAR ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR

The racially charged video that led to the departure of two students from campus earlier this week was first reported and publicized by two freshman, one of whom is the younger sister of the director of multicultural affairs. The two say they wanted to use the video to highlight race issues at the university.

Briarston Ashford, freshman business management major from Abilene, said she saw the video on her Snapchat feed Sunday evening. She sent a private message to the student who originally posted the video asking her to take the video down.

“She didn’t know it would offend anyone,” Ashford said. “She apologized. She said it was just a joke, that they didn’t mean any harm by that. And I said ‘I appreciate it, I just don’t want people to think they can post these things on social media or anywhere.’”

SEE SNAP PAGE 3

Collums, ACU part ways after 5 years

BY JONATHAN RAITZ SPORTS EDITOR

Less than 24 hours after the Wildcats fell to Southeastern Louisiana, 31-19, in the season finale, head football coach Ken Collums was relieved of his duties, and special teams coordinator and linebacker coach Mark Ribaudo was named interim head coach.

“I’m disappointed I didn’t get to finish what I started.,” Collums said. “A big part of what we did here was try and create a movement of men, who will change their part of society through their

future families as husbands and fathers.”

Saturday night’s loss dropped ACU’s record to 2-9 overall and 2-7 conference play, giving it a conference record of 5-13 the last two years. However, Collums began his stint at ACU with winning seasons of 7-4 and 6-5, which resulted in a four-year contract extension at the end of 2013. His release comes with one year left on the contract. The Department of Athletics would not disclose the amount the university will pay to buyout out the final year on the contract.

Director of athletics Lee De Leon said the decision is effective immediately and the national search for a new coach will be underway as soon as possible.

“This is an extremely difficult decision because Ken Collums is an incredible man and incredible coach, a great leader and he’s done a lot for our program,” De Leon said. “He’s led us through a very difficult time, and we are so grateful and will be forever grateful for coach in his sacrifice and commitment to ACU.” SEE COLLUMS PAGE 6

W W W. A C U O P T I M I S T. C O M

COURTESY PHOTO Collums at Texas Stadium in 2012 before the Wildcats took on Tarleton State.

2

NEW S

Student collects cans for mission

BY HALEY REMENAR STUDENT REPORTER

Emily Geller, senior animal science major, has decided to take a new approach to fundraising for her summer mission trip in Israel. Geller will be collecting aluminum cans that can be taken to a recycling center for a cash refund.

Geller has placed two boxes that have “Aluminum for mission Israel” painted on them and intends on leaving the boxes out until the end of Spring semester. She hopes to not only fund her own mission trip through the fundraising but to help her peers in raising money for their own mission trips.

Heading to Israel this summer, Geller will be assisting in running a summer camp for teens and children for a week of her trip. The following week the mission team will tour around Israel walking the same path that Jesus walked.

To help raise money for mission trips collect aluminum cans and take them to the designated boxes found in Hardin Administration building outside of the Agriculture and Environmental Science door and RM 126.

If you are interested in helping to spread awareness of the fundraiser and get involved in placing boxes across campus you may contact Emily Geller at ejg13a@acu.edu “Every penny and every dollar counts,” said Geller.

HRR13B@ACU.EDU

FRIDAY | NOVEMBER 18, 2016

Mayor to host annual walk along Cedar Creek

BY TAYLOR BUSH STUDENT REPORTER

Mayor Norm Archibald will host a walk along the newly developed Cedar Creek walkway on Saturday morning at 8:00 a.m.

The walk will begin at the intersection of South 11th and Cedar Creek.

Right over the bridge is parking owned by the city.

The Mayor has authorized for water to be released into the creek, opening up the possibility for kayaking - water level allowing, said Dr. Jim Cooke, professor of environmental science.

Last year’s walk was rained out, but the Mayor hopes to continue his focus on health and get Abilene citizens out and active

through this year’s walk.

The whole trail runs 15 miles from Lake Kirby to Fort Phantom through the middle of Abilene. It picks up off of South 11th to Stevenson Park, and Cooke said the most work as been done to this section of the trail. The creek continues north of ACU near the Sherrod apartments and through the disc golf course to Cedar Crest Street and Will Hair Park, ending at Fort Phantom Lake.

The trail starts about two minutes from ACU’s campus, and the trail can be accessed at Will Hair Park.

In the future, portions of the trail will be different materials. “Eventually, the trail will have a portions of the trails that will be wheel-

chair and ADA accessible,” said Cooke. “There will be some portions that are more rustic for mountain bikes and hiking and stuff like that.”

“It’s a great project that will improve the quality of life, health and recreation, economic opportunity, historical value, educational value and it’s just a great place,” said Cooke. “It changes the feel of abilene from this dark, brown dusty place to this green, moist deal.”

Most of the land near the creek is owned by the city, who maintains the area.

The land is mostly floodplains, which means people will not be able to build on the land, said Cooke.

The city has hopes of the

building over the MLK bridge being donated and renovated into new restaurants and shops along the creek.

This year, Cooke said the creek is in great shape because the two lakes are full, maintaining water supply in the creek through a newly built damming system.

The damming system will take water from Fort Phantom, pump it into Lake Kirby, let it out of Kirby and let if flow down Cedar Creek, Cooke explained.

