WHAT'S INSIDE
NEWS
Ever wondered the top states most students come from? Check out the student body facts and figures. Page 3
FEATURE
OPINION
A recently married alumni couple has plans to move to South Africa at the end of the year. Page 5
SPORTS
To pledge or not to pledge: the perinnial question. What does the Editorial Board say today? Page 6
Special teams player Austin Kilcullen talks on his hobbies off the field. Pages 7
v
Friday, September 9, 2016 Vol. 105, Issue 04
A student publication of Abilene Christian University since 1912
ADVENTURE AWAITS
Sub T-16 returns to pledging after spring suspension BY ERIKA BOLADO STAFF WRITER
MAGGIE FARIAS, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Freshman Follies, the annual variety show highlighting the talent of incoming students, will take place Friday night, Saturday afternoon and Saturday evening. This year, the show’s theme is Adventure Awaits and features a wide array of group acts and indivual performances.
Men’s social club Sub T-16 will return to campus this semester with an improved structure, newly defined core values, and a clear vision as a group. The club was suspended for the spring semester after “they made some poor decisions in a Homecoming situation that was very public,” said Tom Craig, director of student organizations and productions. “And the end result was not positive for the club. That was the catalyst that set the wheels in motion.” During the annual Saturday Homecoming Parade last year, members of the club spray-painted offensive language on their float, a repurposed school bus nicknamed the Gobmobile. In the time the club was off campus, the club went through a process of self-evaluation and had to meet specific requirements required by the dean of student life. Craig said he has stayed in contact with the club’s leadership. “In my conversations with the president, they are moving in a really good direction and hoping to create positive impact for both themselves on campus and the club on SEE PLEDGING PAGE 2
Family Weekend to feature freshmen, football BY ABBEY BOWLING ARTS AND FEATURES EDITOR
Family Weekend, aimed toward freshmen, new students and their families, will take place this weekend with events scheduled Friday-Sunday. Beginning with check-in at 10 a.m. on Friday, parents are invited to go to Chapel, visit the Bean and check out the 1 p.m. Cornerstone class as well as a
featured panel with faculty, staff and current students, during which parents can ask questions. Food trucks will also be parked in the campus mall area on Friday from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. At night, families can check out Entra a la Plaza from 6-9 p.m. or eat at one of the many restaurants around town – including Abi-Haus, Wingstop and Lytle Land and Cattle – with special family week-
end discounts. The main event of family weekend is Freshman Follies, the freshman talent show. Freshman Follies has three separate shows: Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 1 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. Families can then attend the tailgate at Shotwell Stadium at 4 p.m. and stick around for the first home football game of the season as the Wildcats take on the Northern Colorado Bears
at 6 p.m. Other activities include residence hall open houses and family pictures at Jacob’s Dream. More information about all the weekend’s festivities can be found in the family weekend packet handed out at check-in. Caddie Coupe, director of student and parent activities, said the Office of Student Life really started to focus more on family weekend within the last 10 years.
“Family Weekend has seen many versions,” Coupe said. “Within the last 10 years, ACU recognized that Family Weekend could be a great retention point for new students, and using the weekend to connect families, who may be new to ACU, makes them feel like they’re a part of our community. We’ve tried to make it something unique and special and created intentional programming
that’s worth it for our families to take off work or spend some money to come.” The point of the weekend is for freshmen and transfer students to show their families how they’ve transitioned to college life and to reaffirm that coming to ACU was the right decision, Coupe said. AKB12A@ACU.EDU
Hispanos Unidos celebrates 25 years on campus BY EMILY GUAJARDO VISUALS MANAGING EDITOR
Entra A La Plaza festival will bring people together for dancing and food Friday night for part of Hispanos Unidos’ 25th anniversary celebration. Entra A La Plaza is an annual Hispanos Unidos event, where students and
the Abilene community can be entertained by Folklorico dances, mariachi music and hispanic foods from across the South American region. The event is scheduled for Friday nigth at the Hunter Welcome Center and will begin at 6 p.m. Tickets can be purchased for $5 at the door.
Renique Rodriguez, a junior vocational missions major from Georgetown, said the club began planning the event since the end of the last school year in preparation for the amount of people expected to attend and the club’s anniversary. “We started planning at the end of last year because
it’s right at the beginning of the school year,” said Rodriguez, president of Hispanos Unidos. “When we all got back to good ole ACU, we collaborated on what needed to be done. It’s been a lot of running around at the beginning of the year, but I’m so excited to see it put into play.” Being the 25th anniver-
sary of Hipanos Unidos, Rodriguez said this years event is especially important for the club. “The 25th is special, and this calls for something special,” said Rodriguez. “We want to make this whole year for HU special, but we really also want to keep the tradition of Entra A La Plaza. As a club, we want
our members to know the history, and for the new freshman we want them to experience true Hispanic culture that is in our student body. Most people don’t realize that Hispanics are the biggest minority group on campus, and we would like for them to conSEE FESTIVAL PAGE 4
Enrollment reaches all time high at nearly 5,000 BY ALLISON BROWN EDITOR IN CHIEF
Administration reported a record enrollment count of 4,910 students in the numbers released on the 12th day of school, an 8-percent increase from last year’s 4,544 students. A large freshman class and growing online graduate programs through ACU Dallas contributed to the rise in enrolled students. The class of 2020 is the third-largest in ACU’s histo-
ry with 1,047 incoming students. In an email addressed to faculty and staff, Dr. Phil Schubert, president of the university, said 59 percent of freshmen graduated in the top quarter of their high school class, and collectively, the average high school GPA of the class is “an ACU best-ever.” Students enrolled in graduate programs is also at a record level, with 1,152 students in on-campus and online programs. 650 of these graduate
students are enrolled online from 37 states and three nations through ACU Dallas. Schubert said freshman-to-sophomore retention rates continue to be strong, but retention is down at 76.1 percent, a slight decline from last year’s 79.4 percent. Numbers for ethnic and racial diversity of the student body were unavailable due to computer issues. The student makeup continues to be more religiously diverse, but students from a Church of Christ back-
ground still make up the 1200 largest sector at 30.8 percent. The next highest reported 1000 background was Baptist, with 18 percent of students. Chris800 tian church and Community church backgrounds were not far behind at 16.4 percent 600 and 15.3 percent. 10 percent of students claim “other” re400 ligious beliefs. 5 percent of students are Catholic and 4.2 200 come from a Methodist background. AKB12B@ACU.EDU
W W W. A C U O P T I M I S T. C O M
0
1133 982 864
2010
2011
958
2012
1030
2013
974
2014
2015
Freshman Enrollment
1047
2016
2
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Pledging: Mens social club Sub T-16 reinstated after suspension CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
campus,” said Craig. Garrett Coppedge, senior family studies major from Las Cruces, New Mexico, and Sub T president, acknowledged some negative perception Sub T. “I would say that’s misguided, but there are things that needed to happen,” Coppedge said. “Of course, it wasn’t ideal, but it gave us an opportunity to take inventory of where we are at and set a clear vision of where we want to be and the kind of people we want to be.” After the club’s suspension, some alumni were upset that the club would not be allowed to participate in Sing Song. Yet Coppedge said the members accepted the consequenses and took responsibility. During the process, Coppedge said members got together as a club and came up with a remediation plan. The club members defined their core values and gave the Office of Student Life a clear plan on how they wanted to move forward and completed 100 hours of community hours as a group. The process did bring some attitude changes, Coppedge said. “Overall we are more structured in order to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” he said. “Other than that I say we are in a good place.” With pledging starting in three weeks, he has seen renewed interest from prospective pledges, many whom are legacies. “If you compare Sub T-16 to chapters in LCU and Harding, we started here in 1923, and they don’t bear the same resemblance,” Coppedge said. “Sub T-16 has kept a lot of its traditions and in a lot ways it’s the same that it was in 1923.” The club has 35 members, and Coppedge said after pledging, total membership will be about 50. “I feel it’s important to note that while we are making positive changes, the characteristics that have always made Sub T-16 unique aren’t changing,” Coppedge said. “That’s one of my favorite things about Sub T and the guys that make it up. You always know what you’re getting.”
