Optimist Print Edition 10.11.19

ACUOPTIMIST.COM | Friday, October 11, 2019 | 1

Marilyn Salazar gains local experience in interior design internships

A student publication of Abilene Christian University since 1912

PAGE 3

Two staff members depart Student Life

BY ALLISON HARRELL EDITOR IN CHIEF

April Napier, director of the office of multicultural affairs, has left ACU and Bar t Herridg e, dean of student eng ag ement and retention, will be leaving ACU on Oct. 31.

Herridge has worked for the university since 1999 and his last day at the university will be Oct. 31. He has spent

four years working in the Admissions Office, eight years in the Registrar’s Office and for almost seven years he has worked in the Student Life Office.

Herridge said his role in Student Life at ACU has been spearheading and reporting on retention efforts for the university as a whole, as well as overseeing offices focused on student engagement, such as stu-

dent organizations, social clubs, student activities, student productions and Wildcat Week.

Her ridge said that throughout his time at the university, the most rewarding par t was helping students to finish their time at ACU successfully.

“It’s really been seeing students cross the graduation stage that probably wouldn’t have had it not been from some of the

supports and some of the things that we do to help facilitate students being successful,” Herridge said. “That’s really been the focus for me is, ‘Alright, how do we help people be successful here?’”

Herridge said he plans to remain in Abilene for awhile.

“I’m kind of in a season of where I’m just going to do some looking around and try to de-

cide, it’s been a long time being here obviously; I haven’t done anything else for a long time,” Herridge said. “Just a season of rest. I’m going to take a little bit of time and relax, then start looking for what I want to do next.”

Napier began working for the university in the fall of 2018. She worked as an adjunct social work professor teaching graduate and undergraduate

courses, conducted cultural confidence training for faculty, assisted in training for the Student Life Office and led Clifton StrengthsFinder- Gallup training and small group exercises.

She is now working as the assistant director of multicultural affairs at the University of Texas at Arlington. Napier said she is doing a lot of the same things at UTA, SEE FACULTY AT PAGE 3

BY DAVID MITCHELL | PHOTOGRAPHER

Sophomore defender Natalie Wodka attempts a penalty kick at soccer game versus the Central Arkansas Bears on Sunday.

SGA conducting second annual join week

BY ANDREW TOOTHMAN STAFF WRITER

The ACU Student Government is conducting a Join Week event for students that are interested in getting more involved in student organizations with the help of a new position on SGA. The second annual Join Week began Oct. 7 and is a week long event designed to connect students to different organizations on campus and the Abilene community. Flyers were distributed around campus to show students what SGA will be doing to aid

students in getting involved.

S G A had a budget meeting last week. LauWasson ren Wasson, senior political science major and student government president, said SGA talked about the 69 student organizations on campus, and how they would be able to fund those organizations. They decided to help over 65 organizations with their $50,000

budget.

“Join week which is an effort to bring awareness to what student organizations are available on campus,” Wasson said.

“This is to encourage students as well. I remember when I was a freshman, I think we don’t always know what is out there to join in our communities on campus or in Abilene in general.”

SGA played a video in Chapel on Oct. 11 to show students the organizations there are but also will send an email for students to get connected easily. Students

“This is to encourage students as well. I remember when I was a freshman, I think we don’t always know what is out there to join in our communities on campus or in Abilene in general.”

LAUREN WASSON SENIOR POLITICAL SCIENCE MAJOR AND SGA PRESIDENT

can email join@acu.edu with the names of the organization they want to be involved in and information will be sent to them.

SGA created a new position of Director of

Student Engagement and Improvement.

Responsibilities of this position include expanding and assisting student organizations with marketing. The role is held by Daniel Sherman, a junior management major from Abilene.

SGA would like to chang e the personal relations with student org anizations and use social media to expand its ser vice to student org anizations. It also wants to collaborate ideas and ser ve student org anizations as much as possible.

NEWS

New women’s ministry begins on campus PAGE 2

SPORTS

Ethnos performance to premier ‘Pandemic’

BY ANDREW NORSWORTHY STAFF WRITER

The International Students Association will be hosting Ethnos with a new theme at 7 p.m on Nov. 8-9 in Cullen Auditorium. This year’s theme will be “Pandemic.”

Ethnos is ACU’s annual culture show that is performed every year in the fall semester and is the biggest event that ISA puts on for students. This a showcase of different artistic expression be its singing, dancing, or playing an instrument. International students are encouraged to teach a group of students, be they American or international, a cultural dance or song from their native countries. In essence, this show is a way for international students to express their cultural

PHOTO COURTESY OF AUSTIN BROWNING

Ethnos will present the 2019 theme of ‘Pandemic’ to show a virus of symptoms as dance and song. identities and bring the ing as dance and singing. from Shades, Japanese community together.

This year, the show will Pop, Sanctify, Afro Pop, In between each act, actors consist of performances Latinos, Swing Cats, Korewill bind the performanc- from 11 groups with skits an Pop, as well as Mexican, es together to form a story in between each one. ISA Chinese, and Filipino acts, around the chosen theme. invites preexisting dance all culminating into an inFor this years show, the sto- groups as well as new ones ternational worship song. ry will revolve around a virus to participate and per“This year, we have a reovertaking various nations form. This program will ally great team organizing with the symptoms manifest- consist of a performance it,” Veronica Whitt, the in-

ternational student services coordinator, said.

The show is primarily run by ISA officers, but it has also opened up to those who work with them on a committee.

Tickets for this show are already being sold online. However, Monday, tickets will also be sold in the campus center after Chapel. These tickets will be sold for $5 to students with their ID’s along with general admission for non-students will be $8.

Tickets will also be sold on the day of the performance at the door for $10.

Arnold Charles, a student cultural intern at the Office of Multicultural Affairs and former ISA officer, said, “If you want to be able to live vibrantly through the culture of others, come to Ethnos.”

Wildcats plan to rebound with HBU PAGE 6

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2 | Friday, October 11, 2019 | NEWS

Students create chapter of Delight Ministries

BY SYDNEY VARNER STAFF WRITER

A group of students have started a local chapter of a national women’s ministry.

McKenzie Bonam, sophomore kinesiology- pre occupational therapy major from Kerrville, is a part of the ACU Delight chapter’s leadership team. Bonam feels that Delight ministries is creating a new space for women at ACU. “I think it’s essential be welcomed into a place without expectation of you being a certain person,” Bonam said. “With that, Delight to me was the perfect outlet ACU needed to invite girls of all varieties together.”

