The Optimist Print Edition: 11.10.10

acuoptimist.com

Optimist the

I Pink I Can, page 3

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Vol. 99, No. 23

1 section, 6 pages

SERVICE

Schubert rings in a new Season of Caring Linda Bailey Editor In Chief

Dr. Phil Schubert is encouraging students, faculty and staff to start rummaging through their dorm rooms, closets and garages in search of items to donate to the Abilene community.

Donations are just one part of the Season of Caring event which will involve the entire ACU community and

‘‘ ’’

span from Nov. 15 to Dec. 15.

During the month-long service opportunity created by President Schubert, students, faculty and staff can help the Abilene community by volunteering at several events and donating a variety of items to help Abilene families during the holiday season.

“I recognized there were incredible opportunities for our student body and our

our faculty and staff to be a part of things that matter and make a difference in the lives of others.”

Many university-organized service opportunities DR. PHIL SCHUBERT // president of for Abilene families during the university the holidays have been conducted for years, but Schucommunity to have a signif- from our generosity and bert decided to expand and icant impact in this Abilene willingness to be involved combine them with Love community for people who in their lives,” Schubert and Care Ministries’ holineed help and who can said. “What a great oppor- day services to create the benefit in tremendous ways tunity for our students and Season of Caring.

What a great opportunity for our students and our faculty and staff to be a part of things that matter and make a difference in the lives of others.

Jump Start

To start off the event, a large yellow truck will sit at the corner of Judge Ely and North 16th street Monday through Wednesday, Nov. 18, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The ACU community is encouraged to fill it with clothes, blankets, sleeping bags, jackets, non-perishable food, household goods, toys, bikes or anything else to help families in Abilene make see CARE page 5

CHAPEL

Thursday Chapel to honor veterans Keyi Zhou

Contributing Reporter

DANIEL GOMEZ // Chief Photographer

Ben Warton, junior forward from Dallas, hangs on the rim in Moody Coliseum after the Midnight Madness Slam Dunk Contest Friday Nov. 5. The contest was organized to kick off the ACU men’s and women’s basketball season.

STUDENTS

BestSemester Event launches students abroad Christina Burch

Contributing Reporter

Students interested in spending a semester studying in places like Washington, D.C., Australia, Costa Rica and nine other locations around the world are invited to attend the BestSemester Event interest meeting Thursday.

Student testimonials, free pizza and prizes are

available to those who attend the event from 7 to 8 p.m. in Room 115 of the Mabee Business Building. The meeting will showcase the 12 different culture-shaping and culture-crossing locations available. Through the Christian programs at BestSemester, students can study and intern for a semester in Nashville, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Costa Rica, India, Middle East, Australia, China, Egypt, Oxford and Uganda.

Christina Johnson, senior English and professional writing major from Dallas, is the ACU Alumni Ambassador for BestSemester. Johnson studied in Los Angeles and attended the L.A. Film Studies Center last spring through the program.

“You really become a part of the culture and get the full extent of the experience,” Johnson said.

The university will honor the men and women who have served in the United States Armed Forces as a part of its annual Veterans Day Chapel in Moody Coliseum on Thursday.

The Grand Chorus, a group of about 100 ACU students, will sing patriotic songs as a part of the tribute.

Dr. Gary McCaleb, vice president of the university and chairman of the committee who organizes Veterans Day Chapel, said the program is a chance for students to honor the men and women who serve the nation.

“It’s a good opportunity for students and faculty to be a part of honoring those who serve our country,” McCaleb said.

“In addition to that, they will hear the Grand Chorus singing which they do not have many opportunities to do.”

Students should check with their small group chapels to see if they are meeting that day. Immersed and Drenched will not meet. contact Zhou at

see LEARN page 5

optimist@jmcnetwork.com

TECHNOLOGY

ISchool competes for gaming grant Unity Technologies chose ACU as one of 20 internaSenior Reporter tional learning institutes The iPhone made room to receive the phone and for ACU’s newest toy last Unity Pro software, valued month. The iSchool won a at $3,000, said Dr. Brian BurGoogle Nexus One phone ton, assistant professor of Oct. 18 as a part of its ad- information technology.

“Having the reputation mission into the first round in a competitive mobile for doing mobile learning at ACU gave us a leg up,” education grant.

Christianna Lewis

form application testing with 20 Google Nexus phones and licenses for the Unity 3D Pro game engine, as well as the Android Pro game engine.

Burton said he didn’t know if or how the iSchool’s new involvement with the Android, a competitor of the iPhone, see PHONE page 5

website

inside sports Women’s soccer, men’s cross country and football each brought home LSC Championship titles this weekend. page 6

Burton said. “That is really what sold them.”

The 20 finalists will use the Unity materials in developing a one-semester curriculum for a mobile games development class, Burton said. Unity will choose three schools with the best curriculum proposals to receive the full grant. It will equip the schools to per-

opinion Students can vote on the 24-hour FilmFest submissions. The Editorial Board weighs in on its favorite. page 4

DANIEL GOMEZ // Chief Photographer

Brandon Burton, junior IT major from Ava, Mo., works on a computer in the iSchool design program Friday.

weather photo gallery Find more photos of ACU football game against WT Saturday. The Wildcats beat the Buffs to bring home the LSC Championship.

