The Optimist Print Edition 3.06.15

New at the Neon Downtown lounge brings in musical guests Feature Page 5 vol. 103, no. 41

Friday, march 6, 2015

1 SECTION, 6 PAGES

Johnson resigns as SA president

what’s INSIDE

easy for me personally,” the letter said. “I lost someone editor in chief very close to me at the beginning of my term and over Rodney Johnson has re- the past year I have not taksigned as SA president. Beau en the time needed to deal Carter, formerly vice presi- with this loss, therefore I’ve dent, has assumed the posi- decided it’s in my best intertion. est to resign from SA at this Chris Riley, vice president time.” of Student Life, informed Riley said Johnson, seCongress of Johnson’s deci- nior marketing major from sion and read a letter from Odessa, has accomplished Johnson explaining his de- all of the agenda items he set cision at Wednesday’s SA out to do this year and that meeting. Johnson was not he encouraged Johnson to present at the meeting. take some time for himself.

“This year has not been Carter, junior political

Madeline Orr

NEWS Ice storms cause car accidents around campus Page 3

SPORTS ‘Cats look to finish season strong in Corpus Christi

science major from Farmers Branch, said according to the constitution, if there is a vacancy in the office of the president, the vice president becomes the president.

After the announcement of his resignation, Andrew Tate, executive treasurer, and Cole McClellen, CFO, announced their resignations. Congress then appointed Tate to executive vice president and McClellen to executive treasurer.

“Since Rodney’s leave of absence until now, we have been preparing in the case

this would happen,” Carter said. “Essentially, we just move forward.”

Savannah Hostetter, SA executive administrator, will take over the External Affairs committee which Johnson previously led.

Johnson’s letter said he was confident in the executive team and congress members.

“I’m encouraged by the fact that I am leaving the organization in great hands,” Johnson’s letter read. “I remain very proud of our work together and what we ac-

complished for the students this year.”

Riley said he felt it was important for Johnson to be involved in the changing of the guard ceremony at the end of the semester.

In the history of ACU’s 89 SA presidents, only one has resigned and one was impeached. In 1967, Steve Woods resigned the summer his term began. In 2009, Daniel Paul Watkins was impeached and removed from office. see sA page 3

Page 6

OPINION Carrying our iPhones around in our pockets practically makes us robots Page 3

SPORTS Men look to start win streak against Islanders Page 6

OPINION Should we worry about the raised student activity fee?

The Editorial Board was split emily guajardo staff Photographer

The International Students’ Association and the Chinese Students and Scholars Association partnered to organize a Chinese New Year celebration in Hunter Welcome Center on Thursday night. Children dressed in traditional costumes to ring in the zodiac year of the goat.

Chambers’ demolition to begin Monday Page 4

SPORTS Baseball takes Texas Tech to 16 innings, closing with a tight loss

Page 6

NEWS Despite weather and snow, contruction continues on schedule Page 3

catherine blakemore arts editor Long-awaited demolition on Chambers Hall will officially begin Monday at 9 a.m. and will continue throughout the rest of the semester.

The building has been part of campus for 86 years. Demolition will make room for the Halbert-Walling Research Center, a part of the Vision in Action plan.

“The construction site will be set off with fencing, and some commonly used pedestrian walkways will be affected.

Please take note of those

“

We want to make sure everyone has a chance to kind of come and say farewell...”

Kevin roberts Vice president of planning and operations

changes and plan your detours accordingly,” said Scot Colley, executive director of construction and risk management, in an email released by ACU. Chambers Hall has been a library, cafeteria, residence hall and, most recently, an academic building, as well as a historical home to former students and faculty.

VIDEO The newscast and sportscast recap events on campus

a memento from the old building, though there are no plans as to what they will be used for.

Throughout the process of Vision In Action, construction crews have been working to preserve as many trees as possible through fencing and protective mulching around the bases of trees.

However, the four trees lining Chambers will come down to make room for the new building. The crew will save the trunks to be used at a later time.

“We don’t want to lose the significance of ‘here’s what these things were,’ but there are some things we have to get rid of in or-

der to build a building,” Roberts said.

The area will be mostly demolished by the end of spring break, but students won’t be able to see visible signs of construction until May. “Once we’ve cleared everything off, we’ve got to come in and do all of the civil work,” Roberts said. “That’s making sure the electric lines are run and the plumbing is done.

It’s all below ground and nobody ever sees it.

There’s a ton of work.”

contact blakemore at crb13a@acu.edu

Morris chosen as Dean of Honors college Kneip, Monty Lynn, Suzie Macaluso and Allen Teel.

The committee was formed last fall and was Dr. Jason Morris was an- chosen to run a search nounced to be the new process.

Applications dean for the Honors Col- were due by Dec. 1. lege March 1 after several After multiple intermonths of searching. views with the provost ofThe announcement fice, honors students and was made by an ACU President Phil Schubert, committee chaired by a selection was finally Cynthia Powell. Oth- made. er members included Alison Spencer, acaCarisse Berryhill, An- demic coordinator for drew Huddleston, David the Honors College, said

hannah little

what’s online

This spurred the decision for Kevin Roberts, the vice president of planning and operations, to offer a chance for people to come view the beginning of demolition.

“What we recognized is that this is a really important building,” Roberts said. “We want to make sure that everyone has a chance to kind of come and say farewell and wish it along its way. It’s an important part of our heritage and our legacy here, and we don’t want to gloss over that.”

The crew has been removing the balustrades from the top of Chambers Hall to preserve them as

sports producer

ACUOPTIMIST.COM

Mor r i s’s vision for the Honors College balances practicality and realmorris ism.

“He has a great creative mind for the Honors college and its students,” Spencer said.

Morris brings in a variety of experience such as director of the McNair

The Optimist

Read more at acuoptimist.com

Abilene Christian University

Scholars Program, a Fulbright Scholar in Hungary, and the interim dean of the Honors College.

Through that experience, the Office of Major Scholarships at ACU has prepared him to lead the Honors College.

“Throughout the search for the new dean, he has been the associate and interim dean in the process,” Spencer said.