Delight is a women’s ministry that is run primarily on college campuses and focuses on creating authentic christ-centered community

PHOTO COURTESY OF DELIGHT MINISTRIES ACU LEADERSHIP TEAM

ACU Delight’s leadership team (left to right) Elisabeth Ice, Gracie Showers, Karissa Nickish, Sydney Carr, and McKenzie Bonam preapre for the launch of the Delight chapter on campus. among women. Starting at focus and the leadership has Delight chapter. She is excit- Ice said.

Belmont University in 2011, hope that many of the wom- ed for the potential benefits Through this ministry, Delight ministries has grown en on campus with benefit of this group for the women Bonam and many other girls to have nationwide outreach from the arrival of this new of ACU. across the nation hope to enmost recently arriving here in ministry.

“In my view it has some able women in their passions Abilene.

Elisabeth Ice, junior psy- of the same benefits of the and love for Christ.

The women’s ministry as- chology major from Abilene, social clubs, it’s a place where “Community is only good pect of Delight is the main is the worship director for the you’re accepted as you are,” if it puts Christ on the pedes-

tal , not ourselves or even the name of Delight itself,” Bonam said. “With that, I hope the women of ACU are better enabled to live out their passions in such a way that is infectious and overflows to the rest of our campus, town, and throughout our lives as a whole.”

Delight held a kick off last Wednesday evening and will meet Thursdays from 8:30-10 a.m. in the McGlothlin Campus Center basement.

“We would love for people to commit to coming every time if they can just so we can build a really tight community.” Ice said.

For further information, students are encouraged to contact chapter leader Gracie Showers at kgs15a@acu.edu or for further information on Delight ministries to visit their website at delightministries.com.

Debate team returns with awards from win at Lee College

BY KAYLA MONTANO GUEST WRITER

The debate team returns home with two awards under its belt after their wins at Lee College.

The debate team attended a tournament at Lee College.

This Tournament turned out to be a success with two students who went to the quarterfinals in the Junior Varsity division.

Schools at the tournament included: Southern Methodist University, Louisiana State University- Shreveport, Oklahoma Baptist University, and other Louisiana, Arkansas, Alabama and Texas schools.

The two students, Eliz-

abeth Miller and Shekinah Kahongo, won the awards of the International Public Debate Association.

They tied for fourth in the tournament and Shekinah Kahongo earned the fourth place speaker award.

“I was really excited about winning,” Elizabeth Miller, junior English major from Allen, said. “This was the first time I’d made it to the quarterfinals, and it was especially exciting because that was my first tournament in the JV division.”

The wins gave the team points toward season awards at the International Public Debate Association National Tournament and conference

at Tennessee Tech University for March, 2020.

The team prepares for their debates twice a week. Where they learn theory, practice writing cases, and run full debate rounds with each other.

In addition, they are expected to stay up to date with the news and current events.

Sheila Ritchie, director of debate and associate professor in the department of communication, took over the team in the fall of 2018.

She retarted the program with a new style of debate.

“We had to learn everything from the ground up and got pretty beat up for

several tournaments. We were learning and that takes some growing pains, but at the end of last season, we still ended up with the 11th ranked Novice team in the nation out of 163 schools.” said professor Ritchie.

With a total of six tournaments in the fall semester and six tournaments in the Spring; Ritchie said the team is on the right track and will continue to grow and improve.

The debate team will host their first collegiate tournament in February.

“We work hard to represent ACU in the best way we can and we are excited to bring this event to the campus,” Ritchie said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ACU DEBATE TEAM

Elizabeth Miller and Shekinah Kahongo pose with awards.

Student-owned thrift shop launches online with success

BY TYLER HENDERSON SPORTS WRITER

PHOTO COURTESY OF ABITHRIFT

Students and locals gather at AbiThrift launch party.

AbiThrift, an online student-owned and operated thrift store, has launched its website.

AbiThrift has launched its official website on Saturday, online at abithrift. com, with free shipping to Abilene. The founders will also have occasional popup shops in the future, with dates to be announced.

Elyse Goodnight, founder and CEO of AbiThrift and junior child and family services major from Abilene,

and marketing manager Jacob Chapman, senior management major from Andrews, wanted to fulfill Goodnight’s dream going forward. A business started solely based on a dream led to a partnership with the Founder’s Club in the College of Business Administration. Carrying 800 pieces of inventory, they are prepared to take on the challenge of balancing student and business life.

“I think the hunt is addicting,” Goodnight said.

“I wanted to give everyone else a chance to do that without driving across

town, maybe fi nd nothing, and sifting for nothing.”

Goodnight said she sees a bright future for AbiThrift. Goodnight said the accessibility of AbiThrift online allows them to run it anywhere. For now, she said she believes they’ve found their niche in Abilene. Chapman said that with bargain deals online and college students buying on a budget, they are in a market for success.

“It can’t feel just like we’re selling clothes out of our garage,” Chapman said. “We wanted to really make sure it

feels like a real business. We are making it real, putting a lot of passion into it instead of just letting it be.”

Viewers can also subscribe to their website for updates on new products and events. All pop-up dates will be posted on the website with an events tab, and will also be announced on their Instagram page, @abithrift.

“We’re just two kids trying to sell clothes,” Chapman said. “We want to give people that experience of finding something that is theirs and allowing them to express themselves in that way.”

FRI., OCT. 18

SAT., OCT. 19

5 p.m.- Homecoming Carnival 5 p.m.- Maker Lab Open House 6 p.m.- Beauty and the Beast Musical 7:30 p.m.- Ellyn Stacey Senior Recital

12 p.m.- Choirs Homecoming Concert and Reception 3 p.m.- Football vs. SFA

WHAT’S HAPPENING? MON., OCT. 14 Admitted Student Day

TUES., OCT. 15 6:30 p.m.- Kevin Hines #BeHereTomorrow 7 p.m.- DKMS Bone Marrow Drive 7 p.m.- Democratic Debate Watch Party

WED., OCT. 16 4 p.m.- Career & Major Workshop

THURS., OCT. 17 6:30 p.m.- Open Road Concert at Grace Museum

police log SELECTED ACUPD CALLS FOR THE WEEK: •

ACUPD arrested a male subject for Public Intoxication and Criminal Tresspassing. 10/03/2019 9:36 p.m.

•

ACUPD officers identified a male subject who was sleeping on Lunsford Trail near the football scoreboard. He checked OK and was sent on his way. 10/05/2019 6:13 a.m.

•

A staff member reported that her ACU Dell laptop computer was stolen from a hospital room at Hendricks Medical Center.

10/07/2019 9:55 a.m.

•

A student reported that someone stole her yellow Hydro Flask water bottle from the Onstead Science Center. 10/01/2019 4:25 p.m.