Abilene Christian University

Wed.

Thurs.

Fri.

79° 57°

77° 55°

59° 41°

2

Campus Wednesday, November 10, 2010

10

about this page

Day

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 optimist@ jmcnetwork.com.

To ensure an item will appear on time, the announcement should be sent at least 10 days in advance. The Optimist may edit items for space and style.

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

calendar & events Wednesday

11

12

Thursday

11 a.m. Veterans Day Chapel in Moody Coliseum

11 a.m. Chapel in Moody Coliseum 3 p.m. Registration for freshmen begins

Friday

11 a.m. Praise Day in Moody Coliseum 7:30 p.m. Ethnos: The Culture show in Cullen Auditorium

11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Blood Drive from in the parking lot between the Hardin Administration Building and the Brown Library.

8 p.m. Boston Brass will perform in the WPAC Recital Hall

13

Chapel Checkup 73 20

Saturday

12 p.m. Home football game against South Western Oklahoma State 7:30 p.m. Ethnos: The Culture show in Cullen Auditorium

READ THE OPTIMIST ON YOUR iPad . iPhone . iPod

follow us on Twitter: @acuoptimist // become a fan on Facebook: The Optimist

announcements Dallas White Rock Marathon Students wishing to run the Dallas White Rock Marathon or Half-Marathon can sign up with ACU to receive a $20 rebate, a free ACU running shirt and a free pre-race party. Register to run the race at www. runtherock.com and to participatewith ACU visit www. acu.edu/whiterock ACU Choirs The ACU choral department is looking for students to join the University Chorale for the spring semester. Men are especially encouraged to join. Interested students may register for the University Chorale (MPEV 202-01) with their advisers. The course meets from 1-1:50 p.m. MWF. Contact Dr. Sean Pullen at sean.pullen@acu. edu or (325) 674-2108 for more information.

Mother Teresa is Dead, the Department of Theatre’s Cornerstone production, will show at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 16-20 in Fulks Theatre. For

ticketing information call (325) 647-2787 or visit www. acu.edu/theatre.

Amahl and the Night Visitors The ACU Opera will perform Gian-Carlo Menotti’s opera at 5:30 p.m.

Nov. 14 at University Church of Christ. Admission is free, and any donations will benefit the CSC Feed the Hungry Drive. They will also perform at 8 p.m. Nov. 18 and Nov. 20 in the Williams Performing Arts Center.

Tickets to these two shows will be $10 for adults and $5 for children and students.

Ethnos: The Culture Show begins at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 12 - 13. Tickets are $3 for students and $5 for general admission. Tickets will be sold in the Campus Center from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov. 8-12 and will also be available at the door.

ACUltimate, the university’s ultimate frisbee club, meets at 6 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. Interested

Credited Chapels remaining

Credited Chapels to date

volunteer opportunities

students can contact Kyle Thaxton at krt06d@acu.edu.

The Boston Brass Concert The Boston Brass will play in concert at 8 p.m. Nov. 12 in the Recital Hall of the Williams Performing Arts Center.

Turkey Throwdown The women of Delta Theta are sponsoring a doubleelimination flag-football tournament Nov. 18-21.

The entry fee is $60 per team. Each team member will receive a T-shirt. All proceeds will be donated to Meals on Wheels to help feed hungry families during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Teams can sign up from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Campus Center or e-mail Jessica Ellison at jle06a@acu.edu.

Iran and Nuclear Weapons Class The Department of Political Science is offering a special topics course this spring to explore Iran’s domestic politics, religion, economy, culture and geography. The class (POLS 488.01) will be offered from 3-4:20 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays.

The American Business Women’s Association is having a fundraiser for education Nov. 12-14.It needs volunteers to serve at the concession stand and prepare food from 5 to 9 p.m. Nov. 12, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 13, and 12 to 5 p.m. Nov. 14. For more information, contact Sydney Moore at (325) 692-2633 or (325) 428-1024 or e-mail her at moore-h@att.net Meals on Wheels needs volunteers to deliver noon meals to seniors and adults with disabilities. Routes are available 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Monday - Friday. Volunteers must be at least 18, with a valid driver’s license, auto insurance and a desire to serve. Training is provided.

Students may be exempted from one Chapel per week if delivery time conflicts with Chapel. Contact Elizabeth Rodgers at erodgers@mealsonwheelsplus.com.

The Christian Service Center needs volunteers interested in business or design to put together an informational brochure.

The work could be done any weekday afternoon before the end of November. Con-

tact Jim Clark at 673-7531 or jclark@cscabilene.org for more information.

The Dyess Youth Center needs help with a Ping Pong Exhibition from 4 to 6 p.m. every Friday. Volunteers will preside over tournaments and help with an exhibition for the students. Transportation will not be provided, nor can volunteers have any sexual assault charges or charges pending. For more information, contact Sheri Frisby at (325) 696-4797 or e-mail sheri.frisby-@dyess. af.mil.

