The Optimist Print Edition: 10/07/2009

Optimist the

Vol. 98, No. 14

No Place Like Home

PAGE 5 1 section, 8 pages

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

BREAKING NEWS, VIDEOS, PHOTOS, DISCUSSION AND EXCLUSIVE CONTENT

acuoptimist.com

SAFETY

Campus crime rate remains low Liz Spano

past three years.

The Arts Editor report, which The 2008 Annual Crime is required Statistics and Policies Re- by law to be port was released to the distributed ACU community last week, to universiEllison providing university-relat- ties, is a coled crime statistics for the lection of data gathered by

RESIDENCE LIFE

the ACU Police that mark crime trends and statistics from 2006-2008.

Crimes within the ACU Police Department’s jurisdiction include occurrences in or on buildings or property on and off campus, as well as on any public prop-

erty adjacent to campus.

ACU Police Chief Jimmy Ellison said these crimes have remained at a consistent low during the past three years.

“Year to year, our numbers have stayed the same,” said Ellison. “We

do see occasional jumps or occasional decreases, but there’s nothing really to hang your hat on. That’s just what statistics will do over a three-year period.”

Ellison said burglary and motor vehicle theft statistics have risen significantly

in the past year in relation to 2007. The most recent statistics show burglary on campus almost doubled since last year, from nine to 16, and occurrences of motor vehicle theft rose from see CRIME page 4

STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Hunk of Burnin’ Stuff

Weekly forums foster dialogue Chelsea Hackney Copy Editor

JOZIE SANDS Chief Photographer

A mock dorm room, also known as the ACU Burn Room, was set on fire Friday to demonstrate how quickly an actual room can go up in flames. The Abilene Fire Department was on site to extinguish the flames. The room was consumed in less than four minutes after a small fire was started in a trash can.

SPIRITUALITY

Hundreds share Great Communion Sondra Rodriguez

Great Communion events took place all Managing Editor over the world, includNearly 800 Christians ing in Australia, Africa, gathered in Moody Coli- New Zealand, India, South seum on Sunday to par- America and at least 23 take in the Great Com- states in North America.

The Abilene service munion in honor of the bicentennial of Thomas lasted for an hour and inCampbell’s “Declaration cluded words from leadof Address” – a call to ers of Hillcrest Church unite all denominations of Christ, Abilene Christian Church, First Chrisin Christ.

So many people said they longed for something like this for so many years.

DOUGLAS FOSTER Professor of church history and member of the Stone-Campbell dialogue and the Disciples of Christ Historic Society

tian Church, University Church of Christ, Brook Hollow Christian Church, Wylie Christian Church, and Highland Church of Christ and North 10th & Treadaway Church of Christ. ACU President Dr. Royce Money said a prayer for the cup.

Attendees participated in worship, recited the Lord’s Prayer and the Prayer of St. Frances of Assisi in unison, in addition to meditating and taking the Lord’s Supper.

Douglas Foster, direcsee WORSHIP page 4

JOZIE SANDS Chief Photographer

About 20 students attended Students’ Association’s first public forum on Sept. 29. Every current ACU student was invited to attend, ask questions, and discuss issues they think SA should be addressed.

To encourage student participation, SA provided a free dinner from Carino’s to anyone who attended.

Sherrod Building Representative Travis Meadors, sophomore advertising/PR major from Burnet, said the turnout was much higher than expected, about 20 students. He also said the students who came were interested in meaningful discussion, which made the forum worthwhile.

“We had great feedback from it,” Meadors said. “The feeling was, ‘Man, we’ve got the students on our side now.’”

The forums will be a weekly event, and SA Vice President Tony Godfrey, junior political science major from Burleson, said he is excited about the opportunity to hear students’ voices.

In the spirit of openness, Godfrey says, SA Congress meetings have gone live on UStream.

Dr. Royce Money, president of the university, bows his head during the Great Communion on Sunday afternoon.

see SA page 4

HEALTH

Diabetic children mentored by graduate students Jozie Sands Chief Photographer The Type 1 diabetes supportive services program offered through the School of Social Work is beginning its second year. Social work graduate students volunteer to mentor Type

1 diabetic students as they QUICK FACTS confront the psychosocial Type 1 diabetes develops when the the body’s immune system struggles that often accomdestroys pancreatic beta cells, which regulate blood glucose. pany the disease. n About 186,300 people in the U.S. younger than 20 have diabetes “It’s a total disruption (Type 1 or 2), according to the Department of Health and Human of what your life was like Services’ National Diabetes Fact Sheet. prior to being diagnosed,” The group is geared to- lings. It meets the second said Darrell Jordan, associate professor of social work ward children with diabetes and fourth Monday of every and their parents and sib- month at Hillcrest Church of and program adviser.

Forecast Wed

70° 65°

Inside Thu

81° 55°

Fri

64° 49°

A TIME CAPSULE WOULD be the perfect way for the university to archive its recent historic achievements. Our editorial board has a few ideas about what should go inside.

Page 6

Christ. Between 12 and 14 kids, ages 6 to 15, participate in the group meetings.

“The kids basically get to write their own story – what they understand diabetes to be and how it has affected their life,” said Katy Bruce, social work graduate student

from Abilene.

Students use play therapy to help children express their fears about their chronic illness. Narrative therapy and drawing are two of the activities students use to help see DIABETES page 4

Online WILDCAT SOCCER finished the weekend undefeated after wins over Northeastern State University on Friday and East Central University on Sunday.

Page 6

VIDEO

LOUDandCLEAR

PHOTOS

Have you watched SA’s live video feed?

ACU vs. East Central

Visit acuoptimist.com to see what the ACU community is saying.

Homecoming Floats

2

Campus Day Wednesday, October 7, 2009

CALENDAR AND EVENTS

7

WEDNESDAY

10:30 a.m.

Wellness Week: Resource Fair and free popcorn 11:30 a.m.

How Can You Be a Christian in the Military?

8

THURSDAY

9

FRIDAY

11:30 a.m.

Career Expo

11 a.m.

Praise Day

11:30 a.m.

