The Optimist Print Edition 4.01.15

Speaking her language Passion for Spanish alters student’s future

vol. 103, no. 45

wednesday, arpil 1, 2015

1 SECTION, 6 PAGES

Feature Page 5

what’s INSIDE NEWS Student contributes to redesign of downtown gallery Page 3

SPORTS Women’s tennis defends home turf with 6-1 win over SELU

Page 6

OPINION Catherine Blakemore has some serious issues with the month of April Page 4

SPORTS Track and field bring home several victories from Bobcat invitational Page 6

erika bolado staff Photographer

University officials and Board of Trustee members gathered Tuesday during Chapel to “break ground” on the Halbert-Walling Research Center.

SA candidates to run unopposed

OPINION Candidates for SA executive officers shouldn’t have to run unopposed

Page 4

mercedez hernandez student reporter The Students’ Association is preparing for its upcoming officer elections with the current president and vice president candidates running unopposed.

“I am pretty disappointed that Beau (Carter) and I are running unopposed,” said Caleb Orr, current sophomore class president. “I think that competitive election is a sign of a healthy democracy, because it means that lots of

individuals have competitive visions for what they want the government to do.”

The next step for SA elections will be a debate night.

The debate will be at 7 p.m.

Tuesday in Moody Coliseum.

Voting will then be from 11:30 a.m. Wednesday to 5 p.m. Thursday.

“I would love for there to be more candidates so that candidates have the opportunity to debate and refine each other through the debate and speech process,” said Beau Carter, SA president.

The petitions for SA officer candidacy were turned in at 5 p.m. Friday, and campaigning for office officially began at 8 a.m. Monday.

Both Carter and Orr were approved for candidacy along with three other students who are running for treasurer. Executive officers are approved for candidacy by the elections chair and then participate in debates and speeches in front of the student body.

“It’s exceedingly important for you to get your message out there in order for

your vision to be powerful,” said Orr, sophomore political science major from McKinney. “You’ve got to get the students to know what it’s about.”

Efforts by SA to spread the word about elections have been varied in the past, but with the electronic voting site vote.acu.edu founded by former SA President Dylan Benac, voting among students has increased.

“Last spring and this past fall, we have seen about a 10 to 15 percent increase in the number of students vot-

ing and look forward to even more involvement this next week,” said Carter, junior political science major from Farmers Branch.

Carter encourages students interested in pursuing roles in student government to go to the SA office and talk about getting involved.

“Be ready for fall elections, which will be starting up as soon as we get back to school in August,” he added. contact the optimsit at jmcnetwork@acu.edu

SpringFest to take place after all-club rush

NEWS Wildcat Week seeks out student leaders and 2015 steering committee

Page 3

SPORTS Softball loses two out three to McNeese State

Page 6

what’s online ONLINE Savanah Silva hosts this week’s newscast covering arts, sports and more

Read more at acuoptimist.com

abbey bowling student reporter This year, SpringFest will feature five student bands, and Cajun Cones will be available alongside the bands from 7-9 p.m.

“SpringFest is an annual concert put on by students for students,” said Spencer Woolfolk, junior marketing major from San Antonio. “We provide an outlet for some of our talented students on campus

to showcase their bands.”

The event, sponsored by the Student Alumni Association, will take place around the GATA Fountain following All-Club Rush from 7-11 p.m. April 9.

There will not be Tshirts available this year, but they will be giving out free SpringFest gear at the event, Woolfolk said. He said he encourages students attending the AllClub Rush to stick around after to enjoy SpringFest.

The bands performing

include Guerra and Holland, M&M&EM, Carl & The Bear, Shannon and the Moon, and Jake Hall.

Claire Heath, member of Carl & The Bear with Carli Scheevel, said SpringFest is a good outlet and a good crowd.

“I think it’s a good place for me to be able to go and play my own stuff as well as be goofy and do covers that I think are good,” said Heath, sophomore Ad/ see springfest page 3

austin kilcullen Staff Photographer

Students performed at last year’s SpringFest.

Hailey named nation’s best pre-law adviser jonathan raitz student reporter Dr. Mel Hailey is being recognized as the nation’s best prelaw adviser with the Dean Gerald Wilson Award for Excellence.

Dr. Neal Coates, chairman of the Department of Political Science, said the winner of this award must have an uncanny sense of how to match students’ interests in law schools with their ability to gain admission.

“Dr. Hailey’s combination of knowledge and empathy are characteristics which only the best of the best develop, and it takes several years of dedication to do that,” Coates said.

The Pre-Law Advisors National Council (PLANC) gives the Dean Wilson award annually to the best pre-law adviser among all U.S. colleges and universities.

Coates said this is a huge honor, and the department had not planned for it.

“What this means for our department is that we hear national recognition for what we as a department already knew – that Dr. Hailey is a fantastic adviser,” Coates said.

“This particular honor is like winning the NCAA basketball tournament or winning the Super Bowl; it is something that happens once in a lifetime and signifies great dedication to students and to the Christian purpose of the university.”

Graduates from the Department of Political Science have a 99 percent acceptance rate to law school, along with a 90 percent acceptance rate for graduates campus-wide.

“Dr. Hailey is very much responsible for quality prelaw preparation for our majors and for ACU in general,” Coates said. “He’s beaten the stuffing out of the competition.”

Chris Riley, vice president of Student Life and a former student of Hailey, said students can give him all the components they are looking for in a law school, and he can spit out four or five schools that fit.

“He is almost like a lawschool genie,” Riley said.

Riley said there is an en-

Abilene Christian University

dowed scholarship for Dr. Hailey that many of Hailey’s students are inspired to give back to.

“People always ask me how Dr. Hailey is doing,” Riley said. “He is just kind of a legend as far as ACU attorneys and as far as ACU alumni.”

Hailey has worked at ACU since 1974. Doubling as a prelaw adviser and professor for over 20 years, Hailey served as president of the Southwest Association of PreLaw Advisors (SWAPLA) and chairman of PLANC. Hailey said he was honored and humbled to receive the Dean Wilson award.

