Optimist the
Vol. 98, No. 13
Achieving Equilibrium
PAGE 5 1 section, 10 pages
Friday, October 2, 2009
acuoptimist.com
BREAKING NEWS, VIDEOS, PHOTOS, DISCUSSION AND EXCLUSIVE CONTENT PHYSICAL RESOURCES
Migratory bats disrupt Moody lectures Sondra Rodriguez Managing Editor Summit speakers had to share the stage in Moody Coliseum this year. The infamous Moody bats swooped in during several lectures, startling visitors and giving stu-
dents in search of challenging lessons and extra Chapel credits more than they bargained for. Mark Lewis, assistant dean of Spiritual Life and Chapel programs, said Chapel had to be moved to Cullen Auditorium in recent years, because nearly
QUICK FACTS
spent the remainder of the semester picking up Bat Conservation International estimates 100 million Mexican Free-tail dead bats,” he said. bats migrate to Central Texas to raise their young each year. The bats are Mexican n Cannot take off from the n Average 9 cm in length Free-tailed bats; dark ground; must fall to take flight n Can weigh 10-15 grams brown, 9-centimeter, crea700 bats were swarming points, but the problem pest-controlling tures best known for in Moody. Physical Re- did not end there. “Physical Resources their urban colony of sources filled cracks the bats could use as entrance trapped 70 bats and 1.5 million under the
Congress Avenue Bridge in Austin. Dr. Tom Lee, professor of biology, said the bats have chosen to reside in Moody because it is a dry location with a relatively stable tempersee BATS page 4
RESIDENCE LIFE
All you need is
BUGS
Residents of Gardner Hall suffer through a beetle infestation, despite multiple attempts by Physical Resources to rid the hall of insects. KELSI WILLIAMSON Staff Photographer
Kelsi Williamson
JOZIE SANDS Chief Photographer
Women of Gardner Hall show their disgust for the invasion of little black beetles.
PRESIDENTIAL SEARCH
was called to address the bug problem, Delony said; however, the problem remained. Staff Photographer “I acknowledge that while nobody likes bugs in residence halls, ACU did the best job The third-floor residents of Gardner Hall are responding to the situation,” he said. victims of a beetle invasion – and not the BritShannon Buchanan, resident director of ish kind. Little black beetles began crawling into Gardner about two weeks ago, requiring Gardner Hall, said two initial bug complaints Residence Life, Physical Resources and WFF were submitted and sent to Physical ResourcFacility Services to band together to eliminate es the same day. An exterminator came twice that week, but the spray was not effective the infestation. John Delony, director of Residence Life, enough to keep the bugs out, she said. Physical Resources then conducted roomsaid reports had been made of beetle influxes in buildings across Abilene, but, so by-room assessments of all rooms that subfar, Gardner Hall has been the only resi- mitted maintenance requests regarding bugs dence hall affected. After initial complaints, an exterminator see BEETLES page 4
HEALTH
Prospectus, survey Flu continues to plague students results published Laura Acuff
Features Editor
Colter Hettich
loaded at www.acu.edu The university’s next Editor in Chief president must underA 12-page search pro- stand and support all asspectus, released Sept. 21 pects of the 21st Century by the Presidential Search Vision. The Vision aims Advisory Committee, out- to “produce leaders who lines the future of the think critically, globally university and what kind and missionally;” “build of president it will take to distinctive and innovative programs;” “deliver achieve it. The prospectus was a unique, Christ-centered formulated with the help experience that draws stuof Academic Search Inc.’s dents into community;” senior consultant Dr. Bill Franklin and can be downsee SEARCH page 4
Forecast Fri
79° 58°
Coughing fits, fever and class absences announced the arrival of flu season several weeks ago and are still rampant on campus. As the influenza and H1N1, or swine flu, viruses circulate nationally, an increased urgency to stay well permeates the ACU community. Registered nurse Marsha Smith, an ACU Medical Clinic employee, said the university needs to work as a team to quell
the spread of virus on campus. The university contributed by asking Physical Resources to install hand sanitizer dispensers in various high-traffic locations around campus, including residence halls and Moody Coliseum. “I think they’re doing a very good job in being preventative, trying to keep people from getting the flu,” Smith said. But disease prevention begins with basic hygiene, see FLU page 4
Inside Sat
76° 64°
Sun
78° 67°
PAM MONEY STANDS beside her husband as the First Lady of ACU for one more year. Anyone who knows her, knows there is more to her than meets the eye. Page 8
KELSI WILLIAMSON Staff Photographer
Ian Smith, senior youth and family ministry major from Waco, cleans his hands with sanitizer in the Learning Commons.
Online FACEBOOK PROFILES often project false identities. Careless posts can have unexpected, long-lasting effects including damage to reputations or skewed perceptions. Page 6
VIDEO
LOUDandCLEAR
PHOTOS
Does hand sanitizer slow the spread of the flu? Chris Thomsen Show
Visit acuoptimist.com to see what the ACU community is saying.
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