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Pg. 6 Outback Lessons: ACU duo endure Australian journey
Wednesday, November 12, 2008 :: Vol. 97, No. 23 :: 1 sections, 10 pages :: www.acuoptimist.com
Inside This Issue:
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Study Abroad Office reduces summer program application fee
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Bowl of Service: students team up to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters
Perfect Finish: Football team wins title, remains undefeated
Committee Themes, directors chosen for ’09 Sing Song begins hunt for provost replacement By Michael Freeman Managing Editor
Next February’s Sing Song already is beginning to take shape. Directors, themes and show order were selected Saturday. Social clubs and class acts worked with the Students’ Association and the Sing Song management team to pick their directors and themes. Class act directors were interviewed for their positions. The process for selecting class directors
By Laura Acuff
took about two weeks, while social clubs worked at their own pace for their selection processes. “We make sure everything is where it needs to be,” said Tom Craig, director of Student Productions. “Plus it helps for them to work on it throughout the entire length of time instead of working on it at the last minute.” An approval process will be used to ensure no acts duplicate shows See
Singing Competition
Five student groups will pop their arms and sing their tunes in each division of the 2009 Sing Song. The theme for the ’09 show is “Believe,” and the event is scheduled for Feb. 20-21, 2009. Men’s social clubs
Women’s social clubs
Mixed group acts
n Frater Sodalis n Galaxy n Gamma Sigma Phi n Sub T-16 n Pi Kappa
n Alpha Kai Omega n Ko Jo Kai n GATA n Delta Theta n Sigma Theta Chi
n IEH n Freshman Act n Sophomore Act n Junior Act n Senior Act
Song page 5
Opinion Page Editor
The provost search committee met for the first time Wednesday, with the university President Dr. Royce Money in attendance, to begin the search to replace current Provost Dr. Dwayne VanRheenen. Earlier this semester, VanRheenen announced his intent to retire at the end of the fiscal year and move to the West Coast to be closer to family. Dr. Rick I think it’s a Lytle, Dean of the College of very strong Business Adteam…a team ministration and a search that undercommittee stands the member, said the commitimportance of tee’s breakthis position fast meeting served mainly for the ACU to set basic campus to guidelines for how to move forward. proceed with the search for :: Dr. Rick Lytle, dean of candidates to COBA and provost search fill VanRheenen’s position. committee member The committee reviewed the provost’s job description, discussed a plausible timeline and examined certain human resource issues, Lytle said. One human resource issue includes the possibility a search committee member might desire to apply for the position, Lytle said. In such a case, the committee member could submit his or her own nomination but would then need to recuse himself or herself from the committee. Tentative plans set the search committee at submitting a candidate for consideration by April, Lytle said. Ideally, the
History’s Witnesses
Nov. 4, 2008
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Black students, professors react to Obama victory By Daniel Johnson-Kim Editor in Chief
Disbelief. Joy. Trepidation. Inspiration. Hope. A myriad of emotions overcame members of the ACU community when Barack Obama was elected President, but regardless of when, where or how they heard the news, several black students and faculty members at ACU said they were proud to be witnesses to history — the United States of America elected its first black president. Byron Martin, senior psychology major from Mesquite, followed the returns results at the election watching party in the Campus Center Living Room when several news organizations declared Obama had secured a majority of electoral votes and won the election. “I was really excited then I just kind of had to stand there for a while and actually see it because I wasn’t really sure,” Martin said.
Illustration Courtesy of Changethethought.com
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See
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Political groups prepare for life after election By Kimberly Wolford Student Reporter
Zak Zeinert :: staff photographer Jared Perkins, freshman psychology major from Waco and vice president of the College Democracts, shows his support for President-elect Barack Obama at the election-watching party in the Campus Center Living Room on Nov. 4.
ACU WEAtHER
With the victory of President-elect Barack Obama, the 2008 election season is concluded. The two studentled political organizations, Young Republicans and College Democrats, are reflecting on events they sponsored and the results of the election. “Obviously, we were pretty excited,” said Jared Perkins, vice president of College Democrats and freshman psychology major from Waco. “But we recognized very soon after that we needed to remember that we were all Americans and we need to unite not only as a campus but as a country also.” His words mimic those of Dr. Royce Money’s speech during Chapel on Friday. Perkins said it is time to support of the new president, and people should be respectful
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even when voicing opposing opinions. Jordan Hancock, president of Young Republicans and junior political science major from Abilene, said reactions to the results of the 2008 election varied from member to member. “I cannot speak for the entire club,” Hancock said. Both organizations sponsored debate-watching parties during the pre-election period. Hancock said the Young Republicans also had an informational meeting that was open to everyone. The College Democrats had a results watching party in collaboration with other student-led organizations on campus, as well as voter registration for a week in the Campus Center. As for the future, both clubs are busy planning events. “Right now, we are just having club meetings and get-
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As students…we need to be socially involved and socially aware all the time, not just at election time.
:: Jared Perkins, freshman psychology science major from Waco ting ready for voter registration sometime next semester,” Hancock said. Perkins said he has thoughts for the College Democrats. “I have some things I’m very excited about planned for next semester,” Perkins said. He said his ideas include a possible bi-partisan informational fair about the local governments and candidates before the 2010 election. “As students and Democrats, we need to be socially involved and socially aware all the time, not just at elec-
E-mail Wolford at: jmcnetwork@acu.edu
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.
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tion time,” Perkins said. For more information on the College Democrats or Young Republicans, look on the ACU Web site under the “Student Organizations” and “Special Interests” tabs. Faculty advisers for the College Democrats are Dr. Kristina Campos, Steven Moore and Dr. David Dillman, while advisers for the Young Republicans are Dr. Neal Coates and Dr. Mark Cullum.
How are race relations in the United States?
a. They are still horrible. b. There are no issues of racism. c. Racism exists, but it is limited. d. Things are slowly getting better.
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