The Optimist - Jan. 23, 2009

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Pg. 8 Another for the win column: ACU extends streak to three

Wednesday, January 28, 2009 :: Vol. 97, No. 31 :: 1 section, 8 pages :: www.acuoptimist.com

Inside This Issue:

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Alumnus to take 19th century clock on ‘Antique Roadshow’

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Free campus food a text message away for ACU community

Dino-Fight: Jurassic statue causes stir in Downtown Abilene

Wintry weather shuts down ACU Staff Report It was a slippery, frigid and icy Tuesday for the ACU community after a sudden sweep of cold weather, sleet, freezing rain and ice on Abilene’s roads caused university officials to close down the campus for the first time in more than two years.

An Arctic cold front came through the area Monday, causing temperatures in Abilene to drop below freezing and stay in

the mid-20s. The freezing temperatures mixed with moisture that originated from the Gulf of Mexico and created the sleet and freezing rain that caused the day’s hazardous and slippery conditions.

“You just don’t see this very often,” said Patrick McCullough, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in San Angelo. “We only get a little bit of ice and snow every year, but it doesn’t take much ice to create some real travel issues.”

The last time ACU closed down its campus because of snow and ice was on Nov. 30, 2006, when a snow storm prompted university officials to cancel the school day and close all campus offices.

McCullough said more than one-fourth of an inch of ice covered Abilene’s roads Tuesday, and up to onefourth of an inch of ice and sleet is expected to fall from the sky Tuesday evening. The ice should thaw by Wednes-

acuoptimist.com See photos and a video of the wintry weather that blanketed Abilene and ACU Tuesday.

day afternoon, when temperatures are expected to reach as high as 50 degrees.

See

Freeze page 7

Jozie Sands :: staff photographer Trent Dietz, freshman physics major from Longmont, Colo., scrapes ice from the windshield of a car parked by Nelson Hall on Tuesday afternoon.

RA spots marijuana in McKinzie trash can

By Michael Freeman Managing Editor

Zak Zeinert :: chief photographer Students fill the Learning Commons in the Brown Library Monday evening. Despite a demand for longer library hours, officials say it is logistically impossible.

Time Dispute

Library unable to meet student demand for longer hours

By Zak Zeinert Chief Photographer

F

rom Nov. 30 through Dec. 12 Brown Library extended its hours of operation from 7 a.m. to 3 a.m. Monday through Friday. The extension was intended to give students the opportunity to spend more time studying for finals.

However, many students believe this extension should be the normal schedule. Some find it irritating they cannot stay in the library past midnight, and others dislike the random times such as Wednesday nights when the library closes for an hour and a half at 6 p.m.

Zach Cook, junior business management and finance major from Carrollton, said he thinks the current library hours could use some amending.

“They’re horrible. For one, they close down

for church and religious services. I think that a university that claims that you don’t have to be a Christian to go here shouldn’t close down stuff for religious reasons,” Cook said.

Mark Tucker, dean of Library and Information Resources, said the library hours barely have changed since he first began working at ACU. “We have made some modest changes. We started opening at 1:30 p.m. on Sundays instead of 1 p.m. to allow workers to have lunch after church,” Tucker said.

He said requests have been made to open the library all day, every day, but logistically speaking, it is not something he can handle.

“That is very expensive, and we’re not funded to do that,” Tucker said. “That’s the best explanation I have.”

Cook said he can understand the library being See

Library page 4

Brown Library Hours: Monday

7 a.m. - Midnight

Tuesday

7 a.m. - Midnight

Wednesday

7 a.m. - 6 p.m.

8:30 p.m. - Midnight

Thursday

7 a.m. - Midnight

Friday

7 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Saturday

9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Sunday

Trace amounts of marijuana were found in a McKinzie Hall residence room Jan. 20, but the ACU Police Department did not press criminal charges because so little was found.

A resident assistant discovered flakes of marijuana in a trash can while conducting a room check and subsequently filed a report to the ACU Police Department at 12:41 a.m. Officers investigated the scene and confiscated the marijuana, which totaled Ellison to less than one gram.

The students living in the room were not present at the time of the investigation. Because the evidence was not a usable amount and nobody could be affirmatively linked to the marijuana, no criminal charges were filed; however, the Office of Judicial Affairs is conducting an investigation to see if a policy violation was committed.

“While it may not be a criminal offense that can be filed because of the residual amounts and no one being present, it’s still conceivably a policy violation that the university would pursue,” said Jimmy Ellison, chief of the ACU Police Department. “The presence of any amount of drugs or contraband on campus is still a policy violation.”

Violations of the university drug policy qualify as category three violations, according the drug policy in the 2008-09 Student Handbook. Disciplinary responses to category three violations may include eviction from university housing, loss of scholarships or suspension from the university.

The university philosophy of discipline outlined in the 2008-09 Student Handbook states that the “members of our community are called to a high standard of behavior in

1:30 p.m. - 5 p.m.

7 p.m. - Midnight

See

Marijuana page 7

Fourteen Sing Song acts continue practice, preparation for show

By Lydia Melby Arts Editor

The stakes are getting higher and practices more intense as ACU gears up for what is perhaps its biggest event of the year: Sing Song. This year, the 53rd annual event is called

“Believe,” and its preparations are just as intense as in the years preceding it.

Although Sing Song 2009 may be as traditional as always, it also will have some new features to offer. Along with the usual host and hostess performers, fourteen dif-

ACU WEATHER

ferent acts will participate.

These acts showcase most of the men and women’s social clubs on campus, four class acts for each year/classification and the IEH multicultural act comprised of three separate clubs—the International Students Association,

More from the

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

High: 50 Low: 30

High: 53 Low: 28

High: 60 Low: 37

Essence of Ebony and Hispanos Unidos.

Anna Peters, senior children and family ministry major from Houston, is one of the co-directors for the IEH act and said, “The three groups are having the time of their life. IEH this year wants

to give to Sing Song a taste of cultural competency and how the movement of choreography and music can bring us all together under one roof.”

The IEH act is not the only group reporting significant progress. Hannah Anderson, senior elementary education

major from Waco and director of the Sigma Theta Chi act, said her club also is moving right along in its practices.

“We’re just in the stage of perfecting it and polishing up our act. We’ve learned all the See

Sing Song page 7

Online Poll : Log onto www.acuoptimist.com or www.youtube. com/acuvideo to see weekly News casts and Sports casts from the JMC Network News Team and videos profiling various events and stories around campus and Abilene.

How did you spend Tuesday’s icy break?

a. Sliding on the ice around campus. b. Off the roads and indoors. c. Catching up on homework. d. Thanking God for the extra sleep.

acuoptimist.com Department of Journalism and Mass Communication ::

Abilene Christian University

::

Serving the ACU community since 1912

2

Campus Day Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Calendar and Events

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10:30 a.m.- 1 p.m.

Healthy Relationships Week will have displays in the Campus Center with popcorn, books and representatives. For more information, contact Paula Smith at 674-2626.

11:30- noon A FilmFest 2009 interest meeting will be immediately after Chapel in the Campus Center Living room.

Wednesday

10 a.m.- 4 p.m.

Donate blood at the Abilene Regional Medical Center. For more information, go to www. meekbloodcenter.org.

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Thursday

7:30 p.m.

Cooper High School will present High School Musical in the school’s auditorium. Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for students.

acuoptimist.com

Saturday

5 p.m.

Resident Assistant/Assistant Director applications are due at the McDonald Hall front desk.

Download an application at www. acu.edu/reslife.

3-5 p.m.

A Super Bowl party will take place in the Abilene Public Library auditorium. The free event will have a Wii, snacks and finger football.

8 p.m.

The Abilene Philharmonic will perform a classical concert at the Civic Center. For more information, call 677-6710.

Webcast

Online Newscast Watch videos of ACU students and faculty who attended the Inauguration, as well as watch parties around campus.

Meals on Wheels is always looking for volunteers to deliver meals to some of the homebound members of the community. The commitment is once a week.

Volunteers will pick up the meals from the Meals on Wheels building and deliver them to people around Abilene. It takes one hour each week. Call Mitzi McAndrew at 672-5050 to volunteer. Remem-

ber this project is approved as a Faith in Action Chapel exemption.

