For the best experience, open this PDF portfolio inAcrobat 9 or Adobe Reader 9, or later.

Get Adobe Reader Now!

January 22, 2010From FrontPage 4

ing classes at McMurry. Wilson has adjusted her teaching schedule to accommodate the across-town commute, shortening the span of lifeguard training to six weeks and lengthening the scuba diving class trip to Balmorhea State Park from two and a half days to five days.

“The students have been very open to using McMur-ry’s pool,” Wilson said.

Wilson said the aquat-ic class adjustments are being taken one semes-ter at a time, but McMur-ry is very open to host-ing classes in the fall.

“They’ve been very welcoming,” Wilson said. The department has also created new classes. “Because we didn’t have a building we had to come up with innovative

exercise classes,” said Laura Dillman, instruc-tor of exercise science and health.

Dillman is teach-ing one section of Boot Camp, a new circuit-style endurance and strength building class offered in place of classes such as racquetball, badminton and Pickleball. Dillman said brainstorming for new classes coincides with the building of the SRWC.

“People are excited that there is going to be a new rec center and that there are going to be so many more oppor-tunities,” Dillman said.

Students in the de-partment have had mixed reactions to the schedule changes.

“Most people that I have talked to are pretty much frustrated. They are annoyed that the classes are so spread out,” said

Colby Carr, sophomore exercise science and health promotions major from White Oak.

Laura Ash, sopho-more exercise and sport science major from Sug-arland, also said having class in the education building and the Don H. Morris Center has been an adjustment.

“I’m used to just walk-ing around one build-ing,” Ash said.

Both Carr and Ash agree the SRWC will be worth the inconve-nience, however.

“I am very fired up about the new rec cen-ter,” Carr said. “Stuff like that is always worth the wait.”

Continued from page 1

Continued from page 1

ter users are tweeting spe-cific Haitian areas in need of immediate assistance, and Facebook users can join awareness and pledge groups. EBay users can opt to donate 10 to 100 percent of their product’s final sale price to Giving Works to “support earth-quake relief and recovery in Haiti,” according to www.donations.ebay.com. Music-lovers can purchase an “exclusive Lady Gaga Haiti relief T-shirt in the Lady Gaga Web store. 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale of this shirt go directly to aid Haitian relief efforts,” according to her Facebook fan page.

For those looking to work through local or ACU-related organiza-tions, Luke Cochran, ex-ecutive treasurer and se-nior finance major from Round Rock, recommend-ed Oxfam, “a confedera-tion of 14 like-minded organizations working together and with part-ners and allies around the world to bring about lasting change,” accord-ing to the organization’s Web site. Cochran said he became familiar with the organization while study-ing abroad in Oxford with

the College of Business Administration, and he is confident in its relief efforts.

“They are the No. 1 source for clean water in disaster relief situa-tions, and the reason I chose to support them was because the Haitian general council said the most important thing they needed was clean water. That was a ne-cessity,” Cochran said. “Having worked with Ox-fam through the Study Abroad program in the summer, I know they are an organization of high integrity.”

Cochran said 90 cents of every dollar goes directly to relief. Students can learn more about the organization and how to get involved at www.oxfam.org.

Students have also taken initiative outside of formal organizations. In an Acts-Revelation class taught by Mike Cope, pro-fessor of Bible, missions and ministry, students do-nated more than $780 to Haitian relief. According to Cope’s blog, www.prea-chermike.com, “We threw up baskets at the doors, and the class dropped in $763, plus about $20 in change. Then four of them counted the money

quickly and took it to ACU administrators …”

In addition, ACU alum-nus and missionary to Haiti, Brad Gautney, is working with Manna Global Ministries in Port-au-Prince to provide aid, and students can donate or support their efforts at www.mannaglobalminis-tries.org.

Cochran said the Stu-dents’ Association is try-ing to set up a way for students to donate on campus, but details have not been finalized. In the meantime, opportunities continue revealing them-selves, and students and Abilenians do not have to search long or hard for ways to help.

contact Williamson atkkw07a@acu.edu

things on campus that students will later be up-set or complain about,” Cochran said, “but when they have opportunities to do something about it, they’re sort of apathetic.”

Other students in at-tendance echoed his concern. Jared Perkins, sophomore environ-mental science major from Waco, said he felt incredibly underrepre-sented at the afternoon session Tuesday.

“The candidates should remember the university exists for the students,” Perkins said. “It’s difficult for them to recognize that, however, when the only session for students had very few students in it.”

Despite his disappoint-ment, Perkins said he was glad he went, and he en-couraged other students to take part.

“I think there is a dif-ference in how students hear about a candidate

from their friends and ac-tually seeing them speak in person,” he said. “My perception of him (Lytle) changed after the presen-tation. I wish I’d been able to go to the other one be-cause I think it made a difference.”

For those students who still feel unheard, SA is serving as a representa-tive for the student body. Cochran said he has spo-ken with many students to learn what they’re looking for in the next president and convey that to the candidates.

“Everyone sees how personable Dr. Money is,” he said. “I think that’s something students are hoping for.”

The executive cabinet had a chance to meet with each candidate for a casual dinner interview this week – Lytle on Tues-day evening and Schubert on Thursday evening.

Cochran said it was a good opportunity to hear the candidates’ perspec-tive on issues that are important to students,

such as Chapel or hiring strictly Church of Christ-affiliated faculty.

“We were able to ask some pretty pointed questions during that time,” Cochran said.

Most students who have participated in the interview process said it is apparent the Board of Trustees cares about stu-dent feedback.

“Students are given twice the amount of time as anyone else, any other group on the schedule. That really shows their commitment to stu-dents,” Cochran said. “Students should let their voice be heard.”

