Optimist Print Edition 08.30.19

ACUOPTIMIST.COM | Friday, August 30, 2019 | 1

A student publication of Abilene Christian University since 1912

Faculty awarded Digital Scholar Grants PAGE 3

Experiential Learning opens in library

BY ALLISON HARRELL EDITOR IN CHIEF

The Center for Careers and Experiential Learning has been added to the Brown Library to include the Career Center, Study Abroad, Undergraduate Research and Halbert Institute for Missions and Global Service.

The Center for Careers and Experiential Learning is located in the front, left entrance of the library. It

will be a central location on campus for students to access the experiential learning opportunities of four different offices. The center will stand as a resource for, not only students, but also faculty to incorporate within their particular degree programs and courses.

Derran Reese was appointed as the inaugural director of experiential learning and assumed the role officially on July

22. Reese also serves as an adjunct professor in the department of bible, missions and ministry.

Prior to his appointment to director of experiential learning, Reese has worked full-time in the Bible department during 2006-08, then left ACU for a few years to pursue missionary work in Thailand with his family. Upon his return, he worked as an adjunct professor of missions.

“I think this is going to be a great opportunity for students to explore Reese different ways to get those types of real world experiences and to help them during their academic career with enhanced learning, but also as they move towards

career and vocation, to help equip them for that,” Reese said.

The Center for Careers and Experiential Learning was a recommendation from the Experiential Learning Task Force, which was established by Dr. Phil Schubert, president of ACU, and the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) under the Strategic Vision for ACU in 2017. In the final phase of the Experiential Learning Task Force Report, the goal

is to adopt these experiential learning initiatives and achieve 50% or greater participation, campus-wide, in each category.

Dodd Roberts, director of the Halbert Institute for Missions and Global Service, said the missions center will not relocate their offices, but rather provide a representative presence at the new library center.

“There will still be separate units, but we’ll be SEE LEARNING AT PAGE 2

BY RILEY FISHER | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

Don McLaughlin, senior minister of North Atlanta Church of Christ, speaks to the student body during Opening Chapel on Monday. For more photos, see page 4.

NEWS

Find out more about Chapel credit changes PAGE 2

SPORTS

BY ANDREW NORSWORTHY | STAFF WRITER

Customers enjoying coffee at Maslow Coffee Company.

Maslow Coffee weathers summer Coffee house adds stage for performances and events

BY ANDREW NORSWORTHY STAFF WRITER

Maslow Coffee Company continues to grow and prosper from its opening in March of 2019.

The coffee company, located near the ACU police department station, is still open for business.

Business for Maslow dwindled during the summer months due to students leaving school and going back home.

However, the numbers in terms of profit and growth during the spring months since its opening

and the summer months have been expected.

“We were really realistic in our expectations over the summer and also for school starting back and were pretty much right on what we expected,” Rachel Nocera, manager of Maslow Coffee Company, said.

However, the coffee shop continued on through the summer months supported by a new demographic of customers in the form of young mothers, professors, ACU staff, and elderly members of the surrounding community. With the onset of the fall 2019 semester,

this demographic now a mixture, which is what the shop was looking for. With students now back at the university in record numbers, Maslow Coffee sees a bright future ahead of itself and is expecting even more success.

“We have big dreams for this place,” Nocera said.

Meredith Lucius, a barista, said the coffee shop is continuing to grow in favorability with its customers.

“It’s only growing, only getting better,” said Ms. Lucius.

Maslow’s continues to receive praise and sup-

“We have big dreams for this place.”

RACHEL NOCERA MANAGER OF MASLOW COFFEE COMPANY

port from the community. Over the summer when most students were away, the shop underwent a number of changes in order to serve the community better. These changes include introducing new furniture, new menu items, a change in management back in April and a number of

other rearrangements. As of now, further developments are focused on improving what the shop currently has to offer its customers.

Over the summer, Maslow introduced a new stage for performances and events for anyone who wishes to recite poetry, comedy, sing, or play an instrument.

One of these events is an Open Mic Night on Tuesday nights for these performances, which so far is garnering the shop even more attention and success.

Coach Dorrel shares thoughts on new season PAGE 6

QUESTION What on-campus auditorium was used as the home for Chapel services from 1929-68?

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2 | Friday, August 30, 2019 | NEWS

Chapel implementing changes in exemptions

BY DILLON DANIEL MANAGING EDITOR

The Office of Spiritual Formation introduced new guidelines for small group Chapels as well as automatic exemptions starting in the Fall 2019 semester.

