Optimist Print Edition 04.05.19 (Volume CVIII, Issue XXVI)

OPTIMIST

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LIBRARY HOURS On April 7, the library will begin its new pilot hours from 7:30 a.m. until 2 a.m. Sunday through Thursday.

A student publication of Abilene Christian University since 1912

Friday April 05, 2019

Volume CVIII, Issue XXVI News

Sports

Of nine films, five took home awards from the 15th annual FilmFest. Rankin Dean’s two films, The Brotherhood and Sacred Space, won seven of 12 awards, including Best Picture.......................Page 2

Head baseball coach Rick McCarty talks about the journey to his first-ever head coaching job. His professional career started at Delta State as an assistant coach and landed at ACU after four positions................Page 6

F S S M T

W

T

Gallery Students kicked off the spring season with hammocks, hot air balloons, music and films. ISA hosted their annual food festival, and ACU for Life premiered two bands at their benefit concert..................................Page 4

Photo by LEXI WALTER |STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER The Cabinet brought a hot air balloon to campus Monday evening for students to enjoy for free. Rides lasted about one minute and soared to 100 feet.

SGA proposes constitutional amendments, judicial branch LAUREN FRANCO EDITOR IN CHIEF

On Wednesday, Student Government Association passed four resolutions regarding elections and another regarding constitutional amendments in its first-ever Constitutional Convention.

C.R. 95.33 formally called for the implementation of the new constitution, which called for a restructuring of SGA and the creation of a judicial branch called the Judicial Board.

The resolution passed unanimously after about 30 minutes of discussion.

Ty Kelley, executive president, said the executive

cabinet found it necessary to have an unbiased body within the elections and voting process. Previously, the president and cabinet were the residing authoritative body over elections.

The board will consist of two associate justices and one chief justice, and all terms, powers and responsibilities will be established in the bylaws.

Justices will be appointed by the SGA president, and the Senate will confirm them by a two-thirds majority. Board appointments are irrevocable except in cases of misconduct. Kelley said the executive cabinet prefers that board members

are appointed during their freshman year and serve until graduation, but can be any classification.

Also, justices will serve on the Disciplinary Review Board in case a student gets kicked out of the university for a disciplinary inflection, and review legislation that might be unconstitutional.

In addition, juniors will now be able to run for president and vice president so they have the possibility of serving consecutive terms.

Congress will now be called the Senate, and each class will have 10 representatives open to any student of no particular area of campus, specific dorm

nor college. Each class will also have a president and vice president as well as a multicultural representative.

Kelley said the roles and responsibilities are the same.

“We felt like it was necessary and about time we made a sweeping change that helped clarify everything,” Kelley said. “Obviously there’s problems that we probably missed but for the most part, I feel like we made huge progress.”

The other four resolutions: C.R. 95.29: Election committee membership, C.R. 95.30: Election Terms Clarification, C.R. 95.31: Election Rules Reference Disambiguation

and C.R. 95.32: Election Rules Simplification deal with cleaning up the structure of the document and helping clarify certain areas.

“The goal of that was to prevent loopholes, but also to just hold candidates accountable and make sure that everyone is playing on the same playing field,” Kelley said.

The problems became prevalent to him when he and Rachel Jones, executive vice president, were running for office. As different problems would arise during campaigning, Kelley said he would notice inconsistencies that needed to be addressed.

“The biggest thing I wanted from tonight was for there to be discussion because when you’re making a change this big, and especially when you’re about to present to the student body, obviously, we don’t want to make fools of ourselves and we don’t want to present something that’s not complete,” Kelley said.

The SGA Internal Affairs Committee, as well as Kevin Shurtz, chief financial officer, took over three months to propose the changes.

“I’m really glad that our congress is involved,” Kelley said. “I’m glad that they care about these things.”

Williams remembered by his selflessness, outgoing personality LAUREN FRANCO EDITOR IN CHIEF

Chandler Williams, a senior criminal justice major from Colorado Springs, Colorado, died Sunday in his Edwards Hall dorm room at the age of 21.

ACU Police Chief Jimmy Ellison said ACUPD is still investigating the death.

A funeral service for Chandler, who also served as a residence assistant in Edwards, is scheduled for 11 a.m.-noon Thursday at New Life Church in Colorado Springs. Scott McDowell, vice president for student life, said he is working with Williams’ family on a date for a local memorial service.

Chandler made the adjustment to Abilene within the first days his freshman year by befriending Austin Brown, now a senior nursing major from Fort Worth.

Austin, assistant direc-

tor of Edwards Hall, described his friend the ultimate “people person.”

During their first night in the dorm four years ago, Williams, Brown and a group of other freshmen ended up hanging out in someone’s room, building relationships through small talk and video games, Williams Brown said.

As the semester continued, so did their time together.

“The same group of guys kept hanging out and kept talking every day,” Austin said. “We realized we had something special.”

The two spent most of their freshman year together spending late nights playing games like FIFA and Super Smash Bros. and talking about life. Once,

Austin decided to buy Madden because it was on clearance. The next morning at 2 a.m., Austin used his fake confidence to challenge Chandler to a game.

“He’s sitting in this bean bag chair that nobody likes playing Madden, and I’m awful at it – he’s beating me by more than 30 points, and I look over and he’s asleep,” Austin said. “I’m like, ‘Dude wake up, are you seriously falling asleep and beating me right now?’”

Throughout their first year, Chandler’s friends teased him for how often he considered going back home to Colorado. And during his sophomore year, Chandler indeed returned home for two semesters.

Austin said that’s when their group of friends realized they needed him back in Abilene.