“Morris has been great friend of mine and I am

@acuoptimist

confident in his position.”

Morris is also known for his passion for students, collegiality and professionalism and his ability to work with many groups across campus.

contact little at hll12a@acu.edu

OPTIMIST@ACU.EDU

friday 3.06.15

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7

friday

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saturday Men’s and women’s basketball at Texas A&M Corpus Christi

4 p.m. Softball versus Southeastern Louisiana University

12 p.m. Softball versus Southeastern Louisiana University

6 p.m. Baseball versus Nicholls State University

2 p.m. Baseball versus Nicholls State University

monday 1 p.m. Baseball game versus Nicholls State University

Spring Break

Announcements

Chapel checkup To date:

9

sunday

Women’s tennis versus University of the Incarnate Word

2

Remaining:

The ACU Undergraduate Research Festival is almost here!

Come to Hunter Welcome Center March 31, to support undergraduate researchers during our seventh annual festival.

40 33

Are you free this summer and in need of a job? Are you energetic, love being around children, and have a passion for Jesus? Then ACU Leadership Camps may be for you. If you have any questions, we are located downstairs in the Campus Center. Apply online at acucamps.com/apply.

@acuoptimist The Optimist

Spoken Word Chapel will meet Tuesdays in the Onstead Packer Biblical Studies Building, Room 250. Come listen, share and be ministered to by Christ-centered poetry.

Midnight Worship is every Friday night at Fountaingate Fellowship, 909 N. Willis. Join college students and young adults across Abilene as we unite to worship.

The Graduate School academic journal, Conversations, is now accepting article submissions related to the humanities, social sciences and theology. Creative writing submissions will be accepted for the journal’s new blog, located at http://blogs.acu.edu/ conversations/. Deadline for submissions is April 10.

The second annual Finals Fun Fest will be April 25. The four-on-four grass volleyball tournament will be at Sanders Intramural Fields. Cost is $80 per team. Each team can have a maximum of five players, but only four can participate at a time; at least one player must be female. The play schedule will be sent by email before-

hand. For more information or to register, contact Ijeoma Moronu at ish07a@acu.edu or at 674-2383.

ACU’s Intramural Rodeo will be March 26. Registration begins March 16 after Chapel in the Campus Center. Cost for a four-person team is $100.

Spectator tickets are $5 for one, or $8 for two. Register now to secure your spot.

Spaces are limited.

optimist@acu.edu police log SELECTED ACUPD CALLS FOR THE WEEK 02/26/2015 10:45 a.m. A student’s vehicle was burglarized while parked in front of his residence in the 2100 block of Lincoln Drive.

02/26/2015 1:30 p.m. A student’s vehicle was burglarized while parked in front of a residence in the 800 block of Green Valley Drive.

03/01/2015 12:01 a.m. ACUPD responded to a citizen’s complaint of a loud party in the 600 block of EN 20th Street. The party was shut down.

03/01/2015 2:39 a.m. APD dispatched ACUPD to a noise violation call in building 3 of The Grove Apartments. Loud music and talking were quietened.

03/01/2015 2:50 a.m. APD dispatched ACUPD to a noise violation call in building 6 at The Grove Apartments. Tenant complied with warnings to quiet down.

03/01/2015 11 p.m. ACUPD responded to building 4 at University Park Apartments and found loud noises inside an apartment; tenant was warned to quiet down.

03/02/2015 9:40 p.m. ACUPD investigated a tenant’s report that someone had shot one of the apartment windows with a pellet gun at University Park Apartments.

Stats for the Week of Feb. 26 - March 5, 2015 - Total: 395 ACCIDENT 2 ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIVITY 25 ADVICE 1 ALARM 2 ANIMAL CALL 1 ASSIST 2 BARRICADES 12 BOOT/UNBOOT VEHICLE 3 BUILDING LOCK/UNLOCK 9 BURGLARY (MOTOR VEHICLE) 2 CHECK BUILDING 163 CIVIL DISTURBANCE 1 CRIMINAL MISCHIEF 1 DIRECT TRAFFIC 1 DISABLED VEHICLE 1

ESCORT 4 EVENT SUPPORT 1 FIRE 1 FOOT PATROL 23 FOUND PROPERTY 2 INFORMATION REPORT 2 LOST PROPERTY 5 MAINTENANCE: UNIV. ASSETS 7 MEDICAL EMERGENCY 1 MONITOR FACILITY/LOT 1 MOTORIST ASSIST: AIR TIRE 2 MOTORIST ASSIST: JUMP 11 MOTORIST ASSIST: OTHER 2 MOTORIST ASSIST: UNLOCK 9 NOISE VIOLATION 5

OTHER 7 PARKING LOT PATROL 21 PARKING VIOLATION 1 PATROL VEHICLE: MAINTENANCE 1 PATROL VEHICLE: REFUEL 7 RANDOM PATROL 19 REPORT WRITING 7 SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY 2 SUSPICIOUS PERSON 1 THEFT 1 TRAFFIC HAZARD 6 INVESTIGATION FOLLOW UP 16 WELFARE CHECK 4

Police Chief Tip of the Week: If you are not enrolled or current with ACU ALERT, it’s free and easy. Go to acu.edu/ acualert or text “ACU ALERT” to 79516 from your phone.

Intramurals

The calm before the storm: bye week for intramurals THE VAGABONDAGE REC-COVERING SAMANTHA SUTHERLAND ADDICT

DANIEL BLOCK

Spring break is here, which means all intramural teams will receive a much-needed bye week before entering the final two rounds of playoffs.

Some teams will use the break to rest injured stars, while others will force their players to follow strict training regimens so they do not lose their ‘touch’ leading into the most meaningful games of the season. And still other teams will simply hope all their players make it back to Abilene by next Monday and don’t wind up in a Mexican jail or left for dead on a beach in Florida.

Men’s Champ League

We’re down to the final four, and this is far more exciting than March Madness.

It’s no surprise, but the top four teams from the regular season are the only ones still standing.

Sub T was the first team through after a 4938 victory over Galaxy.

The Moonies actually held a lead with five minutes to play but coughed it up faster than a feral cat with a hair ball.