Noah Project, a center for victims of family violence, needs volunteers to answer its hotline from 6-10 p.m. Training will be provided, and after completing training, volunteers can sign up for time slots. Volunteers can sign up as often as needed.

Hendrick Equine Rehabilitation Opportunities is looking for volunteers to assist riders with his or her tasks. Volunteers are needed Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 1:30 - 5 p.m., and must volunteer for at least an hour. Volunteers must attend a training session on Tuesday, March 3 at 4:30 p.m., or March 5, at 2:30 p.m.

All weather-related campus delays or closures always are announced via ACU ALERT, MyACU and local media outlets.

Police Log Edited for space

Tuesday, Jan. 20

Friday Jan. 22

12:41 a.m. ACU police found marijuana in McKinzie Hall.

Wednesday, Jan. 21

10:43 a.m. ACU police called for medical attention for a student who fell down the stairs in the Hardin Administration Building.

9:50 a.m.Someone reported a female who had fainted at the Morris Center, but she refused medical attention.

Always report suspicious activity to ACUPD at 674-2305 or 674-2911.

Log on to www.youtube.com/acuvideo to see videos of the World of Wheels car show, the Hunter Welcome Center and the bad weather day.

Volunteer Opportunities Communities in Schools at Fannin Elementary School needs volunteers for one to two hours at 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

Volunteers will give extra help to students in an after-school tutoring class. Come by the Volunteer and Service-Learning Center downstairs in the Campus Center for more information.

The Grace Museum is always in need of volunteers. Volunteers play a vital role in the daily operation of the museum. The minute visitors walk through the door, the experience in the museum relies on capable and trained volunteers. For more information about volunteer opportunities at The Grace Museum, call 673-4587.

Interested Citizens of Abilene North needs volunteers on Saturday to help clean up a house that will be refurbished soon.

Volunteers are needed from 9 a.m.-noon.

Big Brothers Big Sisters is always looking for college students to be matched with a “little

To ensure that an item will appear on time, the announcement should be sent at least 10 days before. The Optimist may edit items for space and style.

Corrections and clarifications of published news articles will be printed in this space in a timely manner.

ACU Police Tip of the Week

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Friday

About This Page

The Optimist maintains this calendar for the ACU community to keep track of local social, academic and service opportunities.

Groups may send announcements directly to jmcnetwork@acu.edu or to the Page 2 Editor at sar06g@acu.edu.

brother” or “little sister.” “Bigs” can eat lunch with “littles” once a week for 30 minutes at the child’s school for the Lunch Buddies program, or arrange activities with the child through Wildcat Kids or the Community-Based program. For more information, contact Jamie Bearden from Big Brothers Big Sisters at 677-7839.

Find out volunteer opportuni ties by visiting the Volunteer and Service-Learning Center’s Web site at www.acu.edu/vslc and clicking on Volunteer Opportunities. For more information or to sign up to help, contact the Vunteer and Service-Learning Center in the Bean Sprout.

Announcements Wednesday is the last day to drop a class for an 80 percent refund. Withdrawal forms can be found at www.acu.edu/ campusoffices/registrar/forms. html and must me submitted to the Registrar’s office.

Summer 2009 registration dates have been changed to Feb. 25. All classifications will begin registering for classes at 3 p.m.

The advising release codes will

be the same ones used for spring registration. Talk to your adviser for more information or go to the Registrar’s Web site: http://www. acu.edu/campusoffices/registrar/ schedulebulletin/index.html.

Mayor Norm Archibald was scheduled to deliver the 2009 State of the City Address on Wednesday morning, but the event was postponed to a later date due to icy road conditions.

Chapel Checkup Credited Chapels to date:

12

Credited Chapels remaining:

61

CAMPUS NEWS

January 28, 2009

Page 3

Play Faire Park faces financial issues

By Kelline Linton Chief Copy Editor

Although Play Faire Park is closed for the season, it will again open its gates beginning March 6, just in time for Spring Break.

Play Faire, which has been operating since 1947, is one of the oldest miniature golf courses in Texas. With its concrete rails, slow turning Ferris wheel and antique wagon wheel, the park defines an old school charm, which has made it an entertainment landmark for the ACU student body.

“It’s not new and shiny and fancy with bells and flashing lights,” said the park’s owner Chris “Doc” England. “It’s the exact opposite. It’s kinda low key and chill.”

The park’s stage for live music, two putt putt golf courses and cheap discounts make it popular with students.

“I like how it is old-timey, kind of classic, rundown and cheap,” said Jacob Groves,

freshman Bible major from Lubbock. “And the windmill is always fun.”

When the Abilene ReporterNews reported in early December that the park was in dire straights, the community of Abilene rallied together to prevent its closure.

“Last year was a difficult year for us. I don’t think it was the economy but rather a change in what people did in their leisure time,” England said.

To combat financial troubles, England offered season passes and sponsorships for the 36 golf holes for the first time since he bought the park in 1994.

He said already one golf course is completely sponsored and he is about a quarter of the way to his monetary goals. England said social clubs and school organizations are welcome to sponsor holes for the full 2009 season. Each hole cost $350, and the sponsors’ business logo

would be displayed prominently at their chosen hole.

Season passes also are available and cost $35 per student or $45 per adult.

England wants to use the extra funds for some much needed improvements and renovations. He will convert the club house into a snack bar, which will give the park an additional source of income.

He also will redo the stage, enlarging and covering it.

“This way bands can play during the day and not cook in the heat,” England said. “This will give us more flexibility for the bands’ schedules.”

Several other renovations include redoing some of the older golf holes and adding a small game room to the park.

“I feel very good about business now,” England said. “This is the 62nd season. I don’t want to ever see that stop.”

E-mail Linton at: krl04b@acu.edu

Alum’s antique clock grabs popular PBS show’s attention

By Sondra Rodriguez Page 2 Editor

Tom Craig, 1989 ACU alumnus and director of student productions, will appear on the PBS hit television show, Antiques Roadshow.

According to PBS.com, Antiques Roadshow is “part adventure, part history lesson and part treasure hunt.” Each week, 11 million viewers tune in to watch antique specialists travel nationwide, giving free estimates on dealers collectibles. The six-time Emmy nominated show allows dealers to tell the stories behind family heirlooms and antiques while advertising a small business or a particular item.

Craig, owner of The Antique Station located in downtown Abilene, said he will appear on the show in the upcoming weeks with a wall clock that has a unique history.

The clock, an 1870s heirloom from his father, was originally a pub clock purchased while Craig was living in England as a boy.

“Clocks in pubs had no striking mechanism because the pub owner did not want customers to hear the chime of the clock, realize what time it was and leave.”

Craig said the clock itself is impressive in size, which is probably what caught the eye of the dealer from the television show.

“It’s four feet in length, and the cabinets around the face are two feet wide,” he said. “It’s very ornamental. There are lots of carvings.”

These unique characteristics earned the clock a spot on the show.

“

The appraiser saw the clock and before he said anything to me, he pulled out his cell phone and made a phone call. :: Tom Craig, director of student productions

Craig said his father-in-law won two tickets to the Antiques Roadshow in June and asked him to come along. At a show such as this, dealers bring an antique to discover its worth and tell its story.

The two entered the packed Dallas Convention Center and immediately walked to a desk specifically for antique clocks.

“The appraiser saw the clock and before he said anything to me, he pulled out his cell phone and made a phone call,” Craig said. “I had no idea what he was talking about. For all I know, he could have been asking his wife what to do about supper.”

Fortunately, the dealer had called the show’s producer to say he had found a piece that he thought would do well on the show.

”

“The producer came over, heard the story and said that it was worth taping.”

Representatives for the show look for both good pieces and good stories, Craig said.

The segment was taped the same month, and Craig said he enjoyed the experience.

“There’s so much information when it comes to antiques,” he said. “One person will never know it all, so when people who have studied and specialized in this share information with you, it really broadens your horizon.

Antiques Roadshow airs Mondays at 7 p.m. on PBS.