“He was our brother, it wasn’t OK,” Austin said.

“It just made us realize how much we wanted to be around him.”

As Austin was riding his bike from his biology lab to the Bean the fall semester of his junior year, he was surprised to see Chandler for the first time since he left Abilene.

“He never told me he was coming back, but one day he was walking to the Bean – he spent half of his life in the Bean – and I ended up sitting there and talking to him for 45 minutes because it was so good to see him.”

As the end of the year approached and the Office of Residence Life began its hiring process, Austin and Zach Snyder, residence director of Edwards Hall, were talking about the next year and Chandler’s name got thrown into the mix, Austin said he couldn’t help but think how amazing that would be.

“I told Zach there’s no competition. Mark that spot off the list. It’s filled.”

Austin said was excited throughout last summer knowing he’d be working with two of his friends in Edwards Hall, and the fall semester was perfect as perfect as he thought it would be.

Austin said even people who had only known Chandler for a semester were impacted by his death.

“It didn’t take four years to get to know Chandler like you’ve known him for a lifetime,” Austin said. “Even if you didn’t know Chandler, he cared about you.”

For Chandler, the more friends he had, the better it was for him. Austin said often, he’d turn around and Chandler would be talking to a random person neither of them knew.

“I think Chandler struggled in a lot of ways, and unfortunately, there was nothing that we could do,”

Austin said. “Hopefully people use his story to open their eyes, minds and ears. This is a real thing that people deal with.”

Austin said even though there are still questions questions, spending time with staff, thinking back on memories and not letting them fade has helped in the coping process.

The university offered a time of remembrance on Sunday evening at Chapel on the Hill and during Chapel on Monday.

“They’ve done a fantastic job about letting us know that we are not alone either, and university officials and residents all step up to ensure that even though we lost one of our brothers, we can still push through,” Austin said. “Theres not a single person on this earth who isn’t loved, and there’s not a single person on this earth who can’t get through their struggles with help.”

Page 2 | Campus News

Friday, April 05, 2019

CAMPUS NEWS

Sacred Space among FilmFest winners

fellas or The Godfather.

“I think he really wanted to make something like that, that was relatable to people here and that was the best way to do it was with pledging.”

Both films are affiliated with Dean’s production company, Beyond Star Films,

which was founded before his arrival at ACU. Dean described the central message of his company’s content to be from the mindset of Christ, even if the final products are not faith-based like Facing the Giants.

“Where there’s some

kind of message with each thing that we make that can help further people’s lives for good, and we focus on giving all the glory to God in the process,” Dean said.

“Before the awards, we had dinner together and we all had a prayer to say that we would enjoy the night and support each other – and that’s what it’s all about.”

Abby Johnston, junior multimedia major from San Antonio, earned the people’s choice award for He Loves Me? while her editor, alumna Bianca Barrientos, won Best Editor.

Johnston tripled her film crew in comparison to last year, which allowed her to focus on individual aspects of the film, like cinematography.

“The quality of the production has changed since last year,” Johnston said.

“I’ve learned more, I think my crew has learned a lot, we all have a lot of collective experience.”

He Loves Me? did not receive any opposition from Student Life, Johnston said, despite its depiction of domestic violence.

MCKENZIE BONAM SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

class is an opportunity to inform students. This will be done in a way that demonstrates gender and sexuality as subjects of history, rather than subjects of debate.

Rather than develop exclusive ideas, the class will seek to allow controversial conversation to develop in ways that are open, informed and positioned by academic integrity.

The class will walk through many different case studies in places such as Colonial West Africa and the United States,

while ranging from the early modern period to the 21st century.

Without shying away from spirituality, the influence of religion and faith on gender and sexuality will also be incorporated into the class.

As a potential subject of talk and example of this incorporation are the hijras, or ‘the third sex,’ in India.

To put the concept into familiar terms, these people identify as transgender women. Within Indian culture, they are revered for their spiritual power.

AMBER CHAVEZ VIDEO DIRECTOR

Five films walked away with awards at the annual FilmFest Gala on March 30.

The Brotherhood, directed by junior theatre acting majors Rankin Dean and Wade Austin, won three awards, including Best Picture. Dean also directed Sacred Space, which earned him the award for best director, among three others for the film.

Dean pursued the oneshot technique for Sacred Space as a way to create a film that no one has done before, while also focusing on relating the film to the ACU community.

“There’s one scene where there’s a Hardin-Simmons joke, and it killed it at FilmFest,” Dean said, “Everyone comes here because everyone wants to have fun and support each other and see ACU people – and so that’s what I did with Sacred Space.”

With The Brotherhood, Dean said that he prefers to work on drama or romance films, while Austin prefers mafia-type films like GoodEvents

Friday 04/05 1. Admitted student day 2. Football Spring Game 3. Women’s tennis vs.

Lamar 4. Softball vs. McNeese 5. Baseball vs. Incarnate Word Saturday 04/06 1. Kirk Goodwin Run 2. Wildcats Serving 3.

Sunday 04/07 1. Baseball vs. Incarnate Word 2. Women’s tennis vs.

TAMU-CC Monday 04/08 1. SGA Elections week 2. Fall 2019 Registration: Sophomores 3. SGA Live Debate Tuesday 04/09 1. SGA Elections week 2. Day of Giving 3. ACU Baseball Rush 4. Baseball vs.

UT-Permian Basin 5. Sanctify Show Wednesday 04/10 1. SGA Elections week 2. Fall 2019 Registration: Freshman 3. Sancitify Show

31

days until FINALS

Photo by MEDA BOW | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Audience members fill the orchestra seats.

