Sports Page 8
A big upset ACU volleyball shocks Texas Tech in Moody vol. 102, no. 7
Friday, September 13, 2013
1 SECTION, 8 PAGES
Deanna Romero Staff Photographer
Mary Melissa Keil Staff Photographer
INSIDE NEWS Freshman Follies reduces number of shows Page 3
ARTS Food trucks gain following in Abilene
Page 5 Garon goodspeed Staff Photographer
Jarred Scheutze Staff Photographer
NEWS ACU welcomes the new African Students Association to campus Page 4
OPINON The Editorial Board gives advice on how to obtain a bid
Top left: Miranda Palmer, senior nursing major from Flower Mound, talks to potential pledges at GATA’s Red, White and You rush. Top right: Seniors Kara Stutesman, convergence journalism major from Carl Junction, Mo., and Sarah Pelfrey, psychology major from Sherman, bump bellies at Zeta Rho’s Duck Dynasty rush. Bottom left: Beau Carter hits golf balls at the Sub-16 ‘Hits the Green” Rush on Wednesday. Bottom right: At the Frater Sodalis Dodgeball Rush, David Powell throws a ball at his competitor. Page 6
SPORTS Charkandrick West is motivated to make it to the NFL
Large numbers seek women social clubs Kirsten Holman Staff Reporter
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NEWS I Am Second series was invited to share during last week’s Chapel
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About 40 percent more women and about 17 percent more men plan to pledge social clubs compared to last year, according to the Office of Student Organizations and Production potentially increasing the competition among potential pledges for limited club spots in some clubs. The 325 women who have registered to pledge
Editor in chief
Our sports staff predicts the outcome for Saturday’s football game Page 7
OPINION Read Marissa Jones’ column on the big question: to pledge or not to question Page 6
SPORTS Corbin Renner wins the Charles Coody West Texas Intercollegiate at Diamondback Golf Club Page 8
ONLINE VIDEO Watch highlights from the ACU vs. McMurry football game
acuoptimist.com
number of women interested in pledging after some club-hopefuls aren’t invited back to Sigma Theta Chi and Ko Jo Khai rushes. “We don’t want anyone to drop, that is the main thing,” Jackson said. “We want girls to check out all five clubs and go to their rushes.” Jackson said if the number of female pledges remains the same, the number of pledges each women’s club can accept will likely
SOCIAL CLUBS Women’s
Men’s
Alpha Kai Omega
Frater Sodalis
GATA
Galaxy
Ko Jo Kai
Gamma Sigma Phi
Sigma Theta Chi
Pi Kappa
Zeta Rho
Sub T-16 Trojans
see clubs pagE 4
Retention, graduation rates at all-time high Marissa Jones
SPORTS
this year is almost 100 more than those who registered in 2012. And so far, 133 men have registered to pledge, surpassing last year’s number by 20, and that number is expected to increase over the next few weeks. Those increases in interest, particularly among women, likely will force social clubs will have to adjustments, said Mark Jackson, associate director of student organizations and programs. However, Jackson does anticipate a drop in the
The university’s freshman-to-sophomore retention rate and five-year graduation rate is the highest in ACU history, barely missing a goal made five years ago. Kevin Campbell, chief enrollment officer, said 79.4 percent of last year’s freshman returned this semester compared to 75.1 percent the year before. This year’s percentage was .6 percentage points below the goal of 80 percent set five years ago. Looking back at the 2008 class, the five-year
graduation rate is 60 perWith 1030 students, building on last year’s incent, meeting the goal set the incoming class also crease of 11 percent. Total by the university. increased by 7.6 percent, enrollment is 4,461 students compared to last year’s 4,367. Campell attributes the continued rise in student enrollment to ACU’s increasing prominence as a quality and unique institution. “ACU provides a distinct education,” Campbell said. “We combine exceptional academics in a faith based setting. Very few schools accomplish that, and our story is getting told by more people.” This year’s incoming class is also the most ethnically diverse class ACU has seen. Thirty-seven
percent of freshman are ethnic minorities, topping last year’s record-breaking percentage. “We’ve been working very diligently on diversity the last couple of years, so we’re very excited to see that we’re actually making progress,” Campbell said. More than half of college students in Texas are ethnic minorities, and ACU historically has been 30 percent below the state’s average. Campbell said the enrollment office has increased its focus on potential students’ performance in high school when looksee Rates page 4
Summit dicusses faith through the fine arts Brittany Jackson Copy editor Summit has enriched its conference through multiple artistic class sessions, activities and coffeehouses. The art and faith track of Summit was created to help attendees understand how art can affect and influence individual and worldly faith. Dr. Brady Bryce, director of ministry events, said he is looking forward to what these activities will bring to the students and attendees. “I really love providing something that people are able to come to for free and have so many options that allows them to be around
different kinds of people,” Bryce said, “and be exposed to ideas that challenge them and stretch them past a comfortable faith into a really transforming faith.” Multiple concerts are scheduled in the evenings throughout the week. Those performers include the Acappella, The Brilliance and The Hemingways. Acappella is a contemporary Christian musical group consisting of all-male performers. Founded in 1982 by Keith Lancaster, the group has gone through many members and has increased its popularity through vocal experimentation over the past three decades. They will perform this Sunday at 8:30
p.m. in the Fulks Theatre of the Williams Performing Arts Center. The Brilliance is a relatively new Christian band. They have opened for Gungor and their popularity is on the rise. They use complex instruments to produce simple music with a Christian message. The performance will be at 8 p.m. Monday in the WPAC’s Recital Hall. The Hemingways, who have an acoustic sound, will perform 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at Chapel on the Hill. The lead singer and guitar player is Amy McLaughlin-Sheasby, a graduate student here at ACU. Bryce said that this year is the Students’ Association
Abilene Christian University
first year to fully fund one of the concerts. They chose The Brilliance as their debuting band. Dylan Benac, president of Students’ Association, said that SA has helped in the decision of bands for Summit for many years. The officers are responsible for figuring out the expenses and booking the bands. “The Brilliance came up as something that was both reasonable and also really exciting,” Benac said. “They’re an up and coming band that we felt was going to provide something for the students and the people that attend summit as well, the adults.” In an attempt to portray tactile and aesthetic expres-
sions of faith, Summit is bringing in Nancy Harbron, an active potter and creator of The Peaceful Pottery Ministry. She will show off her ceramic talents while simultaneously connecting the art of pottery to a relationship with God. Her presentation consists of three parts that will take place throughout the week. All three sessions, God Prepares Us, God Shapes Us and God Finishes Us, are at 4-4:45 p.m. MondayWednesday in room 117 of the Onstead-Packer Biblical Studies Building. contact Jackson at bkj12a@acu.edu