Optimist Print Edition 03.22.19 (Volume CVII, Issue XXIV)

OPTIMIST

@acuoptimist The Optimist @acuoptimist

MADNESS The women’s basketball team heads to Waco for the first round of the NCAA Div. 1 tournament.

A student publication of Abilene Christian University since 1912

Friday March 22, 2019

Volume CVIII, Issue XXIV

F S S M T

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News

News

Gallery

The Office of Student Productions released scores of each category for this year’s Sing Song acts to promote transparency and encourage a fresh perspective on the results...................Page 2

Body and Soul and the Halbert Center sent 18 students to Guatemala for a medical mission trip over spring break. The trip opened the eyes of several to the needs of those they served.................Page 3

Men’s and women’s basketball won the Southland Conference championship games Saturday and Sunday, seling their first trip to a March Madness tournament......................................................Page 4

A TALE OF TWO TOURNAMENTS Round 1 loss fails to dampen men’s moment of Madness Photo by LAUREN FRANCO | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Photo by LAUREN FRANCO | EDITOR IN CHIEF

Kolton Kohl, sophomore center, takes a shot, but is blocked by EJ Montgomery, freshman forward for Kentucky.

MAX PRESTON SPORTS DIRECTOR

The men’s basketball team finally got its first taste of March Madness Thursday evening in Jacksonville against Kentucky, and fell to the No. 2 seed 79-44 to cap off a historic season.

Senior forward Hayden Farquhar said the experience was amazing and Kentucky was a tough team to face.

“It was really awesome,” Farquhar said. “To go out there and see the crowd was an experience I’ll never forget. Right off the bat, they were a lot taller than we were and a lot bigger than we were. At the end of the day, that had nothing to do with it. It was just five guys playing five guys. Today they were the better five guys.”

Head coach Joe Golding tipped his cap to Kentucky and said he was happy with his team’s season.

“Yeah Kentucky is all that,” Golding said.

“They’re really good, the best team we’ve played this year, them and Texas Tech.

We wish them the best of luck. I’m proud of our guys. They didn’t quit. They represented our university and our city in a first-class manner tonight and they’ve done that all year, so I’m extremely proud of them.”

Kentucky got off to a fast start, letting ACU score only once in the first eight minutes and claiming an 18-3 lead. The men were able to outscore Kentucky 7-4 up until the 9:58 mark, however, the Wildcats struggled in the rest of the half as they scored three more points. Kentucky took a 39-13 lead into halftime.

ACU was able to find the bottom of the net more in the first half matching their first half total of 13 points nearly eight minutes into the second half.

SEE TOURNAMENTS PAGE 6

Conference champs prep for tougher test versus #1 Baylor OWEN SIMPSON ASSISTANT SPORTS DIRECTOR

If you’re a sports fan, you understand that March Madness, says women’s basketball head coach Julie Goodenough, is “indeed madness.”

“We’ve talked about for years now when we get a chance to qualify for the NCAA Tournament, but I don’t really think that anyone could predict what it’s really like,” Goodenough said.

The Wildcats are riding high this week as the ACU women’s basketball team clinched its first berth in the NCAA Tournament in program history. They did so by knocking off the Islanders of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in

the Southland Conference Championship 69-68. With the win, the Wildcats were guaranteed a spot in the tournament.

Goodenough emphasized the importance of playing in the tournament for the first time.

“We’re just so excited,” she said. “This is new experience for our program and for our fans. You can’t just walk into any building on campus or any store in town without someone talking about the buzz of the men and women’s team going to the NCAA tournament. It’s a really big deal for our program, but for ACU and for the Abilene community as well.”

Saturday, the men’s team also clinched their first appearance in the tournament, defeating New

“

Its been a really long season, but the way we just played in the tournament, we have a lot of momentum going in.”

LEXI DUCAT JUNIOR CENTER

Orleans in the conference tournament, 77-60.

Goodenough joked about a plan to psyche out the team’s Baylor opponents.

“We’re going to disguise our male scout team as players, and we feel like that’s the best game plan,” she said.

Junior center Lexi Ducat has been one of many key factors leading to the team’s success. She’s averaging 11.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.

“This moment is com-

Photo by RILEY FISHER | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER Senior guard Sara Williamson takes the ball around an Islander as she looks for a shot in the Southland Conference Championship. pletely surreal,” Ducat said. “We’ve been talking about and planning this since June as team. Its been a really long season, but the way we just played in

acuoptimist.com

the tournament, we have a lot of momentum going in. Come Saturday, we’ll be ready to play.”

Goodenough is well aware how important the

upperclassmen are on the team, but she’s impressed with how the younger players have improved throughout the season.

“Its been fun just watching our chemistry develop over the year,” she said. “The freshmen and sophomores definitely have leaned on our junior class and on Sara to lead by example and also to try to interpret situations in the game.”

