Optimist Print Edition 3.06.20

ACUOPTIMIST.COM | Friday, March 6, 2020 | 1

Weston and the Evergreen band releases new album

A student publication of Abilene Christian University since 1912

PAGE 3

BY RILEY FISHER | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

Peggy Nelson cuts the ribbon, officially opening the Byron Nelson clubhouse.

Threats of virus cancels a cappella trip

BY ALLISON HARRELL EDITOR IN CHIEF

The university has cancelled an A Cappella Chorus tour trip to Seattle, Washington, due to an increase in risk for contraction of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Dr. Phil Schubert, president of the university, sent out a campus-wide email on Wednesday around 1 p.m. explaining the university’s continual monitoring of the virus and advising against personal travel to countries with a Level 3 travel advisory from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). ACU has made

the decision to restrict university-sponsored travel to locations that reach Level 3 status, such as China, South Korea, Iran and Italy.

ACU leadership is monitoring information from the CDC, the U.S. State Department, the World Health Organization (WHO) and local health departments.

Linda Bonnin, executive vice president for marketing and strategic communications, said they are relying on those agencies to let them know where it’s unsafe to travel.

“The wellbeing of our students, our faculty and our staff are our primary concern and our highest priority and so,

that’s why we’ve taken these steps and that’s why we’re continuing to closely monitor the situation,” Bonnin said.

Kevin Campbell, senior vice president for operations, said they decided to postpone the A Cappella Chorus trip to Seattle, based on the impact the coronavirus is having in the local area.

“We’re in touch with different communities where we may be traveling,” Campbell said. “The Seattle area has declared two levels of emergency now. Many employers of Seattle have asked their employees to stay home, school districts have closed and now we’ve even seen NCAA basketball

games be cancelled in Seattle.

So, we made the decision that it would not be in the best interest of our students and our community to proactively send students and faculty and staff into that environment at this point in time.”

There are no known cases of the coronavirus in Abilene. Study Abroad programs in Oxford, United Kingdom, Leipzig, Germany, and Montevideo, Uruguay, are still in progress and being monitored.

Study Abroad students were notified and restricted of travel to Italy and the city of Madrid, Spain.

“It’s important to remem-

ber that this is a fluid situation, so it’s rapidly changing,” Bonnin said. “I’m getting alerts on my phone all during the day about other people who’ve contracted it and other deaths and we’re trying to follow it as closely as we can.”

Campbell said with a situation like this they want to make sure they are proactively sharing information to the ACU community to keep everyone informed.

“When we live in a community like we do where we are in class together, we share residence halls together, we eat in the dining halls together, there’s a public [health] concern

ACU Dallas to add online undergrad business degrees

BY ALLISON HARRELL EDITOR IN CHIEF

ACU Dallas will add two online undergraduate degree programs in marketing and management in partnership with the College of Business Administration.

The online degree programs were approved by the faculty of COBA, the Academic Council of COBA and by the Academic Council of the College of Graduate and Professional Studies.

The CGPS in Dallas oversees the online graduate programs and now undergraduate programs, through ACU. Dr. Mark Phillips, professor of management sciences and director of undergraduate online business programs, is helping to coordinate the joint-partnership of COBA with CGPS for the new online programs.

“We have done, I think, a great job at ACU in the 15 years that I’ve been here just at making ACU more accessible,” Phillips said. “The

“I think it’s maybe harder for us to comprehend how you do education online, but I think students that are coming into high school and college now expect to live much of their life online and so, we need to be there.”

DR. MARK PHILLIPS DIRECTOR OF UNDERGRADUATE ONLINE BUSINESS PROGRAMS AND PROFESSOR OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCES

makeup of the student population here is much more diverse than it used to be. We provide a lot better service and support to people who are first-generation students, who traditionally face more challenges going through.

But sooner or later, that can only get us so far. Most of the folks that research education see pressure in the industry for more affordable, more accessible higher education.

So, we anticipate this is where we are going to see growth in the future. Most of the pre-

dictions are that on-campus undergraduate education will be mostly flat, it’s not going to get any bigger. Most of the projections for growth are in online education, so from a business perspective, we need to be there because that’s where the customers are. But from a perspective of fulfilling our mission, we also need to be there because that’s where the people are.”

Of the five overarching business degrees (marketing, management, accounting, finance and information systems) offered by COBA, Phillips said marketing and management were chosen based primarily on the popularity of the degrees.

“What we do here, and I realize that I’m biased because I work here and I love it, but what we do here is a kind of unique business model for teaching,” Phillips said. “It’s very hands on and intimate. It’s faculty and students knowing each other

and working together and all of that. And the concern has been, number one, can we carry that dynamic into the online realm? And, number two, can we make sure what we deliver online is of equivalent quality to what we’re doing here, so that we don’t cheapen the brand here?”

Phillips said the online undergraduate marketing and management degree programs will meet the same requirements as on-campus programs. The degrees have been accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, as well as accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International, the highest level of accreditation for business programs within the United States.

“So, we feel good about being able to keep that going,” Phillips said.

ACU Dallas already offers online master degree programs in the field of business. How-

ever, ACU Dallas is still limited on undergraduate degree programs offered in an online format. ACU Dallas currently offers a bachelor of science degree in information technology administration, integrated studies and psychology.

“It’s a little surprising, I think, to people my age of how much of 20-year-olds’ lives are already lived online,” Phillips said. “I think it’s maybe harder for us to comprehend how you do education online, but I think students that are coming into high school and college now expect to live much of their life online and so, we need to be there.”

Information on enrollment into the programs will be available on the ACU Dallas website within the coming week.

Students will be able to begin taking general education classes towards the new degree plans in the summer session of 2020.

The first online business classes will be available for students in the fall session of 2020.

