Volume 114 Issue 2
ACUOPTIMIST.COM | Friday, October 30, 2026 | 1
A student publication of Abilene Christian University since 1912
Students bring Homecoming traditions to life BY MAKAYLA CLAYTON NEWSLETTER EDITOR
PHOTO BY DANIEL RHODES | PHOTOGRAPHER Students enjoy time together at CAB’s third annual Boo Bash on Wednesday.
Lee appointed dean of GST BY ALLISON McCALL NEWS REPORTER
Dr. Mason Lee has been appointed dean of the Graduate School of Theology, effective immediately, after serving as interim dean since 2025. Lee has been at ACU since 2020, serving as associate dean and director of contextual education before stepping into his role as interim dean. Lee said the appointment is less about personal achievement than continuing the Graduate School of Theology’s longstanding mission. “It’s really just a tremendous honor–knowing the legacy and the history that I’m stepping into and what it means to be a steward of that now,” said Lee. Lee credited recent enrollment growth and the Lilly Endowment grant to the collective work of the Graduate School of Theology rather than his own leadership. The $1 million Lilly Endowment grant supports the Graduate
School of Theology’s Ministry Residency Program, the largest grant in the school’s history. “Those aren’t necessarily my accomplishments, said Lee. “The achievement is getting to participate in a community that’s capable of things like that and to be at an institution that encourages that–It’s pretty exciting and humbling.” As dean, Lee said that a collaborative approach carries into his daily responsibilities. He said his days range from discussing new academic programs and finances to curriculum planning and student support. “At the heart of what a dean’s job is, it’s shepherding and stewarding the faculty, staff and students in your care well,” said Lee. Those leadership qualities were among the reasons former colleagues believed Lee was the right choice. Former dean Carson Reed said Lee possesses the qualities needed to lead the Graduate School
PHOTO BY JOSHUA VARNER | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER Dr. Mason Lee, the new dean of the Graduate School of Theology at ACU, sits in his office in the Onstead-Packer Biblical Studies Building.
of Theology. “He loves the church deeply and cares about congregations,” said Reed. “He has a compelling vision for the future of the Graduate School of Theology.” Search committee chair, Dr. Andy Little, also spoke to Lee’s qualifications. “He had the right combination of experience at the university, strong scholarship, good teaching, and was highly regarded by the faculty in
the Graduate School of Theology. He stood out in all regards.” As he begins serving as dean, Lee said he is grateful for the encouragement he has received from across campus. “The way I have felt supported and encouraged just speaks to the kind of community this is, and I just feel incredibly grateful to be here and to get to serve in this role,” said Lee.
Each year, Homecoming brings the Wildcat community together to celebrate campus traditions and reconnect with alumni. Behind the events, six student directors work with the Alumni Relations Office to coordinate activities and create opportunities for students, alumni and families to make new memories. This year, six student directors are working alongside the Alumni Relations Office and student steering committees to coordinate events, reconnect alumni with campus and help students make memories of their own. With this year’s theme centered on tradition, the directors said they are excited to help preserve familiar Homecoming experiences while finding ways to bring the ACU community together. Luke Powell: Bringing events together behind the scenes For Luke Powell, junior communication major from Abilene, becoming a Homecoming student director was an opportunity to take his interest in event planning a step further. After enjoying Homecoming as a freshman, Powell joined the Homecoming Steering Committee the following year, helping coordinate reunion lunches before applying to become a director. Powell said he enjoys working behind the scenes to help events run smoothly. His experience on the steering committee also gave him an opportunity to work with alumni and learn more about the planning that goes into Homecoming. “I’m a really big fan of
things that happen behind the scenes,” Powell said. As a director, Powell said he has enjoyed working with the Alumni Relations Office and connecting with alumni from different generations. He said the relationships have been one of his favorite parts of the experience so far. This year’s theme, “Tradition,” also gives students an opportunity to interpret the theme in different ways, particularly through the Homecoming parade floats. Powell said he is excited to see how student organizations incorporate the theme into their floats and other Homecoming activities. He also highlighted the opportunity for students and alumni to participate in events throughout the week, including activities at the Maker Lab and recreation center. One of Powell’s favorite Homecoming traditions is Candlelight Devo, which he said offers students and returning alumni an opportunity to share a meaningful experience across generations. Faith Dowell: Creating a sense of home Faith Dowell, senior civil engineering major from Amarillo, joined the Homecoming Steering Committee last year, and after experiencing Homecoming from that perspective, she decided to apply for a director position. Dowell works with Powell to coordinate alumni reunion lunches, Candlelight Devo and other events leading up to Homecoming weekend. She said she has enjoyed discovering how many campus activities require planning behind the scenes. SEE STUDENT AT PAGE 3
Abilene prices continue to rise with data center construction BY LESLIE CARRIGAN EDITOR IN CHIEF
As data center construction continues in Abilene with the Stargate data center, Abileneans continue to feel the impact of rising costs, specifically when it comes to hotels and housing. According to data provided by Robert Lopez, the vice president of the Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau, hotel prices have more than doubled in the past five years as data center employees have relied on hotels for temporary housing. Lopez said that when hotel demand first increased because of the data center, he reached out to hotels in Midland and Odessa to learn how they handle rapidly fluctuating demand based on oil prices. He said there are two possible responses to the issue of hotel costs. The first is to allow the natural effects of supply and demand to take their course, which benefits the hotels in the short term by allowing them to increase prices. Long term, however, this results in cutting out loyal local customers who host events in Abilene. To help with this, Lopez has asked the hotels that can control their prices to offer deals to events that have consistently given Abilene business for years. “We try to figure that
solution out, and so a lot of it is working with our hotel partners and really just explaining to them that if we lose these events, they might never come back, and when everything normalizes, we’re all going to be in a bad situation because your hotels are going to be empty,” Lopez said. Looking ahead, Lopez said it is difficult to predict what will happen in Abilene. Although the Stargate data center is scheduled to finish construction by next year, other data centers are under construction in Shackelford County. “We love the economic benefit that is brought to Abilene,” Lopez said, “but those are the wild cards because we don’t know what’s going on with those as much as we do with the Stargate data center. We don’t know if they’re going to continue to expand.” Tara Goodwin (‘01) said that initially she planned to come to Abilene to visit for homecoming, but after seeing hotel prices over $500, she decided it wasn’t worth the money. “I started looking at hotels and it really is unaffordable, Goodwin said. “To stay somewhere that’s nice, that’s close to the school and so looking at the financial burden of it, I was like, you know what, it’s not worth it.”
Alongside the impact the data center has had on hotel prices, demand for housing has gone up significantly, with more than 120 students being waitlisted for University Park Apartments, according to an Optimist article from August. This led to Traditions Hall, formerly Mabee Hall, reopening this year to meet student demand. Kevin Campbell, senior vice president for operations, said the university is not worried about finding housing for students next year. Campbell said a residence hall near Dillard Hall should be completed by next semester, which will add 156 beds and a new apartment complex with 258 beds is being built north of Wildcat Stadium across from Allen Ridge Shopping Center. “We for sure will have 156 beds available next year that were not available this year and most likely we’ll actually have closer to 250 beds available,” Campbell said. “We’ve also seen the last three months the Abilene market has finally started to stabilize a little bit, and so so hopefully we’ve reached the peak, and hopefully we’re about to come down a little bit and feel some a little bit of relief.” The new apartment complex will be completed in multiple stages, with the first 91-bed phase expected
PHOTO COURTESY OF JONATHAN SARGEANT Construction continues on the new dorm next to Dillard Hall, which is expected to add an additional 156 beds for upperclassmen.
to be completed before next year. Campbell said the goal is for the apartments to be completely finished in the winter of 2028, with the rest of the 258 beds. Although the project’s completion dates have not changed, Campbell said they have run into problems this semester with the weather, which has delayed several projects. “We’ve had over 14 days of weather delays,” Campbell said. “It’s just the unfortunate part of construction is weather has an impact on the schedule, and so we do everything we can to try to work some extra hours at
the times when the weather is going well to enable us to make up for the lost time that we lose with poor weather.” Alongside the new dorms, Campbell said the university bought several houses for students to live in. “[We are] doing an assessment right now on all those properties, and trying to determine which ones are in good shape,” Campbell said. “And which ones are not strategic for the institution, and so therefore we could probably sell them.” In total, the university
has spent around $47 million on housing. He said the two new construction projects have cost around $46 million and the houses have cost around $1 million. Campbell said the institution has paid for this by taking on debt, but he said the goal was never to make a profit, only to break even. “We’re not trying to … make a lot of money off the student housing,” Campbell said. “What we’re trying to do is try and make sure our students have the housing available to stay here and finish their degree.”