911 Call Administrative activity Advice Alarm Animal call Assist Barricades Bicycles/skateboard call Building lock/unlock Cart patrol Check building Citation issuance Clery Criminal tresspass Disorderly conduct Disturbance

1 50 2 3 2 0 2 0 17 0 288 1 7 1 0 1

Domestic disturbance Escort Event support Foot patrol Found property Information report Intoxicated person Investigation follow-up Lost Property Maintenance: univ assets: cctv Maintenance: univ assets Missing person Monitor facility/lot Motorist assist: inflate tire.

Motorist assist: jumpstart Motorist assist: other

MESSAGE FROM POLICE CHIEF ELLISON:

0 1 0 3 1 4 2 15 4 26 2 0 20 3 9 3

Motorist assist: unlock Noise violation Other Parking lot patrol Parking violation Patrol vehicle: maintenance Patrol vehicle: refuel Prowler Public service Random patrol Reckless driving Refuel gasoline cans Report writing Report writing (follow up) Sex offense Suicide (attempt and actual)

5 0 8 33 4 12 8 1 1 13 1 1 17 2 1 2

Stolen Vehicle Suspicious activity Susicious person Suspicious vehicle Theft Traffic hazard Traffic stop Training Vehicle collision Welfare check Total

0 1 2 1 2 1 4 6 0 8 602

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

“ACUPD reminds everyone that failing to yield to pedestrians using a marked pedestrian crossing is dangerous and is an offense.”

FEATURES & NEWS | Friday, October 11, 2019 | 3

INTERIOR DESIGN FAR FROM ‘FIXER UPPER’ Marilyn Salazar gains internship experience with local companies

BY DILLON DANIEL MANAGING EDITOR

Cer t a i n majors at ACU requ i re t hei r st udents to work i n a n i nter nsh ip prog ra m to ea r n f u l l cred its for t hei r deg rees as wel l as a l low t hem to g a i n add it iona l exper ience.

M a r i lyn Sa laza r, a n i nter ior desig n major from Abi lene, sa id t hat her i nter nsh ip a l lowed her to accompl ish just t hat as wel l as lea r n more about t he pu r pose of i nter ior desig n. “ I nter ior desig n majors have to have a n i nter nsh ip t ra nsfer r i ng from t hei r ju n ior to sen ior yea r,” Sa laza r sa id. “ I d id m i ne w it h Rebecca Gibbs Desig n, wh i le husba nd, Lucas, operates Lucas Gibbs Bu i ld.”

One project Sa laza r cont r ibuted to when work i ng w it h Gibbs was creat i ng t he i nter ior for t he Wel l Chu rch.

She sa id t hat she helped t u r n Gibbs’ desig ns i nto 3D a nd selected color a nd pat ter n sa mples for t he desig ns.

Sa laza r, who has cont r ibuted to desig ns i n t he l ibra r y, sa id looki ng at her own desig ns bei ng put to use g ives her mot ivat ion to keep pu rsu i ng t h is ca reer.

“Grow i ng up I feel l i ke I’ve const a nt ly been told I cou ld n’t do cer t a i n t h i ng s, but look i ng at my work a nd cont r ibut ions shows me t hat I ca n do a ny t h i ng ,” she sa id.

However, she sa id t hat it was wh i le she

BY RILEY FISHER | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

Marilyn Salazar, senior interior design major from Abilene, shares about her unique internship experiences. was work i ng t hat she k new t h is was goi ng to be her per ma nent career f ield. “ Seei ng t he expressions on t he faces of t he cl ients when present i ng a desig n helped me rea l i ze t hat t h is is what I need to be doi ng.”

She sa id t hat she’s not su re if she’l l st a r t big or sma l l , but t hat t here’s no l i m it to t he nu mber of oppor t u n it ies.

“Most people often associate interior design with Joanna Gaines, which is not correct.”

MARILYN SALAZAR SENIOR INTERIOR DESIGN MAJOR FROM ABILENE

“ T h is i nter nsh ip g ave me a lot of exper ience a nd opened a lot of ca-

reer oppor t u n it ies, especia l ly w it h t he economy ’s cu r rent boom i ng st ate,” Sa laza r sa id.

Sa laza r sa id it ’s a process of f i nd i ng you r per ma nent posit ion i n i nter ior desig n: “A fr iend of m i ne [who worked w it h Rebecca Gibbs] sa id t hat ‘somet i mes you st a r t sma l l t hen go big , t hen go back to sma l l t hen end up i n a big ger place.”

Because of t h is, she sa id she bel ieves t hat t h is does not h i ng but help w it h add i ng to her exper ience.

However, she sa id i nter ior desig ners k now t hei r work is not just decorat i ng ; t hat desig ns a re supposed to be pu rposef u l a nd f u nct iona l.

Website hotelde-

sig ns.net quoted Ch r is Gw y t her, ma na g i ng d irector of t he creat ive a genc y Phoen i x W ha rf; He sa id t hat focus shou ld be on t he f u nct iona l it y as wel l: “A good dea l of it is effect ively i nv isible a nd t hat ’s as it shou ld be.

T he end-user shou ld exper ience a space as bei ng sea m less a nd i nteg rated, but when cl ients new to com m ission i ng desig n rea l ise a l l it t a kes to ach ieve t hat , it ca n be a rea l eye- opener.”

Sa laza r sa id she bel ieves cer t a i n depict ions of i nter ior desig n i n t he med ia has helped t a r n ish its reput at ion. “ Most people often associate i nter ior desig n w it h Joa n na G a i nes, wh ich is not

“This internship gave me a lot of experience and opened a lot of career opportunities, especially with the economy’s current booming state.”

MARILYN SALAZAR SENIOR INTERIOR DESIGN MAJOR FROM ABILENE

cor rect . She’s not even cer t if ied, she got her deg ree i n com mu n icat ions,” Sa laza r sa id w it h a lau gh. “ W hat we’re rea l ly supposed to do is help w it h t he safet y, welfa re a nd hea lt h of t he publ ic.”

Factors i nter ior desig ners of ten have to t h i n k about is accessibi l it y for t hose who a re d isabled whet her it ’s bu i ld i ng ra mps at cert a i n ent ra nces a nd ex its

or i nst a l l i ng wa l l pockets for t he bl i nd where t hey a re needed.

However, interior designers also have to focus on factors that can help prevent accidents from happen i ng.

S a l a za r sa id t h at one of t he f i r st t h i n g s t h at she le a r ned i n i nter ior desi g n wa s t he Ne w L ondon S chool ex plosion t h at k i l led more t h a n 295 te acher s a nd st udent s a nd i nju red more t h a n 3 0 0 i n M a rch 18 , 1937.