“I have been a long time resident of Abilene and I am concerned about the fact that we’ve got a lot of great parks in Abilene, but people don’t use them," said Cooke. “I’m concerned that we don’t have a lot of bike

lanes that encourage people to get out and hike and bike. Many cities have done this...and it makes for an improved quality of life.”

The trail is open and can be used anytime.

“The best way to get involved is to get out and use it,” said Cooke. “Grab your mountain bike and go for a ride. Get your girlfriend or your boyfriend and go for a walk.”

Cooke said he hopes it will become a perk of living in Abilene.

For more information, go to http://www.cedarcreekwaterway.org/ or Abilene Cedar Creek Waterway on Facebook.

Child is a nationwide service project that has been going on for years. The boxes are dispersed among many different countries that are in poverty that also have children who will not receive gifts for Christmas.

Jones says that in the past, GATA has been the only ones to help with the Opera-

tion Christmas Child. However, the club has reached out to the other clubs on campus and wants anyone who is willing to help to come.

“We figured this would be a great opportunity to reach out to the community,” said Jones. “We are willing to take whoever wants to help;

we had 40 people sign up today so it’s awesome.”

Boxes will be collected around the country until Nov. 21.

“I think it’s a great way to inform people what’s going on around the world,” junior GATA member Kendra Bolin said. “It’s a good way to give back and keep

in mind what the spirit of Christmas is all about.”

GATA will be covering the shipping fee, $7 per box.

Students who attend the wrapping party on Thursday will also receive a chapel credit.

OPTIMIST@ACU.EDU

GATA collects shoeboxes for Samaritan’s Purse

BY MAX PRESTON STUDENT REPORTER

The women of GATA are collecting shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child.

Operation Christmas Child is run by Samaritan's Purse, a nonprofit committed to alleviating poverty around the world. Operation Christmas Child helps kids receive gifts on Christmas by gathering shoe boxes filled with toys, as well as other items, and sending them to kids in other countries. GATA has made it a club tradition to collect boxes from members and students across campus.

“This year, GATA is aiming for 100 b oxes to send off,” said GATA Chaplin Makayla Jones. “We will be in the Campus Center all week, and then we are having a packing party Thursday night.”

Operation Christmas

OPTIMIST@ACU.EDU

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POLICE LOG SELECTED ACUPD CALLS FOR THE WEEK 11/08/2016 11:00 a.m.

A student’s vehicle was struck by a hit-and-run driver in the Smith-Adams lot.

11/13/2016 12:02 a.m.

ACUPD responded to a noise violation at a large party in the 2400 block of Rountree; an ACU student tenant closed the party.

11/13/2016 4:45 p.m.

A student reported having been assaulted by another student while they were in the parking lot SW of McDonald Hall.

911 CALL ACCIDENT ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIVITY ALARM ANIMAL CALL ASSAULT BUILDING LOCK/UNLOCK CHECK BUILDING CRIMINAL MISCHIEF DIRECT TRAFFIC DISTURBANCE DRUG ACTIVITY/OFFENSE ESCORT

1 1 19 4 1 1 10 381 1 1 1 1 1

FOOT PATROL FOUND PROPERTY HARASSMENT HIT & RUN INFORMATION REPORT INVESTIGATION FOLLOW UP LOST PROPERTY MAINTENANCE UNIV ASSETS: CCTV MEDICAL EMERGENCY MONITOR FACILITY/LOT MOTORIST ASSIST IN-

31 3 1 2 5 11 4 2 1 8 2

FLATE TIRE MOTORIST ASSIST: JUMPSTART MOTORIST ASSIST: UNLOCK NOISE VIOLATION OTHER PARKING LOT PATROL PARKING VIOLATION PATROL VEHICLE: MAINTENANCE PATROL VEHICLE: REFUEL PROWLER

RANDOM PATROL REPORT WRITING STAND BY 10 SUSPICIOUS PERSON THEFT 3 TRAFFIC HAZARD 3 TRAFFIC STOP 46 TRAINING 8 WELFARE CHECK 3 TOTAL: 638 11 2 6

27 15 1 4 2 1 1 1 1

POLICE CHIEF TIP OF THE WEEK:

Don’t be a Hit & Run driver, when you strike an unattended/parked vehicle, call ACUPD or leave your contact information on the damaged vehicle.

N E WS

FRIDAY | NOVEMBER 18, 2016

IJM students to stand for 24 hours

BY BRIANNA CLOSE STUDENT REPORTER

The on-campus International Justice Mission chapter will stand for 24 hours, from Friday to Saturday, to bring awareness to the global human trafficking crisis during the annual Stand for Freedom event.

“We’re going to be there for 24 hours, bringing awareness for the over 45 million people who are still in slavery or human trafficking rings,” said Emily Counts, the ACU IJM co-president. “We’re also going to have a petition to sign for the End Modern Slavery Act which has been on the Congress floor for the past three years,” said the junior communications major from Abilene.

International Justice Mission, IJM, is an international and non-governmental organization focused on fighting human trafficking and the effects of global poverty. IJM serves as the world’s largest organization fighting slavery.

