Optimist the
Vol. 98, No. 5
Opera in Abilene
PAGE 5 1 section, 8 pages
Friday, September 4, 2009
acuoptimist.com
BREAKING NEWS, VIDEOS, PHOTOS, DISCUSSION AND EXCLUSIVE CONTENT PRESIDENTIAL SEARCH
Search team preps for presidential hopefuls Colter Hettich
half of October to discuss strategies for reviewEditor in Chief ing applications. Dr. Bill The Presidential Search Franklin, senior consulAdvisory Committee has tant for Academic Search one meeting behind it Inc., is compiling the comand plans to meet for the mittee’s research and will second time in the first publish a prospectus “in
the next few days,” said Don Crisp, chair of the search committee. The prospectus will describe distinctive aspects of the university and enumerate the characteristics essential for a president
to manage them successfully. Potential candidates will receive a copy of the report; it will also be made available to interested members of the ACU community. Upon completion of the pro-
spectus, candidates will have a 60-day window to submit applications. Academic Search Inc. assists institutions of higher education in administrative searches. “We talked to people in
higher education who had used Academic Search in the recent past,” Crisp said. “It’s nice for the candidates as well as us to have a liaison between see SEARCH page 4
SAFETY
LANGUAGE
Cycling student endures collision, surgery Colter Hettich Editor in Chief
JOZIE SANDS Chief Photographer
Hunter Hettich, freshman business management major from Abilene, practices conversational Mandarin Chinese with native speakers in China from his room in Barret Hall. The program is hosted by Drake University, which developed the language training technology.
TALK SUEY Dorm residents have a new reason to keep the noise level low: Their neighbor might be in class – with students in China. Laura Acuff Features Editor The Department of Foreign Languages is giving students the opportunity to study languages like Russian and Mandarin Chinese here on campus – without hiring any new faculty. Instead, as part of the new Dialektos program, classes utilize Web-based technology to converse and study with native speakers and other students as far away as New York. The program began at Drake University in Iowa, where researchers developed a program for use by the U.S. Government and State Department in language-training facilities around
the world, said Dr. Harland Rall, assistant professor of Spanish. Paul Roggendorff, assistant coordinator for Dialektos, said the program could lead to an increase in the number and variety of language courses at ACU and other universities, a goal that in the past required hiring additional faculty. At this early stage, however, the aim is to measure basic potential. “For now, our partnership with Drake is just to see if it can be done physically, if it’s physically possible,” Roggendorff said. The ACU program is in its pilot stage this semester. Students wishing to participate must fulfill certain
KELSI WILLIAMSON Staff Photographer
Justin Prince, junior missions major from Helota, studies Russian online in the Bible Building computer lab. requirements to be accepted, Roggendorff said. Students must be well prepared academically and highly motisee CHINESE page 4
Baowen Li, part-time accounting major and English-language study from Guangzhou, China, was struck by a motor vehicle Wednesday evening while riding her bicycle on East Highway 80, near Chili’s Grill & Bar. Li, also known by her American name, Hebe, suffered a broken leg and underwent reparatory surgery in Abilene Thursday night. In an e-mail to ACU international students, Laura Blake, International Student Services coordinator, said Hebe is expected to remain hospitalized for several days. Li was riding against traffic after sunset without a headlight or helmet. “The pedicyclist was going against the flow of traffic, which caused the operator of the motor vehicle not to see her,” said Sgt. Doug Wrenn of the Abilene Police Department’s Traffic Division. “That was the largest contributing factor to the accident.” By state law, cyclists must obey all traffic laws, and bicycles must be equipped with some type of headlight. Bicycle helmets are not required by law. see COLLISION page 4
ACADEMICS
Honors College offices move to Zellner Hall Linda Bailey
Honors faculty and staff members moved to the Opinion Page Editor new location during the The Honors College re- first week in August. The Honors College located to the first floor of Zellner Hall after out- began expanding as part growing its office in the of ACU’s 21st Century Administration Build- Vision, making the move ing last semester. Seven necessary, said Bethany
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Scroggins, Honors College recruiter. “We were looking for ways to expand, and a way we expanded was in adding more staff,” Scroggins said. “When we added more staff, we needed more space.”
Kelsey Evans, Honors College administrative coordinator, said the new location is more spacious than the cramped offices in the Administration Building. The new location has a large commons area that
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EDITORIAL New Texas law prohibits motorists from texting while driving. Our editorial board weighs in on the law’s excessiveness or appropriateness. Page 6
is ideal for student use, said Evans. She said all students are invited to use the area. Many students have already taken advantage of it to study, eat lunch or take a break between classes. “We have more of a
presence on campus than we did before,” Evans said. “We feel like we can offer so much more with this space.” In preparation for the move, walls received a see MOVE page 4
Online SOCCER TEAM FACES Floridian futbol giant Rollins College. Get complete pregame analysis, including both teams’ strengths and weaknesses. Page 8
VIDEO
LOUDandCLEAR
PHOTOS
Should Texans have the right to text and drive? Frater Sodalis rush
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