One of the upperclassmen on the team, Junior guard Breanna Wright led the team with 16 points, seven assists and seven rebounds to cap off impressive tournament play which crowned her as the tournament MVP. SEE BAYLOR PAGE 6

Page 2 | Campus News

Friday, March 22, 2019

CAMPUS NEWS

Sets/ Props

Costume

Class

Women’s Men’s

MAX: 150

Choreography Entertainment

MAX: 150

Vocals

MAX: 200

MAX: 150

Overall

MAX: 350

MAX: 1000

1st

Galaxy - 138

Galaxy - 125

Galaxy - 135

Galaxy - 187

Galaxy - 323

Galaxy - 908

2nd

Gamma Sigma Phi - 123

Gamma Sigma Phi - 122

Gamma Sigma Phi - 134

Frater Sodalis - 157

Gamma Sigma Phi. - 304

Gamma Sigma Phi - 839

3rd

Frater Sodalis - 111

Frater Sodalis - 120

Frater Sodalis - 115

Gamma Sigma Pi - 156

Frater Sodalis - 247

Frater Sodalis - 750

4th

Trojans - 107

Trojans - 88

Pi Kappa - 86

Sub-T 16 - 140

Pi Kappa - 240

Pi Kappa - 629

1st

Ko Jo Kai - 143

GATA - 131

Sigma Theta Chi - 139

Ko Jo Kai - 187

Sigma Theta Chi - 317

Ko Jo Kai - 889

2nd

Sigma Theta Chi - 128*

Ko Jo Kai - 121

Ko Jo Kai - 136

Sigma Theta Chi - 178

Ko Jo Kai - 302

Sigma Theta Chi - 877

3rd

GATA - 128*

Sigma Theta Chi - 115

GATA - 119

GATA - 150

GATA - 296

GATA - 829

4th

Tri Kappa Gamma - 116

Delta Theta - 110

Tri Kappa Gamma - 117

Tri Kappa Gamma - 148

Tri Kappa Gamma - 278

Tri Kappa Gamma - 756

1st

Freshman Dwarfs - 113

Freshman Cards - 121

Seniors - 120

Seniors - 178

Seniors - 299

Seniors - 801

2nd

Sophomores - 111

Sophomores - 118

Sophomores - 112

Sophomores - 170

Sophomores - 286

Sophomores - 797

3rd

Seniors - 110

Freshman Dwarfs - 116

Freshman Cards - 111

Freshman Cards - 152

Freshman Cards - 255

Freshman Cards - 742

4th

Freshman Cards - 103

Seniors - 94

Freshman Dwarfs - 109

Freshman Dwarfs - 131

Freshman Dwarfs - 237

Freshman Dwarfs - 706

*Indicates judges broke the tie

Student Productions releases Sing Song scores LAUREN FRANCO EDITOR IN CHIEF

This year, to be transparent about scores, the Office of Student Productions released scores for each act in each category.

Director of Student Productions, Nick Tatum, said they wanted to be transparent because a lot of people leave Sing Song with questions, specifically about why they placed where they did

in a certain category. Tatum said they waited to release the scores so people would have time to take a step back and settle back into their normal routine.

“We want people to look at them with a fresh perspective that is not passionate or emotional,” Tatum said. “It’s a learning experience for participants next year.”

The men of Galaxy swept the men’s division, Ko Jo

Kai won the women’s division for the second year in a row and the senior class won as Adam and Eve. Though scoring was updated again this year, Tatum said sometimes people don’t understand the depth of a category.

Costumes (15 percent) are judged on how wellmade they are and how professional they look.

Acts are also ranked based on their cohesion and

whether their costumes are visually appealing. The subcategories are quality, recognizability/cohesion, color and creativity.

Set/Props (15 percent) are judged on how visually appealing and professional they look, as well as how proportional they are in sizing (not too small). The subcategories are design, recognizability/cohesion, engineering and creativity.

Choreography (15 per-

cent) is judged on whether the group was “together” in their movements with good timing and rhythm.

Judges also rank based on memorability, impact and creativity. The subcategories of choreography are synchronicity, precision, impact and creativity.

Vocals (35 percent) are judged based on how intune the group is, whether they blend and the variety of dynamics. Diction is also

a determining factor, as it is its own subcategory alongside tuning, musicality/dynamics, tone/blending and tempo.

Entertainment (20 percent) is judged on how interesting the overall idea is, and how enthusiastic the group seemed. The subcategories are concept, lyrics, performance and enjoyment.

Above are the scores from this year’s show.

Siggies look to raise roof on campus to celebrate 50th LAUREN FRANCO EDITOR IN CHIEF

As the club turns 50 next year, alumni, sponsors and current members of Sigma Theta Chi plan to celebrate by funding a pavilion on the grassy area between the Brown Library and Zona Luce.

Amanda Pittman, Siggie sponsor and head of the project, said that they liked the idea of doing something on campus that was for more than just club and would last longer than a year.

Though other ideas were pitched, the main concept was to have a gathering place for fellowship and conversation.

Because a lot of the larger gathering areas are off limits, Pittman said, they wanted to give more space for people to congregate.

“We did some initial searches on the internet and showed those to different people on campus,” Pittman said.

Some of their inspiration included Magnolia Market in Waco and other places similar to a town square.

Conversations about the pavilion started last spring, but because there wasn’t

much funding at the time, the progress was slow. The total process is projected to last two years.

After administration approved their ideas, they were directed to an architect, Brent Lobstein, who works with the university.

Lobstein proposed renderings to the committee and discussed tweaks to make.

Originally, they planned to include a fire pit, but after conversations with risk management, they determined it was too dangerous to have an open flame near two of the oldest buildings on campus, as well as a constant threat to student safety.

“It was much more modern than we thought, we loved it,” Pittman said.

Lobstein planned for the pavilion to face north/ south so the sun wouldn’t inhibit the experience.

The club is responsible for raising all of the funds for the pavilion, $200,000, for the materials, architect design fees, mailing fees, etc. The goal is to be completely funded by August so it can be ready by homecoming. It is projected to only take around 35 days to build.

If the pavilion is not

“

They just tell everyone to give what you can, but with 50 years of girls and so many pledge classes, we can get pretty close to what we’re trying to raise.”

