The Optimist Print Edition 01.19.18

Medical students attend mission trip in Haiti over winter break Page 3

FEATURE

Friday, January 19, 2018 Vol. 106, Issue 16

A student publication of Abilene Christian University since 1912

24-HOUR MUSICAL HITS THE STAGE

Page 5

FLYING INTO

2018

HALEY REMENAR EDITOR IN CHIEF Kasey Birchfield, sophomore theatre major from Lubbock, dances in the new Advanced Tap class, taught by New York City dancer Lily Balogh.

CALENDAR 1/19 •

Paramount Film Series: Phantom of the Opera at 7:30 p.m.

1/20 •

Boot Scootin’ at Eller Hall at 7 p.m.

1/21 • •

24-Hour Musical at 7 p.m. in Cullen Auditorium Springboard Competition at 5 p.m.

1/24 •

Zeta Rho Thrift Shop Rush at 5 p.m.

1/26 •

Aaron Watson at the Taylor County Expo Center

BOX OFFICE JANUARY 12-14 1. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle $28,101,972 2. The Post

$19,361,968

3. The Commuter $13,701,452

4.The Greatest Showman $12,467,471 5. Insidious: The Last Key $12,419,715

29

DAYS UNTIL

SING SONG

SPORTS

MEN’S TEAM LOSES TO SFA Page 6

Wildcat Care launches before flu season

BY HALEY REMENAR EDITOR IN CHIEF

Students may notice a new $95 charge on their student accounts this semester. The charge is for Wildcat Care, a new fee for all undergraduates that allows access to telemedicine in connection with the Medical and Counseling Care Clinic (MACCC).

Through telemedicine company TimelyMD, Wildcat Care allows students to get 24/7 access to medical prov iders through a portal on myACU. KevCAMPBELL in Campbell, vice president for enrollment management and student engagement, said ACU will be the first university in the country to combine telemedicine and an in-person clinic.

Here’s how it works: If you get sick, you can get on Wildcat Care and fill out a short questionnaire with a list of your symptoms. A healthcare provider will respond through email, a phone call, or video call such as FaceTime. If the illness is common, like a sinus infection, the doctor

can send a prescription online, and you can get medication without having to go to the clinic. If the illness requires testing, like strep or the flu, or if the symptoms are too complex to diagnose on the phone, the doctor will send you to the clinic for an in-person visit at no extra charge except fees associated with the tests.

Campbell said students get up to four free telemedicine “visits” per semester.

Visits to the clinic will cost $10 instead of $40.

Counseling services are not included. Campbell also said because the university added the Wildcat Care fee in the middle of an academic year students could opt out before classes started. The opt-out period closed when classes started Tuesday.

“At no point in my history at ACU do I ever recall a time where we have initiated a fee or changed a price in the middle of the academic year,” Campbell said. “That’s why we felt it was important ... if they were concerned about that fee, we would allow them to opt out the spring semester.”

In future semesters, the fee automatically will be included in the “Tuition and Fees” portion of ev-

ery undergraduate students’ bill.

Campbell said until now, ACU was the only one of its competitors that didn’t have a mandatory health fee. At Texas A&M University, for example, the health fee costs $70 per semester, and students still have to pay $20 for each visit to the clinic.

“We’ll be evaluating this as we go,” Campbell said.

“Telehealth is going to continue to grow in popularity. My generation, a lot of people are more skeptical. ... I think your generation, this is going to be how you interact with doctors going forward.”

Wildcat Care may help with some issues the clinic faced in the past, Campbell said, such as unsteady patient flow in the summer but overbooked appointments during the semesters. Campbell also said some students use the clinic for longer, wellness-type visits while others use it for common viruses that are quickly diagnosed. This forced the clinic to make students wait more than a day to get an appointment especially during busy seasons like the flu outbreak last February.

Cindy Gravitt, MACCC office manager, said students were frustrated

when they had an acute illness but couldn’t get an appointment at the clinic for a day or more. She said 14 students have used the Wildcat Care portal as of Tuesday night.

“I love that even when appointments are full, they can still access this,” Gravitt said, “That’s an outstanding, unparalleled service that no other university is providing.”

Gravitt also said telemedicine allows students to stay home and keep from spreading their illness or contracting another illness. The clinic did a few tests of the Wildcat

Care portal in December and Gravitt said the questionnaire and phone call determined the illnesses pretty well.

“Patients have told us that it was convenient, easy to navigate or user-friendly,” Gravitt said.

While flu season seems to be hitting the Big Country, Gravitt said so far the clinic diagnosed 11 cases of influenza and one case of flu-like illness.

thy of accreditation. With this new accreditation comes several upcoming operations of action which Rainwater plans to be heading up herself.

“I filled out the application, made the plant lists, am coordinating with the Maker Lab and Creative Services to get placards made, and a webpage of our plants including the plants for Bee Campus,” Rainwater said. “We are also looking at building a map so that visitors can do

a walking tour.”

The individuals on-staff are excited for the future of ACU’s landscape. According to Rainwater, the youngest trees are near the Brown library, Jacob’s Dream, and the Hunter Welcome Center. The species planted in these areas are chaste trees, which is an invasive species that is hardy and thrives in the alkaline soils of Texas.

ACU is a part of Bee Campus, which is an organization that raises aware-

ness of our pollinators and how we can help in giving them a proper home. The trees that Rainwater and her associates have planted over recent years are Bee Campus-friendly, meaning they will attract pollinators, allowing the plant life here to flourish even more.