For a group to qual ify as a Chapel for credit, it must go through an approval process l isted out in the vision document curated by the Spiritual Format ion off ice.

The steps for approval are l isted as: f ill out a form, review and feedback by spiritual format ion coordinator, connect ion with graduate assistant for small groups and regular communicat ion by the Spiritual Format ion team. “ We want SGCs to put spiritual format ion at the core of what they are doing,” said David Gasatura graduate student in Christ ian ministry and graduate assistant for small group Chapels. “If you l ike to meet because the group

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE OFFICE OF CHAPEL

Cyrus Eaton speaks to the student body in Chapel. has something in common, something that is important to them or ACU but doesn’t focus on spiritual format ion does not qual ify as a small group.”

However, current small group chapels that do not qualify under the vision doc-

ument will not be disbanded.

The goal for the Spiritual Formation Office is to form these small group Chapels around its mission: “To create spaces for spiritual formation that cultivates a deep hunger to serve and lead like Jesus Christ through

small group relationships and community.”

Gasatura said the Office of Spiritual Formation wants students to disconnect the goal of spiritual formation from achieving credits by creating an environment where students desire to

be spiritually formed.

Chapel exemptions have been automatically initiated depending on each student’s class schedule.

If a student does not have a class from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

on Tuesday and Thursday on a particular day, then they are exempt on those days.

With these exemptions dependent on class schedules, some students are automatically exempt from more credits than others.

Spiritual formation coordinator Makayla Jones said she believes these credits will make student’s life simpler.

Jones said the Office of Spiritual Formation special circumstances and additional exemptions outside of working and volunteering will be taken into consideration.

“If there is a special circumstance, we would love to work with you on how to get complete your credit requirement,” Jones said.

Students will be able to monitor their spiritual format ion credits and opportunit ies on the ACU Connect app and can apply for exempt ions on the Student Life website.

Study Abroad releases the year’s programs list

BY ANDREW TOOTHMAN STAFF WRITER

Several faculty members will be leading study abroad trips during the upcoming semesters.

The Study Abroad Program travels to three different countries throughout the year. The three locations are in Oxford, England, Leipzig Germany, and Montevideo, Uruguay.

In fall of 2019, the professors attending Leipzig are Dr. Mark Phillips, professor of management sciences, and Dr. Laura Phillips, associate

professor of management sciences, as they are teaching Fundamentals of Life Design and International Business. Dr. Shelly Sanders, associate professor of language and literature, will be leading a group in Oxford.

In spring of 2020, Dr. David Kneip, assistant professor of Bible, missions and ministry, will be in Leipzig teaching Christianity in Culture.

The Montevideo program will begin in the spring with Dr. Beatriz Walker, professor of language and literature, will teach in Montevideo in

the spring.

In Oxford during the spring semester, Dr. Stephanie Talley, instructor of education, and Dr. Cole Bennett, professor of language and literature, will teach World Literature and Studies of C.S. Lewis.

Dr. Janine Morgan, instructor in Bible, missions and ministry, will teach Religious Teachings of C.S. Lewis.

In the summer programs of 2020, attending Leipzig will be Dr. Cynthia Powell, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry and

adviser of the medicine preprofessional program, and Dr. Lynette Austin, co-chair and associate professor of communication sciences and disorders, Rachel Riley, instructor of psychology, Mitzi Adams, instructor of teacher education and Dr. Jonathan Stewart professor of accounting and finance.

“The last time I taught these classes in Leipzig, one of my favorite activities was visiting a couple of business incubators which help start-up companies grow and expand,” Stewart said.

Professors attending Oxford in summer of 2020 are Dr. Lauren Lemley, assistant professor of communication, Dr. Cindy Roper, professor of communication, and Nick Tatum, instructor of communication and director of student productions. The next group to attend Oxford will be Dr. Nil Santana, assistant professor of art and design, and Ryan Feerer, associate professor of art and design. The last study abroad attending Oxford in the summer will be Dr. Kyle Tippens, assistant professor of account-

ing and finance, and Dr. Monty Lynn, W.W. Caruth Chair of Owner-Managed Business in the College of Business Administration and professor of management sciences.