Mesa Spring Healthcare Center needs volunteers from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. any day of the week to help with fun activities for the residents, including playing instruments, calling bingo and sitting and talking with them. All help is appreciated. Contact Laura Reynolds at (325)692-8080 or lgreynolds@sears-methodist.com.

The Center for Contemporary Arts needs a gallery assistant to help with exhibit setup and preparation, as well as an administrative assistant. The work can be done any time 9 a.m. - 5

p.m., Tuesday - Friday. Call (325) 677-8389 or e-mail info@center-arts.com for more information.

Ortiz Elementary School Library would like volunteers Monday-Friday to help check in and shelve books, and help with some special projects. Contact Nancy Hartline at 325-671-4945.

The Dyess Youth Center needs volunteers from 4 to 6 p.m. every Monday - Friday to assist students with homework in the areas of math, science, English and history. Transportation will not be provided, nor can volunteers have any sexual assault charges or charges pending. For more information, contact Sheri Frisby at 696-4797 or e-mail Sheri. frisby-@dyess.af.mil.

Aimee’s Art Studio is seeking volunteers from 9-10 a.m. or 1:30-2:30 p.m. Tuesday to assist with homeschool fine arts classes. No formal art skills or training is required. The studio is a five minute walk from ACU’s campus. For more information, contact Aimee Williams at (325)672-9633.

MUSIC

Boston Brass to perform at ACU Marissa Ferguson Contributing Reporter

Jazz and classical music fans, prepare yourselves.

READ THE OPTIMIST WHEREVER YOU GO. For the iPhone and iPod, visit acuoptimist.com and add the Optimist to your home screen.

Download the iPad app from Apple’s App Store.

iPad . iPhone . iPod

‘‘ ’’

For the first time, the world-renowned quintet, Boston Brass, will be performing on campus Friday, Nov. 12 in the Williams Performing Arts Center’s as a part of their North American tour.

The concert will be held at no charge to the community as a part of the music department’s initiative of encouraging students, whether music majors or not, to appreciate the various degrees of music.

Dr. Paul Piersall, chair of the music department and professor of voice, said the group was selected to perform in the department’s guest artist series for the year.

“They are one of the finest brass quintets in the country,” he said.

Performing for just over 25 years together, the five-man band is known for their matchless renditions of classical pieces audiences will recognize, such as “Watermelon Man,” “God Rest Ye Merry

Classical music is an acquired taste, like fine wine. You really have to learn to like it.

SHAY TUTTLE// freshman music major from Decatur

Gentleman” and “Motown Jingle Bells.” Together, the musicians provide a medley of horns, trumpets, tubas and euphoniums.

Piersall said all music fans, not just classical gurus, will easily take pleasure in the quintet’s musical styling.

“There is enough variation that everyone will be able to enjoy the performance. The first part of the show will be more traditional and classical,” Piersall said, adding that the second portion will feature songs that are more mainstream and upbeat.

For music majors, who are required to go to a certain number of performances each year, the event serves as an outlet for learning from the professionals.

“Seeing live musicians play, I think it helps to set a goal,” Shay Tuttle, freshman music major from Decatur, said. “It helps to see where we are and to see where we can be.”

For students who only listen to a few set genres of music, the concert is an opportune time for students to develop a taste and appreciation for music they would not usually listen to.

“Classical music is an acquired taste, like fine wine.

You really have to learn to like it,” Tuttle said.

The concert will begin at 8 p.m. in the Recital Hall. Seating is limited to 280 spots.

contact Ferguson at

mlf10a@acu.edu

Focus

November 10, 2010

Page 3

I Pink I Can ACU students actively take part in the fight against breast cancer

S

‘‘ ’’

tatistics from the American Cancer Society claim that in a four-year period, there have been 115 cases of invasive breast cancer per 100,000 women in the state of Texas. It may not sound like much, but it quickly adds up. For every million women, there have been 115,000 cases of the disease.

What are people doing to fight this? How can women make a difference in other women’s futures?

Jaimie Howard, junior animal science major from Argyle, and Joanna Shaffer, junior youth and family ministry major from Murphysboro, Ill. participated in the well known event created to fight breast cancer – the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure. They walked 60 miles in three days in honor of their loved ones that suffered from the disease.

Schaffer’s aunt has been diagnosed with breast cancer twice in her life and was recently diagnosed with esophageal cancer. Because of this, Schaffer

People I don’t even know will be affected by this disease.

JAIMIE HOWARD // junior animal science major from Argyle

and her mother decided to “support women and raise money for research.”

Although physically tiring, Schaffer said it was worth it.

“It was uplifting and empowering,” said Schaffer.

“So many people were there, sharing the same goal.”

Howard’s reason for participating was also in honor of a family member. Her grandmother died from breast cancer when Howard was in kindergarten.

Because of their close relationship, Howard was around when her grandmother passed. Now, her family is more involved in raising awareness.

She believes it’s a “family thing now,” because her chances of getting the disease have increased.

Schaffer and Howard both said the walk went very well and both would do it again.

“I just wanted to keep going and finish it,”

said Howard. “There was a lot of support and encouragement [from spectators] throughout the whole thing.”