The final open session ended before Chapel on Friday, but students still have an opportunity to complete the confidential surveys. The deadline to complete the survey for Lytle is Friday, and the survey on Schubert will be sent Friday.

Forum: Students joinPRESIDENTIAL SEARCH

contact Rodriguez atsar06g@acu.edu

contact Hackney atceh05c@acu.edu

Continued from page 1

Relief: Options aboundHAITI

scrubbed gangrene out of open wounds, and performed amputations without anesthesia. After six days, the last thing he wanted was a break.

“I came back because if I miss any more class, I won’t graduate, and I want to graduate so I can do this full-time,” he said.

Other students, unable

to travel, were left feel-ing anxious and helpless. Jessica White, senior psy-chology major from Knox City, traveled to Haiti for humanitarian work in 2006 and has tried un-successfully to contact a friend in Cap-Haitien since the quake.

“I check my email ev-eryday,” White said. “l feel very helpless; it just makes me sick to my stomach.”

Mike Cope, adjunct instructor of Bible, mis-sions and ministry, led an impromptu discus-sion about the disaster in his Acts-Revelation class. On their way out, students had the oppor-tunity to donate to relief efforts, and the class raised more than $750.

Gibson: Classes moveCONSTRUCTION

Quake: Student travelsHAITI

Continued from page 1

RELIEF SCAMS

Better Business Bureau tips to avoid scams when donating:

n Do not send cash donationsn Do not give out credit card numbers to online or phone solicitorsn Be cautious of charities that are “long on emotion” but fail to describe what the charity will do for victimsn Read the fine printn Go to www.bbb.org/charity for more tips

contact Hettich atclh05d@acu.edu

ArtsJanuary 22, 2009 Page 5

Kelsi WilliamsonChief Photographer

Faculty members in the Department of Art and Design taught by example at the biannual ACU faculty art show Thursday night.

“It’s good for students because then they see their teachers as artists practicing in a field they want to practice in one day,” said Jack Maxwell, chair of the Department of Art and Design.

The work of every faculty member and all but one part-time professor was dis-played at the ACU Cockerell Gallery. The creations ranged from realistic paintings to abstract sculptures.

Geoffrey Broderick, assistant professor of

art, had several cast-metal sculptures on dis-play. Broderick said these creations served as starting points for some of his larger projects.

While his best work may not be on dis-play, Broderick said the faculty show is still an important event.

“It’s a good chance for students to come in and be reinforced after seeing this level of talent,” Broderick said.

Broderick plans to have two pieces in a show, titled EarthBound: The State of Sculpture, at the Art Museum of South Texas in Corpus Christi, beginning March 25.

For Art’s Sake

Left: Cockerell Galleries will be open Wednesday through Saturday from noon-3 p.m. Below: Geoffrey Broderick’s piece, titled Blue Cherry, is on display in the Fac-ulty Art Exhibit.

contact Williamson atkkw07a@acu.edu

January 22, 2010 Page 3Campus News

Linda BaileyOpinion Page Editor

Santos Montoya can throw a disc from the steps in front of the Chapel on the Hill to the flagpoles at the main en-trance of campus – which happens to be 634 feet.

Montoya, senior sports fitness and leisure major from Abilene, attends Hardin-Simmons University but is completing an intern-ship at ACU with Deonna Shake’s disc golf class.

Shake, instructor in the exercise science and health department, met Montoya playing on the local disc golf courses, and she said his passion for disc golf made him stand out.

Later, when Montoya needed an internship, he contacted Shake, and they worked out a plan.

During the semester, Montoya will plan the class’s day-to-day activi-ties, drills and progres-sions while Shake will organize and teach class material, Shake said.

“I have a huge heart for the game and so does Santos, but Santos also brings that technical side of things,” she said. “I may be able to say things about throwing a forehand, a backhand or cutting, but Santos will be able to demonstrate it with much better clarity and expertise.”

The class is open to all levels of disc golfers,

and Shake said Montoya is approachable and will be an asset to beginners and advanced players.

Montoya said he hopes to introduce disc golf to more people by sharing his knowledge of the game. His passion for it comes from play-ing and teaching.

“I like to see the look on somebody’s face when they aren’t throw-ing it far, and then I teach them 30 seconds of something, and then they throw it 50 feet further,” he said.

Montoya said he started playing with his brother at age 13. He was skeptical at first, but the more he played and watched Abilene

disc golf professionals play, the more his game improved. After playing professionally for four years, Santos is ranked 15th in Texas and spon-sored by DisCrazy of Amarillo. He said other sponsors are looking at him, and he has already scheduled 20-30 events for the year in hopes of making it to the U.S. disc golf championships.

Meredith Morgan, sophomore music edu-cation major from Ar-lington, is in one of the classes with Montoya. She has never played disc golf but said she thinks Montoya will give students an advantage.

“I think since he’s kind of an expert at it, he will

definitely be able to help us with our technique and form more than if we were just reading from a rule book,” Morgan said. “I think he will really be

able to help us get better at the game and not just know how to play it.”

Nationally ranked disc golfer assists in classACADEMICS

Taylor EdwardsContributing Reporter

On Saturday, acclaimed folk rock singer Samuel Beam, better known as Iron & Wine, will headline at Abilene’s historic Para-mount Theatre. Though he is one of the most well-known artists to play at the venue, this particular show is unique for another reason – one perhaps more relevant to students than his musical talent alone.

In conjunction with the Campus Activities Board, the Students’ Association purchased 129 tickets to give to students.

“I know that in the past people have seen the SA as kind of distant, and we wanted to get in-volved with the student body again with tangible results,” said SA Execu-tive Secretary Melanie Wheeler, junior political science and history major from Abilene.