“It is my hope that we will bring about interest and or curiosity to students and to the public about trees and the benefits of having trees,” said Rainwater. “They reduce en-

ergy costs, provide shade, provide protection and food for wildlife, provide visual interest, not to mention the impact they have on human health.”

During the next year, look around campus, walk the Lunsford, or go on a run and enjoy the beauty of nature and wildlife around ACU, because it’s not just a college, it’s an arboretum.

Competitive Landscape

Student Health Service Fee (Per Semester)

Visit Fee

$70

After-Hours Care?

Telehealth

$20

No

No

$5 - $25

Nurse

No

$95

$10

Yes

Yes

$217

$20

No

No

$573

$0

No

No

$72.50

HRR13B@ACU.EDU

Campus earns tree-planting accredidation

BY BRYCE LURKENS STAFF REPORTER

In recent weeks, ACU has achieved the title of being a licensed arboretum due to the growth surge of plants in the past 60 years.

ACU’s overseer of the arboretum, Gayenell Rainwater, had been instructed to register the campus for accreditation. Obviously, with over 150 acres of irrigated landscape and an abundance of greenery, ACU was more than wor-

W W W. A C U O P T I M I S T. C O M

OPTIMIST@ACU.EDU

2

NE W S

FRIDAY | JANUARY 19, 2018

Summit celebrates 20 years of mountain-top experiences

BY JONATHAN RAITZ SPORTS DIRECTOR

In 1998 three men had a vision to take the principles of Christian business leadership outside the box.

Now 20 years later Dr. Rick Lytle, Tim Johnston and Mike Weingart’s vision has evolved into a reality that has allowed more than 2000 students and 250 business leaders to take part in a mountain-top experience.

Chelsea Oguagha, senior Missions major from Houston said Leadership Summit is beneficial for students in

all walks of life.

“Regardless of what field you are studying, Leadership Summit is for you,” Oguagha said. “It is an amazing opportunity to gain fresh and meaningful insight into yourself and the world while considering and actively pursuing your purpose in God’s kingdom. If I tried to put into words how extraordinarily amazing Summit is, I would be selling it short.”

Summit is a January short course, that for each of the last fifteen years has invited

students, faculty, staff and business professionals to Buena Vista, Colorado at Frontier Ranch. Throughout the course students discuss topics like leadership development, ethics in the workplace, finding your purpose and engaging the culture.

In teaching these skills the College of Business Administration brings guest speakers to the mountain that this year included, Carlos Sepulveda, former CEO and President of Interstate Batteries, Dr. Kent and Amber

Brantly, John Aden, former executive vice president of Walmart’s sales innovations, Wendy Davidson, President of Kellogg U.S. Specialty Channels and many others.

Each of the speakers share their greatest successes, but also their worst failures and take part in conversations with students in small groups, at mealtimes or even one on one.

Mason McFarland, senior marketing major from Abilene attended Summit for the second consecutive year. This time he opted

to audit the class, which allows students who don’t need the three-hour credit to continue to experience the speakers and teachings.

McFarland said it was the emphases on external things outside the business world that impacted him.

“Leadership Summit has been one of the best ACU experiences I have had,” McFarland said. “Initially I assumed I would receive teaching about leadership in the business world, but it is far more than that. The emphasis on family, work

and community is amazing, and it is impossible to leave the experience without being changed.”

Although some aspects of Leadership Summit have changed since 1998, like the location and some of the professors structuring the class, the impact on students remains, and business leaders continue to come from all over the world to share experiences and principles with ACU. JMR13B@ACU.EDU

Kinesiology Club plans Ironman event

BY HANNAH JOHNSON STAFF REPORTER

LAUREN FRANCO CONTENT MANAGING EDITOR

Last semester, Hackett twins Allie and Michaela competed at the national cross country meet in Louisville, Kentucky.

Hackett twins take on life after college

BY LAUREN FRANCO CONTENT MANAGING EDITOR

The first two ACU cross country runners to attend a post-conference competition are sprinting into a new future with the same passions.

Allie and Michaela Hackett, both in graduate school earning their masters in accounting, are twins in many aspects.

“It just happened that we had the same interests and everything; we are both accounting majors, and we’re pretty identical in every aspect,” Allie said.

Last fall during cross country season, ACU was able to compete in post-conference competition for the first time since the Div. I transition. Because the Hackett twins wanted to have the chance to compete in more than conference, they redshirted their se-

nior year and chose a track allowing them to stay for five years. After placing fifth and sixth, respectively, the twins and the team competed in regionals.

In the national competition in Louisville, Kentucky, Allie placed 94th out of 250 female runners. With only seven seconds between the twins, Michaela placed 117th.

“There were so many runners, and everyone is good, so it’s not like it was a big meet and you could pass a bunch of people,” Michaela said.

In agreement with her sister, Allie said if they had the chance to compete in a similar race, they would have done much better.

“It was very tactical,” Allie said. “You had to be skilled in those kind of meets to get out hard, but not too hard. I think it was good for us that we had that experience, but

we could have done a lot better if we had that experience before.”