Skillz that Killz followed suit, defeating Men of BSA 46-35. AJ Huff, captain of the Skillz, said his team has an elaborate game plan that he believes gives the Skillz an advantage over other teams.

“Our biggest key has been to put the ball in the basket more than the other team,” Huff said. “Also, stopping them from putting the ball in the basket has proven to be somewhat effective.”

On Tuesday, Drain’n 3’s & Drink’n DPs and GSP joined their rivals in the semifinals with victories over Trojans and 300 respectively. GSP’s twopoint victory was by far the closest quarterfinal game and nearly the entire crowd was biting its fingernails, except for the Kojies. They already lost their nails from all the scratching and clawing in their quarterfinal game an hour earlier.

Looking ahead, both semifinal games will take place on the Tuesday after the break. At 9 p.m., the No. 1 versus No. 4 matchup pits Drain’n 3’s against Sub T-16 in what should be a game for the ages. And by that I mean

MEN’S CHAMP BASKETBALL SEMI-FINALS ON MARCH 17

all ages, because some of the guys on Drain’n 3’s are like 50. Or at least way too old to be in school.

Clearly the intramural dream dies harder than Bruce Willis for some.

Immediately following, Skillz that Killz will face GSP. This should be another exciting matchup, simply because the two teams with equal 4-1 records haven’t faced much similar competition, let alone each other.

Will the freshmen from Skillz that Killz be able to muster enough of their high school swag to take down GSP’s team first mentality?

Women’s Champ League Much like the men, there aren’t any surprises in the women’s final four draw.

The only two non-social club teams, LEGIT and The Has-Beens, finished with the first two seeds and had byes this

week. As a result, by the time they play their semifinal games on Tuesday, it will be three full weeks since their last matches.

Will they be able to shake off the rust? Eboni Ellerson from LEGIT seems to think the time off will actually be a positive.

“Maria Morrell will save money because she won’t have to commute from San Antonio to Abilene for games and the rest of us won’t smell like nasty gym,” Ellerson said.

She said her team is confident in its ability to stay perfect through the playoffs and win the championship.

“Playoffs are cool, and being undefeated isn’t bad either,” Ellerson said, “but let’s be real. We are closer to a basic T-shirt, which we have already chosen the color for. It has us working hard.”

On Tuesday at 10 p.m., LEGIT will play Ko Jo Kai

in the semifinals. Ellerson said she looks forward to the matchup because the Kojies have beaten her team in the final for the last four years. At ACU we’re taught to turn the other cheek, but after four years, one might run out of cheeks. It’s time to get revenge.

The other semifinal will feature The HasBeens and Sigma Theta Chi on Tuesday at 8 p.m.

During the regular season The Has-Beens pulled out a two-point victory, so you can be sure the hair will be pulled and fists will f ly in this one as every basket will be more precious than a Siggie’s ring by spring.

Now go enjoy your spring break and stay away from Florida beaches and Mexican prisons.

contact block at djb13a@acu.edu

WOMEN’S CHAMP BASKETBALL SEMI-FINALS ON MARCH 17

Drain’n 3’s & Drink’n DPs versus Sub T-16

The Has-Beens versus Sigma Theta Chi

9 p.m., Gym C

8 p.m., Gym C

Skillz that Killz versus GSP

LEGIT. versus Ko Jo Kai

10 p.m., Gym C

10 p.m., Gym B

3

news

friday 3.06.15

Abilene considers plan to add new bike lanes daniel block intramurals editor The City of Abilene may soon become more bicycle-friendly.

Abilene’s Metropolitan Planning Organization drafted a plan for the creation of bike lanes and paths throughout the city. The committee is fielding questions and comments on the plan before submitting its draft to the City Planning and Zoning Department March 16. They hope to present it to the City Council at meetings April 9 and 23.

Dr. Kerri Hart, associate director of the Money Student Recreation and Wellness Center, is part of the committee and said she believes the bicycle plan will have a positive impact on Abilene as a whole.

“What we hope to do is to make it to where more people are out on bicycles for environmental purposes as well as health purposes,” Hart said.

The plan involves creating bicycle routes, lanes and trails as well as educating cyclists and drivers regarding bicycle safety, especially on streets.

“I think Abilene wants to be a bike-friendly city,” Hart said. “And that takes educating not only the bicycle riders but the drivers in the city of Abilene.”

The routes would involve specified bike lanes on streets as well as bike paths and trails away from the roads.

emily guajArdo Staff Photographer

Lanes were designated for bike riders on State Highway 351 last summer.

Hart said she wishes the push would be more for bike trails and paths away from city streets rather than bike lanes, due to safety issues.

One of the primary bike trails would exist along Cedar Creek once the waterway is developed.

Dr. Jim Cooke, professor of environmental science, said bike lanes would be a welcome sight.

“My experience is the streets in Abilene are not bike-friendly at all,” Cooke said. “Being a bicycle rider myself and realizing how dangerous it is on the Abilene streets to ride a bicycle and how important it is for health and recreation, it’s something I’d like to have.”

Abilene’s only designated bike lane exists on Ambler Avenue below the Inter-

state 20 overpass.

E’Lisa Smetana, executive director of the Abilene MPO, said the plan is to develop these lanes out to city limits.

“ACU students will be able to utilize this to access shopping and restaurants in a travel lane designed for bicycles before many others in Abilene get to experience that,” Smetana said.

She said hopes students will take advantage of the bike lanes and provide feedback on the committee’s plan.

Hart also stressed the importance of students getting on board and making their ideas known. She encourages students to go to the public city meetings in April to show their support.

“If they see the universi-

ties in the city getting behind that, because we support a lot of the economy, they’ll be more (willing) in passing the bonds needed to do those things,” Hart said.

Jon James, director of development services for the City of Abilene, said the purpose is to improve the average citizen’s access to easy transportation.

“The primary goal of the plan is to better accommodate bicyclists in the city’s transportation network in order to make bicycling a viable and safe transportation alternative,” James said.

As far as a timeline is concerned, Smetana said the plan is still fluid and will be ongoing.

