THE Vol. 95, No. 52
IN THIS ISSUE CAMPUS Canceled plans
Spring FilmFest was canceled because there wasn’t enough student interest, page 3
Talent on display
The Art Department’s 29th annual student competition winners will be on display in the Shore Art Gallery on Friday, page 4
Senior stars
Two seniors who change the community through their service and integrity will be announced as Mr. and Miss ACU on Wednesday, page 4
ARTS
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OPTIMIST
1 section, 8 pages
FRIDAY
April 27, 2007
Money names new VP n Dr. Royce Money announced the hiring of a new vice president and dean of student life Thursday. Dr. Jean-Noel Thompson will begin his role July 1. By MALLORY SCHLABACH EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Dr. Jean-Noel Thompson from Grove City College, located in Grove City, Pa., will soon be a familiar face on campus.
Thompson was selected as the new vice president and dean of student life, a position that provides leadership and vision for these areas of student affairs: Student OrganizaThompson tions, Judicial Affairs, Volunteer and Ser-
vice-Learning Center, Campus Center, Residence Life Education and Housing, Leadership Development, Multicultural Enrichment, Counseling and Medical Services, Police and Public Safety and Spiritual Life. In addition, Thompson will also serve as a member of the President’s Cabinet. Dr. Royce Money, president of the university, announced See
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www.acuoptimist.com
THOMPSON’S BIO n BA in organizational communication from Arizona State University. n Master of science degree in student affairs in higher education from Colorado State University. n Ph.D. in higher education and student affairs from Indiana University. n Spent last four years as vice president and dean of student life at Grove City College in Grove City, Pa. n Officially begins new role at ACU on July 1.
VP page 7
Court amendment fails n Amendments for a student Bill of Rights and court did not receive the two-thirds of Congressional votes required to pass. By DANIEL JOHNSON SPORTS EDITOR
Eerie entertainment
Running for the last weekend, ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ is both disturbing and enjoyable, page 5
SPORTS
In its last meeting of the year the Students’ Association, Congress discussed whether a separate student court was necessary in representing and providing a voice for the student body. Despite more than 30 minutes of discussion of three amendments that would have created a student Bill of Rights and established a SA student court, the amendments failed to garner the two-thirds majority (38 votes) needed to pass — 17 congress members voted for the legislation, while 21 voted against it and four abstained from voting. Senior senator Brandon Smith, international relations major from Kansas City, Mo., wrote and proposed the amendments Wednesday night to create what he claimed would be a court that would hold congress accountable and ensure students’ rights were not violated. “Congress has never wanted to hold themselves accountable; why should I expect them to start now,” Smith said. Smith had greater vision for the court, claiming that in time the court could evolve into an appellate court that would provide a voice for students in disciplinary decisions made by judicial affairs. Smith said the beginning stages of the court would be to prove its legitimacy before it could influence policy. “To get to that point every other See
Out of their hands
The ACU softball team has one more series against Cameron, but needs help from other LSC teams to make the playoffs, page 8
SA page 7
BRIAN SCHMIDT SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
McKinzie representative Daniel Burgner, freshman political science major from Yorba Linda, Calif., asks a question during a questioning time at the Students’ Association meeting Wednesday.
New courses coming to ACU in fall n After much consideration, the University Undergraduate Academic Council has recently approved 16 new courses, most of which will be offered next year. By CHRIS HANSON STUDENT REPORTER
Fifteen new courses will be offered next fall including four undergraduate, seven graduate and four online graduate courses. Dr. Tom Winter, chair of
the University Undergraduate Academic Council and associate provost, said proposed new classes go through an intensive process to become a new course. “A new course is scrutinized very, very carefully to make sure it is as good as we can possibly make it,” Winter said. “In most cases, these courses have been taught as special topics courses so we usually have some information about how well the
course has been received.” The scrutiny includes analyzing many different aspects including enrollment, budget, library resources and many other areas. “We try to include everything we need to make an informed decision,” Winter said. The University Undergraduate Academic Council has approved 16 undergraduate courses, and most of them will be offered next year, Winter said.
