So Close Football team loses late lead in Homecoming game vol. 101, no. 18
wednesday, october 24, 2012
Sports Page 8
1 SECTION, 8 PAGES
national
Religious schools fight Obamacare
INSIDE NEWS Abilene Ruff Riders change name to the Bombers Page 4
NEWS Students preparing for Weekend Campaign over Fall Break Page 3
marissa jones managing editor After Obamacare required employers to cover contraception and some abortifacients in their health plans, religiously affiliated universities cried foul against this
mandate and claimed the mandate violates religious freedom, said Dr. Allison Garrett, executive vice president of ACU. As part of Obamacare, the U.S Department of Health and Human Services identified that employers’ health insurance should be required to cover their
employees’ contraception drug costs. The only organizations exempt from this coverage are churches. Garrett was a witness in February at a congressional hearing that proposed the Obamacare mandate was crossing the line between Church and State. This was while Garrett was still Okla-
homa Christian University’s senior vice president for academic affairs. “The Catholics have taught for hundreds of years against contraception, so this is a religious liberty issue,” Garrett said. “You religiously don’t believe in contraception, but the government is requiring
homecoming
you to pay for it.” Garrett said covering contraception usually wouldn’t be a problem for evangelic or mainstream Protestant organizations. However, the mandate has included abortifacient drugs also known as see exception page 4
food services
Decision not final on demise of The Den
NEWS While diversity numbers grow, retention of that diversity still lags Page 3
OPINION The editorial board endorses President Obama for another term
gabi powell student reporter
students and Lynay. While Clay was honored to receive the title of queen, she was more excited to get to see her father, Randy Clay who is a missionary serving in Thailand. A group of ACU faculty, staff and members from the surrounding
After six years of serving to weary students, The Den coffee shop in Barret Hall was rumored to be closing its doors. But Anthony Williams, chief business services officer, said The Den will stay – for now. “No concrete decisions have been made,” he said. “We are constantly discussing our dining program and trying to evaluate how to best serve student demands.” For some regulars, like Mariah English, sophomore communications major from San Antonio, news of The Den’s possible closing was surprising. “I hadn’t even remotely heard about it,” she said. “I usually get coffee there every Monday, Wednesday and Friday when I have class in The Den classroom. I love The Den because I live in Barret Hall, and that is the common place for boys and girls to hang out, and it’s also a cozy little study a area.” The Den’s future is not
see queen page 5
see den page 4
page 6
SPORTS Soccer team moves from LSC basement to qualify for postseason Page 8
FEATURES University celebrates annual Homecoming event in style mandy lambright chief Photographer Becca Clay is crowned Homecoming Queen 2012 during halftime of the football game against Midwestern State University on Saturday.
Students crown Clay katie greene
Page 5
NEWS Dean of students addresses religious diversity of faculty Page 4
ONLINE NEWS Honors College to conduct 90s dance on Nov. 3 acuoptimist.com
page 2 editor Becca Clay, senior speech pathology major from Salt Lake City, was crowned Homecoming queen at halftime during the Homecoming game on Saturday.
state
One-time visitor burns at State Fair Organizers plan to rebuild Big Tex 57 years after brief stay on campus mark smith
NEWS
editor in chief
Students getting involved with Vision School mission work acuoptimist.com
PHOTOS Go to our Flickr page for more photos from Homecoming festivities
Clay was one of 10 women nominated to the Homecoming court this year by the ACU student body. Women are nominated based on their involvement on campus. Clay’s involvement on campus includes three years in ResLife, president of Zeta Rho, participating in a steering committee this year for international
The looming mascot of the State Fair of Texas caught ablaze on Friday in Dallas, destroying most of Big Tex, the fair’s icon. The incident occurred 57 years after he left the campus of Abilene Christian College. In the fall of 1955, Gene Coleman (‘58) and a few of his friends were looking to make their newly chartered social club, Galaxy, wellknown on campus. “We wanted to have a big, impressive display, and then someone said something about bringing Big Tex here,” Coleman said. “We looked at each other and said, ‘Let’s see what we can do.’”
Coleman and Glen Wiggins flew to Dallas in October to ask to bring Big Tex to ACC’s 50th anniversary Homecoming, which would begin on Nov. 4. They met with the mayor of Dallas, Robert L. Thornton, who “helped get the ball rolling,” Coleman said. Big Tex, having just completed his third year in welcoming visitors to the Texas State Fair, was disassembled and moved to Abilene. Train cars took his skeleton, while several tractor-trailers transported Big Tex’s head, 70-gallon cowboy hat, hands and size-70 boots to Abilene. Jack Bridges, the artist who designed the enormous icon into a cowboy, and a team came to reassee fire page 4
Photo courtesy of ACU creative services Big Tex stands in front of the Hardin Administration Building during Homecoming 1955.
local flickr.com/acuoptimist
VIDEO Watch this week’s Ken Collums Show
acuoptimist.com
Student recovering from West Nile toms of the virus as he was driving back from San Antonio on Sep. 23. “I felt my vision close in,” After about a month of re- said Webb, “and all of a sudcovery, Evan Webb, junior den I had no idea what was business management ma- happening. So I pulled over jor from Houston, is nearly and turned the car off.” back to normal despite havWebb immediately ing contracted West Nile passed out in his vehicle, Virus. but luckily his girlfriend Webb first saw symp- Courtney Martin, junior
david singer
opinion page editor
youth and family ministry major from San Antonio, had been driving back in the vehicle in front of him and was able to pull over and help. “She was definitely freaking out but she did a good job of keeping her composure for the most part,” said Webb. “I’m proud of her.” Martin proceeded to
Abilene Christian University
take Webb to the nearest hospital in Junction where he underwent tests. He was later transferred to San Angelo where doctors cycled through possible diagnosis such as a seizure, migraines, an aneurism or tumors. It wasn’t until a week later after undergoing an MRI and multiple brain scans that Webb was diagnosed
with West Nile Virus. It was the last thing he expected but he felt relieved. “It’s scary when you wait,” he said. “But it was actually kind of a blessing because it could have been much worse than it was.” The immunization perisee virus page 4