“In t he school’s woodshop downst a i rs, someone plu g ged i n a [sa nder] wh i le t here was a n odorless g as-lea k .

It ’s t h i ng s l i ke t h is t hat if t hey a re m issed, lead to people get t i ng hu r t or k i l led,” she sa id.

S he sa id it ’s t he l itt le t h i n g s p e ople don’t t h i n k ab out w he n it come s t o sa fe t y i n i n t e r ior de s i g n . T h i n g s l i ke le ss a mou nt of e x it s a n d l it t le t o no w i n dow s c a n b e h a z a r dou s i n e ve nt s suc h as a f ire.

Ot her factors Sa laza r sa id a re bei ng considered more today a re t he possibi l it ies for t h reats to a bu i ld i ng a nd select i ng color pa let tes so people ca n feel a cert a i n mood.

She sa id desig ns put i nto places l i ke t he l ibra r y ra nge from places to leave or h ide i n t he event of a t h reat to t he bu i ld i ng to select i ng cool colors so people i nside a re ca l m as op posed to st ressed when st udy i ng.

Spanish honor students to read to children at public library

BY ETHAN EPPINETTE GUEST WRITER

Span ish Honor Societ y st udents are celebrating H ispan ic Heritage Mont h by host ing bil ing ua l stor y n ights for ch i ldren at t he downtown branch of t he Abi lene Publ ic L ibrar y.

Students who are involved with these events will have the opportunity to use the language they are learning in a real situation. Students will get to test their language skills while providing a

service for children in the Abilene area. The children will also be able to learn the importance of speaking multiple languages and receive encouragement to develop those languages.

A l l ch i ld ren i n t he Abi lene a rea a re welcomed to come a nd l isten to ACU st udents tel l stor ies i n Spa n ish a nd i n Engl ish. T he st udents w i l l help to prov ide t h r i l l i ng enter t a i n ment for t he ch i ld ren at tend i ng t he events.

T he stor y n ights w i l l prov ide t he ch i ldren w it h fu n t imes, wh i le immersing t hem into a cu lt ure t hat is, in many cases, d ifferent from t heir own. T he stor y n ights w i l l be T hursday and Oct. 17.

T he stories w i l l be told by st udents t hat are involved w it h Sig ma Delta Pi at ACU. Sigma Delta Pi is t he largest col leg iate Nat iona l Honor Societ y for st udents of Span ish in t he US. Mad i Condron, sen ior m in ist r y and voca-

t ion major from Georgetown, is t he President of Sig ma Delta Pi- Omega Gamma.

Dr. Beat riz Wa lker, professor of lang uage and l iterat ure, is a lso t he adv iser for Sig ma Delta Pi. ACU’s Omega Gamma chapter has won si x nat iona l awards. “ We hope t he ch i ld ren w i l l u nderst a nd t he i mpor t a nce of spea k i ng a second la ng ua ge.” Wa l ker sa id, “ Some of t he ch i ld ren at tend i ng , as it has been ou r exper ience i n

“We hope the children will understand the importance of speaking a second language.”

DR. BEATRIZ WALKER PROFESSOR OF LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE

t he past , a re of H ispa nic or ig i n, so t hey w i l l see t he la ng ua ge t hat mom a nd dad spea k at home, i n t he mout hs of t hese st udents t hat a re read i ng to t hem.”

We hope t h is event w i l l be encourag ing to

bot h t he st udents and t he ch i ldren, Condron sa id, “ We want t hem to welcome lang uages t hat are d ifferent from t heir own, and to embrace ot her cu lt ures.”

T he events w i l l a l low t he st udents to g a i n conf idence i n t hemselves. T h is is a g reat lea r n i ng exper ience t hat w i l l a l low st udents to apply t hei r st ud ies to a rea l l ife sit uat ion, a nd be a g reat oppor t un it y to let ACU con nect w it h t he com mu n it y a rou nd it .

Abilene and Big Country Award coming in the fall of 2020

BY ANDREW TOOTHMAN STAFF WRITER

ACU will for the first time offer an award to local students who are part of Abilene and the Big Country entering fall 2020.

The Abilene and Big Country Distinguished Student Award has been designated for juniors who are in the local counties within a ninety mile radius and exceed a 3.5 core GPA or are

“This award is really starting to encourage those grades, GPA and class rank at a young age and not waiting ‘til you are a senior.”

BRITTNEY LEWIS ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION AND ADMISSIONS COUNSELOR

in the top 25 percent of their class. They will then be guaranteed $20,000 a year in tuition and can add this award to other academic scholarships

and grants.

There is also another award for juniors in the area with a 3.0-3.49 core GPA. They will be guaranteed $17,000 a year.

There is no cap on students who can be chosen for this award. One of the requirements for these students is they must apply for FAFSA yearly.

The counties involved in this award are: Taylor, Brown, Callahan, Coke, Coleman, Comanche,

Eastland, Erath, Fisher, Haskell, Irion, Jones, Mitchell, Nolan, Runnels, Scurry, Shackelford, Stephens, Stonewall, Throckmorton, Tom Green, and Young County.

Associate Director of New Student Orientation and Admissions Counselor Brittney Lewis is one of the few in charge of the Big Country Award.

She said most students in these counties are not considering ACU because of cost.

“This award is really starting to encourage those grades, GPA, and class rank at a young age and not waiting till you are a senior, and this is a way that we can celebrate students that are succeeding,” Lewis said.

This award is intended to help students receive a minimum amount of financial aid assistance the students do not have to pay back. The end goal is for the local students to be debt-free by

the end of their college career. Every student’s award amount will be different based on academic awards, FAFSA or other grants, and it will equally add up to what students were promised.

Vice President for Enrollment Management Tamra Long and Lewis’ goals are to embrace ACU’s “backyard” and for the students to feel comfortable in attending with a fair chance to receive this award.

FACULTY: Two staff members leave Office of Student Life CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

such as cultural training, introducing strengths training and executive c o a ch i n g.

Napier said one of the things she valued while working at ACU was the Chris t i a n c o m m u n i t y.

“I really was in love, and still am in love, with the family a s p e c t a t A C U, j u s t having ver y close relationships with

ever yone and all of us knowing each other,” Napier said. “ T h a t ’s something that will never be replaceable. I think that I chose to transition out of ACU because, while there are so many efforts towards wanting to change, I think there is more of a culture of assimilation versus inclusion and that is something that is of

ver y high value to me. And something that I pray that ACU works more towards moving forward. As well as professional wellness and making sure that ever yone feels valued.”

She is working to obtain her doctorate in social work from the University of Southern California and plans to graduate May of 2020.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CYNTHIA RANGEL

April Napier, director of the multicultural affairs, finds new job at the University of Texas at Arlington.