“It will be implemented as money becomes available, when selected streets are reconstructed or as development occurs within the range of the plan,” she said.

“We look at this plan as a continual project.”

The Abilene Bicycle Plan goes hand-in-hand with the Cedar Creek Waterway initiative. Together, these two projects could provide Abilene a significant facelift and better reputation as a family-friendly city.

“This is a very progressive move for Abilene, to look toward the future and to do things that are positive and will be good for citizens that are relatively inexpensive but very important,” Cooke said. contact block at djb13a@acu.edu

Ice causes crashes, accidents around town abby runnels page 2 editor Last week’s ice storm and frigid temperatures caused more than school cancellations.

Several car accidents in the area around ACU kept the ACU Police Department busy while students took a break from classes.

During the week of Feb. 22-March 3, 28 separate ice-related incidents were reported, said ACU Police Chief Jimmy Ellison.

“Those were mostly minor accidents, at least the ones around the ACU area,” he said.

Those were only a small fraction of the car accidents around the city that same week with a total of 286 ice-related car accidents in Abilene alone, according to the Abilene Police.

Ellison said most of the accidents around the university can be attributed to drivers with inexperience driving on icy roads.

“A lot of those accidents are just people not used to driving on the ice or not driving according to the conditions,” he said.

While many students do not have much experience driving in icy con-

“

You just have to be careful and know what to do in certain situations. If you don’t know how, it’s better to stay off the road than put others in danger.” danielle boyle junior elementary education major from atlanta

ditions, some from other states are used to it and said they weren’t troubled by it.

“My dad is from New York, and my mom is from Washington, D.C., so they taught me how to drive in the snow and ice,” said Danielle Boyle, elementary education major from Atlanta. “You just have to be careful and know

what to do in certain situations. If you don’t know how, it’s better to stay off the road than put others in danger.”

The Texas Department of Transportation recommends maintaining “at least three times the normal following distance on snow or ice” as drivers would in normal conditions.

“The biggest problem people have on the ice is they don’t leave ample distance between themselves and other cars,” said Ellison. “You can’t leave the same distance between you and the car in front of you when you’re traveling on ice as you can on dry pavement.”

Even driving slowly and carefully, it can still be difficult to travel safely during inclement weather like Abilene experienced last week. The easiest fix, Ellison said, is to stay off the roads completely.

“The more people will stay off the roads, the

fewer accidents we would have,” said Ellison.

Despite 28 separate incidents, Ellison said he believes ACU experienced fewer accidents than in previous years with snow days.

“Generically speaking, I think there were fewer this time around,” he said. “One of the reasons is that the ice events that we’ve had recently are typically one or two days, where in years past, they might be three or four days in duration.” contact runnels at anr11a@acu.edu

Isenhower receives award for dedication bailey werderich student reporter Thirty-eight years of persistence, risk-taking and research has finally paid off for Dr. Donald Isenhower, professor of engineering and physics.

Isenhower received the American Physical Society’s 2015 Prize for a Faculty Member for Research in an Undergraduate Institution.

“I’ve spent 38 years do-

ing electronics, building detectors, debugging systems and learning how to make things work in ways they weren’t meant to and how to fix things that others considered hopeless,” Isenhower said.

Isenhower discovered his love of physics and engineering at a very young age.

“I figured out how to build an iron rocket after reading about them when I was 11 years old,” he said. “And then a ni-

trogen laser that I took to the International Science Fair in 1977.” isenhower He has since devoted most of his time to research and mentoring undergraduate students.

Isenhower is the second ACU faculty member to win this prize.

“The fact that two faculty members from

ACU have now won the prize shows that ACU has some outstanding faculty in physics and indicates that they have an extremely strong physics department in terms of undergraduate research,” said Dr. Richard Wiener, program director of the Research Corporation for Science Advancement.

The Research Corporation for Science Advancement funds the prize and hosted a reception honoring Isenhower on Tues-

day in San Antonio with approximately 10,000 physicists in attendance.

“There is not some special pot of money for undergraduate schools,” Isenhower said.

“We compete for funds with all of the other major research universities and national laboratories. We keep it because our work is usually better than most groups with graduate programs.”

Isenhower will be presented the award in

the April meeting of the American Physical Society in Baltimore.

“My work is my hobby, my hobby is my work, and you can’t have more fun than that,” Isenhower said. “It takes a lot of hard work to get people to pay you to do your hobby, but somebody will if you work hard enough.”

contact the optimist at jmcnetwork@acu.edu

Construction remains on schedule despite snow rachel fritz copy editor Last week’s weather wreaked havoc on Abilene.

Construction workers could not work on Foster Science Building during the snow days and had to wait for the ground to thaw and dry before returning to work.

“When the ground’s real wet, it tears up the heavy equipment,” said Kevin Roberts, chief in-

formation officer. “So it’s not just that there are icy roads, it’s that it’s really wet and muddy.”

Bad weather delayed construction for four days as of Monday, but freezing temperatures and precipitation from Wednesday and Thursday showed a potential for more delay.

Roberts said he hopes to get back to work by the end of the week.

Despite the delay, construction on Walling Lecture Hall is still scheduled

to end on time and has not been costly.

“We have experienced delay, but it’s not detrimental to the project,” he said. “We build in weather days, though it’s not ideal to use them up in the first two weeks of construction.”

ACU is not the only campus that was affected by the roller coaster weather.

Wylie and Abilene school districts were closed Feb. 23 and 24 and had a delayed start

the next day. They closed again Feb. 27.

The City of Abilene was subject to the weather as well.

According to the Abilene Reporter-News, the airport canceled its f lights for the day on Friday, and CityLink canceled all bus routes.

Firefighters responded to several calls of house fires, and the Abilene Police Department responded to 47 vehicle wrecks Thursday and Friday.

SA: Authority shifts as Johnson resigns from office from page 1

in the spring,” Tate said.

It is unclear whether Tate, senior biology ma- Johnson’s resignation jor from Abilene, said he means he will no longer was excited to fill the vice receive his salary. SA’s president position. combined budget for the “The big job left for the president’s, vice presisemester is the chair of dent’s, treasurer’s and the elections committee executive administrafor the executive elections tor’s salaries is $17,200.