“Title IX did request that we put a viewer discretion warning in front of it, which we did, but other than that I’m not aware that we had any pushback – which I was bracing for.”

Both Dean and Johnston were awarded scholarships for the six-week Prodigy Cinema School program, a new partnership developed between the university and Randy Brewer, ACU alumnus and long-time FilmFest judge and founder of Revolution Pictures. Dean and Johnston also hope to attend the Los Angeles Film School in the spring of 2020.

“I do want to submit whether it be from L.A. or a fall film – which may be in the works,” Johnston said, “We haven’t written anything yet. I’m giving myself a breather because I haven’t not done a film since the first semester of my freshman year.”

Dean plans to start a short film trilogy with Austin in the summer, and has a 2020 FilmFest idea in his back pocket. He also plans to finish his second feature film, At the End of Eight.

In the class, hijras will not be placed on a pedestal to review for favor or disapproval. Instead, the fluctuation of conversation will be paced and directed by the students.

Elliott said the class will look at topics of present conversation, such as homosexuality and gender orientation.

Accordingly, instead of analyzing the present-day issue, the history of such topics will be observed and analyzed from the perspective of “how did we get here?”

“If there is really any sort of overarching narra-

2019

FILMFEST WINNERS Best Picture

‘The Brotherhood’ People’s Choice

‘He Loves Me?’ Best Director

Rankin Dean ‘The Brotherhood’ Best Producer

Hannah Raymond ‘The Brotherhood’ Best Writer

Austin Allison ‘Dodge’ Best Editor

Bianca Barrientos ‘He Loves Me?’ Best Cinematography

Rankin Dean ‘The Brotherhood’

Best Production Designer

Hannah Raymond Rankin Dean ‘Sacred Space’

Best Sound Designer

Takuma Tsuneki ‘Fever’ Best Actor

Corbin Gililland ‘Sacred Space’ Best Actress

Zula Nicole Pryor ‘He Loves Me?’ Best Ensemble Cast

‘Sacred Space

Elliot to offer gender and sexuality course Dr. Kelley Elliott, associate professor of history, will teach the first course covering historical perspectives on gender and sexuality.

The History Department offers classes on social, ethnic and women’s history. However, a course directed towards the topic of sexuality, in particular, has never been taught.

“Our courses need to reflect hospitality and inclusion,” Elliot said.

To Elliott, teaching this

tive it is probably to show how we understand gender and sexualities today is not the way that other people in other times in history have understood these things,” she said.

‘Historical perspectives on genders and sexualities’ has a 20-student cap and can fulfill any one campus requirement of cultural awareness, historical literature, or social science.

In Fall 2019, this course will be offered Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 9p.m., as a 300-level course open to all students.

New extended library hours starting Sunday LAUREN FRANCO EDITOR IN CHIEF

Brown library will be open until 2 a.m. Sunday through Thursday night beginning Monday.

The additional eight hours per week will continue through finals week, pick up in the fall semester and run for the entire academic year.

Student Government Association and the library administration worked with Student Life to develop a plan last semester to extend library hours and create a staff position to monitor the additional hours.

SGA provided financial

support to install doors on both the top floor to close off the Stanley Reading Room and on the lower level in an attempt to provide greater security during extended hours.

Starbucks will also be open during the extended hours in a pilot period for the first week.

“We want Starbucks to know they appreciate them being open,” said Dr. John Weaver, dean of library services. “They’ll reassess at the end of the week, so we’ll know if this is something we’re going to continue. It’s important that they see this will be used.”

All other areas of the li-

brary, including the Learning Studio and the MakerLab, will continue operating under the same hours.

In addition, Student Life worked to include freshmen in the extended hours.

Though curfew will still be in effect, the library is considered an approved student space for students to check in after midnight. The Circulation Desk will have an iPad for students to register after curfew.

“That’ll create a list of what freshmen were in the library between midnight and 2 a.m., and student life will be checking that,” Weaver said.

Though the SGA Exec-

utive Cabinet will change after elections on April 8, Weaver said he wants to meet with incoming officers to talk with them about the pilot program and make sure all parties are on the same page.

“We’re excited to begin with that incoming administration and make it a success,” Weaver said.

During the summer, hours will remain normal.

Weaver said the library stays open long enough to allow students in courses to have access to resources after their classes if needed.

Weaver said this summer, they’ll begin the assessment of how the extended hours

are being used and whether they are worth the investment, though there has not been criteria to determine success.

Typically, usage decreases between 10 p.m. and 12 a.m., but Weaver said it might be because people leave to settle down where they’ll be able to stay longer.

“There there’s no place on campus after midnight for students that are working together on team projects that require collaboration,” Weaver said. “I think 2 a.m. is a good first step to test how extended hours will benefit students and how much they will use them.”

POLICE LOG SELECTED ACUPD CALLS FOR THE WEEK 03/26/2019 8:20 p.m.

A citizen reported that a white male , 20’s, with blond hair came to their residence stating he was there to upgrade their security system. They had not requested anyone to come out and the person had no identification and they did not see a vehicle. They didn’t let the male inside their home.

03/27/2019 6:50 p.m.

A student reported that an unknown person damaged their vehicle by scratching the driver and passenger side of the vehicle.

03/29/2019 11:33 p.m.

A student reported an unknown white male, approximately 50 years old wearing cargo pants and a tan plaid shirt was knocking of the door at Barret Hall. Officers checked the area but was unable to locate the subject.

03/31/2019 12:27 p.m.

ACUPD Officers assisted APD Officers with a 4-vehicle traffic accident in the 2300 blk of Campus Court.

