WHAT'S INSIDE
NEWS
On-campus radio station KACU celebrates turning 30. Tune in. Page 3
FEATURE
OPINION
When education professor Jen Rodgers isn’t teaching, she’s the World’s Okayest Mom. Page 5
Would you give Trump or Clinton a bid to your social club? The Editorial Board casts its vote. Page 6
SPORTS
Volleyball and football prepare for conference home games this weekend. Pages 8
v
Friday, September 30, 2016 Vol. 105, Issue 07
A student publication of Abilene Christian University since 1912
PLEDGE AND FIND OUT
ERIKA BOLADO STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Friends react to recieving their bids during call night. Call Night marks the beginning of three weeks of pledging for prospective members of social clubs. The pledges begin official pledging activities on Bid Night, which starts Friday evening at 5 p.m. and will continue late into the night.
Women’s clubs allowed up to 70 bids BY TAYLOR BUSH STUDENT REPORTER
This year, women’s clubs will be allowed to hand out around 65 bids to their prospective pledges, a number that has increased over the last few years. Tom Craig, director of student organizations and productions, said several women’s clubs will extend
invitations numbering in the 60s, with the most for one club being 70. When rushing started on Sept. 11, 402 women were registered for rushing. “Now that number has dropped to about 340,” said Craig. The number of bids women clubs are allowed to give out is dependent upon of the number of
prospectives involved in the process. “Clubs most likely are looking at extending about 60 plus invitations for each pledge class,” Craig said. “Depending on how many accept their invitations or bids, that will determine how many each pledge class has.” Some prospectives may choose not to accept their
bids for different reasons. Craig has been communicating with club sponsors and presidents and said some clubs are nervous about these numbers because they are higher than normal. “Alpha Kai is really excited for the opportunity to have a larger pledge class than we have had in the past,” said Alpha Kai Pres-
ident, Meagan McBride, senior speech pathology major from Burleson. “But we are anxious to find out the number of pledges we will have. While we hate to limit the number of girls we also know that there’s only so many we can accept due to the number of jerseys and pledge pins and SEE PLEDGING PAGE 3
Pemberton retires for health concerns BY HALEY REMENAR ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR
Dr. Glenn Pemberton, professor of Old Testament studies, will teach his last classes Friday as he prepares to retire because of health concerns. What started as a simple stress fracture in his foot ten years ago, steadily grew into almost unbearable pain. Pemberton suffers from complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) also called reflex sympathetic nerve dystrophy. This disease causes the nerves in
his body to send pain signals to his brain even though his injury healed. PEMBERTON “ W e caught it early,” Pemberton said. “We did everything we were supposed to do to turn it around and it didn’t stop it.” Five surgeries, a wheelchair and a morphine pump that sends medication directly to his spinal
column were not able to solve the problem. But Pemberton continued to teach from a wheelchair, typing notes rather than writing on a whiteboard during his lectures. His students helped him pass out papers in classes and he had office hours at his house or online when needed. “The only thing I’ve ever really wanted to do was teach,” Pemberton said. “Working with students, writing, everything about it. I still love it.” Now the pain has become constant in both legs
up to his knees, hands and other parts of his body, sometimes so unbearable that he can’t speak during intense pain. “It’s very clear this semester that I can’t do this anymore,” Pemberton said. “And it breaks my heart.” Pemberton earned his undergraduate degree at ACU in 1985 and earned his Master’s in 1995. He taught for 15 years total, six of which he taught at Oklahoma Christian University. He started teaching at ACU in 2005 when he was hired to be chair of the depart-
ment of Bible missions and ministry. After five years he had to step down when his pain got worse. He was replaced by Dr. Rodney Ashlock, current chair of the department. “He is one of the most excellent teachers,” Ashlock said. “The real loss is that he’s one of the rare professors who is both excellent in the classroom and writing articles and publishing.” Known by many students as the author of the The SEE PEMBERTON PAGE 2
Council approves Allen Ridge rezone BY HALEY REMENAR ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR
The university now can begin development of the Village at Allen Ridge after the Abilene City Council approved a request to rezone the land in early September. ACIMCO, the university’s endowment management company that manages off-campus real estate, applied to rezone the land in August. The area includes 87 acres north of Ambler Avenue previously zoned as college university/corridor overlay. In a meeting Thursday Sept. 8, the city council unanimously voted to change the zone to a planned development district. Kelly Young, vice president for real estate development at ACIMCO, said this is just the first step with more designing and permit applications to come. “It lets us create something that is, we believe, very attractive, vibrant, energetic for this side of town,” Young SEE SING SONG PAGE 2
Annual crime report shows increased burglary “ BY ALLISON BROWN EDITOR IN CHIEF
The ACU Police Department in 2015 received one report of rape in a campus residence hall, arrested two on drug charges on campus and one on liquor law violations on campus, according to an annual crime statistics report released Wednesday. Other notable crime incidents for 2015 included 11 on-campus burglaries – up from 2014’s nine on-campus burglary incidents. There were two reported on-cam-
pus drug violations that did not result in arrest, down from 2014’s four incidents, and four on-campus liquor law violations not resulting in arrest, down one from the five reported in 2014. “In particular in 2015, we had a rash of burglaries at the abandoned Sherrod Park apartments,” said ACU Police Chief Jimmy Ellison said. “To some degree, those spiked our burglary numbers. We are hoping to lower numbers this year by eliminating some of that with increased pa-
trolling in the area.” The residence hall rape offense occurred at University Park Apartments, which is considered a residence hall for federal law purposes, Ellison said. The suspect in the case was an acquaintance of the victim and the case was referred to the district attorney for prosecution. The Annual Campus Crime and Fire Safety Report, mandated by the federal Clery Act, is complied by Clery Compliance director, Sgt. Bob Delony. The
Students, faculty, staff and the community holds the key to reducing those numbers – not the Police Department.”