2 | Friday, October 30, 2026 | NEWS
Symposium commemorates America’s 250th BY AMELIE AQUINO NEWS REPORTER
In commemoration of America’s 250th anniversary, the office of undergraduate research, creativity and innovation will host a symposium in which students will have the opportunity to share their research, insights and projects that explore how the Chtistian faith intersects with American citizenship and U.S. history. Randall Fowler, assistant professor in the department of Communication and Sociology, also serves as the director of undergraduate research, creativity, and innovation. He played a major role in planning the symposium. Fowler helps foster undergraduate scholarship and believes the event provides students from many different academic backgrounds with an opportunity to present their findings at a non-external conference. “The process of generating knowledge through the scholarly process, regardless of your discipline, is something that I think equips students to go forth into the professional world or the academic world and really go forth with confidence and understand why things are the way they are and how they’re going about it,” Fowler said. The idea for the symposium was generated last spring by Fowler and some of the other faculty in the department of Communication and Sociology, including Benjamin Peterson who is an assistant professor in the department of Government and Criminal Justice. Fowler said that America commemorating its 250th anniversary was an idea that couldn’t be passed up. The symposium will focus on how Christian faith,
PHOTO BY AMELIE AQUINO | NEWS REPORTER The American flag waves above Teague Boulevard.
American citizenship and U.S. constitutionalism intersect with one another. “One thought was, it would be great for us to focus on America’s 250th anniversary because it’s a momentous, semiquincentennial moment worth reflecting on,” Fowler said. At the end of last spring, faculty began to market the event to students interested in the questions that this symposium posed about what this occasion means when in relation to Christianity. Students interested were requested to submit a proposal in which they specified what question they would like to answer through their project, or if they had a question of their own. The students weren’t restricted to writing a paper, they could’ve also chosen to present something more artistic and visual. The deadline to submit a proposal was on October 11 and 18 students’ works were selected to be presented.
Election Day: What voters need to know Election Day is Nov. 3, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voters in Abilene can choose from several polling locations, including Hillcrest Church of Christ, the closest listed location to ACU’s campus. Abilene polling locations • Hillcrest Church of Christ – 650 E. Ambler Ave. • Abilene City Hall – 555 Walnut St. • Recreation Center at Sears Park – 2250 Ambler Ave. • Taylor County Plaza – 400 Oak St. • Christian Service Center – 922 Woodlawn Drive • Minda Street Church of Christ – 701 Minda St. • Zion Lutheran Church – 2801 Antilley Road • First Church of the Nazarene – 2849 Beltway South • River of Life Church – 539 Hwy 83/84
Top races on the ballot U.S. Senate • Ken Paxton (R) • James Talarico (D) • Ted Brown (L) Governor • Greg Abbott (R) • Gina Hinojosa (D) • Pat Dixon (L) U.S. House of Representatives, District 19 • Tom Sell (R) • Kyle Rable (D) Texas House of Representatives, District 71 • Jay Hardaway (R) • Diana Luna (D) Lieutenant Governor • Dan Patrick (R) • Vikki Goodwin (D) • Anthony Cristo (L) • Kevin McCormick (G) Attorney General • Mayes Middleton (R) • Nathan Johnson (D) • Tom Oxford (L) Justice, 15th Court of Appeals District, Place 2 • April Farris (R)
The symposium will take place on Election Day, Nov. 3, on the first floor of the Brown Library, starting at 9 a.m. Anyone at ACU is welcome to attend and listen to the presenters. The event will be split into four panels, each with a different theme. Following each panel, an open forum will allow attendees to ask questions and share comments about the presentations, Fowler said. “The goal is not necessarily for this to be this very cold academic event, but really for us as a community, to think about the meaning of our country that we inhabit,” Fowler said. Although some of the questions may raise important concerns regarding life in America today, Fowler emphasizes that the symposium is not intended to denigrate the country. “It’s meant to examine the full scope of the American experience and talk about the good and the bad, and reflect on it in a way that is
meaningful for students,” Fowler said. An aspect of this symposium that stands out to Fowler is its ability to explore issues at the national level rather than focusing solely on Abilene. “We are such a diverse student body with international students from everywhere, it’s really easy for us to focus on the local, we care a lot about Abilene, we care a lot about what’s going on here with our neighbors that we see and we live in community in,” Fowler said. “It’s also really easy to focus on the global and the world that’s out there and all of the opportunities and needs that there are and sometimes we skip over the nation.” Dorothy Andreas, associate professor in the department of Communications and Sociology, is leading her students in organizing the symposium through the Nonprofit Event Communication class.
Students enrolled in that class are given a major project every semester in which they have autonomy to make their own choices, Andreas said. The class is split up into five committees, each tasked with a different aspect of event planning. “My students, and my role in this is to really handle the logistics of the event and really teach my students how to handle the logistics of the event,” Andreas said. While Fowler and Peterson came up with the idea for the symposium, Andreas’ students are figuring out the details of the event. “My students are making the small decisions like how will they decorate,” Andreas said. There is a committee for venue and decorations, and a committee that will plan a dinner that will also take place on Election Day. The dinner will be from 5-6 p.m. and it will feature the all American hotdog cooked by ACUPD to create a
Fourth of July kind of vibe, Andreas said. “It’s the first time I’ve had a class run an event all day,” Andreas said. The other committees involve a chapel committee that will have activities to connect people in between the sessions, a coaching committee that will prepare the students for their presentations, and an event promotion committee that will advertise the symposium. Andreas is excited to see what the students presenting have to think about America’s 250th anniversary. “As the next generation, they inherited 250 years of America, but you get to play a role in the next 250 years,” Andreas said. “So what you’re saying now matters, I hope for them that they find like-minded people and that they can connect with both fellow students and faculty.” With one of the objectives of the symposium being to allow students of diverse educational backgrounds to have the opportunity to present their thoughts, Andreas hopes that this event reaches people in the audience and encourages them to conduct their own research. “Finding some people, either students or faculty, that they can work on with these research projects and carry that forward into other venues,” Andreas said. Andreas encourages students and faculty to attend the presentations, emphasizing their importance. “We need to listen to the younger generation and what they’re thinking about the future,” Andreas said. The smposium will draw on ACU’s global outlook to explore broader perspectives on issues regarding the nation.
Study Abroad adds Spain summer trip BY AMELIE AQUINO NEWS REPORTER
The Department of Psychology will take a group of students to Spain in 2027 to walk the Camino de Santiago, a historic network of Christian pilgrimages with a final destination being the burial site of Saint James in Santiago de Compostela. The trip is being organized by Dr. Victor McCracken and Dr. David McAnulty in conjunction with the Office of International Education and Study Abroad. The trip will commence in Madrid, where students will begin their journey, which runs May 15-29. The cost is $4,900, which covers airfare, accommodations and most meals during the two-week trip. McCracken, professor of ethics and theology in the Department of Bible, Missions and Ministry, believes this trip will allow students to immerse themselves in the rhythm of the pilgrimage. “There’s kind of a spirituality and rhythm to that kind of long-distance hiking, there’s just so much open space to experience and engage in things in a very deep way,” McCracken said. The Camino de Santiago has several paths that all reach Santiago de Compostela, where the cathedral containing the remains of St. James is located. “We’re going to be doing what I would call the heart of the trail,” McCracken said. “Probably the most well-known part, which ends in Compostela at the shrine for Saint James.” Students who participate in the pilgrimage will earn three credit hours, even though the trip will focus on experiential learning rather than a structured, lecture-driven class. Before the trip, students will complete readings to learn more about the spirituality associated with pilgrimage.