911 CALL............................................................0 ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIVITY.......................................................43 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................................................11 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...........................................................653

Chief Ellison’s Weekly Tip Six weeks left Wildcats!

Stay safe and vigilant, summer is almost here.

Friday, April 05, 2019

News | Page 3

COFFEE CONNOISSEURS

Maslow finds success in March soft opening MCKENZIE BONAM SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

After their soft opening on March 18, Maslow Coffee Company is officially open for business.

Over the span of one year, owner Garrick Palmer and wife, Kristen, are stepping into a new chapter of life.

With no previous exposure to commercial business or the fluctuating status of a small town coffee shop, Palmer embarked on this project simply as an observer who recognizes the need and favor of coffee, especially in 2019.

After attending CoffeeFest, a specialty coffee trade-show in Los Angeles, California, the future of this java house was brewed, poured, enjoyed and favored firsthand.

Prior to this, Palmer shared how he had also visited Seattle, America’s coffee hub. He attended Seattle Barista Academy and was exposed to the contemporary lifestyle in this urban center, thereby introducing the motive and desire to carry said culture to Texas- 1694 Campus Ct, Abilene, TX, to be exact.

“I want Maslow to bring Seattle-style coffee to Abilene,” he said. “I want to provide high quality coffee with a decent price.”

So far, Maslow has occupied the afternoons of many students and citizens of Abilene.

Remarkably, the face of this local company is flourishing because of more than their coffee’s refreshing and unique flavor. The welcoming atmosphere, baristas and open floor plan each play intricate roles to bringing in crowds.

Within a room located towards the back of the shop, customers are provided a classroom-sized whiteboard, flat-screen television for watching sporting events or connecting to laptops, and seating that can be optimized for meetings or larger groups.

“Our mission is to serve coffee, serve people and share the love of Christ,” Palmer shared.

With the hopes of accommodating an atmosphere that demonstrates the light that Christ is and can be in the lives of people, Palmer ensured that the staff was capable of

MONDAY THRU THURSDAY: 6AM-10PM FRIDAY-SATURDAY: 6AM4PM SUNDAY: 2-10PM MASLOW INTENDS TO PROVIDE 24-HOUR SERVICE DURING THE WEEK OF FINALS.

completing orders, but more than anything, was able to be personable with every person that came through the doors.

Nearly eight months ago, Maslow Coffee Company made their presence known during Wildcat Week at a night gathering called ‘Common Grounds.’

In this practice run, they served students a Red-Bull infusion beverage. Gaining popularity and public favor, Garrick assured the public that this signature drink, along with others such as the “Milky-Way” cappuccino, inspired by the chocolate bar, will be introduced to the menu soon.

The plans for Maslow Coffee not only include these caffeinated beverages: Garrick plans to offer paninis, salads, and more coffee-house pastry favorites. He also plans to continue to vend the signature Donna Italian Pizza.

Photo by MCKENSIE BONAM | SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER The barista at Maslow takes a customer’s order.

Downtown nook opens for coffee, cocktails at The Hallows DILLON DANIEL MANAGING EDITOR

The Hallows, new coffee shop and cocktail bar opened up for full operation on March 11. The brand was created by 2016 ACU graduate Daniel Sotelo and Sam Wolfe.

Hallows offers a simple selection of coffees during the daytime throughout the week and adult beverages from 5 p.m. until closing time at midnight. They also host live music occasionally with the stage on a balcony overlooking the shop.

Sotelo’s vision for the shop is less of a place to study and more to just relax, although patrons have done both. He said, “When we created Hallows, we just wanted a place where someone can come in and chill.

We wanted a vibe where someone wasn’t overloaded when they walked in.”

Austin McCoy, graduate student in Theology from Amarillo and barista, believes that the Hallows is bringing a vibe seen in coffee shops from big city areas like DFW and Austin. He said,

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“I think Hallows is bringing something unique to Abilene, something about coffee we haven’t seen before.”

McCoy believes that Hallows is one of Abilene’s biggest steps towards establishing a big coffee culture like many other big cities and college towns.

The shop has large but few tables, a bar area, and two couches where people can sit in the shop. Unlike other coffee shops, the space is large and open with music that spreads throughout the room.

Although the menu is simple, Hallows favors itself on it’s made-in-house ingredients to make up for it.

“We care so much about what we use in our

Photo by RILEY FISHER | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER People of all ages spend time relaxing and working in The Hallows.

coffee, the glass we use, the texture,” Sotelo said.

“We want people to envision coffee as a craft, just

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The Hallows’ creative difference is the use of cereal-infused milk in it’s

coffee on Wednesdays and Sundays. The milk is made in their iced and hot lattes and is sold in limited quantities.

Cereals that have been used to make this milk are Lucky Charms, Reese’s Puffs, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cookie Crisp, and Cap’n Crunch’s Crunch Berries.

Even though the Hallows is a street away from Monks Coffee Shop and opened around the same time as Maslow Coffee Company, Hallows doesn’t competition, but community.

Sotelo believes that with Hallows more people will experience new types of coffee and be just as pleased with Hallows as they are with other known shops.

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Page 4 | Gallery

Friday, April 05, 2019

SWING INTO SPRING Students enjoy the events that come with the season

Photo by MEDA BOW | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Freshman Duncan Barbarick enjoys the warm weather on a Sunday afternoon.

Photo by MCKENZIE BONAM| SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

Photo by MCKENZIE BONAM| SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Freshmen Addie Japhet, Bowen, and Lauren Posey dance at Friday’s concert.

Students enjoy the concert and show their support for ACU For Life.

Students choose which table to visit together.

