The Optimist - 11.06.13

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The Final Game ACU volleyball loses 3-1 in their last game

vol. 102, no. 21

wednesday, november 06, 2013

Sports Page 8

1 SECTION, 8 PAGES

ACU decides to continue SBCs

INSIDE

Marissa Jones

FEATURES

Editor in chief

A 36-year-old marine comes back to school and pledges

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The university will continue organizing Spring Break Campaigns next year and house them in the Office of Student Life, officials say. The decision came as a reversal of a Student Life plan earlier in the semester to cancel the long-standing tradition.

SBCs, which had been handed off to the Halbert Institute for Missions last spring, will be managed by the Center for Christian Service and Leadership, a Student Life division, and directed by CCSL administrative assistant Mollie Spaulding. Allison Garrett, executive vice president of the university, said she thinks Student Life is well fitted to handle SBCs.

“It’s a deeper organization than the Halbert Institute, although, like most areas on campus, there have been some personnel changes,” Garrett said. “For so many years, Spring Break Campaigns were in Student Life, so there’s still a lot of historical institutional knowledge about the best way to run them, so it was an easy transition back to Student Life.”

Locations and leaders of SBCs for next spring have not yet been determined. Garrett directed specific questions about campaigns to Student Life. Jan Meyer, interim vice president of Student Life and dean of students, deferred comments to Dr. Garrett. Spaulding said she could not yet comment on the campaigns because the office was still solidifying plans.

At this point last year, SBC locations had been announced and leaders chosen. However, Garrett said she wasn’t worried about the delay. “It might have cost us some time, but I think our connection with several of our traditional Spring Break Campaign locations go back so many see SBC page 4

Students create 5K for breast cancer

NEWS A student organizes a suicide awareness group, the James Project Page 3

Brittany sanchez student reporter

SPORTS The ACU soccer team finishes its season fourth in the Southland conference

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NEWS AES hosts their second annual Barn Dance and fundraiser Page 3

OPINION The editorial board exposes the importance of sleep

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NEWS Adrian Patenaude contributor

Several camps come to campus to recruit students for the summer Page

Seungeun Bae, sophomore youth and family ministry major from Korea, practices for the Taekwaondo act for Ethnos Culture Show. Ethnos will take place on Nov. 8 and 9.

Culture events to educate campus JC Peeples student reporter

OPINION Mandy Lambright discusses the reality of the dangers of Snapchat Page 6

ONLINE VIDEO Relive the fear of Frat’s Haunted Island fundraiser

acuoptimist.com

International Education Week will make its grand appearance next week. Lucy Dawson, immigration specialist for the Center for International Education, is helping organize events throughout the week. Dawson said there are around 170 international

students from 42 different countries who have not claimed permanent residence in the states. “There is quite a large international presence on this campus,” said Dawson. “The events throughout this week will leave our international students feeling more appreciated and valued which can provide a positive reaction on our campus.”

Dawson said the event is a way for the campus can show how much it desires to engage the rest of the world. Dawson said learning about other cultures allows students to gain a global perspective on life. “This is a resource for students to learn about life outside of the U.S.,” said Dawson. “Our international friends provide

a window to look and observe other cultures.” Byron Martin, director of Multicultural Enrichment, is helping support this week by having his office spread the word around campus. Martin said that OME is informing students about the events scheduled for this week through many forms of communisee IEW page 4

Three ACU students took on the challenge of organizing their own 5K fun run around the Lunsford Trail to raise awareness for breast cancer. All of the proceeds from the Pink Love Run will go to the Susan B. Koman foundation. Elizabeth Watters, sophomore family studies major from Houston, organized the event to show support for her friend Jaclyn’s mom, who was diagnosed with breast cancer over the summer. “I thought this would be a great way to show my support for her and her family,” said Watters. Jaclyn Hurt, sophomore music education major from Houston, said motivation to start fundraising came to her when she was feeling useless while watching her mom go through chemo-therapy and was unable to to help her. “So, if I can’t help my mom directly, I will help the entire cause instead. I feel really good about doing this,” said Hurt. Mark Jackson, director of student organizations and programs, said Watters has gone through several steps to ensure the event takes place. Watters planned the Pink Love Run with the help from Hurt and their friend Miranda Dickson, sophomore graphic design major from Austin. Watter said it took about three weeks to get it started Jackson said students who want to organize an event in support of a cause are more than welcome to do so. All events must follow the guidelines and requirements in order for the event to happen. The Pink Love Run for Cancer will take place Nov. 16 at 10 a.m. Watters said there will be a table set up in the Campus Center for people to sign up and fill out a waiver form, as well as selling bracelets and necklaces. The entry fee will be $7.

contact The optimist at optimist@acu.edu

Student religious diversity increases kirsten holman staff reporter The Church of Christ demographic within ACU students is in a slow decline. According to the Religion Headcount provided by Lisa McCarty, assistant director for the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment and the institutional researcher for the university, 54.6 percent of the student body claimed to be Church of Christ in 2009.

As of fall this year, only 41.9 percent of students have declared a Church of Christ background. Kevin Campbell, the chief enrollment officer, said religious diversity among the students is increasing. “We see a tremendous amount of interest from families who have not grown up historically in the Church of Christ, but families who have strong Christian roots and are in strong families of faith who want their children or even students who

want to be part of a community like this,” he said. “We are seeing a lot of interest from the broader Christian community in Texas.” The other religious group represented among students enrolled include Baptist (14.7 percent), Christian Church (8 percent), Catholic (4.2 percent), Methodist (4.2 percent), “Community” Church (12.7 percent) and other (14.3 percent). According to the Religion see Diversity page 4

Abilene Christian University

Religions of 2013 student body


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