“We aren’t intending this to be like, let’s do a class on the trail where we’re all lecturing,” McCracken said. “It really is the experience of pilgrimage and the opportunity to reflect on that experience.” Christians have practiced pilgrimage for millennia, and the tradition remains significant today, McCracken said. “The practice of pilgrimage is an ancient Christian practice, the idea of journeying over long distances to a site that is spiritually significant in the Christian tradition,” McCracken said. “And so you’re really participating in an ancient practice whenever you do it.” Although there will be no specific student capacity, McCracken hopes to bring about 12 students to foster a close-knit community throughout their journey. “It’s small enough that it’s not overwhelming, but it’s big enough that there’s like a critical mass where we can share the experience together and reflect on what we’re taking from it,” McCracken said. Anyone interested is encouraged to join, regardless of academic standing. “We want to make this as accessible as possible,” McCracken said. “I think the experience for its own sake is uniquely valuable.” The trip will allow students to travel at their own pace, provided they arrive at the designated accommodations by the end of each day. McCracken estimates that students will travel 12 to 14 miles daily, covering about 200 kilometers in total. Students will not be required to travel together, although they are welcome to do so. The group will begin each day together before setting off at their preferred pace. Because the trail is well-traveled, pilgrims have access to an extensive net-
work of services along the route. McCracken said students should not be discouraged by the physical demands of the trip, particularly because they will be able to set their own pace each day. McAnulty, professor in the Department of Psychology, has hiked the Camino de Santiago three times already and is excited to make that four. The first time that McAnulty traveled the Camino de Santiago, he began in France. “There’s different routes of the Camino, so you can start from a bunch of different places,” McAnulty said. “In fact, the symbol for the Camino is a shell and it represents all the different routes that go to Santiago.” The ACU group will travel from Madrid to Ponferrada, Spain, where participants will begin walking the Camino Francés, which McAnulty described as the most popular route. Signs along the trail point travelers toward Santiago de Compostela to help them stay on course. Students will also receive a tangible record of their pilgrimage through a credential, a document on which they collect stamps from the places they visit along the way. To receive the Compostela certificate, pilgrims must present their stamped credentials at the Pilgrim’s Reception Office in Santiago de Compostela to demonstrate that they have completed at least 100 kilometers of the journey. As the endowed chair of intercultural and faith integration studies, McAnulty is interested in how pilgrimage affects people. McAnulty wondered if people become happier, more spiritual or more resilient after completing a pilgrimage. Another aspect that interests McAnulty is whether people’s motivations change as they’re on their journey.
“You might think you’re going to do it for religious reasons, and at the end you go, ‘It wasn’t that religious of an experience but, man, I loved meeting people,’” McAnulty said. McAnulty said the trip fosters human connection, something he has valued during his own pilgrimages. “You see a lot of the same people and so you hear their story and why they’re doing it and it’s fascinating,” McAnulty said. “People do it for very different reasons.” The trip will prioritize experiential learning and personal growth over traditional graded coursework. “I hope that students do walk away with some kind of spiritual, if not spiritual then at least existential, reflection of what they learned about themselves, what they learned about the world, and what they learned about how they interact with other people,” McAnulty said. McAnulty believes the trip offers students a valuable opportunity during their time at ACU. He said organizing a pilgrimage independently can be difficult, and the university’s structured, professor-led itinerary makes the experience more accessible. “Is there really a better time to do this? Life does not get less busy once you leave college, right?” McAnulty said. “I’d say this is a more challenging trip to put together by yourself.” Both McCracken and McAnulty hope that students look into this opportunity that will broaden their perspectives. “There’s just so much perspective you get about your life whenever you get to connect to something like that,” McCracken said. “So I hope students will give it a look. For more information, students are encouraged to visit the Study Abroad Office, or reach out to McCracken and McAnulty.
NEWS | Friday, October 30, 2026 | 3
Student directors bring Homecoming traditions to life Continued from page 1
Events she once attended as a student now look different as she helps organize them. “I just love campus involvement,” Dowell said. For Dowell, Homecoming is an opportunity to celebrate the connection people have with ACU long after graduation. She said the university has become a home to her during her college experience, and she sees that same connection in alumni who return years later. “Even like 20 years down the line, these people are coming back because their kids are here now,” Dowell said, “or they want to see their friends from when they were in school.” Dowell said she appreciates that Homecoming allows people to reconnect with friends and celebrate the place that helped shape them academically and spiritually. She is especially excited about this year’s theme because it highlights traditions that have become meaningful to students and alumni alike. Keith Gray: Welcoming the community Keith Gray, senior health sciences major from Houston, is approaching Homecoming from a new perspective this year. Although he has been involved in student engagement in other ways, serving as a Homecoming student director is his first time working with the Alumni Relations Office to coordinate the weekend. Gray is responsible for the Homecoming carnival. He said the carnival involves several moving parts, from food and inflatables to welcoming the families and community members who attend. For Gray, the most important part is making sure everyone who comes to campus feels welcome.
PHOTO BY MAKAYLA CLAYTON | NEWSLETTER EDITOR Faith Dowell, senior civil engineering major from Amarillo; Michael Angeles, senior biochemistry pre-med major from Abilene; and Luke Powell, junior communication major from Abilene, organize the Homecoming closet for the week’s events.
“I do love doing things that make ACU feel like home,” Gray said. He said Homecoming gives current students the opportunity to develop a sense of belonging while allowing alumni to return to a place that holds meaning for them. Gray is excited that this year’s theme highlights the traditions that connect different generations of Wildcats. He said those shared experiences help current students recognize they are part of a larger story that continues after graduation. One of Gray’s favorite Homecoming experiences is the carnival, particularly seeing children and community members on campus. He said the event provides an opportunity for people outside the university to experience the ACU community. Parker Reese: Turning plans into experiences Parker Reese, senior finance and accounting major from Palmer, has experience coordinating student events, having served as a Sing Song
student director last year. When the opportunity to direct Homecoming became available, Reese said she was excited to take on another behind-the-scenes role. Reese is working with fellow director Jacqueline Garcia Torres to coordinate the Homecoming Parade and Homecoming Queen nominees. Although she has not worked extensively with alumni yet, Reese said the position has pushed her outside her comfort zone by requiring her to contact people, start conversations and coordinate details with others. “It’s really rewarding to see something you’re working on actually come to life and affect so many people,” Reese said. She said one of her favorite parts of planning has been building relationships with the other student directors and members of the Alumni Relations Office. Reese is particularly interested in seeing how student organizations interpret this year’s theme. She said “Tradition” leaves room for a variety of ideas, from fa-
miliar Homecoming experiences to traditions specific to ACU. Her favorite Homecoming experience is participating in the parade. Reese said the energy of the event and seeing weeks of preparation come together make it especially meaningful. Growing up in a small town with its own Homecoming parade also makes the tradition feel familiar to her. Jacqueline Garcia Torres: Connecting alumni and students Jacqueline Garcia Torres, a first-year communication graduate student from Abilene, decided to become a Homecoming student director after learning about the opportunity while preparing to return to ACU for graduate school. She wanted to remain connected to the student body while also serving alumni returning to campus. As both an ACU alumna and a current graduate student, Garcia Torres said the position allows her to experience
Homecoming from both perspectives. “Now that I am an alumni and a student at the same time, it’s really funny to be able to experience both sides,” Garcia Torres said, “and I’m really happy to serve alumni and students.” Garcia Torres has helped contact former Homecoming queen’s court and coordinate their participation in this year’s celebrations. She said hearing their excitement about returning to campus has been one of the most meaningful parts of the process. She was especially struck by the support alumni showed, even when they could not attend. Their responses reminded her of the community that continues to connect Wildcats after graduation. Garcia Torres also hopes students recognize that Homecoming activities are not limited to alumni and their families. She highlighted the Backyard Bash, which takes place alongside the carnival and features a cookout, games and line dancing organized by student cultural organizations. Her favorite traditions include the parade and the bell ringing tradition, where freshman ring the campus bell, located in front of for 24-hours straight. She said she enjoys seeing student organizations’ creativity during the parade and the excitement shared by students, alumni and families. Michael Angeles: Making the details count Michael Angeles, senior biochemistry pre-med major from Abilene, applied to become a Homecoming student director last fall, excited to experience the weekend from a different perspective. Although he had attended Homecoming as a stu-
dent before, Angeles said working behind the scenes has helped him recognize the amount of coordination required to bring the events together. His favorite part of planning has been working with the other directors and the Alumni Relations team and watching their ideas develop into actual events. He said one of the biggest challenges is managing the many details involved in Homecoming, including the work that most attendees never see. “There are a lot of details that most people will never see, but that’s also made me appreciate Homecoming a lot more,” Angeles said. He also highlighted events planned for the beginning of Homecoming week, including a Monday night showing of Monsters, Inc. on the hill at Anthony Field at Wildcat Stadium and Late Night at the Rec on Tuesday, featuring games such as dodgeball, a rainbow parachute and Hungry Hungry Hippos. For Angeles, Candlelight Devo is his favorite Homecoming tradition. He said the experience connects different stages of a student’s time at ACU, from the beginning of freshman year during Wildcat Week to the Senior Send-Off Devo. A shared tradition Although each director has different responsibilities, they share a goal of bringing the Wildcat community together through Homecoming traditions and events. As Homecoming approaches, the directors encourage students to participate in events throughout the week and welcome alumni and families back to campus. Their work behind the scenes helps create opportunities for the community to connect and make new memories.