In addition to their athletics, the twins are pursuing accounting careers. Last summer, Allie and Michaela interned for Ernst & Young, one of the “big four” accounting firms. In the mornings, the twins said they woke up at 5:15 a.m. to run up to 10 miles, and would be in the office by 8 a.m. In the evening, they would finish their day at home by 6 p.m. and be in bed by 8 p.m.

“That gave us a taste of what our life would be like if we wanted to keep running after college during work, but I’m all for it,” Michaela said.

“I want to keep doing it and see what opportunities rise.”

Using their time management skills from being student athletes, the twins said they want to continue running competitively

after graduation.

“Running is a huge passion of ours; we couldn’t imagine life without it,” Michaela said. “So ideally after college we’ll still run competitively. We want to get some kind of sponsorship, be on a team or semi-professional runners. It’s definitely in reach, to be ‘partly’ professional runners, but it’s really hard to make a living off of that, so we have to have a real job, and we’re really excited about working for Ernst & Young.”

The two will be working in the Boston office, only an hour away from home. Michaela said that while they will be around the New England culture they missed during their college years, Texas has become their second home, and they can’t wait to visit.

LMF14A@ACU.EDU

A total of 140 miles. Swimming 2.4 miles. Cycling 112 miles. Running 26.2 miles.

These are the three portions of ACU Kinesiology Club’s first Wildcat Ironman.

Starting Jan. 19, students, faculty and non-ACU members will be able to register for the upcoming 18-day long competition. Participants can choose to compete alone or with a team of three.

Deonna Shake, instructor of kinesiology and nutrition from Porterville, California, and Dr. Libby McCurley, assistant professor of kinesiology, are the co-sponsors for the ACU Kinesiology Club.

Shake said the club tried to come up with a way to encourage students to take care of their wellness.

“We are one of only a handful of universities nationwide that has offered something like this,” Shake said. “We’re excited to put ACU in kind of an elite category of doing something that’s unique and hopefully one that would encourage a lot of participation from a wide variety of people.”

Winning is not the objective, Shake said. Participation by all abilities is the goal. Finishing medals will be awarded to all individuals and teams completing the Wildcat Ironman.

Kyle Pinson, director of facility operations for the Student Recreation and Wellness Center from Fort Worth, said the Wildcat Ironman is not a one-day event but rather an event that spans 18 days.

Shake said this is a self-reporting competition. Participants will be submitting their own times of each portion they complete.

“There’s definitely a chance for someone to enter whatever time they want and to lie about it,” Pinson said, “but there’s not much incentive for them to do so other than having their name at the top of the list. Everyone gets a shirt.

There’s no money for the winner or anything like that.”

C a y l a SHAKE Clark, a junior kinesiology major from Wylie, is the vice president of the ACU Kinesiology Club.

Clark said the Kinesiology

“

We are one of only a handful of universities nationwide that has offered something like this.”

DEONNA SHAKE INSTRUCTOR OF KINESIOLOGY AND NUTRITION

Club wants to make themselves known and to promote health and fitness.

“Deonna Shake had heard of it at other schools before,” said Clark, “so she really brought in the idea. But we all loved it, and we knew we wanted to do a fitness event that would be offered for students on campus.”

Shake said non-ACU competitors will be charged $25 to cover the entry fee and 3-week membership to the Student Recreation and Wellness Center.

To register, go to www. acu.edu/srwc.

For further information, email Deonna Shake at shaked@acu.edu.

OPTIMIST@ACU.EDU

POLICE LOG SELECTED ACUPD CALLS FOR THE WEEK 01/10/18 A resident of Bldg #6 reported suspicious noises outside their door. Officers checked the area, unable to locate anything.

01/10/18 During the Winter Break, ACUPD officers conducted training walk-throughs at various ACU facilities in regards to active shooter approach/response, etc.

01/12/18 Officers responded to a minor traffic accident.

01/12/18 ACUPD investigated a possible missing student, thought to have returned from an Honors Course cruise out of Galveston.

Investigation determined that the cruise ship was not due back into Galveston until the following day.

1/14/18 A student reported the theft of his bicycle from the bike rack near the main hall entrance; the theft occurred between 01/10-14/18.

1/17/18 ACUPD Investigators interviewed persons regarding previous theft case 17-104 (Stolen ACU sign from Bible Bldg). Officers recovered the stolen item. Investigation continues.

ACCIDENT 2 ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIVITY 23 ADVICE 0 ALARM 1 ANIMAL CALL 0 ASSIST 0 BARRICADES 8 BICYCLE PATROL 0 BUILDING LOCK/UNLOCK 24 BURGLARY (RESIDENCE) 0

CHECK BUILDING 292 CITATION ISSUANCE 0 CRIMINAL MISCHIEF 1 DOMESTIC DISTURBANCE 0 ESCORT 5 EVENT SUPPORT 0 FIRE 0 FOOT PATROL 19 GRAFFITI 0 INFORMATION REPORT 0 INVESTIGATION

FOLLOW UP 4 MONITOR FACILITY/LOT 0 MOTORIST ASSIST: JUMPSTART 5 MOTORIST ASSIST: OTHER 1 MOTORIST ASSIST: UNLOCK 1 OTHER 0 PARKING LOT PATROL 31 PATROL VEHICLE: MAINTENANCE 2

PATROL VEHICLE: REFUEL PROWLER PUBLIC SERVICE RANDOM PATROL REPORT WRITING SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY SUSPICIOUS PERSON THEFT TRAFFIC HAZARD TRAFFIC STOP

9 1 1 15 7 0 2 1 3 1

TOTAL

507

POLICE CHIEF TIP OF THE WEEK: Avoid wearing dark clothing at night when walking or jogging or crossing busy campus perimeter streets.

