OPTIMIST THE
FRIDAY October 12, 2007 Vol. 96, No. 14 1 section, 8 pages www.acuoptimist.com
Zoo want a Christmas gift?
Dec. 1 exhibit opening scheduled for Abilene Zoo, page 4
Professors do more than teach
ACU Art Department faculty showcase artistic skills in Shore Art Gallery exhibit, page 4
Doubling up
Two doubles teams to compete in national tournament, page 8
Hosts and hostesses named for 2008 By Kelsi Peace Managing Editor
After being kidnapped on Tuesday night, the 2008 Sing Song hosts and hostesses removed their blindfolds on the Sing Song stage to see a circle of hosts and hostesses who had been selected for this year’s performance. When the co-chairs arrived at her house to kidnap her, Benay Dennis, senior interdisciplinary music and business major from Rio Vista, said all her roommates were home, and two of her close friends were around. “I just screamed and jumped up and down for
about five minutes straight,” Benay said. “I was so excited. It was one of the best feelings of my life.” For the first time, Benay is among four women instead of three to take the Sing Song stage as hostesses; three men were also named host. “We had such a high quantity of high-quality women,” said Samuel Cook, judge and associate professor of voice and opera at ACU. Cook said the scores were so close between some of the women they couldn’t eliminate them — and he added that the men provided an array of talent as well. The other hosts and host-
esses for the 2008 Sing Song, World Tour, are: Kari Anderson, senior Biblical text major from Inkster, Mich.; Isaac Bray, junior vocal music education major from Abilene; Ben Reeves, junior marketing major from Abilene; Marcie Rodriguez, senior graphic design major from Snyder; Elizabeth Anne Russell, senior communication/marketing major from College Station; and Anna Peters, junior family ministry/elementary education major from Houston. The panel of five judges selected the seven hosts and hostesses from 53 contestants after judging prepared auditions, sight-reading, cho-
reography, stage presence and vocal blending. The host who stands out in Cook’s mind sang a Stevie Wonder song at his audition — one of the judge’s favorites artists. “He blew my socks off,” Cook said. A vocalist himself, Cook said he looked for performances with freedom and emotion and the power to invoke emotion. A second-time judge, Cook applauded this year’s process for its organization and said he enjoyed seeing the array of talent on campus. See
2008 Sing Song hosts and hostesses
Marcie Rodriguez
senior graphic design major from Snyder
Elizabeth Russell
senior marketing communication major from College Station
Kari Anderson
Isaac Bray
senior Biblical text major from Inkster, Mich.
HOSTS page 5
Benay Dennis
senior interdisciplinary major from Rio Vista
Ben Reeves
junior vocal education major from Abilene
v marketing major from Abilene
ACU police investigate exposure
Def Poetry Jam SA executive president Matt Worthington presented a petition with about 800 signatures from students, staff and faculty supporting a move to bring popular slam poetry group Def Poetry Jam to campus. “I think ultimately, there’s a lot of students who said they want this to happen, and I think we should be a part of that,” Worthington told Congress. The group approached Worthington about performing at the university, but the staggering $9,000 to $12,000 it would cost to host the group has prevented interested departments from participating. Worthington said the theatre, English and sociology departments expressed interest, but the high cost halted any plans. Worthington said the group selected ACU among a list of religious institutions, telling him some events on campus attracted them. “We have a history of having people on campus that don’t necessarily reflect our views,” Worthington said. However, the differing views have raised some administrative eyebrows. “There are concerns about censorship,” Worthington said. If the group does come to campus, Worthington said they could perform the slam contest at an off-campus venue and conduct a poetry workshop on campus. SA did not act.
Anna Peters
junior family ministry and education major from Houston
By Jared Fields Editor-in-Chief
katie gager CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
Graduate students Shepherd Mbumwae and Eric Wallace present their leadership seminar plan to Congress on Wednesday.
Congress ponders, passes in busy day By Kelsi Peace Managing Editor
The Students’ Association Congress considered a leadership workshop, passed a previously tabled bill to create an internal affairs committee and voted down a bill to protect members’ privacy at Wednesday’s meeting. Graduate students Eric Wallace, Marie Womplou and Shepherd Mbumwae approached Congress about a proposed leadership training they will conduct as part of a class. “We can learn one or two things from you, and you can learn one or two things from us,” Mbumwae told Congress. The team, called Shepherd’s Flock, has observed the organization for the past few weeks, compiling advice to improve leadership
and team training. Lance Davis is also a team member. “Given the choice of being ordinary or magnificent, which would you chose?” Wallace challenged representatives, encouraging them to register for the workshop. The training sessions are voluntary, and members who filled out a survey on Wednesday committed to three hours of training. “I think it does offer a real potential for all of us,” Dr. Jeff Arrington, associate dean of campus life, said. Arrington said he has committed to the workshop. After tabling a bill to create an ad hoc Internal Affairs Committee last week, Congress resurrected the legislation, amending the bill to make all members eligible by vote of the bill’s authors. The director of Internal Affairs, vice president Daniel Paul Wat-
kins, will break any ties. The bill’s authors, freshman senator Jeareme Mosley, senior senator Brandon Smith, Don Morris Rep. Tony Godfrey and Gibson Rep. Jared Elk, said they seek to eliminate internal arguments from general SA meetings to allow for a more external focus. “We’re not saying those debates shouldn’t happen,” Godfrey said. “[But] our meeting should be about affairs external to this organization.” The ad hoc committee has the power to make recommendations to congress, but does not have the ability to take action without approval from congress. Chief development officer Ryan Stephen endorsed the bill, telling Congress its squabbling over internal affairs has been “hindering progress” and doing a “disservice to the student body.”