E-mail Rodriguez at: sar06g@acu.edu

Photo courtesy of :: Lulu Rodriguez

Bryce Robinson, junior psycholgy major from Indianapolis, and Zach Hill, junior biochemistry major from Carmel, Ind., stop to pose while jogging in the White Rock Marathon in Dallas during Christmas break.

Fourteen ACU students run in Dallas White Rock Marathon

By Brandon Tripp Broadcast Assistant

While many students were working or relaxing during the Christmas holiday, others were running. Fourteen students from ACU took part in the White Rock Marathon in Dallas over the break as part of a course requirement for the marathon class in the Department of Exercise Science and Health.

Of the 14 students who ran the 26.2-mile event, six finished inside the fourhour range, and another five finished the race in less than five hours. All students who began the marathon completed it.

“The first 12-13 miles is alright and kind of fun; the last 13-14 miles are really tough,” said Zach Hill, junior biochemistry major from Carmel, Ind and member of the marathon class.

“I was so excited when I looked at all my students’ times,” said Dr. Odies Wright, associate professor of exercise

science and health and marathon class instructor.

The marathon students trained last semester on Mondays and Wednesdays by running around the Lunsford trail and throughout various neighborhoods. The class would train as much as 20 miles in one day.

“Finishing was rewarding to say the least,” Hill said.

The marathon class was started in response to requests from students who wanted a more intense running class geared toward being able to complete a marathon.

“We had students come and say they wanted to have a class for marathon training,” Wright said. “And I love running, so I was asked to teach the class.”

In the fall semester, the class was offered to students for the first time; they only were required to finish a half marathon and had the option of running a full marathon, but this semester students were required to complete a full marathon.

During the semester stu-

dents studied good habits and methods of running, including wearing proper shoes, dressing appropriately for the weather, tips on how to run in certain types of weather and good stretching techniques.

Two of the students, Kelsi Williamson, sophomore journalism major from Albuquerque, N.M., and Gillian Hester, freshman social work major from Abilene, who ran in the marathon in December, were recruited by the cross country team after their performances at White Rock, Wright said. Williamson finished in 3:58:06, and Hester finished with a time of 4:48:08.

The marathon class has decided to run its marathon at White Rock both semesters because the event is at the end of the semester when the runners are ready to run the full marathon.

The class will be offered again in the fall and will have no more than 20 students.

E-mail Tripp at: bjt07a@acu.edu

FROM THE FRONT / CAMPUS NEWS

Page 4

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Library: Opinions split among students on extension of hours Continued from page 1 closed Sunday mornings because not many people are on campus at that time, but he said the Wednesday night hours in particular make him angry.

“I think Sunday evenings and Wednesday nights should have normal hours. You can’t tell me that they can’t find someone to work those times,” Cook said.

Tucker said the main reason for closing on Wednesday nights is so staff members can attend church.

“I want to support the ability of my staff to lead a balanced life,” he said. “They need to balance work and their spiritual life.”

When Daniel Paul Watkins ran for Students’ Association

president, one of his main goals was to extend library hours.

“It was weird for me coming to ACU and seeing the way library hours were handled. My brother went to a state school in North Carolina, and theirs was open 24/7,” Watkins said.

“I was flabbergasted that the library closed at certain times on Wednesdays and Sundays and at midnight on most nights.”

Watkins said he was amazed that at a place of learning, the library hours would be so limited. He said that extending the hours will help shift the identity of the university and show that ACU has a strong emphasis on a studious environment.

“I don’t see a compelling reason not to expand library hours,” Watkins said. “But I do

“

I think Sunday evenings and Wednesday nights should have normal hours.

You can’t tell me that they can’t find someone to work those times. :: Zack Cook, junior business management and finance major from Carrollton

understand that expanding the hours comes at a cost and a high dollar amount.”

He said the extension during finals week of the semester was basically a test run of his original intentions.

“Extending the hours would mean the staff would have extended hours, and after last year’s low enrollment, there wasn’t enough room in the

Learning the Ropes

”

budget,” Watkins said. “After learning that, I thought it’d be a good idea to extend hours during finals week as a pilot of my original intention.”

Tucker said he does not rule out the possibility of extending the library’s hours, but he is unsure of what circumstances would call for an extension.

“Because it is a mission, people work hard and make sacri-

Student Reporter

Jozie Sands :: staff photographer

Abundant Life promotes health

By Lezlee Guiterrez Student Reporter

ACU is helping its faculty and staff keep their New Year’s resolutions this year by offering a day of health awareness.

The Abundant Life Program teamed up with various companies around Abilene on Monday to promote wellness on the campus. All ACU faculty and staff were invited to attend the Health Fair, which took place at the Teague Special Events Center, where local vendors offered giveaways and information to improve overall wellness.

Abundant Life and other vendors gave away prizes throughout the day, including free chair massages from Healthy Skin day spa, a drawing for an iPod for everyone scheduled for a wellness profile and an exercise and nutrition journal for the first 150 people who attended the health fair.

Vendors at the fair included Ever FIT, Premier Martial Arts, Curves, Hendrick Health Club, the Runners Club and others. Some of the vendors promoting nutritional fitness included Vitamins Plus, Juice Plus and Weight Watchers.

Other companies promoting spiritual wellness included the Texas Family Institute Counseling Center, Leaf Wood Publishers and Abilene Educational Supply.

“The health fair was designed to expose faculty and staff to community resources,” said Bill Horn, director of graduate recruiting and Abundant Life team member. “Overall wellness is the key as we try to connect our faculty and staff to the broader community.”

The Abundant Life Program began six years ago and is offered to all faculty and staff as a fun and educational tool to help them improve their well-being. The theme this year is “Change is in the air.”

Those who participate in the program will be provided with monthly e-mail announcements of upcoming events. Participants also earn points by logging in activities they attend. These points are then recognized with a grand prize at each level of completion. Abundant Life also will be sponsoring family wellness events throughout the year to encourage participants to bring their families.

Holly Morris, chair of the Abundant Life Program, said, “We are very blessed to work for a university that is willing to invest in the wellness of their employees, so we can in turn invest more for Christ.”

Hendrick Health will be on campus all week to provide wellness profiles for ACU staff. For more information about the Abundant Life Program, visit www.acu.edu/ campusoffices/hr/benefits/ abundantlife/index.html.

E-mail Guiterrez at: jmcnetwork@acu.edu

Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Wednesdays follow the same schedule as Monday through Friday with the exception of a brief church intermission from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Watkins said the library hours will continue to be a topic of conversation at SA meetings this semester.

“I think that even if it comes as a dollar cost to SA, it’s our duty to advocate this for students,” Watkins said.

“It’s SA’s job to enrich students life on campus. If we can expand, even just extending hours on Wednesday and Sunday, I think that will make a huge difference.”

E-mail Zeinert at: zaz05a@acu.edu

FilmFest begins with meeting

By Kimberly Wolford

Andy Hensen and Chad Dennis, both freshman environmental science majors from Abilene, practice team roping on a metal ‘cow’ in the Nelson Hall parking lot Monday afternoon.

fices, sometimes for less pay; they give up their lives for this institution,” he said. “I don’t want that to happen; I want there to be a good balance.”

Preston Woolfolk, junior political science, international relations and management major from San Antonio, works at the front desk of the library and said he prefers the current library hours.

“I like it because those are shifts I would have to fill. So for me, it’s nice to not have to be able to work during church.

Also I can catch up on sleep,” Woolfolk said.

The current standard library hours are: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays, 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. to midnight on Sundays and 7 a.m. to midnight on

FilmFest informational meetings begin Thursday at 11:30 a.m. in the Living Room of the Campus Center.

FilmFest is a student-run film competition at ACU. The 2009 co-chairs are Christina Johnson, sophomore English major from Dallas, and Jonathan Davis, junior marketing major from Hoffman Estates, Ill. “FilmFest is dedicated to helping ACU students exploit their talents in film and the varying talents within,” Davis said.

Three workshops have occurred since the beginning of the 2008-09 school year, including two screenwriting workshops and an acting workshop. Johnson said the goal of the workshops is to make the

acting, writing and directing the best they can be.

“If you have a film and you’re trying to go into any media career, it’s a great pad for your résumé,” Davis said.