“I do not consider myself to be the best pre-law adviser in the country, but I am honored to be recognized by my

colleagues for being a part of a community that is concerned about giving good advice to individuals who plan on becoming lawyers,” Hailey said.

Hailey said everything he does is geared toward the students; his joy is found in their success.

“I am very fortunate to be a pre-law adviser at ACU which recognizes the value in advising its students for graduate schools,” Hailey said. “I am grateful to ACU for giving me the opportunity to expand my interest in the field of prelaw advising by making it part of my job here.” contact the optimsit at jmcnetwork@acu.edu

Wednesday 4.01.15

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wednesday

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thursday Pledging registration for fall semester opens Fall 2015 registration: freshman and sophomore honors, study abroad, athletes

2 p.m. Women’s tennis at McNeese State University

11:45 a.m. Wildcat leader interest meeting for Wildcat Week

Chapel checkup To date:

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friday 2 p.m. Baseball at Houston Baptist University

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saturday Good Friday (no classes)

Track at Texas Tech Open

10:30 a.m. Tennis at Nicholls State University

12 p.m. Softball at University of the Incarnate Word

4 p.m. Softball at University of the Incarnate Word

2 p.m. Baseball at Houston Baptist University

Around Abilene

Remaining:

52 21 @acuoptimist The Optimist

April 2

April 4

April 4

April 5

5 p.m. Family night (build your own ice cream sundae) at the Mall of Abilene Chick-fil-A. Build an ice cream sundae, make an Easter egg basket and have it filled with goodies!

6:30 p.m. Night at the Apollo. Take in the excitement as Abilene’s aspiring singers, dancers, rappers, blues musicians and poets perform. There will be gifts and cash prizes for audience members and the top three winners. Auditions are currently being held, so bring on your talent. Price is $10. The address is 809 Barrow St.

11 a.m. Oops! Make No Mistake About It. Make Life Art exhibit at the Center for Contemporary Arts. Artist Cara Hines is a self-described recovering perfectionist. Creating works with her eyes closed or with her non-dominant hand forces her to respond to feelings, emotions and the sounds around her, quieting her inner critic and helping her to appreciate the mistakes that make life art.

11 a.m. Texas Photographic Society international competition at the Center for Contemporary Arts.

This exhibit features work by photographers from around the world. The exhibit is free of charge.

optimist@acu.edu Announcements The ACU Graduate School academic journal 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. Email snw12a@acu.edu for more information.

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 beforehand. For more information or to register, contact Ijeoma Moronu at ish07a@acu.edu or 325-674-2383.

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.

Come listen to student bands at SpringFest at 7 p.m. April 9 on the outdoor basketball court of the Money Student Wellness and Recreation Center.

Sublease at University Park Apartments for $395 per month for the summer!

Apartments are fully furnished! Ten-dollar electricity coverage per month. Some extras such as lamps and some kitchen ACU Theatre’s spring musical is Ghost: Shalom Chapel meets every other Tues- supplies may be included as well! Let me The Musical, a timeless fantasy about day in Studio B of the Money Student know if you are interested via email at the power of love. Don’t miss this roll- Recreation and Wellness Center. nlj10a@acu.edu. er coaster ride of music, romance and comedy. The musical will run at 7:30 Want to earn money while empowering Matt Rose of BNSF Railway Company p.m. April 10-11, 17-18 and 24-25. There high school students for academic and is the College of Business Administrawill be a talkback after the performance personal success? The Upward Bound tion’s spring 2015 distinguished speaker! on April 17. Tickets are $15 and available program is now hiring summer advisers. Join us Tuesday for the Distinguished for purchase at http://acu.edu/theatre.

Help prepare disadvantaged youth for Speaker Series luncheon at 11:45 a.m. in college achievement by being a mentor the Hunter Welcome Center. For more Professor Albert Haley, ACU’s award- during our six-week UB Summer Acad- information on the DSS luncheon, go winning poet and writer-in-residence, emy held June 1 - July 10. Travel, meals to acu.edu/coba. Please note that there will be teaching ENG 323, a poetry and housing are included. Contact Ms. are separate registrations for ACU faculty workshop that will meet Tuesday nights Mado Assani, UB Educational Coordina- and staff, general public and ACU stunext semester. This workshop is open to tor, at 674-2713 or dents. all majors. mxa09a@acu.edu for more details.

Volunteer opportunities Big Brothers Big Sisters “Lunch Buddy” program is looking for volunteers. Each volunteer is matched with an elementary-age child. Volunteers spend just 30 minutes per week eating lunch with their “little brother” or “little sister” at local elementary schools, while mentoring through the simple act of friendship. Participants can enjoy playing card games, reading books and visiting during lunch.

The waiting list has 138 children. Contact Jamie Bearden at 325-674-3113 or jbearden@bbbstx.org for more information.

Communities in Schools needs 10 to 20 reading and lunch buddies at Ortiz Elementary. Volunteers are needed anytime between 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. weekdays.

Contact Sheila Ashford at 325-671-4945 ext.5351 or sheila.ashford@abileneisd.org for more information.

Girl Scouts is seeking volunteers to help make a difference in the life of young girls. Girl Scouts offers several flexible ways to volunteer. You choose how: a one-day event, six-week series or year-round troop! Contact Scout Office. rent opportunities at 325-670-0432 and mlawson@gs-top.org.

Keep Abilene Beautiful is looking for volunteers to help with litter clean-ups.

Small and large groups are both needed.

Contact Nicole Eaves at 325-734-3301 and nicole.eaves@abilenetx.com for more information.

Kingdom Kids (Beltway Park Baptist Church) is looking for assistance with Sunday morning activities for Kingdom Kids (physically and emotionally challenged children). 5-6 volunteers are needed. Contact: Sharla Sanders at beltwaykids@beltway.org for more information.

Meals on Wheels Plus, Inc. is looking for volunteers to deliver meals to the elderly and home-bound in Abilene, and to volunteer in their kitchen or pantry. Contact: Jessica Stewart at volunteer@mealsonwheelsplus.com for additional info.