Shaffer believes there are several reasons the 3-Day for the Cure is a great thing to do, one being that the Walk fundraises to support breast cancer research.

“This year, they raised about seven million dollars,” said Shaffer.

Shaffer also believes the Walk gives hope to women and can serve as part of the healing process for those dealing with loss.

Howard said the Walk makes a huge impact because breast cancer affects people from every background.

“People I don’t even know will be affected by this disease,” Howard said. “It was a humbling experience.” contact Barnes at

jmcnetwork.acu.edu

photo by JAIMIE HOWARD

photo by JAIMIE HOWARD

Walkers receive an abundance of praise and encouragement from people lining the streets.

The 3-Day Walk for the Cure had about 2700 participants and raised over 7 million dollars.

story and illustration by Hannah Barnes

Opinion

Page 4

EDITORIAL

November 10, 2010

Endorsement: ‘Pages’ stands out One short day to create, plan and execute a film?

“No problem,” said participants of this year’s 24hour FilmFest. Rules were posted Friday at midnight, giving ACU students until midnight of Saturday to turn in a completed film of any genre and any time length. Each film had to visibly include three control elements from a list locations, character names, props and dialogue.

Only three entries successfully made the deadline. Pages, Rick & Cookie and Unit 24 are now available for viewing and voting at acufilmfest.tumblr.com. Students and faculty members are allowed one vote for their favorite film, and voting will close at 5 p.m. this Friday.

the issue

There were three entries in FilmFest’s first annual 24-hour short film competition.

our take

After watching the three films, Pages stood out because of its use of filmography, style and sound.

Pages Production Team // Screenshot from film

We’ve viewed the films, and after a grimace, a chuckle and a misty eye or two, we would like to place our collective vote for Pages. Here are the reasons why:

COLUMN

1. Although it is short and simple (or perhaps because it is short and simple), Pages keeps its viewers engaged and intrigued.

2. Tight and consistent camera shots frame the entire-

ty of the film but do not fail to inform viewers about the setting locations. The variations in videography are also not only well contrived, they are executed in order to support the film’s overall meaning.

3. We would also like to applaud the film director’s decision to keep dialogue to a minimum; not only does this element remain consistent with Pages’ overarching simplicity, but it reduces the probability for any sound or acting blunders. Additionally, the background music is neither overpowering nor unnoticeable, but fits the necessity in each scene’s rhythm.

All of the above technical aspects work to support a truly creative film built around enjoying the simple things in life. There is a natural flow

to Pages that we would be hard pressed to find in many other student created films, let alone those created in the span of one short day.

We would like to commend all of those who contributed to the FilmFest.

Many people obviously put a lot of hard work into the creation and production of the featured videos, and we would like to thank you for the opportunity to view and enjoy your dedication. contact the Optimist at

jmcnetwork@acu.edu

By Morgan Davis

The Funny Funnies

Dems, Cowboys lack leadership Homeskool Validictorian

By Jeff Craig

I can’t help but notice the startling resemblances between the Democratic Party and the 2010 Dallas Cowboys.

B o t h entered their reign of power with astronomical expecCraig tations, yet have failed to live up to the hype. The Cowboys lost 45-7 on Sunday. The Democrats lost 239-188 on election night.

Both are under the guidance of embattled leaders who have lost the faith of their base supporters and are bombarded with rumors of their impending demise every day. Sunday night in Green Bay, the Cowboys seemed to quit on head coach Wade Phillips. During the election campaigns, Democrats seemed to quit on President Obama. The Cowboys thought they were going to win the Super Bowl. The Democrats thought they were going to usher in a new wave of “change.”

A remedy to what ails the Dallas Cowboys and the Democratic Party is not readily available.

Both need a major shift in the way they do business – a radical shakeup in their makeup.

For the Dallas Cowboys, the 2010 season is a lost cause, stick a fork in them if you haven’t already.

The Democratic Party, on the other hand, still has a chance to save its season before it ends in 2012.

The Democratic Party needs to take a page from the Republican Party’s book and do three things to save their season.

First, they need to rally around their leader. For the GOP, that leader, at least figuratively, is Sarah Palin. She became the face of the “New GOP” and served as a rallying point for the party. Conversely, Democrats in tight races tried as hard as they could to distance themselves from Obama.

Second, they need a platform. The Tea Party movement marked the first time the GOP had a real platform since Reaganomics, and they rode that wave to big gains on election night.

What is the Democratic platform? They need to unite together around a single ideology to combat the split that is forming in the party.

Third, they need to listen to the American people. The Republicans have done a far better job of listening to their voting base and the voices of America’s independent voters.

The Democrats need to listen to their voting base and be willing to accept that the current agenda is not what the American voting populace wants.

If the Democrats want to keep the Senate and the White House in 2012, they have some work to do. Cowboys coach Wade Phillips is now unemployed. And if the Democrats don’t get busy, Obama and the Democrats will have more in common with Wade and the Cowboys in 2012 than they do now.

Core class creates discussions not answers group of kids that walk around campus without shoes?

