Swing Cats brings two jazz bands to annual fall event Page 2
FEATURE
Friday, October 6, 2017 Vol. 106, Issue 07
A student publication of Abilene Christian University since 1912
DELTA THETA RETURNS TO CAMPUS Page 4
#PLEDGINGSZN CHRISTI LIM GRAPHIC DESIGNER Students pledging Gamma Sigma Phi men’s social club stand on the steps of the Amphitheatre on Bid Night Friday.
CALENDAR 10/6 •
Crowder concert at 7 p.m. in Moody
10/7 •
Football v. McNeese State at 7 p.m.
10/9 •
OMA’s Sundaes on Mondaes at 6:30 p.m.
10/10 •
Poetry Slam II at 7:30 p.m. in Brown Library
10/12 •
COBA Distinguished Speaker luncheon with Wendy Davidson
10/13 •
Swing Cats Fall Stomp at Elks Art Center
BOX OFFICE SEPT. 29-OCT. 1 1. Kingsman: The Golden Circle $16,935,565 2. It
$16,902,442 3. American Made $16,776,390 4. The LEGO Ninjango Movie $11,644,237 5. Flatliners $6,574,326
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DAYS UNTIL
HOMECOMING
NEWS
DOGS OF ACU Page 3
Athletes balance pledging and sports seasons
BY LAUREN FRANCO CONTENT MANAGING EDITOR
Although athletes tend to have busy schedules, some still decided to get involved through pledging this fall. Natalie Jackson, a sophomore track and field athlete, said she’s looking forward to pledging because, despite the time commitment, it energizes her and allows her to accomplish a lot. “Student athletes are the best managers of their time because we have multiple
practices, obligations and sporting events on top of academics,” said Jackson, a kinesiology major from Gonzalez. “The relationships that have already formed through rushing make the sacrifices well worth the extra effort. If you want something bad enough, you’ll make it happen.” Lee De Leon, director of athletics, said he wants athletes to get involved with the rest of the student body, whether through pledging or
other student organizations. “I think it’s extremely important for our student athletes to be a part of something bigger than themselves and bigger than just their teams,” De Leon said. “If they limit themselves in their college experience to just their sports, they’re really missing out. There are a lot of incredibly talented students outside of athletics that they need to know.” De Leon said he feels so strongly about this issue
because when he attended Notre Dame, he wasn’t a student athlete, but he had friends on the football team, one of whom inspired him to pursue the career of athletics director. He said spending time with people who were different from him helped his college experience. “I hope that our student athletes can grow by interacting with students who are different from them,” Lee said. “I just think there’s so much that
we can learn from other people, and I hope our athletes don’t limit themselves to learning just from their teammates.” On the other hand, some athletes don’t have the desire to pledge, but get involved on campus through other groups and events. Baylee Travers, the first baseman for softball, said club isn’t really for her because of money, scheduling, the idea of “fake friend-
grown more diverse with a rise in the number of black and Hispanic students. Clubs typically mirror the student population, Craig said, but the club diversity data will not be available until later in the year. Frater Sodalis sponsor Tim Yandell said he thinks about 25 percent of the club’s pledge class is ethnically diverse. He said the pledge class has students from Brazil, Thailand, Hong Kong and Africa. “We’re very, very cultur-
we love you and please love us’. And then most on my heart is look to Jesus, he is the solution to any problem people have.” Jaxon Goodspeed, senior youth and family ministry, finance and accounting double major from Farmer’s Branch said hearing Eubank tell his story was impactful. “I was in awe, hearing testimonies of God’s power like David’s is always inspiring,” Goodspeed said. “It’s awesome to hear about the way God is moving through people in war torn countries, spreading his word.”
SEE ATHLETES PAGE 2
Pledging numbers lower than rush turnout BY HALEY REMENAR EDITOR IN CHIEF
More than 100 women dropped out of the rush process before Call Night. Although about 370 women registered to rush, only 279 women decided to pledge this fall. Tom Craig, director of student organizations and productions, said registration opened in April and many women changed their plans by the time Bid Night took place on Sept. 29. Craig also said busy schedules with work and
school or family reasons can also cause women to drop out of the pledging process.
“It is not an usual process to have some natural atrophy in those numbers,” Craig said. “Sometimes
other things come up in their lives and they change their mind.” Pledging numbers may change if students decided not to complete pledging, but 142 men are pledging and 279 women are pledging for a total of 421 students in the pledge process. This amounts to about 46 percent of the sophomore class, which has 904 students, although some of the pledges are juniors and seniors. During the last few years, the student population has
bassadors for Jesus and for us in conflict areas, where people have been attacked and people have been displaced, have been shot, are fleeing and sick and hungry,” Eubank said. “To go in and give help, that’s mostly medical, but also any other kind of material help that we can carry in. And to give love and to remind people that God hasn’t forgotten them.” Eubank, his wife, Karen, and three children, Sahale, Suuzanne and Peter work with 70 ethnic relief teams in conflict areas. The family started the Global Day of Prayer for Burma and the Good Life Club family out-
reach program, which Karen and Peter help facilitate. While Eubank is generally right in the middle of the action, his family is often times just several hundred yards behind him, caring for oppressed families and children. Karen said raising a family has been enhanced by their experiences in Burma and with the Free Burma Rangers. “It was a decision: how are we going to do this with our family?” Karen said. “But because we had already built so many relationships with these young leaders, which were now are brothers and sisters in Christ, it was natural to go
to their families, it was natural to go to their villages.” Eubank had previously known Larry Henderson from time spent in Thailand, and it was Henderson who invited him to speak at ACU. Eubank said when he gets to tell people about what he’s doing, people are often moved and he is thankful for their support. “Mostly it’s encouraging, people say good job and we’ll pray for you and it’s encouraging,” Eubank said. “I feel grateful that people want to listen, because people I care about like the Iraqis or the people in Burma will say, ‘Go back to America and tell the people
PHOTO BY CHRISTI LIM
Frater Sodalis vice president Nate Vela leads pledges, called Brats, in Bid Night activities.
SEE PLEDGING PAGE 2
Nonprofit helping ISIS victims visits campus BY JONATHAN RAITZ SPORTS DIRECTOR
With the same passion that launched him on his journey in 1997, David Eubank shared stories of his experiences as the founder and leader of the Free Burma Rangers at an ACU Missions event Monday. The Free Burma Rangers is a multi-ethnic humanitarian service movement working to bring help, hope and love to people in the conflict zones of Burma, Iraq and Sudan. In 2015, FBR also started relief missions to help Kurds under attack by ISIS in Iraq. “The purpose of the Free Burma Rangers is to be am-
W W W. A C U O P T I M I S T. C O M
JMR13B@ACU.EDU