FEATURE | Friday Ocober. 30, 2026 | 5
4 | Friday, October. 30, 2026 | FEATURE
Homecoming brings traditions to life
Alumni return for weekend full of Wildcat classics, including musical, Candlelight Devo, football game
Homecoming itinerary FRIDAY 11:30 a.m. CAB hosts Homecoming kickoff Campus Mall 5 p.m. Carnival Student Recreation and Wellness Center 5 p.m. BSU hosts Homecoming trail ride Siggie Pavillion 7:45 p.m. Candlelight Devotional Hardin Administration Building steps 8 p.m. “Fiddler on the Roof ” Boone Family Theatre
PHOTO BY JOSHUA VARNER | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER Tevye, played by Spencer Kasselman, address the audience as the Fiddler, played by Joshua Bruno, plays on a nearby roof.
11 p.m. Midnight Worship Moody Coliseum
Theatre’s ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ returns show to ACU stage for first time in 31 years BY CALLIE LEVERETT MANAGING EDITOR
Intertwined with the universitywide Homecoming theme of tradition, the Department of Theatre will feature “Fiddler on the Roof ” through Sunday, marking 54 years since the department first performed the musical. Lila Griffith, senior the-
on “Fiddler on the Roof ” since the beginning of the school year, Griffith said, making closing night extra special as well. “Then closing night is also one of my favorites because it’s so bittersweet,” Griffith said. “We’ve been rehearsing this for two and a half months.” “Fiddler on the Roof ” is
The musical will be in the Boone Family Theatre at these times: • Friday, Oct. 30: 8 p.m. • Saturday, Oct. 31: 8 p.m. • Sunday, Nov. 1: 2 p.m. atre major from Sanger, said the opening and closing nights are the best times to go. Her favorite night is tied between the two. “Opening night, the energy is absolutely electric,” Griffith said. “Everyone is on fire, and you’re so nervous, and you’re so excited because generally that’s the first time you’re getting an audience.” The students and directors have been working
an award-winning musical, originally premiering at the Imperial Theater on Broadway in 1964, according to Britannica. The musical was adapted from Sholem Aleichem, a Yiddish author in the 1900s, who wrote about Jewish culture in the Russian Empire. The theatre department at ACU has run “Fiddler on the Roof ” multiple times, the first time being in 1972. The narrative fol-
lows a father, Tevye, and his five daughters, who all fall in love with different men. Dawne Swearingen-Meeks played the oldest daughter, Tzeitel, in 1995, and is now directing this year’s show. Kendall West, senior theatre major from Houston, is playing Tzeitel this year. West said this is her fourth Homecoming Musical to work on and third to perform in. She said a lot goes on and happens throughout Homecoming week, with everything from the parade to the football game to the tailgate, but West said people still make time for the art within the musical. “I feel very honored by the university and the alumni that they hold the Homecoming Musical in such high regard,” West said. Griffith plays Hodel, the second-oldest daughter. Griffith said her character and the musical tie into the theme of tradition. “It’s a motif throughout the show. The opening song is called Tradition,” Griffith said. “The whole show for me has really
been about, ‘How do you uphold the traditions that you hold so dear when the world is changing around you?’” Tradition flows through the narrative of the play, but that’s not where the theme stops: The Homecoming Musical is a long-standing tradition itself. Griffith said what makes the tradition of the Homecoming musicals so special is building community with each other, alongside their characters, building community within the storyline. “It’s really just been
SATURDAY 10 a.m. Parade E.N. 10th Street – Campus Court PHOTO BY JOSHUA VARNER | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER The men of Anatevka in the Fiddler on the Roof pose at the end of the song To Life.
such a rewarding learning experience,” Griffith said, “especially this being my last homecoming musical as an undergraduate.” With this year being the final Homecoming Musical of Griffith and West’s undergraduate careers, West said the start of show week feels special, especially as “Fiddler on the
Roof ” features a relatable family theme of love and disagreement “I am just excited for audiences to bring their own relationships to this show and watch it in the context of their lives,” West said, “thinking about the ways in which they love each other and are loved by them.”
1 p.m. Tailgate Wildcat Stadium 3 p.m. Football game vs. West Georgia Wildcat Stadium 8 p.m. “Fiddler on the Roof ” Boone Family Theatre 8 p.m. Live music with coffee and dessert Hunter Welcome Center
SUNDAY 1 p.m. Soccer game vs. Little Rock Elmer Gray Stadium 2 p.m. “Fiddler on the Roof ” Boone Family Theatre
PHOTO BY JOSHUA VARNER | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER Chava, played by Faith Betts, and Hodel, played Lila Griffith, laugh together as they talk outside.
PHOTO BY DANIEL RHODES | PHOTOGRAPHER Fyedka, played by Collin McKean, gifts a book to Chava, played by Faith Betts.
11:15 a.m. Chapel Moody Coliseum
PHOTO BY DANIEL RHODES | PHOTOGRAPHER The five daughters of Tevye laugh after singing together.
PHOTO BY JOSHUA VARNER | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER The people of Anatevka dance together as they sing Tradition to begin the show.
2 p.m. ACU Choir Homecoming Concert Williams Performing Arts Center
PHOTO BY DANIEL RHODES | PHOTOGRAPHER The village of Anatevka celebrates during the marriage of Motel, played by Josh Vorel, and Tzeitel, played by Kendall West.
NEWS | Friday, October 30, 2026 | 6
Gutenberg awards recognize JMC alumni BY ELIZABETH PERALTA NEWS REPORTER
The Gutenberg Celebration is an annual alumni networking event for the Journalism and Mass Communication Department that honors three alumni for their accomplishments. This year’s Gutenberg Celebration was held on Oct. 29 to honor three alumni: Shelbi Rampy (‘07), Brandon Tripp (‘11) and Brenna Jeffries (‘14). The Gutenberg awards are scale models of Johannes Gutenberg’s printing press, bought from the Gutenberg Museum in Mainz, Germany. This year, only one printing press model remains from the originals. To keep giving out awards, the JMC Department created 3D-printed scale models based off the last remaining award. This year marks the first time these 3D-printed awards will be given out. Karley Adrion, assistant professor and organizer of the Gutenberg Celebration, said the event is a unique opportunity for JMC alumni, faculty and students to network and celebrate the accomplishments of others. “The honorees in some ways serve as examples or even inspiration for where students might see themselves in a few years,” Adrion said. For faculty and alumni, the Gutenberg is a way to come together to reminisce and celebrate each other. “It’s an exciting time to see people that we have had a relationship with before … see how they’ve not only grown professionally, but just grown as people,” Adrion said. This year’s nominees shared their stories with ACU students, faculty and alumni, making the Gutenberg a powerful night of networking, community and celebration.