HRR13B@ACU.EDU
FRIDAY | SEPTEMBER 9, 2016
Free tutoring made available to all students BY MERCEDEZ HERNANDEZ PRINT MANAGING EDITOR
Changes to the university’s tutoring program criteria has made free, oneon-one tutoring available to all students. Tutors are available on the main floor of the Brown library Monday-Thursday from 4-9 p.m. and Fridays from 4-7 p.m. Tutors can be identified by their bright blue shirts and orange signs that read "available for tutoring". For more information on tutoring and how to book an appointment, email University Access Programs Coordinator Debbie Stewart at debbie.stewart@acu.edu or visit room 312 in the Hardin Administration Building. Previously, tutoring services were only available to students that met one of the three criteria set by
MAGGIE FARIAS STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Tutors can be found on the main floor of the library Monday- Thursday from 4-9 p.m. and Fridays from 4-7 p.m.
Alpha Scholar guidelines. In order to qualify, a student had to either be the child of a parent that did not graduate college, be classified as low-income or have a documented disability.
“Our program was funded through a grant through the Department of [education] that we no longer have,” Naoemi Sanchez, tutor coordinator said. “The grant was aimed at serving a specific
group of students, which only allowed us to offer services to students in the program. ACU now funds us, so we are able to serve the entire student body.” “Because we don’t have to follow those Alpha
Scholars guidelines anymore, this semester we decided to kick-off this semester and open it up to everybody.” The tutoring program now has 36 tutors on staff that specialize in certain academic areas but are all certified to assist with subjects like exam prep, study skills and time management. Alyssa Wilder, junior biology major from Everman, has been a tutor for two years and said the new system has allowed her to assist more students than she previously was able to. “Because we’re open to the whole campus now, we are able to help a lot more students,” Wilder said. “In the past couple weeks I have seen more people than I would have usually at this time of year.” MMH13A@ACU.EDU
Thirty representatives elected for SA congress BY HALEY REMENAR ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR
Students' Association elections resulted in a runoff for freshman vice president, 30 candidates elected and 28 empty seats. Twenty-five candidates ran unopposed in the election so they automatically won. In the vote for freshman vice president, Jonathan Ladd won 141 votes and Logan Dybdahl won 87 votes beating their opponents, Jenna Suzman and German Carranza . Since neither won more than 50 percent of the 389 total votes, the runoff will take place Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Freshman can vote online at acustudents.org/vote. Shelby Short won freshman class president with 225 votes against Nick Skeffington, who got 132 votes and Zach Hellen, who got 19 votes. Short said she campaigned by meeting people and using flyers and social media, but she didn't see her opponents campaigning. "Being able to talk to people and genuinely connect to them, that's just something that's really important to me is getting to know my peers. No status that is put on my name matters to me, it just matters that I can connect to them." All three sophomore class races were close with winners beating their opponents by only a few votes. Julia Kennedy, psychology major from Lubbock, beat Ty Kelley for sophomore class president by just 11 votes. "Julia and I are both really involved on campus
and online voting made it really easy for students to vote this year," said Kelley, sophomore information technology major from San Antonio. "We both campaigned pretty hard and it made it really hard for people to decide." Kelley said he plans to participate in SA by taking one of the open seats in the College of Arts and Sciences. The SA executive cabinet will appoint officers to each of the empty seats and will give first preference to those who lost their campaigns and still want to participate. New sophomore class treasurer, Madeline Dayton, was also friends with her opponent Evan Beck, whom she beat by 15 votes. She said the competitive race brought in more sophomore votes. "My opponent and I are very involved on campus in a lot of different organizations and we're both in the same friend groups," said Dayton, sophomore global studies major from Katy. "I really tried to target part of the sophomore class I didn't actually know." Max Preston, convergence journalism major from Amarillo, beat Allen Martin, sophomore English major from Abilene, for sophomore vice president by 38 votes. "He's one of my good friends so it was tough to run against him," Preston said. "We just like each other and we want the best for each other even if that means we're running in office against each other."