‘Largest Bible’ moved to the Museum of the Bible

BY DILLON DANIEL MANAGING EDITOR

The Waynai Bible, a thousand-pound, KJV Bible crafted by Louis Waynai of Los Angeles, California, has been moved from Brown Library to the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C..

“The agreement with the Museum of the Bible came about when they requested to borrow the Bible for an exhibit,” said Mac Ice, director of special collections and archives.

Ice said there were two mu-

tual realizations that lead to the partnership between Special Collections and the museum.

“One, the Bible needed significant conservation work in order to ensure its longterm stability, and two, this is a really neat item that many folks would like to see, so we agreed to a cyclical rotation where the Bible would be on display here on campus for one year every four, and the other three years it would be used in various ways in Museum of the Bible exhibitions.”

A blog published by the

Brown Library on Jan. 24, said the agreement allows for students to see the Waynai Bible at some point as well as represent the university abroad.

“ACU and Museum of the Bible agreed to a fouryear loan cycle for the world’s largest Bible, so that ACU students will see it at home in Brown Library at least once while they are enrolled at ACU. After a year on display at ACU, the Waynai Bible returns to the Museum of the Bible for three years, where it represents ACU to millions of visitors in Wash-

“ACU and Museum of the Bible agreed to a fouryear loan cycle for the world’s largest Bible, so that ACU students will see it at home in Brown Library at least once while they are enrolled at ACU.” ACU BROWN LIBRARY BLOG

ington, D.C.,” the blog said.

The Waynai Bible was crafted from 1928-1930, purchased in 1947 by Rosen Heights Church of Christ in Ft. Worth and then finally donated to the

university in 1956.

In total, the Bible measures 43.5 inches tall, 98 inches wide and 34 inches thick. It has 8,048 pages and weighs 1,094 pounds.

Ice said he believes the creation of this bible allows for more interest and awareness.

“I think the value arises from Mr. Waynai’s intention: to create awareness of the Bible, and hopefully interest in it. It certainly is an attention-grabbing item, and hopefully that translates into interest in the Bible.”

of what we do,” Campbell said. “We have to really consider heavily and we need to be appropriately cautious when it comes to things that could enter into our community that would then affect the public health of thousands of people. Between faculty, staff and students here on the Abilene campus, we have nearly 5,000 people here that come onto our campus on a daily basis. So, we need to be very cognizant of the implications of what transpires on our campus and how that can so quickly affect thousands of people, not just individuals.”

NEWS

Students’ artwork presented downtown

PAGE 3

SPORTS

Read the recap on Women’s Basketball PAGE 5

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2 | Friday, March 6, 2020 | NEWS

ISAC shows off students’ artwork in gallery exhibit

BY SYDNEY VARNER STAFF WRITER

The 11th Annual Intercollegiate Student Art Competition (ISAC) exhibit is on display and features multiple artworks from ACU students at the Center for Contemporary Arts.

ISAC takes place yearly by the Center for Contemporary Arts in downtown Abilene and takes submissions from all the surrounding colleges including ACU, Cisco College, Hardin-Simmons, McMurry, Texas State Technical College, Angelo State University, Howard Payne University and Tarleton State.

The works are then judged by professional contemporary artists and the winning pieces are placed on display.

“The ISAC show is currently on display at the Center for Contemporary Arts on the second floor, and anyone can go see the artwork during the gal-

PHOTO COURTESY OF JULIA DOBBS

Artwork by student Julia Dobbs hangs in the Center for Contemporary Art ISAC exhibit. lery’s open hours; ACU, McMurry, and Hardin Simmons all have pieces up,” Lauren Lee, freshman graphic design major from Austin, said.

The current exhibition of winners has been on

display since Jan. 23 and will be up for viewing until March 28. There are multiple categories students can enter including 2-Dimensional and 3-Dimensional art as well as photography and digital art.

“I entered photography into the competition,” Lee said. “I thought it was a good opportunity for me to enter some work for the first time into a college competition.”

All students in the art de-

partment have a chance to submit work to ISAC and are encouraged to do so by the faculty of the department.

“Our professors will ask ‘Hey I like your piece are you thinking about entering it into competition?’

and you kind of can’t say no so you’ll submit it” Justine Garcia, junior sculpture major from Colleyville, said. “ACU usually does well at the competition.”

Though students in the art department make up the primary submissions, any student can submit their art through the Center for Contemporary Art itself. Everyone is encouraged to visit the exhibit before it closes at the end of the month.

“Looking through all of the art pieces in the center, there was a lack of Abilene Christian University pieces so I definitely encourage people to get out there and submit their art” said Julia Dobbs, freshman graphic design major from Allen.

“I really encourage them to check out the Center for the Contemporary Arts, it’s a really neat place and you get to see the work from a lot of different students.”

Res Life opens up new community assistant position

BY ANDREW NORSWORTHY STAFF WRITER

Residence Life will be opening up a new position of community assistant that will be implemented in the fall of 2021.

This position was created for the purpose of establishing a hospitable and safe environment for students living in residence halls as well as offer another way for students to earn an income. This

position will recruit 36 students in all, with four per dorm.

The position is separate from the resident advisor position with the primary difference being they will establish a lobby presence in residence halls late at night till early in the morning, fill in the gap of hours seven days a week.

In addition, this position will replace the current position of desk managers who are present from 11

p.m. to 2 a.m.

The purpose of the position is Res Life’s initiative to further improve the experience of dorm residents. The position obligates those chosen to care for and look after residents in the late night to morning hours between 12 a.m.

-5 a.m. in the lobby spaces. This includes acting as a mentor, engaging and forming relationships with residents, assist in programming, an emergency

contact, as well as assisting the residence director in maintaining a clean and functional environment.

“We are really interested in creating an atmosphere within our residence halls that feels like home to our students,” said Shannon Kaczmarek, director of residence life.