“I get excited to be a part of the experiences that students are having and to watch the growth they are experiencing as they transform while they are abroad,” Stephen Shewmaker, executive director, Center for International Education, said. “And that is the reason I keep doing this work and I find the greatest joy in it.”

Experiential learning seeks to expand involvement CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

in the same space because what we all share in-common is experiential learning and the different aspects of experiential learning,” Roberts said. “So it will be kind of a one-stop-shop for students who are interested in missions, study abroad, undergraduate research or career opportu-

nities and internships. The center will provide a great opportunity for students to come by and find out, for instance, ‘Am I interested in study abroad or missions or both?’ And we hope that a lot of students will say, ‘Both.’”

The Center for Careers and Experiential Learning is currently working to assess

past successes and improvements made in the different areas. As well as working with faculty to establish new opportunities to incorporate in the center.

“This center provides opportunities for students to take the knowledge and content they’re learning in classes, and then be able to take it to real life situations,

to different settings and contexts,” Reese said. “But more than that to be able to encounter unforeseen challenges and new perspectives. And those types of experiences enhance learning in ways that are even hard to measure.”

Reese said the new relocation is intended to provide students greater access to

these offices and he hopes students feel welcome to come in and ask questions as they seek opportunities to engage in experiential learning.

“There’s so many great things happening across campus and experiential learning touches on so many different areas across all colleges and depart-

ments, so many different programs and entities on campus, that the challenge is getting my head around all of that,” Reese said. “So to be able to get perspective on everything that’s happening, so that as we move forward we can make decisions that will build on those great successes that are happening.”

FRI., SEPT. 6

SAT., SEPT. 7

WHAT’S HAPPENING? MON., SEPT. 2 6 p.m.- Ultimate Frisbee Intramural Tryouts 6 p.m.- OMA Sundaes on Monday

TUES., SEPT. 3 9 p.m.- Swing Cats Dance Lesson

WED., SEPT. 4

10 a.m.- Career Center’s Job & Internship Fair 5 p.m.- Freshman Follies Talent Act Auditions

THURS., SEPT. 5 11:30 a.m.- Leadership Summit interest meeting

6:30 p.m. - Movies on the Hill -Avengers:

Endgame showing

POLICE LOG

The weekly highlight section will return next week. For this week, ACUPD wants to welcome everyone to campus and to offer some reminders for the start of your school year:

• • • •

Be a responsible member of our ACU and broader Abilene community Respect your neighbors, and your neighborhood, just like you would back home Make good choices in your relationships and respect the boundaries either person sets Report ALL crimes to ACUPD immediately

911 Call Accident Administrative activity Advice Alarm Alcohol incident Animal call Assault Assist Attempt to locate Barricades Building lock/unlock Burglary: motor vehicle Cart patrol Check building Citation issuance Criminal mischief Criminal trespass

1 3 28 0 9 2 2 3 1 2 19 17 0 3 286 0 0 3

Direct traffic Discharge of firearm Disturbance Domestic disturbance Drug activity/offense Elevator rescue

Escort Fight Foot patrol Found property Harassment Hit & run Indecent exposure Information report Intoxicated person Investigation follow up Lost property Maintenance: univ. assets

3 3 2 1 1 2 1 0 13 8 1 1 0 0 1 12 1 0

Medical emergency Missing person Monitor facility/lot Motorist assist: inflate tire.

Motorist assist: jumpstart Motorist assist: unlock Noise violation Other Parking lot patrol Parking violation Patrol vehicle: maintenance Patrol vehicle: refuel Public service Random patrol Report writing Special assignment Stand by Suspicious activity

2 0 5 1 8 13 6 9 35 12 4 11 1 1 1 1 0 1

Suspicious person Suspicious vehicle Theft Traffic hazard.

Traffic stop Training Vehicle collision Welfare check

1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1

Total

546

*List of selected statistics of this week’s ACUPD activity report.

MESSAGE FROM POLICE CHIEF ELLISON: “Welcome back to campus. To avoid parking citations, please remember to obtain your new 2019-20 Parking Permits and comply with all ACU Parking Regulations.”

10 a.m.- Packer Forum Dedication and Restoration Day Celebration 6 p.m.- First home football game v. Arizona Christian Univ.

FEATURES | Friday, August 30, 2019 | 3

BY RILEY FISHER | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

Dr. Trey Shirley, instructor of art and design and assistant chair of the department of art and design, conducts course-based research to create new eye-tracking technology.