SENIOR INTERIOR DESIGN MAJOR FROM DALLAS
report is released each year at the end of September by ACUPD. It compiles crime statistics from ACU’s main campus, as well as ACU at CitySquare in Dallas and each of the three study abroad locations – Oxford, England, Leipzig, Germany
W W W. A C U O P T I M I S T. C O M
and Montevideo, Uruguay. One incident of non-campus burglary was reported at CitySquare in Dallas, and no incidents abroad were reported. The report helps community members see a broad
picture of campus crime over the previous calendar year, and Chief Ellison said community engagement plays the biggest role in reducing crime on and around campus. “We always want to remind everyone that students, faculty, staff and the community holds the key to reducing those numbers – not the Police Department,” Ellison said. The report also includes information on ACUPD’s SEE CRIME PAGE 2
2
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Crime: ACU PD to train bystanders CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
authority, jurisdiction and procedures, as well as policies on drugs and alcohol and definitions of crimes, as defined in the Clery Act and in Texas law. “I want to compliment and commend Sergeant Delony for his work in managing Clery compliance throughout the year and putting together what I think is a very comprehensive report for the campus,” Ellison said. ACUPD works in conjunction with the Office of Student Life to create programs and campaigns intended to end incidents of domestic violence and sexual assault on campus. In 2015, Student Life offered 12 different programs to present material on preventing sexual assault, domestic and dating violence and stalking – ranging from Wildcat Week sessions to screenings of the documentary Hunting Ground. For 2015, Ellison said the police department felt good about overall crime numbers, especially those related to sexual assault incidents. “We do realize sex assault is under reported and often unreported,” Ellison said. “We our focusing a lot of our educational efforts on awareness and prevention.” ACUPD will place a heavy emphasis on bystander intervention training in the 2016-17 school year. “Bystander intervention is critical because the vast majority of campus-based sexual assault in the United States are more often than not related to dating situations, and bystanders often recognize warning signs before victims,” Ellison said. ACUPD still is working out specifics of training, but the department plans to do an assortment of presentations that they believe would be informative to ACU’s student population, both male and female. The report also included campus fire statistics. In 2015, University Park Apartments had one stove fire resulting in $1,000 worth of damages. Gardner Hall had one fire caused by renovation wiring, resulting in $150 of damage but no injuries. McDonald Hall had one fire attributed to a hair appliance overheating, resulting in $100 of damage and no injuries. Barret Hall had one fire incident caused by an overheated dryer in the dorm laundry room. All on-campus residences completed two fire drills, except University Park Apartments, according to the report. AKB12B@ACU.EDU
FRIDAY | SEPTEMBER 30, 2016
SOAR predicts increase in students BY HALEY REMENAR ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR
SOAR expects to see an increase from last year's number of cases in recommendations for students. The coordinators view this as an opportunity to equip more students with every resource necessary to succeed in college. The Student Opportunities, Advocacy and Resources (SOAR) program exists to provide students with central access to resources that they might be in need of during their time at ACU. Sara Knott, SOAR coordinator, said that it also “involves being a network with the other departments.” Even though the number of recommendations is expected to increase, Knott said, “We don’t want students to fall through the cracks. That is why we try to address every form that comes in, in some way.” Knott said the reasons for recommendations are “a catch-all sort of thing. If the [students] have questions like, 'Where do I go for fill in the blank,' ask SOAR.” SOAR has received 164 cases since the end of the
summer and beginning of the semester. Shannon Kaczmarek, director of Student Advocacy Services, and the SOAR Coordinators serve the students who are recommended. Kaczmarek has met with over 100 students since the end of the summer, averaging out to 18-25 students per week. Kaczmarek said that SOAR “is a little less promoted amongst our student body than our faculty and staff. A lot of the recommendations come in from faculty and staff but some students do come in on their own.” Kaczmarek said that when students do return after being recommended one time, it is very positive. This is the third year that the program has been operating under the name SOAR as a part of the stu-
dent life and retention office. The program used to be called SOS and was in the academic development center. Kaczmarek said that they have been trying to “change the language” associated with SOAR. In the past, the word “referral” was used instead of “recommendation,” which Kaczmarek said she believed to be a deterrent for students interested in using the services, since in high school, referral was used in a negative context. Another way the staff is working to change the experience with SOAR is by sending personalized emails to each student who was recommended. Kaczmarek said that previously, when the program was still SOS, the emails were anonymous and formatted. Kaczmarek said that she
believes the students are more receptive to receiving help if they know who is recommending them because “they have a context” for their referral. Kaczmarek said she wants the students to understand that “it is normal to get this kind of help.” “SOAR is putting into practice the understanding that a successful university isn't just about churning out academic excellence," Knott said."It is partly about that, but it's also about networking, it's about relationships, and it's about people.” Charlotte Marion, administrative coordinator for the Agriculture and Environmental Science department, said that SOAR is a “very positive resource.” She has only made a couple of recommendations, but she said, “It’s nice when you see [the student] even
months later with a smile on their face or start a conversation with you whereas before they were very introverted." Hannah Hey, a sophomore Agribusiness major from San Antonio, said that she was recommended for SOAR the first semester of freshman year by her chemistry professor after she had come into class crying. Hey also had missed classes and struggled to maintain passing grades. Hey said, “SOAR emailed all of my professors explaining my situation and set me up with a therapist and set me up for success. They’re the only reason I survived my freshman year.” Hey also recommends SOAR to all of her friends who are struggling or if they have any other questions regarding their life at ACU. SOAR is available to all undergraduate and graduate students, international students, and even students who are taking online courses. SOAR referral forms can be found through the MyACU Quicklinks. HRR13B@ACU.EDU
Alumni office aggregates attorneys “ ACU lawyers make a real difference in the world.”
BY ALLISON BROWN EDITOR IN CHIEF
The Office of Alumni relations has been working to launch the newly formed Alumni Bar Association for over 600 attorneys who attended ACU for their undergraduate degrees. Dr. Neal Coates, professor of political science and chair of the Department of Political Science, has worked extensively with the Alumni Office to build a database of alumni lawyers. The group, officially called the ACU Alumni Bar Association, will have its first event during Homecoming Weekend, Oct. 21-22. Last November, the Supreme Court of Texas visited campus to hear two cases, and Coates spent time gathering names of ACU grads
NEAL COATES PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
working in the legal field to invite them to campus for the court's visit. "My department spent many hours preparing invitation lists," Coates said. "It was great to hear cases and meet West Texas lawyers." While the court was on campus, they met with ACU lawyers and pre-law students, and this got Coates thinking about forming a more official network of alumni attorneys. "Once the Supreme Court left, we started asking would
it be possible for ACU lawyers to continue to network together and to connect with alumni currently in law school," Coates said. What started as a project to rejuvenate a list of ACU graduates who've gone onto law school turned into a much bigger project. So far, Coates has invited over 600 graduates to be part of the association. "I'm sure there are more alumni I'll find in the future," Coates said. Coates, in conjunction with Craig Fisher in the alumni office have built a board comprised of seven ACU lawyers to chair the organization. Coates anticipates the group will host at least one continuing education event a year, and will be a network that could provide younger
lawyers with clerkship opportunities with ACU attorneys who work as judges or at larger firms. "ACU has different ways they try to encourage people ito live out the things they've learned at ACU," Coates said. "And these are people who live in all continents, are involved in their churches, jobs and professional activities." Coates said he hopes the group will help keep graduates connected to fellow Wildcats after leaving ACU. "We at ACU are very proud of the legal work our graduates do – for elected officials, for the poor," Coates said. "ACU lawyers make a real difference in the world." AKB12B@ACU.EDU
ACU ABA BOARD
April Farris ('06) Yetter Coleman Law Firm Stephen Haynes ('96) Haynes Law Firm Brad McCall ('99) Physicians Surgical Hospitals David Meredith ('95) Meredith Law Firm Hilary Reed ('01) Associate Professor of Legal Research and Writing, Pepperdine University Justin Scott ('06) Coats Rose Law Firm
Judge Steve Smith ('74) 361st District Court
Pemberton: Bible prof to retire Friday “ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
God Who Saves: An introduction to the Message of the Old Testament textbook, Pemberton wrote the book as an introductory text for undergraduate students. He and other Old Testament teachers struggled to find a textbook for undergraduates as most introductory textbooks are written for graduate students. He spent the last three years working on the
book, which was used in some courses in 2015. He rewrote some parts after it was reviewed by other professors and the textbook was published in August, 2015. Ashlock said Pemberton would bring his research into the classroom, helping both Bible majors and non-Bible majors understand the Old Testament. He currently teaches two sections of BIBL 211, Message of the Old Testament,
ing with God: Learning to I plan to be a writer. That’s what I Lament with the Psalms. want to do. That’s reframing.” When he retires, Pemberton said he plans to write from home and spend more time reconnecting with old GLEN PEMBERTON friends. PROFESSOR IN THE COLLEGE OF BIBLICAL STUDIES “I plan to be a writer,” Pemberton said. “That’s and one section of Wisdom partment of teacher edu- what I want to do. That’s and Devotional Literature. cation. He said it has been reframing.” The department has al- hard for her to be unable ready rearranged teachers to take away his pain. He to cover those classes. describes his journey with Pemberton’s wife, Dana, chronic pain in the first HRR13B@ACU.EDU serves as chair of the de- chapter of his book, Hurt-
POLICE LOG SELECTED ACUPD CALLS FOR THE WEEK 09/22/2016 9:30 a.m. A student called to report a male and female yelling/arguing near Kojie Park on the campus mall area. Officers found the two near the Hunter Center and subsequently arrested and jailed the non-ACU adult male for possession of methamphetamine. Both persons were issued a criminal trespass warning from campus. 09/26/2016 11:49 a.m. ACUPD and APD investigated the report of an armed male in the 800 block of N Judge Ely. A suspect was detained and officers determined that he was not armed. 09/26/2016 6:15 p.m. A student reported the theft of $20 and a gift card from her wallet. 911 CALL ACCIDENT ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIVITY ARMED SUBJECT ASSIST ATTEMPT TO LOCATE BUILDING LOCK/UNLOCK BURGLARY (MOTOR VEHICLE) BURGLARY (RESIDENCE) CHECK BUILDING CITATION ISSUANCE CRIMINAL MISCHIEF CRIMINAL TRESPASS
2 4 25 1 1 1 6 2
DISTURBANCE DRUG ACTIVITY/OFFENSE ELEVATOR RESCUE ESCORT FOOT PATROL FOUND PROPERTY GRAFFITI HIT & RUN INFORMATION REPORT 2 INVESTIGATION FOLLOW 368 UP 5 LOST PROPERTY 1 MAINTENANCE UNIVERSI1 TY ASSETS: CCTV
1 2 1 1 1 33 10 1 3 6
MAINTENANCE: UNIVERSITY ASSETS MEDICAL EMERGENCY MENTAL HEALTH CONCERN MONITOR FACILITY/LOT MOTORIST ASSIST INFLATE TIRE MOTORIST ASSIST: JUMPSTART MOTORIST ASSIST: OTHER 13 MOTORIST ASSIST: UN3 LOCK NOISE VIOLATION
3
OTHER PARKING LOT PATROL 3 PARKING VIOLATION 2 PATROL VEHICLE: MAINTENANCE 2 PATROL VEHICLE: REFUEL 3 PROWLER PUBLIC SERVICE 1 RANDOM PATROL REPORT WRITING 10 SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY 2 SUSPICIOUS VEHICLE THEFT 10 TRAFFIC STOP
1 37 6 13 11 1 3 35 22 3 1 2 4
WELFARE CHECK
2
TOTAL: 659 POLICE CHIEF TIP OF THE WEEK:
The annual crime statistics report for calendar year 2015 is now available online at www. acu.edu/acupolice
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FRIDAY | SEPTEMBER 30, 2016
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Pledging: Tradition has clubs come calling CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
other behind that scenes things that go into pledging.” Craig attributes this growth in numbers to the growing size of the last few freshman classes and the fact that “clubs have a lot of positive momentum on campus right now, and people want to experience fraternity and sorority life as part of the total collegiate package.” Final rankings must be submitted by prospectives on Wednesday at 11am. At this time, Craig should know a more precise number of bids that will be given out on Thursday at Call Night. Craig said most women will get their first or second choice, with the possibility of getting their third, but his goal is for most women to get their first or second choice.