Most of the approved classes are upper-division courses, but Winter said he expects more lower-division courses to be developed if the faculty approves the new undergraduate degree plan. Of the seven new graduate courses, five will be offered in the new master’s in social work program, said Dr. Carol Williams, professor of mathematics, dean of the Graduate See
COURSES page 7
Chapel council forms for next year n Students can now submit applications for the 12-member Chapel Advisory Committee, which will begin meeting to discuss Chapel next fall. By KELSI PEACE FEATURES EDITOR
Students who love, hate or merely tolerate Chapel can offer weekly critiques and suggestions for Chapel — they just have to apply. Dr. Wayne Barnard, university dean of spiritual formation and assistant professor of family sciences, will select a 12-member Chapel Advisory Council for the 2007-2008 school year from students who fill out applications. “I hope the students on this council will be committed to prayer, to seeking the Lord’s leading and to being a voice for the ACU student body with respect to the spiritual needs and concerns of students that need to be addressed in Chapel programming in meaningful and relevant ways,” Barnard said in e-mail. The council will begin weekly meetings in the fall, but will exchange e-mails over the summer to have some input on the fall semester Chapel, Barnard said. However, most of the fall Chapel will already be planned at that time. “Chapel is rarely the same from one semester to another,” Barnard said. “I don’t think most people realize how much changes because of survey feedback each year.” Barnard said teaching in Oxford’s small community spurred thoughts of conversation and community, and traveling has reminded him of the challenge to share Jesus’ message. The difficulty with a larger community, such as ACU, is to create community, Barnard said. The council is intended to help. Some students are skeptical of the council’s ability to change Chapel. Troy Havins, junior finance major from San Diego, said he thinks a committee of 12 is too small to accurately represent the diverse student body. But Chapel does need to change, Havins said. Chanelle Wactor, junior political science and Spanish major from Tuscan, Ariz., said Chapel needs to change to connect our generation, which does not always think inside the box. Wactor said a See
CHAPEL page 7
Quality of Life survey leads to staff senate creation Baseball
The ACU baseball team needs a sweep against last-place West Texas A&M this weekend to take the No. 1 seed in the LSC tournament, page 8
ONLINE Reading Black Tulips
See the Shinnery Review’s poetry reading, called The Black Tulip, at: www.acuoptimist.com
n In response to the Quality of Life survey, a Staff Senate will form in May to build relationships between staff and administrators. By MALLORY SCHLABACH EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Beginning in May, staff on campus will have a way to express their voices to administrators with the creation of the Staff Senate. The Senate was spawned from results from the Quality of Life surveys Dr. Money, president of the university, sends out annually to gauge the atmosphere of staff and faculty
Department of Journalism and Mass Communication
on campus. The surveys indicated staff members wanted to build more trust between themselves and administrators on campus. Beth Holland, senior prospect research officer in the Development Office and cochair of the Senate Planning Committee, said the Senate will serve as an advisory board to Money as a way for staff members to discuss issues and programs they wish to have implemented. “We hope that this Senate produces a unified spirit of community on campus among staff,” Holland said. She said so many people
work on campus that staff members don’t often know each other, and the Senate will be a way to bring everyone together. The Staff Senate was introduced to staff members just this week, and will have its first meeting Holland June 5. Until then, much work is to be done still, said Karen Griffith, student services specialist in The Depot and chairperson of the planning committee.
Abilene Christian University
Through Friday, the committee will take nominations for Senator positions. Ten exempt positions and 10 non-exempt positions will be elected for the Senate. Staff members can go online to the Senate’s Web site at www.acu. edu/staffsenate.com to nominate fellow staff members. Once all nominations are in, the planning committee will then verify that each nominee is valid and see if they are interested in being on the Senate. In two weeks, elections will take place via Web site. More than 900 staff members work on campus, Griffith said, and it’s important for their
voice to be heard too, which is why the senate’s slogan is: “Your voice on campus.” “I wasn’t sure what to think before our all-staff meeting Tuesday,” Griffith said. “Not many people knew about it before then, so I didn’t know if they would even want to do this.” She said her fears were calmed after hearing the response this week and having staff members ask questions about how the Senate will work. Holland, too, said the excitement on campus, is apparent. See
SENATE page 7
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