“We’re just trying to get a really good turnout for Friday, because it’s really important that people are aware of what IJM is and the impact they make,” said Catlin Young, the co-president of ACU IJM and junior communications major from Dallas.

Stand for Freedom will be set up between the library and campus center beginning on Friday at noon.

“We’re going to have lots of things for people to be engaged. We’re going to have a screen and projector playing different documentaries and also videos from what other campuses are doing,” Young said.

Students are able to sign up for hourly shifts through a Google sheet that has been emailed to many different student groups or are invited to attend anytime without signing up.

“Our purpose on campus is to make people look outside their own experiences and make people look outside their own life and realize that there are bad things that happen in the world, and that doesn’t mean you have apathetic in our world view, and you can have a righteous anger and that there is something we can do,” Counts said.

The chapter plans to hold more events in the spring semester to educate the community on injustices around the globe.

“At a certain point, especially in college, it’s important for us to turn our eyes outward into the world because that’s what, as Christians, we are suppose to do,” Counts said.

OPTIMIST@ACU.EDU

3

Startup Week includes community “

BY HALEY REMENAR ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR

The 3rd annual Startup Week took entrepreneurs to Abilene Independent School District high schools and middle schools, and a variety of on-campus events Monday through Saturday.

The week featured 125 events sponsored by the Griggs Center for Entrepreneurship and Philanthropy and the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization. Meredith Orr, student director of Startup Week, said her team partnered with Junior Achievement of Abilene to bring entrepreneurs to speak at AISD high schools and middle schools.

“This year we put a lot of focus on involving the Abilene community,” said Orr, sophomore management major from Fort Worth.

The Springboard Elevator Pitch competition took place Monday at 2 p.m. and students had two minutes to pitch their products or businesses to win $1500. Nathan Reynolds, junior management major from Houston, won the contest for his Burro Pack Cover. He said his pack cover, designed for backpacking, has a hood attached to it, three pockets on each side and a rain jacket that sips backwards to the cover. He competed last year and didn’t win.

“Throughout this I

Snap: campus reacts to video CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Ashford said the student removed the video from her story, but the video was still visible in the private message between the two. The next day she showed the video to her brother, Prentice Ashford, director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs.

After talking to him, she decided to report the incident.

She filled out an informal complaint form describing the incident to the deputy Title IX coordinator Sherita Nickerson. She said after she filled out the form she was told “they would take care of it.”

Briarston said she showed the video to her friend, Jessica Stacy, Monday morning and Stacy tweeted the video with the username @JNacole503.

“I tweeted the video just

5K will be raising money in Hudson’s name to be donated to the Play for Rex foundation, a local organization that helps families affected by pediatric cancer. The organization was started by Lance Fleming, ACU’s Associate Director of Athletics for Media Relations, and his wife Jill who lost their son, Rex, after a two-year battle with brain cancer. Now their work with P4X gives pediatric patients at Hendrick Medical Center in Abilene and Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth with Apple iPod Touches and iTunes gift cards in order to provide them with a way to listen to music, play games, or text their family and friends during their long stays and treatments.

“We’re blessed to be able to make an impact with such a great foundation like the P4X fou`ndation as

MEREDITH ORR STUDENT DIRECTOR OF STARTUP WEEK

have learned that perseverance really does pay off,” Reynolds said in an email. “I appreciate all the support from the judges and my friends and family that always support my crazy business ideas.”

Alumni and guest entrepreneurs dined with students at the CEO Networking Dinner Monday night and local entrepreneurs were invited to the

Springboard Community Luncheon Wednesday.

“This really helps promote entrepreneurship in Abilene because we care about our city that we’re hosted in,” Orr said. “If we promote Abilene as a community that is continuing to grow, not stagnant as it has been in the past, overall will really build up Abilene.”

Orr said Startup Week placed entrepreneurs in events already happening on campus, including classes, student organization meetings and social club Chapels.

“The week seemed to go about as smoothly as it could,” Orr said. “We get to show them what we’re doing and show them ‘you can be a part

of this.’”

All Startup Week events were registered with Global Entrepreneurship Week, an international initiative in more than 160 countries. Orr said the first Startup Week only had six events, the second had 100 and this week had 125 events.

Startup Week helped CEO become the best chapter in the nation because Orr said it allows CEO members to reach out to non-business majors.

Preparation for Startup Week began in March but Orr and her team of four co-chairs took the lead in August.

OPTIMIST@ACU.EDU

because it needed to be out there,” said Stacy, freshman social work major from Dallas. “I can’t go up to everybody on this campus and show them, so it was good for me to tweet it.”

Stacy said she wanted the video to be retweeted and seen by many people. She also talked to Nickerson and emailed Dr. Phil Schubert, president of the university, after she tweeted it.

“I thought that was the best thing for it,” Stacy said.

“I feel like this is a different generation. We’re freshman and we’ve grown up in a generation where now things are meant to be public. Nothing that we do now is secret, so for them to try to keep it a secret was like a slap in the face.”

HRR13B@ACU.EDU

5K: SAAC hosts annual fundraiser CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

This year we put a lot of focus on involving the Abilene community,”

well as keeping the memory and legacy that Hudson left behind,” Karnei said. “We get to honor and bless some of the best families in this community.”