AMANDA PITTMAN SIGGIE SPONSER AND HEAD OF THE PAVILION PROJECT

The pavilion will be constructed near Zona Luce and the Administration Building.

built by October, Pittman said they’d like to have at least a groundbreaking.

Originally, the cost limit was $150,000, but the steel and concrete were more expensive than expected.

To raise the money, Pittman said they are reaching out to their class champi-

ons – members from each pledge class over the past 15 years – to reach out to alumni on social media.

“They just tell everyone to give what you can, but with 50 years of girls and so many pledge classes, we can get pretty close to what we’re trying to raise.”

The pavilion is intended to serve campus, offering a place for professors to take their classes and students to study outside and converse.

Pittman said they wanted to respect the grassy lot, but the university recommended it as the per-

fect location. As they continued to think about it, Pittman said they realized it is a high-traffic area, including Leadership Camps over the summer and recreational sporting activities.

“It would be a cool place for people to gather before and after the event,” Pittman said. “Siggies will incorporate it into pledging, but anyone can use it and any group can meet there.”

Like the Ko Jo Kai benches, GATA fountain and Sub T-16 scoreboard, the Siggie Pavilion would benefit more than just club members, Pittman said, but would still be incorporated into club activities including pass the keys – a club tradition to celebrate a member’s engagement.

“We were really encouraged by the response we got on campus. All of the feedback was super positive.”

POLICE LOG SELECTED ACUPD CALLS FOR THE WEEK 03/12/2019 9:00 a.m.

ACUPD interviewed an inmate regarding a recent bike theft from campus. The subject admitted to the theft, charges pending.

03/13/2019 6:48 p.m.

A citizen reported an armed subject in the parking lot of Walmart – 1650 Hwy 351. Officers located the subject who was in possession of a bow and arrow. The subject had not threatened anyone nor committed a crime.

03/13/2019 9:31 p.m.

A citizen returned home and found a window screen removed. Officers checked the residence with the person and did not find any signs of entry nor any items missing. High winds likely blew the screen off the window.

03/18/2019 6:22 p.m.

Officers responded to a report of an unknown male knocking on residence doors. Subject was gone on police arrival.

03/19/2019 12:10 p.m.

A student reported that an unknown older male subject approached her in the library asking personal questions. The student felt uncomfortable with the situation and contacted the police department.

911 CALL............................................................0 ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIVITY.......................................................39 ADVICE.............................................................0 ALCOHOL INCIDENT.............................1 ANIMAL CALL.............................................0 ASSIST................................................................3 ATTEMPT TO LOCATE..........................0 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...........................................................650

Chief Ellison’s Weekly Tip ACUPD joins the entire ACU community in congratulating the Men’s and Women’s basketball teams on great seasons and for representing ACU so well this year.

Friday, March 22, 2019

News | Page 3

NEWS

Students spend break serving in Guatemala DILLION DANIEL STAFF REPORTER

Eighteen students spent their spring break on a medical missions trip to Guatemala that was organized by the Body and Soul Program and the Halbert Center for Missions and Global Service.

This group assisted in medical treatments of local residents alongside doctors from the area while portraying Christ throughout. The work include wound treatment and cleaning, dental extractions and teaching hygiene to kids.

Suzie Alexander, junior

ACU students spend time with local children.

kinesiology major from Boerne, said attitudes of the Guatemalans toward their doctors was noticeably positive, more so than some from the United States.

“Patients there were

grateful for the most simple of treatments,” she said, “while some of us complain if we have to wait more than 10 minutes.”

Bao Catteau, sophomore biochemistry major from

Denison, shadowed a local medical practitioner who was working with patients and saw she did more than just treat their wounds.

“I noticed she was seeking a relational aspect from her treatments – that she wanted to relate with her patients,” Catteau said.

The departments in charge partnered the students with practitioners from Health Talents International, a nonprofit founded in 1973 in Birmingham, Alabama, according to its website, to “promote medical evangelism in develop-

ing countries.”

Guatemala was chosen for the trip because ACU has been partnered for HTI for over 20 years and has been sending a team each of those years.

“This is always a great opportunity for HTI to seek interns as well as students to seek internships,” Alexander said.

While many people on the trip were barely familiar with each other, serving alongside one another helped build relationship and open their eyes to the community they served,

Catteau said.

“We could all see and feel a raw passion fro Christ among the residents,” he said. “This was something we could all relate to. They were even singing the same songs we sing – just in Spanish.”

Those on the trip noticed a positive change in the community throughout the trip, impacting each person and allowing them to feel they had accomplished what they sought after: showing the love of Christ through their medical work.

ACU Opera to perform EMMA CONASTER COPY EDITOR

Photo by LEXI WALTER | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Ethan Etter holds the hand of his father, Eric Etter, during the closing prayer at Chapel on Wednesday. Ethan and friend Hope Martin returned to speak in Chapel for the third year to mark World Down Syndrome Day.

Honors College to revive zombie tag tournament B.J. MAXWELL JR. STAFF REPORTER

The Honors College will host a Humans Versus Zombies tag tournament from 6 p.m. Monday until Thursday.

Laura Young, Honors college event coordinator, came up with the idea for the event. She’s receiving assistance from those in Honors college, including Raiden Sawyer, senior English major from Oklahoma City.

Sawyer has had a helping hand in spreading notice of the event across campus.

He said Young was the one who decided it would be a great idea to bring the tournament back, as it has taken place several times before within the last three to four years.

“The biggest reason for putting on this event is just how great it is at providing opportunities to make friends. I am close friends to several people to this day

“

The biggest reason for putting on this event is just how great it is at providing opportunities to make friends.”

