Optimist Print Edition 03.08.19 (Volume CVIII, Issue XXIII)

OPTIMIST

@acuoptimist The Optimist @acuoptimist

SPRING BREAK Students celebrate the end of midterms, both in Abilene and abroad, with a week off from school.

A student publication of Abilene Christian University since 1912

Volume CVIII, Issue XXIII

Friday March 08, 2019

F S S M T

News

Sports

The university was recognized as a top-producing Fulbright institute by the Chronicle of Higher Education after having three students awarded for the 2017-18 school year.............................................Page 2

The men’s basketball team clinched the second seed and two-round by in the Southland Conference post-season tournament, and the women fell short to Stephen F. Austin Wednesday night.....................Page 6

W

T

Feature Ashley Pyle has wanted to open her own wedding venue since she planned hers. In September of 2018, her venue, Sabrina Cedars, housed its first event after seven months of construction............................Page 4

Students reflect on International Women’s Day LAUREN FRANCO EDITOR IN CHIEF EMMA CONASTER STAFF REPORTER

Since 1977, International Women’s Day has been celebrated worldwide. Countries around the globe laud the strides made for women’s rights and call attention to the gaps that still exist.

Now, over 40 years later, students contemplate the meaning of International Women’s Day- both for themselves and society as a whole.

Josh Dowell, freshman engineering major from Amarillo: “International Women’s Day reminds me of my mom and the moms that I’ve seen in other countries like Kenya and Brazil. It reminds me of the hard work that women put into their families and communities, both here and around the world.”

Cassandra Frazier, freshman psychology major from San Antonio: “I think International Women’s Day is super important, because there are so many things that we take for granted today that we wouldn’t have or be able to live with if not for those women in history. Even if it’s just a small piece of recognition, being able to spread the word about it and about all the important women involved is meaningful enough to create more widespread awareness.”

Dawson Maxwell, sophomore vocal music education major from Sherman: “International women’s day is so meaningful to me because without the wisdom, leadership and encouragement from the women in my life, I would not be who I am today. We should be doing our best, not just today, but everyday, to

Photo by LAUREN FRANCO | EDITOR IN CHIEF Four women pose together, holding hands in honor of International Women’s Day. give back to the women who support us.”

Tsion Amare, junior social work major from Dallas: “For me, women’s day has always been about celebrating the progress women have made in society and the enormous role we play.

It is about recognizing the incredible women that are often overlooked. It is about

rising above the stereotypes and performing far greater than the labels put on us.

Women have been the core of society ever since the beginning of ages. However, more often not, we are overlooked, under-appreciated and forgotten; women like Rosalin Franklin, Lise Meitner, Katherine Johnson and many more. Women’s

day is about empowerment and teaching young girls that they are more than housewives and secretaries. It’s about recognition and equality. And more importantly, it is about standing up for the millions of girls and women being trafficked and taken advantage of all around the world. It is about bringing justice for women all around

us that are being assaulted, harassed and demeaned.

Women’s day to me means living in a world where women are respected, recognized and empowered to be who they want to be.”

Rachel Jones, senior communication major from San Antonio: “It’s a day that asks all women and men to just pause and think

about how far we’ve come politically, economically and socially. Women of today have moved mountains to pave the way for our daughters and granddaughters. Internationally, women’s day is to recognize this and encourage all women to keep pushing for equality and appreciation in every setting.”

one-year pilot for extended library hours.”

Though Student Life put up the main funding, SGA contributed money for a new position to monitor the library in extra hours.

Kelley said Weaver, dean of library services, suggested a new staff position rather than a student position be created and be funded up to 25 hours per week.

Some areas of the library will be inaccessible during the extended hours, including the lowest level and the Theological Reading Room. The MakerLab and Learning Studio hours will remain the same. Kelley said SGA has not heard

back about whether Starbucks will extend hours as well, but he hopes to by the Monday students return from break.

“The hope is that if we can have a successful pilot year, that this will be something the university incorporates in their annual budget and it becomes natural. Obviously we didn’t want to do something irrational and fund something we didn’t know whether it would be a success.”

To reach the agreement, Kelley said he did a lot of research, including comparing ACU to library hours at 25 other universities in Texas. Most other state schools

have 24-hour access because of higher student population and resources, he said.

In addition to comparing schools, Kelley said he also found academic articles suggesting 24-hour libraries were harmful to students’ mental health.

“I got a new perspective in that and it cautioned me to make sure that what we were doing was actually good for students,” Kelley said.

The agreement for a twohour extension was reasonable for both parties, Kelley said, and the perfect amount of time students need and will utilize.

Kelley said some doubted whether students would

use the extended hours because of the normal trend that fewer students are in the library the later it gets.

“There’s so many times when you have that assignment due at 11:59 p.m. and you’re working right up to the clock to do it, and the library starts blaring music to tell you to leave, I think that’s what we’re trying to avoid,” Kelley said. “We’re trying to create a space where students can feel comfortable studying.”

The extra-hours usage will be tracked by requiring students to swipe in and out of the library.

Though the doors will not be locked, it will also help

administration keep track of curfew for freshmen.

Despite the midnight curfew for freshmen, those who want to study in the library between midnight and 2 a.m. can do so by swiping into their dorm and swiping out of the library, and then swiping out of the library and back into the dorm.

Although Kelley said no set number of students must use the hours to keep the program going, if 50 percent of the student body uses the extended hours at some point, it would indicate success.

“We were blown away that it took 18 years to get here, but here we are.”

SGA funding allows library to extend weekday hours

LAUREN FRANCO EDITOR IN CHIEF

The Brown Library will remain open until 2 a.m. on Mondays through Thursdays tentatively starting the week after spring break.

For the past 18 years, Student Government Association has advocated for extended library hours, said executive president Ty Kelley.

“We questioned why has this discussion gone on for so long and nothing had been done,” Kelley said. “As with everything, it’s usually a funding issue. We worked with the Office of Student Life and John Weaver from the library to agree on a

Elliott to teach poetry-writing course at Big Bend National Park McKENZIE BONAM STAFF REPORTER

For 12 days at Big Bend National Park and other historical locations in Texas, students will learn about poem writing during a summer course.