As of now, Karnei said 120 runners are expected to run with the opportunity for more to register for the event.

Everyone is encouraged to register to participate in the run/walk, and registration and further information can be found online at www.youraze.com/hudsonwade5k.

Registration cost is $20 and includes participation in the race and a long-sleeve t-shirt. Shirts can also be purchased for $17 for those who cannot participate.

Check-in for the 5K begins at 8 a.m. on November 19th outside of the Hardin Administration Building where the race starts.

OPTIMIST@ACU.EDU

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FRIDAY | NOVEMBER 18, 2016

When the conversation gets tough

hashtagACU @acuoptimist

THE ISSUE

Recent events on campus have sparked tough conversation about race issues. Some are willing to talk, but others would rather avoid tough conversations.

@MARYSA_TRAVIESO NOV. 17

OUR TAKE

Strategizing when to skip class is one of my favorite parts about college.

Things on our campus won’t ever really change if we skirt around the tough stuff. We have to keep dialogue going, even when we don’t necessarily want to.

@MISSHOLLYBEAR NOV. 16

Dear Abilene, is a Panera Bread and a Super Target too much to ask for? If it isn’t I would also like to ask for a Pappasitos and Pei Wei.

“So, how’s college going?” the aunt you haven’t seen since summer asks you as she passes the mashed potatoes. You pause for a second, thinking about the last few weeks at school: the death of a student, the stress of a presidential election, the national and international headlines about racial tensions on campus.

“College is great! It keeps me busy, but it’s great! Can you pass the gravy?”

Okay, let’s be honest for a second. It’s been a hard two weeks. It’s safe to say we are probably all a little (okay, a lot) tired and ready for a break. We want some pie and some football and some good old peace and quiet and we don’t really want to talk about the hard things our campus has walked through in the last

@ELLENJOHNSON13 NOV. 17

Scale of 1-10 Walking into class 15 minutes late with Starbucks, how much does my professor hate me?

@TAENJOHNSON NOV. 14

I decided that my future wedding venue will be Chilis Grill & Bar

NOV. 16

the condition of my current state of life is present in my balance of $0.52 bean bucks

@GABBYSYMONE13 NOV. 15

Honestly who has time to answer Yahoo questions?

Thankful but confused and concerned.

@SHELL_BAEE NOV. 13

*writes the first sentence of my 10 page paper* Wow I am making so much progress today I think I deserve a break

fortnight. However tempting it might be to go home and leave everything on campus behind – even only for a few days – we can’t let important conversations go unsaid.

On Monday, students involved in posting a racially charged Snapchat video were dismissed from school.

In response to the video going viral on social media, students stood in front of the Campus Center Wednesday and shared their experiences regarding race at ACU. For over two hours, person after person stepped up to the microphone sharing their experiences as a crowd listened and others passed by on their way to class. In a high traffic area of campus, it was meant to be an interruption. No matter your race or ethnicity,

ested in owning our faults than explaining our actions.”

We cannot shy away from issues of racism on campus, nor can we shy away from questioning how the university handles such incidents. There’s always two sides to every story, and if we avoid the subject, we will never know the truth.

So when your grandparents or your aunts and uncles or your cousins or friends from high school ask you how college is going, or when you get back in a week and the tensions have dissipated, will we be brave enough to keep the dialogue going? It would be a shame for the only progress to be two hours of conversation on a Wednesday afternoon.

If you have a story to share, the Optimist can be your voice. You can write a Letter to the Editor, or talk to one of our staff members because we want to listen and gather the truth.

OPINION@JMCNETWORK.COM

COLUMN

From mannequins to race:

@LAURENNSWANKK NOV. 17

I have the same teacher for my 8am and my 9:30am and he canceled for my 9:30 but not my 8am...the day before Thanksgiving break. It’s fine, I’m fine.

The difficulty of challenges

@IDKAITLYND NOV. 12

LAMBORGHINI MERCY

@SIMS_CARD NOV. 16

MERCEDEZ HERNANDEZ PRINT MANAGING EDITOR

where are the knitting emojis

weeks ago, @madelynbane “edited my paper,” left a sentence unfinished mid-paper & just now admitted that she never actually read the paper.

Senior convergence journalism major Anson

This week has been an interesting one as it brought the issue of race to the surface of campus conversations. Along with those issues, something else was brought to my attention and it was the concept of willful ignorance, but not in the traditional sense.

After Wednesday’s chapel in which President Schubert addressed the difficulty Christians face when navigating a divisive world in response to a racially-charged video, the Office of Multicultural Affairs hosted a demonstration outside the campus center where students shared their testimonies of

@MADELYNBANE NOV. 15

tuesday.

10:49 p.m. craving mashed potatoes

@TBRICKA NOV. 15

Today I met an important person at ACU who asked me what I’m doing after I graduate and I literally said “your guess is as good as mine” :)

@KUTEKASSIEK NOV. 15

at this point in the semester nothing sounds better than “do you need chapel credit? what’s your ID?”

@SAVANAHNICOHLEE NOV. 16

Having about a week of undergrad classes left means calculating the lowest possible grade you can make on remaining tests and still pass.

racial issues experienced on and off campus. The demonstration was on the minds of a lot of students and I have heard that some stayed away from it because they didn’t need to attend because they’re not racist.