LAURA YOUNG HONORS COLLEGE EVENT COORDINATOR

who I met through Humans vs Zombies freshman year,” Sawyer said.

This tag tournament will take place over the course of an entire week and registration will be open to Honors students.

The game starts with a single person on the zombie team and everyone else on the human team.

The human team will have socks to throw at the zombie team. If a zombie member is tagged by a sock, that player must momentarily sit out of the game.

If a zombie team member tags a human team member, then the player tagged will convert to the

zombies’ team.

“Players will not be allowed to play in buildings, but other than that, humans will be running from zombies between classes, on the way to chapel and during the evenings when we have special goals for each team to try to complete,” Sawyer said.

The goal of the game is for the human players to stay human for as long as they can and for the zombie players to tag all the human players.

“To everyone, I would suggest to always be on the lookout for fun events like these across campus,” Sawyer said. “They are a great way to get to know people and are definitely worth the effort.”

For the first time on the Cullen stage and accompanied by an orchestra, the ACU Opera Workshop will perform Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro” on March 29-30.

Though this production will be a change from the department’s yearly mainstage shows, Dr. Rick Piersall, associate professor of music and director of opera, says he plans to make the show more relatable for a modern audience.

“Since 1784, there’s been political scandal,” Piersall said. “We’re still having issues with this power and the manipulation of power.”

Piersall’s “Figaro” will be set in the White House during the Jefferson, Kennedy, Clinton and Trump presidencies.

He plans to call attention to chapters of American history where, like in the opera, power was abused.

“Our modern American audience may not know it’s a satire of what aristocracy was like, but by setting it in the White House, we all know it’s political,” Piersall said.

The opera, which satirizes the aristocracy, faced much criticism and was even banned when it premiered in the eighteenth century. Piersall says he hopes to make this satire more relatable for those in attendance- even those who may not regularly attend an opera production.

“We can identify with stuff that has been going on for a long time. [This] has

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U R G R A D UAT E W I T H A H O N O R YO

SENIOR AD IN ACU’S CAMPUS NEWSPAPER

The Optimist - Commencement Edition PURCHASE ONLINE AT: acu.edu/optimist-ad

DEADLINE MAY 1

Friday 03/22 1. Journey Preaching Seminar - Siburt Institute 2. Wildcat Preview day 3. Softball vs. Nicholls

We can identify with stuff that has been going on for a long time. [This] has been the topic of political satire way before Saturday Night Live.”

Saturday 03/23 1. Journey Preaching Seminar - Siburt Institute 2. Action Children’s Buisness Fair 3. Acuity @ Juan Sequin 4. Misconceptions of my black Skin 5. GSP Formal 6. Ally Feuling Senior Recital Sunday 03/24 1. Lynda Burnam (Grandell) Senior Recital

DR. RICK PIERSALL ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF MUSIC AND OPERA DIRECTOR

been the topic of political satire way before Saturday Night Live,” Piersall said.

Piersall plans to take advantage of the satire of the opera, using comical wigs and other costume elements to emphasize the characters’ personalities. Because of its new location in Cullen, this year’s opera production will feature a more elaborate set and an orchestral accompaniment.

Piersall said that while the production will be a comedic satire of the aristocracy and its power, it will also highlight issues at the heart of today’s audience.

The #MeToo movement, which has been an active call for change in recent years, is something that Piersall hopes to bring to light in the production, as themes like sexual harassment and abuse of power are discussed throughout the opera.

“The MeToo movement didn’t start last year – those issues are old. Comedy has long been the agent of speech for political change,” Piersall said.

Monday 03/25 1. Fall Registration 2. CAB: Floral Design Class Tuesday 03/26 1. Men’s Tennis - ACU Invitational 2. Softball vs. North Texas Wednesday 03/27 1.Fall 2019 Regestration: Seniors

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Special Guests: Upbeat & the HSU University Chorale

Saturday, April 6 7:30pm 1st Central Presbyterian Church, 402 Orange, Abilene Tickets: 325-673-7464 or www.ChorusAbilene.net $10/Adults; $8/Seniors, Students, Military

Page 4 | Gallery

Friday, March 22, 2019

DOUBLE THE

MADNESS Basketball bids to NCAA Tournaments stir excitement

Photo by RILEY FISHER | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

Junior guard and forward Dominique Golightly pushes past A&M’s junior guard Dalesia Booth as she runs toward the paint.

Photo by LAUREN FRANCO | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jaren Lewis, senior forward, takes a shot against Keldon Johnson, freshman guard for Kentucky during the NCAA Div. I tournament.

Photo by LAUREN FRANCO | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Paul Hiepler, sophomore gaurd screams after Hayden Farquhar, senior forward, hits a three during the Div. I tournament.

Photo by RILEY FISHER | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

Photo by RILEY FISHER | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER The team holds the championship trophy to celebrate its victory.

The Wildcats reaction to finding out they were going to play against Kentucky for their first game in the NCAA Div. 1 tournament.

Friday, March 22, 2019

Opinion| Page 5

STAFF COLUMNS

What changed the Cowboys from a dynasty to a disaster?

OWEN AN OPINION OWEN SIMPSON ASSISTANT SPORTS DIRECTOR

Freshman convergence journalism major from Georgetown

January 28, 1996. That was the last year the Dallas Cowboys won a Super Bowl. It’s been 23 years for “America’s team” and nothing but disappointment and heartbreak for the fans. There’s many reasons being a fan of this team in the 21st century is the hardest thing since the Buffalo Bills lost four straight Super Bowls, and here’s many reasons why.