Men’s clubs will also give out bids Thursday evening but they do not have a cap on the number of bids they can give out. Craig said this is because the men’s clubs don’t have to worry about reaching a maximum number of active members. The prospective men attend rushes to get to know the club’s before men’s coffees. Once they have submitted their ranks, Craig and his office sends the prospectives ranks to the men’s clubs. Active members in the men’s clubs will vote yes or no on those who ranked them in the top three or so. “Men usually will get their first choice,” said Craig. “Prospectives then move straight through to receiving their bid.”
ERIKA BOLADO STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Call night for women’s social clubs began in Cullen auditorium when Tom Craig announed to prospective pledges if they’re top club chose them.
OPTIMIST@ACU.EDU
Movie ‘Silence’ has ties to university board members BY BRIANNA CLOSE STUDENT REPORTER
An upcoming film, ‘Silence’, directed by Martin Scorsese happens to have connections to ACU through board member Tod Brown. ACU board of trustees member and alumnus, Tod Brown has been involved in the production along with his father, Dale Brown, a Midland businessman and former ACU board member who serves as one of the film’s executive producers. Dr. Darryl Tippens, a university distinguished scholar and former English professor is connected to the film’s
making as well. “I have met with Tod Brown and Dale Brown on more than one occasion on how we might promote the movie to churches and students just to make sure they are aware of the film and aware of its significant Christian content,” Tippens said. “We have brainstormed ways in which we could raise awareness of the film.” Silence was first a novel written by Shusaku Endo about 17th-century Japan where Jesuit missionaries had been sent to evangelize. The story is set during the time of fierce persecution by the Japanese leaders following two priest’
“
[Dale] decided that the people who get to tell the stories in a society are the ones that have the greatest power to shape the society” DR. DARYL TIPPENS UNIVERSITY SCHOLAR, FORMER ENGLISH PROFESSOR
struggle with faith during such a horrific time. “This is a Christian holocaust story,” Tippens said. “The Jesuits came to Japan in the 1600’s and they were very successful in evangelizing the island, hundreds of thousands became Christians. The Shoguns, rulers of 17th century Japan, became very nervous about western influence and they
were fearful about the western powers would extend their control and they decided that Christianity needed to be wiped out so they systematically destroyed the churches.” Dr. Tim Sensing, professor of ministry has read the novel and used it in teaching said, “While the silence in Endo’s story is deafening, it is the presence of God in suffering
and through the church that instills faith,” said Sensing. “When apostasy seems to have the last word, God even redeems forsakenness.” The Browns hope to keep the movie as true to the original novel and story as possible. “Dale was a big part of solving major copyright confusion about the ownership of the film,” said Tippens. “For many years Dale wanted to influence the world through politics but that is a really dicey thing and he decided that the people who get to tell the stories in a society are the ones that have the greatest power to shape
the society,” said Tippens. “So rather than elected officials in Washington it is through the arts.” Tod and Dale Brown were not available for comment on the upcoming film, which is expected to premiere in theaters at the end of the year. Liam Neeson, Adam Driver and Andrew Garfield are three of the major cast members. Tippens said, “I don’t have a solid date but everyone I have talked to that they want it to be contending for an academy award.” OPTIMIST@ACU.EDU
KACU celebrates 30 years BY VANESSA ELLIS STUDENT REPORTER
KACU will celebrate its 30th birthday as a National Public Radio affiliate this year. Nathan Gibbs, assistant professor in the Department of Journalism and Mass Communications and general manager at KACU, discusses changes that have been made throughout the past few years. Gibbs said, “There used to be music on during the day, and I changed that out for hosting national news shows, a news and talk program.” As an assistant professor of the JMC department as well as the manager at KACU, Gibbs said he felt that he had to serve both the community as well as educate the students who worked at KACU. The national news show benefitted the student workers by forcing them to write more and work for a set amount of time. The students are now put under more pressure and gain a better work experience, which is the change Gibbs wanted for KACU workers. Zane Goggans, Director of Operations at KACU, was an announcer for four years when he attended ACU. “The best experience of my college career was here at KACU; I learned a lot being here,” Goggans said. Since the changes have been made, Gibbs said there has been positive feedback when talking to people that donate in the fundraisers for KACU. “The trend we have seen more than anything else has been ‘Thank you for making the change. I am going to increase my donation because I like what you did,’” said
MERCEDEZ HERNANDEZ PRINT MANAGING EDITOR The radio station changed frequencies from 89.7 to 89.5 last year to expand its area coverage.
Gibbs. As a whole, there has been positive feedback from surveys of the general public as well as an increase in the donations coming into KACU. Gibbs said, “Across the board, it is really impressive how well it worked, and we are very happy about it.” There will be a 30th birthday celebration held at The Mill, at which Gibbs will announce fu-
ture podcast for KACU. Gibbs said that in future years, he hopes to increase local public service at the station. To hear KACU, you can tune in to 89.5 FM or listen online. “You learn every time you listen,” said Gibbs.
OPTIMIST@ACU.EDU
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Campus Activities Board looks to hire interns BY MAX PRESTON STUDENT REPORTER
The campus activities board (CAB) are looking to hire interns and will be taking student applicants. CAB has been on campus for over ten years. The board will usually do things such as taking student activity fee money and creating events such as movie night in Cullen or bringing in the illusionist to campus last semester, said Caddie Coupe, director of student and parents activities.