In past years, Dr. Jeremy Elliott, associate professor of language and literature, has led students in a studyabroad interactive course over the topic before, but

it was offered only to those in Oxford.

The class works through 20 poems while reading them in the setting where they are composed. Elliott is now teaching a 15-student class in the same format modified to the cultural background of Texas and its natural landforms.

The class will begin May 13 on campus. After a day of preparation, the 12 days after are spent traveling to Big

Bend National Park and the Hill Country.

“We will have alumni come before the trip and instruct watercolor in hopes of trying to incorporate the transcription of the landscape via watercolor,” Elliott said.

In an attempt to provide the opportunity to expand the class beyond writing poems, Elliott said the students will have pocket journals with basic and watercolor paper.

Watercolors and script will be encouraged so students might have another means of individual interpretation.

Elliott said he enjoys teaching in such a way that trains students for graduate school. Although he recognized the need for such general knowledge, he said the class stemmed from an area of personal passion, as he wants prospective students to participate out of a love for the content.

Elliott and Jeff Childress, worked together to create potential ideas for future courses.

They are considering combining the stories of ‘Desert Fathers’ with the new class, ‘Desert Poetry.’

They said they hope to coteach and incorporate the meditation-like mindset with an emphasis on conveying thoughts through poems.

Despite being a graded course, Elliott said the aca-

demic expectations are posed to be a challenge for those who neglect the opportunity to be creative.

Elliott said he hopes that by taking students to places of mere isolation, the depth of thought can be furthered and appreciated in a way that technology cannot compare.

This literature elective will be offered in Summer 2019 and is capped at 15 students, not specified to any major.

Page 2 | Campus News Events

Friday 03/08 1. Spread the Word to End the Word Week 2. NJCAA Region V Basketball Championship 3. Women’s Tennis vs.

Sam houston State 4. Baseball vs. Northwestern State Saturday 03/09 1. NJCAA Region V Basketball Championship 2. Senior Day - Women’s Basketball vs.

Incarnate Word 3. Baseball vs Northwestern State 4. Senior Day - Men’s Basketball vs. Incarnate Word Sunday 03/10 1. Baseball vs. Northwestern State 2. Women’s Tennis vs.

Stephen F. Austin Monday 03/11 1. Spring Break Saturday 03/16 1. Wes Kittley invitational Track meet 2. Women’s Tennis vs.

Incarnate Word

2

days until Spring break

Friday, March 08, 2019 CAMPUS NEWS

Students compete in annual Pickleball tournament DILLION DANIEL STAFF REPORTER

Although it does not garner the mass attention that mainstream sports do, Pickleball is a quasi-intramural sport those involved show their talent and passion on the court.

The annual tournament was on Saturday afternoon in the gyms of the Student Recreation and Wellness Center and consisted of seven singles players and 13 doubles teams.

While player turnout was good, audience viewership was slim. However, many players of the sport have a positive outlook on the growth of the sport.

Created in 1965 by Joel Pritchard and Bill Bell, Pickleball is a sport mixing the likes of table tennis and badminton, and was named after a dog their dog, Pickles.

Eventually, the game evolved from the use of badminton racquets to pingpong paddles and incorporated wiffleballs. Many players believe to understand the sport, they must envision themselves on a life-sized

“

I had no idea what pickleball was before taking the class, but we ended up really enjoying it. After the class ended, we wanted to keep playing regularly and get others to play and enjoy it as much as we do.”

EMILY SHERRILL NURSING MAJOR FROM JONESBORO, AR

ping pong table.

Chloe Delgado, a nursing major from Frisco said she thinks Pickleball is gradually gaining more influence.

“I took the Pickleball class last Spring with Professor Shake and really enjoyed it.”

Although court space is limited and equal to badminton courts, players often run from the ends to save the ball from making contact with the ground.

It was not rare to see players running into barriers due to in-game focus.

The tournament started at 10:00 a.m. and finished at 2:00 p.m. Matches lasted anywhere from five minutes to 30 minutes.

The winner of the singles match was Zach Fetter

Photo by MEDA BOW | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Former tennis players show off their skills at the pickleball tournament.

while the doubles match championed the graduate student team “All Stars.”

Emily Sherrill, a nursing major from Jonesboro, Arkansas said she had no idea what Pickleball was before taking the class, but ended up enjoying it.

“After the class ended,

we wanted to keep playing regularly and get others to play and enjoy it as much as we do.”

The Pickleball club now has weekly meetings and matches open to anyone interested.

Although competitive, the sport has made its

presence in other schools across the United States.

Its main goal is to create communities of players that express fun through a unique outlet.

Though the tournament cost $5 per person, that is subject to change for future tournaments.

in Wildcat Week, either as a freshman or as a leader.”

There are a few require-

ments for students seeking positions on the committee.

Applicants should meet the characteristics, have “a good moral compass,” and at least a 2.5 gpa.

Coupe said they are not looking to change much from last year’s team. Six student directors will select a minimum of four team members for the committee.

“We’re probably looking from twenty to thirty, but that would be a very large number,” Coupe said. “We hope that the student directors will pick students for a well rounded team. We want a diverse group of students.”

Applications are available until March 18 for the steering committee. Those interested in more information can visit www.acu.edu/nsp.

New Student Programs opens steering committee applications EMMA CONATSER STAFF REPORTER

The office of New Student Programs opened applications for Wildcat Week steering committee through March 18.

Each fall, the office of New Student Programs welcomes incoming freshmen and transfer students through Wildcat Week, a

“

time for students to meet others, attend informational sessions and have their questions answered.

Most current students remember Wildcat Week as a time of introduction to the people and mood of the campus as a whole. One of the things that makes this transitional period so successful is the steering committee that plans, schedules

and runs the week.

The Wildcat Week steering committee is a group of students who are more behind the scenes. Caddie Coupe, director of new student programs, said they don’t work directly with students.

“Wildcat Week has always had a steering committee, probably since the 2000’s,” Coupe said. “We want [students] to have participated

dy, director of public and media relations, in a press release.