Century 21 didn’t get off to a wonderful start for the Cowboys, going 5-11 three years in a row under head coach Dave Campo. After a coaching change, Dallas seems to be a new team.

Bill Parcells had turned one of the worst teams into one of the best in just one season. With just a few games left, Dallas was 9-3 and competing for the top seed in the NFC. However, the beginning of many rollercoaster rides begins for Dallas as they lose three out of their last five games, finishing the season 10-6. Ultimately they lose in the wild card round to the Carolina Panthers 29-10.

The 2004 season turns out to be a disappointment as they finish 6-10 and rank 3rd to last in the NFC in defense allowing 25.3 points per game. Next season starts off well for Dallas at 7-3, but finishing the season 2-4 puts them just one game out of the play-

offs and puts head coach Parcells on the hot seat.

Many teams, such as the Cleveland Browns or even the San Francisco 49ers, could claim that they’ve had to endure more pain as a fanbase. Just two seasons ago the Browns went 0-16 which was only the second time in NFL history that’s ever occurred. However, these fans always knew the outcome of the season before it even started. They knew they wouldn’t make the playoffs.

But that’s why Cowboys fans have had it far worse over the years. Dallas has occasionally had five and six win seasons, but often they’re right in the mix for the playoffs. They just never seem to get over the hump from an average team to a Super Bowl contender.

2006. Despite losing three out of their last four games, the Cowboys finish 9-7 and sneak into the playoffs. The Cowboys are now led by a young quarterback named Tony Romo and their wild card matchup is set against the Seattle Seahawks. The rest is history. Dallas trails 21-20 with just 1:19 remaining, but a 19 yard field goal is all the Cowboys need to advance to the divisional round.

Romo fumbles the snap and is forced to try and run it in to the end zone.

It appears Dallas may have

avoided disaster, but Romo is tackled inches shy of a touchdown going down as one of his most memorable moments in his career.

The following year couldn’t have gone much better for the Cowboys.

They dominate the NFC throughout the season as Tony Romo appears to have moved past the catastrophe that ended last season’s run. The Dallas Cowboys finish 13-3 atop the NFC and receive a first-round bye. It’s their best regular season record since 1992 when they won Super Bowl XXVII. History, as fans know it, doesn’t repeat itself here.

They face the New York Giants in a hard fought game that goes back and forth. NYG takes a 21-17 with a touchdown with just over 13 minutes remaining.

Romo is given the opportunity of a lifetime with a possible playoff game-winning drive. Dallas starts their drive on the NYG 48-yard line with 1:50 remaining. Romo completes a few great passes and pushes his team forward to the 23-yard line. It all ends, however, when he throws an interception to lose the game and Romo once again fails his fanbase.

To make it even worse, the Giants go on to the Super Bowl to face the undefeated New England Patriots coming in as massive underdogs, but pull out with the improbable victory against Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. “America’s team” has now gone 11 years without a playoff victory despite appearing in five playoff games over that time.

2008. Another disappointing season where the Cowboys struggle defensively and that ultimately keeps them out of the playoffs. In their final game of the season, they sit at 9-6 up to face the 8-6-1 Eagles.

If they just simply win at home, the Cowboys go to the playoffs. However, five turnovers from Dallas creates a blowout as they are demolished by the Philadelphia Eagles 44-6 who clinch playoff berth.

2009. Dallas gets back on track. They finish 11-5 winning the NFC East.

Once again, the Cowboys take on the Eagles, but this time in the playoffs.

“America’s team” hasn’t won a playoff matchup in 13 years, but finally perseverance wins the day. The Cowboys snap a six game playoff losing streak and advance to the next round as Cowboys fans are optimist once again.

However, it’s all short lived as the following week they’re blown out to the Minnesota Vikings 34-3.

Head Coach Wade Phillips starts off 2010 1-7 and is fired by Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.

The following years are some of the most painful in recent memory for Cowboys fans as Dallas witnesses three straight seasons of 8-8. To make matters even worse, Dallas entered the final week of all three seasons simply needing a win to make the playoffs, but they lose all games keeping Dallas out of the playoffs for four straight seasons.

2012. Cowboys diehard fans will remember this season the most and sim-

ply wish they could forget the end. This year looked awfully similar to former Dallas Super Bowl seasons.

They finished 12-4 on the season with running back Demarco Murray winning offensive player of the year. Tony Romo had the best season of his career and wide receiver Dez Bryant had been clutch for the Cowboys all season.

After sitting out of the playoffs for four years, Dallas grabs a playoff win in the wild card and advances to face Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers. A back and forth game has the Packers up 26-21 late in the final quarter, but on fourth down and two, Romo throws a dime deep left to Dez Bryant as he catches the ball and extends his arm in an attempt to score a touchdown, but is ruled just shy.

That’s when chaos ensues as the referees say Romo’s pass to Bryant is incomplete sparking outrage online with the infamous #Dezcaughtit surrounding Twitter. The NFL later addressed that, in fact, Bryant did catch it. However, that ends the Cowboys season in one of the most anti-climactic ways in NFL history.

Dallas saw the playoffs again two years later in the wild card hoping for revenge against Green Bay, but this time in their town. At AT&T Stadium, the largest stadium in the world, the Cowboys were looking for their first appearance to the NFC Championship game.

Aaron Rodgers once again scorched the Cowboys throwing for over

350 yards and two touchdowns. In fact, Rodgers capped off the wild night by throwing an improbable throw deep left to Jared Cook for 35 yards with just three seconds remaining.

Mason Crosby the kicker for the Packers, then ensues to drill a 51 yard field goal as Green Bay breaks the hearts of Cowboys fans for the second time in three years. However this time it stings a bit more given it’s in their house.