4 | Friday, October 11, 2019 | OPINIONS

The forgiveness of Brandt Jean at Guyger sentencing EDITORIAL BOARD

Amber Guyg er, the woman who ke pt people glued to their phones and television as her trial took place this past week. Constant notifications were bringing updates on almost ever y detail that took place.

Guyger was a Dallas police officer who after working a 13-hour shift, parked on the wrong floor of the parking garage and entered the wrong apartment, thinking that it was hers. After asking to see the hands of the person who was in her apartment and not being able to see, she proceeded to shoot.

When this event occur red, it only stir red up more hate and fr ustration toward the men and women in blue

from minority communities, specifically the African-American community. Police br utality is unfor tunately a reality that they have to deal with on a daily basis.

T here are numerous cases of where a police officer takes the life of an African-American where most of them were not in the wrong and just abiding by the law or what the police officer asked of them.

T his case was more upsetting because Jean was in the alleg ed safety of his own home and still lost his life.

African-Americans and other minorities are living in a fearful state whenever they see those blue and red lights in the their rear view mir ror.

Sam Garcia, ACU

alum who is a rookie in the Dallas Police Academy was willing to share his insight on how the case has impacted the de par tment.

“The department is disappointed in the actions and decisions that she choose to make on that night. The best that we can do is to learn from her mistakes and aspire to be and do better.”

Garcia said that they are trained to apprehend life after they shoot, so Guyg er definitely should have called for assistance after the shooting occur red. He also said the racially charg ed messag es that were presented in cour t was definitely discouraging.

Guyg er was found guilty of murder for the death of Botham Jean. T his was defi-

nitely considered a win for the African American community because in past cases, officers either received, paid leave, probation or they were relieved of their position with the force. T he cases that did g o to cour t, they were never found guilty of their actions.

When asking Garcia his thoughts on Guyg er’s verdict and sentencing, he said “In all the sentence was well deser ved for the crime that she did. Ten years is sufficient but I believe that she reg rets her decision and I pray for the best for her,”.

On social media however, others disag reed.

T hey did not feel that ten years was definitely not enough time that should be ser ved.

One thing that has

definitely taken many people aback, was the action of Bradt Jean, Botham Jean’s young er brother. In the cour troom, he fearlessly said that on his and only his behalf, he forgives Amber for her actions because that is what his brother would want. He also encourag ed that if she was really sor r y for what she did, that she would ask the Lord for forgiveness and to g et saved. He then asked the judg e if he could give her a hug.

Social media blew up with so many videos and photos of this touching act that occur red. It was not uncommon to see that the captions on all of these posts were in different variations of captions like, “Only my God could do this” or “My God is working

right now” and so for th.

In Matthew 5:44 it says “but I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you”.

As Christians, we definitely would strive to be like Brandt Jean in how forgiving he was.

However, can we all say that we would be as easy to forgive as Jean was? Especially if that person was responsible for taking the life of someone so close to you such as a sibling, parent or other close relatives?

Jean has helped remind us of how Christ would like for us to be. Moving forward let’s hope that we are all quick to forgive and love on our enemies. Even in the situations when the roles are reversed and a minority is responsible for the passing of a white person.

Problems found in the NCAA targeting penalty rule

BY TAVIAN MILES ASSISTANT SPORTS DIRECTOR

We all know football is a dangerous sport.

I even thought that when I was playing growing up, until I stopped playing in high school.

I’ve seen my fair share of big hits which in my opinion is all apart of the game. You’re always taught to keep your head on a swivel, but recently we’ve seen the “targeting r ule” get tweaked season after season in college sports toward the wrong way.

College football im-

plemented the targeting r ule just before the 2008 season so that players wouldn’t use contact toward the head or neck area. In hindsight you would think this is a great r ule, but this has caused a lot of unnecessary penalties towards players who were called for this.

When penalized for a targ eting hit the booth automatically reviews the call and once its

confir med the player is then disqualified for the contest and then asked to sit out for the first half of the next g ame.

You only get so many opportunities to play in a game and to have to get ejected and miss part of the next game is very costly.

Players have had to miss big moments for a hit that wasn’t targeting or for a hit that wasn’t intended to be towards

the head.

The problem is that their are not levels to the targeting penalty and you get hit with a big penalty. In my opinion, with having the different levels of targeting penalties you then could be able to correspond the hit with its infraction.

I do believe the game is becoming more safer with this rule being implemented, but all of-

Why pledging is becoming too soft

BY DILLON DANIEL MANAGING EDITOR

Pledging at Abilene Christian University is about a third of the way done and there are two things that have come to mind: First, pledging is being critically diminished by those

who control what clubs can do and secondly, more and more pledges are pledging with false expectations.

Hazing and pledging laws are important to the well-being of students or anyone looking to pledge an organization in the state.

Without these laws, the numbers of pledges getting hurt or sick could increase exponentially and without oversight. However, these laws targeted towards maintaining mental and physical health, actually soften the character of the pledges.

I like to compare fraternities and sororities to athletic teams.

Coaches in every sport work to encourage their teams to get

them prepared and ready for their games.

However, often times, the coach is given no other option but to get onto the team with the appropriate discipline.

When a lack of physical effort or attention is noticed, the coach is required to discipline the team and keep the player responsible.

Yet, while the state is okay with this, they continue to eliminate aspects of pledging previous members were able to enforce that current members can’t.

I believe that with any fraternity or sorority there will arise issues of verbal or even physical abuse, which we need to work

to eliminate. Yet, this should not mean current members must calm themselves for the sake of the pledges.

As the pledging seasons get shortened and the rules become less strict, sooner or later pledging will lose the meaning it once had.

Current members of social clubs should make sure they are not abusing their power, but they should also be allowed to coach the pledges.

A football team does not get to state by soft reaffirmation, but rather it is rigorous practice and stern coaching that builds the team and the character of each player.

Letter: A difference between liberal and socialist STEWART B. EPSTEIN

With all due respect to my fellow Americans, most of us simply don’t know that a “liberal/progressive” is not the same thing as a “socialist.”

A true “socialist” is someone who wants all of the businesses and workplaces to be owned and controlled by “the state” or “the government” or “the workers” or “the people” and not by individuals and groups of people who run them for profit as we have here

in the USA. The overwhelming majority of Democrats want our federal government to spend more on social programs to help the lower and middle classes as they struggle to survive and pay their bills. They are not “socialists.” They are “liberals/progressives” who want our market-based capitalist economic system to become MORE HUMANE (and not replaced) by having our federal government spend more to help the lower

and middle classes.