For the 2017-2018 academic year, three ACU students were awarded the Fulbright grant, including Lindsie Lawson, Mackenzie Sanderson and Kyle Yarbrough.

Fifteen scholars at ACU have been recipients of 17 Fulbright fellowships during their academic careers, and three times there have been

multiple honorees in the same year.

Schools are categorized based on their size and mission – research, master’s and bachelor’s institutions, and special-focus four-year institutions. ACU, considered a master’s institution, is ranked among schools like St. Edward’s University (seven recipients) and Florida Southern College (four recipients).

Only two other institutions in Texas are recognized on the list, the University of Texas at Austin and Texas State University.

The Fulbright grant was created by Senator William Fulbright in 1946 in an effort to promote world peace after World War II. Students, faculty and staff go abroad to interact with people in other nations, and those from other

countries come to the U.S. The program is funded by the U.S. Department of State.

To apply for the grant, students must be graduating in the same academic year or have graduated already.

Jason Morris, dean of the Honors College and director of the Office of Major Scholarships, said his office helps students with their applications, providing advising and

consulting. This year, there are four semi-finalists.

“We’re on track for another strong year,” Morris said.

Morris was the first student Fulbright recipient, first as an ETA in 2002 and again in 2009 as a faculty program. Both times he served in Hungary.

“I’ve utilized my information and my experience to help these students.”

to those in Oxford.

The class works through 20 poems while reading them in the setting where they are composed. Elliott is now teaching a 15-student class in the same format modified to the cultural background of Texas and its natural landforms.

The class will begin May 13 on campus. After a day of preparation, the 12 days after are spent traveling to Big Bend National Park and

the Hill Country.

“We will have alumni come before the trip and instruct watercolor in hopes of trying to incorporate the transcription of the landscape via watercolor,” Elliott said In an attempt to provide the opportunity to expand the class beyond writing poems, Elliott said the students will have pocket journals with basic and watercolor paper.

Watercolors and script will be

encouraged so students might have another means of individual interpretation.

Elliott said he enjoys teaching in such a way that trains students for graduate school. Although he recognized the need for such general knowledge, he said the class stemmed from an area of personal passion, as he wants prospective students to participate out of a love for the content.

Elliott and Jeff Childress, , worked together to create potential ideas for future courses.

They are considering combining the stories of ‘Desert Fathers’ with the new class, ‘Desert Poetry.’ They said they hope to co-teach and incorporate the meditation-like mindset with an emphasis on conveying thoughts through poems.

Despite being a graded course, Elliott said the aca-

demic expectations are posed to be a challenge for those who neglect the opportunity to be creative.

Elliott said he hopes that by taking students to places of mere isolation, the depth of thought can be furthered and appreciated in a way that technology cannot compare.

This literature elective will be offered in Summer 2019 and is capped at 15 students, not specified to any major.

We hope that the student directors will pick students for a well rounded team. We want a diverse group of students.”

CADDIE COUPE DIRECTOR OF NEW STUDENT PROGRAMS

University recognized as top-producing Fulbright institution LAUREN FRANCO EDITOR IN CHIEF

The Chronicle of Higher Education recognized the university as a top-producing Fulbright institution.

“Abilene Christian University is proud to be included on the list of U.S. colleges and universities that produced the most 2018-19 Fulbright U.S. students,” said Emerald Cassi-

Elliott to teach poetry course at Big Bend National Park MCKENZIE BONAM SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

For 12 days at Big Bend National Park and other historical locations in Texas, students will learn about poem, writing during a summer course.

In past years, Dr. Jeremy Elliott, associate professor of language and literature, has led students in a study-abroad interactive course over the topic before, but it was offered only

POLICE LOG SELECTED ACUPD CALLS FOR THE WEEK 02/27/2019 3:54 p.m.

A student reported the theft of assorted art supplies from the Don Morris Building. Theft case opened.

02/27/2019 4:45 p.m.

A student reported a suspicious person approaching her in the Campus Center Parking Lot. Subsequent investigation by officers determined the identity of the person, who was advised.

03/01/2019 2:30 p.m.

An athletics staff member reported that a couple was refusing to leave Wildcat Stadium. The couple left when police were called.

03/03/2019 1:03 a.m.

ACUPD received complaints of a large party in the 600 blk of EN 15th Street. Officers arrived in the area and could hear the music and loud voices in the street and issued the tenants a municipal citation for Violation of Noise Ordinance.

911 CALL............................................................1 ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIVITY.......................................................26 ADVICE.............................................................0 ALCOHOL INCIDENT.............................1 ANIMAL CALL.............................................2 ASSIST.................................................................1 ATTEMPT TO LOCATE...........................1 BARRICADES..............................................6 BOOT/UNBOOT VEHICLE...............2 BUILDING LOCK/UNLOCK.......................................16 BURGLARY(RESIDENCE).................2 CART PATROL.............................................3 CHECK BUILDING............................343

DIRECT TRAFFIC........................................1 DISTURBANCE...........................................0 DOMESTIC DISTURBANCE............0 ESCORT.............................................................2 FIRE.....................................................................0 FOOT PATROL............................................0 FOUND PROPERTY................................1 HIT & RUN.......................................................2 INFORMATION REPORT...................3 INVESTIGATION FOLLOW UP...............................................19 LOST PROPERTY......................................2 MAINTENANCE: UNIV ASSETS............................................26 MENTAL HEALTH CONCERN.........1

MONITOR FACILITY/ LOT......................................................................7 MOTORIST ASSIST: INFLATE TIRE................................................1 MOTORIST ASSIST: JUMPSTART..................................................9 MOTORIST ASSIST: UNLOCK...........................................................8 OTHER...............................................................2 PARKING LOT PATROL...................30 PARKING VIOLATION..........................7 PATROL VEHICLE: MAINTENANCE........................................12 PATROL VEHICLE: REFUEL.............................................................7

RANDOM PATROL................................16 REPORT WRITING................................19 REPORT WRITING FOLLOWUP..........................1 SEX OFFENCE..............................................1 STAND BY.......................................................0 SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY.........................2 THEFT...................................................................1 TRAFFIC HAZARD....................................1 TRAFFIC STOP............................................4 TRAINING........................................................3 VEHICLE COLLISION..............................1

TOTAL...........................................................620

Chief Ellison’s Weekly Tip ACUPD wishes everyone a safe and relaxing Spring Break.