When SA heard about the opportunity, SA Vice President Tony Godfrey and several other students presented a bill to Con-gress; after debate, mem-bers decided to allocate money to the giveaway. SA spent a total of $1750 on the tickets, and the Cam-

pus Activities Board pro-vided the remaining $550.

In order to win tickets, students had to follow SA on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook. The goal was to open a channel of com-munication between SA and the student body and to use that channel to effectively reach students – in this case, to give out tickets.

When Godfrey sent out updates about the loca-tion of remaining front row tickets, students who were following them could instantly respond.

A tweet sent out Jan. 19 read, “Find your pair of front row Iron & Wine tick-

ets by this ACU fixture? (Is it a fish, or hands??)”

The next tweet let stu-dents know the tickets had been claimed and encouraged students to keep playing.

“Wow. Already found by Jordan Lowe. You guys are on top of it. Giving away more front row pairs tomorrow. Scavenger hunt meets hide and seek.”

Because the show is completely sold out, the SA giveaway was the only way for many students to get tickets.

“I was so excited when I saw the email,” said Katie Stumbo, freshman art ma-

jor from Naples, Fla. “I love Iron & Wine, and when I heard they were coming, I really wanted to get tick-ets. I think that this was a

great way for SA to reach out to students.”

SA twitters mystery location of concert tickets MUSIC

TAYLOR EDWARDS Contributing Photographer

Tony Godfrey, vice president and junior political science and English major from Burleson, hands Iron and Wine tickets to Michael McKissick, freshman advertising and public relations major from Boerne.

contact Bailey atljb07a@acu.edu

contact Edwards atoptimist@jmcnetwork.com

PAGE 5

Optimistthe

For Art’s Sake

Kelsi WilliamsonChief Photographer

Renovations to the Gib-son Health and P.E Center have scattered the De-partment of Exercise Sci-ence and Health all over campus this semester.

With construction un-derway for the new ACU Student Recreation and Wellness Center, faculty and students have had to readjust their sched-ules accordingly.

“We’ve been told for three semesters it may happen. For every se-mester, I have devel-oped two schedules,” said Joe Bell, chair of the Department of Exercise Science and Health.

After building plans were approved in No-vember, faculty mem-bers took quick action to move offices and plan for a new semester.

While some of the exercise science and health faculty have re-tained their offices in Gibson, others now re-side on the first floor of the Administration Building, along with a few other buildings around campus.

Class space has also

had to shift. Many ex-ercise classes are utiliz-ing alternative spaces around campus and around town, includ-ing the Powell Fitness Center, Bennett Gymna-sium and the McMurry University pool.

Lorraine Wilson, as-sociate professor of exercise science and health, is teaching 65 students in lifeguard training and scuba div-

Chelsea HackneyCopy Editor

The Presidential Search Ad-visory Committee has pro-vided students with several opportunities to participate in the on-campus interview process, including two open question-and-answer ses-sions and a confidential sur-vey for students to provide feedback on the candidates.

The Students’ Associa-tion allowed students who were unable to attend the open sessions to text ques-tions for the candidates to Luke Cochran, SA executive secretary. About 10 stu-dents participated, Cochran said, and several more were in attendance at the morn-ing session Wednesday.

“I was actually surprised; there were quite a few stu-dents there,” said Cochran, senior finance major from Round Rock. About one-third of those in attendance were students, he said.

However, he said he thought still more should have been involved.

“I think there are so many

see FORUM page 4

The Meaning of the March

KELSI WILLIAMSON Chief Photographer

Members of the Abilene community, including ACU students, gathered at the Martin Luther King Jr. Bridge on East Highway 80 on Monday afternoon for the traditional MLK Day march. The march honors the life of Dr. King, who was murdered April 4, 1968, for his vocal stance against racial prejudice and discrimination. King paved the way for the desegregation of the United States and is a hero of the American civil rights movement.

Finalists,studentsinteractin forum

PRESIDENTIALSEARCH

Renovations pave way for recreation center

CONSTRUCTION

see GIBSON page 4

I’m fired up about the new rec center. Stuff like that is always worth the wait.COLBY CARRSophomore exercise science and health promo major from White Oak

b. No, and I still don’t know what that is.

Forecast InsideTOWERING TWINSJamie and Jody Meyer top the LSC women’s scoring charts, keeping their op-ponents seeing double.

Page 8

Online

Fri Sat Sun

50°76° 42°67° 38°61°

NATIONALLY RANKED disc golfer Santos Mon-toya is teaching ACU students the ins and outs of the rising sport.

Page 3

Are you going to the Iron & Wine concert?

Visit acuoptimist.com to join the discussion.

VIDEO

Gibson Renovations

LOUDandCLEAR

a. Yes, I’ve been waiting for months.

c. That goofy bearded man? Are you kidding?

Colter HettichEditor in Chief

“The video and pictures can’t capture the smells, or grasp the decadence of the smoke and burning bodies.”

David Vanderpool, senior Biblical stud-ies major from Brentwood, Tenn., returned from Port-au-Prince on Wednesday after providing emergency medical attention to Haitian earthquake victims for almost a week. Vanderpool reset fractured bones,

Sondra RodriguezManaging Editor

Since the magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit Haiti on Jan. 12, people from all over the world have found ways to support relief efforts, mostly through monetary donations. Students and Abilenians can contribute to local and na-tional organizations that have pledged to help the poorest country in the Western Hemi-sphere recover from the dev-astating natural disaster.