BY RILEY FISHER | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

Dr. Lynette Austin, associate professor of communication sciences and disorders, conducts research for new language assessment application.

BY RILEY FISHER | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

Nick Tatum, instructor of communication and sociology, furthers understanding of PROCESS Macro, a statistical method.

ADVANCING IN DIGITAL SCHOLARSHIP Three faculty members receive year-long grants to assist in research

BY ALLISON HARRELL EDITOR IN CHIEF

Three faculty members have received a grant by the University Library Committee to encourage digital research at ACU. Dr. Lynette Austin, Nick Tatum and Dr. Trey Shirley were awarded a year-long grant funding program called the Digital Scholars Grant. The grant is intended to encourage faculty research and learning within their specific fields of expertise.

Dr. Lynette Austin, associate professor of communication sciences and disorders, was awarded the grant in the category of faculty research. With the grant, she plans to develop an application to assist language assessment for bilingual or English-language learners, called Dynamic Assessment of Academic Language Skills (DAALS).

The tool will be used to look at a person’s learning process to see how quickly and easily he or she can learn a new language skill in order to help speech pathologists determine if there is a language learning disorder present. It will be used to assess children from about kindergarten to second-grade age.

Austin said she had the idea for the project prior to applying for the grant, a project that she had previously been working on.

“So I think that it will be pretty, reasonably easy to implement throughout the school year,” Austin said.

To apply for the grant, Austin was required to submit an online application describing project goals, pur-

pose of the project, project impact, what would be involved in the project process and what outcomes would be expected.

Nick Tatum, instructor of communication and sociology and director of student productions, was awarded the grant in the category of faculty expertise. With the grant, he plans to focus on furthering his understanding of the PROCESS Macro, an advancement in statistical analysis.

During the past summer, he used assistance from the grant to attend a week-long seminar about advanced statistical methods and conditional process analysis in Chicago. Conditional

process analysis is a combination of two common statistical methods. The method can be used for social, business and health sciences.

“It’s really groundbreaking,” Tatum said. “It’s the future of what our field is doing when it comes to stats.”

Throughout the year, Tatum plans to give several presentations to the ACU community and serve as a resource for faculty in this area of expertise.

Dr. Trey Shirley, instructor of art and design, assistant chair of the department of art and design and director of Cornerstone, was awarded the grant in

the category of coursebased research. With the grant, he plans to create a new eye-tracking technology for user-interface design analysis for his undergraduate Two-Dimensional Design course.

“In terms of the learning objectives and what I’m hoping students will get out of this, is first of all, just understanding the principles of composition better,” Shirley said. “But secondarily, my hope is that we’re introducing them to UX design. And UX is one of those hot topics right now in design.”

UX design stands for User eXperience design and is a collaboration between

graphic designers, computer scientists and psychologists in determining motivations of a person when viewing an image and the functionality and accessibility of an image.

“My hope is that the students will feel comfortable with the equipment and the tools to later on be able to use that in their own research, and maybe conduct their own research using UX principles,” Shirley said.

Shirley plans to run the first trial of the eye-track-

ing technology this semester with about 13 students assisting in the research.

Grant recipients have been given approval from the University Library Committee to begin their research with the provided technological and monetary assistance.

ACU Scholars Lab will host a presentation night for the three faculty Digital Scholars to share their research and findings in the spring.

Join BSF@ACU! A Weekly Adult Bible Study

CLASSES BEGIN SEPT. 10 Chapel Credit for Students.

Sign up online at bsfinternational.org and search for our group or email Lowell Johnston at JohnstonL@acu.edu.

MEN’S CLASS Room 281 • Tuesdays 5:45 PM WOMEN’S CLASS Room 140 • Tuesdays 6:00 PM Halbert-Walling Research Center Abilene Christian University

HELP WANTED

GREAT PART-TIME JOB OPPORTUNITY!

SORROW, HOPE AND JOY Life in the Mountains and Valleys of the Psalms

September 15-18, 2019 Abilene Christian University acu.edu/summit

Cleaner Needed Earn $500 Weekly Working Days: 3days Time Schedule: 8AM - 2PM Email: kengel86@outlook.com

FOR LEASE 3 bedroom, furnished house, laundry, 1/2 block from ACU, $1200/month plus utilities. NO pets, NO smoking.

