Features Page 5
Disc Gold ACU students throw in Nationals vol. 102, no. 54
wednesday, april 30, 2014
1 SECTION, 6 PAGES
ACU to lay off clinic doctor, nurses
INSIDE The Optimist staff reports in a special section on ACU’s building campaign
marissa jones editor in chief The university will outsource ACU’s medical clinic to the Hendrick Health System rather than being run by ACU staff. Dr. Ellen West, medical director of the clinic, said she was told on Friday that May 30 would be her
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It has been a great pleasure to be able to take care of ACU students.”
West said. “We see it as our ministry and not just a job. We will miss you all very, very much.” The clinic will close for the month of June and Dr. ellen west reopen in July with Henacu clinic medical drick staff, said university director officials. Dr. Allison Garrett, and the staff’s last day. vice president of the uni“It has been a great versity, said the adminpleasure to be able to take istration is working to care of ACU students,” decide how to provide
healthcare services in June for students with ongoing conditions who have been treated by the clinic. It is the administration’s hope the students will not see much of a transition, Garrett said. The location will remain the same, the way the clinic operates will remain largely the same and the psychiatric clinic
will not be affected by the change. “I know many of our students have developed relationships with those staff members who work in the clinic, so that part is sad,” Garrett said. “But, ultimately, we thought this was the right direction because we’re going to be able to serve so see clinic page 3
Section B
SPORTS Baseball player Crippen slams HBU game
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OPINION As graduation approaches, the Editorial Board encourages frazzled seniors to enjoy the end of college
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SPORTS ACU softball scores four homeruns in HBU game
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Deanna romero chief photographer
Katie Cukrowski, senior English major from Abilene, and Brock Nue, senior communications major from North Richland Hills, sing at the candlelight devotional on Tuesday night. The event marked the first senior send-off hosted by the Student Alumni Association.
NEWS ACU’s student media appoints new leaders for next year Page 3
Seniors say farewell at devotional place during Welcome Week. It is a memorable experience for all new students who attend ACU. The Student Alumni AsDuring the devotional, sociation hosted a candle- each new student is given light devotional Tuesday a candle to light and then night in the Amphitheater walks through a tunnel as a senior send-off for the of upperclassmen and first time. alumni singing hymns The Candlelight Devo- and spiritual songs, weltional is an annual tradi- coming them to the ACU tion that typically takes community.
dystanie douglas
SPORTS
student reporter
Volleyball head coach Kellen Mock to leave ACU Page 6
NEWS Anabel Reid’s family raises awareness for clean water Page 3
emily seidel
VIDEO Watch the JMC Newscast for an update on the latest news on campus
Read more at acuoptimist.com
president of SAA and organized the event. “I went to a conference this summer and I saw different traditions that go on at different campuses,” Selinger said. “I thought to myself ‘I wish we had something that we could commemorate more.’” Sellinger said that’s when she realized a can-
dlelight devotional could be a senior commemorative tradition. “We do such a great job of welcoming the freshmen, why not further that and do it as a senior?” Selinger said. Seniors who took part in the candlelight devotional experience were see seniors page 3
KGR finishes strong with $30,000 student reporter
ONLINE
This year, the Student Alumni Association decided to change up the tradition of the Candlelight Devotional by using it not only as way of welcoming new students to ACU, but as a way of saying goodbye to graduating seniors. Aubree Selinger, senior family studies major from Grapevine, is the
The 31st annual Kirk Goodwin Memorial Race exceeded expectations this weekend, raising about $30,000. The 5K has been an annual event put on by the men of Galaxy since the mid-1980s in memory of Kirk Goodwin, a former ACU track team and Galaxy member, who was killed in a car crash in 1984. The proceeds have gone to different families each year in need of assistance with medical expenses. This year, Galaxy added the inaugural Run the West Half Marathon, switching it up from last year’s 10K trial run. About 100 runners participated in Run the West,
while about 200 ran in the 5K. Saturday’s proceeds exceeded last year’s by about $20,000 with the addition of the half marathon. Senior Aaron Brooks, marketing major from Burleson and member of Galaxy, has been actively involved in planning the race for the last few years, and has seen it grow in size and profit. As a race director, he helped with marketing and sponsorships, which include new partnerships this year with Starbucks, McAlister’s, Ford and Chevrolet in addition to long-time sponsorships from Hilliard Office Solutions and the ACU Students’ Association. “The reason why I’ve been taking such an ac-
paige otway Staff Photographer
Runners from all over Texas participate in the 2014 Kirk Goodwin Run.
see RUN page 3
Abilene Christian University