ACUOPTIMIST.COM | Monday, August 26, 2019 | 1
A student publication of Abilene Christian University since 1912
The bulldozers have arrived PAGE 2
NEXT Lab gains national recognition BY ALLISON HARRELL EDITOR IN CHIEF
The Nuclear Energy eXperimental Testing (NEXT) Lab has established a consortium with the University of Texas at Austin, Georgia Tech University and Texas A&M University, in pursuit of building the first university-based molten salt reactor in the U.S. Dr. Rusty Towell, professor of engineering and
physics and director of the NEXT Lab, said about 30 universities in the country have research reactors, but none have a molten salt reactor. “We’d be the very first,” Towell said. “So we would be literally a facility that people would come from around the world to use.” In July, the Associated Press, a national news agency company, published an article about ACU’s NEXT Lab.
The NEXT Lab, consisting of about thirty members of faculty, staff, students and full-time researchers, plans to create a molten salt reactor, through both engineering and design, that aims to provide a solution to the main argument against nuclear energy: the harmful, nuclear waste. “Several pieces of legislation [are] specifically saying, ‘We want to reinvigorate the nuclear
industry because it is so clean, because it is so inexpensive and it can be done safely. We would like to empower advance reactors that have those qualities,’” Towell said. “So hopefully, as the national attitude shifts and our politicians are really, really excited about striving for safe energy and clean energy, they are going to be looking more and more to nuclear.” By using energy stored
inside a nucleus, the amount of fuel needed to produce enough energy needed for daily usage decreases by a large factor in comparison to all other forms of energy. “So you need super-tankers full of oil or railroad cars full of coal to produce a significant amount of electricity,” Towell said. “But you can produce significant amounts of energy or electricity from literally a
handful of material if using the nuclear force.” The small amount of waste generated in the molten salt reactor will be captured in a solid form, rather than a liquid or gas form, that will ultimately protect the air and groundwater from harmful chemicals returning to the atmosphere. “But it’s actually even better than that, because that handful of waste acSEE NEXT AT PAGE 2
BY RILEY FISHER | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
Johnnyswim performs in the Circle Drive to close out Wildcat Week 2019. For more photos, see page 4.
Residence Life expands in UP BY ANDREW NORSWORTHY STAFF WRITER
BY DILLON DANIEL | MANAGING EDITOR
The Faculty Fellows participated in Adobe workshop with Innovation Foundry and Learning Studio. Left to right: Amos Gutierrez, Dr. Jim Carpenter, Adam Hester, Andres Saucedo.
Campus earns accolades from Adobe for creativity BY DILLON DANIEL MANAGING EDITOR
ACU became the first university in Texas to be named an Adobe Creative Campus last spring. “ACU has been recognized by Adobe as an ‘innovative, forward-thinking institution of higher education incorporating creative problem solving into its curricula and fostering twenty-first-century methods of teaching and learning,’” said Dr. John Weaver, dean of Brown Library. With gaining this recognition, ACU joins the company of other creative campuses such as Penn State, Boston University and Austin Community College. The university has worked with Adobe for the past three years to offer students, as well as faculty and staff free access to the Creative Cloud. “For the past few years, ACU has been partici-
pating in Adobe Creative Campus Collaborations, events that present ideas and best practices in digital literacy and education,” Amos Gutierrez, the on-campus Adobe Ambassador and Learning Technology Specialist, said. Adobe’s description of the program describes various ways both the school and its students can benefit from this program, such as leadership opportunities, increased educational opportunities and access to Adobe creative programs. “ACU faculty are nationally recognized as leaders in digital literacy, collaborating and sharing best practices with other universities,” Weaver said. Gutierrez said even though some students are naturally more creative than others, use of Adobe programs allows for a more level playing field that helps and expands everyone’s creativity. He believes that the imple-
mentation of creative assignments using Adobe programs gives students opportunities to develop their digital and creative skills. “Creative assignments continue to place importance on traditional research methods, but allow students to engage in the creative process, which includes learning something new, taking risks and not being afraid of failure. “It’s okay if a student’s submission lacks in visual appeal. While this might be seen as a failure, it is the beginning stages of fostering creativity within students. Students that continue to engage the creative process will then be able to think more creatively,” Gutierrez said. Any faculty, staff or students with questions about Adobe Creative Cloud can email adobe@acu.edu, visit the office located in the Innovation Foundry or visit acu.edu/adobe.
University Park Apartments welcomed resident advisers on its property for the first time this year, in partnership with ACU Resident Life. University Park Apartments are owned by Campus Living Villages. The new resident advisers will have the responsibility of programming and coordinating community events and bettering community life. Scott Busby, assistant resident director of Resident Life on University Park property, plans to bring four ACU resident advisers to manage University Park for this coming year and foreseeable future. Summer Thompson, leasing assistant of University Park, said this change is because of the initiative to have ACU Resident Life indicate a “new direction” in their current partnership with Campus Living Villages. “We felt that having a partnership with ACU Resident Life will better our resident community here by having actual ACU R.A.’s because the majority of our residents are ACU students,” Thompson said. Victoria Matuszewki, director of leasing at University Park, said the purpose of this partnership is to bring the community closer together and create a better atmosphere by implementing a great resident life program. “I think the easiest way to lease is to have a great com-
munity built,” Matuszewki said. Campus Living Villages divides the Resident Life program into three different categories: live, learn and grow. The new resident advisers will have the re“I think the easiest way to lease is to have a great community built.” VICTORIA MATUSZEWKI DIRECTOR OF LEASING AT UNIVERSITY PARK APARTMENTS
sponsibility of implementing programs that meet those categories. This is the only responsibility that ACU resident advisers have at University Park. This is a departure from the responsibilities of the previous year as there will no longer be a requirement of office hours. “[It will] help us better with our programming, create more cohesion with [Campus Living Villages] staff and with our residents,” Thompson said. This change in staff will not affect any existing student residents any more than the previous year or any residents who are not students of ACU. These changes serve to build a better and more cohesive community for all guests of University Park. In the past, events such as movies on the pavilion at University Park have been scheduled for residents. Future events set up by the resident advisers have not yet been scheduled.
SPORTS
Meet the new softball coach PAGE 6
PHOTOS
Take a look back at Wildcat Week 2019
PAGE 5
QUESTION Abilene was named after another city of Abilene in which state? Be the first to answer correctly by sending your answer to @acuoptimist on Twitter. Winner will receive a prize. Be sure to watch for a new question each week.
FOLLOW US @acuoptimist The Optimist @acuoptimist