N E WS

FRIDAY | JANUARY 19, 2018

3

researcher

psychologist

COURTESY OF ACU MISSIONS

Students participated in medical missions to Haiti.

Students attend winter-break Haiti trip

BY LAUREN FRANCO

CONTENT MANAGING EDITOR

On January 6-12, a group of 24 students attended a medical mission trip to Thomazeau, Haiti.

Dodd Roberts, missions area coordinator at the Halbert Center for Missions and Global Service, and Rebecka Mullens, instructor in the School of Nursing, were sponsors for the trip.

Half of the students who attended were nursing students, and the other half were pre-health, pre-medical, pre-dental and biology teaching majors.

During the trip, the group worked at a clinic and did a number of things ranging from working with an on call surgeon to working as doctors. After their time in the clinic, they provided services to the villages surrounding by delivering food and ministering to the people.

“I gained an insight into

the power of God,” said Louis Sanchez, a junior biology major from Austin.

“These people are in such poverty, such sickness.”

He said the country’s religion includes the regular practice of voodoo and satanic worship.

“It’s amazing when you see the strength of God, the power of faith and the power he grants these people. If they so much as say they’re Christian they will be killed. We all have it in us. Another thing is, it takes a team in the medical field.

Paramedics, pre-dental, pre PA, there are so many

disaster expert

people in the medical field.

The tech people – it takes a team, and I saw that firsthand – one common goal.

Sanchez said the most interesting thing he saw was a woman practicing voodoo become baptized.

“The most amazing thing I think I have ever seen is her professing and crying her love for God and leaving this hurtful and violent culture,” Sanchez said. “She is the future of Haiti.”

The trip is annual and any major can apply to attend.

Dr. Jamie Aten 2016 FEMA Award Winner Founder of Humanitarian Disaster Institute Author of Disaster Ministry Handbook

OPTIMIST@ACU.EDU

As a survivor of personal and natural disasters, Dr. Jamie Aten lends his expertise to organizations serving in the midst of tragedy.

Work alongside Dr. Aten and study how to lead communities to restoration through the M.A. in Humanitarian and Disaster Leadership.

wheaton.edu/HDL

EmpowerOthers OthersThrough ThroughPsychology Psychology Empower Others Through Psychology Empower Various fields within psychology are quickly growing and call fordedicated dedicated professionals ready totomake a difference in lives thethe lives of others.

Prepare Various fields within psychology are growing andand callcall for for dedicated professionals ready to make a difference in the oflives others.

Prepare Various fields within psychology arequickly quickly growing professionals ready make a difference in of others.

Prepare for these opportunities and advance your career with a master’s degree from Azusa Pacific.

Benefit from a blend of classroom learning and for these opportunities and advance your career with a master’s degree from Azusa Pacific.

Benefit from a blend of classroom learning and for these opportunities and advance your career with a master’s degree from Azusa Pacific. Benefit from a blend of classroom learning and practical application by led by experienced faculty-mentors who integrate a Christian perspective in field. the field. practical application faculty-mentors who integrate a Christian perspective in the practical applicationled led byexperienced experienced faculty-mentors who integrate a Christian perspective in the field. in Child M.S.M.S. in Child Life Life

in Research Psychology Analytics M.S.M.S. in Research Psychology and and DataData Analytics M.S. in Research Psychology and Data Analytics Cultivate advanced knowledge of social, behavioral, psychological Cultivate advanced knowledge of social, behavioral, and and psychological Cultivate advanced knowledge of social, behavioral, and psychological processes to prepare for growing the growing of research analysis, processes to prepare for the fieldfield of research and and datadata analysis, processes to prepare for the growing field of research and data analysis, complete degree in just and and complete youryour degree in just one one year.year.

Learn more: apu.edu/childlife Learn more: apu.edu/childlife

Learn more: apu.edu/researchpsych Learn more: apu.edu/researchpsych

M.S. in Child Life Prepare to become a qualified, compassionate health Prepare to become a qualified, compassionate childchild health carecare Prepare to become a qualified, compassionate child health care professional support children families facing professional and and helphelp support children and and theirtheir families facing professional andexperiences, help support children and their families facing challenging particularly traumatic medical situations. challenging experiences, particularly traumatic medical situations. challenging experiences, particularly traumatic medical situations.

Learn more: apu.edu/childlife

GET STARTED TODAY! GET STARTED TODAY!

GET STARTED TODAY!

and complete your degree in just one year.

Learn more: apu.edu/researchpsych

(626) 815-4570 CallCall (626) 815-4570 (626) 815-4570 or email gpadmissions@apu.edu. orCall email gpadmissions@apu.edu.

or email gpadmissions@apu.edu.

21652

21652

21652

4

OP I N I ON

FRIDAY | JANUARY 19, 2018

PRO/CON: GIVE A HOOT

ACU shouldn’t decide careers

W

hile private schools do have the right to restrict or prohibit certain actions, the university must realize that Hooters is simply a restaurant, not a gentleman’s club. Many people may believe that Hooters is just a company which stands to objectify the female body and capitalize off of it, but this is simply false.

People must realize that Hooters works to improve communities around the country.