Elected Congress Members 2016-17 CLASS OFFICERS
Smith Adams Female Adriana Tatmon Smith Adams Male Nicholas Winn
Freshman Class President Shelby Short
Edwards Hall Tyler Hasenjaeger
Freshman Class Vice President Jonathan Ladd* Logan Dybdahl*
Off Campus Garrett Drennan
Freshman Class Treasurer Daylee White
ACADEMIC COLLEGE REPRESENTATIVES
Sophomore Class President Julia Kennedy Sophomore Class Vice President Max Preston Sophomore Class Treasurer Madeline Dayton
College of Arts & Sciences Lauren Franco Joseph McMiller Nikole Taylor College of Business Administration Adam Andrada Gregg Calvin
Junior Class President Hope Stanphill
STUDENT ORGANIZATION REPRESENTATIVES
Junior Class Vice President Caitlin Walker
Arts Laura Harris
Junior Class Treasurer Alex Blanchet
Professional Development Colton Powell Kevin Shurtz
RESIDENTIAL REPRESENTATIVES Gardner Hall Brittany Cruse Kolby Grosz
Service & Activism Meredith Havard STEM Cedric Garza
Sikes Hall Madison Hall
Athletics and Varsity Athletics Bryson Martinez Adrian Escobedo
Mabee Hall Michael Romero Dillard Hall Rachel Jones
*RUN OFF The two candidates with the highest votes will be in a run off Friday from 11am-5pm.
Morris Hall Kendall Wermine
HRR13B@ACU.EDU
POLICE LOG SELECTED ACUPD CALLS FOR THE WEEK 09/02/2016 10:51 p.m. ACUPD investigated a report of several people playing loud music and dancing on top of parked cars in the Gardner Hall North Lot, disturbing residents. The subjects left prior to officers arrival. 09/04/2016 3:26 p.m. Officers received information that a group of people had entered the locked Sanders Intramural field by climbing the fence. The group was advised that they needed Intramurals permission to be on the field. 08/27/2016 12:50 p.m. Abilene Fire Department notified ACUPD of a male lying in the tunnel under Judge Elv Blvd. Officers found that me person was huffing a can of compressed air. The person was issued a Criminal Trespass Warning and left the area. 911 CALL ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIVITY ADVICE ALARM ASSIST ATTEMPT TO LOCATE BARRICADES BICYCLE PATROL BUILDING LOCK/UNLOCK CHECK BUILDING DISTURBANCE ESCORT FINGERPRINTING SERVICE
4 37 1 2 1 1 2 2 9 1 2 2 3
FIRE FOOT PATROL FOUND PROPERTY HARASSMENT INFORMATION REPORT INVESTIGATION FOLLOW UP LOST PROPERTY MAINTENANCE UNIVERSITY ASSETS: CCTV MEDICAL EMERGENCY MONITOR FACILITY/LOT MOTORIST ASSIST IN-
1 35 3 2 2 6
FLATE TIRE MOTORIST ASSIST: JUMPSTART MOTORIST ASSIST: OTHER MOTORIST ASSIST: UNLOCK NOISE VIOLATION 1 OTHER PARKING LOT PATROL 10 PARKING VIOLATION PATROL VEHICLE: MAINTE6 NANCE 2 PATROL VEHICLE: REFUEL 1
PROWLER 11 PUBLIC SERVICE RANDOM PATROL 1 REPORT WRITING 7 SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY SUSPICIOUS PERSON 58 SUSPICIOUS VEHICLE 40 THEFT 10 TRAFFIC STOP 13 TRESPASSER 10 WELFARE CHECK 13 TOTAL: 663
1 2 44 16 2 6 2 3 2 1 2
POLICE CHIEF TIP OF THE WEEK:
Are your registered for ACU ALERT ? It’s free, quick, and easy. Go to acu.edu/acualert
N E WS
FRIDAY | SEPTEMBER 9, 2016
STUDENT BODY FACTS AND FIGURES Church of Christ
3
TOTAL ENROLLMENT
4910
80
79.4%
79.4%
Baptist Christian Church
76.1% 75.1%
Catholic
75.1%
Methodist Community Church Other
70
2012
2014
2013
2015
2016
Freshman to Sophomore Retention
3000
2500
Top Ten States of Origin
2000
1500
112
55
1000
25 62
500
3878
0
Men
Women
Total Student Population
RatesRates As Low As $490!! As Low AsAs Rates As Low *All Utilities Included Rates As Low As $490!! $490!! *Fully Furnished $490!! Fee *No Application *All Utilities Included *No Deposit *All Included *FullyUtilities Furnished *Fully Furnished *No Application Fee *No Application Fee *No *NoDeposit Deposit
27
26 29
42 39
51 States 42 Countries
Texas California Oklahoma Colorado Tennessee Georgia North Carolina Missouri Illinois Kansas
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FRIDAY | SEPTEMBER 9, 2016
West Texas Fair Festival: Entra A La Plaza honors traditions & Rodeo to bring Hispanos Unidos to celebrate 25 years, welcome new students Friday fun and games BY EMILY GUAJARDO VISUALS MANAGING EDITOR
The West Texas Fair and Rodeo officially opened its gates this week with its traditional carnival rids, booths and games. Filling the air with illuminating lights and cotton candy sugar streams, several students plan on returning to the fair as both a tradition or last time before graduation. Brandon Gonzales, junior accounting major from Roulette, said the fair has become a tradition for him since his freshman year and he plans on continuing it. "I've been there since freshman year and it's a smaller fair and since I'm from a big city, its a new experience," said Gonzales. The fair has become a monumental event that not only has bought communities across the West Texas region together, but also has become another stamp on a students radar. Jesse Luna, a senior psychology major from San Antonio, said he is both excited and sad for this being his last year at ACU. "I definitely am going to the fair this year because I have gone every year with my friends and have definitely made it a tradition of mine," said Luna. "It's also another thing to do in Abilene, so people really should consider on going." The fair and rodeo will be in Abilene running from Sept. 8-17 at the Expo Center. EAG13A@ACU.EDU
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
nect with HU as a place to call home, and for those who are not Hispanic to be able to take part in Hispanic culture.” In planning Entra A La Plaza, students involved had to find professional Folklorico dancers, a major cultural aspect and focal point HU tried to incorporate. Ballet Folkorico is a traditional Spanish dance that emphasize several similar qualities to ballet in where pointed toes, large turns and male partners play a key role, especially when being performed live. Erika Puebla, HU’s event coordinator, said dancing was big factor the officer team wanted the audience to experience. “One thing for sure that we can expect for this year is that Entra A La Plaza will be dancing,” said Puebla, a senior nursing major from Guanajuato, MX. “We want people to experience a culture that might be different to students and dancing is a huge influencer in Hispanic music and culture.” Students who attend the festival can expect plenty of authentic foods and beverages, including Aguas Frescas, palletas, enchiladas and other Spanish favorites. Mariana Cedillo, historian for HU, said Hispanics are a big umbrella and people usually assume Hispanic means Mexican and combine the two.