Riley said that because within the budget they Johnson is an employee have to pay the people in of the university they do the offices,” he said. not provide details about compensation packages, therefore he would not comment on whether Johnson will continue to contact orr at be paid or not. mco10b@acu.edu “They’re working

Ironically, Severe Weather Awareness Week was this week, and the city encouraged schools, businesses and families to practice disaster drills Wednesday.

“We don’t think it’s going to happen here until it does,” said Hector Guer-

rero, warning and coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service in San Angelo. “A little preparation can save a lot of lives.”

contact fritz at ref11a@acu.edu

Opinion

Friday 3.6.15

4

Editorial

Should the new student activity fee raise concerns?

The creation of a student activity fee has generated mixed feelings among students. The fee, which was $15, will be raised to $25 effective next fall. This will produce $95,000 that will go toward funding students entertainment, such as concerts, and hiring a part-time position to find said entertainment. Our editorial board was split on whether this should be a concern for students or not. So we drew a line in the sand and wrote arguments “for” and “against” SA’s decision to raise the fee.

No, besides more concerts, no one will notice Yes, I’d rather spend it myself Twenty five dollars. Well, 50 if you combine semesters. But $25? Is that really going to make a noticeable dent in a student’s budget? That’s like going out to eat a couple of extra times per semester.

Raising the student activity was a quick and easy way for SA to get the money they need to accomplish the things they promised to students. We honestly would have probably had more

concerts and entertainment sooner if the funds had been readily available. Instead, SA had to spend months scraping up donations from all over campus to make it even a possibility.

Not only is the amount insignificant, but the way it’s extracted from you is just as conspicuous. How often has inflation alone increased tuition and yet students still write the checks or apply for the

loans necessary? Or how often have unpaid $25 parking tickets slipped their way onto students’ banner accounts without anyone noticing until the end of the semester? Or that lab fee? This money will hardly be any different. And if it’s a decision made for students, by students, then it’s hardly one worth fighting. Most likely, something else beneficial for students will come out of it.

No one likes being told what to do, let alone forced to give up money.

ACU already charges a hefty price for their education, and now they’re asking us to pay more to be entertained.

Previously, a percentage of all tuition went to Student Life and from there SA was given money, usually about $80,000–depending on enrollment. Now students will pay a pre-determined

DAILY doodle dosage

Ben Todd

$50 a year.

While it is noteworthy that this will also raise the amount of money that goes to student groups and events on campus, it is also going to significantly raise the amount of money spent on concerts that some students may not even attend.

Not all students are going to agree on what is entertaining. Take the Ben Rector concert for example. Not all students

know who Ben Rector is or have the desire to purchase the $26 ticket to attend the concert. Of course, the Ben Rector concert is not being paid for by the activity fee, seeing as it won’t kickin until fall, but it’s an example of how students are still going to be driving to Austin or DFW for the concerts or events they actually want to go to.

hashtagACU March 3 7:00 a.m.

pro tip: if you watch Greys Anatomy right before bed, you’ll begin to fall asleep in fear of going into cardiac arrest for no reason.

March 3 7:07 a.m.

Today’s high, 70°, tomorrow’s low, 16°. How is that a thing?

@austinkilcullen

@RachelMcgg

March 3 12:03 p.m.

March 4 5:14 p.m.

ACU should just cancel class till summer. The weather has won its war, let’s all just huddle inside and be penguins. #eternalwinter

Singing Smelly Cat because my cat got sprayed by a skunk

@bfeeez March 4 11:12 a.m.

my computer just crashed. goodbye cruel world.

@bowenarrow43 March 4 12:01 p.m.

Dominos pizza tracker is the best thing since sliced bread

@gbrookec March 2 11:09 a.m.

Column

@_hayleynicole1

The plight of the iPhone addict #BASIC VAGABONDAGE BLAKEMORE

SAMANTHA SUTHERLAND CATHERINE BLAKEMORE

Hello, my name is Catherine Blakemore and I’m addicted to iPhone applications because it’s like having my own personal MiniBot robot in my pocket.

IPhone applications are a superfluous addition to working with technology, but it’s also a glimpse at what life may be like with robots. Or not.

For me, the iPhone 6 is basically a personal handheld robot. It bings and buzzes to make it just that much easier for me not to think.

The iPhone obsession

with the latest phone is appealing for most. However, my obsession goes deeper into the depths and the categorization of the various gems in the App Store.

As a Type A personality, the App Store provides the perfect productivity tools to organize my life just one step more – that one more recipe app, the newest list app or the latest news app.

Wicked winter weather storm in Abilene? Buzz buzz.

IPhone tells me the latest winter weather advisory from the National Weather Service. (See application

“Storm.”)

Collect various Miranda Priestly and Parks and Recreation GIFs to send to your friends while they take tests?

“Giflay” organizes all your GIFs from your Camera Roll so you can see them in action.

Since your mom is no longer around to tell you what to do and get mad at you when you don’t do it, you can download “CARROT,” the talking to-do list app. It refers to you as a “clever meatbag” or “lazy human” depending on its mood. Yes, the app has a mood.

For all the Type A’s out there who live off of lists and sleek interfaces, “Priorities” is the app for you. I’ve tried every list on the App Store and none compare to it. It bings and buzzes when you

need to turn in that research paper, or three.

Every self-respecting iPhone addict has an app to track just how much time they’re spending on their iPhone. This comes in handy to realize when your addiction has gone too far. It’s also good for friends and family to see when an intervention may be necessary. (See application “Moment.”)

The variety of apps and customization on the iPhone provides limitless possibility for organization and thrilling robot adventures.

So pick up the phone, download the pretty app and release your iPhone’s inner MiniBot.

March 5 2:14 p.m.

Dear Couples of ACU, The COBA stairs are not for making out before and after class like high schoolers.

@taylorcrumpton Still waiting on somebody to invent windshield wipers for glasses.