Call (325)513-6572

4 | Friday, August 30, 2019 | PHOTOS

114TH GRAND OPENING

Dr. Odies Wright, associate professor of kinesiology and nutrition, leads the audience in the traditional hymn“The Lord Bless You and Keep You.” Guest speaker Don McLaughlin, senior minister of North Atlanta Church of Christ, encouraged students to leave the past behind and look toward the future as the ACU community enters the first day of classes.

BY CLAIRE SHIPLEY | PHOTOGRAPHER

Dr. Phil Schubert, president of ACU, slips on his hat before giving his welcome speech to the student body.

BY CLAIRE SHIPLEY | PHOTOGRAPHER

Dr. Odies Wright, associate professor of kinesiology and nutrition, leads the faculty, staff and students in a time of worship.

BY RILEY FISHER | PHOTOGRAPHER

Dr. Scott McDowell, vice president for student life smiles at students in the audience during opening Chapel.

BY RILEY FISHER | PHOTOGRAPHER

A group of students in the Big Purple sing the alma mater together.

BY LAUREN FRANCO | PHOTOGRAPHER

A flag bearer carries her flag as she walks around Moody Coliseum.

BY LAUREN FRANCO | PHOTOGRAPHER

Sophomores Noah Henderson and Will Heyen sing along during Opening Chapel.

OPINIONS | Friday, August 30, 2019 | 5

Meet your Editorial Board

Editor in Chief Classification: Senior Major: Convergence Journalism Homewtown: Lampasas

Sports Director Classification: Junior Major: Convergence Journalism Homewtown: Georgetown

Allison Harrell

Dillon Daniel

I am a first generation Wildcat, but I have fallen in love with this campus and its people. There’s truly no place like it. I’m already thinking about how I’m going to force my future kids to attend my almamater. Just kidding, maybe. I enjoy working for the Optimist and meeting the wide range of people across our campus. I enjoy listening to people’s stories. Last semester, I studied abroad in Oxford, England, and had the amazing opportunity to travel across the European continent and step outside my comfort zone. I believe stepping outside your comfort zone is a beneficial challenge to practice regularly throughout your life, and I encourage you to try it as we begin this new school year.

I chose ACU for its God-centered education and the personable community on its campus. Aside from this, I am a bass player in the Civic Orchestra of Abilene, an orchestra that joins students from ACU, HSU and McMurry. I’m also a member of Frater Sodalis. My advice to the new Wildcats is, “Do something.” Even if you are introverted or stick to a close group of friends, make sure to stay involved so you can make the most of your college experience.

Favorite On-Campus Place to Eat: New fan of Einstein’s Bagel Company Favorite Chapel: Immersed Worship Favorite Place to Study: Maslow Coffee Company

Managing Editor Classification: Junior Major: Bible Homewtown: Fort Worth

Owen Simpson

Tavian Miles

I chose ACU because of the JMC department and the overall atmosphere. This place seemed like a great opportunity to invest time into to better prepare myself for after college. While I am only entering my second year here, I’ve found all kinds of places to invest my time into. I’m the sports director at the Optimist, a host for ACUTV, an RA at Smith Adams Residence Hall and a sports announcer for ACU Sports. Incredible opportunities have been presented to me in just a year at college. I can’t wait to see what the 2019-20 year brings. My advice for incoming freshmen or transfers is to find something here that makes you happy.

Transitioning to a new school and new life can be a daunting thought, but if you can get connected to the people and environment, this place becomes home.

I chose ACU because of the people. As soon as I stepped on campus I felt so welcomed here. People took the time to know my name. From the students already attending and to the faculty and staff. On campus, I am involved with being a RA in Edwards hall, and I’m also on staff with the Optimist and ACUTV. Some advice I would give to new Wildcats is to not be afraid to talk to people. In college, you’ll make some amazing friends that will last a lifetime.

Assistant Sports Director Classification: Sophomore Major: Multimedia Homewtown: Austin

Favorite On-Campus Place to Eat: Chick-fil-A Favorite Chapel: ACU Summit Favorite Place to Study: ACU Brown library

Chief Photographer Classification: Sophomore Major: Theatre Homewtown: Abilene

Favorite On-Campus Place to Eat: The Lord’s chicken at Chick-fil-A Favorite Chapel: Praise Chapel on Fridays Favorite Place to Study: My room

Favorite On-Campus Place to Eat: Chick-fil-A Favorite Chapel: Immersed Worship Favorite Place to Study: Downstairs of the library

Riley Fisher

Abbey Lee

I chose ACU because it feels like home. I’ve grown up surrounded by the traditions that I’m now getting to be a part of, so it’s a special experience for me to be involved in a lot of areas on campus. You might see me shooting for the Optimist, working with Student Productions or building a show with the department of theatre. New Wildcats, don’t be afraid to try something new in an area outside of your major. I’ve made some of my best friends and favorite memories because I wanted to try something outside of my department. You never know where you’ll end up.