THE OPIMIST STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
A dancer from Abilene's Ballet Folklorico twirls her colorful skirt in a traditional Mexican dance at last year's event.
“Hispanic heritage months is not until September 15, so we’re a bit early, that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate diversity,” said Cedillo, a multimedia major from McAllen. “Hispanics or Latinos is a big umbrella for all the different cultures found in Mexico, Central and South America. We all come from different back-
“
We want people to experience a culture that might be different to students." ERIKA PUEBLA SENIOR NURSING MAJOR GUANAJATO, MEXICO
grounds and grew up with different traditions. Entra A La Plaza is something we
do to showcase that.” Puebla said the future of HU seems to be going in the right direction. “As cheesy as it may sound, the future for HU is very bright.,” said Puebla. “What I mean by that is that the club is growing in numbers. We want people to understand what HU means, and stands for. We want to make people feel
welcomed even if they are not Hispanic. People are sometimes afraid to come to our small group chapel or events, because they feel they have to be Hispanic to attend when they do not have to be. We want HU to be a place that everyone can attend and be part of.” EAG13A@ACU.EDU
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FRIDAY | SEPTEMBER 9, 2016
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F E ATUR E S
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PHOTO COURTESTY OF ERIKA SCOTT Erika and Tyler Scott, ACU alumni, plan to move to South Africa in January. In order to raise enough money for their trip, Erika came up with a creative way of combining her love of culture and cooking.
From Abilene to Africa Alumnus creates unique fundraiser for mission trip
BY ABBEY BOWLING ARTS & FEATURES EDITOR
Erika Scott (‘16) grew up as a missionary kid in Chang Mai, Thailand, over 8,000 miles away from the small town of Abilene. Several generations of her father’s family attended ACU, so she decided to follow in their footsteps and attend as well – she graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in communication, and now plans to become a missionary herself. Erika and her husband, Tyler, will move to Stellenbosch, South Africa – about 30 minutes outside the cap-
ital city of Cape Town – in January with a close team of six others from ACU. The Scotts initially felt inspired to move after Tyler went on a World Wide Witness trip in the summer of 2014, a trip that changed his life and his passion for serving people and the Lord. Their plan is to stay for a year – with the option of staying long-term if God prompts them to do so, Erika said – and work with Kingdom DNA, an organization that focuses on building Kingdom culture through church planting, discipleship, leadership
training and outreaches. “We’ll spend a lot of time in townships, which are very poor neighborhoods, playing sports and spreading the good news through sports,” she said. “I love to cook and I plan to start a cooking class once a week to give people a taste of other cultural foods.” In order to raise enough money to support their mission, the couple is making and selling Thai cuisine – Erika decided to merge her love of cooking with her love of Thai culture to create an authentic Thai meal.
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The team and the work we will be doing in South Africa is very exciting. All of it put together was too good to pass up.” ERIKA SCOTT ALUMNUS FROM CHANG MAI, THAILAND
“It’s sticky rice and Thai style fried chicken,” she explained. “It’s a meal that is meant to be eaten with your hands. It’s similar to regular fried chicken but with a unique Thai seasoning added, along with
a sweet chili sauce that makes the whole thing come together.” There are two meals to choose from – the first includes sticky rice, fried chicken, sweet chili sauce, and cucumbers for $10. The bigger family set costs $45 and has four times the amount of food plus a gallon of Thai tea that can’t be found anywhere else. You can also order just the Thai tea by itself, $8 for half a gallon or $14 for a whole gallon. To order, you can contact Erika on Facebook. In addition to the meals, the couple is also fundraising through a company
called Thai Comfort and will be selling pants and jewelry from Thailand. Their website, thaicomfortpants.com, will be up and running in a few weeks but in the meantime, they’ll sell the products in the Campus Center during Summit next weekend and all profits will support their mission trip. “The team and the work that we will be doing in South Africa is very exciting,” Erika said. “All of it put together was too good to pass up.” AKB12A@ACU.EDU
THE NE TF L IX F I X BY ABBEY BOWLING ARTS & FEATURES EDITOR
Netflix recently acquired the U.S. rights to stream Disney movies – including Marvel, Lucasfilm and Pixar movies – so a whole slew of new titles, including Captain America: Civil War, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and Finding Dory will hit Netflix later this month. Which means there’ll be even more options to choose from when you procrastinate that research paper you were supposed to start, like, several weeks ago. But you know you’re going to watch Netflix instead of studying anyways, so here are a few things worth streaming.
Stranger Things TV-14, 8 episodes
If you spend any time on the internet, then you’ve probably already heard about the Stranger Things phenomenon that’s taking over. The TV show debuted on Netflix earlier this month and quickly became the hottest show to watch, and has already secured a second season set to come out next year. The show follows a series of strange things that take place in the small town of Hawkins, Indiana in the early ‘80s: a government lab full of secrets, a boy who disappears after seeing a mysterious creature, a girl who can control things with her mind but refuses to talk. It’s not exactly horror – trust me, I can’t handle scary stuff at all – but it is a thriller, so think something like Lost, Steven Spielberg and Stephen King all mixed together at the same time. Hang on for the ride because once you start, you won’t be able to stop.
Planet FIFA TV-14, 1 hr 34
If you like documentaries about good old-fashioned soccer scandals, then this one’s for you. Planet FIFA offers an in-depth look at the scandal that rocked the sport of soccer last year, when an FBI investigation accused 30 high-ranking FIFA officials of deep-rooted corruption, including charges of bribery and criminal schemes that dated back for decades. Lots of people ended up in jail or suspended from the sport, including the current FIFA President. The documentary also gives a good history of the FIFA organization and how the World Cup came about – and it’s also entirely in French, so you’ll have to turn the subtitles on, but it’s well worth watching for any soccer fan.
Before We Go PG-13, 1 hr 35
Chris Evans (aka Captain America) wrote, directed and starred in the indie film Before We Go that debuted in 2014. The whole movie takes place in one night, in which a man and a woman – who are both strangers – meet and wander the streets of New York City in a late night adventure and eventually spill their secrets to each other.. This movie might be more of an acquired taste for some people, but I fell in love with it the first time I watched it. I won’t spoil it, but the movie doesn’t have a typical ending – but the ending is the best part of the whole two hours, in my opinion.
