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
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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