This, to me, is a type of willful ignorance. Typically, willful ignorance is when someone knows there is a problem and chooses to ignore it, but in this definition, a person knows there’s a problem and knows a bit about it, but chooses not to advance the issue by asking questions or engaging in conversation. For example, you see a leaky faucet in the communal bathrooms

in your dorm, you tell your RA or Dorm Advisor about it so they can have someone fix it and you go about your life as you normally would.

But, no one ever comes to fix the faucet and it continues leaking until it finally rusts the hardware of the sink and it all has to be replaced. You did everything right: You saw the problem, you acknowledged it, but because you didn’t further the conversation, it ended up being a bigger problem than it started out as.

Now, it is not your responsibility to fix all the world’s problems (or leaky faucets) but it is your duty to at least educate yourself about them. We all have to live on this spinning blue sphere, the least we can do is try and make it a better place for everyone to live.

Another concern some had when it came to contributing to the tough conversations on race was that

they were afraid of coming off as ignorant or racist in their attempt to gather knowledge. I guarantee that if you show just a peak of interest in any of those conversations, your inquisitiveness will not be met by mocking. It most likely will be met by compassion and maybe a good ol’ fashioned side hug.

We’re faced with challenges on the regular, from the challenge of getting out of bed to go to class to those of the mannequin variety, but still, I challenge you to set yourself free from the fear of judgement and dare to ask questions, participate in forums and talk to people outside of your normal realm of comfort, now that is a trend that should really go viral.

EAG13A@ACU.EDU

GUEST COLUMN

@ALLIEEGARRISON NOV. 16

I’ve probaly eaten 5000 chicken nuggest in my life time

Find your passion, even if it’s crazy.

@18RACHELJOHNSON NOV. 16

BY MEREDITH ORR

Hope my grades pull a miracle and rise like this temperature in November.

FOLLOW

@ACUOPTIMIST WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/ACUOPTIMIST WWW.ACUOPTIMIST.COM

“Sounds like entrepreneurship to me”.

Those are the words spoken to me by a friend who just weeks earlier had drug me to a meeting about joining the entrepreneurship fellowship in the Griggs Center for Entrepreneurship and Philanthropy.

At the time I had sat and skeptically listened to why he thought I should be part of this program and he patiently listened as I told him how entrepreneurship was too volatile and too risky of a career for me to even consider it, how its not rational.

A few weeks later, as we sat eating breakfast in the campus center, he again asked me what I wanted to

personal attacks, obscenity, defamation, erroneous information or invasion of privacy. Please limit letters to 350 words or fewer. A name and phone number must be included for verification purposes. Phone numbers will not be published.

Address letters to: ACU Box 27892 Abilene, TX 79609 E-mail letters to: optimist@acu.edu

do with my life. I began telling him how I couldn’t see myself working in a singular, well-defined role, how I liked being able to solve problems and have my hands in every aspect of a business.

Then, in that one fateful sentence, “sounds like entrepreneurship to me” I realized that all the reasons I wanted to shy away from entrepreneurship are all the reasons I loved it.

That conversation was nearly a year ago, and since then it has been a whirlwind: from a mission trip to learn about social entrepreneurship, to becoming the director of Startup Week, the largest entrepreneurship event on a college campus, to presenting and winning best Collegiate Entrepre-

T H E

EDITORIAL AND LETTER POLICY Unsigned editorials are the opinions of the Optimist and may not necessarily reflect the views of the university or its administration.

Signed columns, cartoons and letters are the opinions of their creators and may not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of the Optimist or the university.

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it was meant to make you think.

Unfortunately, it took the expulsion of two students to get us to realize the depth of the divide on campus. In some ways our campus has tried to foster open discussion about things like the election or race relations, but in many ways we still cling to our own groups and avoid confronting issues or people who are different than us.

What happened to two freshmen this week could’ve happened to any of us. You may try to separate yourself from the perpetrators, but many of us post things on social media we wish we could take back, things we never want the university administration to see, race-related or not. Before we point the finger at them, we need to be open about our own failures.

“If you’re more interested in demanding justice than extending mercy, you’re part of the problem,” Dr. Phil Schubert, university president, said in Chapel Wednesday. “We have to ensure we are more inter-

“

I challenge you to find your passion, if you’re like me it might be the thing that scares you, the thing that sounds like lunacy.

neurs’ Organization chapter in the nation, it even led to a change in my major.

The thing that I have continually learned throughout this process is that sometimes the things that scare us are actually the things we love the most. One of the biggest obstacles I face is explaining to students that entrepreneurship is not just for business majors; it’s just a different way of looking

at your passions. That entrepreneurship is not just starting a business; its taking ones passion and figuring out how use it to make the world a better place.

So, to the reader, I challenge you to find your passion, if you’re like me it might be the thing that scares you, the thing that sounds like lunacy, but find your passion and find a way to use it.

Meredith is a sophomore management major from North Richland Hills. She serves as the student director of ACU Startup Week for the Griggs Center for Entrepreneurship and Philanthropy.

