To Tokyo and back Exchange student returns
vol. 103, no. 38
Wednesday, February, 25, 2015
1 SECTION, 6 PAGES
Feature Page 5
what’s INSIDE NEWS Students organize music festival in Abilene Page 3
SPORTS Women’s basketball secures fourth straight win
Page 6
NEWS Maker Lab opens registration to second annual Maker Academy Page 3
SPORTS Softball takes on nationally-ranked Oregon and Baylor Page 6
OPINION
paige otway staff photographer
Students took advantage of their day off Monday. Kirk Farrell, junior youth and family ministry major from Richardson, and Molly Clemans, junior interdisciplinary major from Melissa, play in the snow with Summer Cotton, golden retriever from Keller.
Icy weather closes and delays classes emily studer
Technology in the classroom is contested between marketing and professors
Page 4
SPORTS Men’s basketball suffers 10th straight loss, 55-54 Page 6
student reporter Monday classes were canceled and Tuesday classes were delayed until 1:30 p.m. because of ice and snow around campus, leaving students to play and study on a day off. Driving became difficult on Monday morning as a result of icy weather and frosty temperatures. Although the university decided Sunday evening to delay opening the next day until 10 a.m., re-evaluation of the weather conditions resulted in a snow day for ACU. “No one person makes that decision, but a campus weather advisory board gath-
Construction completed in basement of Campus Center Page 3
what’s online VIDEO Students take a break from school to play on an icy campus
Read more at www.acuoptimist.com
Motz stressed that it is not snow which triggers a late opening or closure but icy conditions that pose a serious safety risk to the ACU community. “The police department monitors the roads around campus and the campus itself,” Motz said. “They also listen to the Abilene Police Department radio traffic, how many wrecks are there, what are the traffic conditions and, of course, looking at the weather.” Motz also said they take into consideration what Abilene Independent School District, Wylie Independent School District and Dyess Air Force Base are doing. By observing different key establishments around the
city, ACU’s weather advisory board can determine what actions should be taken in delaying classes or closing campus altogether. The snow day wasn’t all fun and games, though. The library opened at 11 a.m., and many students made the trek to study. Macie Liptoi, junior worship ministry major from Plano, was one of those students. “I’m going to use this time to be productive, because when do we ever have a day that we don’t have anything to do as a college student?” Liptoi said. “Not very often, so I’m going to have fun and study.” ACU personnel arrived early in the morning to make campus function as smoothly
as possible despite weather conditions. Marina Durrett, senior nursing major from Houston, said she was appreciative.IMG_2120 “I’m really thankful that we got the day off,” she said. “I’m also really appreciative of all the people doing their jobs; all the grounds crew who salted the sidewalks, the police officers who continually keep us safe and all the dining service employees who kept everyone fed. I know they’re also concerned about the weather, but they still showed up to do their job, so I’m very thankful for them today.” contact the optimist at jmcnetwork@acu.edu
Bryce leaves Summit post for teaching bailey werderich student reporter
NEWS
ers information from various sources and makes a collective decision either late the night before or very early in the morning,” said Lt. Randy Motz of the ACU Police Department. “Some items of consideration are current road conditions, police reports of vehicles colliding or running off the road, the potential for conditions to worsen or remain severe for an extended period of time and what local school districts have decided in regards to late openings or closure.” The ACU weather advisory board does not give out snow days lightly, said assistant ACU police chief Randy Motz. Much consideration is given to determine what conditions are suitable, he said.
Brady Bryce has handed over the reins of Summit after more than seven years as the director of ministry events. During his time in leadership, Bryce has been credited with revolutionizing Summit, the university’s annual fall lectureship event. He refocused the event on students by using social media to start conversations with presenters, brought in diverse speakers and changed the event schedule to fit with class schedules.
Bryce has served double duty as the director of ministry events and the director of contextual education in the Graduate School of Theology, with reassigned time dedicated to events such as Summit. He requested to make the transition to a fulltime faculty position with a full class load. Bryce said he is proud of how he and his team expanded Summit conversations outside of one tradition and even beyond the Christian tradition. “If I had to tag what I’m most proud of, it would be that women were given a
voice during my time,” Bryce said. “That is no comparison to what it was before.” Bryce said bryce he hopes Summit will continue to be a face-to-face experience and stresses the importance of people coming together. Dr. Ken Cukrowski, dean of the College of Biblical Studies, supports Bryce in his decision. “Brady teaches first-time graduate students and is the first face they see from the
department,” Cukrowski said. “He plays a vital role in the health of the program.” David Wray, professor emeritus of Bible, missions and ministry, former chair of the College of Biblical Studies and an elder at Highland Church of Christ, will serve as interim director of Summit this year. Cukrowski said he has full confidence in Wray’s capabilities. “His greatest gifts are organizing and bringing people together in community,” Cukrowski said. Students, faculty and staff input on the direction of Summit is welcomed. Car-
son Reed, assistant professor of practical theology and director of ministry program, is leading campus conversations about the future of Summit. “Summit 2015, once again, is inviting some outstanding spiritual leaders from across the world to be on campus and present principles from the book of Philippians,” Wray said. The conversations begin at the end of February and run through May. contact the optimist at jmcnetwork@acu.edu
BSA presents ‘Unchained’ at Paramount mercedez hernandez student reporter The Black Students’ Association will tackle the hardships of black history in its upcoming production, Unchained: A Black History Program. Unchained will be performed at 7 p.m. Feb. 27 at the Paramount Theatre. Tickets can be purchased from cast members or a BSA officer. Tickets cost
$5 for the general public, $3 for BSA members and $6 if purchased online. To purchase tickets online, visit acu.edu/ome and follow the “Black History Production” link. The program, which was written and arranged by Khamisie Green, junior music education major from Odessa and president of BSA, touches on issues from slavery to the recent incidents in Ferguson, Missouri, and
New York. “The goal is to educate ACU and the community on black history,” said Ryan Randolph, BSA adviser. The play also draws inspiration from slave narratives and the works of respected black authors such as Maya Angelou, something Randolph said is important for people in the community to see. “It’s one thing to hear what happened, but to
Abilene Christian University
see it progress from then to now, it’s kind of a way for us to feel pushed to keep going,” she said. The play features members of BSA, many of which have never acted before. Zar’Rian Parker, sophomore animal science major from Dallas, has never acted but said this production was almost like a calling to him. “Unchained is really like the love of God in
one play, speaking on our pains from the past and our ancestries pushing to be unchained,” he said. One particular scene has been the hardest for Parker to do, but he said the best way to give an honest portrayal is to become the character. “Khamisie sat me down one day during lunch and was like, ‘Actually become the charsee bsa page 3