In addition to administrative responsibilities, the CA will have a number of regular responsibilities, such as attending all CA staff train-

ing, maintaining the hall pantry, documenting students entering and leaving between 12 a.m. and 5 a.m., as well as reporting and following up with student concerns and needs.

“It’s expensive to come to school and it’s expensive to go to school anywhere, not just ACU and so we would like to provide any opportunity where we can to make that experience as meaningful as it can be, and we think

working at Res Life is a way to do that,” said Scott Busby, assistant director of residence life.

Requirements for the position include a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher, must be a junior, senior or graduate, a resident of at least three years after high school and in good standing with university administrative offices.

CA move-in occurs Aug. 16th with training beginning Aug. 19th.

COBA looks to hire new executive team for student businesses

BY ALLIE NICHOLS GUEST WRITER

The College of Business Administration is looking to hire a new executive team.

The executive team must be comprised of students with junior or senior academic standing, with an encouraged participation from COBA majors and minors. The team is comprised of three leadership positions: president, vice president, and chief financial officer.

Some of the roles and

responsibilities are to the Wildcat Ventures five student-run businesses. The businesses are currently comprised of; The Crossing Cafe, Purple Collar Tees, Wildcat Software, The Aperture Research Group, and Purple Outfitters. Once CEOs are hired, the executive team functions to oversee strategic operations and acts as a catalyst to execute the organization’s vision.

Most importantly, the executive team is meant to build relationships

with their CEOs in order to offer support so the team, and the business, can have both success and hands-on experience.

Madison Hall, senior business management and marketing major and president of the executive team said she gained a lot from the experience.

“It’s almost difficult to put into words,” Hall said. “For the most part, I’ve learned that leading means- humility to ask, the heart to be accountable and drive to learn

daily. I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn.

I feel really thankful to have been able to engage in business strategy and relationships in an authentic setting while still having the safety net of school and the support of the incredible advisers in the Griggs Center.”

There are many qualities the current staff are looking for candidates, but the main one is ownership.

“This isn’t your typical on-campus job, and we need people that are

excited by the opportunity to go the extra mile to ensure the quality and success of the organization,” Hall said. “Wildcat Ventures needs innovative, relational, and self-motivated leaders.”

The job roughly requires around 15 hours a week and the Wildcat Ventures leaders don’t have a set schedule, or daily clock-in and clockout.

“We get to set our own schedules for efficiency,” Hall said. “It’s flexible

and effective.”

If you feel that you would be a good candidate for this job, or simply want your name out there with hands-on experience, apply to this job today. They are taking applications through the end of the week. You can find the link for the application on the @wildcatventures Instagram bio, and in the Griggs center Instagram bio @ griggscenter. There is also a link on the MyACU ad page.

WHAT’S HAPPENING? MON., MAR. 9

TUES., MAR. 10

WED., MAR. 11

THURS., MAR. 12

FRI., MAR. 13

SAT., MAR. 14

SPRING BREAK

SPRING BREAK

SPRING BREAK

SPRING BREAK

SPRING BREAK Staff Holiday (Abilene Campus Closed)

Southland Conference Basketball Tournament in Katy Women’s Tennis at UIW

POLICE LOG SELECTED ACUPD CALLS FOR THE WEEK: •

A student reported that someone struck her vehicle causing damage to the left rear bumper. Investigation ongoing. 02/25/2020 10:43 a.m.

•

A citizen reported that she observed a male get out of a gray Chevrolet 4 door sedan and remove a delivery package from her front porch. The suspect and the driver of the vehicle fled the area. ACUPD located the vehicle across town and the investigation is ongoing.

02/25/2020 3:30 p.m.

•

ACUPD Officers responded to a loud music complaint and contacted the residents who agreed to turn the music down. 03/01/2020 12:28 a.m.

•

A citizen reported a male subject walking on Lunsford Trail taking photos of people and other things. Officers located the subject and identified him and advised him of the concerns of photographing people. 03/02/2020 5:26 p.m.

911 Call Abandoned vehicle Administrative activity Advice Alarm Alcohol incident Animal call Assist Barricades Building lock/unlock Burglary (vehicle) Cart patrol Check building Clery Direct traffic Disturbance

1 1 34 0 2 0 3 2 3 10 0 3 287 3 1 0

Domestic Disturbance Drug activity/offense Escort Found property Hit and run Harassment Information report Investigation follow up Maintenance: univ assets: cctv Maintenance: univ assets Medical emergency Monitor facility/lot Motorist assist: inflate tire.

Motorist assist: jumpstart Motorist assist: other Motorist assist: unlock

MESSAGE FROM POLICE CHIEF ELLISON:

0 0 5 4 2 0 2 18 30 0 5 17 0 3 0 3

Noise violation Other Parking lot patrol Parking violation Patrol vehicle: maintenance Patrol vehicle: refuel Prowler Public service Random patrol Refuel gasoline cans Report writing Report writing (case report) Report writing (follow up) Sex offense Special assignment Suspicious item

2 5 16 4 8 7 1 0 9 0 22 2 1 1 1 1

Suspicious person Suspicious vehicle Trespasser Theft Traffic stop Vehicle collision Weapons offense Welfare check

1 1 0 2 2 2 1 1

Total 528 *List of selected statistics of this week’s ACUPD activity report.

“ACUPD wishes everyone an enjoyable Spring Break. Remember to make good decisions and stay safe.”

FEATURES & NEWS | Friday, March 6, 2020 | 3

BECOMING THE EVERGREEN Students gain followings on Spotify and release new album

BY ALYSSA HIGH STAFF REPORTER

Weston and the Evergreen, a student-led band, released their first album Jan. 24 and have gained thousands of monthly listeners on Spotify.