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ED IT O R IA L
FRIDAY | SEPTEMBER 9, 2016
To pledge or not to pledge: the annual question
THE ISSUE
With pledging coming up soon, eligible students will have to decide whether or not they want to go through the process. Does calling something a social club or “local sorority/fraternity” make a difference?
OUR TAKE
No matter what you call it, pledging has its ups and downs. Read the Board’s thoughts and see what we’ve concluded.
Last year, the university made the shift to market what ACU students have always called social clubs as “local fraternities and sororities.” Over the last 10 years, our campus has welcomed an influx of students brand new to the rich culture of Abilene Christian University – so Student Life thought moving away from the term “social club” would give students a better idea of what social clubs have to offer, and even help those unaffiliated with ACU understand what a Trojan might be. Calling something a social club or sorority doesn’t really make all that much difference in how these groups of students function on campus – even if the name “social clubs” sounds antiquated or ambiguous to those who have never heard it and “local sororities and fraternities” might sound like a weird attempt to be on the same page as other schools we compete with. To pledge or not to pledge
seems to be an age-old question, but it’s not one of life or death consequences. If you’re new around here, you should know something. On Sunday, the rushing process begins for students sophomores or older. And in about three weeks time, weird things will start happening on campus. Students will wear bright colored skirts or slacks and blazers every day from 8-5. They will yell things at fountains and park benches. They will carry rocks around and they won’t look you in the eye. What on earth is going on, some may ask. Pledge and find out, they’ll say. Since the first social club was formed in 1919, students have upheld traditions while adapting to university life as it’s changed over 100 years. The Editorial Board is made up of a mixture of some students who have undergone pledging and some who have opted out. Here’s our thoughts for all you peo-
ple still trying to decide if it’s for you.
Mercedez says: “I didn’t pledge because I’d heard about what a big time commitment it was. My sophomore year is when I started commuting from home and I knew that balancing schoolwork, a 20 minute commute and pledging would be really challenging. I don’t regret not pledging but I do think I could have made more friends if I had.” Haley says: “I pledged because I was destined for a social club. I love social activities, I loved rushing, I love meeting new people, I love having club songs and chants and symbols, I love wearing matching t-shirts and taking sorority pictures and doing silly stuff. I love having a group of girls that I can relax and have fun with.” Jonathan says: “If I went to a public university, I don’t think I would have pledged, because at ACU I was under the impression that social clubs stood for more than just another group of people with a signal commonality. I pledged because I wanted to be able to contribute to something bigger than
myself, and in many ways I think I’ve found that. But there have also been times where there is not a distinction between the experience here and what I would’ve probably tried to avoid with public university Greek life.”
Abbey says: “I pledged Siggies because I wanted a tight-knit community of girls I could go to for support and encouragement and friendship. I wanted to find a place where I could be accepted without needing to change who I was to fit in.” Kassie says: “I chose not to pledge for a few reasons. I’m very busy and I feel like adding on Club responsibilities would make me feel too overwhelmed. I’m very introverted, so a process like pledging would overstimulate me very quickly and make me feel very uncomfortable.” Ben says: “The local sororities and fraternities are the next step from high school social classes. You’re not in high school anymore though. By joining these, you may hold yourself back from learning to make friends in the normal adult world. But who am I to talk? I’m just the cartoonist.”
Daily Doodle Dosage by Ben Todd, Cartoonist Allison says: “I pledged because I wanted to be in Sing Song and have reasons to dress in weird outfits. But on a more serious note, I’ve found that my most meaningful relationships in college aren’t defined by what club someone is or isn’t in. While pledging and club has been a fun experience, I’ll think of a lot more than just a yellow skirt when I think of college.” Emily says: “I pledged because I want-
ed to be a part of something bigger than myself. Being the oldest child, I always felt like I needed to be perfect, but when I joined GATA, I learned that I can have sisters whom I can count on, feel accepted for who I am and not feel the need to be perfect all at the same time. The friendships and memories I’ve made because of pledging are some of the best moments of my life. OPINION@JMCNETWORK.COM
Let’s talk about the elephant in the newsroom DOWNTON ABBEY ABBEY BOWLING ARTS & FEATURES EDITOR Senior convergence journalism major Keller, Texas
It’s time to talk about the elephant in the newsroom. Specifically, the ESPN or the Sports Illustrated newsrooms, or any newsroom where men dominate – which is basically every newsroom, but sports media in particular tends to fall victim to a lack of diversity. The Women’s Media Center conducted research
and found that females make up 36% of all journalists and just 10% of sports journalists. The few women in sports media also have to endure more abuse than their male counterparts. Sarah Spain wrote a column about the exceptionally vulgar harassment she receives daily from strangers on Twitter. Spain writes,
“While the experience isn’t unique to women in the sports industry, the extent of the abuse and type of abuse seem to be different. Anger usually isn’t a result of the opinions you’re giving or the words you’re saying, as it usually is with male reporters. Instead, insults are personal, often about a woman’s weight or appearance, her sexual history or femininity. Threats mirror the violence perpetrated against women in real life, inspired by misogyny and deep-seated anger rather than a mere frustration with a sports take.” In a video produced by
Just Not Sports, men sat down across from Spain and Julie DiCaro and read profane tweets that both women had actually received on Twitter. The men in the video had not read the tweets before filming and many of them found it difficult to read the 140-character hate-filled phrases out loud; in some cases, the men actually refused to read them. The most surprising part was that none of the tweets bothered to criticize Spain’s or DiCaro’s work. Whereas male journalists receive criticism on their opinions or writings related to their job, females receive nasty,
sexist abuse based solely on misogynistic stereotypes that are somehow still vastly rampant in 2016. On a related topic, women’s sports also don’t get near as much coverage as men’s sports – ESPN spent only 2% of its time on women’s sports in 2014. One reason for this is the idea that men’s sports have a higher quality of play, but even that’s debatable, because if ESPN thinks women’s sports are “low quality,” then clearly they haven’t watched Serena Williams own the court or watched Carli Lloyd dominate the pitch. And don’t get me started on Ka-
Tell your dad the bucket hat stops here LAMBORGHINI MERCY MERCEDEZ HERNANDEZ PRINT MANAGING EDITOR Senior convergence journalism major
Jelly shoes, fanny packs and overalls. 90s fashion trends are in full resurgence in 2016 but there is one item of clothing that should not be allowed to make the twenty-year trek into the 21st century: bucket hats. Bucket hats are like a fourth cousin on your mom’s side; you vaguely remember seeing them throughout your childhood, but if you ran into them at Walmart, you’d probably walk by and pretend you didn’t notice them. The bucket hat, much like that same fourth cousin, has its origins in the 60s and has wavered in popularity through the decades. The headgear has been famously adorned by the likes of Bob Denver of Gilligan’s Island, Hunter S. Thompson and LL Cool J.