OPTIMIST@ACU.EDU

O P T I M IST

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F E ATUR E S

FRIDAY | NOVEMBER 18, 2016

5

World Famous Sarge Military veteran Sean Coburn works in the World Famous Bean following four years of service in the Army

EMILY GUAJARDO STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Sean Coburn works midnight breakfast in the Bean last year.

BY EMILY GUAJARDO VISUALS MANAGING EDITOR

S

upervisor Sean Thor Coburn walks through the aisles of the World Famous

Bean.

The military veteran gathers his workers and prepares them for the work ahead. Known as the Sarge, Coburn sets the goals for the day and what is expected of each person.

The workers silently nod their heads.

“When we are working, there is only right and wrong: black and white.

There’s no gray line,” said Coburn in a rough voice.

Coburn, known to some as The Scary Bean Worker, looks like a mean man with his nine unevenly spaced skull and star tattoos dappled around his body and arms. Born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Coburn was raised by truck driving parents who were away from home for long periods of time. Never wanting to follow the road of working long hours and long distances away from home, Coburn preferred the food business. At 15, Coburn worked as a busser at The Mouse Trap restaurant on

the coast of Florida. After dropping out of high school twice, he joined the army at 22 years old and began building tanks in Korea as a mechanic.

“Yep, I built tanks for about three years or so,” said Coburn. He said he left the Army “because they don’t build tanks anymore,” he laughed. “Basically, that’s why.”

After four years in the military, five years of cooking at a Christian retreat center in New Mexico, becoming a volunteer firefighter and kicking around from job to job, Coburn ended up in Abilene to take care of his mother. oday, the 47-yearold veteran supervises several employees scheduled for the afternoon shift.

Megan McBride, a student worker, understands the negative stigma that follows Sean like the cologne on his shirt.

“Sean was definitely the most intimidating person at the Bean,” said McBride. “He’s never afraid to enforce the rules or tell students to stop what they’re doing. I think that’s how a lot of students see him – intimi-

T

“

I don’t like labels.

I’m just me. I don’t like to put labels on myself to fit a certain group.”

SEAN COBURN WORLD FAMOUS BEAN WORKER FROM ALBUQUERQUE

PHOTO COURTSEY OF MEGAN MCBRIDE Sean Coburn working in the Bean with senior Megan McBride.

dating and strict.

However, McBride has seen the real Sean Coburn during her time at the Bean.

“He’s one of the most hilarious people I have ever worked with,” McBride said. “Sean is a really goofy guy, but he’s also intentional, compassionate, and friendly... He’s a simple, down-to-earth guy that always keeps his co-workers laughing.”

W

hen Coburn smiles, his lower lip covers his three missing teeth. He knows his smile is not ideal, but it’s the best one he’s got, and for that, he shouldn’t be labeled as callous.

Co-worker Sharon Mize said he’s genuinely is a kind man deep inside.

“You know, he is a very strong-willed man,” says Mize in her soft-spoken,

country accent. “Many people think he’s mean, but he is what I consider a good man.”

Blanca Martinez, the quiet Latina stationed at the salad bar, said Coburn likes to work and then play, always in that order. Shoveling pieces of melted ice out of the metal box and into the trash, Coburn is working just as hard as Blanca next to him. He doesn’t give it a second thought.

“Sometimes people don’t want to work,” Coburn said. “When I come in here, I set aside everything that is happening in my personal life and come to work. Some people just don’t get that. And sure, it is part of my military side, but when we have a job to do we need to just finish it and move on.”

Co-worker James Moore agrees.

“Oh yeah, Sean is a real-

ly good supervisor. I mean, he is really strict and whatever, but what supervisor isn’t, right?” Moore said as he slaps ham and turkey on white for the student in front of him. “Like, he does want you to get your work done, but he likes to lighten the mood around here. Honestly, I wish we could have him all the time.” oburn also manages the concession stands at athletic games.

Frankly, that’s his favorite part of the job. He loves being able to talk and joke with students.

Coburn says he’s neither an introvert nor an extrovert.

“I don’t like labels. I’m just me. I don’t like putting labels on myself to fit a certain group. I’m just me,” Sean said. “Just like, be your own person. Who cares what people think about you?”

Workers slowly turn off the heat lamps. Coburn continues to walk the aisles. No words are spoken. Lights flicker off, and the last student sprints out of the cafeteria.

C

EAG13A@ACU.EDU

ARTS

Local artisans to sell at craft fair

BY ADRIENNE BARRICK STUDENT REPORTER

Saturday will be a big day for many artisans around Abilene, as the semi-annual A People Party Productions Craft Fair will take place, complete with booths of all kinds, food trucks and live entertainment.

The fair, working largely off the phrase ‘“meet the maker,” opens at 10 a.m. and runs until 10 p.m. It is located downtown, on North 4th and Walnut St. The event Saturday will have food trucks available for lunch and dinner, including Momma Sally’s Café, Trailer-Haus, The Sweetside

and ACU’s very own 1881 Food Truck.

Live music is also in order all day, including artists like Avy Holmes, Taylor Ochs and The Mountain Natives.

“Whether it’s woodworking, coffee or tacos, it’s done with an Abilene spirit,” said Philip Pappas, from The Mountain Natives.

“We’re thankful to be a small part of that coming from Dallas/Fort Worth.”