Technology has made it possible to find donation op-portunities everywhere. AT&T users, for example, can text “HAITI” to 90999 to donate $10 to the Red Cross. Twit-ter users are tweeting specific Haitian areas in need of im-mediate assistance, and Fa-cebook users can join aware-

see RELIEF page 4see QUAKE page 4

Photo courtesy of JESSICA WHITE

A neigborhood in the coastal city of Cap-Haitien, Haiti, sits in need of repair in 2006. Cap-Haitien is about 80 miles north of Port-au-Prince.

Students respond to quake

Campussupportsdisasterrelief

acuoptimist.comBREAKING NEWS, VIDEOS, PHOTOS, DISCUSSION AND EXCLUSIVE CONTENTVol. 98, No. 31 1 section, 8 pagesFriday, January 22, 2010

Photo courtesy of JESSICA WHITE

Tap-tap drivers in Cap-Haitien take a break.

acuoptimist.com

Watch exclusive video interviews with the two

finalists, Dr. Phil Schubert and Dr. Rick Lytle

A NATION IN CRISIS

CALENDAR AND EVENTS

Friday, January 22, 2010

2CampusDay

11 a.m.Praise Day led by Sam Souder

5:30 p.m.Spaghetti supper at Abilene Adult Day Care

Last day for 100 percent refund

Last day to register for classes

6 p.m. ACU women’s basket-ball vs. Angelo State

8 p.m. ACU men’s basketball vs. Angelo State

23SATURDAY

The Optimist maintains this calendar for the ACU community to keep track of local social, academic and service opportunities. Groups may send announcements directly to optimist@jmcnetwork.com.

To ensure an item will appear on time, the announcement should be sent at least 10 days before. The Optimist may edit items for space and style.

Corrections and clarifications of published news articles will be printed in this space in a timely manner.

AboutThis Page

9Chapel CreditedChapelsto date:

Checkup 64CreditedChapelsremaining:

Volunteer Opportunities

The Recreation Divi-sion needs volunteers to help serve dinner at their annual Daddy-Daughter Dinner and Date Night. Volunteers are needed from 5:30-7 p.m. Feb. 11 at the Abilene Civic Center. For more infor-mation, call Anita Vigil at 734-5301.

Abilene Empty Bowls Project, a community initiative to end local and global hunger, will take place 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Feb. 20 at Highland Church of Christ. For more informa-tion, call 673-5295.

The Woodson Early Childhood Center needs volunteers to oversee children while parents attend a couples work-shop. Volunteers are needed from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Feb. 6 at 520 N. 9th

St. For more information, call Mary McLeod at 671-4594 ext. 5956, or e-mail her at mary.mcleod@abileneisd.org.

Breakfast On Beech Street serves breakfast to homeless and low-income members of the Abilene community and is in need of volunteers. Breakfast is served from 6:30-7:15 a.m. at the First Christian Church at 3rd and Beech Street. Volunteers must arrive at 5:30 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and 5 a.m. Tuesdays. For more information, visit the First Christian Church’s Web site at www.fccabilene.org/outreach.html.

The International Res-cue Committee needs volunteers to set up

apartments before refu-gees arrive. This includes shopping for household supplies, assembling furniture and putting away kitchen and food items. All volunteers are required to attend an IRC volunteer orientation and must be available during weekday afternoons. Re-liable transportation and ability to perform minor physical labor is also required.

Service Saturday will take place Jan. 30-31.

The Christian Service Center needs volunteers to fill requests for cloth-ing, bedding, kitchen utensils, etc., from the donation center. Vol-unteers may work from noon-4 p.m. Friday or Saturday. For more infor-mation, call Jim Clark at 673-7531.

The Noah Project needs volunteers to cover the domestic violence crisis hotline between 6 and 10 p.m. Monday-Friday.

For more information, call Yvonne Myers at 676-7107.

Love and Care Minis-tries needs help with its clothing ministry and street feeds at 9 a.m., 1 p.m. or 5 p.m. Monday-Friday. To schedule a time, call Terry Davis at 670-0246.

The International Res-cue Committee needs literacy teachers. Volun-teers will help refugees learn to read and write. All volunteers are required to attend an IRC orientation, a literacy workshop and must commit to two to four hours per week for at least three months.

The Center for Contem-porary Arts is looking for people to greet patrons, answer phones and help with gallery shows. Vol-unteers are needed from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and 5-8 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. For more information, call Saybra Giles at 677-8389.

The National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature needs volun-teers to assist with art activities, greet visitors, give tours, sell books and create a welcom-ing environment from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. and 1-3 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. For more information, contact Debby Lillick at 673-4586.

Meals on Wheels is looking for volunteers to deliver hot meals to se-niors and adults with dis-abilities each week. Vol-unteers may work once a week, Monday-Friday, between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. For more informa-tion, contact Elisabeth Rodgers at 672-5050.

The College Heights Friendship House needs help with children’s activities from 3-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. For more information, call 829-6514.

Abilene Hope Haven needs volunteers to provide childcare while

parents are in class. Vol-unteers are needed from 6:45-8:15 p.m. Monday-Thursday. For more information, call Christine Spillers at 437-0611.

Communities in Schools at Fannin Elementary School needs volun-teers for one to two hours Monday through Thursday, beginning at 3 p.m. Volunteers will give extra help to students in an after-school tutoring class. For more informa-tion, call Joe Cunning-ham at 675-7008.

Find more volunteer opportunities by visit-ing the Volunteer and Service-Learning Cen-ter’s Web site at www.acu.edu/vslc and clicking on Volunteer Opportuni-ties. For more informa-tion or to sign up to help, contact the Volunteer and Service-Learning Center in the McGlothlin Cam-pus Center basement.

22FRIDAY

12 p.m.Wedding Expo at the Abilene Civic Center

2 p.m.Nate the Great at the Paramount Theatre

24 SUNDAY

Announcements

The 2010 Summit Student Art Contest is accepting submissions. Interested students can submit original photogra-phy, artwork or drawings to summit@acu.edu by Jan. 31.

