Tanner KnauthSports Editor

Abilene saw its first snow of the season as tempera-tures dropped below freez-ing Tuesday night.

Patrick McCullough, me-teorologist for the San Ange-lo National Weather Service, said although it rarely snows in Abilene, this is the time of the year to expect it.

“To see snow twice in one week rarely happens in this area,” McCullough said.

McCullough said the Na-tional Weather Service pre-dicts cold temperatures the rest of the week and possi-ble snow late Thursday and into Friday.

“Right now, the National Weather Service is saying

Saturday, Dec. 5 should be the coldest day this week, with a low of 18 degrees,” he said. The record low for Dec. 5 is nine degrees.

McCullough warned drivers to be careful and to

watch for icy patches, espe-cially on bridges and over-passes, as snow melts and refreezes on the roads.

b. No, how am I supposed to keep my tan?.

PAGE 5

Optimistthe

acuoptimist.comBREAKING NEWS, VIDEOS, PHOTOS, DISCUSSION AND EXCLUSIVE CONTENTVol. 98, No. 28 1 section, 8 pagesFriday, December 4, 2009

Forecast InsideCALL OF DUTYis one of countless block-buster video games that feature graphic and glamor-ized depictions of violence. Harmless? We think not.

Page 6

Online

Fri Sat Sun

20°39° 35°49° 31°57°

WILDCAT FOOTBALLseason ended with a loss to Northwest Missouri State on Nov. 21, but the journey was an exciting one. We pick this season’s top 10 moments.

Page 8

Are you enjoying the weather?

Visit acuoptimist.com to join the discussion.

VIDEO

ACU Jazz Band in the Studio

LOUDandCLEAR

Discover X

a. Yes, it feels a little more like home.

c. I’d enjoy it a little more with a canceled class.

Ben Wartonand Colter HettichStaff Report

Brown Library sees late-night traffic during finals week each semester; but for the first time, students may study in the library from noon until midnight

Wednesdays and Sundays if they wish.

Mark Tucker, dean of library and information resources, said the idea is not a new one, but ex-tending hours was not feasible in the past.

“We have a set bud-get for personnel and we

didn’t have additional dollars just to add hours,” Tucker said. “What we did

was revise the schedule. We’re not actually open any more than we were.”

Tucker gave the credit to this year’s Students’ Association, specifically

President Charles Gaines, for communicating in a way previous proponents had not.

“It had to do with the way [Gaines] approached it,” Tucker said. “He said he understood the com-

Hours revised for student needsLIBRARY

Winter weather arrivesCLIMATE

FOOD COURT

Sondra RodriguezManaging Editor

The Students’ Association Congress pledges to “see every student connected, equipped and empow-ered,” according to its mission statement. As a way of fulfilling this mis-sion statement, SA pro-vides students with free resources – resources most students don’t take advantage of.

These resources in-clude a copy machine equipped with a variety of colored paper, materi-als for creating banners and flyers, butcher paper, utensils for club events and myACU announce-ment space, said Luke Co-chran, executive treasurer

Student resourceremains unused

STUDENTGOVERNMENT

Colter HettichEditor in Chief

Presidential Search Ad-visory Committee mem-bers will meet with po-tential finalists at an undisclosed neutral site this weekend. The com-mittee will announce at least two finalists dur-ing the first week of the spring classes.

“We don’t know for sure, at this point, how many finalists we will have. It depends on how the interviews go,” said Don Crisp, chair of the Presidential Search Ad-

visory Committee. “We will only have finalists we think have a chance at being the next presi-dent of the university.”