Wellness Week: Resource Fair

11:30 a.m.

Wellness Week: Unstressed Day

5 p.m.

ArtWalk

11:30 a.m.

Breast Cancer Awareness Walk

6 p.m.

Sing Song Class Act Director Interviews 7 p.m.

ACU Volleyball vs. Texas Woman’s 7:30 p.m.

The Voice of the Unheard: An Experience of Hope at the Paramount Theatre

4 p.m.

ACU Soccer vs. SW Oklahoma 6 p.m.

Entra a la Plaza 7:30 p.m.

Sabrina at the Paramount Theatre

Students utilize disc golf course Student Reporter The first official ACU disc golf tournament will take place Friday and Saturday, five months after the red-ribbon cutting at the disc golf course next to Smith Adams Hall.

“It’s exciting to have the course up and running,” said Deonna Shake, instructor of exercise science and health.

Shake, who helped raise money to open the course, said she enjoys seeing people reap benefits from the course – which is open not only to intramural teams and social clubs, but also to the Abilene community.

“It’s great to drive by and see people on

the course,” Shake said.

Registration for the tournament closed Friday, and about 57 players signed up, both students and faculty and staff.

Equipment is not provided, although the exercise science department will have a few discs available to check out. Participants can also purchase discs at the Campus Center.

The tournament will utilize a “shotgun start;” each group will start at a different hole and end at the same hole to avoid bottlenecks. Start times are 5 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday.

Although players were allowed to sign up in groups, they were not allowed to choose their partners, said Kenli Edwards,

It’s great to drive by and see people on the course.

DEONNA SHAKE Instructor of Exercise Science and Health

intramural director.

“This is a good way to get involved and meet people,” Edwards said.

“It’s a scramble, so students might be paired with people they have never met.”

Putting a social club spin on the tournament, Natalie Fleet, Ko Jo Kai pledge and business management major from Abilene, plans to join other Nunus in the competition.

“I’ve played a couple of times, and I’m far from the best disc golfer,” Fleet said. “I’m just ex-

The Optimist maintains this calendar for the ACU community to keep track of local social, academic and service opportunities. Groups may send announcements directly to jmcnetwork@acu.edu.

To ensure an item will appear on time, the announcement should be sent at least 10 days before.

The Optimist may edit items for space and style.

Corrections and clarifications of published news articles will be printed in this space in a timely manner.

Chapel Checkup

Credited Chapels to date: Credited Chapels remaining:

33 38

Volunteer Opportunities

INTRAMURALS

Jill Dougher

About This Page

cited about playing as a Nunu team.”

The registration deadline has passed, but students are still encouraged to go and support the players and witness friendly competition, Edwards said.

“It will be a nice day to get out and enjoy the new ACU disc golf course,” she said.

Disability Resources needs volunteers for its anuual Pumpkin Patch on Oct. 1-31. Slots are open Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m. Volunteers will sell pumpkins, drive hayrides and take pictures.

Contact Kathy Deatherage at 673-4820 for more information.

etc. Contact Gene Linder at 673-7622 for more information.

The Pi Kappa men need volunteers to assist them with a fall neighborhood cleanup in the Carver neighborhood. It will take place at 8:30 a.m. Oct. 24 at the G. V. Daniels Recreation Center. Work will continue until about 2:30 p.m., but volunteers can work in shifts. Contact Scott Stewart at 210-8651584 for more information.

The Noah Project needs volunteers to cover the domestic violence crisis hotline Monday-Friday between 6 and 10 p.m.

Contact Yvonne Myers at 676-7107 for more information.

Sears Methodist Retirement System needs volunteers to help with setup and serving the noon meal from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Oct. 20 for its annual Winter Wellness event. This will take place at the Abilene Civic Center. Contact Jo Ann Wilson at 692-4500 for more information.

Key City North Kiwanis Club needs volunteers for its annual Kiwanis Fish Fry Oct. 23-24 at the Abilene Civic Center. Help is needed from 7-10 p.m.

Oct. 23 and between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Oct. 24 to set up tables and chairs, prepare and cook the fish, serve drinks, clean up,

The Salvation Army needs volunteers to help with the application and interview process for new clients for the Christmas Angel Tree. Contact Cecilia Barahona at 677-1408 for more information.

G. V. Daniels Recreation Center needs volunteers for the Fall Festival on Oct. 31 between 5 and 9 p.m. Volunteers will work game stations, hand out candy and assist with other activities. Contact Justin Whiteley at 6766443 for more information.

Frontier Texas needs volunteers for its Halloween activities beginning Oct. 20. Volunteers will help build sets and prepare for the event Oct. 30 -31. Volunteers are also needed to staff a haunted house during the event. Contact Jeff Salmon at 437-2800 for more information.

The College Heights Friendship House needs help with children’s activities from 3-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. Call 829-6514 for more information.

contact Dougher at

optimist@jmcnetwork.com

Announcements How Can You Be A Christian In The Military? will be presented

by ACU Alumnus and

Naval Officer Hunter Haltom at 11:30 a.m. Oct. 7 in the Hunter Welcome Center LYNAY Room.

Haltom will speak in the about his experience in the military and how to serve God and country.

To RSVP, contact careers@acu.edu.

Entra a la Plaza will be led by Hispanos Unidos from 6-11 p.m. Oct. 9.

The event will showcase

the diversity of Latin American culture on campus through food, music and dancing.

The Voice of the Unheard: An Experience of Hope, presented by The Christian Community Development Corporation-Our House, will begin at 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 8 at the Paramount Theatre. The event, featuring the Hope Stone Dance Company from Houston, will raise awareness of the homeless community and the street outreach ministry Our House. Tickets are $5 and are available at the Paramount Theatre or at the door.

ArtWalk will take place from 5-8:30 p.m. Oct. 8 in Downtown Abilene.

There will be live music, activities, shopping and other exhibits.

Wellness Week • Wednesday: Resource Fair in McGlothlin Campus Center • Friday: Unstressed Day. Activities include a dunk tank, rock wall, bouncing boxing, Twister, a bungee run, a Velcro wall and an obstacle course.