“
I'm looking for diversity in every sense of the word," CADDIE COUPE DIRECTOR OF STUDENT AND PARENT ACTIVITIES
Vice President of Student Life, Chris Riley, decided that Student Activities and CAB would move over to Coupe as it used to be under Tom Craig, current director of student organisations and productions, however, with the realignment of Student Life, Craig would be overseeing Social Clubs and student organizations more while Coupe would be in charge of Student Activities. “I’ve been asked to help create a new CAB and a new experience for our student body,” said Coupe “If you ask a several students on campus, they don't know what CAB is. Our overall goal is to change that. This semester we’re going to renovate CAB from the ground up. We want to throw out everything, whether it was successful or not, including the name.” The goal for CAB will be to hire five students, two of them chosen by the SA executive board, so that they can have two representatives out of the committee of five, and the other three will be hired by Coupe. Once the students are hired, they will begin to revamp CAB. Coupe plans to have three to four signature events a year, such as Wildcat Week concerts and Spring fest. She also will be planning to have four to five pop up events each month that will be strategically planned for different unique groups on campus. Coupe knows that students like to be committed and super involved on campus. She looks to set up CAB where it can offer intimate activities to certain students and touch on what they have a passion to do. “I’m looking for diversity in every sense of the word,” Coupe said. “I’m looking for a student athlete, I’m looking for somebody that’s an international student, somebody that’s not in club, somebody that’s in a club, maybe I’m looking for a freshman and a senior. I really want to make sure that this group of students is the most qualified, but also diverse and making sure that we are programming for everybody and doing things for our student body. Coupe wants to make sure that there will be events for everyone on the campus that not only apply to the entire student body, but also that only apply to certain groups on campus in order for those people to connect and be around someone that relates to them. AKB12B@ACU.EDU
FRIDAY | SEPTEMBER 30, 2016
Voter registration deadline approaches ELECTION 2016 BY ALLISON BROWN EDITOR IN CHIEF
Nov. 8 looms in the distance, and the deadline to register to vote in the Presidential Election will sneak up on you if you're not careful. Oct. 11 is the last day to register in Texas, and here are a few ways to make sure you are all set to cast your vote. 1. Find out if you're already registered. Visit the Texas Secretary of State's Am I Registered page to find out if you're ready to roll and what county you're registered in. 2. If the county you're registered in is not Taylor County, don't worry. You can either re-register under your Abilene address or request an application for ballot by mail from your home county. 3. If you're not registered, fill out the voter registration form and mail it the county registrar's office or register online at National Voter Registration Day's website. Got more questions about voting? The Texas Secretary of State has answers.Visit votetexas.gov/faq to learn more about what all you need to do to vote.
Voter registration deadline in Texas is Oct. 11 AM I REGISTERED?
OH YEAH. THIS ISN’T MY FIRST RODEO.
If the county you’re registered in isn’t Taylor, re-register under your Abilene address or request an absentee ballot
I HAVE NO IDEA.
NOPE, NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE.
Visit the Secretary of State’s Am I Registered page to look yourself up and find the county you’re signed up in.
Fill out a voter registration form and send it in by mail or register online at a verified site.
Find your voting locataion around town.
SEE YOU ON NOVEMBER 8
AKB12B@ACU.EDU
CEO counts down to Startup Week
BY COLE WIDDER STUDENT REPORTER
ACU's chapter of Collegiate Entrepreneurs' Organization is busy making plans for what will be the biggest-ever Startup Week, set to take place in mid-November. Last fall, CEO brought home the title of best CEO chapter in the nation at the national conference after hosting Startup Week, packed with 100 events. This fall, CEO aims to host 120 events in an effort to outpace their competitor, Penn State University's CEO chapter, which held 112 events. The events during Startup Week will showcase all things business-related for students, alumni and members of the Abilene business community. Georgi Hannah, president of CEO and senior accounting major from Kansas City, Kansas, said the events of the week aren't just for business students.
“We want this event to be for anybody in any major who want to run a business,” Hannah said. Startup Week begins on Nov. 14 and will run through Nov. 18. Each day starts up with a breakfast at the Griggs Center, and after that, events and speakers are featured throughout
the campus. Three of signature Startup Week events will be held on Nov. 14 – a special keynote guest at Chapel, the Elevator Pitch competition and a networking dinner for CEO members. The keynote speaker has yet to be announced by the Startup Week team.
At the dinner, CEO members get the chance to have dinner with an entrepreneur of their choice. Guest entrepreneurs and alumni will be serving as table hosts and have the ability to share more experience and advice with the young entrepreneurs. Any students with a
business idea can enter the Springboard Elevator Pitch competition, where they can pitch business ideas for a cash prize. Throughout the week, students can attend all sorts of events, from small group meetings to resume building sessions. Meredith Orr, student director of Startup Week and sophomore management major from North Richland Hills, continues to plan out the week and invite guests to the opening day of Startup Week, when the Elevator Pitch Competition will take place. “It is a great opportunity for students to pitch ideas and earn money for a wining pitch,” Orr said. Both Hannah and Orr said that this week in November is such a great week to help students learn more about the world of business. For a rough schedule, visit http://blogs.acu.edu/ startupweek/. OPTIMIST@ACU.EDU
Shades Step Squad hosts auditions to build team BY LAUREN FRANCO STUDENT REPORTER
With no returning students, the Shades Step Squad hosted auditions Tuesday evening in the Money Student Recreation and Wellness Center in hopes to build their team. “If you’re curious, just come out and step,” said Precious Kwaramba, a sophomore biology major from Fort Worth. “Even if you do not have any experience, still come. It is encouraged because I want people to grow in this. it really helps with motor
skills and determination as a whole.” Kwaramba, who has been stepping since she was 7 years old, said that stepping was a way for her to share her faith in a militant and sharp way. “You can praise God through different art forms, you don’t have to just praise him one way,” said Kwaramba. “You can express yourself in a militant way that gets peoples attention without being harsh.” Ryan Randolph, area coordinator for Barrett and Morris halls, will sponsor the group for the
“
Not only does [Shades] give you a sense of community, it makes you have to step out of your comfort zone," RYAN RANDOLPH SHADES STEP SQUAD SPONSOR
first time this year. “I just remember how much of an impact the Shades team had on some of my friends when I was an undergrad student,” said Randolph. “I’ve watched over time, and there’s still a heart for it. It’s still a big part of our culture, and they just needed help.”
Randolph said that she was looking forward to this year’s tryouts to see new talent and testimony. “Raw talent always amazes me. You can never look at a person and see what they’re capable of,” Randolph said. “I’m interested to see what they being to the table and what their back-
ground is.” Kwaramba and Randolph both said that their encouragement is deeply rooted in the sense of community that stepping gives. “Not only does it give you a sense of community, it makes you have to step out of your comfort zone," Randolph said. "You’re learning new things and pushing your body. All of the things that God gives you strength to do." OPTIMIST@ACU.EDU
Village: council members discuss construction plan
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
said. With plans for restaurants, retail and high-end apartments, the Village will mean greater tax revenues for the city. It will also bring finances into the university as businesses rent the buildings or land. Young said at the council meeting, council members asked questions about signs, landscaping and how far buildings would be from the surrounding streets and neighborhoods.