PHOTO BY ELIZABETH PERALTA | NEWS REPORTER
A new 3D-printed Gutenburg press (foreground) replaces the original wooden model (background). Brenna Jeffries my mind and my heart is a ager for digital and visual “Being willing to learn Brenna Jeffries graduat- very, very special thing.” communication. and take those opportunied in 2014 with a degree Thinking back on her As he reflected on his ties on is what gives peoin advertising and public career, Jeffries said she time at the JMC Depart- ple the confidence and relations. She worked as a learned some important ment, Tripp said his favor- the trust in you to give public relations manager lessons over the years. ite memories were having you more responsibility,” and communication spe“You need to come into deadline days for The Op- Tripp said. cialist at companies like any role you have with a timist and working on the He also mentioned the PAVLOV and RECARO really hard work ethic, and coach’s show. importance of having conAircraft Seating before be- you need to maintain that “The late nights getting fidence in yourself and coming a press secretary no matter how old you get, to edit the show and work- what you bring to the table. for the U.S. Department of no matter what your job is,” ing with Grant Boone, “Don’t be afraid to Transportation. Jeffries said. “You have to who’s absolutely hilari- speak up with new ideas, Jeffries said her favorite be focused on the fact that ous, … those are the best even if you feel like you’re moments in the JMC De- you’re not working for a memories,” Tripp said. “I too young or ‘I haven’t partment came from work- man, you’re working for the just loved my time at ACU been doing this long ing at Morris and Mitchell Lord.” and can’t be more thankful enough’ or ‘Other peoand being able to try a lot She said she learned the for the lessons that taught ple in the room are more of different media-related importance of keeping me.” experienced than me,’” jobs. good relationships. He said he was surprised Tripp said. “Never let the “[ACU] was great that it “Don’t ever burn a when he got the call that fact that you think you gave me the environment, bridge,” Jeffries said. “Treat he was nominated for the don’t have enough exthe opportunity to figure everyone with dignity and Gutenberg. perience be a roadblock out what I wanted to do respect, just as the Lord “I’m pretty sure I said, to you speaking up and and what I didn’t want to called us to do with how ‘wow,’ like a hundred times bringing your ideas to the do,” Jeffries said. Jesus lived His life.” whenever Dr. [Kenneth] table.” Having managed the Pybus called me,” Tripp whole Gutenberg Celebra- Brandon Tripp said. “It’s a huge honor and Shelbi Rampy tion as a student, she said Brandon Tripp gradu- really humbling to get the Shelbi Rampy graduated she never imagined that she ated in 2011 with a degree award for sure.” in 2007 with a degree in would come back to ACU in journalism, focusing on Tripp gave the credit for broadcast journalism. She as an honoree herself. sports broadcast journalism. his success to all the les- interned for an event plan“[I’m] very, very honTripp spent about a de- sons he learned over his ning company soon after ored,” Jeffries said. “Being cade in college athletics career, specifically sharing college and ended up loving recognized from such a before working for Varsi- the value of hard work and that career path. prestigious university in ty Brands as senior man- a willing mindset. She worked as an event
planner part-time before starting her own event planning business, Events by Shelbi Rene. After working for a couple years as the executive operations manager for Dude Perfect, she returned to running her event planning business. Rampy said that her time at ACU gave her the opportunity to try out different career paths. She especially enjoyed getting to travel to New York for a journalism convention with the JMC students. “It was just a really cool experience being in New York,” Rampy said. “We got to go to all of these sessions that were, at the time, it was people who were part of the Today Show or part of NBC.” When Rampy discovered she was nominated for the Gutenberg, she was surprised and honored. She said she would never forget that call. “I got the call when I was in a van with a bunch of YouTubers driving away from a filming shoot with Dude Perfect,” Rampy said, laughing. “They’re like, ‘What was that all about?’ And so I told them, and everybody cheered for me.” In her career, Rampy said she learned many valuable lessons. “Building relationships and getting to know people and being kind and always doing your best in your job,” Rampy said. “Those are all very important things to carry you through in life.” She said it is also important to not doubt your worth in the career you choose. “Your mindset really, really matters when you’re out there competing and trying to do a job that a lot of other people want to do,” Rampy said. “If you want to do it, then just keep doing it. Do it and believe that you can do it. And I truly believe that helps you succeed.”
Study Abroad continues amid European protests BY LESLIE CARRIGAN EDITOR IN CHIEF
As major protests continue across Europe in countries such as France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Albania and Greece, ACU’s Study Abroad programs continue to operate as usual. Mark Barneche, executive director of international education and study abroad, said that the office is monitoring the protests and although some have been in locations near students, no one has been affected. In Spain, over the last several weeks, tens of thousands of people have gathered around the country for mostly peaceful protests in support of the country’s public pension system ahead of the Nov. 29 general election, according to an Associated Press article. This comes after an 87-yearold woman was evicted from her home. Although the protests have been mostly peaceful, Barneche said that students are encouraged to avoid any area where protests could be happening. Two weeks ago, students studying abroad in Leipzig, Germany, were also advised to avoid protests during an educational field trip to Athens, Greece. Thousands of students and teachers had gathered there to demonstrate in support of increased higher education funding. Greysen Williams, sophomore marketing major from Leawood, Kansas, is current-
ly studying abroad in Leipzig. She said it was strange because, although the Study Abroad office sent an email warning students about the protest, no one had to change plans, and she never saw any signs the protest was happening. “We were told the next day that there was a protest and that it was peaceful, but literally did not see that at all, which is crazy because we were out and about and really didn’t see anything at all,” Williams said. She said that everyone on the trip is aware of the protests across Europe, but she said it hasn’t af-
“The EU is in a moment of really vibrant political discourse and change, and some of that is good for our students to be there as witnesses.”
MARK BARNECHE
fected anyone they know as much as students on campus in Abilene. As usual, to keep students safe, every student studying abroad is required to submit a form explaining where they will be over the weekend and where they will be staying. Barneche said the submissions are sent to a system that alerts him, program directors and other members of a global travel advisory committee about potentially dangerous events in students’ locations.
“We have had lots of activity within our global travel advisory committee,” Barneche said. “Many travel advisories have been sent out to students since late last week, including planned protest routes and sizes of expected protest populations.” He said that although they have been monitoring alerts and sending out information to students, none of the program’s plans have been affected by what is happening. Barneche also said that from the beginning of their programs, students are explicitly told to avoid areas and situations that could be unsafe, but he said that although students should avoid protest areas, he still does not feel like any of the cities where this is happening are unsafe right now. “We’ve reiterated some of those things, especially to them in very recent days,” Barneche said. “The EU is in a moment of really vibrant political discourse and change, and some of that is good for our students to be there as witnesses. I would just prefer that they steer clear of personal participation in those things that don’t really concern them.” Barneche said that if he or any of the other members of the global travel advisory committee are alerted to a dangerous situation, they have several means of contacting students quickly to make sure they are safe, but during his time at ACU, he has never had to do that.
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W e l c om e s Y o u H om e ! WE HOPE YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL TIME ON CAMPUS! SO HAPPY YOU’RE HERE!