Campus News

October 7, 2009

Page 3

LANGUAGE

Dialektos to return for Spring semester Ryan Cantrell Assistant Sports Editor The students have spoken, and the Dialektos foreign language program will continue for another semester.

Dialektos is a program that allows students to learn a language usually not taught through the university’s core curriculum. The program, still in its infant stages, offers four languages: Arabic, Japanese, Russian and Mandarin Chinese.

The program began as an idea three years ago when Dr. Harland Rall, assistant professor of for-

eign languages and chair of the Department of Foreign Languages, went to Drake University and interviewed faculty about their program. After his trip, Rall said he thought the student body strongly desired to learn some foreign languages not being taught. Rall worked with the ACU administration to develop the Dialektos program, which gives the students a larger variety of foreign language opportunities.

“The goal of the program is to approach languages or language instruction from a nontraditional way,” Rall said.

ACU partners with Drake University for some of its courses. Mandarin Chinese and Russian are offered as a pilot program online through Drake University. Coursework is assigned through an online software program Drake University has established.

The courses offered in the spring will be a part of this pilot program.

In addition to coursework, students meet with a native speaker. They have sessions with the native speaker three times a week; in each session, the student has to complete certain speaking objec-

tives. The instructor then evaluates them on their oral skills and gives the students a grade.

Senior Eryn Halstead, in her first semester of Japanese, loves how strongly conversation is emphasized in the program.

“I love the fact that we spend so much time talking to each other; it is different than other language classes,” Halstead said. “Learning a foreign language through real conversation is a more natural way to learn how to speak Japanese.”

The program directors are looking to offer more languages in the future,

but a certain level of interest has to be shown for a language to be considered. The program currently has 28 students, and about 10 students need to show interest in another language for the program to add it, said Paul Roggendorff, instructor of foreign language and assistant coordinator for Dialektos.

Roggendorff said the main problem facing the program so far has been finding conversation instructors who speak the native language. Dialektos coordinators could not find anyone on campus who spoke Ara-

bic, so they had to get an instructor from the Abilene community.

“We feel that the program is a great fit for ACU because it is innovative, and because it prepares students for leadership and service throughout the world,” Roggendorff said.

Students can apply to take Mandarin Chinese or Russian courses for the spring semester until Oct. 16. Applications can be found online or picked up in Room 134 in the Administration Building. contact Cantrell at

jrc07f@acu.edu

ARTS

Paramount Theatre offers ‘An Experience of Hope’ Linda Bailey Opinion Page Editor The Paramount Theatre will feature The Voice of the Unheard: An Experience of Hope, a threepart show intended to raise awareness of the struggles of homeless youth in Abilene, during ArtWalk on Thursday.

The performance will begin with an introduction by Hannah Capra, high school senior and photographer. She will explain the Photovoice method, a worldwide program that gives people the chance to share their voice through photography. Capra said she took the program and modified it to fit Abilene’s needs.

“The basic structure of a Photovoice project is just giving a voice to those who have none,” Capra said. “It gives them a way to visually represent their issues, which I think is a very strong statement.”

After Capra’s introduction, she will show a video she created of photographs from the project paired with voices of the kids with whom she worked.

Capra said the purpose of this event is to bring awareness and change.

“The one thing I’ve learned from Photovoice is that these kids are so brilliant and so eager to learn and express themselves,” Capra said. “But if we don’t give them

the chance to do it in a proper way, whether it be giving them financial aid or giving them a bed to sleep in or giving them a camera to take pictures with, then all of that energy goes into activities that are not productive, and they’re things that put them on the street in dangerous situations.”

After the video, the Hope Stone Dance Company from Houston will perform Village of Waltz.

Capra said the company does a lot of work in schools with at-risk youths.

The last part of the night will be spent informing Abilenians of ways they can become involved with at-risk and homeless youth. A repre-

sentative from the Christian Community Development Corporation, a non-profit organization dedicated to reaching out to homeless youths in Abilene and the organizer of the event, will speak about their new project, Our House, and the goals and missions for the organization.

Nancy Capra, board member of the CCDC, said the non-profit was organized in 2006 in response to a need for a youth shelter in Abilene.

The actual facility for Our House is under construction and expected to open by 2010.

“Our House is going to be a transitional living facility for youth, ages 15-21, who are unable

to stay in their homes for a variety of reasons,” Capra said. She said not only Abilene children, but anyone who walks through the door at Our House will be welcome.

During the 2008-09 school year, the Abilene ISD identified 46 children, ages 11-17, as unaccompanied youths.

Capra said the issue of homeless youth is important, and but for people to care about it, they must know about it.

“If Abilene can focus all of their potential into something positive, then there is an amazing opportunity for change and growth,” she said.

Capra said ACU students should attend Voice of the Unheard to

find ways they can be involved in the community.

“ACU has said that they really care about homelessness, and last year, they had every freshman read Same Kind of Different as Me,” Capra said. “I’m not sure what ACU has done with that, but Our House is a perfect place for people who want to live that out – not just read the book, but really want to get involved.”

The show starts at 7:30 p.m., and tickets are $5.

contact Bailey at

ljb07a@acu.edu

From Front

Page 4

SPIRITUALITY

October 7, 2009

STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Worship: Labels aside SA: Discussion essential Continued from page 1 tor of the Center for Restoration Studies, delivered the message, “A Call from the Past for the 21st Century.” He said he is pleased with the way the grassroots effort came together.

“From my perspective, it went really well,” said Foster, professor of church history and member of the Stone-Campbell dialogue and the Disciples of Christ Historic Society.

“There were so many people who said they longed for something like this for so many years.”

Lisa Adkins, resident of Abilene and member of Highland Church of Christ, brought her daughter to the event.

“I thought it would be a unique experience to worship with fellow Christians,” Adkins said. “She’s only 2 years old, but I wanted her to experience worship with the body of Christ in Abilene.”

Ashley Musick, senior social work major from

Nashville, Tenn., said she attended to show her support for the movement for unity among denominations and said she enjoyed the peaceful event.

Marian and Ralph Rowe, residents of Abilene and members of Hillcrest Church of Christ, said they had been waiting for an event like this to take place.

