Orchestrated Screams Ensemble features Halloween tunes Arts Page 5 vol. 103, no. 20
friday october 31, 2014
1 SECTION, 6 PAGES
what’s INSIDE NEWS Texas Supreme Court Justice Jeff Boyd to visit campus Page 3
SPORTS Coach Collums to take on alma mater, UCA
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OPINION We think that students make some good points about their CORE experiences Page 4
paige otway staff Photographer
Kayli Denson, Tori Wilson, Kelsea Marshall and Elley Arrington get ready Halloween carving pumpkins together at Kojie club on Wednesday night.
Frats’ Island scares 500 first weekend
NEWS Beltway Park closing in on finishing construction on their north campus Page 3
OPINION Our cartoonist illustrates the feeling many freshmen and that dreaded annotated biography
elijah Evans staff reporter Now that Halloween has finally arrived, the Frater Sodalis haunted house is in full swing. Over 500 people came for a scare during their opening weekend, last Thursday, Friday and Saturday. “It’s gone really well and people seem to be pretty scared,” said Jonathan Juarez, vice president of Frater Sodalis. The 32-year club tradition is the longest run-
ning haunted house in Abilene. It doles out a legitimately frightening 15 minutes of terror every year. The theme for this year’s event is return of The Haunted Island. It will be open from 7:30 p.m. to midnight Oct. 30-31 and, for the fourth straight year, will take place at 401 N. Loop 322. Keith Sanders, club fundraiser and event planner, encourages everyone to come out for the last two nights. “We’ve historically
done a lot of zombie themes, but we are trying to stay away from that this year,” said Mathew Solomon, president of Frater Sodalis. “I’m just really excited for it because every year, it is probably the best thing about being a Frat.” Club members have been hard at work on the haunted house, said Sanders, senior advertising and public relations major from Abilene. The location is one of the most important aspects, he said.
The Haunted Island is a collection of paths and islands interconnected by bridges surrounded by a swampy lake. It provides the extra element that makes The Haunted Island one of the most terrifying haunted houses in the area, Sanders said. “It usually takes about 15-20 minutes to get through; it’s a pretty good trek,” he said. With the size of the Haunted Island comes a tremendous amount of work involved in the set-
up. Frater Sodalis members have been building fences, props and other integral elements for weeks. “I think it’s going to be fun,” said Cade Allen, sophomore engineering major from Abilene and new member of Frats. “I’ve heard it’s one of the most fun things we do as a club. It’s not an easy thing to do, but it’s worth it.” contact evans at ece12a@acu.edu
AES students meet with president, provost madeline orr editor in chief Page 4
SPORTS Women’s soccer finishes season with a winning Southland record Page 6
INTRAMURALS Siggies, GSP win flag football championship
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what’s online VIDEO Frats prepare for the return to their Haunted Island
Read more at acuoptimist.com
Students from the Department of Agriculture and Environmental Science met with the president of the university, Dr. Phil Schubert, and the provost, Dr. Robert Rhodes, to discuss the future of their degree plans and programs in light of the recent restructuring proposal. Schubert assured students that he and Rhodes are fully committed to teaching out the programs they are currently enrolled in regardless of the future of the degrees. “Know that our commitment is that you get the education that you came here to pursue,” he said. “I’m not aware of any significant degradation or losses in quality that will occur for you guys who are here today in your current degree program.” Rhodes said he hopes to see many of the unique
traditions of the department such as Beast Feast and the ACU Rodeo continue. He also addressed questions concerning endowments of the department as well as the future of Rhoden Farm, which he thinks will remain a part of future classes, labs and will see increased usage by other majors. Rhodes said another critical piece in the timing of this is the building of a new science complex. “We need to think about what these two degrees look like, how common is the partnership in pre-vet and biology nationally, and what does it look like physically?” Rhodes said. “I don’t want us to build a building and not have thought about that.” Junior agribusiness major from Lubbock, Brody Benge, attended the meeting. He said he thinks that there are still a lot of questions that need to be asked and answered to determine what the fu-
ture holds for students. “I’m not very hopeful in the fact that they’ve realized everything that is going to have to change,” he said. “I think more discussion and a deeper understanding of what is going to be required to fulfill those degree plans is needed on both sides.” Rhodes acknowledged the community found among students in the department and the unique bond they have created through both commonality and circumstance. “I don’t think the barriers of the department define that,” he said. “It’s not about the four walls that you’re in and it’s not just about the name of your department but there is something special about your group and I think it’s important that that lives on, whatever the configuration is. emily guajardo staff Photographer contact orr at mco10b@acu.edu
Dr. Robert Rhodes, provost of the university, spoke with AES students about the future of their department.
CORE requirements to be revevaluated allison brown managing editor The General Education Review Board has met several times over the month of October to discuss the university’s CORE and general education requirements. Dr. Gregory Straughn, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said the committee is still in the
data-gathering phase of the review. “We are asking are the outcomes being met, what’s good or bad about them and we want to see how things are working,” Straughn said. The committee is composed of five faculty and three ex officio members: Dr. Neal Coates, Dr. Lauren Lemley, Trevor Thompson, Dr. Stephen Baldridge, Dr. Orneita
Gray Burton, Dr. Phyllis Bolin, Dr. Chris Riley and Dr. Eric Gumm. When the CORE curriculum was established several years ago, committee members voted to have a review process after four years. This comprehensive review of general education and CORE classes is taking place to evaluate these academic areas. In addition to the committee meeting together,
Abilene Christian University
they have had discussions with all faculty, conducted student conversations and randomly sampled students for surveys. “I think there will be some changes, but I am more encouraged now by what I am hearing than what I was hearing four or five years ago,” Straughn said. “I still think there is a good amount of work to do for us to make the experiences as high as we
can.” The board will sift through the data in November and present a report with their commendations for things done well and recommendations and suggestions for changes in the curriculum.
contact brown at akb12b@acu.edu