Equine Assisted Psy-chotherapy is now available to staff, faculty and students through the Counseling Center. For more information, call 674-2626.

January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. To get involved,

contact Jen Rogers at jen.rogers@acu.edu.

The Total Bride and Wedding Expo will take place from 12-5 p.m. Jan. 24 at the Abilene Civic Center. Tickets are $6. For more information, call 800-772-9181 or 676-6211.

The Children’s Perform-ing Arts Series will pres-ent Nate the Great at 2 p.m Jan. 24. at the Para-mount Theatre. Tickets are $7. For more infor-mation, call 677-1161 or visit www.abilenecac.org/cparts.

McMurry University’s jazz ensemble’s Jazz Jam will take place at 3 p.m. Jan. 24 in the McM Elegante Suites lobby.

Auditions for Abilene Community Theatre’s production of The Kitchen Witches will begin at 7 p.m. Jan. 24 at 801 S. Mockingbird Lane. Scripts are available for perusal at the box office, and no experience is re-quired. For more informa-tion, call 673-6271.

Animal Services will offer volunteer orienta-tion classes for citizens

interested in volunteer-ing at the Abilene Animal Shelter at 6 p.m. Jan. 25 at the main branch of the Abilene Public Library. For more information, call 698-0085.

A Beatles tribute band, The Liverpool Legends, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 26 at the Abilene Civic Center. Tickets are $22. For more informa-tion, call 405-243-7252 or 676-6211.

An article on Jan. 13 about the flow of authority within the administration incor-rectly identified Dr. Phil Schubert and the office of executive vice president as the intermediary between the vice presi-dents and Dr. Royce Money. The vice presidents, along with the executive vice president, report directly to Money. The offices that report directly to executive vice president are: the chief financial of-ficer; the director of University Relations; and the associate vice presidents for op-erations, marketing, enrollment and hu-man resources.

Correction

January 22, 2010 Page 7From Sports

involve their teammates, and how much they love their team.

“It is kind of cool being ranked, but it is more exciting that

we are doing well as a team,” Jamie said. “We have a lot of talent, and we are playing very well together. We just need to keep our focus.” Being twins doesn’t mean they play the same on the court. According

to Lavender, they play two different styles of basketball. “Jody is your gritty, physical player,” Laven-der said. “Jamie is more finesse and looks to find an open shot.” They may have differ-

ent styles, but they’re both shooting for the same goal this season. “Our goal for this year is to win the conference and get back to the re-gional tournament,” Jody said. “With the win over WT on Saturday,

we have a good shot.” Neither sister wants to continue playing basketball after col-lege, although Jody said she may try to get into coaching. Both are look-ing into graduate school and furthering their

education. But for now, their focus remains on ACU basketball.

Double: Hard work pays off for Meyer sistersWOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Continued from page 8

contact Gwin atagg07a@acu.edu

Dec. 28, 1996, defeating the Philadelphia Eagles 34-14. Yet, for some rea-son, people think Phil-lips should be fired.

Last season, the Cow-boys saw their season end in disaster, when Philadelphia kept them out of the playoffs in an embarrassing loss. Phil-lips made some changes because of the loss, and the players responded. Phillips took over calling defensive plays this year, and they have improved dramatically.

In mid-December, after suffering back-to-back losses, it looked like the Cowboys were going to tank, and Phil-

lips would most likely be the next coach to get the boot out of Dallas. How-ever, Phillips’ players love him, and with his job at stake, they defeated the best team in the confer-ence, the unbeaten New Orleans Saints. After a huge win, Phillips led his defense to shut out the Redskins and the Eagles in the final two weeks of the season.

The Cowboys some-how went from an im-probable situation to winning the division and earning a home playoff game. Phillips played a big role in the Cowboys’ success.

I know Dallas fans can be brutal. I also know getting knocked out of the second round of the playoffs is not the end-

ing anyone wants. How-ever, for what the Cow-boys accomplished this year and for what Phil-lips means to this orga-nization, he earned an extension as the coach of America’s team.

If the Cowboys don’t improve next year, then maybe you look at other options, but for now, the Jolly Coach in Big D has at least one more year. And Cowboys fans – and Phillips – hope next year will be the year the Cow-boys will finally return to the Super Bowl.

Coach: Cowboys made right call keeping Wade

OPINION

Continued from page 8

contact Cantrell atjrc07f@acu.edu

move says to me: Jones had really planned on fir-ing Phillips after the sea-son, but pressure from fans, players and even the media compelled him to make a halfhearted offer.

The deal appears to tack just one year on the end of his contract for little more than what he makes now. What he makes now is the same or just slightly more than his assistant coach, Jason Garrett, who at one time appeared to be the in-cumbent for the job.

Now that Phillips has an extension, what is Jones going to do with his $3 million future coach whose contract is scheduled to run out at

the end of next season? In order to keep Garrett as the coach-in-waiting, Jones would need to ex-tend his contract as well; a move that makes little sense fiscally or when considering the chemis-try of the team.

Jones is going to fire Phillips if he does not win another playoff game next year. He has an of-fensive coordinator who is getting paid more than any other assistant in the NFL by a million dollars; he has a big, beautiful, youthful stadium; and

he will want a youthful coach to run the team.

I could be completely wrong in all of this – this could work out for the best. But don’t forget Jer-ry Jones fired, most un-ceremoniously, I might add, the most beloved coach in Cowboy history, Tom Landry, and was so controlling he drove Jimmy Johnson, a two-time Super Bowl winner, to quit.