“The city council was just being sure that ACU was following or in some cases exceeding the requirements for what we want to do,” Young said. “Just being sure that ACU as a big institution in this town is playing by the rules.” Of the seven city council members, four declared conflicts of interest in accordance with state laws. Anthony Williams, works for the university as chief business services officer, Shane Price and Kyle McAllister both have
wives who work at ACU, and Bruce Kreitler’s company, Broken Willow Tree Service, does business with ACU. Mcallister said state laws require council members to sign a declaration of any financial conflicts of interest. However, the laws also require at least four councilmen to vote to approve a motion, so they were still able to vote for the rezoning. “We are always looking for new development in the city of Abilene,” Mcallister said. “We as a council just want to make
sure that we can do what we can do grow Abilene, to bring new businesses in, hopefully one of many votes to come to encourage growth in the city.” Young said a growing number of universities are undertaking similar developments, among them Rice University, Princeton University, Arizona State University, Washington University in St. Louis and more. “More and more universities are seeing that to attract students and faculty, that they need to have
areas around campus that are vibrant and energetic,” Young said. Some parts of the project will be financed by the university, but each project will be different, Young said. The development has been in the works for almost two years with ACIMCO working with BVTD LLC of Dallas to determine the feasibility of the project. The plan was officially announced in May 2015. OPTIMIST@ACU.EDU
F E ATUR E S
FRIDAY | SEPTEMBER 30, 2016
5
From One Mom to Another How Rogers created the ‘World’s Okayest’ nonprofit
PHOTO COURTESY OF JENN ROGERS Jenn Rogers, instructor in the teacher’s education department and founder of the World’s Okayest Mom nonprofit, with her family. BY ABBEY BOWLING ARTS & FEATURES EDITOR
Jenn Rogers, instructor in the Teacher’s Education Department, was inspired to start the nonprofit World’s Okayest Mom after experiencing some complications while pregnant with her third child three years ago. At her 20-week ultrasound, doctor discovered she had a complication called placenta previa, and at 25 weeks, she had a major bleed while out of town in Arlington. After taking an ambulance to the hospital, she was prepped for a c-section – she was also given steroids, magnesium sulfate and a few blood transfusions in an effort to stabilize the baby. They spent three days on standby in the labor and delivery unit until she was moved to the antepartum unit and monitored minute by minute. Rogers said the doctors didn’t think she would make it to 30 weeks – but she made it to 36 weeks without any further complications. “I was on strict hospital bed rest,” Rogers said. “I could only get out of bed to
shower or go on a 20-minute wheel chair ride each day. My husband and two daughters lived with my in laws in Arlington for 11 weeks while I was in the hospital. It was the calmest I’ve ever fought for something in my whole life, so many people poured into my family in that storm.” Some of the support she received came from friends and family, but some came from kind strangers who just happened to hear about her story – and they provided meals, care packages, flowers and prayers. “It was overwhelming to keep up with, I wrote over 400 thank you notes before I left the hospital with my healthy baby boy in my arms on Oct. 25, 2013,” she said. “Thank you notes are a kid gesture, but I needed to do more. I knew I needed to do more one day. That one day came two years later after starting a Facebook group that grew from 10 mamas to 5,000 mamas to 10, 000 mamas to now 16,000 mamas.” In April, one year after starting the group, Rogers began the application process for nonprofit status
from the IRS. In July, they received their tax ID letter in the mail, which means they can now raise even more money to help even more moms.
“The mission of World’s Okayest Mom is to mobilize the caring power of women all of the world by raising money and distributing support to enhance the lives of
“
Love each other. Build each other up. Thank a mama you know, even if it’s your own, and tell her, ‘You’ve got this.’” JENN ROGERS INSTRUCTOR IN THE TEACHER’S EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
PHOTO COURTESY OF JENN ROGERS Rogers shows off some World’s Okayest Mom merchandise.
moms who need our help,” Rogers said. “We care a lot about the various storms a mama can go through in life.” The nonprofit helps women in need by sending care packages all over the nation to mothers, helping women pay their utility bills, buy groceries or school supplies for their children, and donating to other research groups and organizations like Young Lives. They currently have 35 donors who donate $20 every month, but they want to reach 100 donors by next August. They would also like to plan weekend retreats for mothers to provide support talks and day-treats in cities all over the country. “I am proud of what
it means to be a World’s Okayest Mom,” she said. “It means that we are walking this incredibly yet rewarding journey of motherhood alongside other women who strive to build each other up through support, joy and laughter. What we are doing is biblical. We are encouragers. We are a no judgment group. Perfection is an ideology that is impossible to attain in motherhood. You have days where you stink at it and you have days that you should create a meme with your face in the center that says, ‘Rocked it, my kids ate dinner.’ We rejoice together in both of those moments. We love all mamas, mamas from walks of life that look like ours to mamas who are not like us in any way. The common denominator is motherhood. Not race. Not SES. Not religion. Not education. Motherhood.” “Love each other,” she said. “Build each other up. Thank a mama you know, even if it’s your own, and tell her, ‘You’ve got this.’”
AKB12A@ACU.EDU
ARTS
Theatre prepares ‘Man of La Mancha’ BY ADRIENNE BARRICK STUDENT REPORTER
As the Homecoming Musical is getting closer, the Department of Theatre is pulling out all stops preparing for ‘Man of La Mancha,’ a musical based on a portion of the classic novel Don Quixote by Cervantes. “This is a show that is meant to inspire and give hope in a dark world,” said Kari Hatfield, associate professor of voice and movement, who is assisting the alumni director with preparations. Because it takes place in a prison for much of the musical, the theatre department wants to help people realize that there is still hope when things look bleak. It is also giving hope to the leading cast of the musical as they have prepared. Payton Reeves, sophomore musical theatre major from Dallas, said, “It
makes me feel good that our director and stage manager could see me as that part.” Preparation for this year’s homecoming musical is different because alumni director Jesse Galvan has been in New York City working as a wardrobe supervisor for the Broadway musical ‘On Your Feet.’ He was in Abilene for the first rehearsal and the first readthrough-sing-through, but has since been Skyping in or sending his directors’ notes to Hatfield, who then navigates people on stage here in Abilene. The set is also different this year because it will stretch out over the orchestra pit in the Abilene Civic Center. The orchestra will be located, instead, behind the set, providing a closer look to the action in the prison on stage. Because of the size of the civic center and the large set, the theatre de-
partment is building the set backwards in Fulk’s Theatre in the Williams Performing Arts Center. It will be dismantled then relocated to the civic center next week. Hatfield said it hasn’t been difficult having leaders and directors all across the U.S, only different. It has been a good way to show students how quickly theatre moves to put on a show in such little time. The rehearsal and preparation pace is expected to increase once Galvan starts leading rehearsals. Showtimes include Oct. 21-22 at 8 p.m. and Oct. 23 at 2 p.m. All performances will be at the Abilene Civic Center downtown. Purchase tickets online at acu.edu/theatre or stop by the box office anytime between 1-5 p.m. Monday - Friday. OPTIMIST@ACU.EDU
6
O PI N I ON
&
ED IT O R IA L
FRIDAY | SEPTEMBER 30, 2016
Rushing all the way to the White House
Once upon a time, candidates for President of the United States decided to rush ACU social clubs. In the search for power and a club full of potential voters, these candidates are fighting for their bids in the rush to the White House. In the midst of the rushing process, Republican candidate Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton faced off in the first presidential debate Monday night. Like in the rushing process, when rushees try to impress club members and conversations veer in awkward directions, the candidates often got sidetracked during the debate. Clinton and Trump brought up topics for political reasons, rather than directly answering many of the questions asked by debate moderator Lester Holt. Trump considered some of the smaller men’s clubs at first. While many voters have called him a racist, Trump did attend a rush for the new Noble Kings social club, a group of men who say they strive for diversity. Race and immigration topics were not discussed in Monday’s debate, but when discussing police and racial issues, Trump
said he supported stop-andfrisk policies. “Now, whether or not in a place like Chicago, you do stop and frisk which worked very well in New York,” Trump said in the debate. His opponent disagreed, saying stop-and-frisk was found to be unconstitutional. Clinton wore red to Monday night’s debate, causing many voters to think GATA was her number one club. However, she won’t be going GATA because she fears the GATA email scandal would reflect poorly on her campaign. During the first week of rushing, Tom Craig, director of student organizations and productions, accidentally sent a list of women to all the women invited back to the next GATA rush. He later sent an email stating it was a mistake, something Clinton has also said about her “mistake” in using a private email server as secretary of state. Meanwhile, third party candidates Gary Johnson (Libertarian) and Darrell Castle (Constitution) were busy rushing smaller men’s clubs including Pi Kappa, Frats and Trojans. Trump decided not to rush these
Daily Doodle Dosage smaller clubs because less members would mean less votes from a brotherhood in November. Clinton also wanted to get as many votes as possible from pledging so she decided not to pledge the smallest club, Zeta Rho. She also didn’t rush Tri Kappa Gamma because
the color pink would take away from the strong female appearance she needs to be approved as a female candidate. Although Sigma Theta Chi would give her strong political connections to Dr. Gary McCaleb, vice president of the university, she was cut from the club after her bout with pneu-
monia made her ineligible for flag football games. When Trump made a jab about Clinton’s stamina, Clinton said, “Well, as soon as he travels to 112 countries negotiating peace treaties and deals...or even spends 11 hours testifying in front of a congressional panel, then he can talk to
OPINION@JMCNETWORK.COM
COLUMN
hashtagACU
Learning to live wholeheartedly
@acuoptimist
ALLISON OFTEN
@CLAIRE_HEATH SEPT. 23 9:32 P.M.