“Because of what we have in God’s love through Christ, we can remain in a state of being Evergreen,” Weston Weast said. “That is the idea behind Weston and the Evergreen. It’s me in a state of righteousness through Christ.”

The band started with Weston Weast, a senior music major from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Weast had been making solo music for two years when he wrote Kiss Kiss, the band’s debut song which started the band’s rise in popularity.

“It’s definitely my greatest talent and its definitely a gift from God for sure,” Weast said. “I find most success through music and I’m really starting to identify it with a future purpose or calling.”

The band’s name debuted along with Kiss Kiss, though the song was recorded with just Weast and some virtual instruments. According to Weast, he titled the band with “and the Evergreen” because he always knew he’d need bandmates.

The time to search for those bandmates came when ACU For Life asked Weast to perform at Sonder, a benefit concert where Weston and the Evergreen opened for Willow City. Weast asked Ryker Ratliff, a graduate student from Garland (drums), Duncan Welborn, a sophomore biblical languages major from Greenville (guitar), and

Hunter Wood (bass) to join.

“Someone had come in for a music class in the WPAC and just happened to bring his guitar,” Welborn said.”He heard that I was good so I just started wailing away on this guitar and Weston happened to be walking by on the second story and was like ‘huh, I didn’t know you could play like that.’”

Weast and Ratliff are 3rdyear RA’s at Mabee Hall, where they met and began their friendship which led to their musical partnership.

The four slid into their places quickly, with a lineup of covers of their favorite bands and a few originals sprinkled in.

Together, the band played gigs around town, got over 10,000 listens on Spotify with their revamp of “Kiss Kiss,” made it to the semi-finals in a national music competition based out of Hollywood, and began recording their first album.

Weast came to the group at the beginning of the 2019 fall semester full of songs and ideas. For the rest of the semester, the group met in Ratliff ’s dorm room to finalize the songs and write the bass, drums, and guitar parts.

“As we started recording the album, we found ourselves sort of giving titles to our roles in the recording process,” said Weast. “I found myself presenting the ideas and lyrics, then Duncan would have ideas and Ryker would fine-tune those ideas.

Hunter sort of played the devil’s advocate. He would naturally come in like ‘what if this doesn’t work with this.’”

The band spent the semester fine-tuning and perfecting the al-

bum, which was released Jan. 24.

Last weekend’s album debut concert was at Radiant Life Church in downtown Abilene. As Weast’s home church, the band says they are grateful for the access to the space and equipment for free.

“At the Sonder gig, I wasn’t really an experienced electric guitar player,” Welborn said.

“All I had was a $25 dollar thrift store guitar that I bought in New Orleans and a cable. So for us to go from borrowing equipment from the bands we were opening for to in-ears, click tracks, background videos, and almost going to Hollywood at one point, that itself is kind of amazing.”

Weston and the Evergreen’s first album is titled 22 Years Young and features eight original songs with themes ranging from God to childhood memories to romantic interests. The album has been out for over a month with over 2,000 monthly Spotify listeners across multiple continents, the band’s continuous listeners spell success.

Though they have individual inspirations, the band cites artists like Jon Bellion and the Band Camino as inspirations for their performances.

For the future, the band is unsure what will happen, as several members of the band have graduated or will be graduating and moving on come summer, but they hope to gain as much experience through the band while they can as possible.

“We just want to thank everyone for their continuous support, and if you like it [the album], please share it,” said Ratliff.

OPTIMIST FILE PHOTO

Senior Weston Weast and his band perform songs from their album.

New changes coming to fall Study Abroad

BY DAVID HOYT GUEST WRITER

A new house in Oxford, England, and new program tracks in Montevideo, Uruguay, are among the new changes coming to Study Abroad in the fall.

In Oxford, ACU is renovating a recently purchased house that can accommodate up to 25 students. Cassidy Miller, the study abroad coordinator, says the new house is just one block over from the houses ACU currently leases. She said she is excited because it is the first time ACU has owned property in Oxford.

“It’s a really cool old Victorian-style house,” Miller said. “You still get that convenience of being 15 minutes away from downtown.”

In Montevideo, ACU has expanded its program to include three program tracks that students can choose from.

“The first is the Spanish track,” Miller said. “All of their classes will be in Spanish. The second is the business track, and the third is the Latin American studies track.”

Students can also choose a hybrid of the three tracks.

Some students say their experience abroad was so fulfilling that they went multiple times. Kennedy Guerra, a junior global studies and Spanish double-major from Austin, has spent a semester in both Montevideo, and Leipzig, Germany, and plans to go back to Montevideo in the fall.

“I really am passionate about speaking Spanish, and when I left Montevideo I wanted to go back,” Guerra said.

“When they started offering this COBA-history-Bible kind of thing, it worked for me and my degree plan.”

Guerra said ACU does

a great job with these programs.

“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to travel Europe with people your age.

ACU really facilitates that opportunity.”

Miller said that students can still sign up.

“We are still accepting applications and we have a $2,500 scholarship that you automatically get for

“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to travel Europe with people your age. ACU really facilitates that opportunity.”

CASSIDY MILLER STUDY ABROAD COORDINATOR

signing up in all three locations,” Miller said.

Each location will be

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4 | Friday, March 6, 2020 | OPINIONS

What did we do before Sing Song season?

EDITORIAL BOARD

“So this year’s Sing Song is over; what do we do now?”

It’s now a question on the minds of many on campus. ACU’s pride-soaked A Cappella competition easily manages to assume “priority number one” in the weeks leading up to the performances. Sing Song demands extensive, late-night practices, mostly fueled by the undying competition found between clubs and between classes.

One week after the madness, there is an understandable absence of some energy on campus now that our Sing Song bones aren’t being tickled. Luckily, spring break is only nudging closer and will surely give its reliant relaxation before the second half of the semester kicks off.