A People Party Productions is not only in the limelight for the upcoming Craft Fair, though. They’re also famous for their constant local support. Jenn Harmel, owner and curator of A People Party

Production, said she enjoys that ACU alumni support local business and the spirit of creative entrepreneurship.

A People Party Productions, also known as APPP, is defined on their website as “a promotional business that creates cross promotional and strategic marketing through fun customized events, social media engagement, branding, and local networking with businesses, organizations, artists and musicians.”

The company is owned by Jenn and her husband Forrest, who is also a curator of the company. The duo has been known to help small vendors gain trac-

tion and have actually helped pave the way for over 50 vendors to start their own businesses.

Jenn, as an ACU alumna, was also the creator of Jam Fest.

When asked about its discontinuation, she said, “During my time as a student, student bands were big. If that fades, then I guess there’s no substance for a Jam Fest. Student led craft fairs were also big during my time as a student at ACU. Music and art is where my passion for A People Party Craft Fairs originated.”

OPTIMIST@ACU.EDU

PHOTO COURTESY OF A PEOPLE PARTY PRODUCTIONS The A People Party craft fair at The Mill last year.

6

S P O RT S

FOOTBALL

Collums: Coach leaves with a 24-32 record CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Collums first started coaching at ACU in 1998-99 as a quarterbacks and wide receivers coach, before leaving for Central Arkansas. He returned in 2005 as the offensive coordinator, before being promoted as the program’s 19th head coach Dec. 23, 2011. Collums leaves the Wildcats with 24-32 record all-time as a head coach.

“I just want to be obedient to the next chapter that God has ready for me and my family,” Collums said.

De Leon said the shift in direction wasn’t just about the record, the decision included an overlook of the whole program.

“This isn’t just about wins and losses, this is something we had to evaluate all MEN’S BASKETBALL

COURTESY PHOTO The Wildcats started the 2016 campaign 0-7, but finished .500 in their last four.

aspects of the program and after doing that analysis we made a decision to go in a different direction.”

De Leon also said the university has enlisted Eastman & Beaudine Inc., a coaching search firm, to take care of logistics and assist in the process.

With regard to the new head coach, De Leon said he and his team of five will look for four things, a strong Christian, structure and discipline, excellent recruiting skills and most likely someone with Texas ties.

“I think I have high expectations, but I think our

expectations are realistic,” De Leon said. “What’s going to be expected of the new coach is to come in and build great relationships, understand ACU, understand West Texas, embrace who we are and how we’re different, to love our student athletes and invest in them as individuals, not just as athletes and to have high expectations.”

De Leon said the Wildcats essentially have a two week head start because of their ineligibility and lack of a bye week, and he is optimistic about the search.

“Abilene Christian is a football school and we’ve always placed an extreme amount of importance on our football program and so it is important to me for us to be successful and I think

we can do that at this level. I think we have a great product, this is a great job and the future for ACU football is extremely bright.”

Whoever is hired will inherit a new stadium, playoff eligibility and full funding from a scholarship standpoint. De Leon said he hopes to replace Collums as soon as possible, but does not want to rush the process. The release of Collums marks the second head coaching change in 2016. Former track coach Keith Barnier was released in April of this year.

As of now, news regarding the status of other coaching positions has not been released.

JMR13B@ACU.EDU

Young Guns

STANDINGS Football Team

SHSU UCA SELU Nicholls McNeese HBU SFA Lamar UIW ACU NWSU

Div. Ovrl.

8-0 8-0 6-2 5-3 4-4 3-4 3-5 3-5 2-6 2-7 0-8

10-0 9-1 6-4 5-5 5-5 4-6 4-6 3-7 2-8 2-9 1-9

M Basketball Team

TAMU-CC ACU Lamar UNO Nicholls SHSU SELU SFA UIW UCA HBU McNeese NWSU

Ovrl. Div. 1-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 1-0 0-0 1-1 0-0 1-1 0-0 1-1 0-0 1-1 0-0 1-1 0-0 0-2 0-0 0-2 0-0 0-2 0-0 0-2 0-0

Team

Ovrl. Div.

W Basketball

NWSU ACU UCA McNeese UNO TAMU-CC SFA HBU Lamar Nicholls SHSU SELU UIW

1-0 1-1 1-1 1-1 1-2 0-1 0-1 0-2 0-2 0-2 0-2 0-2 0-2

0-0 ––0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0

WHO’S HOT

LAUREN FRANCO STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Sophomores Jaren Lewis (Left) and Jaylen Franklin (Right) lead a 2016-17 Wildcat team that head coach Golding says filled with a young array of talent and potential. ACU was picked to finish sixth in the Southland Conference preseason polls, but Lewis and Franklin said the team’s goal is a top-three finish in the program’s final year of transition.

Dominant as freshman, Lewis and Franklin look to shake up the Southalnd

BY MIKAELA CLINTON SPORTS WRITER

After wowing the Southland Conference a year ago, sophomore superstars Jaylen Franklin and Jaren Lewis are ready to take on the 2016-17 season, the last season in the four-year Div. 1 transition for the Wildcats.

Neither of the players are originally from Texas, Franklin coming from Arkansas and Lewis from Florida, and like many they said they have dreamed of playing collegiate basketball since they were young.