Friday, March 08, 2019

News | Page 3

CAMPUS NEWS

Shinnery Review accepting submissions nery. I’m so proud of our award-winning magazine for doing that.”

Because of the number of submissions, Moore said they do have to be very selective in terms of who gets into the magazine.

The selection process includes the editor, Jake Buller, assistant editor. The sponsors have no say, but

give them advice as they pick which ones make it into the final magazine.

Submissions are open to any student on campus.

“There are students who are featured who compete in national competitions and win, ACU should be proud of that,” Moore said. “We should talk more about that.”

Mall of Abilene to celebrate 40 years in Big Country

Everman Park host Dr. Suess birthday party

LAUREN FRANCO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The literary magazine on campus is accepting submissions through Friday. Winners will be announced on.

Dr. Steven Moore, co-sponsor of the Shinnery Review with Dr. Jeremy Elliot, said the combination of short stories, non-fiction

writing, photography and artwork from students in a variety of majors interested him.

“I see the Shinnery as an explosion of beautiful and amazing and extraordinary things that are going on,” Moore said. “Students are artistically expressing themselves in different venues of doing that. It’s an honor to be a sponsor because I get

to see students get excited about their art.”

Moore has a background in American literature, including African American and cultural literature. As a student at the University of Wisconsin, he was editor of the student newspaper and on staff for the literary magazine. As he got interested in poetry, he starting writing it

and getting published.

Since being on campus, Moore has sponsored the Shinnery Review on and off for about 20 years. The magazine has been around for over three decades.

“I love how we do our best job to represent the entire campus and student body. We want diversity to truly reign with the Shin-

ABILENE NEWS

BRIAN SWEET STAFF REPORTER

The Mall of Abilene will celebrate 40 years in business with a celebration on March 14 in the Men’s Dillard’s Courtyard from 2-4 p.m.

There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony hosted

by the Abilene Chamber of Commerce Redcoats. Food and refreshments will be provided, along with entertainment from the “Piano Man,” Mike Schuler.

Original tenants from when the mall first opened will be speaking at the celebration, including El Chico

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CUTE, COZY, ONE BEDROOM CABINS, and NEW EFFICIENCY APT, 1/2 block from ACU, for lease June 1, 2019- May 31, 2020. NO PETS, NO SMOKING. Call 325-513-6572.

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Cafe’s owner Cesar Rangel.

Various businesses will participate in raffles, offering prizes such as gift cards and gift certificates for those who enter the drawings. Others will be offering special coupons throughout the day.

The Mall opened its doors on March 14, 1979, with department stores like Wilson’s, Grissom’s, Dillard’s, JCPenney and more. Forty years later, many of those same stores are still open for business today.

Over 50,000 people attended the grand opening to see the biggest mall in the Big Country.

There have been two big upgrades to the mall recently. The first was the addition of the Abilene Public Library South Branch in 2016.

Steven Niles, General Manager of the Mall in Abilene, said the addition of the of the library hasn’t hurt business at the mall.

“The addition of the library really shook up our merchandise offering and has been nothing but a winwin for our community and our center,” Giles said.

The latest upgrade to the mall was in 2018 when the mall updated the movie theater’s name, seating

BRIAN SWEET STAFF REPORTER

Photo by BRIAN SWEET | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Nothing like message chairs and closing store sales to turn even the worst of days into a party. Join the Mall of Abilene as it celebrates 40 years of thriving.

and technology.

Lavone Crosby, Premiere Lux Cine 10 Director, said the upgrades were necessary to keep up with other movie theaters in Texas.

“Premiere and the mall recently teamed up to upgrade the facility, including the addition of new luxury seating and technology to better meet customer needs and exceed their expectations,” Crosby said. “Through the years of renovations and store openings, the theatre experienced its most extensive renovation to date in 2018.”

Niles said this event is for the Abilene community to recognize the impact the mall has had on Abilene.

“

Premiere and the mall recently teamed up to upgrade the facility, including the addition of new luxury seating and technology to better meet customer needs and exceed their expectations.”

EMILY SHERRILL NURSING MAJOR FROM JONESBORO, AR

“This event is just to celebrate and bring together both the retailers that are here and the public and community at large,” said Giles. “They can all come together and reminisce with us and celebrate the anniversary and the fact we’ve been here in the community.”

A belated birthday party for the late Dr. Seuss will occur at Everman Park from 10:00 a.m. to noon on March 23.

Due to poor weather, the party could not take place on his real birthday, March 2.

Sidney Levesque, marketing director at the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council, said the event will include tables with art activities based on the Dr. Seuss books, face painting, bubbles and a ride around the park on the storybook train.

The train ride will give children and families a view of the six Dr. Seuss sculptures placed in the park.

The cost to get on the train will be $1 per person.

Light snacks will also be given to participants.

Families with small children are encouraged to come, Levesque said. Attendance will cost $5 per family.

A grand opening for a free library, which will be stationed outside the T & P Depot, will also take place at the event.

The free library is one where people are encouraged to give a book to the box in exchange for one already inside of it.

Levesque said this is based on an honorary system.

The library kit came from the Little Free Library official website. Little Free Library describes itself as a non-profit organization and the “world’s largest book-sharing movement.”

Charlie and Kathy Taylor had put the library kit together, Levesque said.

Levesque said this is the first year a Dr. Seuss birthday party is being celebrated and is not sure if another will occur in the future.

Sign-up Now for Summer and Fall 2019 Housing!

Reserve your off campus house now with deposit or get on the waiting list! House showings begin March 2019.

Rent is charged to student accounts just like the Dorm (a semester at a time).

Utilities are included along with yard care, maintenance, filters, smoke detector batteries, and regular bug treatment. www.acu.edu/community/student-life/residence-life/off-campus-housing

Call (325) 674-6817 Contact Terry Bowman Director of Off-Campus Housing bowmant@acu.edu

Page 4 | Small Business Series

Friday, March 08, 2019

A BARN FIT FOR A BRIDE Pyle opens dream wedding venue to share passion with brides

Photos by LAUREN FRANCO| EDITOR IN CHIEF Ashley Pyle, owner of Sabrina Cedars, poses outside of the venue located on the outskirts of Abilene.