Weston Weast, lead singer of Weston and the Evergreen, closes the show with his most recent single ‘Kiss Kiss.’

Photo by MEDA BOW | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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Call (325) 674-6817 Contact Terry Bowman Director of Off-Campus Housing bowmant@acu.edu Students were eager to attend the 15th annual FilmFest at the Paramount Theatre.

Friday, April 05, 2019

Opinion| Page 5

STAFF COLUMNS

We’re here to endorse endorsements

THE ISSUE

OUR TAKE

Newspapers around the country have been endorsing candidates for decades.

The Optimist adopted this tradition in the mid-1980’s and has continued since.

Endorsements are the right of a newspaper to publish and give the public nothing more than a recommendation for who is best fit for their respective office.

Optimist Editorial Board | editor@jmcnetwork.com For decades, newspapers have endorsed candidates running for political positions in an attempt to start the conversation about the race.

Most backlash comes from readers who argue it’s an abuse of power for newspapers to endorse. But endorsements are a necessary part of an editorial staff ’s duties.

In the wake of Student Government Association elections next week, and local races drawing in more candidates and attention, it is important to understand why newspapers endorse candidates.

In 1956, the Optimist editorial board endorsed certain qualities of a leader, including: ability to organize, ability to think, originality and a good personality. All of these attributes should be indicated by his or her overall campaign.

Though the Optimist runs quite differently than most major newspapers – our editorial board is comprised of staff members from each section, whereas most newspapers separate their staff members from the editorial board – we still practice endorsements, and have since 1984.

In ‘84, the Optimist wrote an editorial explaining the value of endorsements, making clear that who we choose to endorse has nothing to do with popularity or personal attention, but because of the responsibility journalists have to share information and make a recommendation to the public based on who we believe is most qualified for community service.

“The role of press endorsements is a time-honored method of sparking

lively debate on issues, which creates an interest in better leadership,” the ‘84 editorial board said.

Endorsements could improve voter turnout as we introduce information about candidates, including platforms and qualifications, to our audience.

Jeff Cohen, editor of the Houston Chronicle, also said endorsements provoke higher thought and increase motivation to partake in the democracy process.

“We believe it is paramount for the community and electorate to be engaged and strongly advocate for

participation,” Cohen said.

When the Optimist endorsed Beto O’Rourke for Senate, we had over 6,000 engagements, 174 reactions, over 200 comments and 42 shares on Facebook alone.

It was our most interacted with piece last fall.

Though some comments were derogatory toward the university and editorial board, most took the opportunity to post opposing or supporting opinions.

We started the conversation and became a medium for our audience to engage in agreements and disagreements (both kind and rude).

We also gave our audience the chance to vote with us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram (Beto won on Twitter and Instagram, but Cruz won on Facebook), though the results did not influence our endorsement nor were they used for any research.

Editor of the Denver Post, LeeAnn Colacioppo, backed the history of editorials – that if the press goes through the trouble of covering public policy (which obviously, is a lot more work than reading it), it is the right of that respective paper to express an opinion.

“That’s how an editorial page got started to begin with, in trying to make arguments that would be good for society. The reason we do endorsements is because we’re trying to help people understand complicated political questions. Whether that’s a candidate, as in a presidential endorsement, or an issue, like a ballot issue, where the devil is in the details.”

This election season, we will endorse the candidates we see best-fit for the position, and help inform our readers of why these said people deserve the office they are running for.

ACU Athletics: Thank you for the best four years QUITE FRANCO-LY LAUREN FRANCO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Senior convergence journalism major from Euless

Realizing it was my last game to shoot for the university, I held back tears as I walked from the March Madness stage to the press conference area.

As I listened to head coach Joe Golding talk about the experience and the three seniors express gratitude for the program, the tears started to flow.

I couldn’t tell you exactly why, but looking back on four years of coverage – wins and losses, empty stadiums and full ones– made me feel lucky to end it on the biggest stage of collegiate athletics.

When I transitioned from a high school whose identity was so rooted in how well our sports teams performed – state championships and athletes like Myles Turner – I was shocked when I came to ACU and most of the chairs were empty.

To be blunt, none of the teams were great (or winning, for that matter), but the senior class now arrived in the middle of the Div. I transition, so I expected the common excuse for skipping was how boring it was to watch each team lose so often.

I’m pretty sure the chapel bat had more consistent attendance than the student body, except for when SGA was giving away iPads and flat-screen TVs. I quickly found a way to hop on the Optimist staff and cover games, giving me a way to continue doing what I loved. Attending the games of each sport was an easy passion, especially because I got to do it alongside great friends.

The first football game I covered was at Shotwell Stadium against Southeastern Louisiana, the last of the season. Of course, the stands were relatively empty, but there was such a thrill getting to be back on the field with the best seat in the house, experiencing the emotion of the sidelines firsthand.

Not every experience

was as glorious as that. It got boring shooting the same games every single week, and sometimes I dreaded spending my evenings in Moody watching the Wildcats take the L. But I did it because I knew how unique the ACU experience is.

An experience so unique, in fact, that I’ve gotten to be part of historical moments in the university’s history. To administration and the student athletes: thank you for letting me leave my mark.

Thank you for the opportunity to shoot basketball games, so that I could take photos of coach Goodenough cutting down the net with her team in our last year of postseason ineligibility.

Thank you for the opportunity to shoot tennis

matches so I could take pictures of Paul Domanski excitedly yelling after a victory, only to eventually win my first award working at the newspaper – a moment that truly affirmed that the work I was doing would pay off.