It’s not too common that you see a couple of freshmen come into a collegiate program and make their mark right from the start, but Franklin and Lewis were not your common freshmen. Head coach Joe Golding said that the two played a big role in making the team competitive on the floor last season, and they continuously improved and handled their leading positions well.

“I expect both of these guys to play a bigger role this year in not only the numbers they put up, but how they grow as leaders of this team,” Golding said.

Statistically, the two filled out the box score, leading the team to an overall record of 13-18 and eight conference wins. Double their overall record from the previous year. Lewis said it gave him

great confidence to perform so well as a new face to the team, but at the same time their success made them hungry for more.

“We’re all focused and ready to compete.” Lewis said. “I feel good about the team this year and I’m ready to show what we can do.”

Last year, Lewis played in all 31 games with 10 starts and finished the season as the team’s leading rebounder, averaging 5.8 rebounds per game. One of the most dynamic freshmen in the league, he led all Southland Conference freshmen in total rebounds and rebounds per game. He was the Wildcat’s second leading scorer behind Franklin.

Franklin, a 6’ 2” guard, was seventh in the league in scoring as a freshman, averaging 16.2 points per game, and scoring over 20 points in eight games of last season. He finished sixth in the league in steals per game and was named the Southland Conference Freshman of the Year for the 2015-16 season. Franklin was the first Wildcat since Willie Calvert and Andrew Prince to earn all-Southland honors when they did it 1972-73. He was the only sophomore selected to the Southland Conference preseason all-conference first team this year.

“What I’m looking for is to have a chance to win conference and do anything

it takes to help my teammates out,” Franklin said. “I’m honored for getting selected as that but my focus is on winning this year and how I can make my team better.”

Franklin said that the most important thing to him for this season is to help his team finish in the top three of the conference. The Wildcats, who finished 8-10 in the league last year, have been picked to finish sixth in the Southland Conference in this year’s preseason polls released in October.

The two standout players aren’t content with where they are at in the game, but feel confident about the season that is about to start and where the team is at both physically and mentally.

Franklin and Lewis said that the team has been working vigorously on the court and in the weight room to improve and are having fun while they’re at it.

“We know that hard work and consistency are the only ways to accomplish our goals,” Lewis said. “Winning a conference championship motivates me, and I know it won’t be easy but that is what this team is striving for.”

Though they are only sophomores, Franklin and Lewis have been catapulted into roles of leadership on and off the court, and have had to adjust to being not only members of the team, but being the members that the rest of the team look to

“

Winning a conference championship motivates me, and I know it won’t be easy but that is what this team is striving for.”

JAREN LEWIS SOPHOMORE FORWARD

for an example.

“The new guys are following our lead and they are learning fast. With them we are bigger and stronger.”

Franklin said. “We have a lot of pieces this year and that’s going to play a big part in helping us win.”

On and off the court, Franklin and Lewis rely on each other to be leaders and help make the best decisions for the team as well as themselves. They said that because they can read each other’s moves while understanding one another’s strengths and weaknesses, it enables them to aid one another to be successful.

Lewis said trust has played a big role in bringing them closer together as teammates and helping the rest of their team as a whole become a tight-knit group and depend on one another.

“To have [Lewis] on the court with me is lovely because he gets the job done and would do anything in his power to win,” Franklin said.

“We are both winners and that is what this program is all about.”

Golding says a winner’s

heart is evident in both of the men, and they are willing to do anything to lead their team to victory and help their teammates be successful. He said coaching Lewis and Franklin, along with the other Wildcat players, has been a great experience because of how they genuinely care and strive to be the best that they can be for each other.

“They both are unselfish kids who just want to win,” Golding said. “They understand that to win at this level there is more to it than putting up numbers.

They’ve bought into the concept of playing together and becoming a true team.”

The idea of being a “true team” rings as a mantra for the men’s basketball program as they prepare to fight for a conference title.

Golding and the rest of the coaching staff are confident and excited for the journey this season will bring, and are ready for Franklin and Lewis, along with the rest of their teammates, to continue to raise the standard in men’s basketball at ACU. The Wildcats opened their season with 73-59 victory over Schreiner and traveled to the Northeast for the first time in 96 years to take on New Hampshire.

MBC15A@ACU.EDU

Senior forward Sydney Shelstead finished last season Shelstead with third team all-Conference honors, and this year she has picked up where she left off. Through two games, one against the No. 24 team in the nation, Shelstead is averaging a double-double with 14 points and 10.5 rebounds per game.

BRIEFINGS Sophomore Jacey Smith earned second team all-Conference recognition, and senior Lexi Mercier received all-conference honorable mention for their efforts this season. Smith led the Wildcats with 324 kills this season.

Mercier finished fifth in program history with 469 career blocks.

Women’s basketball defeated Howard Payne 87-52 Tuesday in Moody. Shelstead paced the team with 20 points and 11 rebounds.

UPCOMING Men’s basketball traveled to New Hampshire Thursday night and host Charleston Southern on Tuesday.

As a result of a closely contested game against Missouri, women’s basketball will host four consolation bracket games on Friday and Saturday.

The Wildcats will take the court at 6 p.m. each nights.