FEATURE | Friday, October 30, 2026 | 7
Graduate student fights adversity with faith BY JOSIAH WONNELL SPORTS REPORTER
At a camp for young cancer survivors, a fellow camper asked Isaac Newberry a question out of plain curiosity: “What’s wrong with your face?” Newberry, a graduate student, has an asymmetry in his skull, a side effect of the radiation he received as an infant. He went home and asked his parents what the boy meant. They explained that the treatment that saved his life could bring more difficulties later. Newberry was a few months old when doctors diagnosed him with rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare childhood cancer. The odds of survival, he said, were about 50-50. After a year of radiation and chemotherapy, he was cancer-free. “For my parents, it was a very difficult thing to go through,” he said. Newberry found belonging in the church. Raised in Edmond, Oklahoma, he found his community in the children’s ministry and youth group at Memorial Road Church of Christ. “No one in that community really spoke down on me because of those differences,” he said. “In-
stead, they invited me in.” Newberry said an old Church of Christ hymn, titled “Had It Not Been the Lord,” about the Lord rescuing his people from the floodwaters, based on Psalm 124, comes to mind when he tells his story. “Had I not had faith in the Lord, had I not had that community of church, then I don’t know what would have happened,” he said. The world offers success, power and beauty as hope, he said, “but through the church and through Christ I found so much identity.” He said that belonging redirected his life. He came to ACU as a physics major but switched to Bible after fall break of his freshman year – not because he disliked science but because he pictured himself in the church or the mission field, “pouring into the community of God.” He graduated with a degree in Christian ministry and is now pursuing a Master of Divinity degree. Dr. David Kneip, associate professor of Bible, missions and ministry, said Newberry shook his hand on the first day and talked to the people at his table. “He’s so genuine and so earnest,” Kneip said. Health problems persisted. For
PHOTO BY JOSIAH WONNELL | SPORTS REPORTER Isaac Newbery is pursuing a Master of Divinity after overcoming a rare childhood cancer and serious vocal cord condition.
years, doctors assumed his wheezing during exercise was asthma. Then he learned he has bilateral vocal cord paralysis: neither cord moves on its own, and both rest partly open, making it hard to breathe in, especially in cold, dry winters. Junior year, laser surgery on one cord cost him most of his voice for half a semester. Later, doctors gave him a stoma stent, an opening in his neck that
he can use when breathing gets hard. The passage he said he returns to most is 2 Corinthians 12, where Paul asks God three times to remove a thorn in his flesh. Paul never said what the thorn was, Newberry said, but he relates to it. “My physical differences can be seen as a thorn in my flesh,” he said. He has asked the questions
anyone would. What if he hadn’t had cancer? What if he looked like everyone else? What if he could breathe easily and be a super athlete? He hears God’s answer to Paul as the answer God gives everyone who struggles: “My grace is sufficient, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” For Newberry, that means grace is enough “even among all the difficulties,” and his weaknesses “don’t lessen me, but instead they strengthen me and can be used to encourage others.” Kneip said an example of this is Henri Nouwen’s The Wounded Healer: we are all wounded, and like Jesus, we can heal out of our woundedness. The challenge, he said, is to face suffering without letting it define a whole life: “It is a thorn, but it’s also just a thorn. And I have the rest of my flesh.” What he said he has learned from Newberry is “a willingness to accept reality.” Newberry said his advice to anyone struggling with how they look or how others see them is to put their trust in Christ and build on a church community, not just friends and campus life, which are not enough when storms come.
Soccer captain makes life-changing play off the field BY TAYLOR HARRISON NEWS REPORTER
Gracie Kelly did not know the man who would receive her stem cells. She knew little about his life beyond his approximate age and his need for a transplant. For Kelly, a junior mathematics major from Corona, California, helping meant overcoming a fear of needles, possible pain and balancing the donation process with her responsibilities as an ACU soccer player and team captain. She had not expected any of those decisions when she joined the donor registry months earlier. At a campus event in the spring, teammate Raelin Miller, a junior marketing major from Winter Park, Florida, volunteering at the event, encouraged Kelly to participate in a donor registration effort. “I would never have imagined that it would end up going somewhere, honestly,” Kelly said. The registration effort involved Earl Young’s Team, an organization founded by ACU alumnus, Olympic gold medalist and leukemia survivor Earl Young. After receiving a lifesaving stem cell transplant from an unrelated donor, Young established the organization to recruit potential donors and increase awareness. The organization works with DKMS to register potential blood stem cell donors through cheek swabs. Donated stem cells can help treat certain blood cancers, including acute myeloid leukemia and acute lymphoblastic leukemia, by restoring the body’s ability to produce blood cells after intensive chemotherapy or radiation. In August, while on campus for soccer preseason, Kelly received an email saying she was a potential match for a patient who needed a transplant. She was sitting in
PHOTO BY EMALEE MARTINEZ | PHOTOGRAPHER Soccer captain Gracie Kelly encourages others to register as potential stem cell donors after she matched and donated to a leukemia patient in August.
the Bean with friends when she opened the message. The notification began a series of phone calls, health screenings and discussions about whether she could donate. Kelly said several potential donors were considered before she was selected as the best match. The timing complicated her decision. Soccer season was underway, and following through meant confronting several fears: the needles, the potential pain and the possibility of missing practices and games with her team. Soccer coach Stephen Salas said Kelly kept him informed about the process months in advance so the team could prepare for her appointments and absences. For a player Salas considers the best defender in the conference, time away from the field mattered. But he said her willingness to follow through reflected the leadership he had recognized when recruiting her. “I joke around with people all the time, Gracie could have been a
captain her freshman year,” Salas said. As she considered the commitment to being a donor, Kelly connected the decision to the expectations she sets for herself as a captain. She described servant leadership as the foundation of her approach to the team. Salas said that approach shows up in responsibilities that rarely draw attention. Kelly is the first to pick up bags of soccer balls and helps collect and deliver teammates’ meals. “It shows again a true testament to the type of person and her integrity and her servant leadership that she has,” Salas said. To him, those habits connect the captain her teammates know at practice with the person willing to donate to a stranger. He said Kelly puts her team first even while managing a demanding major and the physical requirements of the donation process. “No matter what she’s going through, she’s gonna lead,” Salas said.
Kelly underwent blood testing and an extensive medical-history review before the donation. She also learned that the process would require a series of injections in the days leading up to the collection. For Kelly, who had long been afraid of needles, accepting that part of the process was a challenge. “I had to get over it fast,” Kelly said. Kelly said she experienced little discomfort during the first several days but developed lower-back pain as the donation approached. Although soreness was familiar from soccer, she had been concerned about how much pain the preparation might cause. Before donating, she discussed those concerns with her mother. Her mother encouraged her to compare the temporary discomfort of donating with the treatment the recipient faced. Kelly had an opportunity to help someone dealing with a serious, often terminal illness, even if doing so meant accepting something she would rather avoid. Instead of focusing only on the needles or potential pain, she began thinking more about what the donation could mean for the recipient. Her faith also influenced her decision. Kelly viewed being selected as a donor as an unexpected opportunity to serve. “God puts you in positions that maybe you don’t want to be in or never asked to be in,” Kelly said. “She’s literally changing the course of someone’s life, and continues to serve,” Salas said. “She’d be in practice too if she could physically stand up. It’s a great testament to who she is and how she leads. It sets a good stewardship for the rest of our girls to make an impact like that when you can.” The night before the donation, Kelly traveled to Dallas. The fol-
lowing morning, she received another injection and underwent additional checks before collection. When discussing the donation, however, Kelly was reluctant to take credit for the recipient’s treatment. She emphasized the work of the medical professionals responsible for his care and described her role as providing something they could use to help him. “All the props go to the health care workers,” Kelly said. She hoped describing the process could offer reassurance to someone who joined the registry and later received a similar email. “If I had heard one other story of just somebody who went through it and was OK,” Kelly said, “it would have been so helpful.” For Kelly, learning more about the recipient had already made the experience more personal. Although she did not know his identity, she said she was told he was a man in his late 50s or early 60s. Thinking about his age led her to imagine her own father in his position. “But then I was like, wait, but that’s like my dad being able to go to my wedding if he survived,” Kelly said. She did not know whether the man had a daughter or a wedding ahead of him. But the comparison helped her understand what more time could mean for his family. The donation was no longer only a medical process she needed to fit around soccer or a series of needles she needed to endure. It was an opportunity to help someone have more time with the people who knew him, even if she never would. Visit Earl Young’s Team to learn more about its mission or DKMS to register and get tested for free as a potential stem cell donor.