“It definitely sets you apart from everyone else.”

One major change to FilmFest this year is the addition of a control item.

“We’re going to make participants put one specific object, person or place in their film,” Davis said. “That way everyone has about the same amount of time to work on their film, and no one has an unfair advantage.”

Students are also no longer required to edit their film on the iMovie program.

“There are no restrictions on equipment this year,” Davis said.

The student staff of FilmFest wants to make the program

more appealing and fun for those attending.

“The theme is a red carpet affair, like the Oscars. It’s a great opportunity to put on those old prom dresses you spent $300 on and go out with your friends,” Johnson said.

She said host and hostess auditions will be conducted in the same manner as Sing Song auditions; she also said the staff of FilmFest has received quite a bit of interest so far.

“We had about 300 students sign-up for more information at Passport,” Johnson said. “This is a great opportunity even if you aren’t wanting to go into film. It’s a great outlet and lets you spend time with your friends.”

FilmFest will be March 20 at the Paramount Theatre. The theme is “Anonymous.”

E-mail Wolford at: jmcnetwok@acu.edu

Students text for free campus food

By Lezlee Gutierrez Student Reporter

Students are taking advantage of texting this semester, not to communicate with friends but to receive free food around campus.

The text messages for free food are part of a program called “Mobile Campus,” said Anthony Williams, director of retail and the Campus Store manager.

Students, faculty and staff can text and receive coupons for free and discounted dining on campus.

This is how the program works: the first time students text each of the 11 codes, they will receive a text message with a coupon for a free item from that location. Following texts will be for various coupons that rotate on a monthly basis.

Students then show their text message coupons to the cashier upon payout, and the cashier will ask the students to delete the text message coupons from

their phone and sign their name for tracking purposes.

The students can then enjoy their free or discounted food items.

“I was a little hesitant about using it at first, but it has turned out to be a really awesome offer,” said Tiffany Siegel, sophomore elementary education major from Round Rock. “Me and my friends use them almost everyday.

We are never disappointed with free food.”

The “Mobile Campus” was aimed at helping ACU students, faculty and staff.

“We took on this initiative to provide a greater convenience to students; if they know that they can get a discount while dining on campus, they are less likely to leave campus to dine elsewhere. This allows more time for studying, free time and fellowship with other students,” Williams said. “This is also convenient for faculty and staff and provides the incentive to dine on campus with students and co-workers.”

Williams said he expects this initiative to increase foot traffic, help others save on gas and provide numerous opportunities to increase community on campus.

Employees of participating dining locations are pleased with the offers as well but are surprised the coupons are not being used more often.

“I didn’t even know about the offers until last week,” said Antjuan Gant, an employee at Quiznos. “Not too many people have used them, but it’s cool how you can just order your sandwich and then show your phone to the cashier.”

Eleven dining locations on campus are participating.

Coupons are valid for 24 hours and can only be used once.

Forwarding of these coupons to friends is not allowed, and students can only text and use each code once per day. For more information, visit www. acu.campusdish.com.

E-mail Gutierrez at: jmcnetwork@acu.edu

FocusWednesday

January 28, 2009

Page 5

from

Fiction to Fact

Photo by :: Zak Zeinert, Chief Photographer Dino Bob keeps watch over the Volkswagen.

Story by: Michael Freeman, Managing Editor

A

nything can stir people to take action. The sudden success of a local baseball team. The tragic death of a child in an auto accident. Even the removal of a slightly damaged 500-pound Styrofoam art piece shaped in the form of a dinosaur.

Dino Bob, a sculpture built from a steel armature and blown-on Styrofoam that suffered years of hail damage, was removed from his home atop The Grace Museum’s parking garage in downtown Abilene, spurring a grassroots citizen campaign to have him on display again. Thanks to the campaign, Dino Bob, the smiling green dinosaur with a small red baseball cap and accompanying orange Volkswagen Beetle, was placed on top of a parking garage owned by the National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature (NCCIL) last June.

“When the news got around that he was going to be taken down, people really wanted him to be redone,” said Lynn Barnett, director of the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council. “I think people had gotten attached to him over the years, particularly small children. They didn’t want him leaving our city forever.”

Dino Bob, inspired by the children’s book Dinosaur Bob and His Adventures with the Family Lazardo by William Joyce, is a creation of Austin artist Bob Wade, who built the sculpture for Abilene’s 20th anniversary of the local Outdoor Sculpture exhibition in 2000. The sculpture and art pieces by Luis Jimenez, Jesus Moroles and James Surls were placed in various places around downtown Abilene. Dino Bob and the Volkswagen Beetle were placed on the roof of The Grace Museum’s parking garage on North 1st Street. But last January, after an anonymous complaint about the safety of the sculpture, the city of Abilene mandated Dino Bob be removed from the top of The Grace Museum. The sculpture, which had been on top of The Grace Museum’s roof for more than seven years, needed to be refurbished after sustaining weather damage.

Local concerned citizens came to the sculpture’s rescue. They began selling T-shirts, buttons and stickers to raise awareness and to raise money to keep Dino Bob publicly displayed. One citizen created a Facebook account for Dino Bob, and within three days of its creation, Dino Bob had more than 900 online friends. A Web site, www.SaveDinoBob.com, was even created.

Barnett said she thinks the support stemmed from Dino Bob being a children’s book character.

“He’s such a friendly dinosaur,” Barnett said. “Kids love dinosaurs. Many people told us that when they come downtown, that’s what their kids look for. They want to see Dino Bob. He has become a very beloved member of our community.”

In the book, published in 1988, Dinosaur Bob plays a young and friendly character discovered by the Lazardo fam-

ily while on an African safari. The family takes Dino Bob back home with them to Pimlico Hills, where he is greeted with delight by the town’s citizens, except for the mayor’s wife Mrs. DeGlumly. After being arrested for disturbing the peace by chasing and catching cars, Dino Bob plays baseball for the Pimlico Pirates, is hailed as a hero for hitting the winning run and wins over the heart of Mrs. DeGlumly. ino Bob certainly won the hearts of many Abilenians. All work and funds to move Dino Bob were donated by local companies, schools and citizens. The city of Abilene only paid $7,500 to Wade for ownership of Dino Bob. Donations came in a myriad of ways. Epic Construction and Templeton Equipment worked to remove Dino Bob and his Volkswagen from the roof of The Grace Museum and place him on top of the NCCIL parking garage. A group of 12 students from Premier High School along with art teacher Larry Millar refurbished Dino Bob, fixing his hat, giving him a new coat of green paint and repairing him from hail damage. The group spent 35 hours renovating the sculpture, according to an Abilene Reporter-News article. Chuck Statler, Abilene county commissioner, offered to house Dino Bob in a county barn during the renovation. Bowie Elementary School held a fundraiser for Dino Bob, and dozens of citizens marched up and down Abilene streets to raise awareness of the sculpture’s move. The orange Volkswagen also was refurbished and repainted by Sterling Volkswagen of Abilene. Lauren Engineering donated the welding to put the sculpture in place atop the garage.

“It was one of those things that took on a life of its own,” Barnett said. “There were all of these spontaneous support mechanisms that all contributed to his coming back downtown.”

The city of Abilene had the sculpture ready to unveil for ArtWalk’s third annual CarWalk June 12. More than 300 local fans cheered Dino Bob’s introduction to the top of the NCCIL parking garage at 5:30 p.m.

“We had caricatures; we had Dino Bob hats; we had school children singing the Dino Bob s o n g , and we

D

Photo by ::

had face-painting,” Barnett said. “It was really a glorious celebration.”

Mayor Norm Archibald declared the day to be “Dino Bob Day” and said the “beloved icon represents all that is good and kind in the city of Abilene,” according to an Abilene ReporterNews article.

“This place was packed,” said Debbie Lillick, interim director of the NCCIL. “It was a big deal.”