“We are committed to communion,” Marian Rowe said. “We wish this would have happened hundreds of years ago, and we hope this grows.”

Lorin and Patsy Watson, residents of Abilene and members of Southern Hills Church of Christ, said they attended to demonstrate the importance of fellowship with all Christians.

“I believe in the unity of the church,” Lorin Watson said. “It was meaningful and inspiring to see the spirit of communion with the different groups.”

Patsy Watson said she was impacted by the event.

“It touched me to see

the different groups coming together, and it reinforced the idea that groups who meet under different names are one in Christ,” she said.

Foster said attendees told him they hoped this would not be the last such event or serve as the only effort to bring people together in the name of Christ.

He said the task force that organized the event will meet next week to discuss what went right or wrong, as well as upcoming opportunities to bring Christians together in fellowship and service.

“We want to begin thinking in terms of dialogue, conversation and worship,” Foster said. “We want to encourage people at the local level to continue to keep on with the efforts that promote visible, Christian unity where people can serve the world and serve others in the name of Christ.” contact Rodriguez at

sar06g@acu.edu

HEALTH

Diabetes: Sharing stories Continued from page 1 express their concerns. The children will write picture books about their struggles with diabetes. After the children’s books are finished, they will be published and distributed for newly diagnosed children to read.

“We would like to invite other college students who are living with Type I diabetes to come out and partici-

pate in our supportive services program,” said Jordan.

“I talk to the parents about what their kids are going though from an adult’s perspective, like from the middle,” said Sarah Ray, sophomore management major from Olney, “I help them realize what their kids are feeling because I’ve been there.”

Sarah was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes six years ago.

She attends meetings and answers parents’ questions about possibilities their children’s future.

“I don’t want to say it’s not a big deal, because it doesn’t come and go.

It’s something we have to deal with everyday, but it doesn’t keep us from doing anything,” said Sarah. contact Sands at

jgs07a@acu.edu

Continued from page 1 Students can watch meetings in real time at www.acustudents.com/ live every Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. Viewers with Twitter accounts can log in on the site and “tweet” questions or offer feedback.

Godfrey said they hope to add Facebook connectivity in the future. He said although no one has used Twitter yet, statistics show there were about 20

viewers at one point last week.

Finally, many students have heard about SA sponsorships for anyone interested in running in the Dallas White Rock Marathon. However, in addition to $20 off the registration fee, social clubs can earn intramural points for members who register.

Intramural Director Kenli Edwards said points will be awarded as they are for intramural sports: five points

for each person up to 40 points. SA members said they hope this will encourage more students to participate. Registration can be completed online at www.acu.edu/whiterock.

contact Hackney at

ceh05c@acu.edu

STATISTICS

Crime: Burglaries rise Continued from page 1 one to three.

While burglaries represented by the report are typically thefts from dorm rooms, they fall under the legal definition of burglary, so the department must count them as such.

This results in higher statistics, he said.

Ellison said he noticed no direct correlation between last year’s alcohol policy change and liquor law violation statistics in 2008, although there was a slight increase in those violations from last year.

“People now know what the policy is and know that the policy is clear and makes clear distinctions between of-age and underage [drinking],” Ellison said. “From a police department perspective, we’re seeing the policy as having a positive effect.”

Although reports of

We’re glad more people are reporting and hope that continues.

JIMMY ELLISON ACU Chief of Police

sexual offense have decreased over the threeyear period, Ellison said this is one of the most underreported crimes. He encourages students to take advantage of anonymous complaints to the police so these offenses can be prevented before they occur.

Other standard precautions include locking dorm rooms, residences and cars, keeping valuables out of sight, creating boundaries in relationships and notifying friends or keeping a cell phone accessible while out at night.

Ellison said although the statistics report is required by law, the police department’s goal in

providing the report is to raise awareness within the ACU community about crime and, by doing so, avoid future crimes.

“I would say, overall, members of ACU community are very proactive in reporting,” Ellison said. “Statistically, we are seeing more and more calls for service come in at the ACU Police Department. From an overall campus safety perspective, we’re glad more people are reporting and hope that continues.”

contact Spano at

eas07a@acu.edu

Focus

October 7, 2009

Page 5

JOZIE SANDS Chief Photographer

Rescue the Animals Local charity strives to

Shelter’s no-kill policy grants every cat and dog its day Lydia Melby

Features Writer It’s not every day a band plays for a crowd only half human. However, local musicians Truth Unsold and Happy Fat did exactly that for a fundraising event conducted by Rescue the Animals on the 40th anniversary of Woodstock, aptly named “Woofstock.”

Noise filled the Kent’s Harley Davidson parking lot as people mingled, listening to live music, eating free hot dogs and spending time hanging out with their own dogs and other animal-lovers Saturday afternoon. Some even dressed their dogs up in tie-dyed “peace-full” 70s attire.

Kathy Walker, a regular Rescue the Animals volunteer, sent one dog home and sparked interest in another.

“It went really well,” Walker said.

“Even though there weren’t a ton of people there, it was still a success as far as we’re concerned.”

JoAnn Bentley, who also works for Rescue the Animals, said RTA definitely will repeat something similar to “Woofstock” in the future.

“The band was phenomenal, so even though there were a bunch of things going on in the city, it was still a great time,” Bentley said. “We have a wonderful, caring community here in Abilene, and we are thankful for the people that help us out.”

JOZIE SANDS Chief Photographer

Bridgette Bitton adjusts her dog Dizzy’s costume as her other dog, Chopper, scopes out the competition.

Rescue the Animals: One at a Time

RTA, the largest no-kill animal shelter “from Dallas to El Paso,” conducts several events each year, like the annual Fur Ball in the spring, the annual Dachshund races every summer, in addition to events like a pancake supper with IHOP last May and the recent Melvin Martin appreciation dinner in September.

“We try a lot of different kinds of events, just to see what works, and we certainly are open to all kinds of suggestions for events,” Walker said. “These events are great because people want to do things and have fun with their dogs, and why not do something good at the same time?”