The question as to what’s happened to the Dallas Cowboys since 1995 can be answered with multiple reasons. Lack of leadership and talent on the field, poor coaching staff, and Jerry Jones. Altogether, the fact of the matter is, something needs to change.

Current head coach Jason Garret has been leading Dallas for eight years with only two playoff wins.

The Cowboys just came off a 10-6 season that ended on a positive note after starting 3-5. They grabbed another playoff win, but once again lost in the divisional round.

The 2019 season is looking up with Jason Witten coming out of retirement for the Cowboys. He’s something Dallas really needs in order to improve and become a Super Bowl contender. But as Dallas Cowboys’ critic Stephen A. Smith says,”What can go wrong, will go wrong.”

And Dallas Cowboys’ fans can attest to Smith’s words from the past two decades of disappointment and frustration. We’ll see what next year has in store.

Grant her this: ‘Voice of ACU’ a treasure to campus, wife SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR AMY BOONE TEACHING AND LEARNING SPECIALIST IN THE ADAMS CENTER

Wife of Grant Boone I have the interesting and honored perspective of living with the person who broadcasts ACU athletic events.

My husband Grant spends countless hours on the road and on campus getting know know players, coaches and various teams at ACU. He brings the games to life and asks questions in interviews that help fans get to know

the athletes, as well.

He knows countless details about the players’ lives and games. He knows many of the players’ families. He knows things other people don’t know and that aren’t his to share.

That’s what happens when you spend lots and lots of time with people.

People often comment about how in the world

he knows such intricate details about a particular player’s high school stats or a random connection they have to an alum. He is a student of ACU athletics. The time he spends preparing for a broadcast would seem excessive to many. He studies player guides and previous game stats. He meets with the opposing teams’ broadcasters and coaches.

Every detail and nugget of information matters to him.

He is the master of witty phrases and takes great pride in crafting a sentence that includes a clever play on words. Friends were so

impressed with the way he could seamlessly weave minute details and impressive vocabulary words into game broadcasts that they began texting him outlandish words to work into a broadcast- he is always up for the challenge. Some of my personal favorites have been “circumcise,” “smooth criminal” and “super fly!”

The journey the past few years into Div. I has been fraught with many, many challenges, some known ahead of time and many unknown until they occurred.

Not only is Grant a brilliant broadcaster, he’s the biggest

ACU sports fan as well. He pours so much time, energy, love, and professionalism into ACU athletics.

He has celebrated each milestone in the D1 journey and has endured the challenges alongside the teams. He’s truly the best of the best and as insanely fortunate as ACU is to have him, he is ACU’s biggest cheerleader.

Speaking of Cinderella stories and “The Big Dance,” the past few days of ACU basketball have seemed a bit like a wave of the fairy godmother’s magic wand for Grant. After years of calling game after game

from Conway to Corpus and everything in between, the ride of this past week has almost felt like one in a magic carriage.

I got choked up when he texted after each of the games from Houston and said, “One of the coolest moments ever” and “I’m in another world right now. Surreal.”

Watching your favorite person do what they love is a gift. Watching your favorite school achieve what seemed impossible really is “one of the coolest moments ever.”

Go Wildcats (the purple ones... not the blue ones)!

TWEETS Ryan Gradke @ryangradke Where’s the new suit gofundme?

Josh Hogan @JoshHogan47 Everyone who has ever beaten Kentucky has a hole in their butt. Top notch strategy coach.

Cole Klayman @coleklayman15 Ripped pants = Ripped up Brackets Zach Carlyle @ZCarlyle America is finding out what we already know: @CoachGouldingACU is a treasure Jeff Parks @JeffParks3 You got to admit their diving on the floor game is very strong

Byrdbrain @EarliestByrd You better highway and byway outta here with that

Yahoo Sports @YahooSports

Filling out the bracket like

“WHO IS ABILENE CHRISTIAN!?”

Zane Burton @ZaneBurton Watch it, we have God on our side #ACU Mark the Free Agent @MarkTheOverseer My youngest daughter picked Abilene Christian to win it all.

Let’s go!

Mary Margaret Johnson @NicholasJRizzo TIME TO DANCE!!!!!! 15 seed @ACU_MBB will play 2 seed Kentucky in Jacksonville #NCAAMarchMadness #NCAATournamentBound

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Address letters to: ACU Box 27892 Abilene, TX 79609 E-mail letters to: optimist@acu.edu

THE

Jon @jon489 20 years you couldn’t even dance at a school function at ACU… now? WE’RE GOING TO THE BIG DANCE BABY #GOWILDCATS @ACU_MBB Jack Conner @Jconnor458 I told y’all it was the year of the kitty CHAN @ChanMcC13 Abilene Christian shocking the world tonight Nick Rizzo @NicholasJRizzo Imma need an explanation on why a blue wildcat beats a purple wildcat Joseph Austin @JosephDAustin Oh, dear Christian College, we love you, our dear Alma Mater today!

O PTI M I ST

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Page 6 | Sports

Friday, March 22, 2019

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Rip heard ’round the world more than it seams LAUREN FRANCO EDITOR IN CHIEF

“I’m gonna have a hole in my butt. It is what it is, man.”

Men’s basketball head coach Joe Golding ripped through the sports world Wednesday afternoon by answering a question about his faulty pants.

“Unfortunately I ripped my pants,” Golding said at the NCAA Tournament media day press conference.