THE OPTIMIST STAFF LESLIE CARRIGAN EDITOR IN CHIEF
AMELIE AQUINO NEWS REPORTER
ALEXIS STANLEY SPORTS REPORTER
CALLIE LEVERETT MANAGING EDITOR
ELIZABETH PERALTA NEWS REPORTER
NELE HUTH SPORTS REPORTER
JOSHUA VARNER ALLISON MCCALL CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER NEWS REPORTER
DANIEL RHODES PHOTOGRAPHER
ZION WEBB SPORTS EDITOR
KENDALL STACEY NEWS REPORTER
NAYA PACHECO PHOTOGRPAHER
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CARTER CALVIN SPORTS REPORTER
AVA ALVAREZ PHOTOGRAPHER
HAYDEN DELAND NEWSCAST DIRECTOR
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EMALEE MARTINEZ PHOTOGRAPHER
TAYLOR HARRISON NEWS REPORTER
JOSIAH WONNELL SPORTS REPORTER
JONATHAN SMITH ADVISER
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SPORTS | Friday, October 30, 2026 | 9
Men’s basketball gears up for Tanner’s sixth season BY HAYDEN DELAND NEWSCAST DIRECTOR
Coming off a 14-19 record and a second-round exit from the Western Athletic Conference tournament last season, the men’s basketball team will enter head coach Brette Tanner’s sixth season with a new-look roster in the United Athletic Conference. Tanner added 11 new players to the roster after losing key starters from last season to graduation and the transfer portal. Key departures include 2025-26 Defensive Player of the Year and all-defensive selection Rich Smith and the team’s leading scorer and All-WAC firstteam selection, Bradyn Hubbard. Tanner said Cade Hornecker, a redshirt senior forward, and Isaac Dye, a sophomore guard, have stepped up to fill the leadership roles left behind by Smith and Hubbard. Among the 11 new faces are six freshmen and five transfers with previous college experience. Four played at the Division I level, and one played at the junior college level. • #0 Gus Salem, redshirt sophomore guard from Central Michigan • #1 Victor Yimga Mouk-
PHOTO BY CALLIE BRIMBERRY | PHOTOGRAPHER
Head Coach Brette Tanner welcomes 11 new faces to the program this season. ouri, sophomore forward/center from Howard College, 37 GP, 16.6 MPG, 7.2 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 0.4 APG • #29 Timeo Pons, sophomore guard from New Mexico, 13 GP, 5.3 MPG, 2.6 PPG, 1 RPG, 0.3 APG • #66 Noah Bolanga, junior guard from Utah Tech, 34 GP, 32.7 MPG, 11.9 PPG, 6 RPG, 2.2 APG • #97 Evan Boisdur, sophomore guard from Grand Canyon, 15 GP, 4.8 MPG, 1.1 PPG, 0.3 RPG, 0.3 APG Tanner said Bolanga is
currently ineligible to play in games because the team signed him under a current system that changed after the fact. “I’m very confident he’s going to be on the floor for us in due time,” he said. Xabi Lopez, a freshman guard from Tenerife, Canarias, brings experience from Spain, where he played for the under-22 development team, CB Canarias Liga U. He averaged 15.2 PPG, 8.8 RPG and 1.7 APG in 30 games. Lopez also made a onegame appearance for Tenerife’s senior team in Liga U, playing only 50 seconds.
With the new additions, there are now seven international players on the roster. Tanner said the team has had three scrimmages against higher-level teams and he is pleased with the results. “We’ve played some different lineups,” he said. “The biggest problem I’m going to have is I don’t really have a rotation yet. I think we got a lot of guys competing for minutes, and I’m really excited about it.” Along with the new players, Tanner also has an almost entirely new coaching staff, with four new assis-
tant coaches. Despite all the new faces, four players are returning from last season’s roster: • Yaniel Rivera, senior guard, 29 GP, 24.4 MPG, 7.2 PPG, 1.4 RPG, 2.3 APG • Cade Hornecker, redshirt senior forward, 33 GP, 15.8 MPG, 5.3 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 1.2 APG • Isaiah Neyhart, sophomore guard, 11 GP, 4.2 MPG, 0.9 PPG, 0.5 PPG, 0.4 APG • Isaac Dye, sophomore guard, 25 GP, 7.6 MPG, 2.8 PPG, 0.9 RPG, 0.3 APG
Rivera has spent all four years of his career at ACU, playing in 86 games. “Yani’s like my guy, man,” Tanner said. “Like he’s a rare player in college basketball. It’s four years, and he’s a true senior. He’s been at one place. This is his home and I’m his coach and he believes in that and so he knows what I expect. I think through this preseason he’s been great.” Last season, Rivera started 21 games and led the team in 3-point makes, with 47 on 128 attempts, finishing at 37% for the season. “Knowing him [Tanner] for four years now, I feel like I gotta be the mentor for these young guys, the freshmen,” Rivera said. “I feel like I gotta be a leader, talk, do all of that.” Along with the new faces, the Wildcats will also compete in the United Athletic Conference, a conference associated with the WAC and the Atlantic Sun Conference. Two other teams from the WAC joined ACU in the move to the UAC: Tarleton and the University of Texas at Arlington. The Wildcats will open their season on the road against Colorado on Monday before returning home for their home opener against Lamar on Nov. 7.
PHOTO BY ZION WEBB | SPORTS EDITOR
Gus Tettamble, a senior from St. Louis, Missouri, and Luis Jose Nakamine, a junior from Trujillo, Peru, hold the ASUN doubles championship trophies.
Tettamble, Nakamine bring home title, make history in ASUN doubles championship BY ZION WEBB SPORTS EDITOR
Gus Tettamble and Luis Jose Nakamine etched their names in Abilene Christian sports history this past week, winning the doubles championship at the ASUN Men’s Tennis Individual Tournament. The Wildcat duo, who are also roommates, won convincingly in the semifinals over Eastern Kentucky. They then battled back from a difficult 6-1 hole in the championship match against West Florida to claim the title, becoming the first ACU pair to win the tournament. They will take their talents on the road to the ITA Conference Masters in Georgia, Thursday through Sunday, for a chance at an
NCAA championship later in November. “It wasn’t about tennis,” Nakamine, the junior transfer from Baylor, said. “We weren’t playing bad, but it was just like, that energy was making a big difference. The celebration was really fun.” Tettamble, a redshirt senior, said that while it was a bit of a fever dream, the memory came back once they won. “I do remember the last point really well,” Tettamble said. “Feeling like, wow, we really did that. We were not looking good for a while, and then we celebrated accordingly.” For Nakamine, the championship meant more than adding an accolade to his name; instead, he said he
valued the experience of being able to bounce back and find their groove alongside Tettamble while representing the purple and white. “Winning the tournament means a lot, having a trophy and getting the title,” Nakamine said. “But besides that, the moment and how much fun I am having. Playing doubles not only with him but also with my teammates … that’s what I take most.” Tettamble agreed, emphasizing what it means to play for Abilene Christian after spending his first four years at Tulsa. “This school means a lot to us,” Tettamble said. “We love our teammates, we love our coaches, we love the school. To be able to reach
these goals for the school and represent our team and our school is pretty exciting.” The duo said their success this season has come mostly from being roommates before teammates. “We’re roommates, so we spend a lot of time together,” Tettamble said. “There’s a lot of balance. We can be messing around one second, and the next minute we’re super motivated, focused and ready to go.” But they say when it’s time to cook dinner or lounge around their apartment, oftentimes, tennis will be the last thing they talk about. Instead, they say jokes and laugh, which they say is the dynamic that helps them perform on the court.