Dino Bob’s current home, the former Boggs Daniel computer store, is located on Cedar Street. However, he was taken down again while the building was being renovated into a climate-controlled storage annex for the NCCIL. He returned to the roof last December after the renovations were complete. While Dino Bob did not receive the same greeting he did in June, officials at the NCCIL believe people still enjoy seeing him when they visit the NCCIL. “They come here for the books or whoever the current illustrator is,” said Rodney Gooden, business manager of the NCCIL. “So it’s kind of a bonus to see him too.” hile Dino Bob most likely will need to be refurbished every few years, no plans have been made to relocate the sculpture.

“I think he will preside happily over Cedar Street and be enjoyed by children going in and out of the library,” Barnett said. “He’s in a good location. We hope he enjoys a long and happy life presiding over the NCCIL on Cedar Street.”

Dino Bob is a local treasure in Abilene as he was in Pimlico. A song, which is printed in the back of the book and set to the tune of Auld Lang Syne, sums up both town’s sentiments of Dino Bob: “He’s Bob, the best old Bob, the biggest Bob you’ve ever seen. He’s Mesozoic and heroic and he’s really green.

Yes, large and green so serene, he’s gentle and he’s sweet, and when the music plays for him, he stamps his mighty feet.

He’s Bob, the best old Bob, the biggest Bob you’ll ever know. He’s Mesozoic and heroic, and we love him so.”

W

E-mail Freeman at: mxf04b@acu.edu

tographer Zak Zeinert, Chief Pho

Illustration/Design by

tor

:: Colter Hettich, Features Edi

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January 28, 2009

Cable censorship represents disproportionate reaction

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tudents recently had the chance to hunker in front of their residence hall televisions and cheer for ACU alumnus John “Sandy” Davis (’77) as he won first place on the Food Network’s newest food competition, Chopped. But the same students could not do the same for Jim Gash (’89) when he competed on SpikeTV’s reality show Murder.

The ACU cable system, which covers all residence halls, University Park Apartments, smart classrooms and several offices, is supplied through Suddenlink cable, but the package does not include the standard lineup of channels because ACU actually chooses which channels to show and which to block. Of course, if students really want to catch the latest South Park or The Colbert Report episodes, they can find both on comedycentral.com. So why does ACU block certain cable channels but not the same television shows online? Because a single cable signal is easier to censor

than the World Wide Web, and blocking every Web site with a streaming television show would be an unwarranted form of censorship even for a Christian university.

The censorship that does exist on this campus is lopsided, with cable television receiving more censorship than the Internet. At this supposedly technologically advanced university, ACU’s blocks on TV are inconsistent in light of the ACU-supplied iPhones and computers. If the administration thinks the need to block certain aspects of the Internet and television, that censorship needs to be consistent across the board, and allowing greater access to cable TV is the right step in establishing such a consistent policy.

The censorship process begins when Networking Services uses equipment to physically pull out the desired television channels from a cable signal Suddenlink delivers to the university; the undesired channels

essentially are “switched off” in the switch room located in Zellner Hall. This procedure means on-campus students cannot use their own cable provider to access the blocked channels.

Arthur Brant, director of Networking Services, said content decisions for cable are made

by Residence Life because “the bulk of cable outlets on campus are in the residence halls.”

Gerald Coleman, telecom analyst for Networking Services, said the cable lineup of 38 channels, including Team 55, ACU and the Weather channels, has not changed in the last two years. The latest channels added to the selection about three years ago were the Food Network and a news channel. The last successful effort students had in adding their own choice to ACU’s cable TV was in fall 2004 when the Students’ Association Congress petitioned the administration to include the WB Channel to the lineup.

But now may be the perfect time for students to seize

needed change.

John Delony, director of Residence Life Education and Housing, said a committee of members from Residence Life, Student Life, Networking Services and the Adams Center for Teaching and Learning actually is in the process of choosing which cable channels to include in the university’s new cable contract, which he hopes is finalized this semester. He said new channels are being considered for the lineup.

“Channels being costprohibitive is not really the issue,” he said. “It is more of a content thing.”

He said ACU blocked channels in the past because they challenged the institution’s mission, but the committee is open to students’ needs. Delony even plans on seeking input from a small group of students before Residence Life approves the final list of channels.

Delony, who is a fan of Ultimate Fighting Championship, said he is not philosophically

The issue:

ACU’s cable TV undergoes censorship before reaching students.

Our view:

Internet has rendered cable censorship virtually useless, and the university’s actions reflect an unfortunate overreaction.

The solution:

Students should respond actively in the effort to approve more channels. opposed to channels like Spike TV or National Geographic and could be persuaded either way.

Well, let’s persuade him.

The cable channels off-campus students can watch through Suddenlink’s standard package should be the same channels on campus students pay to see.

If the university is not worried about cost but rather content, where is the E!, Court TV and FX channels? Why can students watch Adult Swim, the adultrated cartoon program shown on Cartoon Network every night, but not enjoy the James Bond marathons featured on Spike TV? ACU cable should be like the ACU Internet; adminis-

tration should censor the same content on each: namely, adult Web sites and shows.

So if you want to see your favorite show again, e-mail the Optimist with the desired channel and reasons for including it. Delony said he will consider the student feedback received by the newspaper. Let your voice be heard and perhaps one day soon you may find yourself watching Project Runway, The Simple Life or even Ultimate Fighting Championship from the comfort of your own dorm.

E-mail the Optimist at: jmcnetwork@acu.edu

Labyrinth’s path unwinds latent disturbing results In 1950, nearly 1,500 students attended ACU. Thirty years later, that statistic had more than tripled. But since then, enrollment has stagnated, and because of a new addition to campus, ACU will most likely not break the 5,000 The Power of mark anytime the Prattle soon.

As part of

By Michael the estimated Freeman $15.7 million Bob and Shirley Hunter Welcome Center, the university intricately and systematically placed dozens of limestone and granite stones to create a circular labyrinth that spans 40 feet in diameter. The labyrinth is intended to be an area for students to meditate and relax.

However, it is modeled after a labyrinth built around 1140 A.D. at the Chartres Cathedral in Chartres, France. Back then, churchgoers would walk along the labyrinth’s path, treat their journey as a substitute pilgrimage to Jerusalem and repent of their sins.

Although nothing is wrong with having such a spiritual tool on campus, the problem with the labyrinth lies in its location: right in front of the welcome center.

Imagine what frightening thoughts would race through a prospective student’s mind when he or she sees a structure that practically shouts, “You cannot apply to this school without first confessing your sins!” What would be worse is if they were to see current students walking along the labyrinth’s path, dressed in burlap, faces downcast and chanting haunting mantras like the masochistic monks did in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Many prospective students might turn right around and go to a school that seemed a little less dogmatic — like Bob Jones University.

However, for current students, a labyrinth may be just what they need. For example, if you were to attend a typical Chapel service, your eyes would want to explode at the horrendous sight of hundreds of heathens chatting about mindless drivel, playing Tetris on their cell phones and watch-

New era requires conservatives lose gracefully These are hard times for the people who flourished in years past.

No, I am not referring to the hoards of unemployed Wall Street bankers who traded their high-paying gigs for a daily search of the wanted ads in the New York In Case You Times.

Wondered I am not alluding to the

By Daniel Johnson-Kim 70,000 people across the world who lost their jobs on Monday, according to the Associated Press.

I’m not even talking about the arrogant, ignorant governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, who surely will be impeached by the Illinois Senate for trying to make a profit by selling President Barack Obama’s vacant Senate seat to the highest bidder.

The men I write of are the conservative loony tunes who yearned for the good old days when Obama was declared winner of the 2008 election. You may know them as Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck — the red-dyed radio and television talk show hosts who have a multitude of faithful fans.

“

...hot-blooded attacks...only hurt the unity necessary to overcome the challenges that face our nation.

After an election that saw the Democrats seize the legislative and executive branches of our federal government, the three loud-mouthed pundits who believe the winner of an argument is the person who screams the loudest have wasted no time in attacking Obama and telling their army of right-wing listeners the error of the new Commander in Chief’s policies.

In an exclusive interview on Hannity’s Fox News Program, Hannity asked Limbaugh his thoughts of the new administration and why the conservative platform has taken a back seat to the era of new liberalism Obama’s victory ushered in. The interview seemed more like a chat between old pals, and when these pals get together, they don’t hold back the hate.