I chose ACU because of the academic programs and the Christian community it offered. I felt like it was a place that I would be successful at and would prepare me for the future.

I am a member of Ko Jo Kai and W Club. These clubs have allowed me to make new friends and taught me what being in community and loving others looks like. It is important to find places to get involved in, take advantage of cool opportunities, and don’t be afraid. Abilene is a great place to make connections and memories.

Favorite On-Campus Place to Eat: Tu Taco Favorite Chapel: Theatre Chapel Favorite Place to Study: Lower level of the library

Video Director Classification: Senior Major: Multimedia Homewtown: Magnolia

Favorite On-Campus Place to Eat: Chick-fil-A Favorite Chapel: All Moody Chapels Favorite Place to Study: ACU Brown library

Alex Hill

Opinions Editor Classification: Senior Major: English Homewtown: Fort Worth

Tweets

I chose ACU because I wanted to attend a university that not only would challenge me academically, but also challenge me as an individual, and challenge me on my spiritual walk with the Lord. The first time I stepped on ACU’s campus when I was touring, I immediately felt at peace, and I knew that this was home. I loved all the opportunities that ACU offers students and how much the faculty, staff and professors care and what students to be successful. A piece of advice I would love to offer to the new Wildcats is do not be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. A multitude of communities on campus are always welcoming in new people. Finally, get to know your professors on a personal level.

They want to get to know you and want to do what they can to help you succeed.

nick boone @Nickboone5 Two words on how I plan to dominate this school year.

Phiten Necklace Almost Christian University @ChristianAlmost No rush @CityOfAbilene but when we getting a buc-ee’s???

Can’t keep driving 2.5 hours to have a good time leah starfish @leahjarvisx just spilled a mug of lemon ginger tea all over my desk at the exact same moment i realized i need 23 textbooks for the semester Paul Hiepler @paulhiepler Spikeball needs to become the next NCAA sport.

Favorite On-Campus Place to Eat: Tu Taco Favorite Chapel: OMA Chapel Favorite Place to Study: Student room in Hardin Administration Building

ACU PD @realACUPD Friendly reminder that skipping chapel is punishable by death

THE OPTIMIST STAFF ALLISON HARRELL

RACHEL CROSSNOE

AVERY JACKSON

(325) 674-2439

DILLON DANIEL

SARAH BLANKENSHIP

LEXI KIRGAN

(325) 674-2684

OWEN SIMPSON

ASHLEY LANG

RACHEL POE

(325) 674-2499

TAVIAN MILES

DEVON HILLARY

TYLER HENDERSON

(325) 674-2819

ABBEY LEE

EMILY PERRYMAN

CLAIRE SHIPLEY

(325) 674-2463

RILEY FISHER

WILLIAM HEYEN

DAVID MITCHELL

(325) 674-2296

ALEX HILL

ANDREW NORSWORTHY

ERNESTO GUAJARDO

ANDREW TOOTHMAN

LEAH FIKES

BRYCE LURKENS

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6 | Friday, August 30, 2019 | SPORTS

STANDINGS Football Team McNeese Nicholls ACU Lamar SELU UCA SHSU NWSU SFA HBU UIW TAMU-CC

Ovrl.

0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0

Conf.

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Soccer

BY DAVID MITCHELL | PHOTOGRAPHER

The team listens to Coach Dorrel after the scrimmage Saturday.

Wildcats prepare for duel with North Texas

BY OWEN SIMPSON SPORTS DIRECTOR

For the first time in eight months, the Wildcats will take the field after finishing 6-5 in the 2018 season.

Similar to last year in which ACU played the Baylor Bears in Waco, they will start the season with an FBS opponent, North Texas. The Mean Green enter the 2019 season on a hot note coming off of a blowout win against #23 Utah State, 52-13, in the New Mexico bowl.

Head coach Adam Dorrel said he is well aware of the talent he’s going up against but knows what he wants to focus on to start the year.