BY ERNIE GUAJARDO | CARTOONIST

The break will hopefully give us a chance to recharge and remember what it is like to have time on our hands.

This new found energy can be perfectly complemented by involving in worthwhile events and activities.

With that being said, the surplus of creative and driven minds on campus have

stacked plenty of interesting events that can keep anyone busy for the time being.

You aren’t the only one who thought March came quickly. Fortunately, March’s hasty arrival means that we are now in the month of Women’s History.

With this in mind, the Office of Multicultural Affairs

has planned several events throughout the month to teach on and support this month’s namesake: OMA started Women’s History Month this Thursday with a clothing swap where trading clothing items was intended to build relationships and establish a sense of unity

among those participating.

This is the goal of all events planned this month that will continue after spring break on Tuesday, the 17th, with a Talk Back, “Women’s Rights in 2020”, followed by a movie night that will show “I Am Not an Easy Man”. Later, on the 30th, the week’s Sundaes on Monday’s will focus on women in film production and finally, that Tuesday, the 31st, will end the month with a “Women’s Showcase”. All events will be in the Hart Auditorium with the exception of the Sundaes on Monday’s session that will be in the basement of the Campus Center.

Also on campus, the International Students Association will be holding an International Food Festival on March 21st. The Festival will be in the Hunter Welcome Center at 6 p.m.

and will include foods from around the world to try. Tickets are now available now at The Office of Multicultural Affairs in the Biblical Studies Building Additionally, this April 4th, students can participate in the 36th annual Kirk Goodwin Race to support families in need of financial help with significant medical expenses. The 5K is $20 to register and all funds go to the support of this organization that was started after the tragic adolescent death of Kirk Goodwin in 1984. The race will begin on campus at 10 a.m. It provides a way for anyone to get outside on an April Saturday morning to support a cause that can’t be beaten.

All of these events and more are wonderful opportunities to devote time in this final quarter of the school year.

Voters shouldn’t be scared to vote for a third-party candidate

BY DILLON DANIEL MANAGING EDITOR

As we move past Super Tuesday, one question lays voters’ minds: who should I vote

for? More accurately, a better question might be, “What candidate should I vote for OTHER than Donald Trump?”

As expected, President Trump won every state that participated in Super Tuesday as the republican candidate.

Meanwhile, as updates continue, Joe Biden is leading the democratic race with 596 delegates against Bernie Sanders’ 531 candidates.

Although our political system is not a strict, bipartisan system, the campaigns for every position are dominated by

the reds and the blues.

Many, like myself, are in favor of third-party candidates who break away from this bipartisan mold, however, feel stuck because we understand the majority doesn’t think the same way.

To those who feel Trump’s attitude and past term was outrageous, that Biden remains out-of-touch with current issues and lacks a foundation and that Sanders preaches ideals against American foundations on capitalism and democracy, I

Enjoy your spring break and take time for yourself

BY TAVIAN MILES ASSISTANT SPORTS DIRECTOR

It’s week eight of the semester which means only one thing, spring break is finally upon us.

As soon as Sing Song ended and we were back to our nor mal schedule of classes and studying, all we could think about is spring break 2020. Now spring break is a week long, so why not make the best of it?

A lot of us will be taking trips with either friends and family and that can be a really fun and relaxing time.

Remember to be safe while traveling because this is a time where

there will be a lot more cars on the road. Rotate drivers and take some rest if needed.

Traveling can be a lot of fun during spring break, but just remember to be safe. For those of you who are not traveling and are just staying home or even here in Abilene, take some time to relax and chill out for a bit.

You’ve probably been on constant g o-mode for the past eight weeks and this could be a time for you to take a break.

Try to not have an agenda for the first few days and not plan anything and see where the day takes you. Being in college, a lot of us tend to forget what sleep actually is. We’ve been staying up late working on projects, studying and dealing with Sing Song.

For a lot of us we need to tr y and get caught back up on our sleeping habits and tr y and get a healthy eight hours of sleep ever y night.

Spring break is the perfect time for that. This

could ultimately help us when we come back for the second par t of the semester.

A g ood way to spend spring break is by spending time with family and old friends and enjoying their company. In colleg e sometimes we don’t g et to see our family as often as we would like, so spring break would be a g reat time to hang out with them and enjoy some quality time with them.

Now, there’s some of us who have no idea what to do with our spring break and don’t want to have to break the bank to go somewhere far. Why not try and grab some friends and just explore your home city or drive somewhere and do some exploring? Trust me, you will find something interesting to do and it can be fun. As we head into spring break, I pray that this is a restful time for you and that you’re able to have fun and come back refreshed and ready to finish the semester.

encourage you to vote for a third-party candidate.

The common argument against this mindset is that a third-party vote is a “wasted vote” and third-party candidates aren’t “real candidates.”

However, although minuscule in comparison to the votes received by Clinton and Trump, the last presidential election garnered the highest vote total in history for a Libertarian candidate with Gary Johnson and running mate, Bill Weld, receiving over four million votes (3.28% of the

total vote).

Even if the event of a third-party win is unlikely, I encourage more young voters to take the step and “waste” your vote. The only thing stopping voters from changing the dominant parties are voters themselves.

A belief I have is that many voters vote selfishly. If the policy the favored-candidate runs on is “humanitarian” in nature, I think many voters subconsciously use this information to justify their support as morally superior to the opposition.

In turn, voters vote on policies not for the future, but for the present.

Therefore, I believe voters should turn their focus on the now to focus on the “then”, voting third-party being the most effective way to do this.

By sticking to the Republican and Democratic parties, the United States will be forever plagued by the cycle from red to blue and vise versa every four to eight years, continuing this division among the American people as seen in every election since day one.