However, when LL Cool J said he was “going back to Cali,” I wish he would have taken bucket hats with him. The hat, a trademark among sporty dads and 90s hip-hop artists alike, has function, but is just so gosh darn unfortunate looking. Daily sun exposure can be harmful, and the hats can help protect overlooked parts of the body such as the ears and scalp from UV rays, but at the high risk of looking like the winner of the world championship of bass fishing. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to #buckethatshame, but something must be said about how these canvas monstrosities can impact your future. Imagine you’re strolling through campus with not care in the world. You’ve
got a pep in your step and a song in your heart (Highways and Byways), and just as you bring your fingertips together to illustrate taking the Lord with you in your home, SNAP, I take a photo of you to accompany this column. Although there’s no such thing as “the long arm of The Optimist,” if I tag you in the picture, perspective employers could find it with a google search. Who knows? Maybe your hiring manager is more of a Nas fan than LL Cool J and takes your bucket hat as a sign that your only allegiance is to Mr. Cool J, not a professional career. Ditch the bucket hats, kids, but look on the bright side. You’re at a university in Texas, and if you’re consciously going to make poor headgear decisions, you might as well rock a ten-gallon Stetson.
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
AKB12A@ACU.EDU
hashtagACU @acuoptimist
@KELVKEL SEPT. 8 11:30 A.M.
I didn’t know who to vote for, but Abstain really wants to get involved so I voted for him majority of the time.
@WINNIE_WILLIS SEPT. 8 11:30 A.M.
complimented my professors charm on her bracelet, cause I thought it said “taco”...It said “t&co” smh I’m addicated, it’s fine... @LAURPAY SEPT. 8 5:35 P.M.
I have stared at a computer screen for 9 hours straight and I think I’m going blind
@SBSHEW SEPT. 8 5:39 P.M.
I’m prepared to vote for whichever candidate will promise to bring an end to summer by 8 pm this evening. This needs to stop. #Vote2016
@ERICLHAMILTON SEP. 8 1:41 P.M.
College is wearing Adidas socks with Nike shoes. Life’s short, amirite? @MEGSBAER SEP. 7, 9:32 A.M.
Definitely woke up on my walk to class when I got rear ended by a bike today @THE_GRAMBLE SEP. 8 1:47 P.M.
Been watching a lot of Olympics repeats & starting to suspect they only give medals to those who win 1st, 2nd & 3rd. Spread the word #rigged
AKB12A@ACU.EDU
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
tie Ledecky, Simone Biles, or the Olympics in general. American women brought home more medals from Rio than American men, but this year’s Olympic games were still full of sexist moments. I know the sports industry has come a long way, but it still has a long way to go, too. Male journalists do a fantastic job covering sports from all corners of the globe, but so can female journalists, if you’d give more of us a chance. So, where my girls at?
O P T I M IST
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SP ORTS
FRIDAY | SEPTEMBER 9, 2016
7
LAUREN FRANCO STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Senior punter Austin Kilcullen has been the centerpiece of the Wildcats special the last three years and is off to an incredible start in 2016 after being recognized nationally. But the ad/pr major from Clarksville, Tennessee keeps himself plenty busy off the field as professional photographer.
Kilcullen focuses on future with camera instead of cleats BY JONATHAN RAITZ SPORTS EDITOR
By the time they reach college, most athletes have been playing their sport for over 10 years, but for senior punter Austin Kilcullen, football didn’t enter his life until his junior year of high school. “I actually didn’t play but two years of high school football; got cut from my high school soccer team my freshman year during tryouts and was like ‘I don’t really know what sport I’m going to play now,’” Kilcullen said. “So its funny that guys that are coming in as freshman have probably played more football than I have at this point.” As a walk-on his freshman year, Kilcullen redshirted, but earned the starting job in 2013. The Clarksville, Tennessee native, wasted no time making a
name for himself, as he averaged 44.2 yards per punt and sent 11 punts 50-yards or further in the Wildcats first year against Div. 1 competition. In 2014, Kilcullen saw a decrease in his numbers to 36.5 yards per punt, but significantly improved his accuracy, dropping 19 punts inside the 20. And a year ago, he earned his first Southland Conference special teams player of the week award, after averaging 46.5 yards per punt in a close win against Stephen F. Austin 37-35. As a result, it was no surprise to head coach Ken Collums the way his special teams held its own against Air Force last Saturday. “Austin Kilcullen had a great game, I mean he’s booming kicks left and right,” Collums said. Booming indeed, as Kilcul-
len set a career-high against the Falcons with a 65-yarder. For his performance he not only earned his second Southland Conference player of the week award, but Kilcullen was also recognized by the FCS as he earned honorable mention for national special teams player of the week. “Just in my last year to kind of see how far I’ve come, and really have seen it through the entire process,” Kilcullen said. “And have just seen it from my locker number being 135, to like actually starting, to traveling to this year getting recognized it means a lot.” In fact, Kilcullen is on pace to go even farther after the first weekend of play. Among all FBS and FCS schools, Kilcullen’s 46yard, per punt average ranks in the top-20 in the nation. “He’s always had a big foot,
Golf sets eyes on Southland gold BY MIKAELA CLINTON SPORTS WRITER
The golf team begin its fall season this weekend at the Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the same tournament and course at which they opened last season. Finishing sixth in conference last season, the Wildcats head into fall play with the ultimate goal of making the conference championship at the end of the spring season. “These guys just want to become great, they want to play conference, they want to win conference,” Head Coach Tom Shaw said. “We’re gonna try to win the whole thing.” The team has been preparing for the fall season for several weeks now, bringing together new faces including two freshmen and junior transfer GK Morrison. ACU returns several veterans, including senior Ryan Beatty, who served as a key play-