Thank you for the opportunity to witness the transition from Shotwell to Wildcat Stadium, so that I could cover a historical change, both within athletics and on campus as a whole.

Thank you for the opportunity to cover the football team’s incredible fight against Baylor (by far the most fun I’ve ever had shooting a game), so that we could highlight the drastic improvements of the program.

Thank you for the opportunity to drive 14 hours

in a day to experience the soccer team defeat Stephen F. Austin in the conference championship, and then get to cover their appearance against Baylor a week later.

Thank you to Allen Ward, for making me (and us... I’ll speak for Max too) feel seen, valued and talented in the very short time we’ve gotten to know you, and thank you to Lance Fleming for putting up with four years of annoying emails and ridiculous mistakes, and offering so many opportunities that no other college students come close to experiencing.

And now, thank you for letting me close out my senior year in happy tears as I walk off the court, pack up my gear and hope I find a place that offers a fraction of the ACU experience.

Playing for the scholarship without getting paid for the job F’LEX ON ‘EM LEXI KIRGAN SPORTS REPORTER

Junior Convergence Journalism major from Bullard, Texas Have you ever had a job but never gotten paid for it?

No, obviously not, because that’s not how it works. You work, you produce and you get paid for it. This is exactly what student athletes do, but without the pay.

As a student athlete going to school full time and playing basketball, life is basically like having two jobs, but with no income coming directly to me.

Sure, as athletes we get stipend checks and scholarship money, but none of

that goes directly to us. It is used for school, books and housing- so what about the other needs?

I have a few friends that are athletes that don’t get/have any other money than what comes from the school. So how do they eat?

How do they get groceries?

How are they supposed to get clothes, toiletries and other necessities?

The only solution to this problem is to give student athletes a little extra money to live off of. The reality

is that as a student athlete, our lives consist of school and whatever sport we play. That’s it. There is not enough time in the day to go try to find a job to get extra money.

We have come to the school to be a student and to represent the school and student body in the sport that we play, so finding time for a job is pretty much out of the question.

Another reason that we should be paid is because we are bringing in revenue to the school from our performances at games. Now I know that ACU’s sports programs are nothing like Duke’s or Alabama’s, but we sacrifice to put on a performance to get people to pay to come watch us play.

EDITORIAL AND LETTER POLICY Unsigned editorials are the opinions of the Optimist and may not necessarily reflect the views of the university or its administration.

Signed columns, cartoons and letters are the opinions of their creators and may not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of the Optimist or the university.

The Optimist encourages reader response through letters to the editor but reserves the right to limit frequent contributors or to refuse to print letters containing

personal attacks, obscenity, defamation, erroneous information or invasion of privacy. Please limit letters to 350 words or fewer. A name and phone number must be included for verification purposes.

Phone numbers will not be published.

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

At Big 12 schools, there are jerseys sold with players’ names on the back of them. This is a big accomplishment for them, but the athlete doesn’t get any of the profit for any shirts being sold; the athlete is sacrificing their time to build the program and ultimately help keep the school’s image up.

Let’s be honest: sports are a huge thing for most people when choosing a school. The better the sports team, the more fun the university seems. The more fun the school looks, the more people attend that school. The more people that come to school, the more money the school gets. So in some cases, it all starts with the athletes

THE

on the team and how well they are preforming for the program.

I get that there is a lot of debate concerning pay for student athletes, because this would technically render them professionals, but in the eyes of most student athletes, that is not the case.

Some athletes cannot afford the cost of all the needs that come with living. Giving athletes a little extra money for the things they require to keep them healthy and to keep performing at a high level would not only make their lives a little less stressful, but would also continue to help the university.

The men’s and women’s basketball teams won their conference tournaments

(which hasn’t happened in a very long time) and both played at the NCAA tournament (which has never happened in ACU history).

That’s a huge stage that ACU is represented on.

I was talking to one of my professors whose husband works in the Hunter Welcome Center and he said that any time a team makes it to the NCAA tournament, enrollment spikes up the next year.

I am not saying that we as athletes get nothing, because we do- we get a lot of benefits. We are all so grateful for that, but I am saying that getting paid a little bit of extra money that goes straight to our pockets would make the lives of student athletes a little easier.

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Page 6 | Sports

Friday, April 05, 2019

BASEBALL

ROUNDING HOME McCarty traces the path to his first head coaching job

BREVEN CAMPBELL SPORTS REPORTER

Rick McCarty, head coach of the ACU baseball team, was announced as the new skipper for the Wildcats in June.

McCarty, most recently, was a pitching coach at Dallas Baptist before coming to Abilene.

McCarty began his college baseball career as a player at John A. Logan College. After two years at John A. Logan, he transferred to Murray State University where he finished his playing career. After his final season as a player, McCarty joined the Murray State coaching staff as an assistant while finishing his degree.

McCarty said playing college baseball gives him an upper hand in understanding his players as a coach.

“Playing junior college and Div. I baseball helps me relate to our current players or other high school players we are recruiting.” McCarty said.

McCarty finished school and started coaching as a graduate assistant at Delta State a year later. Bart Osborne, the coach that recruited McCarty to Murray State, also coached at Delta State and had a connection with the school for McCarty.

“For whatever reason, I

Photo by ACU SPORTS Rick McCarty, poses with family at welcoming press conference

felt called to go there and I’m very glad that I did,” McCarty said. “I was able to work for Coach Kinnison for two years, as a GA, and I was hired for the last three years I was there.

I learned so much from him.”

Delta State had created a position for him. When McCarty was getting his masters, he was not sure what was going to happen. He wanted to coach college baseball, but was not sure what was in store for him. He was fully prepared to get his masters, teach and coach at the high school level, but said fortunately he has never had to do that.