They know all too well that there has never been a truly “socialist” economy in which socialism produced enough wealth to meet people’s basic needs. It has never “worked.”

Thus, while most Americans seem to not be aware of this, and while conservative-Republican politicians and the conservative news media do not want the American people to become aware of this, most Democrats want our federal government to be more like

those of almost every one of our traditional allies (Canada, western Europe) which have federal governments that spend more than we do, in proportion to their population sizes, to help their people.

None of our allies are socialist, and they know it.

To put this simply, President Trump and the conservative news media who are calling all Democrats “socialists” are either intentionally lying to the people, or are very poorly-informed and just plain wrong.

ficials need to learn to be on the same page so that the rule is universal around the country.

I’m tired of seeing bigtime players get ejected for a hit that can just be worth the penalty and not the overall ejection that can shift the turnout of a game.

So far this rule is affecting athletes ability to go out and play in games that have a true impact on their future.

Tweets ACU PD @realACUPD Now that pledging season has started up again, we thought it would be a good idea to remind students of our hazing policy: Don’t get caught. That’s it.

Also if BBQ sauce is too hot, try ketchup.

Flame Almost Christian University @ChristianAlmost Hey @SnoopDogg, how many likes do I need to get for you to come to chapel?

Flame Almost Christian University @ChristianAlmost It’s call night and I haven’t gotten a single phone call. You hate to see it.

Shannon Roewe @Roewe_yourboat Meal prep is just a trendy way to describe eating leftovers nick boone @Nickboone5 Touching gum under the desk should not be a problem in college jaycee coker @jayceebril29 never cried because of a lecture till today. woah.

Anne Carroll-Amerine @anneEcarroll ACU cult season has officially begun Matthew Jungling @MatthewJungling half of college, i’ve found, is extreme agony as your professors cannot figure out how to make a powerpoint go full screen.

THE OPTIMIST STAFF ALLISON HARRELL

SARAH BLANKENSHIP

JALEN GARRETT

KENNETH PYBUS

DILLON DANIEL

ASHLEY LANG

LEXI KIRGAN

CADE WHITE

OWEN SIMPSON

DEVON HILLARY

RACHEL POE

CELESTE KINKADE

TAVIAN MILES

EMILY PERRYMAN

TYLER HENDERSON

ABBEY LEE

WILLIAM HEYEN

ADELINE BLACKMON

RILEY FISHER

ANDREW NORSWORTHY

DAVID MITCHELL

ALEX HILL

ANDREW TOOTHMAN

MEGAN HOLLEY

ERNIE GUAJARDO

BRYCE LURKENS

EMILY SHAFER

LEAH FIKES

SYDNEY VARNER

KAUY OSTLIEN

RACHEL CROSSNOE

AVERY JACKSON

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NEWS | Friday, October 11, 2019 | 5

Adams Center creates adjunct faculty orientation

BY TYLER HENDERSON SPORTS WRITER

The Adams Center staff created an online Canvas course for all faculty, but primarily geared toward adjunct professors.

Teaching and learning specialist Amy Boone and director/ instructional designer Dr. Berlin Fang headed the project just over a year ago.

The idea for the course originated from the yearly two and a half day class that new full-time faculty, and second year faculty are required to attend. The new faculty then attend an ongoing process through the Adams Center, focused on faith and learning. A majority of part-time faculty are unable to attend this class due to other jobs or responsibilities, thus the idea emerged for the online course.

“It is a repository of resources they can access. Also, it’s a platform to show them how to structure their courses.”

BERLIN FANG DIRECTOR/ INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGNER

“Our adjunct faculty members, unlike the full time members who have a process and a lot of structure provided to them,” Fang said. “Our adjunct members are kicked into

the deep end of the pool, they don’t have enough support.”

The course is a “warehouse” of information, provided by the Adams Center, to help engage part-time faculty with how to properly use Canvas, teach a course, and to set structure in the classroom.

Fang said that when he designed the course he trie to incorporate all aspects of Canvas. The course was designed to show proper structure of Canvas, how to embed pictures and videos, how to avoid clutter, and the effective use of Canvas.

“It is a repository of resources they can access, also it’s a platform to show them how to structure their courses,” Fang said. “One of the common complaints from students is that professors don’t use Canvas efficiently or ‘correctly.’”

Boone and Fang acquired the lists of adjunct and parttime faculty from the Provost office, giving them the ability to contact and enroll the faculty in the course.

Adjunct professors responded well to the course, said Boone. Approximately 55 faculty members have used the course material, with others noted as “pending.”

The “pending” note does not mean they have not en-

gaged with the course, said Boone, but rather the system has not updated.

Connected with the Canvas course, the Adams Center offered classes for all faculty that dealt with sensitive subject matter on ACU’s campus. Boone said the Adams Center offered faculty sessions this semester on everything from interacting with international students, teaching student athletes, faith in teaching, student feedback and classroom strategies. These courses are made available to connect all faculty across campus, to enlighten and diversify professors on issues brought to their attention by professor evaluations.

“We want to use this course as an example to show faculty members that things are possible through Canvas,” Fang said. “We want to provide a way to show members how to sequence things, how to channel things, in a way that makes the learning efficient, effective, and visually appealing.”

Boone and Fang continually update and revise course material based on school procedures, state law changes and other circumstances with the goal in mind to provide the best, most up-to-date product they can.

Former Starbucks VP to speak at COBA speaker series

BY ANDREW TOOTHMAN STAFF WRITER

Former senior vice president of Starbucks Marketing, Emily Chang, will speak at the Distinguished Speaker Series luncheon on Oct. 30 at the Hunter Welcome Center.

The Distinguished Speaker Series Luncheon is an annual event that seeks to spread a vision to students of what it looks like to live out one’s faith at work.

By hosting real-world professionals and allowing them to speak about how they dealt with similar challenges, the luncheon is designed to help reassure some students who are unsure of their major or career while enjoying a fourcourse meal.

Chang is scheduled to speak at the event and talk about her jour ney on achieving her past positions and cur rent status with the company.

Dr. Dennis Marquardt, director of the Lytle Center and assistant professor of management,

said Chang’s presentation will not only shed light on what it means to work as a marketer but also give encouragement to students regardless of their major.

“From a practical standpoint, Chang is a marketing officer and so if there are marketing students there, then there is definitely an overlap,” Marquardt said. “No matter where you are, a Bible major or psychology major, we all have to work someday.”

Natalie Benavides, a junior marketing major from San Antonio, said an event like this sounds like a great time especially since there normally aren’t any events tailored towards marketing students.