“I think the intent is to create as many dependent Americans as possible looking to government as their hope and salvation, ” Limbaugh said of Obama’s plans to change the healthcare system and cover more Americans under a gov-

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 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 79699 E-mail letters to: jmcnetwork@acu.edu

”

ernment funded system. “If he gets nationalized healthcare, it’s over, Sean; we’re never going to roll that back. That is the end of America as we know it.”

He went on to say how he wanted Obama to fail, he was displeased with the Republicans who were eager to work with Obama and he did not want Obama’s allegedly socialist policies to succeed.

Hannity himself is no stranger to bashing the 44th President of the United States.

During the campaign, his investigative report, and I use that term loosely, on Obama’s alleged ties to terrorists, titled, “Barack Obama: History of Radicalism,” attempted to sully the reputation of the candidate and grasped at straws, while the McCain campaign headed for imminent failure.

Lately, Hannity juxtaposed two clips of Vice President Joe Biden and Treasury Secretary designate Timothy Geithner to fabricate a feud between the two. I guess he just needed to complain about.

Beck joined the hate chorus by calling Obama a “socialist”

with “Marxist tendencies.”

With more than 68 percent approval ratings, Obama has the majority of the nation’s support and has shown his commitment to bipartisanship by his appointments and openness to working across party lines to find a solution to the recession and financial crisis. Freedom of speech is a civil right I hold dear, and Obama deserves to be watched and questioned by the media and the people of the United States.

But the hot-blooded attacks by these three men only hurt the unity necessary to overcome the challenges that face our nation.

When Obama was asked about Limbaugh’s comments, he told Republicans, “You can’t just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done.”

It’s good to know the most powerful man in the world understands the necessity of bipartisanship to carry our country through these hard times. Let’s hope he doesn’t take the whole “team of rivals” thing too far and hire Hannity, Limbaugh and Beck to work on his communications team.

That just might be a little too much bipartisanship for me.

E-mail Johnson-Kim at: djj04a@acu.edu

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ing the latest episode of Naruto on their laptops while the speaker talks. But if students were required to walk through the labyrinth on a regular basis, maybe their actions would change. I say “maybe” because it did not work for me.

Last week, I walked through the labyrinth’s winding path, and the journey took me three minutes to complete — it would have taken three weeks if I actually had been thinking about my sins. And as I walked, I noticed words such as “compassion,” “devotion” and “transformation” carved into the stones along the path. I think phrases like “conduct probation,” “weekend curfew” and “55 Chapel credits” would be more effective choices.

But if I were not previously walking by the welcome center, I would have never come across the labyrinth.

This gets back to the labyrinth’s location problem.

The one place on campus that consistently has the most student traffic is Moody Coliseum. This would have been the perfect place for a labyrinth, especially if Moody was redesigned to have only one entrance that led to a dark and foreboding passageway into Chapel. And along the way, students would be confronted by a giant Minotaur who would leap from behind secret panels, quiz students on religious doctrine and hack those students who gave wrong answers with a mighty double-bladed axe.

Behavior from students during Chapel would improve under such a plan, but enrollment definitely would drop dramatically. In fact, ACU soon would be striving to reach an enrollment of five instead of 5,000. So to avoid the possibility of the campus being littered by the bodies of slaughtered students, I suggest the labyrinth stay in front of the welcome center. And to combat scaring prospective students by the emergence of overzealous religious fanatics, I also suggest current students keep their burlap robes at home and treat the labyrinth as a quiet place to rest and reflect on God’s goodness. The labyrinth’s path may be complex and twisted, but the way we use it does not need to be.

E-mail Freeman at: mxf04b@acu.edu

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FROM THE FRONT/SPORTS JUMPS

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Basketball: Hard work paying off in LSC play Continued from page 8 Maxwell-Lively’s great weekend didn’t end when the buzzer sounded at Moody Coliseum.

Maxwell-Lively was named the LSC South Division Player of the Week. Her excellent week consisted of double-doubles against Texas A&M Kingsville and Angelo State. Maxwell-Lively also moved into 15th place on ACU’s all-time scoring list during the game against Angelo State. She attributed her individual success to her team’s hard work and maturation.

“I am really excited about the honor of being named player of the week; it’s really a reflection on our whole team. The guards did a great job of getting the ball inside, and everyone did a great job of blocking out, allowing us to rebound,” MaxwellLively said.

Junior guard Kelsey Darby agreed with her teammates, while noting the team’s recent success is due to the complete efforts by the entire team.

“The guards and posts have to feed off each other,” Darby said.

“Because we are so strong on the outside and inside, we have different options and players who can knock down their shots. When the forwards play well, it opens things up for our guards.”

The Wildcats find themselves in a good position, but there is a lot of season left. Lavender said her team must stay focused and improve on its cohesion as the players continue their quest for an LSC title.

“One of the big things in conference play is to maintain focus, especially playing teams for a second time,” Lavender said.

“We have to be able to make adjustments and realize that every game is an important one.”

The Wildcats game against Tarleton State on Tuesday evening was postponed due to inclement weather. The game is rescheduled for Wednesday at 6 p.m. in Moody Coliseum.

E-mail Abston at: gda04b@acu.edu

Track: Multi-eventers travel to Houston meet Continued from page 8 team would only take the multievent athletes, including heptathletes and decathletes, and the pole-vaulters.

“We want to give the runners a week off to catch up on their studies and their rest,” Hood said. “With the women’s team, we are trying to figure out the relay teams and seeing who will step up to run in the mile relay.

On the men’s team, we have a few guys who haven’t met the

qualifying marks yet so we have a few holes to fill.”

Hood said the teams need to have an attitude of getting sharper.

“The more we compete, the better off we will be in the long run,” Hood said. “Competing in meets as opposed to practice shows us that we can compete at a national level. You just can’t replicate the intensity of a meet when you are in practice.”

E-mail Harris at: tch05f@acu.edu

Wildcats: Four Cats score double figures Continued from page 8 Cameron Holson all chipped in with 12 units each.

ACU’s lack of depth added fuel to the Ram fire with only two players scoring off the bench; one of them was Wagner, who had 14 of the 16 Wildcat bench points. The Rams on the other hand were able to

score 24 bench points and had two non-starters score in double figures.

The Wildcats game against Tarleton State on Tuesday evening was postponed due to inclement weather. The game is rescheduled for Wednesday at 8 p.m. in Moody Coliseum.

E-mail Gwin at: jmcnetwork@acu.edu

Marijuana: No charges pursued by ACU Police Continued from page 1 order to establish and maintain an environment conducive to learning and personal growth… therefore, community life at ACU is a disciplined life.”

The Office of Judicial Affairs was not available for comment on the incident or the investigation by press time. The office

would probably not be able to comment because of student privacy issues, Ellison said.

“From a criminal perspective, nothing is being done because it’s not a fileable case,” Ellison said. “What Student Life is choosing to do with it internally would be a disciplinary matter.”

E-mail Freeman at: mxf04b@acu.edu

Page 7

Tennis: Teams begin ’09 in top 20 Continued from page 8 before the Wildcats get a shot at either opponent “I know New Mexico is a really good team,” said men’s tennis player Juan Nuñez. “It’s going to be a close match this weekend for us.”

The women will travel to Huntsville, home of Sam Houston State, to take on top tier junior college opponent Lee College before tangling with Division I opponent Sam Houston State. Their first opponents, the Lee College Lady Rebels, have yet to play in the spring and will face a highly touted ACU team that ranks sixth in the country. The Sam Houston State Lady Bearcats

have played one match this season against nationally ranked Rice University. The Wildcats will have a quick turn around, playing two more matches on Monday against Lone Star Conference opponent South Eastern Oklahoma State and Division I opponent Southern Methodist University.

The men and women are both coming off impressive seasons where both teams sent players to the National Wilson/ ITA Small College National Championship tournament.

Juan Nuñez and Ryan Hudson represented the men as the No. 1 doubles team in the tournament. The pair made it to the semifinals before losing to the eventual national champions.

The women sent Irene Squillaci to nationals for the women’s singles tournament. Irene was knocked out in round one against the No. 2 seed in the tournament, but made it all the way to the consolation championships before being knocked out in the fifth place match.