“The Lord has provided a job for me every year and this is my sixth spot and sixteenth year of coaching,”

McCarty said.

When McCarty was at Delta State, the Statesmen made their way to Abilene when ACU was Division II. ACU also played at Delta State several times while he was there.

This was his first encounter with Abilene and he later came back to Crutcher Scott Field as the pitching coach for Dallas Baptist. When his teams came to Abilene, they came straight to the field and left right after the game making him unaware of what the city was really like.

“I was not as familiar with the city of Abilene and the campus itself,” McCarty said, “ I had a chance to walk around with my wife and we were blown away. I didn’t realize it was this big and had

so much to offer. The campus is beautiful.”

McCarty has coached under people that have won at a high level. He said those coaches have taught him so much as a coach and person.

McCarty said you pick what you appreciate and what you enjoyed about each man you worked with and put your own spin on it. He is grateful for each coach and program he has worked with and said they have prepared him for this job.

McCarty has a wife and three children. Moving from school to school on the way to becoming a head coach has been “demanding” for McCarty and his family. He said he would not be able to do this without his wife, but it has also

been good for his family.

“It’s been a blast,” McCarty said. “My kids have got to experience a lot, that most kids would not. There might be a negative or two to that, but having the chance to bounce around and see different parts of the country has been cool for me and I thank my whole family.”

To put into perspective how successful McCarty was as a pitching coach, 22 players McCarty coached have been drafted and a lot of them eventually made it to Major League Baseball. He has been able to make most of the pitchers debut in the MLB, but said it’s hard to know which ones will make their debuts in a series.

“Some guys are limited to talent like I was, I didn’t get a chance to go play,” McCarty said. “So, when I get to celebrate someone else, it’s a special moment with them and their family.”

In five years, McCarty sees ACU “winning” and expects to be competing in the Southland Conference tournament and NCAA tournament.

“With the resources and the support here, hopefully that happens sooner than later, but that’s going to be our expectation to win and win a bunch,” McCarty said.

STANDINGS Softball Team

Ovrl.

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

18-16 22-14 16-18 17-20 17-20 16-16 19-15 18-19 14-14 4-23 9-20 5-29

Div. 9-3 8-4 8-4 8-4 8-4 6-3 7-5 5-7 4-8 2-7 2-10 2-10

Baseball Team

Ovrl.

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

17-9 19-10 20-11 17-13 14-15 14-14 16-11 13-16 15-13 14-14 15-13 8-19 9-19

Div. 9-3 8-4 8-4 8-4 8-4 6-4 6-6 6-6 3-6 3-6 3-9 2-7 2-10

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Baseball

BASKETBALL

ACU inks five-year extensions with Golding, Goodenough OWEN SIMPSON SPORTS DIRECTOR

Following two historic seasons, two conference championship trophies and two first-ever NCAA tournament appearances, head coach Joe Goulding and Julie Goodenough have been awarded for their accomplishments.

Both coaches have agreed to five-year contract extensions to remain with the Wildcats through the 2023-24 season.

Julie Goodenough, the women’s basketball head coach, is 144-68 in seven seasons at ACU and 433-288 overall in a career that has spanned 25 seasons.

This season, the women finished 23-10 and fourth in the conference at the end of

the regular season. But after upsetting top-seeded Lamar in the Southland tournament, the Wildcats capped off a historic season taking down Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the conference tournament championship.

That sent Goodenough and the Wildcats down to Waco to face the Baylor Lady Bears. Ultimately falling in that matchup, 95-38, ACU still finished far above expectations.

“I’m so proud of our team,” Goodenough said.

“People don’t remember back in the fall, we were picked sixth in the Southland Conference, and we won the conference championship and played in the NCAA Tournament. I can’t say enough about our team

and our program.”

The Wildcats will lose only one player on their roster for next season setting them up for yet another run at the NCAA tournament.

Meanwhile, head coach Joe Goulding for the men’s basketball team had an impressive season as well. He led the Wildcats to their best season in the 98 years of program history. Goulding won the Southland conference postseason title giving ACU automatic berth in the NCAA tournament.

The 2019 Southland Conference coach of the year finished the 2019 season 27-7 after falling to the number two seed Kentucky Wildcats 79-44 in Jacksonville.

Golding took the coaching job back in 2011 when

ACU was still a Div. II program. But in just two years of postseason eligibility after transferring to Div. 1 basketball, he’s put Abilene Christian on the map.

“When you get an extension like this, it’s a direct correlation of having really good players and a great staff,” said Golding. “This staff has been together for a while and I believe it’s the best staff in our league.” The men’s team lost three key senior starters after this season’s doors closed, but there is much to look forward to for Wildcat basketball.

The Wildcats have already added a standout player Airion Simmons out of Parkview High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. Some scouts say he’s one of the top five high school players in

the state. The Wildcats are also in the mix for several transfers to help complete next year’s roster.

Director of athletics, Allen Ward, said he can’t wait to witness the upcoming years for ACU basketball.

“I’m excited about the future of ACU basketball and the impact it can have on ACU,” Ward said. “Our first experience with NCAA March Madness and the incomparable notoriety the university received is evidence of just how powerful Division I basketball can be for a university.”

The Wildcats will be back for more action in Moody alongside Goodenough and Goulding next fall looking to repeat as conference champs to make history once more.