Extension: Fan pressure led to return of Phillips

OPINION

Continued from page 8

contact Tripp atbjt07a@acu.edu

HEATHER LEIPHART Staff Photographer

Dosh Simms reaches for the ball in the Wildcats’ 79-68 loss to West Texas A&M on Satur-day. Simms finished with 10 points.

most recent success was a thrilling 69-67 victory over No. 9 West Texas. The victory was ACU’s fifth in a row.

“This was one of the most physical games we played all year,” Laven-der said. “Mentally, we stayed in the game. West Texas made a run, and we could have let them back in, but our girls played physical. We re-ally executed our game-

plan for 40 minutes.”Both teams find

themselves in differ-ent situations heading into their games against Angelo State in San An-gelo on Saturday. The men’s team will look to get on track, while the women’s team will look to continue to gain mo-mentum as conference play continues.

“Against Angelo we have to have a balanced attack,” Lavender said. “We have to take ad-vantage of mismatches we’ve got and make

them come out and guard our players.”

Teams: ASU next on schedules

BASKETBALL

Continued from page 8

mark of 38-2 3/4. Hut-son provisionally quali-fied in the 60-meter and the 200-meter. She was second in the 200 with a time of 25.18 and sev-enth in the 60 with a time of 7.50.

The Wildcats will be back in action next

weekend at the Texas Tech Indoor Invitational in Lubbock. The event runs Friday and Sat-urday, and will pit the

Wildcats against Divi-sion I competition.

Qualifying: ’Cats start strongTRACK AND FIELD

Continued from page 8 NUMBERS GAMEThe number of Wildcats earning qualifying spots to the 2010 Indoor Track and Field

Championship . 4

contact Bartee atskb09a@acu.edu

contact Craig atjrc07d@acu.edu

JUST THE FACTSPhillips has amassed a 33-15 regular-season record during his three years in Dallas. However, he has a 1-5 career playoff including a 1-1 record

with “America’s team.”

OpinionPage 6 January 22, 2010

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.

Address letters to: ACU Box 27892 Abilene, TX 79699

E-mail letters to: optimist@acu.edu

Editorial and Letter Policy

Published by the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication

Newsroom(325) 674-2439

Sports Desk(325) 674-2684

Photo Department(325) 674-2499

Advertising Office(325) 674-2463

Subscriptions ($40/year)(325) 674-2296.

Editorial and Management Board

Colter HettichEditor in Chief

Sondra RodriguezManaging Editor

Kelsi WilliamsonChief Photographer

Linda BaileyOpinion Page Editor

Brandon TrippSports Media Director

Jeff CraigSports Editor

Chelsea HackneyCopy Editor

Liz SpanoArts Editor

Mary GarvinPage 2 Editor

Aaron CavittCartoonist

Multimedia Desk(325) 674-2463

Kenneth PybusFaculty Adviser

Cade WhiteFaculty Adviser

Christi StarkAdvertising

Optimistthe

By Aaron CavittMac-n- Tex

The Texas governor’s race has always been an inter-esting one. From Kinky Friedman, country musi-cian turned politician, to Tony Sanchez, who spent $60 million of his own money only to lose hand-ily to current governor Rick Perry, the saying holds true: “Everything is bigger in Texas.” This election cycle seems to be no exception.

One of the front-run-ners in the Republican primary is Texas’ lon-gest-serving governor, Rick Perry. Elected lieu-tenant governor in 1998, Perry became governor when George W. Bush was elected president in 2000. Perry has served four terms in the Texas House of Representatives and as Texas commis-sioner of agriculture. En-

dorsed by former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, Per-ry enjoys a 10-point lead as of Monday, according to Rasmussen Reports.

Another major con-tender for the seat is senior senator Kay Bailey Hutchi-son. Currently the highest-ranking Republican woman in Congress, Hutchison has also served in the Texas House of Representatives and as state treasurer. Serving as senator since 1993, Hutchison is the first and only female senator to represent Texas. Hutchi-son has been endorsed by, among others, former vice president Dick Cheney and the Texas Farm Bureau.

Although Perry and Hutchison are certainly powerhouses in Texas pol-itics, Debra Medina, a long-time activist and business-woman, has been gaining

steam. Along with serving as Republican chairwoman of Wharton County, Me-dina has also served as the interim state coordinator for Campaign for Liberty, a grassroots organiza-tion founded by Ron Paul. Medina has also publicly advocated secession, and “she says she won’t rule out pulling a page out of Civil War history with a move to secede from the nation,” according to the Dallas Morning News.

Whoever moves into the governor’s mansion will preside over a statewide redistricting process after the 2010 census. Accord-ing to estimates, Texas could gain as many as four congressional seats. Although the state legisla-ture will draw the new map, the governor will have to chance to veto, which gives

him or her considerable power. Should a Democrat win, he or she would be the first in 20 years to pre-side as governor during a redistricting process.

While the race for gov-ernor is always a spectacle, the office itself is a limited one. Presiding over a legis-lature that meets only ev-ery two years, the office of Texas governor is relatively weak compared to that in other states. The governor is able to make appoint-ments to major offices, including vacated U.S. Sen-ate seats and the judiciary. Among other powers, the Texas governor is able to grant pardons and is able to call special sessions of the legislature.

With regard to higher education, the governor is able to submit, and there-fore greatly influence,

the budget for each fiscal year. In recent years, the governor “vetoed $36 mil-lion in state spending on higher-education projects and $154 million for em-ployee benefits at commu-nity colleges,” according to the Chronicle of Higher Education. However, the governor appropriated funds to the Texas Higher Education Agency Board totaling $766.8 million for the 2008-09 biennium, “a 550.4 percent increase from the $117.9 million for the 1998-99 biennium”

according to the gover-nor’s Web site.

