The Optimist - 10.02.13

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Photo spread Page 5

Surviving the night vol. 102, no. 12

Wednesday, october 2, 2013

1 SECTION, 8 PAGES

Newcomers to social clubs began the pledging process

Rain floods Cullen for second time

INSIDE

Caroline Hardie

NEWS

student reporter

Rain disrupted last weekend’s Balloon Fest

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Cullen f looded, once again, due to the excess rains on Saturday and Sunday. Corey Ruff, the executive director of Facilities and Campus Management, said that there are plans to fix the f looding problem in Cullen. “There is a drainage

improvement project for Cullen that is scheduled to start in the near future,” Ruff said. This is not the first time that Cullen has f looded. Excessive rain caused Cullen to f lood this past June, but the damage was much more severe because of six inches of water produced in just 30 minutes that rushed into the auditorium. The f lood caused 804 seats to

be taken out, treated and reinstalled, as well as a fresh paint job for Cullen. The Computer Auction, scheduled to be in Cullen this past Saturday, has been postponed until Oct. 5 because of the venue f looding. Eric Lemmons, auctioneer for the event, said he knew around noon that he’d have to reschedule the event because water started f lowing into the

auditorium. “Once water began f lowing into the orchestra pit, which had held the laptops we were planning on auctioning just minutes before, I made the extremely hard decision to go ahead and postpone the auction,” Lemmons said. None of the equipment was damaged because of quick decision-making by Lemmons’ staff.

“Fortunately, my excellent staff was able to mobilize quickly and all the equipment was moved before anything could be damaged by the water,” Lemmons said. Lemmons said he does not know if this change in date will affect the success of the event. “I have no verifiable way of estimating the see cullen pagE 4

NEWS Swing Cats host lessons and dance on Oct. 4 Page 4

NEWS The Ag club returns to Medina for their annual service project Page 4

OPINION The negative reactions to the Miss America Pageant shows how racism is still common

Page 6 deanna romero staff Photographer

OPINION Madeline Orr makes the case for why everyone should learn basic computer code Page 6

Traditional dancers from Mexico performed at Entra a la Plaza on Friday. Hispano Unidos hosted Entra a La Plaza in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. The event took place behind the Hunter Welcome Center. The event had free Mexican food, music, bounce houses, face painting and pinatas.

Pledging begins with Bid Night

SPORTS Tennis teams prove to be right at home in Div. 1 after weekend tournaments Page 8

NEWS The annual ACU crime statistics show a decrease in burglaries

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Madeline orr Managing editor Starting Friday night and not ending until the early hours of Saturday morning, Bid Night was just the beginning of pledging for more than 400 students who are pledging social clubs this semester. Between various locations on and off campus, prospective members of social clubs participated in club activities and traditions throughout the

night. Flame Kristen Wells, sophomore nutrition major from Frisco, is pledging GATA. “It was fun but really hard at the same time,” Wells said. “Bid night will be one of the hardest parts of pledging because of how tiring it was.” Kudo Katy Escott, secondary education major from Arlington, is pledging Alpha Kai Omega as a junior. “It was a good time to bond with each other and I am looking forward to

Bid night will be on of the hardest parts of pledging because of how tiring it was.”

their pledges back to their dorms by 5:00 a.m. “Bid Night was a lot less stressful being on the other side of pledging, especially since we had a schedule Kirsten Wells and knew what was comsophomore nutrition major from frisco ing next,” said Sigma Theta Chi member, Caroline Gafford, junior biochemistry getting to know my Kudo major from Dallas. sisters,” Escott said. “There “Bid night can be a rewill be a lot of activities flection of the next few that we learn from, but are weeks of pledging because fun at the same time.” we try to be more serious One of the many rules with the activities that we for Bid Night set by the are doing,” said Gafford. Office of Student Life is “Everything has a purpose that members had to have and if we are joking all the

time, pledges are not going to think it as important as it really is.” Pledging begins this week with what Student Life is calling Bid Week. During the next several weeks of pledging, which will continue through homecoming, pledges will participate in the homecoming parade, intramural games and getting to know members among other club activities. contact Orr at mco10b@acu.edu

Chapel canceled to emphasize wellness

SPORTS

linsey thut page 2 editor

ACU football team loses in doubleovertime to former Lonestar Conference rival, Tarleton State

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ONLINE VIDEO Watch the kidnapping of nominees for Homecoming Queen

acuoptimist.com

Chapel in Moody was canceled Tuesday as 380 students took the opportunity to walk the Lundsford Trail for Chapel credit. Jan Meyer, interim vice president of Student Life and director for Cdenter for Christian Leadership and Service, said they hoped the walk helped students realize that physical health is just as important as spiritual health.

“Wellness is a spiritual issue, in addition to being a physical issue. To call attention to it in the best way possible, we want to really make a statement and say, ‘This is so important,’” Meyer said. The walk was started last year, but not many students attended with the total barely capping off at 100. This year, she said they focused on bringing in more students, and the first step was canceling Chapel in Moody. “If I had the choice of

sitting in a classroom and learning or going outside, I’d choose going outside,” Meyer said. The walk was a part of ACU’s annual Wellness Week. Along the Lundsford, 14 booths from organizations both on and off campus were set up. Church booths, Zumba and spin classes, and even a masseuse booth with employees from Pura Vida Salon were included.

garon goodspeed staff Photographer

Isaiah Teran, junior marketing major from San Antonio, stops at a booth set up along the Lunsford Trail during see wellness page 4 Wellness Week.

Collegiate card available on mobile devices Association made the app a free, simple and accesStaff reporter sible app that all students could enjoy. The age-old ACU colDylan Benac, senior legiate card can now be political science major downloaded from iTunes from Boerne and presias an application for stu- dent of Students’ Assodents to access at any ciation, said the U Pocket time on their mobile de- and collegiate card crevices. The app was offi- ators offered to put tocially available to down- gether an app for the ACU load last week. Students students that would act

Kirsten Holman

as a multi-purpose collegiate card. This project has been in the works since the spring. “They approached us saying ‘hey, we have this opportunity do you think you would be interested?’ And we said yes,” said Benac. “It comes out of our budget for SA and it’s actually more than if we were just to buy collegiate

Abilene Christian University

cards, but we feel like this does so much more than just a card we hand out to people, and allows us to continue to have access to them or be able to pass on information to them beyond just them coming to our office once and us handing them a card. They still can do that, but now we are able to connect with them in a new

way.” Students who have smart phones, including android phones, are able to access this app. Students who do not have smart phones still have the option to pick up a collegiate card in the SA office below the campus center. see card page 4


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