LAUREN FRANCO EDITOR IN CHIEF

G

rowing up in Iowa, she’d pass barns in desperate need of renovation all the time.

Ashley Pyle has wanted to open her a wedding venue since she planned her own. Though Abilene doesn’t have many deteriorating barnes, Ashley and her husband, Cason, decided to follow that model and build their own.

Sabrina Cedars, Ashley’s venue on the outskirts of south Abilene, housed its first event in September of 2018 after a few years of tossing the idea around and only seven months of construction.

The two purchased the property in 2015 and built their house first, then the venue.

“We did that per the bank’s advice on ways to get loans,” Ashley said. “Hindsight, it’s good that they gave us that advice. Living here while building has been a must.”

Cason served as general contractor of the barn while also working his full-time job as a school teacher. Time was stretched, so I can’t imagine what it would have been like if we weren’t living on the prop-

erty. February 2017 is when they poured concrete, and September 2018 is when they had their first event.

Through a company called Barn Pros, they designed the venue to replicate a horse barn. Ashley said the company has standard barn floor plans, but dimensions and window placement can be customized.

Then, they give you the lumber for the structure based on how it has been designed.

“It was a fun process, but it also came with a lot of stresses.”

Ashley said they looked at other venues and talked with people who are knowledgeable about the wedding industry. Because there were so many different designs, it was hard for them decide which aspects they would keep.

“We tried really hard to make it our own and make it unique also while pulling in pieces from other venues that we felt were really beautiful.”

One of the most difficult parts, Ashley said, was to not second guess whether they missed something or should have done the design differently.

“Once you’re going, you’re going. You just have to confidently move forward,” Ashley said.

The venue is named after Cason’s mother, Sabrina, who passed away in a car accident when he was 4.

Ashley said though they’ve almost used her name at different points in their life, especially with three daughters, they felt like the venue was a perfect opportunity to honor her.

Though Cason has no memories of her, Ashley said Sabrina was described as joyful and able to love people well.

“We hope that’s what happens here – people have an extremely joyous experience and that they commit to loving each other for a lifetime.

It’s special to us in that way, and we feel lucky to get to honor her through.” he duo decided to stay in Abilene because of the community they’ve built up and support they receive.

“Neither one of our families live here, but we have a great church home; we have tons of friends,” Ashley said. “We love Abilene as far as it being a family-friendly town. With three universities and junior colleges and an Air Force base, there’s a lot of opportunity for people to get married. There’s a lot of good partnership and places that offer partnerships.”

T

In addition to the people surrounding them, Ashley said Abilene reminds her of the Midwest in that it is down-to-earth and has an easy pace of life.

Ashley said her Cason have been through a lot of steps in their marriage to prepare them for this season. Cason flipped houses for several years while he was going to graduate school and continued to do so in the summers as a school teacher.

She organized events at ACU for the admissions office on campus and off.

“Those two things, especially have equipped us well,” Ashley said. “When we look back through every single step of the way from when we found the property to when it all worked out financially, just the doors that continued to open for us were pretty incredible. We felt like we saw the green light of the Lord asking us to trust him and continue walking.”

Her favorite part of the venue is the bridal suite upstairs. Ashley said she put a lot of time and thought into trying to make it the perfect space for a bride to feel super special and share it with her closest friends and family.

“I love going up there

when weddings take place because it’s super fun. There’s typically music going and random games.”

As she listed her other favorite parts of the venue, she included the reclaimed wood around the top. The two spent an evening digging through piles of wood to find enough that was all the same style, width and locked together well.

“I didn’t see anything else like that at any of the other venues we looked at,” Ashley said. “Some ant bites later and watching my back for rattlesnakes all night, we came home with it.”

Ashley said the design of the venue is intended to make families feel comfortable on their wedding day, and allow a space for people to make it their own. o far, she said the upcoming wedding season has been more successful than she could have imagined.

“It’s so neat to see the fruits of your labor come to life. I love watching a ceremony take place when I think back to everything we prayed about and prayed over.”

The hardest part for Ashley, was the juggle of building it all with normal everyday life. Because Ca-

S

son’s time was committed to the venue, Ashley and their three daughters didn’t see him much unless they were helping at the barn.

“It was a hard season of them missing their dad and not understanding why I had to make my 10th trip to the barn to give my stamp of approval or make a decision.

They had a love-hate relationship with the barn initially.”

Now, the girls enjoy visiting the barn and helping their mom when they can. Her middle daughter, 4 years old, enjoys meeting the brides and watching them walk down the aisle.

“My middle daughter is always wanting to catch a glimpse of the ‘wedding girl,’” Ashley said. “I look forward to when they’re older and helping me. I feel like they’ll learn a lot of good life skills and responsibility helping me run it.”

Looking back at houses they flipped, Ashley said they realized it was finally going to work.

“It’s really neat to sit in our spot and look back at the things that did truly just open and really ultimately made it possible,” she said.” We felt like the lord was blessing us through people and doors.”

Friday, March 08, 2019

Opinion| Page 5

EDITORIAL

Our Div. I program deserves more support THE ISSUE

OUR TAKE

Attendance is lacking at each sporting event across the board.

Students and other people in Abilene owe it to our athletes to be at games and push them to be tough Div. I competitors.

Optimist Editorial Board | editor@jmcnetwork.com ACU athletics has completely transitioned to Div. I, and each team is eligible to participate in postseason play each year; however, it doesn’t seem game attendance numbers have transitioned at all.

The attendance at Wildcat Stadium in 2017 cracked the top 25 in all of FCS, but this was only because the stadium had opened for its first year and drew a sell-out crowd in the first game.

Official attendance numbers steadily declined, with the exception of Homecoming, and at the last game against Sam Houston, only 5,995 people attended.

In the 2018 football season, attendance was much worse as attendance numbers reached 10,000 just once, which was for the Homecoming game against Nicholls.