REACH @ Abilene North Apartments is seeking volunteers. Volunteers will be a part of building relationships with at-risk kids and their families through a unique and developing apartment ministry. The program takes place Mondays from 4:30 p.m.-6 p.m. Contact Caroline Thompson at 281-782-2956 or crt12a@acu.edu for more details.

Special Olympics is seeking volunteers for two upcoming events. The first is September 26-27. They will be hosting a Bocce Ball tournament at Centennial Park. 20 volunteers per day are needed to keep score, hand out medals, escort athletes and cheer! The second event is November 6-8. They are hosting a bowling tournament at the Abilene Bowling Lanes. 30-35 volunteers are needed per day to sit with the athletes at the lanes, make sure each athlete bowls on his/her turn and handle issues of stuck balls and lane malfunctions. Contact Luann Chastain at 325-677-3200 or lchastain@sotx. org to volunteer.

The Alliance for Women and Children is seeking volunteers for afterschool child care for Pre-K-5th grade children, 6th-8th grade children and A-Teens Middle School Girls Program. For more information about times and location, contact Toni Brown at 325-677-5321 or info@afwconline.org.

The International Rescue Committee in Abilene needs your help in welcoming refugees to our community. We are seeking the following donations: hygiene and cleaning supplies, bed linen, towels and kitchen items (dishware, silverware, pots/pans etc). Donations are accepted Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 2-4 p.m. or by appointment. Their office is located at 3303 N. 3rd St. Suite D. For more information contact Marie-Pascale Manishimwe at 325-675-5643.

Love and Care Ministries is looking for volunteers to help with sorting clothing, stocking their food pantry, assisting in prayers in their prayer room and serving food to the homeless. For more information call 325-670-0246.

Volunteers are needed to help with daily activities organized by the staff at Chisholm House. This could involve playing board games, helping with arts and crafts and helping with a walking club. For some of these tasks volunteers may be asked to lead a group or work alongside a staff coordinator. Volunteer opportunities are from 2-4 p.m. or 6-8 p.m. daily. Contact Larissa Blankenship at 817-578-9296.

The Noah Project is seeking volunteers to help with tasks such as answering phone calls, providing child care and doing maintenance and housekeeping. To volunteer call 325-676-7107.

The Betty Hardwick Center is seeking volunteers for the Human Resources Center to help with filing and organizing.

This job requires someone with attention to detail who wishes to learn more about Human Resources. The job is open Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. To volunteer, please contact Martin Walker at 325-690-5235 or mwalker@bhcmhmr.org.

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news

wednesday 4.01.15

Wildcat Week organizes first program savanah silva staff writer The Office of Student Life is now in charge of Welcome Week and has implemented some changes in hopes of allowing future students an easier transition.

Wildcat Week, as it’s now known, will take the place of the old program in which incoming freshmen spent time with their future Core class while adjusting to ACU and life as a newly independent college student.

“We’re really trying to bring Welcome Week into the 21st century,” said Alex Abston, a pre-law communications major from The

Woodlands. Abston is also one of the seven student directors in charge of making Welcome Week happen.

“We really want school pride and school spirit to seep into the orientation process during Wildcat Week,” Abston said.

Some of the originals from Welcome Week, like the candlelight devo, will still be permanent traditions in the revamped week, but some events, such as shutting down Cyprus Street downtown and bringing all the food trucks in Abilene, will be new.

Caddie Coupe, director of New Student Programs, said working with Kevin Campbell in Admission, Chris Ri-

ley in Student Life and Dr. Robert Rhodes in the provost office helped spur the changes being made.

“They all really felt like it was time for a change for our students,” Coupe said.

Coupe likes to think of the revamping not as changes, but as upgrades.

“It’s like going from an IPhone 5 to an IPhone 6 plus,” Coupe said.

Wildcat Week will focus on a lot of college logistics that may sometimes get pushed to the back burner during the excitement of the first few weeks of school. The student directors have plans to incorporate as much information as possible, while still keeping it fun.

Garon Goodspeed, senior accounting major from Farmers Branch, is another member of the student directors who is excited about Wildcat Week.

“With Wildcat Week, we’re really trying to squeeze in as much information as possible, but still keep as much action in there as we can,” said Goodspeed “We don’t want the freshmen to think ACU is just about information, because it’s really about worthwhile relationships.”

Free time will be another big change involved in Wildcat Week, as will showcasing the rec.

Coupe says the freshmen will get a chance to preview exercise classes, participate

in some fun competitions throughout the week and learn more about intramurals.

Another major addition to Wildcat Week will be the direct relationship between the students involved and Wildcat Reign.

“They’ll help us showcase our athletes, organize events, and teach the traditions of ACU to the new students,” Goodspeed said.

There are some new additions to Wildcat Week that even leaders will not know about until they happen.

“It’s going to create a lot of buzz and excitement,” said Abston, “Not just about the campus but about their future here.”

Coupe says the main hope is to make the incoming students feel like they made the right decision in choosing ACU. There are several ways for current students to get involved. To apply for a leadership position, visit http:// www.acu.edu/academics/ fyp/leadership.html.

Deadline to apply as a leader is April 10, and deadline to apply for Campus Crew is April 17. All descriptions for each position are available online as well.

contact silva at sns12b@acu.edu

Student helps redesign downtown gallery wants, it should be a pretty straightforward job,” Mejia said. “It might become challenging whenA design student is help- ever we start to look into ing renovate ACU’s materials and specific downtown gallery in an decorative details that attempt to resurrect the will be added. The objecbuilding’s past façade. tive is to keep it as close Carlos Mejia, junior to the original façade as interior design and pre- possible.” architecture major from The gallery opened Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Dec. 13, 2007, as the was hired to help rede- ACU-Cockerell Art Galsign the front of 1131 N. lery, funded by a $3,000 2nd St. to make it resem- grant from the Abilene ble its 1918 appearance.

Cultural Affairs Council.

“Since the client has a It has featured numerous very clear idea of what he artist exhibits created by

johanna fleming student reporter

ACU students and others around the country throughout the past eight years.

Ronnie Rama, associate professor of art and design, informed Mejia about the opportunity.

“Carlos was suggested because of his design capabilities and reliable work ethic,” Rama said.