Nuñez finished the fall season ranked 22nd in men’s singles and sixth in men’s doubles with doubles partner Hudson.

Squillaci finished the season ranked No. 21 in women’s singles along with fellow Wildcats Jaclyn Walker, No. 35, and Sara Drummond, No. 45. Squillaci and Walker also finished the season ranked No. 16 in women’s doubles.

The women will begin the spring season ranked No. 1 in the South Central Region and in the top 10 in all of Division II. The men open the spring season ranked No. 2 in the South Central Region and No. 19 in the country. Both teams feel they have a shot at winning the national title this year. The key to making a run at the national title this season is players learning what it means to be on a team, said Coach Jones who thinks they have made strides towards accomplishing that.

“We plan to end this thing in Orlando at nationals,” Jones said.

E-mail Tripp at: jmcnetwork@acu.edu

Freeze: Students slide, sleep on Tuesday Continued from page 1 “Looks like it’s only going to get icier,” McCullogh said. “ But I think the upper level storm system will push on through in the morning, and we might even see a little bit of a sunshine by the afternoon.”

The possibility of travel danger for students, faculty and staff prompted university officials to cancel all classes Tuesday and close all campus offices for the day. The ACU Police Department sent a campus-wide e-mail, more than 2,900 text messages on the ACU ALERT system and notified all local television and radio stations of the decision to shut down the campus.

ACU Police Chief Jimmy Ellison said his department began keeping an eye on the weather at 11 p.m. Monday night when freezing rain and sleet began falling. Officials

checked conditions again early Tuesday morning and after first postponing classes until 9:30 a.m., several campus offices voted to shut down the campus. Ellison said it was a group decision by the Office of the President, the Office of the Provost, the Student Life office, the Human Resources department and the ACUPD. Although the campus’ offices and classrooms were empty, the “World Famous” Bean and the Hilton Food Court were open as usual. The Brown Library closed at noon on Tuesday.

“We make the best decision we can make as a committee based on weather and the conditions that might develop,” Ellison said. “Our concern is making sure everyone is safe.”

The National Weather Service in San Angelo issued a winter storm warning for Abilene, Rotan, Roby, Sweet-

water, Haskell, Throckmorton, Woodson, Stamford, Anson, Hamlin and Albany. The more than 20 counties in the National Weather Service in San Angelo’s area were all put on watch for hazardous weather.

In addition to ACU, the Abilene Independent School District, Wylie Independent School District, Cisco Junior College, McMurry University and Hardin-Simmons University also closed their campuses.

Temperatures dipped as low as 21 degrees Fahrenheit and are not expected to rise until Wednesday.

Leah Bouteller, freshman elementary education major from Baltimore, said after finding out the school day was cancelled, she went back to sleep and took a nap, not waking up until around 2:30 p.m.

“I love the weather, but I slipped on the sidewalk and I didn’t really like that,” Bou-

teller said. “We don’t ever have anything like this. From 8th grade to my senior year, we only had two ice days.”

Margaret Moore, freshman secondary education/youth and family ministries major from Houston, said she and her friends were sliding around on the ice, but trying not to fall.

On her day off, she said she planned on doing homework and hanging out.

The Houston native said Tuesday’s weather was different from the conditions back home and was probably the coldest she ever experienced.

“I just saw snow for the first time on a debate trip last weekend, so all this ice is new to me,” Moore said. n Daniel Johnson-Kim, Michael Freeman and Molly Byrd contributed to this report.

E-mail staff at: jmcnetwork@acu.edu

Sing Song: Acts rehearse in winter months Continued from page 1 words and notes and now we’ve started our choreography,” Anderson said.

Anderson said the process of choosing a theme last semester also went smoothly.

“We’ve been inanimate objects for the past two years, which is funny sometimes, but we decided that it was probably time to be a person,” Anderson said. “I got the idea out of nowhere; I went, ‘Hey, we should be Carmen Sandiego!”

Angela Darden, senior accounting major from Midland and director of the seniors’ class act, said although the seniors had difficulty in the beginning stages of production, they were able to work through those obstacles to make some progress.

“One of our main struggles has been that we had a lot of interest in the beginning, but a lot of those people have gotten busy or stressed out, so we’ve

had to try to convince people that our act won’t be as big a time commitment like maybe a club act would be,” Darden said. “It’s more relaxed…We’re just here to have fun.”

Jessica Williams, sophomore English major from Atlanta, said that in directing her sophomore class act, she came across similar problems.

“It’s more difficult since people volunteer, but no one really wants to be in charge of anything, but I have had some helpful people in my act step up and help me out,” Williams said.

Nonetheless, Williams said she has enjoyed directing her class act, which can offer something unique compared to club acts.

“Some of the good things about it is that you have people that are genuinely interested in doing the act, instead of just something you do because you are in club,” she said. “It’s also really neat to have the mixed

genders’ voices, so you can have all four parts, which gives you just a really full sound.”

One of the obstacles many groups and clubs face every year is lack of numbers. Isaac Bray, senior music education major from Abilene, said that directing the act for his club, Frater Sodalis, was challenging because of its limited participants. To combat this problem, the members welcomed help from several students outside of their club.

Bray said that although their act was “probably the smallest group this year,” he thought they would be able to still stand out from the other performances.

“The size of our act will be a lot different, but we have a really good musical sound for the size of our group, as well as a lot of one-liners and Monopoly theme that makes it pretty entertaining,” Bray said.

“We also incorporate a lot of songs people know, older and

newer songs, so we can please everyone in the audience.”

Carly Smith, junior nursing major from Austin and director of the Delta Theta act, agreed that smaller numbers could be a challenge, but they would not weaken their act in the least.

“We decided to go a bit of a different route this year and not concentrate so much on vocals but more on the props and making the act really funny,” Smith said. “I think our act will provide some great comic relief. We’re using some really fun, new songs, like the kind of song you hear in your car and turn up and jam out to when it comes on the radio.”

Performances of ACU Sing Song “Believe” 2009 are scheduled for Feb. 20-21, in Moody Coliseum. Tickets range from $14-$22, and have been on sale since Nov. 3.

E-mail Melby at: lgm05e@acu.edu

SportsWednesday

Page 8

SCOREBOARD Standings Men’s Basketball Team WTAMU MSU Angelo St. TAMU-K Tarleton St. ACU ENMU

Div. 3-0 3-1 2-1 2-1 1-3 1-3 0-3

Overall 13-5 14-5 14-4 12-6 13-6 7-10 4-14

Women’s Basketball Team WTAMU ACU TAMU-K MSU Angelo St. Tarleton St. ENMU

Div. 3-0 3-1 2-1 2-2 1-2 1-3 0-3

Overall 15-3 11-7 12-6 7-11 10-8 10-9 9-12

Scores Saturday Women’s Basketball ACU 69, Angelo State 49

Men’s Basketball Angelo State 77, ACU 67

Track team adds seven more national bids Wildcats

By Chandler Harris Assistant Sports Editor

The men and women’s track and field teams traveled to Lubbock for the second-straight week Saturday and came home with three more automatic qualifiers and four more provisional qualifiers for the NCAA Division II indoor championship meet in March.

The Wildcats competed against such schools as Texas Tech, Wichita State, Sam Houston State, Barton Community College, South Plains College and UTEP, said Don Hood, head track and field coach.

Junior pole vaulter Cory

Track & Field Altenberg won his event, posting an automatic qualifying mark of 16-6.75, good for second best in the country so far. Sophomore Stephen Toler finished second with a provisional qualifying mark of 16-0.75, while Aaron Cantrell took third, equaling his provisional qualifying mark of 15-7.00.

Sophomore Desmond Jackson won the 55 meters with a time of 6.39 seconds, earning a provisional qualifying bid.

“This was Desmond’s first true race, and he ran really well,” Hood said.

Junior Ramon Sparks, who provisionally qualified last weekend in both the long jump and the triple jump, improved his mark in the triple jump with a leap of 49-7.75, placing second in the event.

Junior Andrew McDowell improved his automatic qualifying mark in the 55-meter hurdles with a fifth-place finish in 7.42 seconds.