“So I get back to Abilene – I haven’t got my bonus yet, either. I just found out I don’t get that until June 1, I think. I heard somebody was going to start a GoFundMe page; I would

appreciate it, any help I can get.”

And Golding was right.

Isaac DiSanto, a Kentucky fan from California, was zipping through articles about the pants that had made the rounds in Kentucky fans’ circles. He said his motivation for the campaign was to uphold traditional values of the small, West Texas Christian school by offering the opportunity for others to provide financial generosity to someone who might be in a bind.

“As a Kentucky fan, I want the game to be a fair fight,” DiSanto said. “The last thing either team’s players or coach should have to

be worrying about is their wardrobe. A Kentucky win would feel less significant if outside factors were affecting the game.”

DiSanto said though he might have pushed the buttons of a few Kentucky by helping the opposition, he thought the story was worth it.

Originally, the goal of the GoFundMe was to raise $500, but DiSanto upped it to $750 because he was unsure of how much a suit costs. In only eight hours, 19 people raised $650, and the fundraiser had almost 200 shares on social media. By 9 a.m. ET, the goal was surpassed.

“In hindsight, the high goal is probably more of

a testament to my lack of knowledge about suits and their prices than anything else,” DiSanto said.

Because he lives in California, his plan is to get the money where it needs to be so they can buckle down and purchase a suit as soon as possible. DiSanto was able to contact Vic McCracken, associate professor of theology and ethics at the university, who said they are working with the athletic department to figure out what Golding wants to do with the money.

“I’ve had a blast every step of the way,” DiSanto said. “It’s been really awesome to see so much support for this campaign. This is

Golding clearly a very tight-knit, passionate community.”

Even though he won’t purchase a new outfit in time, it seams as if being himself suits Golding well.

Tournaments: Wildcats end historic season against Kentucky Continued from Page 1 The purple Wildcats scored a total of 31 points in the second half but couldn’t find their way back under a 20-point deficit for the rest of the game.

Overall, the men shot 32 percent (17-53) from the field and 22 percent (5-23) from beyond the arc. ACU was able to force more turnovers on Kentucky which ended with 15 while the Wildcats had seven.

Senior guard Jaylen Franklin said the talent his team faced with Kentucky made shots hard to come by.

“It was pretty tough,” Franklin said. “We just couldn’t make shots. We shot 19 percent in the first half and the second half we shot 45. Turning the ball over in the first half really hurt us.”

Kentucky head coach John Calipari said he tried to keep ACU off the threepoint line all evening.

“We’re a team that that tries to get you to drive because we can block shots,” Calipari said. “We want you

“

It was nice knowing it was the first time in our school’s history. It was incredible and probably something we’ll never forget.”

JAREN LEWIS SENIOR FORWARD

to come to the rim. We don’t want you just shooting threes.”

Senior forward Jaren Lewis went out of his last game showing upperclassman leadership after he finished the game with 17 points off of 7-12 shooting from the field.

Lewis said being able to play in March Madness was an unforgettable experience.

“It was a great experience being out there for the tournament,” Lewis said.

“It was nice knowing it was the first time in our school’s history. It was incredible and probably something we’ll never forget.”

ACU finished the season with an overall record of 27-7 after the loss. The Wildcats’ 27 wins tied the school

It capped off an explosive scoring weekend in which the Wildcats broke a conference tournament record on Thursday against Central Arkansas for the most three-pointers made in a game.

It’s certainly unfamiliar territory for the Wildcats this weekend as they travel down to Waco. ACU’s toughest opponent they’ve faced so

Women’s Basketball Team

Ovrl.

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

24-6 25-6 20-11 23-9 16-13 17-16 12-16 12-18 11-18 7-22 5-24 9-19 9-20

Div. 17-1 16-2 14-4 13-5 11-7 8-10 8-10 6-12 6-12 5-13 5-13 4-14 4-14

Men’s Basketball Team

Ovrl.

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

20-9 27-6 10-13 19-13 17-16 14-18 14-19 12-18 14-16 14-17 11-20 9-22 6-25

Div. 15-1 14-4 12-6 12-6 12-6 9-9 8-10 8-10 7-11 7-11 6-12 5-13 1-17

Softball

Photo by LAUREN FRANCO | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jaylen Franklin, senior forward, drives in to the basket against Immanuel Quickley, freshman guard for Kentucky.

record of wins in a season set by the 1979-80 team.

The men’s basketball season brought many firsts, including a Southland postseason tournament championship win and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. The

Wildcats also broke the school record of regular season wins (24) and conference wins (14).

Golding said this is just the beginning of success for ACU basketball.

“It’s the second year we’ve been eligible for post-

season play,” Golding said “I’m glad our university can experience this. It’s going to help our program with recruiting. I don’t think this was one of the best seasons, I think it was the best season in school history.”

Baylor: Women pleased with opportunity to compete against No. 1 seed Continued from Page 1 “We knew as a team this is where we wanted to be, and we weren’t going to let anyone take that from us,” she said. “We showed a lot of grit and toughness and never stopped believing we could do it. It feels amazing.”

ACU shot 47 percent in the championship against New Orleans and 11-27 from three.

STANDINGS

far this season is Texas Tech who embarrassed the Wildcats, 105-54. Baylor, meanwhile, took down the Red Raiders twice this season.

Most recently, they beat Texas Tech 100-61.

The Bears are 31-1 on the season, which has put them on the pedestal of women’s college basketball. They’ve been ranked No. 1 in the

country for the past eight weeks and are boasting a 23game winning streak.

Meanwhile, ACU sits at 23-9 on the season. This team is peaking after winning three games in a row in the conference tournament, including against the top seed, Lamar, which had lost only two conference games all season.