RTA was founded by Paul Washburn and started out as a rescue for Australian Shepherds, Washburn’s favorite breed.

“Finally we said, ‘well, why stop with just those, why not take them all?’ And it just grew and grew and grew,” Bentley said.

Bentley, who has worked with RTA for almost 10 years said RTA adopts out roughly 1000 animals each year, and since May, the facility has cared for more than sixty puppies and kittens in the nursery alone.

“We are very, very proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish in the 10 years or so that we’ve been in existence,” Bentley said.

Priceless Friendship Walker said a poor economy has caused an increase in animals coming into the shelter.

“Adoptions are down a little bit, but the number of animals that need help is growing at a huge rate,” Walker said.

“We take as many as we can, but we get calls every day from people having to give up their house and move to an apartment, or people that just can’t keep a dog anymore.”

Walker said the shelter is running specials on dogs in an attempt to get them adopted and make space for other animals.

These dogs aren’t “problem animals;” they don’t bite or try to escape. They just need a little extra attention.

Walker said Delta and Rio, sibling hound mixes, are a perfect example of two wonderful dogs at the shelter longer than expected – because they need to be adopted together. But as people tighten belts and cut budgets, even one dog can seem like an imposition.

Sadly, other dogs suffer because of below-average appearance – they just aren’t as cute as the dog with the big brown eyes in the next kennel.

“It’s not that these dogs are biters or that there’s anything wrong with them,” Walker said. “We’re just putting them on special because while we need the normal adoption fees to help with medical costs, we also can’t help more animals if the ones we have aren’t finding homes.”

Adoption rates and information, as well as pictures and profiles of dogs and cats can be found on RTA’s Web site, www.rescuetheanimals.org. RTA arranges to spay or neuter every adoptable animal and sees to all necessary shots and parasite tests. The organization sends home adopted animals with heartworm and flea/tick prevention and a bag of food.

Animals available for adoption range from purebred to mixed breed cats and dogs of all ages, shapes and sizes. RTA also offers a weekly low-cost shot clinic and affordable spaying and neutering for those who already own pets.

Get Your Paws Dirty When Erin Smith showed up at Rescue the Animals to volunteer with a friend last February, she wasn’t sure what to expect.

“The first time we went, they had us fill out a form and then asked us what we were comfortable doing, said Smith, senior family studies major from San Antonio. “We told them, ‘Pretty much whatever you need us to do,’ and Mindi Qualls, a lady who works there, kind of smiled and said ‘How would feel about bathing some of the dogs?’”

Smith said she and her friend went with Qualls to the kennel. Qualls told them to start with the small dogs and work their way up.

“We ended up bathing about 30 dogs in this giant sink-bathtub,” Smith said. “It was crazy, but we had a lot of fun.”

She said she and her friend volunteered because they wanted to play with dogs.

“We thought we should play with some that might not get one-on-one attention a whole lot,” Smith said. “We got involved because we thought it would be a helpful thing to do for the community, but it also was kind of like therapy for me. It’s a fun, relaxing thing to do after a long week.”

Smith said on a typical day at RTA, she plays with dogs in the yard behind the kennel to give them some much-needed exercise. She also bathes and brushes dogs to clean them up for people coming

to adopt. She weighs dogs for their profile on the RTA Web site and takes pictures for the site and the organization’s Facebook page.

Smith described RTA as a rewarding, convenient place to volunteer.

“I never feel like it’s some huge sacrifice, and it’s really stress-relieving for me, so I keep going back,” Smith said.

While she enjoys interacting with the dogs themselves, Smith said noncontact volunteer opportunities exist as well.

Walker, for example, said she works on the Web site, the Facebook and Myspace pages, and advertising and publicity.

“We need whatever people can give,” Walker said. “A lot of people can’t give time, but they can give money, and some people can’t give time or money, but they can give items like old towels or food. We do need volunteers, and it doesn’t have to be what you think.”

Walker conducts a low-key orientation for anyone interested in volunteering in nontraditional ways.

“There’s a lot of little things you can do that people don’t necessarily know about,” she said. “Things aren’t just about coming to the kennels and scooping poop or whatever they think volunteering is all about.”

In the end, RTA is about finding good homes for good animals.

Bentley helped raise six Chihuahua puppies, and RTA found homes for four of them. She said it was hard to see them go, but she was glad.

“It’s hard to not get attached,” Bentley said. “But that’s what makes us good at what we do, you know? If we didn’t care, we wouldn’t be there.”

The RTA Web site has a list of items it needs donated and volunteer opportunities. For more information, visit www.rescuetheanimals.org, or email Kathy Walker at kathy@steakexpress.com.

contact Melby at

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JOZIE SANDS Chief Photographer

Debbie McCurdy and her German shepherd, Harley Davidson, enjoy “Woofstock” festivities.

Opinion

Page 6

EDITORIAL

October 7, 2009

Time capsule would preserve history What better choice than an iPod? This particular iPod would be loaded with pictures of special events such as Sing Song, Homecoming and football games.

Not all of those precious 32 gigabytes would hold pictures, though.

Music can define an era, and 2009 is no different.

If you were to buy the top five songs on iTunes right now, you would be the proud owner of Party in the USA by Miley Cyrus – and some other songs by Jason DeRulo, Owl City, Jay Sean and The Black Eyed Peas. Of course, time capsule organizers would need to

the Hunter Welcome Center changed the face of campus.

It is important to preserve these tumultuous events for future generations, so we propose a time capsule be created to archive this time in the history of our campus and our nation. The capsule class of 2050 will open the capsule 40 years from now.

The question that arises, naturally, is what to put in an ACU time capsule. Objects would have to be carefully selected to fully convey the state of the world near the end of the first decade of the 21st century.

Maybe events seem more historically significant when you live them, but there have been some big events in our lives.

The first African American president is quickly approaching his oneyear anniversary, after a year of economic crisis, raging health care debate and two wars.

Meanwhile, ACU has become the first university in the country to provide iPhones and iPod Touches to incoming freshmen; our beloved president, Dr. Royce Money, chose to retire and become chancellor of the university; and the completion of

include songs by Michael Jackson to commemorate the death of the pop legend this summer.