Mejia said Ed Cockerell, an Abilene businessman who called for the redesign in the first place, thought it would be fitting to redesign the building in homage to its

original appearance in 1918.

Rama said the redesign is a step in the right direction.

“His vision to bring back the façade to its original design fits perfectly with the overall vision of downtown as a historical center for the city,” he said.

A lot of planning and thought is going into the redesign. The materials being used throughout the project are one of the more difficult aspects of the task because materi-

als that are available now are generally more modernized.

“We are going off a picture,” Mejia said. “The owner and I will look at different alternatives regarding materials surrounding the windows; we could go with a different shade of brick or paint around them to add contrast. The original brick, which covers most of the building, is still there, and it will remain.”

Although Mejia is unsure whether he wants to make a career out of

building restoration, he said he was interested in the project because he finds any kind of design interesting. He said he is excited for the opportunity to put what he has learned in class to practice.

“Though it is a relatively simple renovation, I hope to learn something from it,” he said.

contact the optimist at jmcnetwork@acu.edu

Volunteers participate in Kansas campaign betsy smith studnet reporter A group of 22 students participating in a weekend campaign, a volunteer-based, student-led community outreach, returned last weekend from a campaign with Shiloh Ranch Ministries.

Shiloh Ranch Ministries, located in Solomon, Kansas, looks to empower youth and brighten their future by creating hope, goals and by providing a positive perspective

on life. The ministry is made up of volunteers and reaches out to youth and children surrounding the community.

According to the Shiloh Ranch website, they minister with the priority of youth leadership, social and daily life skills with hope that they will gain respect for themselves, their families and their communities.

“The purpose of this campaign is to help out a ranch that seeks to minister and encourage children and

teens,” said Sharaie Heizelman, weekend campaign leader.

As the volunteers of the weekend campaign spent time ministering to children and building relationships, they also got the chance to spend time with horses on the ranch.

“We played with horses by building obstacles and capturing our horses,” Heizelman said. “The lesson from this was to look at capturing your horse from a different angle. To have a horse

trust you and follow your lead around the obstacle, you have to build a relationship. Same goes for people.”

The students also built part of a shed and the roof of a playground set.

“This was a great campaign,” Heizelman said. “The students enjoyed it, and they always make the most of anything they go do for people.”

The weekend was full of activities. Participants were able to have some down time after working hard to build

the shed and playground.

“After we helped out at the ranch, we went to a place that one of our leaders knew about,” said Jared Agee, a student volunteer. “It was this huge hill with a castle on top in the middle of Kansas. Then, the sun set and we started a fire, sang songs and had fun being together and praising God.” Agee encourages other students to get involved with weekend campaigns.

“I think everyone should go on weekend campaigns,”

said Agge, sophomore vocal major from Cedar Hill. “You go on it not really knowing anyone, but by the end, you know everyone’s name and something about them. It’s a great way to meet the most random people and create lasting friendships. I think weekend campaigns are so cool. They are free and amazing opportunities to serve.”

contact the optimist at jmcnetwork@acu.edu

Social clubs prepare for rushing season Last year, the pledging process was shortened from five weeks to three, and in years past, other Spring is here, and it’s al- changes have been made most time for the spring to the pledging and rushAll-Club Rush. ing process.

At 5 p.m. April 9, every There won’t be any social club will surround new changes enforced on the GATA Fountain as po- the rushing process this tential pledges greet club year, however, this year’s members. Judging from All-Club Rush will be on the number of students a Thursday instead of a that showed up for the Monday. pledge meeting, approxi“The reasoning bemately 300 students are ex- hind that is two-fold,” pected to attend the rush. said Mark Jackson, assis-

josh levinson

student reporter

tant director of student organizations and programs. “There are more Monday-night classes, and the turnaround from having the all-club rush on Monday to individual club rushes on Tuesday was too quick. This gives students more time to get ready for the rushes.”

This rush will officially kick off the rushing season and give future pledges a broad look at every club on campus in a combined set-

ting. In years past, clubs have brought all sorts of food, games and fun to the rush, and thanks to springtime, weather should be decent.

Rushes allow students to test out different clubs without making a commitment to a particular group. There will be more individual-club rushes throughout the end of the semester and into the beginning of next semester.

“The advice I would give to students is be

Camp completes hiring for summer leadership roles bailey werderich studnet reporter ACU Leadership Camps will employ about 90 students from all majors and classes this summer as camp counselors and staff.

These students have been preparing since December for this summer’s Leadership Camps, which consist of four different camps, each for a different age group. Most of the staff and leadership team are divided in half by those working with the younger or older age groups.

In addition to the 82 counselors and the eight leadership team members, other students serve on the first aid team and the media team who are responsible for taking pictures and videos throughout the week.

The new staff participated

in a retreat last weekend and has training sessions every Tuesday night through March and April.

Hillary Rousselot, senior speech pathology major from Midland, has been a counselor at three different camps and prefers the ACU Leadership Camps training.

“ACU Leadership Camps was the first camp that I worked with that really invested in training counselors and allowed plenty of time to let the counselors get to know each other with weekly meetings and a retreat,” Rousselot said. “The purpose of these meetings were to not only present different obstacles that a counselor could encounter with campers, but also to allow the counselors to get to know who they would be spending the summer with.”

David Moses, director of

Leadership Camps, was a youth minister for 19 years before joining the Leadership Camps team. For 16 of those 19 years, he brought his youth group to Leadership Camps.

“In my opinion, it’s one of the most spiritually impacting camps I’ve ever attended as a youth minister,” Moses said. “Once I found them, we didn’t go anywhere else.”

Staff members get the month of May off but hit the ground running the first week of June for their preparation week. Camps begin the next week and run through July 3. They have Fourth of July weekend off but return for teardown on July 6 and 7.

Moses said that what happens at Leadership Camps is not only beneficial for the camper but also for the counselors.

“I met some of my best friends by working with them

at camp and have mentored to kids that are going to grow up and be amazing stewards to the kingdom of God,” Rousselot said. “Working at a camp is always crazy, and you never really know what to expect, but it’s awesome to see God working in the lives of others.”

