The Vol. 95, No. 54
IN THIS ISSUE CAMPUS Trade books for cash
Students can begin selling their books back to The Campus Store on Monday, page 3
•
1 section, 10 pages
Welcome Week’s focus will change this August and, instead, incorporate spiritual, social and academic lives of students, page 4
FRIDAY
•
May 4, 2007
n As a way to validate the 21st Century Vision, Dr. Money, president of the university, surveyed faculty and staff about their impressions. Features Editor
Results from the 21st Century Vision Zoomerang survey confirmed that fac-
ulty and staff support the Vision and appreciate its bold ambition. The 12-question survey was e-mailed to ACU faculty and staff three times — once before spring break, once after spring break and once in April — and with 133 people responding, the survey had about a 17 percent response rate.
More than 90 percent of those who took the survey answered six of the questions with a response of “strongly agree” or “somewhat agree.” According to the survey results, all faculty and staff “strongly agreed” or “somewhat agreed” that the 21st Century Vision reinforces ACU’s commitment to academic excellence.
See
VISION page 8
By NATHAN STRAUS Staff Writer
David Aubuchon has slept on cold concrete next to a church near North 1st Street as recently as September. He is a member of a community he can only hope most will never enter: the homeless. An estimated 1,000 homeless men and women walk the streets at any given time. David said homelessness is as much a state of mind as a state of financial insecurity, and it can be entered because of forces outside of human control.
SPORTS
Home crowd favorites
The baseball team will play host for the LSC postseason tournament this weekend, and are favored to win, page 10
Qualifiying team
A group of theatre students wrote their own play, which will take place Friday, see what it took to make it happen online at: www.acuoptimist.com
FINALS Finals begin Monday, May 7 MWF Classes n 8 a.m. at 10 a.m., May 11 n 9 a.m. at 2 p.m., May 10 n 10 a.m. at 10 a.m., May 8 n Noon at Noon, May 9 n 1 p.m. at 8 a.m., May 10 n 2 p.m. at Noon, May 11 n 3 p.m. at 2 p.m., May 8 n 4 p.m. at 4 p.m., May 10 Monday night classes n 6 p.m. at 6:30 p.m., May 7 n 6:30 p.m. at 6:30 p.m., May 7 TR Classes n 8 a.m. at 8 a.m., May 9 n 9:30 a.m. at 8 a.m., May 11 n Noon at Noon, May 10 n 1:30 p.m. at Noon May 8 n 3 p.m. at 2 p.m., May 9 n 4:30 p.m. at 4 p.m., May 8 Tuesday night classes n 6 p.m. at 6:30 p.m., May 8 n 6:30 p.m. at 6:30 p.m., May 8 Thursday night classes n 6 p.m. at 6:30 p.m., May 10 n 6:30 p.m. at 6:30 p.m., May 10
n The memorial will take place Saturday at University Church of Christ at 1 p.m., with Dr. Eddie Sharp officiating. n Visitation is Friday from 6-8 p.m. at Piersall Benton Funeral Home, 733 Butternut. n Memorials can be made to the John and Ruth Stevens Endowed Scholarship, the John C. Stevens History Chair, Hendrick Hospice, Christian Village and others.
n At any given time in Abilene, more than 1,000 homeless people will be on the streets looking for food, shelter or a job. They are often displaced because of uncontrollable circumstances.
This summer’s films will feature third sequels to favorite films such as ‘Spiderman’ and ‘Pirates of the Caribbean,’ page 7
Acting out
Dr. John Stevens, chancellor emeritus and former president of the university, died Tuesday at age 88.
Living on the Street
Summer flicks
ONLINE
JOHN STEVENS’ FUNERAL:
More than 90 percent of faculty and staff who responded also agreed that the 21st Century Vision reinforces the university’s commitment to a global focus and Christ-centered education, which will benefit students and is “bold and exciting.”
ARTS
The track team will compete at the LSC championship this weekend in Commerce, and attempt to qualify more for the Nationals in May, page 10
www.acuoptimist.com
Survey shows faculty approve Vision By KELSI PEACE
Freshmen fun
OPTIMIST
EMILY SMITH CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
Mark Scruggs, 55, waits outside the Mobile Medical Clinic bus outside of Salvation Army on Wednesday for his girlfriend Sheletah Lewis to see the doctor. Although Scruggs is homeless, he is not the man featured in this story. David Aubuchon, who is featured, could not be located.
The Least of These
“You either have faith or you don’t,” David said about homelessness. “Those who have faith are more content with their life, able to come to terms or cope.” This strength of will keeps a homeless person alive through life’s circumstances. Before he found an intermediary home at Abilene’s Hope Haven, David’s daily routine began about two hours earlier than many students’. Waking up at 5 a.m. would be difficult were he not to get to his sleeping bag at a decent time the night before. “You have to get up early or you will miss job opportunities or miss breakfast,” David said. “Labor Ready opens at 5:30 a.m. If you’re not there, you pretty much miss everything.” See
HOMELESS page 5
Worship Welcome Center short $4.3M to begin ministry offered in fall 2007 n Construction on the Bob and Shirley Hunter Welcome Center are expected to begin in the fall once $14M is raised. By ATSUMI SHIBATA Page Designer
The university has raised about $9.7 million for the construction of the Bob and Shirley Hunter Welcome Center. The construction will begin once the fund reaches $14 million,
n The Department of Music will partner with Hardin-Simmons to offer a major for students who wish to lead worship. By YURI SUDO
Student Reporter
The university will offer a new degree beginning fall 2007 in collaboration with the Department of Music called Worship Ministry. The degree, which was created to help students’ careers as worship ministry leaders will require students to take several classes at HardinSimmons University, as well as on campus at ACU. Sam Souder, freshman vocal major from Arlington, who will switch to the worship ministry degree next fall, said, “Worship is a way of life, a lifestyle. I am very excited See
WORSHIP page 8
Department of Journalism and Mass Communication
which is expected to be collected by fall, and will take about 18 months to complete. About 580 people have donated for the project, including individuals and organizations, said Brent Magner, director of development. The new Welcome Center will house several departments and offices like Admissions and Alumni Relations, which are currently scattered
at different locations around campus. Also, there will be a space for gatherings that will be useful after the Hilton Room is removed because of the Campus Center renovation, Magner said. The Welcome Center will be near the main east entrance on Judge Ely Boulevard and will serve as a central See
WELCOME page 8
Wet weather expected to stay throughout spring n KTXS meteorologist Damon Lane said because of wildfires in Georgia, the Big Country has and will continue to experience rainy days, which will boost the area out of its recent drought. By MALLORY EDENS Page 2 Editor
Stormy weather and high amounts of rain can be expected to continue in Abilene and the surrounding Big Country in the next few weeks.
Because Georgia is experiencing some of the largest fires that have ever occurred in state history, that region has built up a high-pressure system. This “bubble of trouble” has prevented the atmosphere in the Big Country from being blocked by the usual high-pressure system that brings dry conditions here. Rather, a low-pressure system has moved in and has allowed storms to continue to move throughout the See
WEATHER page 8
Abilene Christian University
brian schmidt SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER
Freshmen Katie Jones, accounting major from Orlando, Fla., and Lizz Willy, missions major from Fort Worth, share an umbrella Wednesday.
Serving the ACU community since 1912