ALLISON BROWN EDITOR IN CHIEF Senior convergence journalism major Midland
Just used Febreeze as perfume. This is senior year in the purest form.
@CARLISCHEEVAL SEPT. 25 11:08 P.M.
forgot about my test tomorrow morning until like 3 hours ago so thats just about how life is going :’-) @EMJMUHL SEPT. 26, 10:49 A.M.
I just used command strips to stick a broken shoe back together so yeah you could say I’m ready to be thrust into the adult workforce in May @CALLIE_COOPER SEPT. 26 11:17 P.M.
I’ve been self diagnosing the whole semester. Either nursing school is making me paranoid or I am slowy dying... or both.
This week, I was forced to publicly perform a piece of poetry I wrote. Okay, I mean I am in a poetry class, and I knew when I signed up for it that the nature of the course might perhaps require reading my words aloud to an audience. So when my professor announced the poetry slam would be in the library and anyone could attend, my
stomach started to get that sinking, shrinking feeling. I hadn’t done any sort of performance piece since my glory days of the high school speech team – yes, the speech team, performing dramatic pieces that I personally thought were hilarious and amazing. But nonetheless, I didn’t think I’d be capable of getting up in a crowd and be-
ing vulnerable enough to show a room full of strangers a glimpse of the things I actually think about. Then I remembered why I wrote the poem I wrote. It was inspired by a book I read over the summer, Daring Greatly by Brene Brown. And honestly, it changed my life. I learned about what it means to be vulnerable, to live into the truth that we are all worthy of love and belonging. Brené taught me about wholehearted living, and I want her words to become the rhythm that I live to every day. So I got up, hands shaking, heart pounding, the first poet of the night, and
I shared my words with a room full of people while Brené’s words echoed through my mind. “Wholehearted living is about engaging in our lives from a place of worthiness. It means cultivating the courage, compassion, and connection to wake up in the morning and think, No matter what gets done and how much is left undone, I am enough. It’s going to bed at night thinking, Yes, I am imperfect and vulnerable and sometimes afraid, but that doesn’t change the truth that I am also brave and worthy of love and belonging.” EDITOR@ACU.EDU
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
@COURTNEYTEE_ SEPT. 26 9:23 P.M.
Vote pro-life come November
As this #debate devolves, I’m really gaining steam on my Trump bingo card. Just need him to say “Benghazi.” Or a Mark Cuban reaction shot.
@TAYLORCRUMPTON SEPT. 26 9:39 P.M.
Dear Editor,
we made it through everyone. bless up. I’m making a cup of tea. #debates
@MADELYNBANE SEPT. 26 9:17 P.M.
she is so poised and so presidential and laughs off his attacks and backs up her statements and looks great in this red pant suit and
@THE_GRAMBLE SEPT. 26 9:26 P.M.
Its crazy that Hillary Clinton & Donald Trump are married to each other. This debate must be hard but will only make their marriage stronger.
@BMCANNON SEPT. 26 5:28 P.M.
*in line at Sharky’s* Worker to @carleelane: “Didn’t I see you hear at lunch?” Carlee: “...yes...”
@REBECCA_TINDOL SEPT. 29 10:18 A.M.
Can I vote for Dr. Beck to be the next president? #Beck2016 #DrBeckForPres #PSYCHtheworld
@CALEBGRAVITT SEPT. 28 12:17 A.M.
Man it’s crazy to think that tomorrow is Halloween and then next week it’s already Christmas
With the November elections fast approaching, it is time to take a stance on “political” issues. Taking a stance and choosing for whom you will vote often weighs heavy on someone’s standards, values and morals. In our ever-changing political climate, it is easy to say: “I’ll vote for the lesser of the two evils.” This means we often have to turn a blind eye to one of our morals and place more “value” on another. Unfor-
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
tunately, that is the nature of the game. When it comes to the unborn child or someone near the end of their time here on Earth, their lives should be at the top of your “morality voting list.” Often, those lives are not considered “viable” or “useful.” Currently, the rights of the lives they affect (i.e. mother, caretaker) hold more weight in our political decisions rather than the lives of those who need protecting: the unborn child and the elderly. Just because
a life does not currently add any “value” to our society doesn’t mean they won’t in the future or have not in the past. They are human beings created in the image of God. They have souls and the potential to spread God’s love. Voting pro-life is upholding the sanctity or the inviolability that God’s love provides. Jeremiah 1:5 reads “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.” This is what God said to Jeremiah when he called him to the service of the Lord. God
knows all life He has and will create. The Lord places value on His creation. We, as voters, should be an extension of that love. When making important political decisions this fall, it is critical that the sanctity of life should not be overshadowed by any other current political headline. Vote! And vote pro-life! Sincerely, ACU for Life EDITOR@ACU.EDU
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Thanks for recognition & 15-year feature I would like to thank Abbey Bowling and the Optimist staff for the heartwarming, and surprising story last week recognizing my 15 year anniversary as Chief of Police for ACUPD. The story was appreciated, humbling, and reinvigorating. The throwback 1984 rookie pictures, not so much !
I have enjoyed my 32 year law enforcement career in Texas. It has been an honor serving as the ACU Chief of Police for these last 15 years and I look forward to many more years serving ACU. Through the hard work of all of our ACUPD team, the support of ACU
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. The Optimist encourages reader response through letters to the editor but reserves the right to limit frequent contributors or to refuse to print letters containing
BEN TODD CARTOONIST
me about stamina.” Trump turned to Gamma Sigma Phi and Galaxy, two clubs with strong political connections to alumni and a combination of business majors and political science majors. At the same time, Trump knew Sub T-16 could be an option, despite the club’s recent suspension from campus because of an inappropriate Homecoming float. Having shown himself hardly concerned about political correctness in the past, Trump wasn’t worried about Sub T’s suspension. “I have a much better temperament than Clinton,” Trump said in the debate. With bids being handed out this week, voters are wondering which club the candidates will choose. Will Clinton choose the large numbers and long tradition of Ko Jo Kai? Or will she save the giraffes and pledge Alpha Kai Omega? Will Trump make Sub T-16 great again? We’ll never know.
senior administration, and most of all, the partnerships and trust of our students, faculty, and staff, we are to effectively do our jobs as police officers in a professional and objective manner, while also respecting and serving everyone within the ACU community. ACU is a good place,
thanks for letting me serve. Sincerely, Jimmy Ellison, Chief of Police, ACUPD
EDITOR@ACU.EDU
O P T I M IST
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SP ORTS
FRIDAY | SEPTEMBER 30, 2016
7
TENNIS
Tulsa to provide good gauge for men’s team in future BY MIKAELA CLINTON SPORTS WRITER
The men’s tennis team will travel to Tulsa, Oklahoma to compete in the Saint Francis Health System ITA Men’s All-American Championships. The tournament will showcase talent from schools all across the country including several nationally ranked programs such as, UCLA, TCU, North Carolina, Wake Forest and Florida. With a strong mix of newcomers and veterans on the men’s side, head coach Hutton Jones said that creating lineups and making decisions
from a coaching perspective is difficult, but means great things for the team’s abilities and flexibility. “We have a lot of depth,” Jones said, “we’ll keep evaluating what is best for the team, and we’ll be competitive all year long.” Senior Nico Agritelley has also seen potential on this year’s roster, specifically the spread of ability across the board regardless of classification. “Any one of our guys could play anywhere in the lineup,” Agritelley said. “All the way from the freshmen up to me as the senior, the playing ability is about the same throughout.
LAUREN FRANCO STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Junior Henry Adams makes a sliding play to extend the point. Adams will be paired with senior Nico Agritelley in Tulsa.