Hooters is partnered with the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research, has an endowment fund that supports the Make-AWish Foundation and has established a Breast Cancer Research Grant in the name of Kelly Jo Dowd, famous Hooter Girl. The restaurant chain stands for great causes –causes that the university also stands behind.

ACU remains one of the most expensive colleges in the state, and while the university does its best to provide financial aid, most students will still owe thousands

of dollars. ACU should not tell students where they can and cannot go.

Employment is employment, and unless they are willing to lower the prices on tuition, I bet we’ll be seeing a couple of Wildcats serving us some chicken. In the words of Micheal Scott, “I’ll have the chicken breast, hold the chicken.” Yes, ACU, that was a joke.

We are living in a time where women are expressing themselves the way they want to and not the way society wants them to. The concept of “It’s my body, and I’ll do what I want with it” runs freely within our culture. Yes, Hooters allows for women to show their midriff, but does that make them items of sin? The women working at Hooters are proud, confident, love their bodies and therefore, are choosing to work there. Hooters is not a bad place - nor is it a strip club. It’s a restaurant that chooses to use women’s bodies as an incentive to enter into their business.

And that’s the point.

ACU and most of the

Students need to accept rules

Abilene community needs to understand the difference between what a restaurant stands for and what a rest aura nt could mean.

In other words, is Hooters a sinful place? Absolutely not, unless you consider wings and breasts s i n ful. Is Hooters any d i f ferent t h a n t h e checkout girl at Target wearing a tighter shirt exposing the outline of her figure? No. The point i s , ACU is fixated on the idea that Hooters influences our thoughts about sex, and of course, if you’re not married, sex is bad.

L

et’s be honest, the university isn’t really going to punish students for working at Hooters, just like they d o n’t always p u n ish students for breaking the sexual stewardship part of the Student Handbook i n other ways.

T he y k n o w students are having premarital sex, but they don’t consistently enforce that rule.

The university’s statement doesn’t even say they will punish students for working at or going to Hooters. It just says according to the handbook, they have the right to tell you not to work at Hooters because you signed an

agreement to follow that handbook. Every student lays down some rights when they come to this university because they agree to follow the university’s code.

Some have said ACU shouldn’t parent us by telling us where we can’t work. While it’s true we are adults with the freedom to make our own decisions, being an adult also means accepting the restrictions in our chosen place of work or study. Are you going to quit your job when your boss asks you to only drink water in the office (like Amazon does)?

Are you going to get mad at your future homeowners’ association for restricting your right to paint your fence blue?

ACU has come a long way since the time when our professors were students– a time when the university prohibited students who were of legal drinking age from going to bars. Our sister schools have some tight restrictions to this day.

At Harding University, students aren’t allowed to go to dance clubs,

and at Oklahoma Christian University, “inappropriate” hairstyles are banned. Even ACU has a dress code that prohibits halter tops and midriffs, but we’ve all seen some of those on campus which goes to show that just because a rule is in the handbook, doesn’t mean the university is actually going to punish you for breaking it.

Legally, private schools can control your actions both on and off campus much more than a state school does. If you don’t like the restrictions, transfer to another school.

We can’t deny the fact that our society is wrestling with questions of sexual harassment. Movies, media and businesses have sexualized women for years and now our society is paying the price for it. We celebrated TV stars at the Golden Globes for taking a stand against the degradation of women. So what’s wrong with our university, a Christian university no less, taking a stand?

EDITOR@JMCNETWORK.COM

Want to fight the flu? Then no fried food for you.

RATED R HALEY REMENAR EDITOR IN CHIEF Senior convergence journalism major Albuquerque, New Mexico

Hundreds of flu cases have already been confirmed in Taylor County -and that means it’s about to

strike campus in full force.

Whether you got a flu shot or not, the time to fight flu is now, while you’re still

healthy. Last year, while every GATA who stood around me in Sing Song fell ill to flu, strep and other illnesses, I remained healthy using a few immune system boosters.

So here’s a tip for fighting the flu from someone who’s survived it in the past, and (knock on wood) hopes to survive again this year too.

My number one tip is to watch what you eat. In the

words of Seinfeld’s Soup Nazi, “No fried food for you!” If you want to fight flu, you can’t fill your body with fried food, sugary sodas and other low-nutrient foods. Now, I’m not saying to go on some kind of organic diet or something extra like that, but Cane’s chicken today could mean chicken noodle soup tomorrow. What I mean is: the food you eat now will

either strengthen or weaken your immune system.

Without proper nutrients, your body won’t be able to handle the viruses that hit you on top of a lack of sleep and stressful homework. A Sonic drink may sound good after a long Sing Song practice, but we’re not in high school anymore, so we need to stop treating our bodies like they’re invincible.

More recognition yields to more witness EXAGER-RAITZ JONATHAN RAITZ SPORTS DIRECTOR Senior convergence journalism major Bandera, Texas

There is no question ACU is now on the map. Especially after the recognition it garnered in conjunction with a recent restaurant chain that came to Abilene.

In addition some departments and programs across campus have been relevant in their respective circles for a while now. And within the circles of Church of Christ universities, ACU is very well known. However, if the last year has taught us anything, it’s that the university is now at a point where it is receiving national recognition in a number of capacities.