The iPod could show off its thousand and one uses if we also added a collection of the top movies of 2009. It would be difficult to create such a list, but it could easily be argued Heath Ledger’s final performance in The Dark Knight merits selection, along with the Oscar-winning film, Slumdog Millionaire, named 2008 Best Picture. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is the highest-grossing film of 2009, which might earn it a spot on the iPod – but

Ataraxia

By Jordan Blakey

THE ISSUE The students of the future need a way to look back on this historic time for ACU and the country.

OUR TAKE We propose making a time capsule filled with important artifacts from the year. only if there is enough free space.

It may sound self-aggrandizing, but the Optimist stories documenting Obama’s election, Dr. Money’s retirement and the changes on campus might be a valuable contribution for a student perspective on these events.

It would be interesting to see what our

country and university look like when the time capsule is opened. Maybe a woman will be president. Maybe ACU will be a Division I powerhouse.

Maybe freshmen won’t have curfew. Only time will tell.

Email the Optimist at:

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COLUMN

Revisited hobby sparks interest Little Linda Linda Bailey

COLUMN

Solitary moments offer time to reflect E-Span LIzzy Spano As a relatively social person, silence is an uncommon occurrence in my life. After class or work, I usually seek the company of friends, rather t h a n choosing to spend Spano a few hours relaxing alone. When I do have time to myself, I feel the compelling need to call someone, turn on music or create any kind of social distraction.

I think my dislike of silence is something many people can relate to. In a society consumed with technology and various forms of media, as well as a college life full of social opportunities, we have few chances to find time alone. However, due to recent circumstances out of my control, I discovered the rewards silence brings.

The stereo system in my car developed an

incurable illness that has forced me to drive without music until sufficient funds or a technologically advanced friend fixes it. Whether I play CDs or the radio loudly or softly, the speakers emit a highpitched whine. It’s similar, I imagine, to what those high frequency whistles sound like to dogs. The noise is so irritating I’m forced to turn off the song immediately, resulting in a silent car ride.

At first the silence bugged me. Usually, I would call a friend to chat or do anything – singing at the top of my lungs wasn’t out of the question – rather than endure a road trip filled with nothing at all to distract me. It wasn’t an obsessive need to create noise – more of an uncomfortable and unfamiliar lack of something I unconsciously felt I needed to make up for.

However, after a month or so of quiet car rides, I have come to appreciate these frag-

However, after a month or so of quiet car rides, I have come to appreciate these fragments of time I have completely to myself. ments of time I have completely to myself.

Sometimes, I pray silently; sometimes I talk out loud. Sometimes, I sing worship songs or just drive and think. It sounds a little cheesy and trite, but spending a few minutes in silence while I drive has a noticeably peaceful effect on the rest of my day.

In discussion with a group of friends recently, someone reflected on her own experience with alone time this semester. She encouraged the rest of us to seek time for ourselves, whether while running or actually setting aside time simply for silence.

Call it meditation, reflection, contemplation, whatever; even 15 minutes alone is enough to refocus, to relax and destress and to be away

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from all the noise. The Gospel of John mentions more than once even Jesus “withdrew to lonely places” to pray and step away from the pressure of life.

I had to wait for a broken stereo to force me to spend a few minutes alone, and although I hope it will one day be repaired, I plan to continue to enjoy a few moments of quiet whenever possible, because I have realized sometimes silence really is golden.

contact Spano at

eas07a@acu.edu

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I started reading at the beginning of kindergarten. It was a Sally, Dick and Jane book, and my mom says I pretty m u c h taught myself.

Reflecting on those early school Bailey days, I remember weekly class trips to the library, mandatory silent reading every day and listening to the teacher read stories while we sat in a circle and looked at the pictures.

Recently, however, I walked into my friend’s room and saw him sitting in a recliner under a lamp reading. I made fun of him because the scene looked unreal. I later realized I had lost my passion for reading.

I blame it on high school.

Teenagers are known for their rebellious attitudes. When you tell a teenager to do something, their first thought is to do the opposite. I was this teenager when it came to reading.

After elementary school, reading became a more of a chore than a hobby. Instead of taking class trips to the library to pick any book we chose, we were given lists of books to complete over the summer. Instead of making art projects out of the book we read in class, we were forced to write book reports and make presentations.

During this period of my life, I also discovered the burden known as reading textbooks. This problem has only been

made worse since I’ve been in college.

The point is, when I was told to read certain books, when adventure and mystery became overshadowed by literary devices and symbolism and when the majority of reading was out of textbooks, the fun that used to come from reading vanished.

I know everything I learned in high school about some of the greatest works of literature was important, and I’m grateful I had an education that emphasized reading. I also can’t say I hated every book I read in high school; some actually became my favorite books. But reading as a hobby ended.

Most of the time, I blamed schoolwork, but the truth was I just didn’t want to spend my time reading. I had 24-hour access to a TV, the Internet and friends.

However, over my college career, especially in the summers, I’ve picked up a book or two during free time. As I began reading, I remembered why I loved it so much. It is so easy for me to get wrapped up in a book.

Feeling like I’m part of the story and imagining every detailed scene. I also found books are a path to self-improvement and a way to learn new information and spark original thought.

I’m making another effort to read books that interest me – not just the books I have to read for a class or books I think I should read because other people say so.

Reading isn’t lame. I just had to remember why.

contact Bailey at

eas07a@acu.edu

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From Sports

October 7, 2009

Page 7

FOOTBALL

Cruise: Football team still undefeated Continued from page 10 said. “We had good play from our special teams, defense and offense.”

Gale, in particular, put up a strong performance in his first collegiate start under center. Gale threw for 300 yards and tossed three touchdown passes. His only real mistake came in the first quarter at 9:26 when ECU’s Tyler McGrew picked off Gale’s third-down pass.

After the interception, Gale played nearly flawless football, and Head Coach Chris Thomsen said Gale was “sharp for his first start.”

Plays by a host of offensive stars amplified Gale’s performance.

Sophomore running back Daryl Richardson found the end zone three times on his way to collecting 143 rushing yards, a game high.