er for the Wildcats last season. “I think this first event we will start off strong. I have a good feeling,” Morrison said. “We have a good solid five, and we’ve been working really hard these past two weeks. We all want to do good individually, but as a team our goal is the Southland Conference.” Morrison and the rest of the team have full faith that their hard work will come to pay off as the season unfolds. Shaw said that though their competition in the Southland Conference is good, they are not unbeatable. “I feel confident about this year. I feel like we have the right group of guys, and there’s a lot of potential ahead of us. I think the best is yet to come,” Beatty said. The team takes off for Colorado Springs this weekend, the first of six out-of-state tournaments to be played this school year. Adjusting to a change in altitude, tewmperature and overall mountain golf is going to be a challenge that the Wildcats
will hope to adapt to. “Golf is unique. We don’t play on a hundred-yard field. We don’t play on a ten-foot goal. Every golf course is totally unique and different,” Shaw said. Adding five new tournaments to this year’s schedule, the team will be exposed to different courses in different parts of the country, an experience that Shaw says is important to the growth and learning experience his players benefit from. “I know our goal this year is to be as good as we can be,” Shaw said. “And the fact that we can’t yet go to post season this year doesn’t mean that we’re gonna rest on our laurels. We’re gonna try to win.” Shaw expects this team, a team that is deeper and stronger than past years to focus on each tournament, each round, each hole, and not just the outcome of the future. MBC15A@ACU.EDU
WITH COACH KEN COLLUMS, GRANT BOONE AND HANNAH NULL
SATURDAYS AT 11 AM on KTAB-TV
I mean that thing comes off his foot and makes a pretty good sound sometimes, you want to hear that thump. You know what you’re going to get when he goes out on the field,” Collums said. But football isn’t the only thing Kilcullen picked up his junior year at Clarksville High School. Throughout college, he has made a name for himself in the photography realm. After working different jobs that summer, he made enough money to buy a camera and begin teaching himself. Kilcullen said his passion for taking pictures has since evolved from there. “For me taking pictures is a way to document what’s around me,” Kilcullen said. “You know it’s nice to see it everyday but it’s being able to look back in five years and kind of seeing where
I was at during that phase in my life that makes it special.” From his humble beginnings with photography as a hobby, Kilcullen has since been able to provide coverage of events such as Ms. Teen America, create campaign videos for companies such as Nisolo, a local shoe brand in Nashville, and has become a consistent photographer for Betty & June, a local boutique in Abilene. “Now with doing a lot of client work it’s nice too because it feels like you’re not just buying from brands, you actually have something to bring to the table and collaborate with people and it’s really cool,” Kilcullen said. Eventually, Kilcullen wants to move to shooting for larger brands like Supreme, Adidas or Urban Outfitters as a content creator for an advertising agency. “I want to work at an agen-
cy because it is a way for me to combine my passions for photography and writing,” said Kilcullen, an ad/pr major. “And I would like to work for those brands because their aesthetics match with my personal aesthetic and the direction I want to head.” But for now Kilcullen turns his lens toward Northern Colorado and his final 10 games as a Wildcat. And after that Collums says no matter where Kilcullen ends up, his character will represent the purple and white long after he hangs up the pads. “He is a consistent solid guy, wonderful guy to be around and he will truly be an ambassador for this place where ever he goes,” Collums said. JMR13B@ACU.EDU
8
S P O RT S STANDINGS
CROSS COUNTRY
New faces and new coaches headline Cross Country BY TREVOR WYATT SPORTS WRITER
The ACU Cross Country team will began its season Thursday at Texas Tech with several new faces, including newly hired cross country and track coach Lance Bingham. With the team coming off a rollercoaster season that included a conference championship and the firing of the champion head coach, Bingham says he is ready for the new journey. “I am very excited to be able to be part of a track and
field program that has such a rich tradition and history,” Bingham said. “I am humbled that the Lord directed our path back to West Texas to serve with men and women of integrity, vision and purpose. I am thankful to Dr. Phil Schubert and Lee De León for this tremendous opportunity.” Gabby Thompson, junior cross country team member, has high hopes for Bingham and thinks he can bring the team to places they haven’t been before. Thompson finished 24th out of a field of 98 runners at Texas Tech.
“It’ll be a different situation this season,” Thompson said. “We have four girls red-shirting this year and a lot of newcomers, but I think Coach Bingham has a good head on his shoulders, and will be able to take this team where it needs to be in the future.” Thompson also stressed that although individual achievement is going to be a priority this year, team chemistry is going to be the biggest goal. “We hope to have a good group of people to mentor,” Thompson said. “We’ve got a good team, and we’ve got new
people, and now our ultimate goal is to grow together, as a team, and become a family.” Reid Rivers, senior cross country member, said although the team needs to grow, there are many individuals that people should look out for. “Ryan Cleary is a returner this year, so expect him to be a leader,” Rivers said. “Drew Cummings is coming in as a freshman, and you can expect to see great things from him this year as well.” Cummings was the first Wildcat to finish in the men’s race Thursday, as he came in
29th out of 107 runners Entering his final year Rivers says that the ultimate goal for himself is to leave a lasting legacy on the team. “My dad always said something to me when I was a kid, ‘Always leave a place better than how you found it.’ That’s what I’ve been trying to do at ACU and for this team, and I think it’s showing,” Rivers said. ACU heads to North Texas next weekend to take part in the Ken Garland invitational. TMW13A@ACU.EDU
Soccer Team
McNeese Nicholls St. UCA NSU SELU SFA ACU HBU UIW TAMU-CC Lamar SHSU
Ovrl. Div. 3-1 3-1 4-2 3-2 2-3-1 1-2 1-4-1 1-5 0-3-1 0-5 0-5 0-6
0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
Volleyball Team
UIW SHSU SFA HBU TAMU-CC Nicholls St. NSU McNeese UNO SELU ACU Lamar UCA
Ovrl. Div. 2-5 4-3 4-3 5-4 3-3 4-4 4-5 2-6 1-5 1-5 1-7 0-6 3-4
1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-1
Football Team
UCA McNeese SHSU Nicholls St. ACU Lamar NSU SELU SFA UIW HBU
Ovrl. Div. 1-0 1-0 1-0 0-0 0-1 0-1 0-1 0-1 0-1 0-1 0-1
0-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-1
EX-FACTOR
LAUREN FRANCO STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Freshman Makenna LeSueur (left) and Marybeth Sandercox (right) were teammates at Frenship High School in Lubbock, but now the two are getting a chance to share experiences at the next level together.