Tweets Practically Christian University @practicallychr1 there really be people in COBA taking naps on the couches.

Maddie @thealphamaddie “Espresso = less depresso! - my Starbucks baristas 2k20 Chapel Bat @ACUChapelBat For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them. - Matthew 18:20 Chapel Bat @ACUChapelBat If I were to pledge I would pledge Sub-T because we both make our presences most known during chapel #scoreboard THE MADI MILLER @madi_basketball I know I’ve said it before.. but Abilene NEEDS a Waffle House Almost Christian University @ChristianAlmost People are dying form the coronavirus and y’all still not washing y’all’s hands.

Practically Christian University @practicallychr1 My mans @ACUChapelBat is just chilling, y’all leave him alone Randy Uthe @randy_uthe We are still talking about it and comparing it to some of the greatest crowds. Make it the new norm. Not only for basketball, but for all ACU events. Thanks to everyone.

Tavian Miles @tavianmiles I’m ready for spring break because I miss my parents cooking.

Blakeli Brookreson @BlakeliB excuse me.. may i pet your dog??

Paul Hiepler @paulhiepler The way the Southland Confrence decides tiebreakers is the most comical process ever.

THE OPTIMIST STAFF ALLISON HARRELL

ASHLEY LANG

CARRIE JOHNSTON

KENNETH PYBUS

DILLON DANIEL

DEVON HILLARY

DAVID MITCHELL

CADE WHITE

OWEN SIMPSON

EMILY PERRYMAN

MEGHAN LONG

CELESTE KINKADE

TAVIAN MILES

WILLIAM HEYEN

EMILY SHAFER

ABBEY LEE

ANDREW NORSWORTHY

KAUY OSTLIEN

RILEY FISHER

ALYSSA HIGH

HENRY ERICKSON

SYDNEY VARNER

ERNIE GUAJARDO

AVERY JACKSON

LEAH FIKES

JALEN GARRETT

RACHEL CROSSNOE

TYLER HENDERSON

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SPORTS | Friday, March 6, 2020 | 5

BY DAVID MITCHELL | PHOTOGRAPHER

Junior utility Katelyn Belch waits for the pitch.

Wildcats come out of Norman tournament winless

BY JALEN GARRETT SPORTS WRITER

To end their tournament season, the Wildcats participated in the Courtyard Marriot Tournament in Norman, Oklahoma last weekend. The Wildcats faced the Oklahoma Sooners, North Texas Mean Green, and Northwestern Wildcats. However, the Wildcats would fall short in every one of their five games during the

tournament. The Wildcats are currently 11th in the Southland conference.

“We didn’t play our best and it showed last weekend,” coach Abigail Farler said. “We had a lot of close games and we just needed to execute better.

There’s just some things we need to fix as a team.”

In their first two games, the Wildcats only had a combined total of four RBIs along with only six hits as a team, their fifth

lowest as a team. The Wildcats did manage to strike out the Mean Green 14 times, the team’s second highest of the season.

“I think we did well with our defense in strikeouts,” coach Farler said. “I was pleased with our execution on defense in those games.

That is something I was stress to our team.”

In the last three games, the Wildcats comebined for a total of five RBIs and 18 hits as a team. Ju-

nior picther Samantha Bradley hit her third home run of the season in the top of the fourth inning.

“We have a lot of things we need to work on before conference starts next week,” coach Farler said. “We will go back to the drawing board, look at film, and correct the things we need to do in order be successful.”

This season, the Wildcats are top five in categorie including slugging

percentage, doubles, triples, and runs scored. The Wildcats also have five players who have a batting percentage of .300 or higher. Senior outfielder Caroline Adair is third in the conference in RBIs and runs scored, and junior infielder Briana Tijerina is 10th in the conference total hits. Now that conference play is about to begin, the Wildcats have the oppurtunity to shock some teams and

move up in the conference rankings.

“I’m excited for conference play coming up,” coach Farler said. “This is the time where we need to lock in and play our game.

If we do those things, we can be successful and win ball games.”

The Wildcats head to Louisiana to face the McNeese State Cowgirls this weekend. It will be the first conference game this season for the Wildcats.

BY MEGHAN LONG | PHOTOGRAPHER

Senior guard Dominique Golightly waits for the right moment to shoot the ball.

Golightly sets career-high in win over Stephen F. Austin

BY CARRIE JOHNSTON SPORTS WRITER

The Wildcats took down another top-seeded Southland Conference team during their last home game on Tuesday, overwhelming the Ladyjacks, 88-62.

“I’m really proud of our team,” said head coach Julie Goodenough.

“This was our third game in seven days, and you wouldn’t have known that by the way our players played with so much high energy and intensity. This team proved when you wrap your mind around something, you can fight through it.”

Leading the way for the Wildcats on a career

night in her last game in Moody was senior guard Dominique Golightly.

She surpassed her previous career-high by scoring 33 points, including a career-best and program best nine made 3-pointers on 10 attempts. Golightly added to her numbers with four rebounds, two assists and two steals.

“Dominique was unbelievable tonight,” said Goodenough. “We’ve had some games where she has shied away and doesn’t want to take her shot, but she was feeling it tonight.

I think as a shooter, once you make your first one or two, then you’re feeling pretty confident, and it was awhile before she missed one. What a way to

end her career at home.”

Leading in rebounding for both teams was junior forward Makayla Mabry. Along with her nine rebounds, Mabry scored 11 points on 57% shooting from the field and 75% shooting from the 3-point line.

Senior guard Breanna Wright played a crucial role in ACU’s win against SFA. Despite the Lady Lumberjacks’s full-court pressure, Wright totaled 22 points alongside three rebounds and one steal.

She also added six assists to her totals, leading both teams in that category.