As basketball season comes to a close, the ACU women and men will play in Moody Coliseum for the last time for the 2018-19 season, and attendance was also lacking during the year.

With how well both teams STAFF COLUMNS

have been playing this season, it’s vital attendance starts to resemble Div. I athletics.

The men sit at 24-6 overall and are looking to win their first-ever Southland Conference Championship. Meanwhile, the women’s team is still battling for a bye in the tournament this Saturday.

While the men’s team has many seniors this year, there is much to look forward to next season. Freshman Damien Daniels has been a massive contributor to the Wildcats this season setting them up for success for the future.

Meanwhile, ACU women’s basketball has had one of its best seasons in recent memory. Senior guard Sara Williamson has been a great producer for the Wildcats this year, but this roster is very young.

Not only will the women be battling for the conference championship, but they’ll likely be favorites to win the conference next season.

With all this said, athletics has come a long ways in previous years. We’ve seen dras-

tic improvements in both our football and basketball programs which often are nationally televised.

With so many people watching, it should encourage fans and students to attend these games not only to show school spirit, but also to emphasize how much we’ve improved.

Athletics is constantly making innovations and creating ways for our players to settle into the Abilene environment in order to make

them feel motivated to perform. The accolades and winning season our teams have put together across the board in such a short period of time as a Div. I school is simply greatness that we don’t witness when missing games.

Students, as well as other members of the Abilene community, owe it to our athletes to give them a crowd atmosphere they can get behind each game.

Nearly 2,500 people showed up to sup-

port the men’s basketball team when they hosted Sam Houston in Moody a month ago. The noise this amount people gave out when celebrating was deafening, but amazing in supporting the team. If each team on campus was given that kind of support from now on, our athletics program could move toward being one of the tougher Div. I programs in the nation.

Senior night is a great place

to start. This Saturday, both the men and women’s basketball teams will play in Moody for the last time this season.

A strong attendance number can spur each team to a win and send them out of the regular season with momentum.

Even if people can’t show up for Saturday’s games, there are still other teams on campus that need our support including baseball and softball which play through the end of the year.

How the maroon dollhouse continued to inspire QUITE FRANCO-LY LAUREN FRANCO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Senior convergence journalism major from Euless

As he picked me up and slung me over his broad shoulders, he hauled me to the garage and told me to cover my eyes.

I did just that, peeking through the slits in my fingers that were big enough to keep a glimpse of the surprise ahead.

I stood next to my papaw on the cold concrete floor and he let me open my eyes to see the glorious two-story Barbie doll house.

Not just any Walmart, zip-tied-up-in-a-cardboard-box Barbie house, but a maroon, two-story, carpeted, furnished, handmade house.

He wheeled it into the living room, pulled out my box of Barbies and started playing with me, using fake high-pitched voices and intricate storylines for each doll we played with.

For his birthday that year, I (my mom) bought him a brunette Barbie doll with a bright green blowup chair. Now, he’d have his own.

He would sit with legs criss-crossed next to me in his bright blue sweater and orange, checkered pants from high school and position his Barbie perfectly on her chair to watch the madeup television as I drove the Barbie car to the “mall.”

Occasionally, he’d mock my five-year-old expressions and tease me by sticking out his tongue until it made me too angry to play and I was forced to tattle.

Twelve years ago, my papaw died.

I don’t remember crying. My dad took us to lunch and told us we would be taking a long trip, but never said why. He gave us things to do and that was sufficient enough for us to be content in ignorance.

My parents told my brother and me at a playground in Arkansas. As a nine-year-old, I didn’t really understand the capacity of losing someone, so it didn’t take long for me to run for the sturdy wooden castle while the adults dealt with the “real stuff.”

I was sad, but it didn’t hit me at his funeral, and it didn’t hit me when we spread his ashes. It actual-

ly didn’t hit me for a long while.

It wasn’t until high school that my emotions caught up.

As I started achieving real things, I realized the person I wanted to celebrate with wasn’t by my side. The person who had a smile glued to his face and an aura of happiness wasn’t there to comfort me in the times I needed him the most.

One of his favorite things to do was bowl. Despite being a break from all the work he would do, he somehow managed to make it a career, too. He bowled quite a few perfect games and competed in tournaments often. His love for bowling became the family competition – a way to enjoy who he was and grow closer together.

He was a professor of child psychology, well-liked

and complemented by his students. He had a passion for teaching others, both in academics and life-skills.

I remember going into his office and playing classroom while he watched me through his bulky, square glasses. Ironically, he’d be the student, learning from me how to draw trees and spell elementary words.

But since then, his legacy has taught me.

It’s so easy to go through the motions as we prepare for graduation. We’ll miss our friends, but Abilene?

Not so much. It’s easy to have a bad attitude when a friend drops off or we get a bad grade on a test, and it’s easy to become weary of the Chapels we deem meaningless so often.

Since the beginning of the year, I’ve tried to be, as much as possible, like my papaw – serving others selflessly and seeking to

make connections in every way that I can. I’ve tried to be curious and interested in growth, but with the right balance of joy and intimate, strong relationships.

I’ll gladly admit that I fail. Often.

But having someone who inspires me in every possible way makes it that much easier to get back up. To remember all of the good someone had to offer, and strive to be so similar to them, gives grueling daily tasks so much more meaning.

Though he isn’t by my side physically, his lessons have made this journey all the more meaningful and worthwhile.

As I reach the final frame of my senior year, I often think about how much I wish my favorite person was here to cheer me on to victory.

wants to be very clear that we value the Chapel experience as an important part of the ACU culture.”

I remember being so uncomfortable visiting campus for the first time as I walked through the doors in Moody, sat in a chair on the floor and observed. I’d never been around a Church of Christ environment, so it was confusing to me that there was no music, and I had no idea what the songs were.

During my freshman year, I loved Chapel. I would see people swipe in and out and get so frustrated that they wouldn’t take

advantage of this opportunity to worship every day.

Now, it’s not so much the same story, but that doesn’t change the fact that Chapel isn’t an optional experience.

For something ACU pours a lot of attention into, it surprised me to hear that it was also something they were so willing to let slide away from potential students.