Richardson set the tone for the ACU offense with an electrifying 48-yard run on the second play of the game. He capped the game’s opening drive two plays later with a 5-yard touchdown run. Richardson applauded his offensive

We played explosive and fast tonight.

Our defense came out and executed.

ASTON WHITESIDE Defensive End

line, which allowed only one sack against Gale.

“Everybody was executing and playing fast,” Richardson said. “They did their job well, which allowed us to do our job.”

The Wildcats complemented their strong running game with a methodical passing attack. Eight wide receivers caught passes, including Raymond Radway with a 62-yard pass from Gale. Three different receivers – Edmund Gates, Justin Andrews and Kendrick Johnson – hauled in touchdown grabs.

The Wildcat defense also played a tremendous game. Defensive back Major Culbert led the Wildcats in tackles with nine. The Wildcats sacked ECU quarterbacks four times during the course of the game. The only points they allowed resulted from a Wildcat fumble, which the Tigers turned into a touchdown two plays later. Defensive end Aston Whiteside

said he was proud of the defensive line.

“We played explosive and fast tonight,” Whiteside said. “Our defense came out and executed.”

Even ACU President Dr. Royce Money, who attended Saturday’s game, said he was excited about the game.

“This is fun,” Money said. “It has been a great day. Defense is the name of the game.”

It’s been a disappointing season to this point for the Tigers, who will try for their first victory against Texas A&MCommerce next week.

The Wildcats, on the other hand, continue to hold on tightly to the No. 2 spot in the rankings as they head into the weekend. The ’Cats will kick off against Angelo State at 6 p.m. Saturday in San Angelo.

JOZIE SANDS Chief Photographer

Running back Daryl Richardson leaves East Central defenders behind while sprinting down the field. Richardson scored three touchdowns in the game, rushing for 143 yards.

contact Cantrell at

jrc07f@acu.edu

SOCCER

COLUMN

IOC: Chicago bid a bust, despite presidential push Continued from page 8

KELSI WILLIAMSON Staff Photographer

Kendall Cooper, junior midfielder, beats an East Central University player to the ball during Sunday’s match.

LSC: ’Cats extend unbeaten streak Continued from page 8

the tying goal in the 72nd minute.

ACU had its best opto take the lead as Jordan Reese took a pass from portunity to win in the Wilson and found the back second overtime when of the net for her second the Northeastern goalie PJ Davis was given a yelgoal of the season.

The Wildcat defense low card. Wilson was held the Riverhawks awarded a penalty kick and more importantly, that looked to be a game leading LSC scorer Ra- winner – until Davis made chel Sordahl, to just one a diving save to keep the shot in the first half. game knotted at two.

ACU was back in acHowever, Sordahl eventually broke through tion as they faced the the defense and scored East Central Tigers on

Sunday. It took 69 minutes for the Wildcats to topple the Tiger defense and score the only goal of the game. Once again, Courtney Wilson, who is in the LSC top 10 in goals scored, came through.

The ACU offense peppered ECU goalie Natalie Wilson with 15 shots on goal, compared to only four shots for East Central. ACU goalkeeper Crissy Lawson was credited with

four saves, increasing her LSC-leading season total to 55 saves.

The win took ACU to 7-3-1 for the season and 2-0-1 in conference.

The Wildcats will take on SW Oklahoma State on the road Friday, followed by Central Oklahoma on Sunday.

contact Knauth at

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cago for thinking reputation alone would win them the gig.

But, honestly, the reason Chicago got bounced in the first round was partly political. Maybe the committee did not like the Obamas coming to speak on behalf of Chicago, or maybe they are not fans of Oprah.

Rio only got the bid because they would be the first South American city to host the Olympic Games. The committee members chose a less than favored city – by most people’s standards – because they wanted to be remembered as the ones who allowed a South American city to be host.

What does that say about the committee?

I realize I can do virtually nothing to change the minds of IOC voters, but I certainly hope

Chicago’s presentation really was “anemic,” and it was not some political statement to America, because sports is a part of people’s lives devoid of politics – besides that part about presidents throwing out the first pitch. It is not nor should it ever be a sports committee’s responsibility to bring politics into a decision about the game.

contact Tripp at

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Sports

Page 8

Standings FOOTBALL Ovrl.

Div.

Team

ACU TAMU-K Angelo St. MSU Tarleton St. SE Okla.

ENMU TAMU-C Central Okla.

WTAMU NE State East Central SW Okla.

4-0 4-0 4-0 3-1 3-1 2-2 2-3 2-3 1-3 1-3 1-4 0-5 0-5

6-0 6-0 5-1 5-1 5-1 4-2 2-4 2-4 1-5 1-5 1-5 0-6 0-6

October 7, 2009

FOOTBALL

Wildcats cruise past Tigers

VOLLEYBALL Ovrl.

Team Div. WTAMU MSU TAMU-C East Central ACU SE Okla.

TX Woman’s Central Okla.

Tarleton St. Cameron Angelo State SW Okla.

TAMU-K ENMU

4-0 3-0 3-1 3-1 2-1 2-2 2-2 2-2 2-2 1-2 1-2 1-3 0-4 0-4

18-3 7-15 18-5 12-11 15-5 16-8 12-9 10-10 7-14 13-6 9-11 4-21 10-9 4-14

HEATHER LEIPHART Staff Photographer

Running back Patrick Washington runs by East Central defenders in ACU’s victory against ECU on Saturday. ACU remains undefeated at 6-0.

Wildcats dominate East Central 43-6, Gale impresses in first collegiate start Jeff Craig

WOMEN’S SOCCER Ovrl.

Team Div. Central Okla.

ACU MSU WTAMU ENMU NE State TAMU-C Angelo State East Central TX Woman’s SW Okla.

3-1 2-0-1 2-0 2-1 2-1 1-2-1 1-1 1-2 1-2 0-2 0-3

9-4-1 7-3-1 8-0-2 8-1-1 7-5 4-5-1 6-4 7-4 4-3-2 2-7 3-8-1

Scores FRIDAY Volleyball ACU 0, Central Missouri 3

Soccer ACU 2, Northeastern State 2

SATURDAY

GAME BREAKERS

Sports Writer

HEATHER LEIPHART Staff Photographer

Redshirt Freshman Mitchell Gale made his first collegiate start Saturday. He threw for three touchdowns and 300 yards.