It’s difficult to find that much talent and depth on a team.” As the only senior, Agritel-
ley has found himself in a unique role of leadership on the court, and has used his
seniority as an opportunity to lead by example and help the team grow together overall. He said that though he is in a role of leadership, the quality of players this year makes it possible for every member to pull their own weight and bring success to the team. “Each year I have felt confident in the team dynamics, but this year is a special year. The amount of talent we have on this team one probably one of the best ACU’s men’s tennis team has ever seen,” Agritelley said. Such talent includes Agritelley himself who had successful showings last season with doubles partner sopho-
more Josh Sheehy. Sheehy is now paired with his brother, freshman Jonathan Sheehy, and Agritelley is paired with junior Henry Adams. Each of the duos have high hopes into the ITA Championships. Agritelley said that the biggest thing for the team to work on right now is to continue playing points, sets, matches, and just any type of competitive points. The Wildcats begin competing in the ITA All-American Championships Saturday and it will run through Oct. 10. MBC15A@ACU.EDU
FOOTBALL
Sealey, offense confident in return home BY JONATHAN RAITZ SPORTS EDITOR
The Wildcats will be looking for some answers at home this weekend against Central Arkansas, after falling late to Stephen F. Austin. ACU lost the Bears 42-14 in Conway, Arkansas, a season ago and will be looking to end its winless streak to start the season. This is the first time the Wildcats have started 0-4 since 1991, when they finished the season 1-9, and they have are in the middle of a five-game losing streak dating back to last season.
Although history is not on the Wildcat’s side, sophomore quarterback Dallas Sealey is optimistic about the team’s progression. “We’ve got in a groove every single game, but it’s taken us a while, we’ve got off to slow starts.” Sealey said. “So I think if we can find our groove and get in a rhythm fast, within the first quarter, I think it’s going to lead us to winning.” Offensively, ACU enters the game as one of the most prolific teams in the league, ranked second in total yards at 472.2 yards per game, and Sealey leads the league in to-
tal offense. “I think as an offensive we’re gelling pretty good,” Sealey said. “I’m as confident as I’ve ever been and I think we are going to do good things.” But UCA enters Saturday with plenty of it’s own optimism, as it claimed the Southland Conference’s defensive and special teams players of the week honors. The Bears also earned a 28-23 victory over FBS-opponent Arkansas State. If the ACU wants to replicate its 52-37 win over UCA two years ago, Sealey and the Wildcats will have to start fast.
“
I think if we can find our groove and get in a rhythm fast, within the first quarter, I think it’s going to lead us to winning.” DALLAS SEALEY SOPHOMORE QUARTERBACK
“Every game so far I think we’ve gone in the first two drives and been a nervous and we haven’t move as fast as we normally do, we haven’t communicated as well as we usually do and I think its hurt us so far,” Sealey said. In the last three games, after
trailing early, ACU has fought to a one-possession deficit all three times, and even took the lead against Northern Colorado and Houston Baptist. But each time the Wildcats struggled to make plays late. Head coach Ken Collums said the team will look to reverse that trend against UCA. “Ultimately down the stretch you’ve gotta to make more plays then the opponent,” Collums said. “I’m hoping what happens on Saturday is this thing comes down to the fourth quarter and for a change we make more plays than the other team does down the stretch.”
All-time, ACU has beaten UCA only once and trails in the series 6-1-1. But since rejoining the Southland Conference in 2013, the season series is even at 1-1. “What we’re doing is controlling what we can control which is our approach, and that’s going to set us up for a quality game on Saturday,” Collums said. UCA is one of three teams sitting atop the conference at 2-0, and ACU is one of three winless teams left in the Southland. JMR13B@ACU.EDU
VOLLEYBALL
Bibler: Aggressive serve leads to defense CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8
“I think as a team we are really focused on what we are doing as a unit. We need our passing to be good, in order for our hitting to be good.” Bi-
bler said. “Volleyball is a team sport and so the fact that we have some individuals that are stepping up, just means that our team is playing really well together as a whole.” Jacey Smith has been big for the team this season, as her
2.76 kills per set rank 10th in the Southland Conference. Lexi Mercier and Lauren Walker have been a force to be reckoned with as they are ranked fifth and sixth respectively with blocks per set averages of 1.08 and 1.00. In
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Southland Conference play, Abilene Christian leads the SLC with 1.88 service aces and 2.88 blocks per set. “We’ve been trying to serve more aggressive, and if you serve more aggressive that helps out your block,” Bibler
said. “If we just continue to work on our blocking it makes us a better defensive team, and if we continue to work on our serving it makes a better blocking team. So we’re definitely emphasizing blocking in practice and things like that.”
In 2015 the Wildcats started conference play 2-2 and finished at 9-7 in fourth place. ACU also finished last season 6-2 in Moody Coliseum. DJM14B@ACU.EDU
SOCCER
Johnson returns as ‘Cats attempt to stay unbeaten BY MAX PRESTON SPORTS WRITER
This weekend, the soccer team hits the road for two conference matches against Northwestern tState and Central Arkansas. The women played a similar slate of road games like this when they traveled to Stillwater to face Oklahoma State and Dallas to play SMU. “These road games are just business trips for us,” sophomore defender Caity Acosta said. “We have our minds set on winning these games, getting the job done and coming back home. The Wildcats head into the weekend having scored 18 total goals as a team with six different players tied for the team lead of two, and six other players with one goal each. The six players with two goals include senior defender Kelsie Roberts, senior forward Natalie Throneberry, senior midf ielder Leslie Snider, sophomore forward Dylan Owens, sophomore midf ielder Chelsea Reedy, and freshman midf ielder Shay Johnson. “We’ve been putting in good solid work during practice to prepare us for this weekend,” Acosta said. “It’s nice coming out of last weekend with two wins, we just have to stay focused and continue to play as a team like we’ve been doing.” Johnson had been healing
a sprained ankle the past few weeks, however, she will be able to return to play this weekend. Senior goalkeeper Sydney Newton has made a total of 41 saves coming into the matches and has put up a 0.86 goals against average as well as a .854 save percentage. “We treat road games like any other game,” said junior defender Chantal Kinsey. “There are different chal-
“
These road games are just business trips for us.” CAITY ACOSTA JUNIOR DEFENDER
lenges that come with being on the road, but our team is prepared and excited for this weekends games. As for preparation, we worked on movement off the ball and finishing our shots on goal. Other than that we prepared for these games just like any other.” Northwestern State has scored a total of 15 goals this season with freshman forward April Trowbridge leading the team with an impressive five goals. Junior midfielder Esdeina Gonzalez leads the team in assists with four. Junior goalkeeper Alex Latham has made a total of 62 saves and has posted a 1.37 goals
against average along with a .827 save percentage. For Central Arkansas, the team has put up a total of 23 goals this season with sophomore forward Ashley Smith leading the Bears with six goals and sophomore Camille Basset has five. Junior midfielder Alex Moore leads the team in assists with five. Sophomore goalkeeper Lauren Mercuri and junior goalkeeper Anna Hughes have received equal playing time this year. Mercuri leads with 30 saves while Hughes leads with six wins. “Although we are at a disadvantage being on the road all weekend, we are excited and ready to play the way we know how to against these teams,” junior midfielder Megan Baer said. “It’s going to be competitive like it always is, but we have the opportunity to be 5-0 in conference. We have been efficient in practice all week working on areas of the game we know we can improve and focusing on our main goal as a team, to win conference.” The Wildcats (4-6-1, 3-00) will go face Northwestern State (5-5-0, 2-1-0) in Louisiana on Friday and will go face Central Arkansas (83-0, 3-0-0) in Arkansas on Sunday. Last season ACU defeated NSU 2-0 and UCA 1-0. MJP14B@ACU.EDU
8
S P O RT S
VOLLEYBALL
STANDINGS
Conference play continues as Wildcats return to Moody BY DEREK MARCELAIN SPORTS WRITER
After starting off conference play 1-1, the Wildcats returned home to continue Southland Conference play. The Wildcats will take on the University of New Or-
leans Thursday, but results were not available at the time of deadline. ACU will host Southeastern Louisiana University Saturday. SELU is coming off a 3-2 loss to Houston Baptist and a 3-2 victory over Lamar, which gives them a 2-12 record overall and a
1-1 mark in conference play heading into this weekend. The Lions other win came during non conference play against Southern University. SELU took on Big-12 and Big-10 powerhouses Kansas and Purdue early this season, but was swept in straight sets.