Scott McDowell, vice president of student life, said 90 percent of a student’s time is spent outside the classroom, and ACU’s religious affiliation is its No. 1 differentiator from other universities.

Because we pride ourselves so much on our spiritual formation (and yes, it was a convincing factor for me), the opportunity to grow in faith through worship and community, primarily at 11 a.m. every weekday, should be at the forefront of campus tours.

Cyrus Eaton, the new campus chaplain, also said one of his goals coming to the university has been to make Chapels more intimate. This semester, Eaton decided to eliminate small group Chapels on Mondays, appropriating 30 minutes each week to cultivat-

ing community among the whole student body.

“Our goal in the overall Chapel program is that it helps us find our place in the story that God is writing,” Eaton said.

If tours are meant to give prospective students a feel of what being a Wildcat looks like, skipping Chapel should not be an option.

Whether an avid Chapel-goer or a slide and glider, Chapel is a (required) part of every student’s experience for all four years. If current students have to go 55 times, it should be a priority that visitors go once.

Misleading headlines are the real fake news FUTURE HECKLER AMBER CHAVEZ VIDEO DIRECTOR

Senior multimedia major from Dripping Springs

A few years ago, tour guides stopped bringing prospective students to Moody Chapels during campus visits.

Leslie Hayes, director of campus visits, said all admitted student and senior tours stop at Chapel, but daily visits and other preview days do not. Because the latter two are shorter,

Hayes said trying to pack all necessary information into one day can make fitting Chapel in an issue.

“We also have had some negative feedback about Chapel from visiting families,” Hayes said via email.

“We did stop including Chapel in some types of visits a few years ago, but the campus visits team

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Page 6 | Sports

Friday, March 08, 2019

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Wildcats axe Lumberjacks, clinch two-round bye MAX PRESTON SPORTS DIRECTOR

The Wildcats got their revenge on Stephen F. Austin in Moody Tuesday evening as they defeated the Lumberjacks 72-58 and claimed the second seed and a tworound bye in the Southland tournament after New Orleans lost to Southeastern Louisiana 81-67 Wednesday night.

After the win over SFA, ACU either needed to win Saturday against Incarnate Word or have the Lions defeat UNO, which held the tie-breaker, in order to clinch the second seed.

With SLU’s win, the Wildcats will officially play on March 15 at 7:30 p.m. in the semifinal round.

Senior forward Jaren Lewis said a two-round bye will be highly beneficial to the team.

“This helps our team because of the rest time,” Lewis said. “We should be well rested going into Katy and hopefully we benefit from that. It also gives us more time to prepare so that preparation time can be very beneficial as well.”

Tuesday’s win for the men also broke the school’s record of regular-season wins (24) as well as conference wins in a season (13).

ACU led the entire first half against SFA and found a double-digit lead with 5:45 remaining. The men took a 14-point lead into halftime (38-24).

In the second half, the Lumberjacks showed life as they were able to close the gap and trail by six (5044) with 10:47 left in the game. The Wildcats woke

Photo by RILEY FISHER | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

Team

Ovrl.

Lamar SFA Nicholls ACU SHSU TAMU-CC UNO UCA NSU McNeese UIW SLU HBU

23-5 24-5 19-10 19-9 16-11 14-14 12-15 11-16 10-18 7-21 5-23 9-19 8-19

Div. 16-1 15-2 13-4 12-5 11-6 8-9 8-10 6-11 5-12 5-12 5-12 4-13 3-14

Team

Ovrl.

SHSU ACU SLU UNO Lamar TAMU-CC HBU SFA UCA Nicholls NSU McNeese UIW

20-10 24-6 16-14 17-12 18-12 13-17 12-16 14-15 12-18 13-17 11-19 9-21 6-24

Div. 15-2 13-4 12-5 12-6 11-6 8-9 8-9 7-10 7-10 6-11 6-11 5-12 1-16

Senior forward Hayden Farquhar scraps with SFA’s senior center Jovan Grujic for a rebound Tuesday night in Moody. Farquhar finished with 15 points.

back up, however, and went on a 10-2 run to reclaim a 14-point lead. They then cruised to the victory as they kept a double-digit lead the rest of the way.

Head coach Joe Golding said Tuesday’s win helped him feel better after losing to SFA in heartbreaking fashion over a month ago.

“I think it’s a huge win for us,” Golding said. “Obviously it was a gut punch a month ago, so to add the opportunity to get them back today we feel better after winning.”

Senior guard Jaylen Franklin was the leading scorer in the game with 16 points, and he also notched a double-double with 10 assists. Franklin went 5-10 from the field and grabbed seven rebounds as well.

Franklin said he excited to be able to lead the team to a win over SFA. “Since I’ve been here, we haven’t beat them and it felt good to win tonight,” Franklin said. “They’ve been a talented team each of the four years I’ve been here and it felt good to play them in

Moody and get the victory for my last season here.”

Freshman guard Damien Daniels also made his presence known with 10 points and seven rebounds. Senior forward Hayden Farquhar and Lewis rounded out the four players who scored double-digits.

Farquhar finished with 15 points and Lewis had 13.

ACU now heads into its last game of the year against a struggling UIW team which has a record of 1-15 in conference and 6-23 overall. The Cardinals are coming off a

bizarre and rare game where they lost 118-111 to Houston Baptist without overtime.

In the last matchup between the Wildcats and UIW, ACU played impressively on defense and won 68-48 in San Antonio.

The Wildcats will also have their senior day celebration before the game as they honor Franklin, Lewis and Farquhar.

Tipoff is at 3:30 p.m. and the seniors will walk the court with their families minutes before the game.

SFA snaps women’s five-game win steak in Nacogdoches The Wildcats traveled to Nacogdoches Wednesday hoping to extend their winning streak. Ultimately that failed to be the case against Stephen F. Austin as the Wildcats fell 65-48.

The game was within ACU’s grasp at the midway point. Senior guard Sara Williamson drove into

Women’s Basketball

Men’s Basketball

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

OWEN SIMPSON SPORTS REPORTER

STANDINGS

the paint for a layup at the buzzer to tie the game at 29 apiece entering halftime.

