Photo Spread Page 5
On parade Student groups built floats for Homecoming vol. 102, no. 17
Wednesday, october 23, 2013
1 SECTION, 6 PAGES
INSIDE NEWS A new class about gaming culture is being offered next semester Page 3
SPORTS ACU Football defeated Incarnate Word 40-6
Page 6
NEWS Dr. Steven Moore publishes his first book on African American literature
CROWNED
YOUNG
Page 3
OPINION The editorial board reminds students to drive safetly
Mandy Lambright chief Photographer
Senior Heather Young, elementary education major from Allen, is named Homecoming Queen during halftime of the ACU vs. Incarnate Word football game on Saturday. Young was voted Queen from a court of 10 other nominees.
Kojies, GSP floats win Homecoming Page 4
NEWS The study abroad office is now accepting early applications Page 3
SPORTS Linebacker Jesse Harper writes about what it means to be an ACU football player Page 6
NEWS Faculty artists will talk about their exhibitions in the Shore Art Gallery on Friday Page 3
OPINION Guest columnist Linsey Thut expresses her appreciation for the new pledging rules Page 4
SPORTS Wildcat soccer weathers the storm with Kenneth Pybus as honorary coach Page 6
ONLINE
Caroline Hardie student reporter The Ko Jo Kai and Gamma Sigma Phi social clubs won best Homecoming float. The winners were announced after the third quarter of Saturday’s football game. Homecoming Parade is an age-old tradition at ACU. Many different student and social clubs participate by creating a float for the parade. For many of the social clubs, the current pledges build the float while several club officers oversee the process. Jessi Andersen, junior
speech pathology major from Millsap and junior representative of Ko Jo Kai, oversaw the building of the Kojie float. “In April, when Victoria Garza and I were elected as Junior and Senior Reps, we knew that our main responsibility was designing and building the Homecoming float,” Andersen said. “We were mostly in charge of organizing NuNus, buying supplies and keeping float site a positive and super fun atmosphere. “ The Kojie pledges only had two weeks to complete their entire float. “We started on Oct. 7 and
did not finish until 5 a.m. on Saturday,” Anderson said. “If you would have asked me if the float was going to be finished in time at 3 a.m. on Saturday I would have honestly said no. We went into crazy overdrive and knocked everything out within those last two hours.” Andersen said all of the hard work paid off when Ko Jo Kai was announced as the women’s float winner. She wasn’t at the game for the announcement, but she found out soon enough that Kojies won. “I grabbed my phone and I had 7 missed calls and 86 texts,” Anderson said. “I
was so happy and screaming and jumping around in my house because I realized that all our hard work paid off.” The winner of the men’s float was Gamma Sigma Phi. Ryan Carroll, senior biblical text major from Prosper and member of GSP, was also not at the game when the winners were announced. “I was sleeping when I received the news in form of a Snapchat from Kaiden Walters with the tag line, ‘We did it! I’m so proud to be a Gamma!’” Carroll said. Winning Homecoming float is more than just a title for clubs.
“Homecoming is the major part of pledging when NuNus get to use their creativity and spirit and show that to all of the past and present members of Ko Jo Kai,” Andersen said. “They worked very hard and, even though this sounds kind of lame, you really do develop so much pride for your club during Homecoming, and that was definitely evident in our performance on Saturday’s parade.”
contact the optimist at optimist@acu.edu
Brown crowned second King of Campus Rachel Fritz staff reporter Alexander Brown, senior accounting major from Garland, was crowned second King of Campus Court during Friday’s Chapel. “I feel honored,” Brown said. “I couldn’t have gotten here without my friends and people I know supporting me.” Brown said the experience was surreal and came as a surprise to him. “For some reason, I couldn’t hear the person on stage who was announcing everything very well, so when he said, ‘Alex Brown you are the second King of Campus Court,’ I thought he said that I had won second place,” Brown said. “Then someone told me ‘Alex, you won.’”
Brown said the moment was like a scene from a movie. The King of Campus Court is nominated by students and represents a spirited leader on campus. And while they do not have any official duties except to ring the bell after chapel, it is still regarded as an honor and as the men’s equivalent of Homecoming Queen. “The King of Campus Court is a guy that has enough school spirit and is the most adamant about ACU,” Brown said. “If you were to cut them, their blood would be purple and white.” As the new King of Campus Court, Brown is humble and thankful to receive the title. “I just want to thank everyone who kept me in their minds and voted for me,” Brown said. “It was a team ef-
fort; when I think of a king, I don’t think ‘I did it myself,’ I think ‘the people did it.’” Prentis McCarty was crowned the first King of Campus Court and handed down the crown to his successor during Chapel. The tradition of King of Campus Court was started last year when Zack Morgan, biology major who graduated last year, presented the idea to the Students’ Association. “I think it’s a fun way for guys not to feel uninvolved during Homecoming,” said Marissa Ferguson, senior family studies major from Dallas. “It’s a fun spin on Homecoming.”
Deanna romero staff photographer contact fritz at ref11a@acu.edu
Alex Brown, senior accounting major from Garland, is crowned the second King of Campus Court.
Forward Lene runners to light the night
VIDEO Watch a recap of the ACU vs. Incarnate Word game from Saturday
acuoptimist.com
Marci hoxworth student reporter Light the Night 5k will illuminate the Elmer Gray Stadium at 8 p.m. Nov. 1. Light the Night is a walk or run 5k hosted by the Forward LENE track club. Participants will receive a 5k T-shirt and glow sticks. Kelti Rippenhagen, senior nursing major from Austin, is the founder and president of the women’s running club
Forward LENE. “We invite everyone to join. You don’t have to run the whole thing. You can walk it if you’d like. It is just a fun way for everyone to come together and get active,” Rippenhagen said. The 5k welcomes runners of all levels with two different sections: a competitive race and a recreational run. The competitive runners will contend for the top two men and women runners. The win-
ners will receive gift cards to local hot spots near campus. Light the Night is a fundraiser for the Forward LENE track club to raise money for uniforms and fund team entries to marathons. “We have the funds SA gave us to get started and thought a 5k would be a perfect way to raise money and get the word out about our club,” Rippenhagen said.
Abilene Christian University
Forward LENE meets weekly for the runners to encourage each other in exercise and join together to build community. “Forward LENE Track Club invites the ladies of ACU to start off the day with exercise and fellowship. We run, jog, walk and enjoy each other’s company,” said Rippenhagen. “We encourage one another to grow physically, spiritually and emotionally through the
friendships we form with our teammates.” Rippenhagen saw the need for the group on campus while training for a half marathon last semester. She said she did not want to train alone and realized there was a necessity for a group to meet this need on campus.
contact the optimist at optimist@acu.edu