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SPORTS | Friday, October 30, 2026 | 10
Sights and sounds from Halbert National BY JOSIAH WONNELL SPORTS REPORTER
“There are no divots on the fairway and no pitch marks on the green” said University of Oregon golfer Tong An to Golf Channel, minutes after she set a course record with a 8-under day totaling a score of 64. The course in conversation is Halbert National at Camp David, a 7,542-yard course 40 miles outside of Fort Worth in Granbury. The course sits on the banks of the Brazos River with views of the popular boating spot, the calling card of much of the back nine. The creation of the course goes back to the early 2000s when the namesake, David D. Halbert, purchased land on Lake Granbury to build a family lakehouse. Halbert, an ACU alum, decided to purchase the corresponding land across the river as well, not for any particular reason at the time. As time passed, the Halbert family made the decision to utilize that land to build a golf course across
the river from their home, but this wouldn’t be just another golf course. Halbert made a call to Tom Fazio, the founder and owner of Fazio Design, a company that prides itself in designing some of the nicest golf courses in the world, including numerous PGA courses. Halbert essentially gave Fazio a ‘blind-check’ and made his goal clear: “Make the most beautiful golf course in Texas.” According to an interview with Forbes, Halbert spent an estimated $50 million to make his dream become reality. The now-completed course has many distinguishing features that show the case it has among the best courses in Texas, but most will never see it. “If you don’t have a hole named after you then you’re not a member,” Halbert told Forbes last year, shortly after the 185-acre project was completed. Of the 18 immediate family members, each has a nicknamed hole dedicated to them. The story goes that Halbert’s wife, Kathy, who is
also an ACU alum, wanted a place where she could golf in private, thinking that a simple one-hole par three would suffice, similar to what some professional athletes have added to their portfolios. David Halbert had different plans. Last week, members of various Division I golf programs attended the Abilene Christian Intercollegiate tournament, hosted by ACU in collaboration with Halbert National. Family and friends of the collegiate golfers, members of the media, volunteers and personal from the Halbert family were the only patrons in attendance. Drone shots throughout the week from Golf Channel showed the truly beautiful landscape, complemented by the corresponding river. Fazio has a graphic on his website that shows the before and after transformation of the desolate land into what they hope will become an iconic golf course. Fazio utilized a strong landscaping blend of botany and aquatic el-
PHOTO BY ZION WEBB | SPORTS EDITOR
$50 million Halbert National hosts Abilene Christian Intercollegiate. ements that sit within at the newest Lone Star ship for years to come. the requirements of be- Challenge. Texas native Halbert already has plans ing a Championship golf Jordan Spieth played the to continue developing course. Halbert National course earlier this year as the area. With some of is grassed with TifEagle he filmed a commercial the most talented collegreens and Zoysia fair- for Halbert’s company, giate programs attending ways. Caris Life Sciences. Caris in year one the expectaCollegiate golfers are is a personalized health tion is that this tournathe first to play in a tele- sciences company that is ment will become one of vised official tournament valued at $9 billion. the most prestigious in on the acreage, but PGA The hope is that ACU the fall season each year professionals have been and Halbert National will for both the men’s andinvited to try their hand continue their partner- women’s schedule.
Wildcat Football: Where things stand entering Week 9 BY ZION WEBB SPORTS EDITOR
Week 9 starts with some good news for Wildcat football, nationally ranked for the first time since Week 3. The team comes in at No. 24 in both the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll and the Stats Perform FCS Top 25. This comes after the Wildcats completely turned around their season. It’s no secret that the squad started 1-4, but to quote head coach Keith Patterson, the team never went into panic mode. Now 4-4, the team is exactly where it stood through eight games last season. “I think we knew it was going to be a difficult first five games. I mean, everyone was a ranked opponent,” Patterson said. “That’s why I like it. There’s nowhere to hide, and it allowed us to make some good adjustments and expose some things.” To recap the season, the Wildcats opened with a loss against No. 20 Lamar, then fell to West Texas FBS big brother No. 12 Texas Tech, followed by another loss to No. 9 Stephen F. Austin. The Wildcats notched their first win of the year against unranked Idaho; the Vandals later went on to beat No. 1 Montana State. After that, they hosted No. 23 Mercer and lost, then No. 17 West Florida and won. Then they had
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The Wildcats played nationally ranked Texas Tech in September at The Jones at Galaxy Stadium. two weeks of unranked ed Athletic Conference, terson said. “I think our back Alex Broome, and a games against Central which Patterson refers to better football is directly 76-yard bomb to redshirt Arkansas and North Al- as the SEC of FCS foot- in front of us.” senior receiver Cristian abama, winning both, ball. On Saturday, the Wild- Driver, who leads the team bringing the Wildcats to a Following Saturday’s cats have a Homecoming in reception yards. perfect 3-0 in conference Homecoming matchup matchup against West Furthermore, the team play. against West Georgia, Georgia, which is 1-7 on has gotten comfortable “I think it was just all the Wildcats face in-state the year and 0-3 in con- with its quarterback, who about the process,” Darius rival and No. 1-ranked ference. The Wolves’ only continues to improve, Moore, graduate lineback- Tarleton State, then have win came against Divi- with a career game against er, said. “We just trusted No. 9, Austin Peay. They sion II’s Fort Valley State North Alabama with 264 the process, trusted our later end the season with University. yards on 21-for-25 passcoaching, trusting in each a solid Eastern Kentucky Things have been look- ing and two touchdowns. other. We’re right there, team that is coming off a ing up for ACU with play- Parks also has not thrown and we just have to keep close 16-13 win over No. ers getting healthy and an interception since going.” 23 West Florida, but Pat- returning against North Week 4 against Mercer; The squad will have to terson says he believes it is Alabama. The Cats saw the Wildcats have not lost continue to trust that pro- only up from here. some snaps from senior a game in which he hasn’t cess because the schedule “I really believe this defensive lineman Chris thrown an interception. doesn’t get any easier to team can get better than Herpin, a touchdown Continuing to look close out play in the Unit- what we’re playing,” Pat- from senior star running ahead, the team says
they are more worried about who they are than who they play down the stretch, saying they can only control what they can control. “We spend a lot of time focusing on us,” Patterson said. “I can’t control anything that goes on with West Georgia, so why would I spend time focusing on West Georgia?” And Moore echoed his head coach, saying the team is looking inwardly. “We’re only worried about us in our program,” Moore said. “We’re not worried about what anybody else has to say. I feel like we’re just all on the same page right now, going for that championship.” Last season, the Wildcats won out the regular season after starting 4-4 to win their second straight UAC championship. The Wildcats are in a similar place as they try to chase that third straight conference trophy, and it starts with West Georgia Saturday at 3 p.m. “Most people just have a tendency right before they accomplish something great; they tend to stop,” Patterson said. “So that’s been my challenge to our team is that, you have positioned yourself to win four of last five football games. And, man, we got an opportunity to do exactly what we’ve done the last two years and finish strong.”
Soccer makes history with eyes on conference championship BY CARTER CALVIN SPORTS REPORTER
The Wildcat soccer team is putting together a historic season, sitting second in the United Athletic Conference standings at 4-0-4 in conference play, just one point behind Tarleton State. In its first season in the UAC, the Wildcats have positioned themselves to compete for a regular-season conference championship. Head coach Stephen Salas said the team’s discipline, focus and chemistry have helped separate this season’s group from previous teams. “The girls are more disciplined, and they’re more hungry,” Salas said. “This team’s just a lot more focused, a lot more disciplined and action focused.” One of the defining moments of the season came during the road game against North Ala-
bama on October 8. The Wildcats earned a 1-0 win, recording a shutout while showing they could compete away from home. Salas said the performance helped him recognize the team’s potential. The team has also developed a stronger connection off the field, which sophomore goalkeeper Bella Medrano said has translated into playing better. She said the Wildcats have built on the relationships formed during the spring season, when injuries left the team with very few healthy players and forced them to adjust formations and work through adversity. “Last year we had a really good team, but this year, I feel like we’re connecting a lot better,” Medrano said. “We have connections outside of just the field, which I
think helps us more on the field.” Leadership has also played a major role in the Wildcats’ success. Medrano said leaders are spread throughout the lineup, allowing players in different positions to communicate and guide their teammates. She highlighted junior center back and captain Gracie Kelly as one of the team’s strongest leaders. Salas also praised the team’s four captains and upperclassmen, saying their leadership has helped the Wildcats reach their current position. He said the team has built a strong foundation through its players and coaching staff, which includes new assistant coaches this season. After qualifying for the WAC tournament for the first time in program history last season, the Wildcats now have a chance to
take another step forward. Salas said the experience from last year’s tournament has helped prepare the returning players for the challenges ahead. The team last won a conference championship in 2018, when the Wildcats defeated Stephen F. Austin to claim the Southland Conference title. “Last year was great,” Salas said. “This year the goal is winning the conference tournament.” With the regular season continuing, the team is focused on maintaining their momentum and turning the strong conference performance into a championship opportunity, the first since 2018. Although the Wildcats have already made progress, Salas said they know there is more work to do before reaching the team’s goals. “We’re ready to make new history,” Salas said.
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Addison Briscoe, freshman forward, from Spring Branch, steals the ball from her opponent.