Football

Optimist picks players of the game and the play of the game.

The Wildcats steamrollered over the East Central University Tigers 43-6 in front of a crowd of 3,050 at Norris Field in Ada, Okla., Saturday afternoon, improving ACU’s record to 6-0.

The Wildcats dominated the Tigers in the first half of the game. ACU led 34-0 at the end of the first half, outgaining ECU in total yardage 398-25.

The Wildcats completed 17 first downs and allowed the Tigers only one. ACU controlled the ball for nearly two-thirds of the first half.

Red-shirt freshman quarterback Mitchell Gale praised his offense at the half.

“The game’s going well for us,” he said.

“We’ve been able to put

n Offensive Player of the Game: Daryl Richardson, 18 rushes for 143 yards, 3 TD n Defensive Player of the Game: Arthur Johnson, 7 tackles, 2 TFL, 0.5 Sacks n Play of the Game: With five minutes left in the first half, QB Mitchell Gale looked off the safety before lofting a perfect pass to Edmund Gates down the sideline for a 54-yard touchdown. Gale threw for three touchdowns in his first collegiate start and could provide stability to a QB position, which has seen inconsistent play throughout the season.

up quite a few points.

I threw that first pick with really nowhere else to go, but from here, there is nowhere to go but up, and we’ve got to keep working hard.”

The Wildcats didn’t disappoint, playing the second half with the same ferocious tenacity they exhibited in the first. Aston Whiteside laid a punishing hit on ECU running

back Gene Norris, forcing the Tigers to punt.

The Wildcats scored nine additional points in the second half, and many of the team’s reserves saw significant playing time.

Head Coach Thomsen commended the team as whole.

“It was a well-rounded victory,” Thomsen see CRUISE page 7

ACU 43, East Central 6

Volleyball ACU 3, Newman 1 ACU 3, Pittsburg State 1

SUNDAY Soccer ACU 1, East Central 0

SOCCER

COLUMN

Tanner Knauth

Politics, sports like oil, water

Soccer remains unbeaten in LSC Sports Editor

Upcoming THURSDAY Volleyball ACU vs. Texas Woman’s, 7 p.m.

FRIDAY Soccer ACU at SW Oklahoma. State, 4 p.m.

SATURDAY Cross-Country ACU Naimadu Pre-Regional 10 a.m.

The Wildcat soccer team still has a zero in the loss column after two closely contested games against conference foes over the weekend.

ACU played to a 2-2 tie against Northeastern State on Friday, before shutting out East Central Sunday afternoon.

The Riverhawks jumped out to an early lead before ACU’s leading scorer, Courtney Wilson, was able to knock in her fourth goal of the season in the 19th minute Friday.

Katie Miller recorded an assist on the play.

It took less than two minutes for the Wildcats see LSC page 7

Rounding the Bases Brandon Tripp

KELSI WILLIAMSON Staff Photographer

Freshman Lexi Stirling dribbles past East Central Defender Jordan Antonisse as ACU wins 1-0.

VOLLEYBALL

Volleyball

ACU finishes 3-1 at Pittsburg State Invitational

ACU vs. Texas A&M Commerce, 2 p.m.

Ryan Cantrell Assistant Sports Editor

Football ACU at Angelo State, 6 p.m.

HOME GAMES LISTED IN ITALICS

Briefs n Jennie Hutt led ACU with 57 kills on her way to earning LSC Offensive Player of the Week.

Ijeoma Moronu had 197 assists in five matches last week on her way to earning her second LSC Setter of the Week.

The Wildcat volleyball team went 3-1 after a rocky start at the Pittsburg State Invitational last weekend, improving to 15-5 for the season.

ACU’s first match against fifth-ranked Central Missouri on Friday was a flashback to last year’s defeat.

The Wildcats dropped their first match 25-18, 25-17 and 25-22.

“Last year, we went to the same tournament, played the same teams

and went 1-3,” said Head Coach Kellen Mock. “We made a huge change mentally this year. We understand how to win, and we are unwilling to let other teams beat us.”

The Wildcats bounced back in their second match to defeat Missouri Southern 3-0. They swept the Lions 25-14, 25-20, 26-24, and Jennie Hutt led the team in kills with 12.

ACU woke up on the right side of the bed Saturday, sweeping Newman and Pitt State. The ’Cats beat the Newman Jets 3-1 in their first

match, before defeating the Gorillas for the second time this season, 2521, 25-15, 19-25, 26-24.

The match against Pitt State was close, and the final game went back and forth until the teams tied 23-23. The Wildcats took the lead with a block by Shawna Hines and Ijeoma Moronu, but the Gorillas tied it up again 24-24.

ACU finally clinched the game with two consecutive points, knocking out No. 21 Pitt State.

The Wildcats will resume conference play at 7 p.m. Thursday against

Texas Woman’s University in Moody Coliseum.

“Texas Woman’s is a historical solid program,” Mock said. “We have done everything we can hard to put ourselves high in the NCAA regional polls to try to get to the NCAA tournament. We cannot stub our toe through the rest of the conference; we have to take care of each match. We have to treat each opponent as if they are all the world.”

Thousands of stunned Chicago natives stood in Daley Plaza as International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge announced Chicago received the fewest votes in the first round of voting and would not advance to the second round, ending the city’s bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Rio de Janeiro was eventually named the host for the 2016 Olympic Games, with Madrid coming in second, followed by Tokyo and Chicago.

I, for one, cannot understand how the IOC could drop Chicago first.

I understand all of the cities were worthy and qualified, I’m sure, but there is something to be said for hosting the games in one of the better sports cities in the world.

Israel’s IOC member Alex Gilady said, “Chicago’s presentation without (the Obamas) was very, very anemic.”

Maybe it was. And if it was, then shame on Chi-

contact Cantrell at

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see IOC page 7