A lot of this recent increase in recognition has to do with the growth the department of athletics as a result of transitioning to Div. 1. But there have been other new state-of-art facilities and opportunities brought about by the vision in action movement that have aided in this recognition, as

well as a few other splashes in the national news.

Nonetheless, it is clear that ACU has become more visible than ever before, garnering lots of exposure in several areas. And while I have seen great things come from this exposure, that I believe outweigh the negativity it has gathered, I do worry for the future of the university.

Over a year ago I wrote a column detailing my concern that ACU might be drifting from it roots. Deviating from its mission to educate students in Christian service and leadership and achieve excellence for Christ. While I still have concerns about a lack of focus in this area, I’ve realized rather than worry about losing something, we should focus on the opportunity that all this exposure gives ACU. Through athletics specifically, we have made numer-

ous appearances on national television and often times the abbreviation used has contained the phrase “Abil.

Christian.” In addition to the abbreviation, ACU is constantly recognized for its Christian principles and nature. It’s no secret that a big thing that sets ACU apart from many other schools at the national level is its Christian affiliation.

This has most recently been seen and attacked in the connection with Hooters.

But I think these principles moving forward are significant, because as we move forward and the university’s name continues to appear in bigger circles and flash across the television screen, people are going to associate what they see not only with ACU, but also with Christianity. Therefore, this is an incredible opportunity to serve as a witness. An incredible opportunity to take a stand against the sexualized culture or social injustice that has firmly planted itself in our society, and speak truth.

I believe if we stand firm on the morals and principles that have been the lifeblood of this university for over

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 79609 E-mail letters to: optimist@acu.edu

HRR13B@ACU.EDU

@acuoptimist @broseffdylan 01/03/18 3:55 P.M.

@mikayla_belle15 01/02/18 10:34 P.M. There is NO PLACE for supremacy and hatred at ACU. Bigotry cannot be tolerated at a campus that claims to represent Christian faith. Action needs to be taken against these fliers and this group. @ acuoptimist @ACUedu @shaynjohnson 01/17/18 9:08 P.M. ACU has Intramural SPIKEBALL......... reason #287498237 why I love this school @chelsea_derbs 01/15/18 10:45 P.M. its gonna be 19° when i go to class tomorrow omg im sorry but i dont even know how you’re supposed to dress for that??? acu please cancel

JMR13B@ACU.EDU

T H E

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 letters containing personal attacks, obscenity, defamation, erroneous information or

110 years, the Lord will be glorified. More people will see Jesus and realize that Christianity doesn’t look like what the world wants it to. Success isn’t determined based on how well we we’re known or how large the number is in the win column. But when those things grow and increase, and I believe they have and will, we can be quick to thank Jesus for the opportunities of discipleship it brings.

And when we feel as if the success isn’t coming, or our name gets dragged through the mud for a short while we can still thank the Lord because that’s what all of this recognition and growth is for right? To educate students, athletes, faculty and staff in Christian leadership so that when the Lord blesses us with national platforms we can show people why we do it. Not to gain the success or for the fame, but for an excellence in Christ that is counter cultural to the emphases of many universities at the national and worldwide level.

Eat some spinach, broccoli, or your choice of green vegetable. Skip the soda and go for the green tea, which is great for your immune system (and a quick cure for a stomach ache). Drink some water, and may the odds be ever in your favor this flu season.

O P T IM IST

published by the department of journalism and mass communication staff and management board

Haley Remenar Editor in Chief Lauren Franco Content Managing Editor Jonathan Raitz Sports Director Jessica Clark Video Director

Emily Guajardo Arts and Features Editor Evan Rodriguez Web Editor Hannah Null Adam Dorrel Show Host Max Preston Assistant Sports Editor

newsroom (325) 674-2439

sports desk (325) 674-2684

Davis Hill Opinion Editor Amber Chavez Assistant Video Editor Daniel Tapia Graphic Designer Christi Lim Graphic Designer Staff Photographer Chelsea Twohy Copy Editor

Trevor Wyatt Sports Reporter Davis Denton Sports Reporter Laurel Drain Videographer Emily Clunn Videographer Noah Tamborella Videographer

photo department (325) 674-2499

Ashlan Smith Videographer Holly Dorn Staff Photographer Matthew Baker Staff Photographer Madison Fichtner Staff Reporter Phoebe Voss Staff Reporter

advertising office (325) 674-2463

multimedia desk (325) 674-2463

Kenneth Pybus Faculty Adviser

Cade White Visuals Adviser

Celeste Kinkade Advertising Manager

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

FRIDAY | JANUARY 19, 2017

F E ATUR E

5

24 Hours of Madness Combining sleep deprevation, fresh dance moves and countless harmonic notes, 24HR Musical will return to the stage for the fifth year.

BY EMILY GUAJARDO ARTS AND FEATURES EDITOR

F

or the fifth year in a row, 24HR Musical has rallied dozens of aspiring dancers, actors and singers to participate in one of the most treasured, glorified and exhausting traditions the Department of Theatre has to offer.

Premiering Sunday at the William’s Performing Arts Center at 7 p.m., selected actors and dancers have begun preparing themselves mentally, physically and emotionally for the wild ride and rush of learning an entire musical in one night. After auditioning and signing away one night of their lives on the dotted line, more than 50 students and selected stage managers, choreographers and directors began collaborating the necessary preparations for the big night.

Co-directors Mariel Ardila and Andrew Gilliland said that while preparing a musical in 24 hours sounds insane, the reward exceeds beyond what the participants can imagine.

