The Optimist - Oct. 8, 2008 by ACU Optimist

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Pg. 8 Wildcats womp East Central, protect undefeated record

Wednesday, October 8, 2008 :: Vol. 97, No. 14 :: 1 section, 8 pages :: www.acuoptimist.com

Inside This Issue:

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ACU adapts to Apple power adapter recall

Sushi available to students Sundays at The Den in Barret Hall

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Fútbol family: Soccer players from around globe unite

Computer ownership diminishes need for labs in halls By Colter Hettich Features Editor

The days of late night computer labs bustling with freshmen might be quickly drawing to a close, if they have not already. With 93 percent of incoming freshmen bringing their own computers to ACU, the theory behind computer labs has become less and less relevant. George Saltsman, executive

director for the Adams Center for Learning, serves as chair of the LINK team. LINK — leadership, infrastructure, networking and knowledge — “administers the technology portion of the Academic Enrichment and Technology (AET) Fee,” according to www.acu.edu, and decided the residence hall computer labs no longer served their intended purpose. “LINK said the model for having a lab, per say, has gone

away,” Saltsman said. “And there probably is a better way of putting computers in the residence halls than dumping them in one place.” With more incoming students bringing computers, students’ needs have changed. Instead of general computer access, most students need access to printers. ACU’s printing station in the Brown Library, CopyCat, intentionally was designed to

accommodate this need. J.P Hennessy, freshman Biblical studies and history major from Coppell, lives in Mabee Hall and said he might see one person in the lab as he walks by the area. He has never seen more than two. “Pretty much everyone I know has their own computer,” Hennessy said. “Most of them have their own printers too, since Mac is offering a free printer when you

buy a computer.” LINK’s role primarily is funding and direction, Saltsman said. Residence Life must design how the university will implement the transition. No one from Residence Life was available for comment. John Delony, director of Residence Life and Housing, said he is working on a proposal for the Oct. 31 deadline. Saltsman said, “There are likely to be computers

and printers in the common rooms on each floor.” LINK reviews all proposals in November and typically makes its final decision on Dead Day. Consumers’ growing attachment to their personal computers has helped push LINK’s focus from “what” to “where” the computers are. “It’s definitely a trend we’re See

Labs page 4

Week of activities Pipes offers insight into election promotes wellness

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By Michael Freeman Managing Editor

Well Full of Activities

Student Reporter

I don’t think there’s a right or wrong answer for Christians. It’s really up to you to decide which issues matter most.

Students filled Hart Auditorium to its capacity Monday night to listen to former speechwriter for President George W. Bush Kasey Pipes speak in a Chapel forum on politics. The ACU alumnus’ lecture, titled “A Christian’s Responsibility to Government,” primarily covered evangelicals, the issues that matter to them and how the Republican and Democratic parties have been catering to them in the upcoming presidential election. “It’s such a hot topic,” Pipes said. “It’s an important development in American politics now that both parties are competing for voters of faith. And I think that’s good for both parties and good for voters of faith.” Pipes, who graduated from ACU in 1995 and was honored with the ACU Young Alumnus of the Year in 2006, began Monday night by reviewing the history of presidential elections in the past 50 years. Americans’ tendency to elect a president from a different party basically every eight years has been a trend since Dwight Eisenhower was president, Pipes said. Issues also have changed significantly. Abortion traditionally has been a key factor for evangelicals in determining whom they will vote for; but recently, life issues such as urban poverty, genocide in Africa and the environment have come to the forefront, Pipes said. “If you look at the Gospels, there is very little Jesus says of a political nature,” Pipes said. “I don’t know if there is a particular See

By Ruth Ramsey With new activities every day, the eighth annual Wellness Week, which began Monday, is in full force. The 2008 theme, “Come to the Well and Thirst No More” is devoted to changing students’ wellbeing by integrating their spiritual, emotional and physical perspectives. On Wednesday, Wellness Week offers free popcorn to students, faculty and staff all afternoon in the Campus Center. On Friday, “Unstressed Day” includes a dunking tank, rock wall, bouncing boxing, twister, bungee run, Velcro wall and obstacle course from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the mall area in front of Moody Coliseum. Steve Rowlands, director

:: Kasey Pipes, former speechwriter for President George W. Bush

”

A host of activties will be available to the ACU community after Chapel Friday at “Unstressed Day.” n Rock wall n Dunking tank n Bungee run n Bouncing boxing n Velcro wall

of ACU’s Counseling Center, said Wellness Week is similar to those in the past but will continue with the common theme of helping students be proactive in life. “It is a chance to relay information about different See

Wellness page 4

Campaigners positive despite drop in options By Laura Acuff Opinion Page Editor

While Spring Break Campaign 2009 planners initially hoped for about 60 leaders for 30 campaigns, the 50 leaders appointed for this year’s campaigns remains proportionate to the also lower number of finalized locations with 25 destinations on this year’s agenda. “We wanted more locations and more leaders, but neither one really happened this year,” said SBC secretary Meredith

Photo Illustration by: Zak Zeinert :: chief photographer

acuoptimist.com: See a video of Kasey Pipes discuss evangelical voters and the ’08 election.

Pipes page 7

Platt, sophomore vocational missions major from Midland. Because the numbers, although lower than hoped, remained proportional, Platt said SBC still has plenty of manpower for this spring’s campaigns. In previous years, students traveled to as many as 33 destinations for campaigns, according to Optimist archives. This year’s drop to 25, Platt said, was the result of several factors, including some potential See

SBC page 7

Students style soles at TOMS shoes event By Tanner Anderson

acuoptimist.com

Page Designer

If students look around campus, it may be hard for them to find anyone with bare feet, and if they do, it is probably a decision those bare-footed individuals decided to make personally. Friday, TOMS Shoes and its Style Your Sole Tour made a pit stop in the ACU mall area not only to give students the chance to add an extra pair of shoes to their wardrobe but to donate a pair to shoeless children who do not have a choice when it comes to footwear.

See video of the music, food and fun at Friday’s Style Your Sole event

The price was $42 for each pair of the slip-on shoes. Students picked out a pair of shoes, styled and decorated them and walked away knowing a child somewhere would have a pair to call their own also. The Style Your Sole Tour is traveling around 50 different campuses across the nation to

Acu WeAtHeR

spread their one-for-one motto. For every pair of shoes purchased, TOMS donates a pair child in need. “We’ve been attending the Social Justice Chapel and heard that TOMS was donating shoes to children across the world, so we bought a pair for a friend back home,” said Marshall Fox, freshman English major from Waco. Blake Mycoskie created TOMS Shoes in 2006 after he was inspired to help shoeless children he saw while in South America. The company has given more than 10,000 pairs of