With so much at stake, it is of the utmost impor-tance students inform themselves of the can-didates and the issues. Another debate for the Republican primary is scheduled for Jan. 29, and all three candidates will be present. The primary election is March 2, and it is certain to go down in Texas history.

Students should rally for governor’s raceEDITORIAL

Emotional response inspires actionCOLUMN

Hacked OffChelsea Hackney

Jason Beaubien is a sea-soned reporter. He has worked on National Public Radio’s foreign desk for a l m o s t 10 years; he has reported on coups, famines, war and n a t u r a l disasters. He is used to chaos and violence – and a Haitian girl made him cry on the air.

Most people would say journalists should be ob-jective. Objectivity has a connotation of fairness, of balance, of presenting all opinions as equal without giving your own. That’s how we think news should be delivered; otherwise, how do we know we’re get-ting the whole story?

This quest for objec-tivity is why reporters can describe a gruesome scene with a calm face and steady hand, often ap-pearing almost callous in the face of tragedy. If they broke down at every bro-ken bone, the news would come to a screeching halt.

So, when Beaubien choked while describing the trembling lips of the wounded girl, listeners were caught off guard.

A few were angry and chastised NPR for being sensationalist – and in some ways, the argument makes sense. Describing destruction is a way for us to see what the reporter sees, but it can easily be-come a way for us to feed our voyeuristic appetite for blood and guts.

This story is different.Beaubien was genuinely

concerned for a scared and hurting child, and he was obviously overwhelmed by

the magnitude of the di-saster. He apologized twice for what I’m sure he con-sidered a lapse in journal-istic integrity, but he didn’t need to. He accomplished in a few seconds what ev-ery reporter strives for: he made the story real.

His heartache made him human, and in that moment, every listener felt the full impact of the earthquake. We felt a connection to him and to the little girl laying on deck chairs in the middle of a driveway, and sud-denly Haiti was much closer to us.

Objectivity is useful when it prevents journal-ists from favoring one po-litical candidate or assum-ing anyone charged with a

crime is guilty. It becomes a hindrance to good jour-nalism when it robs sto-ries of their emotional depth. Deadpan delivery doesn’t carry the weight of passion.

Beaubien’s story had a greater impact because of his emotion, and the result was a story that stuck. It isn’t a bad thing for a story to affect a re-porter. It doesn’t mean she’s biased toward one side or the other. Some-times there isn’t a side.

And sometimes, in the face of tragedy, we’re all on the same side.

THE ISSUEThe race for Texas governor begins with the Republican primary election March 2.

OUR TAKEWith so much at stake in this governor’s race, students must learn the facts about the issues and candidates.

Nation’s futurerides on states

COLUMN

Bread with Tomato Colter Hettich

Scott Brown’s victory in Massachusetts was like raw meat in the Ama-zon river, and the ensu-ing frenzy had me th ink ing one thing: the fed-eral sys-tems in our coun-try have far too much power.

The 10th Amendment to the Constitution gives the states all powers not explicitly given to the fed-eral government. In the Federalist Papers, James Madison explained, “The powers delegated … to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to re-main in the state gov-ernments are numerous and indefinite.” Thomas Jefferson saw the states as domestic government and the federal system as international or for-eign government.

We have bowed to the notion that the states are subordinate to the fed-eral government. Accord-ing to the Constitution, the two are equal with separate responsibilities.

This design prevents a central government from enforcing laws and policies on communi-ties they know noth-ing about, but the most important benefit is ac-countability. The “bail-outs” in 2008-09 are perfect examples. If the federal government bor-rows more than $1 tril-lion in loans, how can we the people possibly know where the money

is, where it has gone orwhere it will go? We can only watch televi-sion and trust the words coming from faces we will never see with our own eyes – from faces who will never see us with their own eyes.

President Barack Obama’s proposal to add $1.35 billion to his 2011 fiscal budget for the Race to the Top education pro-gram is a noble one, but raises a serious concern: Why are we waiting for money from the federal government to improve education? Are we OK with a room full of men distributing that kind of cash to states of their choosing? Education re-form from the federal level has never worked. Education is a state is-sue, and we should be all over our governor and district representatives to reform.

It is infinitely easier to track your tax dollars at the state level, and guess what? Your vote carries more weight at the state level, so you have more power to eject poor lead-ers and elect new ones. Abuse also is more dif-ficult to get away with at the state level.

The more power we give the federal govern-ment, the less power we have as individuals. It is ignorant to think Wash-ington, knows what is best for everyone in this country. Brown’s victory was important, but it is dangerous to put your hopes for change on the backs of 100 senators.

Email the Optimist at:optimist@jmcnetwork.com

contact Hackney atceh05c@acu.edu

His heartache made him human, and in that moment, every listener felt the full impact of the earthquake.

contact Hettich atclh05d@acu.edu

Hackney

Hettich

SportsPage 8 January 22, 2010

FRIDAY

Track and FieldACU at Texas Tech Invitational

SATURDAY

Women's BasketballACU at Angelo St., 6 p.m.

Men's BasketballACU at Angelo St., 8 p.m.

WEDNESDAY

Women's BasketballACU at Tarleton St., 6 p.m.

Men's BasketballACU at Tarleton St., 8 p.m.

HOME GAMES LISTED IN ITALICS

Upcoming

n Intramural basketball starts this week, with games beginning Monday. An online intramurals calen-dar can be found at www.acu.edu/campusoffices/intramurals/calendar.html

Briefs

Standings

MEN'S BASKETBALLTeam Div.

WTAMU

TAMU-K

2-1

1-2

Tarleton St. 2-0 14-3

WOMEN’S BASKETBALLTeam Div.