Jake Hall, returning assistant director and senior English education major from Springtown, said ACU Leadership Camps has been the greatest part of his time at ACU. “It has given me a way to channel my talents in a way that directly affects the Kingdom and placed people in my life that I will hold dear forever,” Hall said.

contact the optimist at jmcnetwork@acu.edu

SpringFest: Student bands to perform live music from page 1 PR major from Grapevine. “It’s still super encouraging because it’s my friends and they want to see me do well and

they’re not out to critique me by any means.”

Heath, who performed at SpringFest last year, said this will be the first time Carl & The Bear will perform together pub-

licly.

“I think anyone could do it,” Heath said. “If I can try out, anyone can try out. JamFest and SpringFest have been things that I love doing

just because it’s so fun and so relaxed and your name is on a shirt and that’s pretty cool.” contact the optimist at jmcnetwork@acu.edu

yourself, go to as many rushes as possible, be open-minded with each club and go to what fits you, not what your friends may or may not be doing,” Jackson said.

In the aftermath of club elections, clubs have introduced new teams of officers to lead their clubs.

Chera Chaney, president of Sigma Theta Chi, said she is looking forward to the rush.

“It’s a great chance for

all the clubs to meet the guys and girls that are interested in pledging and for them to really get a feel for what club they’re wanting to pledge,” said Chaney, junior graphic design major from Merkel. “It’s always such a blast for all the clubs to be in one area together.”

contact the optijmist at jmcnetwork@acu.edu

Opinion

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Wednesday 4.1.15

editorial

Student leaders are too occupied to run for SA the issue The candidates running for SA president and vice president are running unopposed.

our take This isn’t because the student body is apathetic, it’s because they’ve got better things to do.

It’s unfortunate that there is only one candidate for both the SA presidential and vice presidential races this year.

Beau Carter is running unopposed for president, and Caleb Orr is running unopposed for vice president, but this year’s ballot box says more about how the ACU student body has changed than it does the

candidates themselves.

Both Carter and Orr would probably tell you they wish someone would run against them. That’s because they understand the importance of using student votes to get the best person in office.

How can students expect to put the best candidate for the job in the SA office if voters are having to

hashtagACU

settle for the only name on the ballot?

Well, technically, they don’t have to settle for that one name. There is always an option for voters to abstain from voting for an unopposed name on the ballot, which is one way of saying, “I dislike this candidate so much that I’m not going to just not vote for him, I’m going to show up to the polls and intentionally vote against him even thought there is no one better available.”

This sounds silly, but it might actually be something the candidates, Carter especially, should be concerned about. Last year,

Carter ran for executive vice president unopposed, and about 32 percent of voters chose to abstain from voting for him. While that’s definitely nowhere close to a majority, it is surprising to think that 315 students went to the polls and intentionally chose not to have a VP rather than to elect him.

What the lack of opponents really says about our student body is that it’s changing. Student government has been the organization for student leaders for decades. Now, not so much.

It’s not because we don’t have student leaders, but it’s because we now have

The stairs in these buildings are meant to make you feel out of shape. #acudifference

March 31 3:23 p.m.

#BASIC VAGABONDAGE BLAKEMORE

SAMANTHA SUTHERLAND CATHERINE BLAKEMORE

@SavanahNicholee

#blessed bc just got 5 chapel credits for no reason, day made.

April is the worst month of the year, if you’re in still in school.

Coming back to school in August is far less excruciating to deal with than the month of April.

The light is not at the end of the tunnel in August. The freedom of summertime and barefoot adventures does not await you in August.

By April, we faintly see the lift of MWF and TR constraints just off in the distance waiting for the time when you can no

March 31 1:34 p.m.

can someone start a petition to get ice cream at ACU’s Chick fil a

@a_campbell14 March 31 3:06 p.m.

Tell me why I just got 5 random chapel credits, not complaining, just curious. #blessed

@maleahhodge March 31 7:40 a.m.

I left the rec center from a morning swim and outside it smells like warm pop tarts...?

@SPhernetton March 31 1:53 p.m.

longer feel haunted at 7 a.m.

April is like the awfulsmelling person in front of you in the movie theatre who you can’t escape for a three-hour Christopher Nolan film. It feels like never-ending subtle torture.

April is the month where freedom and sunshine and trips to anywhere-but-here are just out of reach. You might still have that final project, that portfolio, that big test in the class you

don’t care about at all.

April is where the sun is hot in the day, yet it’s still too cold at night.

Where it almost feels like summer, but the chance of a hailstorm still lingers.

If your summer plans are locked down or you got that internship or you have that summer job or you’re planning on laying out on the beaches in Fiji, you’re ready for April to be over.

April is the worst for professors and students – and puppies, just ‘cause.

You freak out about your grades, you try to finish projects and tie up lo0se ends, you beg for any sort of extra credit and scramble to calculate all the percentages of cate-

gories of work that you’ve turned in.

Any chance of estimating your grade for the semester is lost by doubts and rampant insecurities that maybe your mental math skill isn’t as good as you think it is.

There is no solution to April but to just trudge through it and resist the urge to count the days until graduation or the day of your last final. May 9 will come regardless of you checking your countdown app.

So April, here’s to you, ruining lives, hopes and dreams, one student at a time. contact Blakemore at CRB13A@acu.edu

DAILY doodle dosage

@bthouston11

How to be basic: put pointless selfies on social media. #goaway

contact The Optimist at jmcnetwork@acu.edu

Ruining lives, hopes and dreams

March 27 10:02 a.m.

@anthonyhi11

money), other departments and job opportunities specifically related to majors or students’ careers are being created on campus every year. This leaves SA to the poli-sci guys and everyone else pretty much doing their own thing.

The bottom line is that we want to accuse the student body of being apathetic, of not being able to produce another suitable candiate, but we can’t. We just have to acknowledge that the leaders we need have better places to be.

Column

March 30 9:06 a.m.

Already planning that nap fam

an abundance of places for student leaders to serve within their niches on campus. It’s surely not a coincidence that both of these candidates, and last year’s SA president (Dylan Benac) and the year before that (Rebecca Dial) and the year before that (Connor Best), were all political science majors.

