SA proposed amendments go to student body vote Page 3
SPORTS
WOMEN MAKE HISTORY IN SOUTHLAND TOURNAMENT Page 6
A student publication of Abilene Christian University since 1912
Friday, March 9, 2018 Vol. 106, Issue 23
BREAK FREE
NICHOLAS CROMWELL PHOTOGRAPHER Henry Adams, senior accounting major from New Braunfels, celebrates a play at a match against Rice University March 2.
CALENDAR 3/12-3/16 •
Spring Break
3/20 •
Friends of ACU Library banquet at 6 p.m.
3/22 •
Meek Blood Drive from 12-5 p.m. outside Zellner Hall
3/23 •
TEDxACU in Fulks Theatre all day
•
Spoken word poetry with Speak Piece at 7:30 p.m. in the Hunter Welcome Center The Cabinet Paint Fest at 8 p.m. at 201 Mesquite Event Center
•
BOX OFFICE MARCH 2-4 1. Black Panther $66,306,935 2. Red Sparrow $16,853,422 3. Death Wish $13,010,267 4. Game Night $10,412,496 5. Peter Rabbit $10,005,177
63
DAYS UNTIL
GRADUATION
NEWS
MABEE RCL PLANS PASSION WEEK EVENT Page 2
University to update LGBT policy “ BY HALEY REMENAR EDITOR IN CHIEF
The senior leadership team will update the student handbook for the next academic year to clarify policies for same-sex relationships. Students who are employed by the university will not be permitted to be in a samesex relationship. Dr. Phil Schubert, university president, said the SLT created the policy based on the guidelines provided by the Board of Trustees. The Board has affirmed marriage between one man and one woman. Schubert said the current policy prohibits students from sexual activity or same-sex marriages because they would not fall under this definition of marriage. The new policy
will clarify the sexual stewardship policy for student workers specifically. The university will not release official language of the new policy until the 2018-19 Student Handbook is published in August. “It’s consistent with where we’ve been as far back as any of us can remember,” Schubert said. “The further clarification is that employees would also be asked to refrain from same-sex dating relationships.” The handbook currently states: “Abilene Christian University affirms the biblical model, in which sexual relations are experienced only within the marriage bond between a man and a woman. Relationships or their behavioral expressions outside of this example are
not condoned by Abilene Christian University and are subject to disciplinary or other appropriate action.” There will be no changes to the reporting of violations, and Schubert said a report or allegation would result in conversations on a case-by-case basis with the employee in question. The rule does not apply to students who are receiving scholarship funds from the university. Only paid employees of the university would fall under this rule. The university will not ask about a person’s sexuality at the time of their application to work or attend the university. “We have a responsibility to be clear about our expectations of conduct for students and employees,”
We have a responsibility to be clear about our expectations of conduct for students and employees” DR. PHIL SCHUBERT UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT
Schubert said. Several church-affiliated universities, including Harding University and Hardin-Simmons University, have sought to be protected from discrimination lawsuits by filing for Title IX religious exemptions provided by the Department of Education. Schubert said the Board of Trustees has decided not to request a waiver for ACU at this time. Gabby Thompson, co-leader of Voice, a stu-
dent group for LGBT education and support, said it seems like the policy will hold student employees to the same standards as all employees. “If the university is trying to treat everyone equally, then they’re going to treat all their employees the same,” said Thompson, a senior communications major from New Braunfels. She said the role of Voice is not to react to policies, but to serve students through education and support. “Voice is going to continue to do whatever we can to do our mission of supporting and educating students,” Thompson said. HRR13B@ACU.EDU
TEDxACU to discuss breast cancer, bullying BY STELLA WIESER COPY EDITOR
The fourth annual TEDxACU conference will tackle serious topics, from breast cancer to bullying. Speakers from the Abilene community, professors, students and others will join together to present talks to the local community from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. March 23 in Fulks Theater. TEDxACU is an independently organized event based on the bigger TED talks that take place around the world. The theme this year is “6 Words,” so each speaker’s talk has a six word title. Tickets can be purchased online or at the TEDxACU table set up in the Campus Center. They are $20 for ACU students, $30 for ACU faculty and staff, $40 for ACU alumni and $50 for general admission. Jackie DeMuynck, junior communication major from Cedar Park, is a student committee intern and part
of a team of 11 students who have helped Dr. Lauren Lemley, assistant professor of communication, organize and coordinate TEDxACU this year. The team has been working since December to promote the event, recruit speakers and get it ready for action this year. “I think TEDx is a really cool opportunity to be involved in this international TED community at a very close to home spot,” DeMuynck said. “Abilene, you wouldn’t really think would have something as big as TED in it, but it’s here.” Tatiana Cordts, sophomore biology major from Rockwall, was drawn to speak at TEDxACU about her testimony after being encouraged by one of the officers in her social club who is on the board for TEDx. Her talk is titled “Inflammatory Breast Cancer: Rare, Not Impossible.” “I’m discussing the topic of self-advocation,” Cordts said, “and I’m bringing
awareness to a pretty rare disease called inflammatory breast cancer, or IBC, and my mom has it, so obviously it means a lot, and it’s very close to home.” To speak for TEDxACU, Cordts had to submit a three-minute video, which gave an overview over what she would be discussing, and then wait to hear back until organizers emailed her and let her know she had been accepted to speak. “It’s an idea worth sharing,” Cordts said. “So it’s basically just to bring awareness about anything and everything that’s important to this day and age in this society... it doesn’t have to be medical or anything, just anything that’s important and could benefit.” Dr. Steven Moore, associate professor of English, said he had always heard great things about TEDxACU from faculty and students who have participated in the past. Lemley invited him to apply to speak, and several weeks later, he applied.
W W W. A C U O P T I M I S T. C O M
Moore will speak on the phenomenon of bullying in our culture in his talk titled “And The Tall Trees Were Silent.” He said that bullying seems to be everywhere
“I know so many people are talking about it, so I thought this would be a very timely topic, and I might as well share what went behind the scenes for me to cre-
“
So it’s basically just to bring awareness about anything and everything that’s important to this day and age in this society TATIANA CORDTS SOPHOMORE BIOLOGY MAJOR
right now, from elementary schools to colleges, from private schools to public schools, even into the workplace. After publishing a children’s book titled Theodore Thumbs, which deals with the topic of bullying, Moore was given the opportunity to talk to a number of different schools and conduct workshops and presentations at many different places.
ate that book that I wrote,” Moore said. “Since the theme is all about stories, and it’s about Ernest Hemingway with the shortest story that he’s ever written, I thought this was just a natural fit, so I just decided to go ahead and talk about that children’s story that I created.” ECW13B@ACU.EDU