Elyssa Purcell has been big for the Lions as she has four triple-doubles, which puts her among the national leaders. Rachael Bunn has also a big player on the team after adding five blocks in her last game to her total, she now is number five on the all-time
blocks list in SLU school history. The Wildcats have gone 2-1 against SELU since joining the SLC, including a three-set victory over the Lions when they visited the Key City last season. SEE BIBLER PAGE 7
CROSS COUNTRY
Soccer Team
Div. Ovrl.
3-0 SFA 3-0 UCA 3-0 ACU 2-1 NWSU 2-1 UIW 1-1-1 HBU 1-1-1 SHSU 1-2 SELU Nicholls 0-2-1 0-2-1 Lamar McNeese 0-3 TAMU-CC 0-3
6-2 8-3 4-6-1 5-5 3-5-1 3-6-1 1-9-1 4-6-1 3-4-1 1-9-1 4-6 0-10
Volleyball Team
NWSU HBU SFA TAMU-CC UCA SELU ACU Lamar UIW SHSU McNeese Nicholls UNO
Div. Ovrl. 3-0 2-0 2-0 2-0 2-2 1-1 1-1 1-1 1-2 0-2 0-2 0-2 0-2
8-10 11-7 9-6 7-6 8-8 2-12 2-15 1-13 4-10 6-9 4-13 4-13 3-12
Football Team
SHSU UCA SFA Nicholls SELU McNeese HBU UIW Lamar ACU NWSU
Div. Ovrl. 2-0 2-0 2-0 1-0 1-0 1-1 1-2 1-2 0-1 0-2 0-3
3-0 3-1 3-1 1-2 1-2 2-2 2-2 1-3 0-3 0-4 0-4
WHO’S HOT
LAUREN FRANCO STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Junior Gabby Thompson is in her third-year as a varsity cross country runner, but just her first as the team captain. In the wake of four runners redshirting this season, Thompson has taken over the role of team captain and vocal leader.
Change of Pace
Experienced, tested Thompson steps in to lead women’s team BY TREVOR WYATT SPORTS WRITER
As the only returning cross country runner competing for ACU, junior Gabby Thompson is headed into new territory, the captain of the team. She has finished first for ACU in each meet: Texas Tech Invitational, Ken Garland Invitational at the University of North Texas, and the Cowboy Jamboree at Oklahoma State, and was subsequently voted captain of the team, after four of the women’s top runners decided to redshirt for a chance to run in the postseason next year. Thompson said as captain, she’s not afraid of the future, and grateful for the opportunity. “I’m really blessed to be able to coach these young girls,” Thompson said. “They’re all new to college cross country, so I try to take care of them, not only in athletics, but in academics and
making sure that the freshman get plugged in to a faith community here, especially a church. But really, they’re all doing an amazing job.” Thompson said the new distance coach, Jarvis Jelen, is helping her get to a new level in her running. “Coach Jelen has been giving us a lot more mileage than usual, especially more than what we had past years,” Thompson said. “It’s definitely helped us to prepare better for this year.” Jelen says Thompson stuck out at the beginning of the year for the women, and says that he’s pleased to see how well she’s taking the new training program. “I’m still trying to develop the team, but it was nice to see her take it so well,” Jelen said. “We’ve been working together this fall, and from the summer when I got the job, and she’s been doing a great job.” And it shows. In the past three meets, Thompson has not only been the top runner
for the women, but has increased her times significantly from last year. She finished her 5k run at Oklahoma State in 29th place with a time of 19:56.1, which is a 52.9 seconds faster than last year. Thompson credits not only her coaches, but her fellow teammates as well. “They’re always there for me,” Thompson says. “They push me to be the best leader I can be.” The praise is not one-sided with the team. Ryan Cleary, one of the front-runners on the men’s team, says it’s clear that Thompson is ready for the responsibility. “Gabby is a veteran student-athlete, and is very prepared to lead her team and step up for the girls,” Cleary said. “We’ve been through a lot of change here at ACU, and I can assure it has prepared her to take her racing to another level.” Cleary also says her personality is a huge part to her success as a runner, and is a
core reason why she’s a good leader. “She is a very vocal person,” says Cleary. “It’s obvious her communication with the girls is right where it needs to be. She’s ready to lead this team.” The coaching staff thinks Thompson is ready for this role. Both coaches are proud of Thompson, and say that they’re ready for her to be a leader on this team. Lance Bingham, head track and field coach, says that Thompson is exactly what you want to see as a coach. “Gabby has really done a good job leading out with our team this year,” Bingham said. “She is training hard and is encouraging other runners to consistently train hard and keep focused.” Although Bingham didn’t throw out any numbers, he said that Thompson is always ready to do the best job she can. “I don’t like to make pre-
dictions,” Bingham said. “But one thing I look forward to from her is her absolute best - which is what all we truly desire to see as coaches.” Thompson says that the main thing that she hopes to see happen this season is for the newcomers to become a group, and says that it is already feeling that way. “It feels great to be with them, I feel like we’ve ran together forever,” Thompson said. “It feels like we’re family and that’s my favorite part about being a leader this year- seeing them grow in front of me.” Coach Bingham says that ideology is the reason for their success. “When you get a group of athletes that give their all, then the result tends to take care of itself.” TMW13A@ACU.EDU
Don’t panic! Statistically it could happen EXAGGERAITZ JONATHAN RAITZ SPORTS EDITOR
Junior convergence journalism major Bandera, Texas
At 0-4 overall and 0-2 in conference play, the football team might have trouble bouncing back to win a conference championship. But there is no need to hit the panic button just yet. Offensively through four games, the Wildcats are ranked as one of the more prolific units in the Southland. Heading into its third conference game, ACU is ranked in the top-five in scoring and is one of three South-
land teams to have scored 50 or more points this season. Sophomore quarterback Dallas Sealey and the offense have also had little trouble moving the ball. The offense ranks second in the league in total offense at 472.8 yards per game and pass offense at 332.5 ypg. And in half their games this season the Wildcats have eclipsed 500 yards of total offense. As a team, ACU has also been efficient in red zone of-
fense, third-down conversion rate and passing efficiency. The Wildcats have scored on 83.3 percent of their trips to the red zone, converted on almost half of their third downs, and Sealey has helped the offense to the third best pass efficiency at 140.1. An argument can also be made that through the first four games of the season, Sealey is the league’s offensive MVP. Sealey is second in passing yards per game at 329.2, second in passing touchdowns with eight and as a quarterback is tied for the league-lead in rushing touchdowns with five. He also leads the league with 1,466 total yards of offense.
Although the offense has been most consistent, it has shown bright spots in the return game and defensively as well. Freshman Justin Miller, who has contributed in the passing game as well, is the only player in the Southland Conference to return a kick for a touchdown. And earlier this season, senior punter Austin Kilcullen earned national recognition from the FCS. Defensively, the Wildcats have struggled with limiting opponent’s big plays, but in every game this season have held their opponents to less points than the offense. ACU is also top-five in the conference with five forced turn-
overs. Even though ACU has let three good chances to win games slip through its fingers the last three weeks, the fact is it had a chance to win. The Wildcats have been competitive in every game, and I think with the exception of one or two, will continue to be. The statistics make a convincing case that this offense can compete with the best in the league. ACU could easily be 2-2 if not 3-1, so don’t be surprised if the Wildcats finish the season with a few big wins. Don’t hit the panic button just yet. JMR13B@ACU.EDU
After staying scorless in her first threeandRoberts a-half years in a Wildcat uniform, senior defender Kelsie Roberts has scored in two of the first three Southland Conference matchups. Roberts has also played a big role defensively in the team’s 3-0 con-
BRIEFINGS After sitting out last week’s game against SFA, junior wide receiver D.J. Fuller is expected to play on Saturday against UCA. Be sure to follow @OptimistSports on Twittter for more stories and the latest ACU sports news coverage.
UPCOMING With a 1-1 record in conference play volleyball returned to Moody Thursday and Saturday to take on Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston State. Football returns to Shotwell this weekend as it takes on UCA in conference action. ACU is 1-1 against UCA since rejoining the Southland Conference. Rugby takes on UTEP, Saturday at 3 p.m., as it plays its first match of the season at Action Zone. Soccer travels to NSU and UCA, with its unbeaten streak on the line.