YikYak All my professors cancelled class tomorrow because they are smart enough to know we won’t be there anyways #springbreak2015

contact at crb13a@acu.edu

Having to skip class for a chapel forum because I’m low on chapel credits #acudifference

@Kelly12Elaine BREAKING NEWS: the previously endangered species commonly referred to as the “sun” is now confirmed to be extinct

YikYak The sleet hitting the windows is the equivalent to the sound of my tears hitting my biology books while studying for the midterm.

YikYak

YikYak

Packing for spring break: fat backpack edition THE OXFORD VAGABONDAGE COMMA SAMANTHA SUTHERLAND

ALLISON BROWN

Packing for trips has never been my strong suit. When I left for Oxford the thought of packing for 4 months in one suitcase was, quite frankly, terrifying. Thankfully, with the help of my mother, I managed to make it here with all the important things.

Now an entirely new task lies before me: packing for 10 days in a backpack. On any given three day weekend, I have been known to pack my backpack completely full. I honestly don’t know how it happens every time and I don’t know what I even put in

there, but I never fail to look like a turtle walking through European airports.

With this in mind, I will now propose to you my guide on how to pack for a 10-day trip in a backpack if you have never done it before.

1. Do your laundry.

You’re already going to be wearing the same outfits more than once on the trip, so at least start with clean clothes.

2. While your laundry is washing, go ahead and come to terms with yourself

and realize that you won’t look like Audrey Hepburn every moment you’re in France.

3. As your laundry is in the dryer, remember to bring a hip Italian Pop star outfit just in case Paolo and Isabella decide to bring you into their act at the Colosseum.

4. Now that your laundry is finished, go back to your room and stare at the pile of roughly folded shirts and sweaters. Facetime your mom to ask her what you should bring. She always knows best.

5. After chatting with Mom, pick a movie filmed in your destination city. This will help the time packing go fast and will get you in the mood for your spring break adventure.

editorial and Letter Policy Unsigned editorials are the opinions of the Optimist and may not necessarily reflect the views of the university or its administration.

Signed columns, cartoons and letters are the opinions of their creators and may not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of the Optimist or the university.

The Optimist encourages reader response through letters to the editor but reserves the right to limit frequent contributors or to refuse to print letters containing

personal attacks, obscenity, defamation, erroneous information or invasion of privacy. Please limit letters to 350 words or fewer. A name and phone number must be included for verification purposes. Phone numbers will not be published.

published by the department of journalism and mass communication editorial and management board

9. Don’t forget toiletries.

You can only bring travel sized liquids under 100 mL that fit in one ziploc because you aren’t going to check your bag because EasyJet will charge you a lot of money.

10.

Camera, check.

Charged battery, check.

Phone charger, check. iPad, check. Headphones, check.

Book, check. Boarding pass, check.

Passport, check.

Passport, double check.

Passport, seriously don’t forget it.

11. You know you are probably forgetting something really important but the time has come for the zipper to do its job. Close it, zip it, stare at it for a minute or so before deciding to throw in one more shirt and pair of shoes and oh look,

you forgot your toothbrush.

12. Repeat the close, zip and stare step. Only this time, there is no turning back. It’s time for bed now and you will be walking to the bus station at 3:30 am.

Lock your backpack because you don’t want to be pick pocketed, obviously.

13. It is 3:00 am. Roll outta bed, try to think of anything you could’ve forgotten. Realize these efforts are futile because whatever you forgot is just not making on spring break at this point.

14. Put on the backpack, accept the fact that you look like a Galapagos tortoise, and let the adventure begin.

contact Brown at Akb12b@acu.edu

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editor in chief opinion page editor

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Sports director

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Address letters to: ACU Box 27892 Abilene, TX 79609 E-mail letters to: optimist@acu.edu

6. This is when you actually start putting things in the backpack. Here’s how this step goes: roll all your clothes and place them perfectly and cutely inside the backpack just like on pinterest.

Just kidding, every time you try to roll the shirts up it just ends up looking like a busted Sharky’s burrito and you realize you shouldn’t work at a clothing retail store or a burrito chain restaurant.

7. Rolling obviously doesn’t work for all of us, so now we arrive at the more traditional folding flat route of packing. Compress everything neatly, keep it in correct piles, this seems to be going better than the t shirt burritos.

8. Do you have everything? Yes I think so. Are you sure? No.

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5

ARTS

FRIDAY 3.06.15

photos courtesy of phil dosa

photo courtesy of the neon parrot

Neon Parrot Lounge squawks local sounds elijah evans online managing editor The Neon Parrot Lounge is determined to revive the live music scene in downtown Abilene and provide a platform for blossoming local artists.

The Neon Parrot Lounge purposely evokes memories of an old-time jazz club or speakeasy.

The live music venue is located on Pine Street in downtown Abilene in the Majestic building, one of the oldest buildings in historic downtown Abilene. The owner, Andrea “Babs” Robinson, moved from Austin to open a venue specifically for live music in the tight-knit downtown Abilene community.

“There are a lot of places in Abilene that have live music, but they are not live music venues,” Robinson said. “We are trying to create a space for people who aren’t going out to drink and want music in the background, but are going out to listen to music because they love music.”

The lounge emphasizes sound quality and acoustics, despite the cavernous and acoustic-infringing aspects of the historic Majestic building.

The owners hired a sound technician as well to ensure high-quality sound.

“We want musicians to know they aren’t background music, but they are the focus; we are people that love music,” Robinson said.

The Majestic, the first moving pictures venue in Abilene, was functioning as a rental event and meeting center when the Neon Parrot Lounge purchased it. It continued to function as a rental venue over the past year, but starting in June, the Majestic will transition full-time into Neon Parrot Lounge.

The transition will enable the lounge to host live music events Thursday through Saturday nights. Currently, the lounge only puts on Thursday Night Live, a live music event featuring local and traveling musicians. Some of the recent Thursday night performances featured the Rocketboys, Abilene Jazz Collective, Tripp Mathis, Happy Fat and Our Version. The Cabin, featuring Jake Rosser & Band, Jake Hall and Anthony & Jamie played yesterday night.

“Our passion is really just music, having a plat-

“

There are a lot of places in Abilene that have live music, but they are not live music venues,” Robinson said. “We are trying to create a space for people who aren’t going out to drink and want music in the background, but are going out to listen to music because they love music.