On the women’s side, junior Wanda Hutson earned two automatic qualifying berths: one in the 55 meters and the other in the 200 meters. Hutson posted a run of 6.94 seconds in the preliminary round of the 55 meters

and finished second in the finals in 6.95 seconds. Hutson also posted the best time in the nation in the 200 meters with a 24.25.

Hutson’s teammate, junior Kim Prather, provisionally qualified in both the 55 meters and 200 meters, as well. Prather finished fourth in the 55 meters final with a time of 7.04 and fourth in the 200 meters with a time of 24.80 seconds.

The Wildcats travel to Houston this weekend for the Houston Indoor Invitational meet. Hood said the See

Track page 7

Cats crush Rambelles

ACU makes it three-straight after LSC win

By Jeff Craig Sports Writer

Upcoming Wednesday Women’s Basketball ACU vs. Tarleton State, 6 p.m.

Men’s Basketball ACU vs. Tarleton State, 8 p.m.

Friday Track and Field Houston Indoor Invitational & Multis. 9 a.m.

Saturday Women’s Basketball ACU at Midwestern State, 6 p.m.

Men’s Basketball ACU at Midwestern State, 8 p.m.

Sunday Men’s Tennis ACU vs. Northern Arizona, 9 a.m.

ACU vs. New Mexico State, 2 p.m.

Women’s Tennis ACU vs. Lee College, noon ACU vs. Sam Houston State, 4 p.m. :: Home games listed in italics

Briefs n Center Audrey MaxwellLively earned LSC South Women’s Player of the Week Maxwell-Lively honors after recording her 33rd and 34th career double-double last week. Maxwell-Lively led the Wildcats to a 2-0 record after defeating Texas A&MKingsville 71-62 on Tuesday and beating Angelo State 69-49 on Saturday.

n Former ACU running back

The red-hot women’s basketball team continued its recent stretch of success by blasting the Rambelles of Angelo State 69-49 in front of a crowd of more than 700 Saturday at Moody Coliseum.

The win lifted the Wildcats’ record to 11-7 overall and improved their conference record to 3-1 against Lone Star Conference South Division foes. Meanwhile, Angelo State fell to a 10-8 record and dropped its conference record to 1-2. The Wildcats have now won three of their last four games, and Shawna Lavender, the reigning LSC South Division Coach of the Year, is excited about her team’s progress.

“I feel like we’ve turned the corner a little bit with our intensity and playing a solid 40 minutes,” Lavender said.

“We’ve had a great deal of focus the last couple of weeks, along with a good balance of play inside and outside.”

The Rambelles jumped out to an early 8-3 advantage, until center Audrey Lively knocked down a free throw 4:41 into the game to give the Wildcats the lead for good. With just over nine minutes left in the first half, guard Kat Kundmueller knocked down a big jumper to give ACU a 17-11 lead and some momentum. The Wildcats would build off that momentum and hold a 12-point advantage at halftime. ACU would begin to pull away in the second half; the Cats would end the game on a 9-4 run, ultimately winning by a margin of 20 points.

The Wildcats dominated the Rambelles in nearly every statistical category of the game. They currently

aim high in spring season

By Brandon Tripp Sports Writer

After a successful fall campaign, the Wildcats are gearing up for a new tennis season full of high expectations.

“We laid some good foundation in the fall with our success, and now we are looking Jones to put that towards the team season,” said Hutton Jones, head women and men’s tennis coach.

Both teams are set to begin the spring season this weekend. The men will travel to Las Cruces, N.M., Sunday to take on Northern Arizona University and New Mexico State University, and the women will travel to Huntsville to battle Lee College and Sam Houston State University.

“It is a little hard to go in [to matches] when other teams have already played a match or two,” Jones said.

The men will take on two NCAA Division I teams in Northern Arizona and New Mexico State. This is the first match of the season for the Wildcats and their first match since the national championships in the fall. The Northern Arizona Lumberjacks come into the match against ACU 0-4 to start off their spring season, losing to big-name Division I schools such as Oregon and Arizona University. The New Mexico State Aggies have not played a match yet this season and will first play Northern Arizona Saturday, one day See

Tennis page 7

Richard Schissler :: staff photographer Guard Kat Kundmueller and the Wildcats won their third-straight game on Saturday and improved to 3-1 in the LSC.

Basketball rank as the top-rebounding team in LSC South Division and built on that distinction by dominating Angelo State on the glass. The Wildcats outrebounded the Rambelles 50-35 for the game.

ACU also demonstrated a well-balanced attack by shooting 47.4 percent from the field while holding the

Rambelles to just 25 percent shooting throughout.

Senior and Abilene native Audrey Maxwell-Lively continued her dominating season with possibly her most complete game of the season. Lively scored a season-high 29 points while collecting 12 rebounds for her 34th career double-double.

The six-foot center attributed both the team’s and her

own successes to their ability to play two strong halves against the Rambelles.

“We need to keep building on playing two strong halves; we need to focus on playing 40 solid minutes each game. If we can continue to play like we did against Angelo State, I feel we really will be nearly unstoppable,” Maxwell-Lively said.

See

Basketball page 7

Emily Jorgenson :: file photo Natalie Friend and the men and women’s tennis teams will begin the spring season Sunday.

Angelo State win gives ACU third-straight loss

Bernard Scott and wide receiver Johnny Knox have both been invited to the NFL Draft Combine after leading ACU to a LSC championship last season.

Scott and Knox became the second and third ACU players in the last four years to be invited to the Combine, joining Danieal Manning (2006).

By Austin Gwin

Basketball

Sports Writer

Intramurals n The following are the current club intramural point standings: Men’s Division:

n Gamma Sigma Phi- 540 n Galaxy- 345 n Frater Sodalis- 70 n Pi Kappa- 60 n Trojans- 50 n Sub T-16- 40 Women’s Division n Ko Jo Kai- 405 n Sigma Theta Chi-265 n Delta Theta- 265 n Alpha Kai Omega- 215 n GATA- 20

January 28, 2009

Richard Schissler :: staff photographer Forward Dejan Sencanski looks to make a pass against ENMU. The Wildcats lost their third-straight game Saturday to Angelo State, 77-67.

The Wildcats lost their third-straight and sixth of the last seven games on Saturday at Moody Coliseum, getting beat by the Angelo State Rams 77-67. The loss drops the Wildcats’ record to 7-10 overall and 1-3 in conference play.

Angelo State (14-4; 2-1) proved to be too big of a test for the Wildcats to handle as ACU struggled all game. The Rams, which have the secondbest record in the LSC, seemed quicker, stronger and more patient with the ball.

“We didn’t do a good job rebounding the basketball,” head coach Jason Copeland said.

“They really beat us on the offensive boards. Second-chance points for them hurt us.”

In fact, the Wildcats were outrebounded 50-37

throughout the game. Although both teams shot the ball poorly, ACU actually shot one percentage point better. However, the Rams’ 16 second-chance points proved to be the difference.

ACU got behind early in the game and was never able to catch up. The Rams jumped to a 22-6 lead just five-and-a-half minutes into the game, but the Wildcats

UPCOMING GAMES Four of the Wildcats’ next five games will be on the road. n Midwestern St.- Jan. 31 @ 8 p.m. n Cameron- Feb. 7 @ 4 p.m. n TAMU-K- Feb. 10 @ 8 p.m. n Angelo St.- Feb. 14 @ 8 p.m. n Tarleton St.- Feb. 18 @ 8 p.m. :: Home games listed in italics

battled back with good defense and made it a 12-point margin going into halftime.

To begin the second half, Angelo State once again found its groove and built a 17-point lead with eight minutes left in the game.

The Wildcats, however, cut the lead to five with just under a minute to play, but it was not enough as the Rams made their free throws down the stretch and came away with the win.

“We just dug ourselves in a hole early,” Copeland said. “It was good how our guys were able to fight back, but we can’t put ourselves in those situations. We did a better job in the second half; we just got behind too early.”

Ean Wagner led all Wildcat scorers with 14 points. Dejan Sencanski, Dante Adams and See

Wildcats page 7