“I think the things that really stand out to me is

when you play a team of that level, if you want to have success, you’ve got to believe,” said Dorrel. “and I think our guys genuinely believe that. Secondly, it’s turnover margin. I’ve been talking about the week zero games all week, and they all have one thing in common.

The team that won had a positive turnover margin.

So, I think it’s key week one to minimize your critical errors.”

The Wildcats posted a negat ive-t hree-t u rnover margin last season. That’s something Dorrel wants to change going into this year.

Despite those numbers; however, ACU finished with its best record in its Div. I era.

“Last year is over, but

we always struggled to win those close games,” Dorrel said. “Well, last year we were finally able to do that and, it’s given us a lot of confidence.”

Junior quarterback Luke Anthony is coming off a solid season, throwing for over 3000 yards and 23 touchdowns. Nonetheless, he’s motivated to improve on his success on the field this year.

“I really just want to see us close out games better,” Anthony said. “I think we showed up last year and got some wins, but this year it’s about finding a way to win all of those games.

Anthony also mentioned that in preparation for the UNT game, the coaches have been heavily focused

on limiting turnovers.

“With me, it’s just taking care of the ball,” Anthony said. “Against a bigger team like that, you put yourself in hole if you turn the ball over early, especially. I just got to execute.

Everyone else will do their job, and it’ll be fun.”

Senior running back Tracy James had an impressive 2018 season.

James led the Wildcats with over 750 yards rushing. He says that last year is in the past, and his eyes are focused on this season.

“I’m never looking back,” James said. “I’m always looking forward. So, I knew things I wanted to work on in the offseason.”

He knows how big of a season this is too. The

Wildcats play 12 games this for the first time since 2014. They start with UNT Saturday and close out the year with Mississippi State.

“I’m most looking forward to Mississippi State this year,” James said.

“They’re an SEC school and that is something I like, and I always wanted to play SEC. It’s going to be a fun game right there.

UNT is what I’m worried about for this week and I’m focused on getting the win there first.”

The Wildcats begin their 2019 season journey Saturday in Denton at 6:30 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN+.

Soccer makes comeback against UTEP to stay undefeated

BY RACHEL POE SPORTS WRITER

ACU hit the soccer fields again last Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. for their second match of the season against University of Texas at El Paso Miners.

The Wildcats were able to pull off a 2-1 win in the last 20 minutes of the game.

The Miners led the entire 69 minutes of the game with a 1-0 lead. Se-

nior defender Kori Lewis was able to get one in the back of the net in the 8th minute.

The Wildcats were not able to score until freshman midfielder Natalie Jones scored two goals in the last 20 minutes of the match.

The first goal came off of Jones’s shot off the box in the 70th minute. The last goal of the night and Jones’s second came in the

88th minute when she intercepted the ball and took it up herself for the game winning goal.

Although, the Wildcats had a slow offensive start, they were able to outsout the Miners in the second half, 18-14, and were also able to lead 8-6 in shots placed on frame. Jones led the board with five shot attempts, while senior midfielder Shay Johnson was close behind with three.

Junior goalkeeper Erin Smith had five valuable saves on Sunday’s match.

The Wildcats led in corner kicks earned as well, 8-5.

After Sunday’s night win, this will be the 8th consecutive season that the Wildcats face the Miners, with the series of three wins, two losses and two ties apiece.

The Wildcats have won three straight matches against UTEP, including

Sunday’s 2-1 win, 1-0 win in Abilene last season and 2-1 in El Paso two years ago.

This will be the first time ACU has been 2-0 since 2013, but the team’s first time as a Division 1 team.

The Wildcats will host their first home game in the regular season against the University of Southwest Friday. Kickoff is at 7 p.m at Elmer Grey Stadium.

FOOTBALL MATCHUP PREVIEW 2019 SEASON POINTS PER GAME

34.6

160.9

RUSH YPG

153.8

278.4

PASSING YPG

306.8

30.1

26.9

POINTS ALLOWED

Owen Simpson SPORTS DIRECTOR

University of North Texas (0–0)

Tavian Miles

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Lexi Kirgan

SPORTS REPORTER

At 6-5 in 2018, the Wildcats finished the season winning four out of its last five games to cap off the year. Junior quarterback Luke Anthony finished last year throwing for 23 touchdowns and will be joined with a strong level of upper class experience. The Wildcats offensive production was better than most teams last season averaging 30 points per game.