“As marketing majors, there’s not a lot for us,” Benavides said. “Like the Griggs Center is more of a management and finance major based groups but, there’s not really a lot of marketing stuff even though it’s like the third most popular major at ACU.” In the past, the speaker

“The original intent was to give business students an idea of what a career trajectory looks like, so you could be thinking of those things before you get out there.”

DENNIS MARQUARDT DIRECTOR FOR THE LYTLE CENTER AND ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF MANAGEMENT

series was predominantly intended for those interested or associated with COBA. However, the Lytle Center has tried to include other students and faculty members to attend in hopes of a higher turnout.

“The original intent was to give business students an idea of what a career trajectory looks like, so you could be thinking of those things before you get out there,” Marquardt said.

“We’ve changed it a little bit to be more inclusive of anyone who is gonna be working soon.”

The luncheon will start at 11 a.m. at the Hunter Welcome Center. Tickets can be purchased online for $22.

BY TYLER HENDERSON | SPORTS WRITER

Adams Center creates new program on Canvas for adjunct faculty orientation.

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6 | Friday, October 11, 2019 | SPORTS

ACU road struggles continue, fall to Lamar 27-24

BY OWEN SIMPSON SPORTS DIRECTOR

ACU fell to the Lamar Cardinals Saturday night, 27-24, as they drop to 1-3 in conference play. The Wildcats are now 0-4 this season on the road.

Senior quarterback Jordan Hoy finished the day 26-32 passing for 338 yards and three total touchdowns. Hoy also dominated on the ground, leading the Cardinals with 21 carries and 103 yards.

Despite the loss, Head Coach Adam Dorrel was impressed with his teams’ effort and performance throughout the game Saturday night.

“I was really proud of our players,” Dorrel said.

“They played extremely hard tonight. They played with a lot of focus and energy. We did not turn the ball over one time. For the most part, I think we also did a lot of good things defensively.”

Sophomore quarterback Sema’J Davis completed 18-of-26 passes for 159 yards and two touchdowns in his first career Div. I start. He also carried the ball 10 times for 61 yards.

BY MEGAN HOLLEY | PHOTOGRAPHER

Junior quarterback Luke Anthony scans the field for an open receiver.

Davis started at quarterback in the absence of junior Luke Anthony, who is suffering from an undisclosed injury. It is unknown when Anthony will return this season.

“I’m proud of Sema’J,” Dorrel said. “The kid made his first collegiate start on the road, and I think he played really well.

I’m really proud of him.”

The Wildcats struggled early on offense for the

third-consecutive week, only converting a single first down in the first quarter.

However following a sluggish start, the Wildcats were able to get back on track. After trailing 10-0 entering the second quarter, Davis led the team on an 11-play, 75-yard drive for a touchdown to sophomore receiver Kobe Clark to make it a 10-6 game after missing the PAT.

Clark shined on the road for the Wildcats. He finished the day with nine catches for 87 yards and a touchdown, his first of his career. He also tied his record for the most receptions in game and the most receiving yards in game.

Senior running back Tracy James gave the Wildcats the lead with a 30-yard run into the end zone with just over a minute before halftime, making in a 13-10

score favoring ACU. James continued to show consistent numbers Saturday, rushing for 76 yards on 12 carries and two total touchdowns. he continues to lead the FCS with 12 total touchdowns on the season.

After a back-and-fourth third quarter, the Wildcats led 24-17 entering the final quarter. After kicking a 41-yard field goal, Lamar recovered an onside-kick and marched down 45 yards to make it a 27-24 Cardinal lead with 6:20 remaining.

ACU got the ball back, but failed to capitalize on offense and were forced to punt. The Cardinals were able to get enough first downs on offense to simply run out the clock and grab their first conference win of the season.

Up next, ACU heads back home for the first time in three weeks to take on Houston Baptist. They lead the FCS in points per game (49.5), total offense (567.2) and passing offense (385.7). That game will start at 6 p.m. on ESPN3.

Meanwhile, Lamar heads to Huntsville to battle with Sam Houston State at 2 p.m.

ACU has first soccer conference draw against NSU

BY RACHEL POE SPORTS WRITER

The ACU women’s soccer team had its first draw, 1-1, in Southland Conference play on Friday against Northwestern State Lady Demons.

The first goal of the night came from junior captain Christina Arteaga in the ninth minute.

Senior Shay Johnson was able to head the ball out of a group and freshman Caylen Wright passed it to Arteaga. Arteaga nailed it into the left side of the

net, right over the goalkeeper’s hand for the goal.

However, the keeper attempted to come out and get the ball, but Arteaga used it against the NSU’s keeper for her sixth goal of the season.

The Wildcats scored early in Friday’s match, however, it was not enough as the game concluded with a 1-1 draw.

An own goal was scored against the Wildcats towards the end of the first half. In the 42nd minute, ACU’s defense tried to pass the ball around to set

something up, instead of rolling the ball to redshirt senior goalkeeper Rachel Johnson, as they normally do. The ball ended up being a very difficult ball to get and turned into a Northwestern State goal.

Neither team scored in the second half or the two extended over time periods. ACU and NSU tied in shot attempts, but the Wildcats led 13-3 shots on frame.

NSU’s goalkeeper Kayla Bomben had a total of 12 saves against ACU. Johnson had a total of three saves.

two matches, prior to Friday night. NSU now holds a 2-1-1 Southland Conference record.

Head Coach Casey Wilson shared his thoughts on Friday’s match and what CASEY WILSON HEAD WOMEN’S SOCCER COACH the team can improve on for their upcoming game on Sunday.

Arteaga had seven shot “We had all the opporattempts. Johnson and tunities we could to score redshirt sophomore Emily tonight, and you can’t take Heidman, sophomore Al- that away from us so I give yssia Anuat and freshman that goalkeeper a lot of Natalie Jones each had two. credit,” Wilson said. “We ACU has a 6-1-1 all-time are going to rest and rerecord with NSU, with the group and make sure we Wildcats winning the last are ready to go Sunday.”

“We had all the opportunities we could to score tonight, and you can’t take that away from us so I give that goalkeeper a lot of credit.”

Volleyball struggles on the road against McNeese and Lamar

BY LEXI KIRGAN SPORTS WRITER

The Wildcats went 0-2 on the road last week.

The first game, the Wildcats fell in three straight sets against the McNeese Cowgirls.

The Cowgirls are 1-3 in conference and 8-8 overall. They are currently two below the Wildcats in the

conference standings sitting in 10th place.

The outcome doesn’t do the game justice. In the first set they stayed with the Cowgirls for a while but ended up losing 23-25.

In the second set they lost 19-25 and in the third set they lost 22-25.