Transitioning together again BY MIKAELA CLINTON SPORTS WRITER
This year volleyball welcomed seven freshmen, two of which came from the same hometown, and yes, the same high school. Middle blocker Marybeth Sandercox and right side hitter Makenna LeSueur have been playing alongside each other on the court since their freshman year at Frenship High School in Lubbock. And now they are bringing their talent and history of teamwork to Abilene as they begin their college career. Coming from a large, 6A public school like Frenship, the pair knew each other as teammates, but it wasn’t until they signed to play at the collegiate level that their friendship began to really grow. “I thought we were going to go our separate ways, but God just kind of led us to the same place,” LeSueur said. Facing the transition all incoming freshman face of leaving home and moving to a new
place with new people, Makenna and Marybeth appreciate the familiarity of each other now more than ever. “We came into two-a-days and just having her in the gym and being able to be like ‘hey you know what, you got this,’” LeSueur said. “It’s nice having that extra confidence.” With eight games down in their college career, the two look forward to the rest of this season and growing together on and off the court. They’re anticipating the opportunities they will have to mature as players and individuals, and face the transition with faith and an optimistic attitude alongside the rest of the team. “I have never met so many different people that get along so well,” Sandercox said. Being a part of a group of girls coming from different places, schools and personalities, the two players love playing with the rest of their team, and are thankful to have each other to enrich their experience and fall
“
I thought we were going to go our separate ways, but God just kind of led us to the same place.” MAKENNA LESUEUR FRESHMAN OUTSIDE HITTER
back on when they need encouragement. Like all students, athletes have their good and bad days, and LeSueur and Sandercox acknowledge that there are going to be tough times along the way, but look to each other for support when they feel like they need that extra dose of encouragement and drive. “It’s great to talk to each other off the court so we can keep each other accountable with Christ and relationships and just life,” Marybeth said. “She’s definitely that person that does that, and I do that for her as well.”
As their friendship grows off the court, it continues to magnify their chemistry as teammates. Having played alongside each other for several years already, they are able to use that history to push themselves to be successful in practice and in competition. “She knows how I play and she knows what keeps me going and what encourages me,” Makenna said. Marybeth agreed by saying that they are good at reading each other, and that it shows in the way they play the game and interact with the team. Head coach Jason Bibler
spoke highly of each of the girls and is anticipating a fun and successful season for the team as a whole. He expects great things from all the freshmen brought on this year as they learn and improve during their time in the program, including LeSuer and Sandercox. “We have a very talented group of freshmen,” Bibler said. “They all have the opportunity to help us in the here and now and that’s what we’re trying to do.” As the Frenship duo continues to grow closer on and off the court, they hope the team will continue to improve as it moves closer to the Southland Conference opener, Sept. 22. On the heels of a big victory over UT-Arlington, Marybeth, Makenna and the rest of the team will travel to Lubbock to take on Texas Tech, UT-Rio Grande Valley and Oral Roberts. MBC15A@ACU.EDU
COLUMN
Getting to know your league and its types of owners EXAGGERAITZ JONATHAN RAITZ SPORTS EDITOR Junior convergence journalism major Bandera, Texas Over 75 million people are four leagues last season, even expected to start this NFL sea- though they were in 12. They son as a fantasy owner, which also find great enjoyment in means there will be plenty of constantly trading or watching good, bad and just plain awful the waiver wire, because they strategies. have looked at so many difBut despite the sheer masses ferent teams and set so many that will flock to the ESPN fan- starting lineups they’ve begun tasy app on Sunday the fantasy to forget who they actually football world can be divided have on their team. into three categories: in over But most importantly this is your head, too loyal for your the fantasy player who insists own good and the newbie. there be a punishment for the I’ll begin with the In over ultimate loser, because even your head owner. This type though they only won four of of owner is the person in ev- 12 leagues last year, they most ery league. Literally. The certainly didn’t get last because friend that everyone has who they have a solid grasp of the is still talking about winning fantasy world. Mainly because
they spend ridiculous and unnecessary amounts of time trying to name their team. I know because I’ve been there. The second type of fantasy owner is what I call the Too loyal for your own good owner. Usually this person is in just one league, maybe two if they’re really feeling fantasy that year, but this owner composes his team with at least 50 percent of players from his/her favorite team. This strategy is great in theory, but generally when you are halfway through the season you have hit what I call a double-dose of football depression, because if your favorite team performs poorly, your fantasy team is in direct correlation. Most of these owners are found among the loyal fan bases of the NFL and it can most commonly be seen as a poor
decision among Cowboy’s fans. Sorry Jerry. Finally, the type of owner that always keeps draft day entertaining and generally gives up by week four, The Newbie. Now this owner’s name says it all, they’re new to fantasy, sometimes they’re new to football in general and they rarely set their lineup for 16 straight weeks. Often this is the last person to join the league because you needed an eighth player and you can almost count on them to draft a kicker or a defense in the first five rounds. This player also hates the idea of an ultimate loser, because well they generally know going in they have a good chance to be it. There is also somewhat of a sub-category to the newbie. Occasionally this can also be the owner that joins a league
to make a point or statement about fantasy. Generally they try and prove that fantasy doesn’t take talent and is all luck. Fortunately, for those of us who respect the art, they quickly learn otherwise when their starting quarterback hasn’t put up any points in three weeks because they were suspended for the first four games. Now I know there are exceptions to every generalization, but I can almost guarantee if you can label these players in your own league you’ll have a leg up on everyone else and who knows it could be you hoisting the meaningless high school accomplishment turned coveted fantasy football trophy in December. JMR13B@ACU.EDU
Charcandrick West fully particpated in practice on Wednesday, and with Jamaal Charles out is expected to play. West is currently the no. 32 fantasy running back and is owned in 16.5 percent of leagues. After being waved by the Cleveland Browns on this weekend, the Atlanta Falcons claimed Taylor Gabriel off waivers. Last season Gabriel had 28 catches for 241 yards. Daryl Richardson made the Pittsburgh Steelers 53-man roster, after carrying the ball 28 times for 80 yards and a touchdown during the preseason.
BRIEFINGS The Volleyball team earned its first win of the season and defeated UTA for the first time in 10 meeting all-time. In their impressive 5-0 win over Prairie View A&M, the Wildcats put up an uncanny 53 shots, and 26 of them were on frame. Cross Country began its 2016 campaign Thursday as the men finished sixth out of 14 schools and the women finished 11th of 12 against tough Div. 1 competition.
UPCOMING Volleyball team takes on Texas Tech this weekend looking for a similar result to two years ago, when they upset the Red Raiders. Football plays its last home opener in Shotwell against Northern Colorado Saturday night.