I think it’s safe to say that CORE has greatly benefited me this year. I have been able to make friends in my class through heated arguments as we attempt to push our opinions on each other, and I get to pay enormous amounts of money to hear speakers give their views on the gender of God and tell us we are inherently racist; and nothing thrills me more than to think about the next three semesters in which I can continue the experience.

With this in mind, I can only hope my schedule next semester includes CORE: The Question of Falsehood? Because I’m still a little unsure about that one…

This year, ACU blessed the fresh- Who can tell?” I truly admire the man class with a revamped U100 effects of a good, wholesome socourse: CORE, The Question of cial persuasion.

The assignments the course Truth. As a freshman, I am especially grateful for the change. requires are extremely enlightenIt means a lot to me to see the ing. Many of us, myself included, I liked candlelight devotobecause was to cool to see college and realized their great efforts ACU made create itcame of thesolights and listen the speaker. worldviews are less than their aall course beneficial to myto acaTYLER PINKERT own, but rather views influenced demic career as well as my life.

Freshman business management major from Red Oak I can only imagine the level by others. What better way to disof training the professors must cover and form our own worldI liked the service got to views know than a lot of by writing an essay have gone throughproject. before I bepeople and my group and I“The had a blast. based on someone else’s, like the ing permitted to teach Question of Truth.” Surely there spotlight speaker’s? Why bother were extensive exercises to help with personal interactions with teachers disregard any opinions the “other” when you can have they once held true, and their hypothetical, virtual encounters? success provides a sense of mys- Speaking of the others, who are tery to the course: “Will I share they? No one actually knows. Are my opinions with you? Do I even they plants? Are they aliens in have any worldviews of my own? another country? Are they that

Jennifer Acuff, freshman biology major from College Station

contact Craig at

jrc07d@acu.edu

editorial and letter policy Unsigned editorials are the opinions of the Optimist and may not necessarily reflect the views of the university or its administration.

Signed columns, cartoons and letters are the opinions of their creators and may not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of the Optimist or the university.

The Optimist encourages reader response through letters to the editor but reserves the right to limit frequent contributors or to refuse to print

letter to the editor

letters containing personal attacks, obscenity, defamation, erroneous information or invasion of privacy.

Please limit letters to 350 words or fewer. A name and phone number must be included for verification purposes. Phone numbers will not be published.

Address letters to: ACU Box 27892 Abilene, TX 79699 E-mail letters to: optimist@acu.edu

Optimist the

Published by the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication

newsroom (325) 674-2439

sports desk (325) 674-2684

editorial & management board Linda Bailey

Matthew Woodrow Juliana Kocsis

Alan Cherry

Kenneth Pybus

Editor in Chief

Opinions Page Editor

Copy Editor

Page 2 Editor

Faculty Adviser

Jeff Craig

Brandon Tripp

Hannah Barnes

Morgan Davis

Cade White

Managing Editor Sports Media Director

Features Editor

Cartoonist

Faculty Adviser

Jozie Sands Kelsi Williamson

Carter DeJarnatt

Cara Lee Cranford

Online Editor

Copy Editor

Advertising

Arts Editor

photo department (325) 674-2499

advertising office (325) 674-2463

multimedia desk (325) 674-2463

subscriptions ($40/year) (325) 674-2296

FROM THE FRONT/FROM SPORTS

November 10, 2010

Page 5

FOOTBALL

CROSS COUNTRY

Gale: Wildcats hold off Buffs

Race: Sang wins individual title

Continued from page 7

Richardson came up huge again on a drive for the Wildcats that began with just under four minutes left in the game.

ACU drove it 36 yards, taking almost three minutes off the clock before Richardson bounced outside on a cutback play and scampered 23 yards into the end zone to put the Wildcats up for the first time in the game 41-34.

Richardson’s success showed everyone something that had been lacking in many of the Wildcats games this season, a running game. Coach Collums did a great job of staying committed to the running game throughout the course of the game.

For his efforts, Richardson was named the LSC South Offensive Player of the Week for the first time this season.

ACU will need the entire backfield healthy and per-

forming at their peak to make a deep run in the playoffs against more physical teams.

James Williams was pivotal in both the game, and as a statement to the rest of the country.

If there has been one knock on ACU this season it has been the passing yards allowed.

With just one returning starter coming into the season, the Wildcats were working in a new group of defensive backs.

But Saturday night, the Wildcats managed to hold West Texas to 446 yards on 60 attempts, just 7.4 yards per attempt, nearly a half-yard below the Buffs season average.

The secondary has proven that they can hang with the best passing offenses in the country, and just in time for the NCAA playoffs.

Continued from page 7

DANIEL GOMEZ // Chief Photographer contact Tripp at

bjt07a@acu.edu

SOCCER

Players douse Head Coach Chris Thomsen in water after the Wildcats’ 41-34 victory over West Texas A&M University.

the meet.

Along with the 20 consecutive conference championships, Sang’s win also marked the 20th straight year that an ACU athlete won the men’s individual championship.

The men finished with 54 points, while runner-up Eastern New Mexico finished with 68 points, followed by East Central’s 90 points.

The women’s cross country team also made their presence known, finishing fifth in the conference meet.

Anais Belledant won the individual title, covering the course in 16:07.74, while Chloe Susset finished third with a time of

16:29.76. Alyse Goldsmith ran the course in 16:35.64, good for fifth.