“Breanna has been so solid for us all year long,” said Goodenough. “She’s been our MVP and been the most solid and con-

sistent player in the conference and throughout conference play. She’s been calm and collected.

We’ve so many defensive schemes trying to get the ball out of her hands, to try to keep her from being successful. She’s done a great job of battling through everything.

The Wildcats came out firing on all cylinders and kept that energy throughout the whole game. Even when the bats of Moody swarmed the coliseum in the third quarter, ACU remained focused and consistent. On the offensive side, the Wildcats shot a solid 59% from the field and 63% from 3-point range. With 18 total assists, the team’s

ball movement played a key role in the ACU’s high shooting percentage.

Offense was not the only side of the ball that was clicking for the Wildcats. ACU’s defense caused the Lady Lumberjacks to turn the ball over 20 times and to have poor shot selection. Stephen F. Austin was held to 42% shooting and only shot 25% from the 3-point range.

“We had a had good scouting report that could manipulate Stephen F. Austin’s zone a little bit,” said Goodenough. “Our players did a great job of reading the defense and getting the ball in the hands of people that were open. We had some peo-

ple in foul trouble and we had people come in from the bench who held their own.”

The Wildcats hope to finish conference play at the top of the standings in San Antonio on Saturday. The conclusion of the regular season against the Lady Cardinals of Incarnate Word tips off at 2 p.m.

“We’ve got a game on Saturday that is just as important as this game,” said Goodenough. “Fortunately, we’ll be able to recover while everyone else in the league is playing. We’ll get back to what we need to do in order to win before we go down to the tournament in Katy.”

6 | Friday, March 6, 2020 | SPORTS

STANDINGS Men’s Basketball Team SFA Nicholls ACU SHSU Lamar NWSU McNeese TXAM-CC UCA UIW SELU UNO HBU

Ovrl.

27-3 21-10 19-11 18-12 16-14 13-15 14-16 13-17 10-20 9-21 8-22 8-21 4-24

Conf.

18-1 15-5 14-5 11-8 10-9 10-9 9-10 9-10 9-10 6-13 5-14 4-15 4-15

Women’s Basketball

BY DAVID MITCHELL | PHOTOGRAPHER

Sophomore guard Tobias Cameron regains his balance as he rushes towards the paint.

Record-breaking crowd in Moody fails to rattle Lumberjacks

BY OWEN SIMPSON SPORTS DIRECTOR

The Lumberjacks of Stephen F. Austin continued their dominant season on the road against ACU in Moody Coliseum.

After falling behind 10 points early in the first half, SFA (27-3, 18-1 SLC) bounced back later in the game for a 77-72 victory Tuesday night. With the win, they finish the season undefeated in conference play on the road.

With nearly 3000 people in attendance, it marked the largest crowd in Moody Coliseum for a men’s basketball game in Div. I program history.

“First of all, I thought the crowd was unbelievable,” head coach Joe

Golding said. “Credit to our students and the city of Abilene for coming out here. It truly was a division one atmosphere. It helped keep us in the game.”

The Wildcats (19-11, 14-5 SLC) jumped out to an early 29-19 advantage over the Lumberjacks. After a quick 30-second timeout, SFA was able to trim the lead down to four before halftime.

Senior guard Kevon Harris was instrumental for SFA throughout the game. Before fouling out in the final minutes, Harris posted a game-high 23 points on 6-12 shooting and six rebounds.

“I think Kevon is going to be the [Southland] player of the year,” Golding said.

“I’m going to vote for him as [Southland] player of the

year. I think he deserves it.”

Sophomore forward Clay Gayman led the way for the Wildcats. He finished with 17 points and five rebounds on 4-10 shooting but only scored a single point in the second half.

“In the second half they really honed in on me,” Gayman said. “They obviously watched tape and knew what we were gonna do. Credits to SFA, they’re one of the best teams in college basketball, and they did all the right things in the second half.”

The Wildcats’ lead quickly vanished after halftime.

The Lumberjacks continued to take the ball inside on offense, extending their lead to as much as 15 with 10:23 remaining.

Despite the momentum

on SFA’s side, the Wildcats marched back, cutting the lead to just two points with just 20 seconds remaining.

“We’re learning,” Golding said. “We really grew up tonight and we got better.

When you play a team like that, you get better.”

The Lumberjacks ultimately won the game at the free throw line in the final seconds after multiple missed shot attempts by ACU. The Wildcats were also without their starting sophomore forward Joe Pleasant (knee) Tuesday after injuring his knee against Central Arkansas Saturday.

Looking ahead, his return is up in the air.

“On Joe, he’s day-to-day,” Golding said. “He hasn’t practiced yet, but we did get good news Monday; noth-

ing is torn in his knee. I expect he’ll play before it’s all said and done.”

With the loss, Nicholls (20-10, 14-5 SLC) has a chance to clinch a double-bye in the Southland Conference Tournament Wednesday night against McNeese 14-15, 9-9 SLC).

If the Wildcats win Saturday and Nicholls loses, ACU gets the double-bye.

The Wildcats wrap up their regular season Saturday on the road against Incarnate Word (9-20, 6-12 SLC) at 4:15 p.m.

“There’s no guarantees we see [SFA] again,” Golding said. “They have to win in Katy. They’ll have to win one to get to the championship, and we will have to win one or two. We just have to be ready.”

Byron Nelson Clubhouse opens during sing song weekend

BY OWEN SIMPSON SPORTS DIRECTOR

The Byron Nelson Clubhouse officially opened its doors to fans, families and players Feb. 22 during sing song weekend.

“As a man who glorified God ands served others along his journey, I can’t think of a better person for us to name this facility after,” ACU President Phil Schubert said.

Byron Nelson was an American professional golfer between 1935 and 1946 and has been considered one of the greatest

golfers. Nelson won five majors and 52 PGA Tour tournament wins, which ranks sixth most all-time.