Andrea Robinson owner of Neon parrot

form for music and making that the focus for people,” Robinson said.

The lounge’s mission to put musicians and their music first has been well-received. Several older and former musicians have reappeared and immersed themselves in the blossoming Abilene music scene, Robinson said.

“The buzz has been getting around that this is a place where we take care of musicians and a place where we care about the music,” she said.

“It’s getting to where, instead of us seeking out people to play, they’re coming to us and saying they’d like to play here.”

The buzz is also spreading to college students.

“I looked online when I came to ACU and couldn’t find many live music venues,” said Chantal Kinsey, freshman biology and global studies major from Allen. “I just recently discovered the Neon Parrot and went to the Tripp Mathis show.

It was a great experience, one I didn’t expect to find in Abilene.”

The lounge hopes to take advantage of Abilene’s location on the I-20 corridor and attract musicians traveling between Texas and the western states.

The Neon Parrot doesn’t want to only support the local music scene, though. They aim to become a hub for culture in downtown Abilene.

“Music will always be our main goal,” Robin-

son said. “But I can see us doing a movie night for super, super cheap. And have an Alamo-DraftHouse-style old-school movie that everyone knows and do quote-alongs or sing-alongs.”

The long-term goals for the Neon Parrot look to fulfill Robinson’s aim to become a downtown culture hub. One of the future plans involves local artists. The lounge would like to host rotating exhibits displaying the work of local artists and highlighting Abilene’s rich culture.

The lounge is not only increasing the variety of events, but they are also designing new architectural additions for the interior. The new furniture and architectural additions, such as an elevated stage, aim to enhance the intimacy of the environment and quality of the Neon Parrot experience.

“It will have a lot of really neat architectural elements that will be practical but will speak to an older time,” Robinson said.

Although the lounge doesn’t serve their own drinks or food, the venue is also home to Public Haus, which is part of the Good-Haus family and includes Abi-Haus, a popular Abilene eatery.

Public Haus supplies Neon Parrot guests with an assorted selection of beverages. Soon, the Neon Parrot plans to bring a smattering of the exploding Abilene food truck scene to its events.

“We don’t sell our own alcohol, we truly are a music-only venue,” she said. “Everything we pay the musicians out of, comes out of the cover charge. It’s about making a statement that, ‘I want to spend my time supporting live music.’”

Cover charges vary per show, but college students get a $2 discount with a student ID. The Thursday-through-Saturday night live music schedule will begin in June.

Read more at http://majesticabilene.com/neonparrot-lounge/, or follow them on Instagram at: neonparrotlounge.

contact evans at ece12aacu.edu

PHOTOS COURTESY OF Phil dosa

The Rocket Boys, pictured above, perform at the Neon Parrot on February 12th.

sports Baseball falls to Tech in 16 innings collin wieder sports editor ACU baseball will return home to start conference play after an impressive showing in Lubbock Tuesday.

The Wildcats lost 6-5 in 16 innings to No. 5 Texas Tech Red Raiders. Head coach Britt Bonneau said the team will always think about this game and it is impressive that they competed with such a great team.

“To go in and battle the No. 5 team in the country is something that we will always remember,” Boneau said. “We knew that no matter what happened

in the game we were going to take something from it.

To be where we want to be one day, you have to play those type of teams.”

The offense started off the day hot as sophomore infielder Aaron Draper got the game going in the third inning with an RBI single.

The Wildcats’ bats would add two more runs to end the inning, up 3-0.

Senior pitcher Thomas Altimont put up three straight scoreless innings until the Red Raiders came alive, scoring two runs in the fourth and two in the fifth to take the lead, 4-3.

ACU’s bullpen would keep the Wildcats in the game by pitching 10 straight scoreless innings with se-

nior Kevin Sheets pitching four of those and recording five strikeouts. Sheets has had a strong start to the season, pitching 10.1 innings and allowing only two earned runs.

ACU’s offense became stagnant throughout most of the game until the top of the eighth when Senior first baseman Tyler Eager singled in Aaron Draper to tie up the game at four runs apiece.

The Red Raiders and Wildcats would then go on a seven-inning pitching duel yielding no runs on either side. Tech came close in the 15th with a basesloaded, one-out jam, but the Wildcats found a way to get out. Junior catcher

6

friday 3.06.15

Alex Copeland finally put the Wildcats in the lead with his first hit of the day bringing in freshman infielder Brayden Gomez in the top of the 16th.

In the bottom half of the inning, the Texas Tech offense became too much to handle as pinch hinter Hunter Hargrove drove in the tying run. Pinch hitter Ryan Long would then drive in Hargrove for the walk-off win in Lubbock.

Draper says the team enjoyed taking it to a topranked team in the nation.

“It was great, Texas Tech is an awesome team in the top-10,” Draper said. “Taking them to 16 innings was great obviously, but we would have liked to have

gotten the win.”

Senior relief pitcher Joe Gawrieh was given the loss with 1.1 innings of work while Johnathon Tripp was given the win for Tech with 0.1 innings of work.

The tough loss dropped the ‘Cats to 0-7. ACU hosts the 7-4-1 Nicholls State Colonels this weekend to kick off the Southland season. Nicholls started off the season well so far, beating Utah three times and LSU once.

First pitch will be this Friday at 6 p.m. at the Crutch.

contact wieder at cpw11a@acu.edu

standings men’s basketball Standings

Team

Div.

SFA 15-1 SHSU 14-2 NSU 12-4 TAMU-CC 11-5 UIW 9-7 Lamar 9-8 MSU 7-10 HBU 6-10 SELU 6-10 NO 5-11 Nicholls St.5-11 ACU 4-12 UCA 2-14

Ovrl 25-4 23-6 17-10 16-12 17-9 15-14 13-15 11-15 9-20 9-16 8-18 10-19 2-25

women’s basketball Standings

Team

Div.