However, their defense struggled throughout the year giving up 44 points or more in three games.

Meanwhile North Texas is bringing in one of its best recruiting classes in recent memory. The Mean Green were successful bringing in 21 threestar recruits to boost their chances repeating as conference champions. UNT is also coming off of its second consecutive nine-win season with blowout wins over Arkansas, Incarnate Word and a bowl victory over #23 Utah State, 52-13. Despite ACU bringing back a strong core of their offense and defense, North Texas is on another level of college football. Expect it to be ugly at best.

A couple of years ago I would’ve thought this is a game ACU could sneak in a victory, but North Texas finished with a winning record of 9-4 with key wins over SMU and Arkansas and cliching a bowl berth. They bring back senior quarterback Mason Fine who’s the NCAA’s active career leader with 9,417 yards. The Mean Green also bring back three starting receivers and all C-USA junior running back DeAndre Torrey behind a stacked offensive line. Their defense on the other hand will need some work since they only have 5 returning players on that side of the ball. So you might think, do we even have a chance? And the answer is yes. The Wildcats will be returning junior quarterback Luke Anthony who threw for over 3,000 yards, along with playmakers on both offense and defense. This will be a dog fight in the first half, but at the end of the day I’m going to have to side with UNT.

The Wildcats head to North Texas to play in their first game of the 2019 season.

There has been a lot of anticipation about this game since coming off their 6-5 season. The North Texas Mean Green ended their 2018 season 9-4 and are predicted to finish first in their conference this year. The Wildcats are picked to finish 7th. I think that the Wildcats will surprise everyone with a win against the Mean Green. With Jeremiah Chambers, Luke Anthony and Billy McCrary returning I feel like the Wildcats will pull out a surprise attack on the Mean Green. I’m assuming that it will be a fairly close game, but I feel like the Wildcats will have just the right amount of energy to go show UNT what the Wildcats are really about. With the pre-season ranking in the back of their minds, I feel like it will be a good motivator to get the Wildcats going to pull out a win.

FINAL SCORE: ACU 17 UNT 52

FINAL SCORE: ACU 21 UNT 49

FINAL SCORE: ACU 34 UNT 31

Ovrl.

1-0 1-0-1 2-0 1-2 0-1-1 0-1 0-2 0-2 0-2 1-0 0-1 0-2

Conf.

0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0

SCHEDULE Football Week 1 ACU v Jack. St. v NWSU v Southern U. v UCA v UIW v Nicholls v Bethel U. v HBU v SFA v SHSU v

UNT SELU UT Martin McNeese WKU UTSA Kansas St. Lamar UTEP Baylor New Mexico

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Soccer

Arteaga Junior Forward Christina Arteaga played a total of 55 minutes resulting in two shots on goal and contributed to one of the three goals scored by ACU. In the season opener, Arteaga scored in the 27th minute as The Wildcats defeated the Aggies 3-1.

Soccer

Jones Freshman Midfielder Natalie Jones is already looking in midseason form as she helped the wildcats take down UTEP 2-1. Jones, was the lone scorer during Sunday’s game by scoring both goals during the final 20 minutes of the game to clinch a victory.

24.1

ABILENE CHRISTIAN UNIVERSIT Y (0–0)

Team McNeese Nicholls ACU Lamar SELU UCA SHSU NWSU SFA HBU UIW TAMU-CC

Football

Jalen Garrett SPORTS REPORTER

ACU football will be entering their third season as a Div. I school with many promising expectations. Coming off of 3,000 passing yards and 23 touchdown season, junior quarterback Luke Anthony will be the key factor into ACU’s success on the along with senior running backs Tracy James and Billy McCrary, who both ran for over 700 yards last season. This year’s class is loaded with freshmen ready to take over the upperclassmen who are transitioning out. UNT however has been showing true glimpses of a breakout season this year.

Their offense is stacked with talent which include senior quarterback Mason Fine, junior running back DeAndre Torrey, and senior wide receiver Rico Bussey Jr. However, their defense does need some adjustment as they gave up close to 375 yards of offense last year. This game will be an interesting one, but I’m going to choose UNT to win this matchup.

FINAL SCORE: ACU 14 UNT 35

Perry Sophomore running back Conrad Perry led both offenses in rushing yards and yards per carry on Saturday. Perry ended with five carries and 81 yards during the practice scrimmage. The Wildcats will travel Saturday to UNT in Denton.

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