Claborn Senior first baseman Koby Claborn had a productive weekend in the series against Grambling State. He totaled 10 RBIs and seven hits in the three games against the Tigers. Klaborn was a perfect 4-4 at the plate Saturday with two homeruns and seven RBIs. He also went without a strikeout in the series. Klaborn is now hitting .326 on the year after the loss to the University of Texas Permian Basin Tuesday. He has five homeruns and has driven in 31 runs this season. Baseball will now face Incarnate Word in a three game series this weekend.

Golf

NCAA CHAMPION PREDICTIONS Clouse

Texas Tech Red Raiders (30-6) MAX PRESTON ASSISTANT SPORTS DIRECTOR

After predicting the Final Four and getting crushed last week, I make my pick for the national champ with caution. With such an interesting Final Four, there’s no telling what could happen. Two schools playing in its first-ever Final Four, Texas Tech and Auburn, will face off against two experienced tournament teams in Virginia and Michigan State. To be honest, I grew up watching Texas Tech in most sports and have always been a fan. I always thought its baseball or football team would be the first to make it to a championship game, but here we are as Chris Beard has quickly elevated this program to a winning team and sits one game from playing for the title. With that being said, the Red Raiders are catching fire at the right time and playing out of their minds after a big upset win over No. 1 seed Gonzaga.

Aside from the sensation Jarrett Culver, Davide Moretti comes in as a an outside threat 46 percent from three and will be a weapon for Texas Tech.

The Spartans fall to the Red Raiders in the closing seconds of an incredible game. As for Auburn and Virginia, I don’t see any reason the Tigers can’t win in their first trip either. The Tigers destroyed two powerhouse schools in Kansas and North Carolina. They then secured a spot in the Final Four after a thrilling overtime game with heavyweight Kentucky.

Auburn takes down Virginia and meets Texas Tech in the final. I’ll be with the school two hours north all the way in the championship. Tech wins its first men’s basketball national title.

Auburn Tigers (30-9)

Virginia Cavaliers (33-3)

OWEN SIMPSON

BREVEN CAMPBELL

SPORTS DIRECTOR

After going 0-4 on my final four predictions, your guess is as good as mine for the national champion.

Both Texas Tech and Auburn are dancing in the final four for the first time in program history. Meanwhile, Virginia and Michigan State are certainly familiar to this type of situation. Auburn and Virginia face off first in what should be an exciting matchup.

Later, it’s Texas Tech and Michigan State. If I’ve learned anything from last week, it’s that I shouldn’t go with my gut. Auburn is too appealing of a pick, however, not to choose for me given how well they’ve played down the stretch winning the SEC championship.

Looking over at Michigan State and Texas Tech, I’ve been more than impressed with how well the Red Raiders have played in the tournament given their quick loss in the Big 12 tournament. This time, however, the Spartans end Texas Tech’s historic season. Looking at the championship, the Tigers of Auburn once again look like an appealing choice. With all this season’s hype primarily focused on Zion Williamson and Duke, I’d expect ratings to be down. However, despite the disapointment of not seeing Williamson on the court shouldn’t steer people away from the game. It’ll be a classic to say the least, and I look forward to an exciting conclusion to an unforgettable season.

SPORTS REPORTER

In a year with not too many upsets in the first and second round of the tournament, last weekend was the one that was upset-filled.

My original prediction had Duke, Florida State, Tennessee and North Carolina, but none of those teams ended up in the Final Four. My new winner is Virginia. The Cavaliers faced a hot Oregon team in the sweet-16 and a Purdue team that had been fueled by an all-time NCAA tournament performance by Carsen Edwards. Virginia will face Auburn Saturday and will win in a close game, but will pull-away late in the game. In the other semi-final game, Texas Tech and Michigan State will have a battle and will be another close game. Jarrett Culver, who will be a lottery pick this summer has lead Texas Tech to an amazing season alongside the coaching of Chris Beard. Texas Tech will battle it out and beat Michigan State to meet Virginia in the championship. From there, Tech will keep the game close, but Virginia, again, will pull away in the last couple of minutes.

Auburn Tigers (30-9) RACHEL POE

SPORTS REPORTER

The tougher team matchups would between Texas Tech and Michigan State, but ultimately I will have to go with Michigan State because they are playing with the most urgency out of all the teams, which they displayed when they beat Duke in the Elite 8. Tom Izzo has the most coach experience out of the remaining coaches and also has one of the most experienced teams. I believe the Cinderella story of Auburn will continue and they will be able to overcome the No. 1 seed, Virginia.

Auburn has been able to prove that they can beat high caliber teams, such as Virginia. If Auburn plays like they did against North Carolina, then they can compete with anyone.

I am predicting Auburn will win its first ever NCAA championship. Third year junior guard, Jared Harper, will be able to lead his team to victory Monday night over Michigan State.

I believe the injury of Chuma Okeae will give Auburn the win over Virginia and Michigan State and ultimately lead them into winning a title.

This week at the Bearkat Invitational, sophomore Alex Clouse finished tied for eighth individually in a field of 81 players. In his first and third round, he shot one-under 71. He finished the second round with a two-over 74 to put him at even for the tournament. Overall his team finished eighth out 15 schools. Clouse leads his team with an average round score of 73.05 this season and an average score v.s. par of 1.19 over. Next up for the golf team is the Bayou City Collegiate Tournament hosted by the University of Houston.

Softball

Belch Sophomore thirdbaseman Katelyn Belch was a standout for the softball team in its three-game series against Incarnate Word last weekend. In the first game Friday, Belch led her team to victory going 4-4 at the plate with a homerun and a double. She drove in two runs in the game and scored four of her own. She totaled two hits over the next two games in which they lost to UIW. Softball now prepares for a three-game series against McNeese this weekend with a double header Friday and a game on Saturday.