SFA 14-2 Lamar 13-4 Nicholls St.11-5 UCA 10-6 NSU 10-6 TAMU-CC 10-6 MSU 10-7 ACU 8-8 HBU 5-11 SHSU 5-11 NO 4-12 SELU 3-13 UIW 2-14

Ovrl 21-6 16-12 15-12 17-11 15-12 14-13 16-12 16-11 11-16 6-20 6-19 7-20 5-22

Who’s Hot Senior guard LaDarrien Williams had one of his best nights of Williams the season Tuesday.

Williams scored 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting and 3-of-4 from behind the arc. He also recorded four rebounds and four assists.

briefings ACU’s baseball team moved the UT-Arlington games to 2 p.m. Tuesday and 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday.

yam saowatarnpong Staff Photographer

Senior guard Harrison Hawkins scored 18 points in the Wildcats’ 83-71 win over Houston Baptist Tuesday night in Moody Coliseum.

Men end streak short of baker’s dozen Daniel Zepeda sports Director Senior night provided some much needed magic for the men’s basketball team Tuesday night in Moody Coliseum.

In the team’s final home game of the year, the Wildcats jumped out to a 20-10 lead halfway through the first half and never looked back. ACU would take the game, 83-71, and end its losing streak a game under a baker’s dozen.

“I’m really happy for those seniors to be able to go out on top at home,” said head coach Joe Golding. “I thought all the seniors played well tonight,

and they were definitely a big key to the win. I thought this was the first time in a long time that we’ve had that team out there that we did tonight.

That team has been missing, and hopefully they’ll continue with that sort of urgency.”

The Wildcats were led by their trio of high-scoring guards. Senior guard LaDarrien Williams and junior guard Parker Wentz each chipped in 19 points to lead the Wildcats. Combined, they were 14-22 from the field, including 5-9 from the three-point line. Williams also had four rebounds and four assists to round out an overall impressive night,

while Wentz recorded three steals on an active night defensively.

Senior guard Harrison Hawkins added 18 points, 10 coming in the second half, in 26 minutes of action. Junior guard Jalen Little recorded a seasonhigh 11 assists and led ACU with four steals. Junior forward Duran Porter was solid off the bench for ACU, contributing nine points on 4-4 field goal shooting including a dunk and a block.

“We took care of the ball, putting in 20 assists and only six turnovers,” Golding said. “We shot well, we played hard and it all came together on the court. When we play as a

team and get contributions from everyone, then really good things happen with this team.”

ACU shot 61 percent in the first half and led 4126 at halftime. The Wildcats continued their hot shooting into the second half and stretched the lead to a game-high 25 after a made three by freshman guard Isaiah Tripp, making it 75-50, Wildcats.

The win puts ACU at 10-19 overall and 4-12 in the Southland conference.

The win is ACU’s first conference win since its 95-81 victory over Northwestern State Jan. 13.

“It’s great to finally put this losing streak behind us,” Williams said. “It’s

been on everyone’s mind, and to finally get rid of it is an awesome feeling. We all wanted to come out and set the tone early in the game, especially being the last game at home, and get the win.”

The Wildcats played the University of Incarnate Word (17-9, 9-7) Thursday night in San Antonio.

ACU will now look to its final game of the season against the Texas A&MCorpus Christi Islanders Saturday afternoon in south Texas. Tip off is set for 3:30 p.m.

Collin thompson sports reporter The women’s basketball team will play its final game of the season at 1 p.m. Saturday at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

The Wildcats sit at 8-8 in the Southland Conference and 16-11 overall for the season and are ineligible for the Southland postseason tournament due to their recent promotion to Div. I. ACU owns the secondbest offense in the conference and has managed to score 69.5 points per game on average this season.

But with the Islanders (14-13, 10-6) giving up a conference second-best 58.3 points a game, ACU’s high-powered offense will need to be at full

Be sure to follow @OptimistSports on Twitter and like the Optimist Sports Facebook page for more ACU sports news and updates.

Men’s and women’s basketball play a doubleheader Thursday in San Antonio against Incarnate Word. The women tip off at 6 p.m. and the men play at 8 p.m.

Men’s and women’s tennis host rival Incarnate Word Friday.

Southland.

Besides Fouty, the Wildcats will need to look our for TAMCC guard junior Shay Weaver.

Weaver sits at fifth in the conference in scoring (15.7) and sixth in the Southland in field goal and three-point percentage, and fifth in free throw percentage.

ACU has shown they can limit Weaver’s play, as they did in their previously mentioned meeting when they held her to just seven points and three rebounds in 26 minutes, while causing her to record four of the Islanders’ 27 turnovers.

The Wildcats played Incarnate Word in San Antonio Thursday night.

Softball begins its Southland Conference play this weekend against Southeastern Louisiana. First pitch is at 6:30 p.m. Friday.

Baseball opens conference play Friday with a three-game series against Nicholls State First pitch is at 6 p.m.

austin kilcullen Staff Photographer contact thompson at cnt13c@acu.edu

The ACU football team added four FBS teams to its future schedule last Thursday. The Wildcats will play the Air Force Academy in 2016, the University of New Mexico in 2017, Baylor University in 2018 and an unscheduled 2019 game against North Texas.

Upcoming contact zepeda at djz11a@acu.edu

Wildcats end season with Corpus Christi strength as they take on the tough TAMCC squad.

TAMCC senior forward Olivia Fouty has been the Islanders’ best player this season at getting rebounds, averaging 8.5 per game, which is fifth in the conference.

She managed seven boards in the Islanders’ 76-41 loss to the Wildcats Feb. 18 in Moody Coliseum.

A large part of both teams’ success this season has been their ability to rebound.

Both teams are the only two schools in the Southland conference to have three of the top 20 leading rebounders.

ACU is first in the conference, averaging 41 rebounds per game, while the Islanders aren’t far behind at 40.6, putting them at third best in the

Spring football has had a delayed start because of the inclement weather.

Football postponed spring ball until they could have a guaranteed 15-day practice time.

Sophomore Suzzy Dimba drives to the lane for ACU in a home game at Moody Coliseum.

Men’s and women’s basketball play their final games of the season Saturday against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The women’s game starts at 1 p.m. and the men’s at 3:30 p.m.