Poli-sci majors are drawn to serve in SA because it’s the organization on campus that most closely relates to their interests and passions. Just as student leaders who are business majors now have opportunities in COBA and Wildcat Ventures to lead (and make

Ben Todd

March 31 1:02 p.m.

when you have 3 bean bucks left in your account :’-} #halp

@lwk1993 March 31 12:18 p.m.

@carlischeevel

Now that I put my keyboard cover back on MacDaddy no one can hear me typing in class

Just let me buy chapel credits with my bean bucks please

@AustinLinehan YikYak Just parked in a faculty parking lot depsite it being further away from my classes just to do it

Shout out to the sidewalks for keeping me off the streets

YikYak

YikYak

Column

Is our right to free speech getting weaker?

FUNNY HOW VAGABONDAGE THAT WORKS SAMANTHA SUTHERLAND EMILY SEIDEL

Famous designers Domenico Dolce and Steffano Gabbana made headlines last week when they made a public statement saying they opposed child adoptions by gay couples.

The statement confused many because both men are gay.

“We oppose gay adoptions,” the designers said in Italian magazine Panorama. “The only family is the traditional one. No chemical offsprings and rented uterus: life has a natural flow, there are

things that should not be changed.”

Of course, immediately afterward, many celebrities came forward and expressed their outrage at the designers’ opinions, encouraging a permanent boycott of all Dolce & Gabbana products.

Those celebrities included Madonna, Elton John, Ellen DeGeneres, Victoria Beckham, Ricky Martin, Courtney Love and many others.

Here is where my own protest comes in. Slowly

but surely, we have become a society where offending someone is one of the worst things you can do.

Remember the Chickfil-A boycott from 2012?

Dan Cathy, president and CEO of Chick-fil-A, said in a radio interview that he opposed same-sex marriage for biblical reasons.

In response, not only did thousands of protesters organize a boycott, but the mayors of Boston and Chicago announced they would not allow the restaurant to add any more franchises in the cities unless they changed their stance on gay marriage.

Let’s compare these two instances: all three men made their statements in interviews in

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.

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lawmaker who had actual influence over certain people’s legal rights. But Dolce and Gabbana do not fall under that category. They make pretty dresses, not legislation.

The idea here seems to be something like, “We believe in complete freedom and equal rights for everyone. But if you have an opinion different from mine, you will be punished.” In what way does that kind of thinking encompass freedom?

Were their comments insensitive?

Ignorant?

That’s not a yes-or-no question. That’s for each individual to decide for him or herself. But whatever each individual decides on that issue, it’s important to remember

that neither Dolce or Gabbana can stop anyone from adopting a child.

Our first amendment right to free speech is one of the things that makes our country so great: when everyone is allowed to discuss issues freely and openly and express every opinion, it allows consider every angle before making a decision.

And in a democratic society, the majority wins.

So fight for your causes and form your opinions based on what you believe is right. Just don’t try to take away anyone’s else right to the same freedom. contact Seidel at EKS13B@acu.edu

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response to a direct question about the topic. All three men answered honestly. None of them went out of their way to make a public statement condemning a certain lifestyle, yet they all received overwhelming backlash.

The one difference is that Cathy had his own supporters who rallied in his defense after the controversy. Profits actually increased in the aftermath.

That doesn’t look like it will happen for Dolce and Gabbana, though it’s a bit early to tell. So I have to ask: what is so unforgivable about what they said?

I could understand protesting those kinds of statements if they were made by a politician or

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5

featureS

Wednesday 04.01.15

jarred schuetze cheiif Photographer

Katie Cranfil, senior Spanish major from Copperas Cover, has devoted the next decade of her life to mission work in Latin America.

De Su Propio

Voluntad Brittany Jackson managing editor

Student turns love of Latin culture into long-term mission effort

W

hile many seniors are scrambling to figure out summer plans, Katie Cranfill has already planned out the next five to 10 years of her life.

Although she can’t pinpoint the exact responsibilities she’ll have, Cranfill, Spanish major from Copperas Cove, she’ll spend that time doing long-term mission work in the central highlands of Peru. There, she’ll continue to feed her fascination of spirituality and Spanish culture.

“I don’t think, in my mind, it’s ever been separate. That’s the whole point, you can’t separate yourself from what you believe in,” she said.

Admittedly, she hasn’t always been as enthused with Hispanic culture as she is now. Cranfill remembers hating the focus in her seventh-grade history class on Texas-Mexico relations, wanting the curriculum to focus more on Texas.

Less than a year later, Cranfill found herself pointedly obsessed with everything Spanish-related that she once rolled her eyes at and dreaming of missionary life and becoming.

“I would read all these book about all these martyrs throughout history, all these Christians who died because of what they believed in,” she said. “All of it was in a different culture, so early on, I guess, I committed my life to God and that was when I said, ‘God, I want to go.’ I guess I knew I didn’t want to live a life that doesn’t mean anything, because I knew early on that time was short, and I wanted to do something meaningful with it.”

For more than a year, she double majored in Spanish and communications but soon found her Spanish skills were lacking when, after three years of the language in high school, she couldn’t even CLEP out of Elementary Spanish.

The summer between her freshman and sophomore year, Cranfill spent 10 weeks doing mission work in Costa Rica with WorldWide Witness. There, she stayed with a host family, enrolled in a language school and helped out wherever she could in the church.

“The whole reason I wanted to do WWW in the first place was because I remembered being in junior high and having such a strong desire to go with God and willing to be sent,” she said. “It was still on my heart, but wasn’t as strong as it had used to be. So, I wanted to see if that was something that God would want me to do.”

Three weeks after returning from Costa Rica, she found herself on a plane with 10 other students, flying about 5,000 miles to study abroad for a semester in Montevideo, Uruguay. She took advanced language courses at the local Catholic university and worked at developing her fluency even further.

She spent the next summer in Abilene, participating in Beltway Park Baptist Church’s 10-week discipleship course and learned more about the importance of spirituality in her life.

“It just basically took me to a whole different level in my

relationship with God,” she said. “It’s a very intense program, which is exhilarating,” she said. “It’s essentially you learning how to be a disciple in Christ, and learning how to encourage others to do the same, and walk with people in their life, and walk with Jesus at the same time.”