As the team prepared to

prepared to travel Friday to Waco, Goodenough said she was most looking forward to coaching to team at least one more time.

“We just had such a great weekend in the Southland Conference Tournament, and I was just so proud to be their coach,” Goodenough said. “I can’t wait to do it again at Baylor.”

Team

Ovrl.

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

13-13 14-15 16-11 12-14 12-17 12-13 12-9 15-12 13-16 7-15 4-24 2-19

Div. 5-1 5-1 4-2 4-2 4-2 2-1 3-3 3-3 1-5 1-5 1-5 0-3

Baseball Team

Ovrl.

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

12-10 13-5 14-9 9-12 13-8 10-8 11-10 10-10 12-7 12-9 7-12 8-12 5-15

Div. 6-0 5-1 4-2 4-2 2-1 3-3 3-3 3-3 2-4 2-4 1-2 1-5 0-6

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Basketball

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PREVIEW 2019 SEASON STATS 74.3

POINTS PER GAME

80.5

38.1

REBOUNDS PG

47.0

17.0

ASSISTS PG

22.6

Lewis

63.2 POINTS ALLOWED PG 54.5 BAYLOR UNIVERSITY (31-1)

ABILENE CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY (23-9)

MAX PRESTON SPORTS DIRECTOR

OWEN SIMPSON SPORTS REPORTER

The women’s basketball team emerged from the third seed in the Southland Tournament and became champions despite SFA and Lamar being heavy favorites after terrific regular seasons. ACU made history with the championship win and earned its first-ever bid to the NCAA tournament, but I think the road ends Saturday for the team when facing Baylor. The Bears have averaged 80.5 points per game with a scoring margin average of 26. They also have held their opponents to an average of 54.5 points. The Wildcats haven’t faced a team of Baylor’s caliber this season and they’ll most likely get overwhelmed by the talent of Baylor. ACU won’t get destroyed by 40 or 50 like most of the predicted lines say, but it should be a considerable margin. Breanna Wright, MVP of the Southland tournament, will do her best to keep the Wildcats in the lead, but if the team can’t hit threes like it usually does, ACU will fall behind quickly. Baylor runs away with this one on the second half with the deeper depth and moves on to the second round.

It’s certainly unfamiliar territory for the Wildcats this weekend as they travel down to Waco. ACU’s toughest opponent they’ve faced so far this season is Texas Tech who embarrassed the Wildcats, 105-54. Baylor, meanwhile, took down the Red Raiders twice this season. Most recently, they beat Texas Tech 100-61. The Bears are 31-1 on the season which has put them on the pedestal of women’s college basketball. They’ve been ranked number one in the country for the past eight weeks and are boasting a twenty-three game winning streak.

Meanwhile, ACU currently sits at 23-9 on the season. Junior guard Breanna Wright won Southland Conference tournament MVP and is playing her best basketball. Junior Center Lexi Ducat has been playing with a chip on her shoulder recently grabbing nearly every rebound she can. This team is peaking, but Baylor is on a completely different level than ACU. They’re the best team in the country and a favorite to win it all. The Wildcats have had a phenomenal season that capped off history, but all good things must come to an end.

FINAL SCORE: ACU 59 BAY 81

FINAL SCORE: ACU 24 BAY 102

BREVEN CAMPBELL SPORTS REPORTER

RACHEL POE

Senior forward Jaren Lewis was a massive contributor toward ACU’s conference tournament run. He capped off the weekend with 20 points and six rebounds in the championship game against New Orleans. That game helped Lewis earn tournament MVP as the Wildcats ride into their first NCAA tournamnent in program history.

Basketball

SPORTS REPORTER

ACU Women’s basketball team, Southland Conference champions, have their hands full this week going up against the number one team in the nation, Baylor. The Lady Bears are on a 23 game winning streak and it does not look like the streak will end at the hands of ACU. As amazing as this season has been for this team, the Lady Bears are too much for the Southland Conference champions.

ACU has won 9 out of their last 10 games led by Breanna Wright, who made her presence felt in the conference tournament winning the MVP. The Wildcats could keep the game close against Baylor if they make even more three pointers than their tournament record breaking performance from beyond the line, 16. The Wildcats will keep it closer than expected with the three-point threat from each one of the starters.

While the rest of Abilene Christian University was on Spring break, the Women’s basketball team was hard at work and took home the Southland Conference title and will begin their first ever NCAA Champion Tournament this Saturday as the face the nation’s undisputed No. 1 team, the Baylor Bears in Waco. It will be an unbelievable game that fans will not want to miss. The Big Champion Bears come into Saturday’s game with a 31-1 overall record. Baylor’s only loss was to No.11 Stanford, since then the Bears have won 23 games in a row. Meanwhile ACU had a 23-9 record and has won nine out of the 10 recent games. ACU has only played Baylor twice, once in the 1972-73 season and then again in the 2016-2017 season, and has lost both times. Although, Baylor has two NCAA Tournament wins in the first round under their belt, in the past decade, I know the ACU Wildcats will give them a quite a fight. It will be an unforgettable game that you do not want to miss.

FINAL SCORE: ACU 49 BAY 82

FINAL SCORE: ACU 53 BAY 61

Wright Junior guard Breanna Wright caught fire for the Wildcats in the Southland conference championship against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Wright led the team with 16 points, seven assists and seven rebounds to cap off some impressive tournament play which crowned her as the tournament MVP. ACU clinched its first appearance in the NCAA tournament. Now the Wildcats will head to Waco Saturday to face the top ranked team in the nation, Baylor.

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