“It’s an enormous challenge to put any show on its feet,” said Ardila, senior musical theatre and design tech major from Austin. “And to just put it on in

one day is amazing, and it kind of bridges the gap between challenging and absolute fun because you know there will be mistakes, but the better part of it is how much fun and work we put into it which keeps people coming back to see it again and again.”

Created by alumnus Matt Silar in Chicago, 24HR Musical allows for both theatre and non-theatre majors to participate in an effort to raise donations for Living Water International, a non-profit organization that helps bring sustainable water to developing countries. After raising over $2,000 in previous years, Gilliland said the real mission behind the show is more on a global scale.

“Ultimately, this is to give to Living Water International,” said Gilliland, senior acting major from Middletown, Connecticut.

“It’s kind of humbling in that we take a step back and see all of these limitations and all of these things that may go horribly wrong, but we’re going to do it because we want to provide for those people and pay it forward.”

A

fter weeks of Facetiming each other and blocking each character’s entrance

and exit points, Gilliland and Ardila are prepared for their teams to come together and make the show happen. Starting out with ten potential shows ranging from Legally Blonde to Shrek the Musical, one show is cut from the list until Saturday night, when the chosen show will be revealed.

In a panic-like frenzy, students will then begin to hustle as they learn choreography, lyrics and a hodgepodge of lines in-between, all in the span of 24 hours. From homemade costume selections to non-stop emails from stage managers, the show has already begun.

Production stage manager Marissa Trujillo, sophomore theatre education and design tech major from Forney, said the show has inspired several theatre majors to learn how to work together.

“It has helped me to see how important and necessary it is to work as a team to put on a production, and I love that about theatre,” said Trujillo. “As a theatre education major, I would actually like to maybe do a 24HR Musical with my high school students when I am a teacher. As a design tech major as well, it has motivated me to look forward to working with a team of creators

on a show as a stage manager.”

From communicating to the participants to making sure every leader has their needs met, Trujillo said the reward of seeing how much work has been shed for one night goes farther than any amount of sleep, work or sweat.

“It’s just going to be such a fun show that features the amazing talent and handwork of their peers,” said Trujillo. “[Participants] will see what a performance looks like after only working on it for 24 hours.

There will be tender moment and moments that make them laugh so much because there will be genuine mishaps that will only enhance the show, but that’s the beauty of 24HR. They will be sharing a human experience unlike any other and for such a great cause.”

Confident in the potential attendance of the show, Gilliland said the cast is not worried if there won’t be enough people, but rather they are more worried that they might have to turn some people away.

“With the reservations we have already booked, we know we will at least have 30 people there,” said Gilliland. “I have strong

feelings that we will do very well.

We have sold past capacity the past couple of years, and so we are more concerned in having to turn people away.”

W

hile no one knows how the show will eventually turn out, it seems like everyone involved is more than eager to see the end product.

“The dynamic of each group is a little different each year, and that makes things a little exciting because not only are you learning from each other in an artistic sense, but you’re communicating with each for months in preparation for the night of,” said Ardila.

“We were both actors in the past 24HR Musicals, so we have that under our belt. I think we can bring our new found ability with the actors and speak in the language that the actors will understand us.”

“The funny thing is you can be so tired after staying up, but once you perform you’ll feel this sense of adrenaline that will keep you going for hours,” said Gilliland.

“It’s the best experience.”

EAG13A@ACU.EDU

PHOTOS BY EMILY GUAJARDO CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS BY THEATRE DEPARTMENT

6

S PORTS

FRIDAY | JANUARY 19 , 2018

STANDINGS Men’s basketball Team

Ovrl. SLC.

Nicholls SFA SHSU SELU NOU ACU UCA Lamar McNeese TAMU-CC UIW HBU NWSU

12–8 16–3 11–8 11–8 8–10 12–8 10–10 11–8 6–10 4–12 5–11 4–15 3–14

6–1 5–1 5–1 5–1 5–2 4–3 4–3 3–3 3–3 1–5 0–6 0–6 0–6

Team

Ovrl. SLC.

Women’s Basketball

LAUREN FRANCO CONTENT MANAGING EDITOR Junior Hayden Farquhar and senior Drake Green look on during Wednesday matchup against SFA.

Wildcats falter to powerhouse

BY JONATHAN RAITZ SPORTS DIRECTOR

The men’s basketball team entered Wednesday night’s match up with Stephen F. Austin looking for its fifth conference victory, but more importantly its second straight victory over the Lumberjacks, following last season’s 69-60 upset. And for awhile it looked as if they would, but late push by SFA handed the Wildcats their third conference loss of the season 76-66.

Trailing early by as many as 12, 27-15 after a Kevon Harris three-pointer with 10:48 to go in the first-half, the Wildcats rallied in a huge

way. Sparked by a big first half from grad-transfer Tevin Foster, ACU outscored SFA 28-6 the final 11 minutes of the half and headed to the locker room with a 43-33 lead. The lead was its largest at 11 after senior Drake Green nailed a three with 39 seconds left, but Leon Gilmore added a free throw for the Lumberjacks as the first half came to a close.

Foster said during the 28-6 scoring run, the Wildcats were doing the fundamentals right.

“We were getting stops and moving the ball, and attacking them offensively,” Foster said.