“I felt really happy about this weekend. Our team performed very well.

The race served as great preparation for regionals next month,” Belledant said.

The cross country team kicked off one of the best weekends in ACU sports history with conference championship wins in cross country, women’s soccer and football.

Woods mentioned that consistency wins championships. With 20 consecutive wins, the Wildcats have certainly found consistency. contact Shake at

bxs09a@acu.edu

SERVICE

Care: Students have chance to give Continued from page 7

Courtesy of JEREMY ENLOW

The Wildcat soccer team celebrates its LSC title Sunday.

MSU: ’Cats win LSC Continued from page 7

winner taking on top seed St. Edwards on Sunday.

“We are thrilled to be The win captured the conference title for the Wildcats and in the tournament. We are earned ACU an automatic happy that we are staying NCAA tournament bid. Car- close, avoiding long travpenter, Julie Coppedge, Ash- el,” Wilson said. “We were ley Holton and Lexi Stirling a little confused by the each earned all-tournament polls, but we are going to honors for their play in the Austin and things will take care of itself.” tournament.

The Wildcats will travel to St. Edwards in Austin to contact Cantrell at jrc07f@acu.edu play ASU on Friday, with the

it through the holiday season. Donations to the truck will be distributed during Mission Thanksgiving and Christmas on the Streets – two activities started

by Love and Care Ministries that donate blankets, jackets and other household goods to families during Thanksgiving and toys and presents to children at Christmas.

Scott Stewart, the Service Action Leadership Team’s publicity officer, said students, faculty and staff should get creative about how they participate in donations. Stewart, senior physics major from San Antonio, suggests partnering with a friend to buy a gift or finding six or seven people to chip in to

buy more expensive items.

Gifts don’t have to be expensive, though. Schubert said the kids will be thrilled with a few toys from the dollar store.

Even if students, faculty and staff can’t afford to give monetarily, volunteers will be in high demand.

Stewart said SALT and the Students’ Association were working together to coordinate all volunteer activities.

Volunteers will be needed to man the donation truck, to wrap gifts, to help distribute Thanksgiving Baskets for Taylor Elementary School families, and for a variety of other service opportunities throughout the month, said Connor Best, junior political science major from Sacramento, Calif, and Chief Development Officer and Parliamentarian for SA.

“We really need people to volunteer, or just give, so we can really affect the community and show that we really care about the community as a whole,” Best said.

A Prayer Tent will be available Nov. 29 through Dec. 3 in the big conference room of the Quiet Place of the Mabee Business Building, and volunteers on the truck are encouraged to pray when they aren’t receiving donations.

“If you can do nothing else, pray for the people who will be touched by this project, including any poor people in Abilene,” Stewart said.

Stewart said he hopes Season of Caring will raise awareness of what it means to serve people and the idea that service should be a lifestyle.

Community service is an important part of life at ACU, Best said. Because of the amount of poor areas close to ACU’s campus, he said it was important for the ACU community to give back what it has been blessed with – and it doesn’t have to be complicated.

“We’re giving the people a tangible, simple way to give back to others in the community,” Best said.

For more information on all Season of Caring activities, students can visit the Facebook page, www.facebook.com/seasonofcaring or visit the Season of Caring information booth located in the Campus Center Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. contact Bailey at

ljb07a@acu.edu

STUDENTS

Learn: Students travel abroad through BestSemester Continued from page 1

“It’s the best thing that ever happened to me.”

BestSemester offers students the opportunity to earn 16 credit hours in specialized classes for the field of their choice. Students can also enhance their offcampus study experience through community service and an internship.

Johnson received an internship at Walt Disney

Studios, where she logged countless hours reading and writing script coverage and reviews.

“BestSemester allows you to figure out if this is the job you want,” Johnson said. “This is the time to take those chances and test the waters before moving for a career.”

BestSemester gave Johnson the opportunity to take film classes she would have not otherwise been able to

take at ACU. Johnson said her professors at the L.A. Film Studies Center were the top-notch of their field and really wanted to see their students succeed.

“It’s a personal journey,” Johnson said. “You go out by yourself and have to trust God and this program. You are completely changed.”

Farron Salley, junior Ad/ PR major from Fort Worth, also journeyed with Best-

Semester last spring. She studied in Washington, D.C. and landed an internship at the Daily Caller, an online news publication.

“I loved it,” Salley said.

“I was so submerged in the culture of the field I was studying.”

As an intern, she covered tea party protests and healthcare rallies. Salley said she enjoyed the program’s integration with the community. She worked

with inner-city children and volunteered at a local food bank.

“If you put yourself out there and keep yourself open to new experiences, then there’s no other place to go but up,” Salley said.

“The possibilities are unlimited.”

Salley said she plans to return to Washington, D.C. for an internship next summer.

For more information about Thursday’s

BestSemester Event, students can join the Facebook Event: BestSemester Event, or visit www. bestsemester.com for information about the BestSemester program.