The summer after her junior year, Cranfill said she saw a post by one of her professors, Dr. Gary Green, about traveling to Peru with a few students. Feeling left out, Cranfill said she contacted Green about accompanying the group.

“Katie immediately sent me a Facebook message asking for an explanation. My explanation was ‘sorry, my bad; that was not for you,’” Green, coordinator of WWW, said. “Katie, however, persisted in asking for more information. When I explained about the forming team, Katie asked if there was the possibility of adding another member. The rest is history.

Sometimes the Father accomplishes his will through human error.”

The group left a few weeks later to explore one location in Ecuador and two in Peru.

Toward the end of the summer, Cranfill joined the team and agreed to spend the next year in training for the upcoming five to 10 years she’d spend as a missionary.

“I’d always wanted to be a missionary, but I never felt like I’d bring anything to the table,” she said. “I struggled a lot with the thought, ‘I don’t have anything to offer,’ and I think a lot of people struggle with this. But that’s exactly the point, because we’re average. We don’t have to have our lives together.”

The first semester of her senior year, Cranfill flew back to Montevideo, Uruguay, to study abroad for a second time.

While taking advanced Spanish courses, Cranfill participated in training sessions with her mission team through Skype almost every week.

As their approach to the mission work developed, Cranfill and her teammates were forced to decide where they would enroll in a language school. Ultimately, they chose a school in Costa Rica– the exact school at which Cranfill studied during her WWW internship.

“It was great, because I had promised my friends from Costa Rica that I’d be back. Which I’ve since learned not to make promises for things you can’t control,” she said.

After the team completes its language courses, which are expected to last about a year, they will spend an additional year observing the site’s culture and forming relationships with the townspeople. In about two years, Cranfill and her teammates will finally begin their church-planting mission in Huancayo, Peru.

“One thing I struggled with a lot was that I don’t have anything to offer. I’m average, and a lot of times people just think, ‘Oh, because I’m just average God isn’t going to use me.’ But that’s exactly the point, that’s why God wants to use us. He is so much more visible through us because we’re average,” Cranfill said. “There’s nothing special about us without him.”

ContactJackson at bkj12a@acu.edu

photos courtesy of katie cranfil

Left: Cranfill speaks to university student in Huancayo, Peru. Right: Students explore Cusco, Peru on their study abroad trip in 2012.

sports

wednesday 4.01.15

Wildcats shot down by Cowgirls savanah silva sports reporter Coming off a disappointing loss to University of Texas at Arlington, the ACU softball team came into last weekend’s home series with some fire when it faced off against McNeese State.

The ‘Cats were looking to hand the Cowgirls their first loss in conference play in the first match of the series.

McNeese entered the weekend with the lowest team ERA in the Southland Conference, which was reflected in the final score of the first game.

The Cowgirls came out swinging with pitcher Emily Vincent holding the Wildcats to almost no hits.

Sophomore catcher Kaleigh Singleton snapped the no-hit curse after she grounded one to the shortstop to start the seventh.

Two outs later, sophomore outfielder Taylor Brown slammed one to shallow left field to load the bases, but Vincent got freshman infielder Peyton

first game in the seventh to make the final score 8-0.

Montoya started the second game strong, though McNeese came out swinging, quickly jumping to a 2-0 lead in the third.

That was all they could do off Montoya, who followed their rally with four scoreless innings.

The ‘Cats never lost their intensity and responded to McNeese’s two runs with eight of their own throughout the game.

That included a three-run home run by Hedrick, who went 2-for-3 at the plate.

ACU capitalized on McNeese’s mistakes, which helped push them to hand the Cowgirls their first loss in conference play. The Wildcats took Game 2, 8-2.

Head coach Bobby mariana cedillo Staff Photographer Reeves praised the efforts of his junior pitcher.

The Wildcats fell in games one and three against “Julia went out there McNeese, 8-0 and 13-6. ACU did come back in game and threw strikes, got two however, with an 8-2 win. ahead in the count and spun the ball to get us a lot Hedrick out to end the hitting in the fourth and of pop-ups,” Reeves said. game. brought in five runs before Going into Saturday’s fiSenior pitcher Emily junior pitcher Julia Mon- nal game of the back-andSeidel had a solid three in- toya came in. forth series, ACU was looknings of shut-out work, McNeese scored its ing to take back-to-back but the Cowgirls started eighth and final run of the wins against McNeese.

Once again, Hedrick improved her batting average when she crushed two more home runs. She also had four RBI which helped push her to a .452 hitting average.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough for the ‘Cats.

Starting pitcher for the Cowgirls Rachel Smith helped seal the game in the seventh with her second home run of the game.

ACU only scored six runs before McNeese pulled away in the seventh.

Montoya started for the Wildcats but took the loss after giving up six earned runs through 3.0 innings of work.

The Cowgirls took the final game of the series 136. This puts ACU at 6-24 overall and 2-10 in conference.

The Wildcats travel to San Antonio this weekend to play the University of the Incarnate Word in another three-game series.

First pitch is at 4 p.m. Friday. contact silva at sns12b@acu.edu

6

standings 2015 Baseball Standings

Team

Div.

SELU 9-3 NSU 8-3 UCA 8-4 HBU 6-3 MSU 7-5 SHSU 7-5 ACU 4-5 Nicholls St.5-7 Lamar 4-7 SFA 3-6 TAMU-CC 3-6 UIW 2-7 NO 2-7

Ovrl 22-8 16-11 14-8 15-12 17-11 13-16 6-18 14-12-1 9-19 13-14 11-12 10-16 10-17

2015 Softball Standings

Team

Div.

UCA 11-1 MSU 11-1 NSU 10-1 Lamar 10-2 SELU 9-2 Nicholls St.6-6 TAMU-CC 4-8 HBU 3-9 SHSU 2-9 SFA 2-9 ACU 2-10 UIW 0-12

Ovrl 23-9 25-12 20-13 17-13 14-18 18-13 9-21-1 9-19 9-21 9-22 6-24 3-26

Who’s Hot Senior relief pitcher Ladgie Zotyka continued his dominant zotyka season as he went three innings allowing only one earned run in the Wildcats’ 5-4 win over Lamar. Zotyka is second on the team in strikeouts (23) and ERA (1.12).

briefings The volleyball team started spring practice last week without a full seven-player team.

