acuoptimist.com
Optimist the
Reunited, page 8
Friday, October 22, 2010
Vol. 99, No. 18
1 section, 8 pages
Fever
FACULTY
RANGER
University to reform faculty benefits
Students, faculty break to watch Texas take on Yankees for pennant
Christianna Lewis Senior Reporter
team. John Martin, freshman advertising and public relations major from Pflugerville, is normally a Houston Astros fan, but he is cheering for the Rangers during the 2010 playoffs. “Truthfully, I’m an Astros fan, but they are trash this year,” Martin said. “So I decided to root for the Rangers this year.” Even with the Rangers’ success, the Yankees still have their loyal followers on campus. Timmy Fuentes, sophomore business management major from Monahans, has been a Yankees fan his whole life. He said he has been surprised with the series so far but thinks the Yankees still have a chance to win. “The Yankees haven’t been too hot this year, but they are still the Yankees,” Fuentes said.
With health care reform comes sweeping changes for every U.S. citizen – including ACU employees. While most Americans will not be affected by many of the new laws for several years, faculty and staff will experience their own reform in health benefits starting Jan. 1, 2011. Wendy Jones, director of human resources, presented ACU’s new health benefits plan Thursday. One of the government’s changes concerns employees’ flexible spending accounts, which employees can take from their paychecks and put on a spending card to use for medical costs, Jones said. Employees are receiving the account because the money is not taxable and employees receive the full amount at the beginning of the year, Jones said. The federal government is enforcing a new maximum limit of $2,500 annually from ACU’s current cap of $8,000 starting Jan. 1, 2013. Jones said employees will also no longer be able to use this new account for some overthe-counter drugs without a prescription in 2011. Another major change concerns health insurance providers. ACU is switching from FirstCare to BlueCross BlueShield, which is more equipped to meet ACU’s needs and will reduce costs for the university, Jones said.
see FANS page 4
see EMPLOYEES page 4
BAILEY NEAL // Page Designer
Several students gather in the University Park Apartment Clubhouse to watch Game 5 of the seven-game series between the Texas Rangers and the New York Yankees. Students and faculty gathered in various locations around campus to watch the game.
staff report
T
he Texas Rangers continue to venture even further into the uncharted territory of postseason baseball, and fans across ACU’s campus have caught a sweeping case of “Rangers Fever.” Several groups of fans gathered in various locations around campus to watch Game 5 of the American League Championship Series between the Rangers and New York Yankees, hoping to see the Rangers secure their spot in the World Series. “They’ll at least go all the way to the World Series,” said Bradley Campbell, senior psychology major from Abilene. “I was raised in Fort Worth and grew up going to all the games. You can’t grow up there and not be a Rangers fan.”
At 7-2 the Yankees were ultimately victorious in Game 5, but the Rangers still lead the best-of-seven series 3-2. The televisions in the McGlothlin Campus Center were tuned to the game, and several students gathered around the screens to watch. Other students headed to dorm lobbies across campus. Cason Dickson, a student in the graduate school of theology from Normal, Ill., watched the game in the Mabee Hall lobby. He said he is confident the Rangers are headed to the World Series. “I genuinely think with the way they’ve played the last three games that it would take an act of God for them to fumble this one,” Dickson said. The Rangers’ recent success has also created a following of new fans who are cheering for the
STUDENT GROUPS
FILMFEST
Students inducted to honor society L.A. screenwriter to Skype workshop Linda Bailey Editor In Chief
Six students were inducted into Sigma Delta Pi, the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society and ACU’s first collegiate honor society for students of Spanish. Sigma Delta Pi is the largest foreign language honor society and has chapters across the country, said Dr. Beatriz Walker, associate professor of Spanish and adviser of Omega Gamma, ACU’s Sigma Delta Pi chapter. “It is very important for our students to belong to an honor society that
represents what you are studying,” Walker said. “That means you are top in your field. For students taking a foreign language as a minor or major, I would assume if they have that pride in their studies, they want to belong to an association that recognizes their academic ability.” During the ceremony students read excerpts from Spanish poetry and literature, and Dan Mitchell, instructor of guitar, played Spanish guitar songs. “Nothing is more Spanish than the guitar,” Walker said. Four of the six inductees were also appointed officers of the new honor society.
news The National Association of Professional Women named Jennifer Ellison, ACU event coordinator, 2010 Woman of the Year. page 3
DANIEL GOMEZ // Chief Photographer
Lawson Soward, senior electronic media major from Colleyville, receives his certificate of induction to Sigma Delta Pi Thursday at Chapel on the Hill. President of Sigma Delta Pi Lawson Soward, senior electronic media major from Colleyville, said he was honored when Walker
asked him to be president. “Walker is an absolutely amazing Spanish teacher,” see LANGUAGE page 4
website
inside arts Brian Selznick, popular children’s literature illustrator, recently spoke to a crowd at Abilene’s Art Walk. page 5
which partners with the Council of Christian Colleges Opinion Editor and Universities. “He was very influential The FilmFest Committee will conduct a Screenwrit- in my own writing and what ing Workshop from 11 a.m. I wanted to do with my life,” to noon Friday in the Mabee Johnson said. “I thought that we needed someone Library Auditorium. Kris Young, an instructor like him to come to the ACU at UCLA’s School of Theater, campus and help students Film and Television, will speak out, especially since ACU’s screenwriting class isn’t ofat the workshop via Skype. Christina Johnson, senior fered every semester.” Young has written six English major from Dallas and co-chair of the FilmFest movies for the Disney ChanCommittee, met Young while nel and has also produced attending the Los Angeles material for Columbia, Film Studies Center through the Best-Semester Program, see WORKSHOP page 4
Matthew Woodrow
weather video Take an in-depth look at ACU’s decision to end its affiliation with the Patty Hanks Shelton School of Nursing.
Abilene Christian University
Fri.
Sat.
Sun.
75° 63°
78° 59°
79° 56°