For information regarding ACU sponsored Study Abroad programs visit www.acu.edu/academics/ studyabroad. contact Burch at

optimist@jmcnetwork.com

TECHNOLOGY

Phone: University to offer game development course Continued from page 1

may affect ACU’s alliance with Apple. The iPhone will continue to be the core of the mobile computing curriculum, Burton said, but the Unity software will allow students to program for the X-Box, Wii and PCs as well as Apple products.

“We’re training programmers,” Burton said.

“Our students need to be able to go out there and develop for all platforms.”

Burton is putting together two 20-minute video example lectures for the proposed course, Game Development, which will be offered next semester.

Brittany Kight, senior information technology major from Corpus Christi, is already enrolled for the class.

She said the Unity software will be less restrictive than what she used in previous

programming classes.

“We’re going to be able to reach a different group of people,” Kight said.

“That will make the students more marketable.

She and the rest of Burton’s current programming class are offering suggestions for the video lectures and creating a pilot game with the Unity software to get acquainted with the program’s new language.

“The class as a whole has been brainstorming ideas to make sure he’ll get the grant,” Kight said.

Burton said he hopes to publish the game for the Android, iPhone and PC versions by the end of the semester, when he will also submit his course proposal to Unity for evaluation.

Unity will announce the three winners Feb. 1, 2011.

The Game Development course will be of-

fered annually, regardless of whether ACU wins the full grant, Burton said. It will become a required course for the new major ACU is developing, Digital Entertainment.

Burton said he was excited ACU was recognized as one of the top 20 mobile-computing educators in the world. But while he believed ACU has a good chance of winning the full grant, Burton said he was more enthusiastic about the new ways students will be able to use the Unity technology to express themselves.

“Personally, I just can’t wait to see what our students develop,” Burton said.

Students can learn more about the grant at unity3D.com. contact Lewis at

cll09a@acu.edu

Sports

Page 6

November 10, 2010

Standings FOOTBALL Team Div. Ovrl.

ACU TAMU-K WTAMU E. Central MSU ENMU Tarleton St Angelo St. UIW

6-0 5-1 4.-2 5-1 3-3 3-3 2-4 1-5 0-6

10-0 9-1 7-3 5-5 7-3 4-6 3-7 4-5 2-8

VOLLEYBALL Team

Div.

WTAMU 14-0 ACU 13-1 Angelo St. 12-2 MSU 9-5 Tarleton St. 8-6 TAMU-K 4-10

Ovrl.

24-8 25-4 17-11 15-13 22-9 10-16

WOMEN’S SOCCER Team Div. Ovrl.

ACU MSU Cen. Okla.

WTAMU NE St. ENMU E. Central

9-2-0 10-1 6-4-1 4-6-1 3-5-3 2-9-0 1-9-1

16-3 16-3 11-8-1 8-7-3 7-6-5 5-13-0 5-11-2

JEREMY ENLOW // ACU Photographer

Sophomore Lexi Stirling celebrates with her teammates during the championship match.

back Daryl Richardson and cornerback James Williams were both named Lone Star Conference Players of the Week for their efforts Saturday against WTAMU. Richardson had three touchdowns and Williams had three interceptions in the win.

n ACU women’s volleyball won its last regular season game on Saturday against Eastern New Mexico.

The Zias pushed the ’Cats to the fifth set before ACU closed out the victory. ACU will begin conference tournament play against Texas Woman’s at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Player Profile n Katherine Garner, a redshirt sophomore midfielder from Arlington, scored the clinching goal in the 68th minute of the LSC Conference Championship Sunday against Midwestern State to solidify the ‘Cats’ 2-0 victory and first ever conference championship in program history. The goal was Garner’s fourth on the year to go along with one assist. An Arlington native, Garner was an all-district athlete at Lamar High School.

ex-factor n Johnny

Knox had three receptions for 49 yards in the Bears’ 2219 victory over the Buffalo Bills Sunday. Knox now has 27 receptions for 527 yards and one touchdown on the year.

Safety Danieal Manning recorded six tackles in the game as well.

n Cincinnati Bengals running back Bernard Scott did not have a carry against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football.

STACY ACTON // Staff Photographer

The cross country team relishes their 20th consecutive Lone Star Conference championship.

Triple Crown

Briefs n Running

DANIEL GOMEZ // Chief Photographer

Wide receiver Raymond Radway celebrates the Wildcats come-from-behind victory against West Texas.

Soccer wins its first-ever LSC Championship with a 2-0 win

Football beats West Texas 41-34 to claim the LSC Championship

Ryan Cantrell

Brandon Tripp Sports Director

Assistant Sports Editor

For the first time in program history, the Wildcats are champions. ACU defeated Midwestern State in the conference championship on Sunday to earn its first Lone Star Conference Championship.

“It was exciting. It was nice to be able to play at that level at this time of year,” Coach Casey Wilson said. “It is good for the girls to know that they are capable of playing at that level, especially going into this next weekend.”

The Wildcats earned their first NCAA Regional Tournament bid and will enter the tournament as the fourth seed in the South Central Region. The Wildcats will take on a familiar foe in Angelo State, who earned the fifth seed.

