Issuu

Looking forward Men’s basketball hopes to end losing streak

vol. 103, no. 33

friday, january 30 2015

Sports Page 6

1 SECTION, 6 PAGES

what’s INSIDE NEWS Vision in Action moves forward with demolition of Chambers Page 3

SPORTS Tennis star earns SOC award in opening tournament

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NEWS Students studying at CitySquare Dallas assaulted off-campus Page 3

SPORTS Men’s tennis team struggles in DFW Page 5 jarred schuetze chief Photographer

Demoltion continues on Walling Lecture Hall, making way for the planned Onstead Science Center.

SA eliminates debate from budget meeting

OPINION SA implents a new about how budget meetings run and we found it troubling

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SPORTS Golf starts practices for spring season

brittany jackson managing editor Students’ Association is switching up its budget meeting this semester. Instead of allowing student groups to speak up about the proposed budget, SA Congress members will argue on their behalf. SA President Rodney Johnson, senior finance major from Odessa, said budget meetings in the past entailed hours of debate and banter between congress members and student groups, but SA will

Laura Benson Page 6

Track doesn’t start practice until after cold front passes

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what’s online

Only two women’s social clubs are participating in spring pledging this year: Tri Kappa Gamma and Zeta Rho. Bid nights for the two clubs will begin Friday. Ciara Beck, Zeta Rho member and junior interdisciplinary major from Colleyville, said her club will have seven new

process for the meeting, eliminating the banter between student groups and congress members. “Congressmen will debate other congressmen on what they think an organization should sponsor,” Johnson said. He said the student groups had time to defend themselves in an earlier meeting with Tate when they requested money from SA. Congress members will receive the numerical data of the budget Tuesday night, in order to review it and prepare questions for

groups if they see a discrepancy or need more clarity on a group’s request. At the meeting, Tate will present the budget and explain why each group was appointed the amount of money they received. Then, the Congress members will be open to ask questions and debate the budget amongst one another. The budget meeting will be at 5:15 p.m. Feb. 4 in COBA Room 201.

contact Jackson at bkj12a@acu.edu

pledges. The pledging process will remain the same as usual. “We try to keep it very traditional and follow the footsteps of each pledge class before” Beck said. Though Zeta Rho’ s bid night rituals will remain mostly the same, the other women’s social club, Tri Kappa Gamma, will introduce new traditions. The next few weeks will be Tri Kappa Gam-

ma’s first chance to formally initiate members, as the social club was not re-chartered in time for Fall 2014 pledging. Tri Kappa’s bid night will begin at a secret location on campus, where current participants will hand out club shirts and bids. From there, the girls will be led on a scavenger hunt around Abilene, which will end with games and devotional time at Southern Hills

Church. “Everyone is extremely excited for tomorrow night,” said Brooklyn Merkord, President of Tri Kappa and sophomore elementary education major from Round Rock. “Its going to be a great opportunity for all of the girls to get to know each other better, and a great chance for the friend groups to mix up. The girls are really excited about this new club.”

The 58 pledges will now become official members of the club, despite having been participants in its re-chartering in the Fall. Each participant was required to pay a $50 interest fee in the fall, and another $150 in January to commit to the club in order to secure a bid. Merkord said the club’s bid night will end any see clubs page 3

Welcome Week takes on new leadership Daniel Block Intramurals editor

VIDEO The dance crew Sanctify starts up again with new members

money this semester and will be present at the meeting. Some semesters, more student groups were on the budget and Johnson said meetings would last several hours, some with arguments between student groups and Congress members. “It’s not helpful to them, nor is it helpful to us,” Johnson said. “This is the best way to maintain fairness and keep groups respectful to one another, and to get out on time.” Johnson is hoping to facilitate a more efficient

Clubs start spring pledging with Bid Night NewsCast Producer

NEWS

not facilitate that any longer. “I’ve been in Congress ever since I got here and up until this year we’ve allowed it to operate this way, but we’ve also not seen any healthy results from it,” he said. He said this proposal is a part of SA’s Rules to Order, a document detailing the body of rules followed by an assembly, but has been disregarded for several years. SA Treasurer Andrew Tate, senior biology major from Abilene, said about 45 groups are requesting

Changes to the First Year Program will result in a revamped Passport and Welcome Week for incoming students. According to an email from Dr. Robert Rhodes, provost, to all faculty and staff, both programs now exist under new leadership and are no longer

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part of the First Year Program. Passport now operates under the Office of EnrollCoupe ment, but was previously headed by Dr. Eric Gumm, registrar and director of the First Year Program. Welcome Week switched from being directed by Gumm to

being led by the Office of Student Life. “These two groups have expertise creating meaningful experiences for prospective and current students, and I am glad they have agreed to lead these important initiatives,” Rhodes said in his email. The First Year Program remains to oversee the academic side of the ACU experience, includ-

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