“We been working so much and bickering so much amongst ourselves,” Stephen said. University Park Rep. Casey Bingham, echoed Stephen’s sentiments, and said he thinks the committee will free up time to focus issues students care about. Congress passed the bill with 33 votes and two votes opposing, one abstaining. University Park Rep. Caleb Archer presented a bill to revoke the right of the meeting’s director – usually Worthington – to require a reason from representatives who leave the meeting early. Under current regulations, Parliamentarian Matt Greenberg said, Worthington has the power to ask for a reason and deny a representative’s request to leave a See
SA page 5
ACU Police Chief Jimmy Ellison said the department has no suspect for an Oct. 1 incident in which a man exposed himself to a student. The department sent a campus-wide crime alert Oct. 4 to inform ACU faculty, staff and students about the incident. Erica Findley was walking home when she noticed the man in the SUV. Findley, a junior art major from Bakersfield, Calif., walked past the SUV when it was parked and noticed the man. After passing, he started the vehicle and turned on the street she was crossing to walk down. The vehicle parked ahead of her and on the opposite side of the street from Findley. As Findley passed, she looked over to see who the person was and instead saw the man, still in the SUV, exposing himself. Findley said she wanted to just walk to her roommate’s car in front of her house and get in to feel safer. Then, she said she wanted to drive back to get the license plate number with a better sense of security than if she were still walking. However, the man pulled away and drove off in the opposite direction of Findley before she could get to her house. “I turned back around and kept walking,” Findley said. “I was maybe a couple of houses away before I got to my house.” “He turned on the car and See
POLICE page 5
Faculty art exhibit shows talent goes beyond classroom By Pete Koehn Student Reporter
The Shore Art Gallery opened its new exhibit on Monday, a biennial event featuring a collection of art pieces produced by the faculty of the Department of Art and Design. Garlan Jenkens, director of the Shore Art Gallery and adjunct professor, will be coordinating the exhibit. As director of the gallery, Jenkens’ usual responsibilities include coordinating all exhibitions for senior students and organizing traveling showcases.
The exhibit will feature a great range of art, Jenkens said. Media include paintings, sculptures and digital art. Jenkens said he believes it is important for students, faculty and the Abilene community to see the works of these professors. “What we’re about is creative work, creating and exhibiting. There’s not much to art if you don’t share it,” Jenkens said. Jenkens’ own pieces are non-representational, from a series called “Spiritcatchers.” Jack Maxwell, chair of the art and design department,
Department of Journalism and Mass Communication
also has pieces featured in the exhibit. “Each of the department faculty members produce art, and some produce specifically for this exhibition,” Maxwell said. “Personally, I don’t think there is much more we can do that is as important as letting students see the work of their teachers,” Maxwell said. Dan McGregor, assistant professor of art, said he feels that the exhibit is important for students to attend. “It’s a chance to get them a window into our creative lives. It’s important that students know we actually make art.
We’re so busy teaching, they often don’t see us making art,” McGregor said. McGregor’s entries are what he terms “interactive” oil paintings. His paintings feature rotating wheels and spinning blades, and influence he attributes to his father, an engineer. Kenny Jones, associate professor, also spoke of the importance of the exhibit, “I think sometimes we forget that hidden in the word ‘professor’ is the word ‘profess’. We profess our discipline,” Jones said. “Look how much effort and energy it takes to
produce this exhibit. I find it invigorating.” The reception for the exhibit will be held Friday, Oct. 19, from 7-9 p.m. All faculty members of the Art and Design Department will be present. Tours of the gallery exhibit are offered for any class at ACU. The Shore Art Gallery is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and the exhibit will be on display until Oct. 28.
Abilene Christian University
TODD PIERSALL STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
E-mail Koehn at: optimist@acu.edu
“Seraph” by Dan McGregor is displayed in the Shore Art Gallery’s Faculty Art Exhibit.
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