Lindsey Toney, sophomore outside hitter and right side lead the

team with a total of 10 blocks and three kills followed by Mar ybeth Sandercox, senior outside hitter and right side with nine kills and two blocks.

For the next game, the Wildcats travelled to Beaumont to face off against the Lamar Cardinals. With not much luck, the Wildcats lost 1-3.

Just like McNeese, the Cardinals are below the Wildcats in conference play as well sitting in 12th place.

The Wildcats lost the first set 18-25 and lost the second set 23-25 but made a quick turnaround winning the third set 2521. With efforts to keep the momentum up, the Wildcats couldn’t hold

on and lost the fourth set 25-27.

Lorin McNeil, junior middle blocker lead the Wildcats in kills with a total of 13 kills, Sandercox with 10 blocks and Madison Rohre, sophomore setter with 48 digs.

The Wildcats will head to Thibodaux on Oct. 7 to take on Nicholls at 7 p.m.

FOOTBALL MATCHUP PREVIEW 2019 SEASON 32.0

POINTS PER GAME

49.5

179.8

RUSH YPG

181.5

259.8

PASSING YPG

385.7

27.3

POINTS ALLOWED PG

SPORTS DIRECTOR

Football Team SHSU Nicholls SELU UIW HBU UCA Lamar McNeese SFA ACU NWSU

Ovrl.

4-2 3-2 3-2 3-2 4-2 3-2 3-3 3-3 1-5 2-4 0-5

Conf.

3-0 2-0 2-1 2-1 1-1 1-1 1-2 1-2 1-2 1-3 0-2

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

Ovrl.

8-2-2 8-3 7-6 5-7 6-5-1 6-6-1 4-6-1 4-8 2-9-1 2-10 3-8-1 1-10-1

Conf.

4-0-1 4-0 4-1 4-1 3-1-1 3-1-1 2-1-1 1-4 1-4 1-4 0-5 0-5

Volleyball Team SFA SHSU NWSU SELU TXAM-CC Nichols HBU ACU UNO UCA McNeese Lamar UIW

Ovrl.

17-1 8-8 12-7 8-10 10-9 8-7 10-9 4-10 9-10 8-10 8-9 6-9 4-15

Conf.

2-0 2-0 2-0 2-0 3-1 1-1 1-1 1-2 1-2 0-2 0-2 0-2 0-2

HEADLINES - Senior guard Breanna Wright and senior forward Dominique Golightly were selected to Southland Conference preseason first-team. Senior forward Lexie Ducat was named to second-team. The Wildcats are also projected to finish first in the Southland Conference preseason poll.

- Senior guard Payten Ricks was selected to Southland Conference preseason firstteam Wednesday and the defending conference champions are projected to finish third in the conference preseason poll.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Volleyball

SANDERCOX Senior Marybeth Sandercox was the key par t in the win against Texas A&M Corpus Christi tallying four blocks and hitting 47.6% of her hits.

She also racked up 12 kills. The Wildcats will aim to stay undefeated in conference play with two games this week on the road.

Football

31.8 HOUSTON BAPTIST UNIVERSITY

ABILENE CHRISTIAN UNIVERSIT Y (2–4)

Owen Simpson

STANDINGS

(4-2)

Tavian Miles

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Tyler Henderson SPORTS REPORTER

Jalen Garrett SPORTS REPORTER

Following yet another tough road loss, the Wildcats start their two-game home stent.

Houston Baptist is coming off their first conference loss of the season to Incarnate Word, 38-36.

Despite the loss, the Huskies are having a historic season thus far. They have already tied the team record for most wins in a season despite having six games remaining.

They also have made a historic turnaround.

In 2018 and 2017, they finished the season 1-10. This year they lead the FCS in points per game (49.5), total offense (567.2 YPG) and passing offense (385.7 YPG). Going into this week, junior quarterback Luke Anthony is expected to return. It should be a high scoring game with little or no defense. ACU is undefeated at home, but this will be their toughest test of the year so far at Wildcat Stadium. The Wildcats fall in this matchup behind one of the best offenses in recent Southland Conference memory.

The Wildcats went on this past weekend without Junior starting Quarterback Luke Anthony who is listed out with an undisclosed injury. Sophomore Sema’J Davis received majority snaps against Lamar by throwing for 18-26 for 159 yards and threw for two touchdowns. We will most likely see Davis start against HBU this weekend. The backs and receivers did showout led by Senior running back Tracy James who rushed for 76 yards and one touchdown and led receiving wise by Sophomore breakout Kobe Clark who had 87 receiving yards and one touchdown. Coming into this weekend HBU is averaging 49.5 ppg and look to keep pace with their high powered offense. For the Wildcats to shutdown the Huskies they’ll need senior linebacker Jeremiah Chambers and Junior Linebacker Jack Gibbens to step up along with the secondary to shut down the passing game. This matchup will be lopsided in the first half with a late push by ACU, but ultimately HBU will come out on top this Saturday.

After two straight road losses, the Wildcats will look to rebound against Houston Baptist, who sit at 4-2 on the year.

Last week ACU relied on sophomore quarterback Sema’J Davis, while junior quarterback Luke Anthony dealt with an injury. This week, Anthony returns to the field and hopes to lead the offense to a victory. Anthony has thrown nine touchdown passes and has averaged 227.5 yards per game this season. He will look to spread the ball around to up-andcoming sophomore receiver Kobe Clark, who is coming off of another big game where he brought in nine catches for 87 yards and one touchdown. Along with Clark, look for senior running back Tracy James to continue his dominance over Southland Conference teams.

He is leading the conference with 12 scores and has presented himself as an all-purpose threat throughout the season. If Anthony can find a rhythm early, look for ACU to put up big numbers in a close game over the Huskies.

Sema’J Davis: Sophomore quarterback Sema’J Davis was the MVP against the Lamar Cardinals. He completed 69% of his passess while throwing for 159 yards and two tocuhdowns. It was his first start of the season in place for Luke Anthony. Tracy James: James had a solid running game last week, grabbing 12 carries and rushing for 76 yards. James leads the Southland Conference in total scoring and touchdowns.

He’s also eighth in all-purpose yards. James has had a touchdown in every single game this season.

FINAL SCORE: ACU 38 HBU 42

FINAL SCORE: ACU 31 HBU 45

FINAL SCORE: ACU 38 HBU 31

FINAL SCORE: ACU 28 HBU 35

JAMES In a losing effort against Incarnate Word, senior running back Tracy James rushed for 97 yards and scored a touchdown. James ranks among the top spots in categories such as rushing yards, total scoring, and total touchdowns. The Wildcats head back on the road Saturday to face Lamar University. The game will air on ESPN3.

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