But whatever head coach

Kyle Keller said to his team at halftime worked, because SFA rattled off a 10-2 run to pull within two at 45-43, just five minutes into the second half. And at the midway point of the half, the Lumberjacks had already tied the game and taken the lead at 53-52 following two free throws from T.J. Holyfield.

ACU battled to stay within striking distant, keeping it at a five-point deficit, as Foster got his first points of the second half after scoring 16 in the first, to make it 61-56.

But for every Wildcat bucket it seemed like the Lumberjacks had one if not two.

At the 2:38 mark, SFA accented its second half

transformation with a dunk Shannon Bogues, and the Lumberjacks matched early first half lead of 12 at 7361. SFA would eventually outscore ACU 43-23 in the second half , and hold the Wildcats to 0-7 from behind the arc after they had hit six in the first twenty minutes.

Junior guard B.J. Maxwell said it was his team’s defense that set the pace in the first half.

“Our defense was the key to our first half run. We set the tone on end of the floor and that led to pen shots and easy baskets,” Maxwell said.

“We played like we had a point to prove that first half.”

Unfortunately for ACU

it was the SFA defense that showed up in the second half and held the Wildcats to just six field goals the final twenty minutes. With the loss the Wildcats fall to 12-8 overall and 4-3 in conference play, but are still very much in the hunt at this stage in the season. Meanwhile remains in a four-way tie atop the conference at 16-3 overall and 5-1 in the Southland.

Next up for the Wildcats is a trip to Conway, Arkansas this Saturday as they take on Central Arkansas in a men’s and women’s doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.

JMR13B@ACU.EDU

Third quarter springs Lumberjack to win over Wildcats

BY MAX PRESTON ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

While students are now beginning to pile the homework fresh off Christmas break, the women’s basketball team continued its workload, kicking off a two-game road trip Wednesday evening, losing to Stephen F. Austin University, 66-55.

In the first half, the women stayed right with the Lumberjacks, outscoring them 16-13 in the first quarter, and took a 30-29 lead into halftime.

However, SFA came out in the third quarter and defended well, holding the Wildcats to only seven total points, while scoring 19 of its own, including seven coming from freshman guard Marissa Banfield off two three-pointers and a free throw.

The Wildcats were able to match SFA’s 18 points in the fourth quarter; however, it wasn’t enough as the Lumberjack’s third-quarter surge gave them the victory.

LAUREN FRANCO CONTENT MANAGING EDITOR Junior Guard Sara Williamson drives to the hoop, looking to give the Wildcats a lead.

“We got outworked on 17 points and grabbing Stevi Parker was the top rebounds,” said sopho- seven rebounds. Junior player for SFA Wednesmore guard Dominique guard Sara Williamson day evening as she earned Golightly. “We weren’t scored 10 points, while a double-double with 18 able to execute very well sophomore center Lexi points and 11 rebounds. on offense and kind of Kirgan was perfect from Banfield also contributed that set us back.” the field, making all four well, posting 14 points.

For the Wildcats, se- of her shots and scoring Next up for the womnior forward Sierra Allen 11 points. en’s second road trip performed well, scoring Redshirt senior forward game will be another

conference powerhouse in Central Arkansas. The Sugar Bears boast a 13-5 record, along with a 6-1 conference record, putting the team at second in the Southland.

“Moving forward with our next game coming up against UCA, we want to put that loss behind us as well as learn from it,” Golightly said. “We want to take our mistakes, and fix them in the next game by being more physical and pursuing rebounds.

Just play Wildcat basketball, the way we know how to get the win.”

The leading players for Central Arkansas this season are junior guard Kamry Orr, who has averaged 14.9 points per game, and senior forward Taylor Boudoin, averaging 14.1 points per game.

Tipoff is scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m. in Conway, Arkansas. Coverage can be seen on ESPN3, or heard on 98.1 FM. MJP14B@ACU.EDU

SFA UCA ACU Lamar NOU TAMU-CC McNeese Nicholls UIW NWSU HBU SELU SHSU

14–3 13–5 12–5 9–6 8–10 10–7 7–10 8–10 3–13 6–11 5–11 2–15 3–12

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK Women’s Track

Last Saturday, the women’s track team completed its first indoor meet of the season Hackett at Texas A&M, and Allie Hackett clocked a first place finish in the 3,000 meter run at 9:40.45. Her sister, Michaela, finished right behind her in second place at 9:45.34.

Carnley Graham was able to make headlines in the women’s Texas A&M meet last SaturGraham day as she finished first in the 5,000 meter run with a time of 17:41.69. The women’s next meet will take place in Lubbock at Texas Tech January 26-27.

Men’s Basketball

Payten Ricks has made a valuable return since having to sit out the start of the season with Ricks an injury. He scored 15 points against Northwestern State last Saturday, and post 11 points Wednesday evening against Stephen F. Austin.

For more, check out ACUOptimist.com Or follow us on social media @OptimistSports

S I G n T o D Ay T o R e C e I V e A

$300 VISA GIFT CARD

Sing Song Special: Waived $250 Community Fee $0 Down upon Signing

6–0 6–1 6–1 4–1 4–3 3–3 3–3 3–4 2–3 1–5 1–5 1–5 0–6

Thearchabilene.com • 325.672.2960 2702 n JuDGe ely BlVD, ABIlene TexAS 79601

some restrictions apply. limited availability. subject to change without notice.