The second half was where the women lost control of the game. Junior guard Breanna Wright said her team needs to put forth a full game when playing against the top schools.

“We just need to bring together four complete quarters. We gave up some crucial rebounds that they

were able to score easy buckets on. We’re going to watch film and see where the breakdowns were defensively. We just have to learn from this game and move onto the next.”

The Wildcats were outscored by 17 points in the second half largely caused by their lack of protecting the ball. ACU finished with 22 turnovers, including eight alone in the

fourth quarter.

ACU’s 48 points is the lowest total the Wildcats have scored all season. Junior forward Alyssa Adams led the way for ACU in their inefficient offensive evening. She finished with 12 points and five rebounds shooting 4-6 from the field.

Meanwhile, freshman forward Aiyana Johnson came off the bench for

SFA leading all players in scoring totaling 17. Johnson shot 5-6 overall and five rebounds in just 21 minutes of play.

Up next, ACU travels back home for senior day to honor lone senior Sara Williamson. They’ll take on Incarnate Word Saturday at 1 p.m in Moody.

Meanwhile, SFA will host Sam Houston State Saturday at 2 p.m.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Basketball

Franklin Senior guard Jaylen Franklin came to play these past two games. Earlier on Saturday against Central Arkansas, Franklin scored 12 points on 6-11 shooting.

But scoring wasn’t the only thing the senior contributed to the team. He finished with six rebounds and eight assists. The Wildcats played again on Wednesday in Moody against Stephen F. Austin. In the big win, Franklin finished with a career high 10 assists, seven rebounds, and 16 points. Up next, Franklin will play in his last regular season game of his career at home against Incarnate Word Saturday at 3:30 p.m.

Basketball

MEN’S BASKETBALL PREVIEW 2019 SEASON STATS

Golightly

74.4

POINTS PER GAME

66.4

33.2

REBOUNDS PG

27.4

15.7

ASSISTS PG

11.5

63.5 POINTS ALLOWED PG 75.8 UNIVERSITY OF INCARNATE WORD

ABILENE CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY (22-6)

MAX PRESTON SPORTS DIRECTOR

(6-24)

OWEN SIMPSON SPORTS REPORTER

BREVEN CAMPBELL SPORTS REPORTER

RACHEL POE

SPORTS REPORTER

By the looks of last week, the Wildcats seemed to have moved on quickly from losing two starters and have found the intensity they need heading into postseason play. Two wins over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Central Arkansas, both programs that can never be overlooked, showed that ACU is still alive and motivated to capture the Southland tournament title. A win over SFA Tuesday and a win by Southeastern Louisiana over New Orleans Wenesday earned the Wildcats a two-round bye in the tournament which will allow them more rest and preparation. Emotions will be high Saturday as the Wildcats participate in senior day and honor Jaren Lewis, Jaylen Franklin and Hayden Farquhar. The sentimental atmosphere won’t get to the players, however, and the Wildcats should run away with this one early. Lewis and Franklin have shown their senior leadership as of late putting up big numbers offensively and defensively.

Last time, the Wildcats defeated the Cardinals by 20 in San Antonio and I don’t expect much of a difference when playing them in Moody this weekend to close the regular season.

If you would have told me ACU would be sitting at second in the conference entering the final game of the season, I would certainly of said it was a stretch. But here we are. With a win or loss, the Wildcats have already clinched a double bye in the tournament and are simply be just two wins away from their first ever NCAA tournament appearance. The last time these two teams faced was only five games ago where ACU manhandled the Cardinals 68-48. Incarnate Word led for just two and a half minutes in the blowout as they were held to just 17 made shots and turned the ball over 19 times. The Cardinals are on a 15-game losing streak and sit at 6-23 overall on the season. Assuming ACU keeps up their defensive effort we’ve seen this season, which ranks 20th in the NCAA, the Wildcats will come out with win number 25 on the season.

Up next, the Southland Conference tournament awaits for the first time in history.

The Wildcats are back in second place and are looking to finish the season off strong. Finishing second in the conference is huge for ACU and increases their chances of making the NCAA tournament. The season looked lost after two of the starters were dismissed from the team, but the Wildcats have proven they are still a team to look at as the season is closing.

Incarnate Word, last in the conference, should not be a problem for ACU, but the Wildcats cannot look forward to the Southland tournament too early or the chances for a second place finish could be out of the team’s grasp. With only one win in conference, the Cardinals are looking to close the season on a positive note with a win, but ACU will come out of the gates fast and keep the lead from there.

This past weekend the Wildcats played a great game against Central Arkansas coming out with a victory. They now have the No. 2 seed of the Southland Conference tournament locked with a win against SFA Tuesday night. The last time ACU faced UIW, the Wildcats brought home an easy 68-48 victory. However, that victory was in the Cardinal’s home, San Antonio. If Lewis, Franklin and Fraquhar, with a total of 37 points from Saturday’s game, lead and play like they did last Saturday, the Wildcats will have an easy win over UIW. The Wildcats will come out stronger than ever to defeat them on their home court this upcoming Saturday, on Senior night, one last time.

FINAL SCORE: ACU 80 UIW 67

FINAL SCORE: ACU 70 UIW 57

FINAL SCORE: ACU 75 UIW 62

FINAL SCORE: ACU 72 UCA 54

Junior forward Dominique Golightly brought her best game of the season against Central Arkansas as they won 67-65. Golightly finished with a double-double at 16 points and 10 rebounds. Later Wednesday night, the girls had a tough loss against Stephen F. Austin 65-48. However she still came came to play for ACU. 10 points and four rebounds to cap off the evening.

Up next, the Wildcats play their last game of the season with a bye at stake for the tournament. They play Incarnate Word Saturday at 1 p.m.

Baseball

Claborn Senior f irst basemen Koby Claborn had a weekend for the Wildcats baseball team as they faced the Hartford Hawks.

In the three-game sweep for the Wildcats, Claborn went 3-8 at bat over the weekend with seven RBI’s including a walkoff RBI single in the f irst game versus the Hawks.

Up next ACU travels back home as conference play begins. The Wildcats play the Demons of Northwestern State this Friday and Saturday.

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