TAMU-K. 2-1

Tarleton St. 2-0 15-2

WTAMU 2-1 18-2

Angelo St. 1-2 8-9MSU 0-2 6-9

Angelo St. 1-2

11-7

11-79-8

14-4

Ovrl.

Ovrl.

ACU 0-2 7-10

ACU 2-0 12-5

ENMU 2-1 7-10

SATURDAY

Women's BasketballACU 69, WTAMU 67

Men's BasketballACU 68, WTAMU 79

HOME GAMES LISTED IN ITALICS

ENMU 0-3 5-13

MSU 1-1 15-1

ELDAD CAMPBELLEldad Campbell was a ten-nis superstar before he ever arrived at ACU. Campbell was the No. 1 player in his native country of Jamaica in high school and has competed in the Davis Cup for Jamaica three times. Tennis is in his blood. His uncle Er-rol Campbell captained Jamaica's Davis Cup team, and his father was the top-ranked junior and senior player from Jamaica. Campbell will be competing as a sophomore for Coach Hutton Jones' tennis team this spring.

Player Profile

Campbell

Jeff CraigSports Editor

With conference play well underway, the basketball teams find themselves in different positions. The women’s team is on a five-game winning streak, while the men’s team contin-ues to struggle for con-sistency.

The men’s team has lost three of four and started conference play 0-2. On Saturday, the Wildcats fell to West Tex-as A&M in a game that saw the Buffs shoot near-ly 60 percent, while head coach Jason Copeland’s ACU squad shot only 44 percent from the field.

“I think what hurt us is what we’ve been fighting along. If you take away a five-minute stretch when they went on a 20-10 run, we played well,” Copeland said.

Copeland’s team was playing without guard Dustin Heiman and forward Vladimir Gavranic. Heiman and

Gavranic are the team’s fourth and sixth lead-ing scorers respective-ly, and Copeland says their absence affected his squad, which has struggled with depth is-sues all season.

Conversely, head coach Shawna Laven-der and the women’s team have been on a roll, starting conference play 2-0. The Wildcats’

Teams to take on Angelo State Rams, Rambelles

BASKETBALL

HEATHER LEIPHART Staff Photographer

Forward Abby Kabba blocks a shot during the Wildcats 79-68 loss to West Texas A&M on Saturday.

In a move that makes little sense, Jerry Jones has given his head coach Wade Phil-

lips an exten -sion -- of one year.

I d o n ’ t k n o w h o w

t h i s str ikes

most other sports fans in the world, but this is exactly what the

Tripp

The Dallas Cowboys, led by Wade Phillips, went 11-5 this sea-son and won the NFC East Di-v i s i o n . T h e y e a r n e d the third seed in the con-ference, w h i c h g o t them a home playoff game. They won their first playoff game since

Cantrell

OPINION

Retainingcoach is right call

Extension will be a mistakeBrandon TrippSports Media Director

Ryan CantrellAssistant Sports Editor

Despite the Dallas Cowboys' 34-3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, owner Jerry Jones has extended the contract of Coach Wade Phillips. The move has caused quite a stir in "Big D" and across the football nation.

see COACH page 7 see EXTENSION page 7

Agree to Disagree

see TEAMS page 7

Sam BarteeSports Reporter

The ACU Wildcats start-ed the 2010 indoor track and field season on the right foot at the Leonard Hilton Memorial Invi-tational in Houston on

Friday. A combined four athletes posted qualify-ing marks for the NCAA Division II indoor cham-pionship meet.

On the men's side, An-drew McDowell finished third in the 60-meter hurdles with an automat-

ic qualifying time of 7.99 seconds. Ramon Sparks provisionally qualified in the triple jump, fin-ishing third with a mark of 48-9 1/2

For the women, Wan-da Hutson placed with two provisional quali-

fying marks, while Jes-sica Blair automatically qualified in one event and provisionally quali-fied in another. Blair punched her ticket to the championship meet with a second-place finish in the pole vault, finishing

second with an auto-matic qualifying mark of 12-7 1/2. Blair also pro-visionally qualified for the indoor championship meet in the triple jump, finishing seventh with a

Seeing Double

Wildcats earn four qualifying spotsTRACK AND FIELD

see QUALIFYING page 7

Austin GwinAssistant Sports Editor

One ranks 10th nationally in points, the other is 10th

in rebounds. Both are integral to the Wildcats' success in women’s bas-ketball this season.

Jamie and Jody Meyer grew up in Minneapolis idolizing Kevin Garnett, a star center for the Min-nesota Timberwolves. Now the Meyer twins are star centers for a team riding a five-game win-ning streak, following a win over ninth-ranked West Texas A&M.

“That game has to be up there in the most fun games I have ever played in,” said Jamie, an elementary educa-tion major.

The Meyers' dad coached them growing up, and they have been play-ing basketball since first grade. Because they play on the same team, Jamie and Jody love getting a chance to play against in each other in practice.

“We don’t really have any competition against each other during

games, but in practice, it gets kind of intense when we guard each other,” said Jody, an ac-counting major.

Basketball doesn’t consume the women’s lives, however; both en-

joy playing other sports, inc luding tennis and volleyball. But they made it clear they aren't nearly as good at those as they are at basketball. “Nobody works harder than those two girls; if

the gym is open, they are in it,” said head coach Shawna Laven-der. “It is no accident that they are as good as they are.” Although the twins are in the top five in most

offensive categories in the Lone Star Confer-ence, they are all about the team. Jamie and Jody’s favorite things about playing basketball

Meyer twins leave opposing defenders ...

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

HEATHER LEIPHART Staff Photographer

Jody and Jamie Meyer during practice Jan. 21. The Meyers' have led the Wildcats to a 12-5 record on the season.

see DOUBLE page 7