ACU head coach Tom Shaw believes the new facility helps others than just the team.

“I just didn’t think it would happen this fast,” Shaw said. “It’s a true blessing to make something like this happen.

It’s going to benefit student athletes and the city of Abilene. Credits to the university for how it turned out.”

While Nelson never attended ACU, he became a

BY RILEY FISHER | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

A crowd gathers outside the new clubhouse. supporter of the universi- of ACU’s Board of Trustty. He served as a member ees from 1965-74.

Looking ahead Shaw hopes that a new and advanced facility will help attract high school athletes from afar.

“Not only does it help our current team, but it helps us recruit better student athletes,” Shaw said.

“This is the best facility in the conference and one of the best facilities in the country. As far as on-campus facilities, it’s top-20 in the nation.”

The ACU golf team continues their season Monday and Tuesday with the Colin Montgomerie Invitational in Houston.

MEN’S BASKETBALL MATCHUP 2020 SEASON 76.0

POINTS PER GAME

66.1

65.2

POINTS AGAINST

74.0

44.9

FIELD GOAL %

41.6

33.7

REB/GAME

32.2

ABILENE CHRISTIAN UNIVERSIT Y (19-11, 14-5 IN SLC)

Owen Simpson SPORTS DIRECTOR

UNIVERSITY OF INCARNATE WORD (9-21, 6-13 IN SLC)

Tavian Miles

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

It all comes down to this. With the loss to Stephen F. Austin Tuesday night, a few things have to happen for the Wildcats to clinch a double-bye in the Southland Conference Tournament. Most importantly, ACU has to win. The last time these opponents clashed, it was a victory for the Wildcats, 72-58. In that game, it was sophomore forward Joe Pleasant leading the way with 19 points and five rebounds. With his knee injury, his chances of playing are still up in the air.

Something the Wildcats failed to do against the Lumberjacks in their previous game was fastbreak points. While SFA finished with 27, ACU only had six. That will need to change going forward. Looking at Incarnate Word, they’ve hit a road bump down the final stretch. The Cardinals are riding a four-game losing streak and have been eliminated from the Southland Conference Tournament. Despite a loss Tuesday, the Wildcats have the momentum heading into this game. It’s a statement win for ACU.

The Wildcats lost a heartbreaker to SFA this past Tuesday night in the final seconds of the game and are looking to bounce back in their regular season finale against UIW this Saturday afternoon on the road. Sophomore Forward Clay Gayman had 17 points and looked efficient in the first half but struggled in the second half. The Wildcats weren’t able to take care of the ball, committing 16 turnovers. They started off strong but are looking to change things around this Saturday on the road. Last time the Wildcats and the Cardinals met up was Feb. 1, and it was a lopsided matchup. The Wildcats won, 72-58. The defense is what will win them this game, and expect the ball to be distributed all afternoon. Wildcats will find their groove and shake off the loss from Tuesday night.

FINAL SCORE: ACU 81 UIW 65

FINAL SCORE: ACU 73 UIW 58

Tyler Henderson SPORTS REPORTER

ACU has scratched and clawed all season long, and after a tough loss to SFA on Tuesday night, the final game is upon us. The Wildcats and Cardinals meet one last time. For ACU, their two best scorers, sophomore forward Joe Pleasant and senior guard Payten Ricks, have to come out and lead the charge on Saturday. For Ricks, this means putting behind an SFA game where he could not get a shot to fall. For Pleasant, that means getting healthy and returning to his dominant form down low. ACU has played good basketball over their last two weeks, looking more and more like a complete team that knows how to finish ball games strong. ACU takes this game over UIW easy, paving their way to the conference tournament.

FINAL SCORE: ACU 89 UIW 62

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

Ovrl.

22-7 23-5 22-6 19-9 16-12 14-14 13-16 12-16 12-16 9-19 8-20 7-21 5-23

Conf.

15-3 15-4 15-4 14-5 12-7 10-9 10-10 9-10 8-11 5-14 4-15 4-15 2-17

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

Ovrl.

14-4 13-6 15-7 12-7 13-9 11-8 8-9 9-12 9-12 8-12 7-12 5-13

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

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

Ovrl.

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

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 0-0

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Softball

GOLIGHTLY Dominique Golightly: Senior guard Dominique Golightly scored a career high of 33 points this past Tuesday against SFA for her last game at ACU. Golighlty led the Wildcats to an 88-62 win over SFA continuing their win streak to five game. The women’s last game will be March 7 at UIW.

Baseball

Jalen Garrett SPORTS REPORTER

Coming off a tough loss to Stephen F. Austin, the Wildcats wrap up their season as they play the Incarnate Word Cardinals. The Wildcats struggled offensively, shooting 16.7% from 3-point range and committing 16 turnovers. On the defensive end, they allowed 42 points in the second half and committed 28 fouls. Sophomore forward Clay Gayman and junior center Kolton Kohl both scored in double figures, with Gayman dropping 17 points and Kohl dropping 11 points. Incarnate Word is currently 10th in the Southland Conference with a 9-20 record. The Cardinals are led by freshman guard Keaston Willis. Willis is top20 in scoring in the Southland Conference, averaging 12.9 points per game in his first collegiate season. Freshman forward Vincent Miszkiewicz ranks seventh in rebounds per game. For the Wildcats’ last game, this should be an easy win.

The Wildcats held the Cardinals to 14.3% from 3-point range in their last matchup. ACU wins on the road going into the conference tournament.

FINAL SCORE: ACU 81 UIW 60

RANDLE Senior infielder Ryne Randle scored two runs last Thursday against Youngstown State leading ACU to a 5-2 win. Randle had three at bats that game and broke three personal season records for himself.

The next men’s game will be this Friday against Northwestern State.

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