The team returns seven players, but freshman Stephanie Schoelman is out with a torn ACL leaving the Wildcats to practice one player short of a starting lineup.

paige otway Staff Photographer

Sophomore Erin Walker was a big reason for ACU’s 6-1 win over Southeastern Louisiana University at the Cecil and Judi Eager Tennis Pavilion this past weekend. Walker recorded a 6-1 and 6-4 win in her singles match and an 8-2 doubles win with partner freshman Whitney Williams.

Tennis defends home turf vs. SELU and freshmen Lucile Pot h ier and WhitThe women’s tennis team ney Wilmoved up in conference liams all play Friday as the team r e c o r d e d defeated Southland Con- v i c t o r i e s , williams ference opponent South- while seeastern Louisiana, 6-1. nior Brittney Reed lost Led by a strong show- to the Lions’ undefeated ing in both singles and player, Renee Villareal, in doubles play, the team the first seed matchup. now owns a 3-2 record Williams won her in conference and 7-2 re- fourth straight match at cord overall this season. the No. 5 position. HowIn singles competi- ever, the longest winning tion, the Wildcats earned streak belongs to Marjafive out of the six wins. novic, who improved to Juniors Kaysie Hermsdorf 8-0 after defeating Maand Nada Marjanovic, dina Vorotnikova, who sophomore Erin Walker suffered her first loss of

hannah little

sports broadcast producer

the season.

Hermsdorf, at the No. 2 position, remains the team leader in total vichermsdorf tories with nine after holding off Lucia Bustamante, 6-3, 5-7 and 10-4.

The doubles match between Villareal/Luca Bustamante and Reed/ Hermsdorf was left unfinished when ACU snapped the overall win with the lead in singles.

The Wildcats’ freshman duo, Lucile Pothier and Carli Knezevich, won

their fourth match together and improved to No. 3 in conference.

Walker and Williams won in their doubles match as the two improved to 2-1. Walker and Williams also swept their opponents in singles competition, 6-1, 6-4 and 6-3, 6-2.

“We work really well together because we are both aggressive and like to get to the net,” Walker said. “We have really developed by communicating with each other better and understanding each other’s strengths and weaknesses.”

Both wins in doubles

were won with a record of 8-2.

The Wildcats were originally scheduled to play the Texas A&M Aggies of College Station in their next match, but threats of inclement weather canceled the match.

The team will travel Thursday and Friday to play conference matches against McNeese State and Nicholls State in Lake Charles and Thibodaux, Louisiana.

contact little at hll12a@acu.edu

‘Cats win multiple events at Bobcat Invitational in San Marcos Hannah Null sports reporter The ‘Cats came home from the Texas Relays and the Bobcat Invitational with two personal records, 28 top-five finishes and 15 first-place titles.

Sophomore runner Diana Garcia Muñoz continued to impress her opponents at the 88th Annual Texas Relays meet.

Muñoz placed fifth in the weekend meet with a 1,500-meter time of 4:36.46, which she beat last weekend by two seconds and earned the honor of Southland Conference women’s athlete of the week.

Demolition began last week on the old Elmer Gray Stadium. The stadium featured many great events in its 60year existance but none bigger than the women’s Olympic trials in 1960.

The baseball team finished an unusual nonconference weekend with a 5-4 win over conference opponent Lamar. Senior pitcher Thomas Altimont missed his start because of the flu.

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

Upcoming Baseball heads to Houston Thursday for a three-game series against the Houston Baptist Huskies. First pitch is at 2 p.m.

Women’s tennis travels Teammate and junior Bobcat Invitational. believe there is room for im- the rest of the season,” said to Lake Charles, Louisiana Thursday. thrower Jelani Rainey said he Yantis placed first in the provement.

Cleary. thinks this weekend showed heptathlon hurdles, high “This weekend allowed Sophomore distance Matches start at 2 p.m. him what he needs to work on to be successful in the following meets.

“It was a step in the right direction,” Rainey said. “I am going to try to focus on my competition mindset and my tempo in the ring this weekend as I throw.”

Rainey placed 29th at the Bobcat invitational in men’s discus with a throw of 42.35 meters.

Sophomore multi-event competitor Taylor Yantis, junior multi-event competitor Luke Woods and freshman multi-event competitor Wyatt French all had a successful weekend at the

jump, 200-meter race and shot put.

Woods stole first in the decathlon shot put, followed

by French in sixth.

The duo switched spots in decathlon high jump and long jump when French took first with 687 points, followed by 826 points in long jump.

Woods took fourth in both events with 585 and 695 points.

Woods and Yantis came away with overall multievent victory titles in the decathlon and heptathlon.

Even with some great performances, the ‘Cats still

me and my coaches to see what things I really need to improve on,” Rainey said.

Being only the second meet of the outdoor season, the Wildcats have time to prepare and progress their game.

Freshman distance runner Ryan Cleary placed seventh, behind teammate Sterlen Paul in third, in the men’s 800-meter run at the Bobcat Invitational.

With a time of 1:54.20, Cleary was only a little over a second behind third-place victor, Paul.

“I think it helped us get a baseline standpoint of

runner Reid Rivers claimed a personal record time of 1:57.69 behind Paul and Cleary in the 800-meter race, finishing in 15th overall.

The ‘Cats performed well in the Div. I meets this weekend and were granted strong preparation for the upcoming meet this weekend in Lubbock.

The ‘Cats will be back at Texas Tech for the third time this year – first time for outdoor season – to participate in the Texas Tech Open. contact Null at Hln12a@acu.edu

Softball begins a three-game series with Incarnate Word Friday in San Antonio.

Friday features a doubleheader as well.

First pitch is at 4 p.m.

Men’s tennis joins women’s tennis in Louisiana Friday against Nicholls State.

Matches start at 10:30 a.m. for both teams.