ACU knocked out Angelo State on Friday night in the conference tournament with a 2 –0 victory. ACU would control the game, as they would hold ASU, to only two shots on goal. Krysta Grimm would open up the scoring for the Wildcats with a goal in the 35th minute. ACU would take a 1–0 lead into halftime. The Wildcats continued to play well in the second half, as Anastasia Nelson would score on a corner kick inside the box.

The Wildcats would win 2 –0 over the Rambelles, a win that was their first postseason win in the program’s history. However, it would not be their last, as ACU would knock off top seed Midwestern State 2–0.

The Wildcats started the game playing well in first half but went into the locker room at halftime tied 0–0. ACU would come out in the second half and score two goals to give the Wildcats the 2–0 victory.

Andrea Carpenter played a role on both goals by opening the game with a goal and then assisting on the second scored

by Katherine Garner.

The ACU Wildcats fought back from 14 points down in the third quarter to overtake conference rival West Texas A&M and clinch at least a share of the Lone Star Conference Championship.

“I’m just so proud of our guys, they fought like crazy,” ACU head coach Chris Thomsen said. “That’s the way it should be for the championship, just a knock-down, drag-out fight.”

James Williams stepped up for the Wildcats, intercepting three of Taylor Harris’ passes on the night.

“It feels great to be a champion. I have never won a ring before,” Williams said. “I was just glad I was able to make some impact plays to help my team win.”

Mitchell Gale had another solid night, completing 22 of 36 passes for 296 yards and one touchdown. Gale also ran one in himself early in the second half.

The Wildcats managed just six points in the first half, despite having the ball inside the Buffaloes 20-yard line four times.

Taylor Harris had four touchdowns along with the three interceptions and one fumble, as the turnover-riddled Buffs couldn’t hold off an ACU comeback.

“It means everything to see them to continue to fight back and show their heart and soul,” Thomsen said.

After trading scores early in the third, the Wildcats were looking to even the score, but Caleb Randolph intercepted Gale and returned it 76 yards for a West Texas touchdown, putting the home team up by 14.

With 2:34 left in the third quarter Aston Whiteside got to Taylor Harris and forced the WT quarterback to fumble the ball inside his own five-yard line.

Daryl Richardson capitalized for ACU a few plays later. Richardson finished the game with 98 yards rushing and three scores, two of those coming in the fourth quarter.

“It feels good, I have been struggling in the season, I really needed this big game,” Richardson said.

Several sports teams come to mind when the word success comes up: the University of Connecticut women’s basketball team, the New York Yankees, the pre- Tony Romo Dallas Cowboys, and the ACU Men’s cross country team.

For the twentieth year in a row, the ACU men’s cross country team was crowned the champion of the Lone Star Conference on Saturday after winning the LSC Conference Championship at Sherrod Park on the campus of Abilene Christian University.

Head coach Chris Woods was thoroughly pleased with his team’s performance and hopes to use this meet as a momentum for the regional tournament on Nov. 20 in Warrensburg, Mo. “I felt like our guys ran and competed well in all phases of the race Saturday.

Anytime you win a conference championship, the team as a whole deserves all the credit, not one individual or anything like that. Everyone did what we asked of them, and I consider this a total team victory,” Woods said.

Senior All-American Amos Sang won the individual title for the second year in a row, running the eight-kilometer course in 23:49.50, beating second-place finisher Mohamed Noor of Eastern New Mexico, who finished in 24:28.86.

In reference to Sang’s continued dominance, Woods says that his determination and drive to succeed is unparalleled.

“He is in another tax bracket as compared to the other runners who compete against him. He’s in a 7-figure tax bracket, while those he competes against are in a 5-figure tax bracket,” Woods said.

ACU senior Cleophas Tanui was third in 24:30.91, while Romain Rybicki finished in sixth place with a time of 24:54.48, giving ACU three out of the top six finishers for

Sports Multimedia Editor

see MSU page 5

Cross country wins its 20th straight LSC Championship Bryson Shake

see GALE page 5

see RACE page 5

letter to the fans

Football coach thanks fans for support Students, You have been awesome at each of our home games this season. You have given us a great home-field advantage during the 2010 season, and for that the entire ACU football team thanks you.

Your enthusiasm, passion, and volume played a key role in going undefeated at home thus far this season. Your energy and passion have made Shotwell Stadium one

of the toughest places for opponents to play in NCAA Division II football.

I invite you to come out again this Saturday and have fun with YOUR football team for our last regular-season home game. We’ll kick things off against Southwestern Oklahoma State at noon. We need your help to finish off a Lone Star Conference championship season and would love to see a huge student crowd there to help

us celebrate.

We also want you to get yourselves ready to come out to Shotwell in late November and into December as we make a run at a national championship. We need your help to get past what promises to be some tough opponents in the playoffs.

We’ll see you at Shotwell Stadium.

Chris Thomsen, head coach of the ACU Wildcats

Schedule @ Washburn 34-26 @ NE State 43-13 East Central 47-7 Tarleton State 65-3 @ TAMU-Kingsville 31-24 Midwestern State 31-28 @ Incarnate Word 54-17 @ E. New Mexico 53-14 Angelo State 33-20 @ West Texas A&M 41-34 SW Okla. State Nov. 13