After the Oct. 30 applicatio deadline, the committee sifted through the prospects using a screening sys-

tem recommended by Academic Search Inc., the firm hired by the university to assist throughout the process. Crisp said committee members “followed up” on every reference

Committee to announce finalists in mid-January

PRESIDENTIAL SEARCH

KELSI WILLIAMSON Staff Photographer

The first Einstein Bros. Bagels west of Interstate 35 in Texas will open in the McGlothlin Campus Center’s Hilton Food Court in January. Einstein Bros., part of Einstein Noah Restaurant Group Inc., based in Lakewood, Colo., will offer bagels, coffee, salads, desserts and sandwiches. The university selected Einstein Bros. “based on student feedback gathered through surveys and focus groups,” according to a university press release.

see SA page 4

see HOURS page 4

see FINALISTS page 4

It’s in the Bag(el)

The rationale was to encourage participation in congregational life. We’ve noticed it doesn’t necessarily have that effect.MARK TUCKERDean of Library and Information Services

KELSI WILLIAMSON Staff Photographer

Caitlin Roden, senior family studies major from Grand-view, puddle-hops while Dakota Sandifer, senior math major from Abilene, follows her through the water.

QUICK FACTS

The Presidential Search Advisory Committee remains on schedule. Here is what you can expect in the coming months:

n Early November – applicant screening continuesn Early December – committee interviews finalistsn Mid-to-late January – finalists visit ACU campusn February – board of trustees announces final decision

contact Knauth attxk07a@acu.edu

CALENDAR AND EVENTS

Friday, December 4, 2009

2CampusDay

2 p.m. ACU Women’s Bas-ketball vs. Southern Oklahoma

4 p.m. ACU Men’s Basket-ball vs. Southwestern Oklahoma

5 p.m. Free Marriage Class at the Texas Family Institute

5SATURDAY

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

71Chapel CreditedChapelsto date:

Checkup 0CreditedChapelsremaining:

Volunteer Opportunities

The Salvation Army needs volunteers to help shoppers select Angel Tree toys, keep Angel Tree records, label items and collect gifts. Contact Ceci-lia Barahona at 677-1557 for more information.

The Christian Service Center needs volunteers to fill requests for clothing, bedding, kitchen utensils, etc., from the donation center. Volunteers may work from noon-4 p.m. Friday or Saturday. Con-tact Jim Clark at 673-7531 for more information.

The International Res-cue Commitee needs literacy teachers. Volun-teers will help refugees learn to read and write. All

volunteers are required to attend an IRC orientation and a literacy workshop and must commit to two to four hours per week for at least three months.

The Noah Project needs volunteers to cover the domestic violence crisis hotline between 6 and 10 p.m. Monday-Friday. Contact Yvonne Myers at 676-7107 for more infor-mation.

Breakfast On Beech Street serves breakfast to homeless and low-income members of the Abilene community and is in need of volunteers to serve and prepare breakfast. Break-fast is served at the First Christian Church on 3rd

Street and Beech Street from 6:30-7:15 a.m. Volunteers must arrive at 5:30 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and 5 a.m. Tuesdays. If interested, visit the First Christian Church’s Web site at www.fccabilene.org/out-reach.html.

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. Contact Terry Davis at 670-0246 to schedule a time.

The Center for Contem-porary Arts is looking for people to greet patrons, answer phones and help

with gallery shows. Volun-teers are needed from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and 5-8 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Con-tact Saybra Giles at 677-8389 for more information.

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. Contact Debby Lillick at 673-4586 for more infor-mation.

2 p.m. 2nd Annual Film Festival Celebrating Social Activism

6 SUNDAY

Nov. 2512:28 p.m. A traffic stop of a speeding vehicle occurred in the 500 block of Ambler Avenue. A verbal warning was issued to the driver.

Nov. 262:36 p.m. Reporting party called and reported a water leak between the McGlothlin Campus Center and Moody Coliseum. ACUPD called Physical Resources to fix leak.

Friday8:40 a.m. While on patrol, officer witnessed a male riding a red and white bike south through the mall area toward East North16th Street. Subject was contacted and everything checked out.

Saturday4:39 a.m. ACUPD assisted APD with an alarm in the 1000 block of North Judge Ely Boulevard. Officers located a delivery driver who had ac-cidentally set off the alarm.

4:40 p.m. Reporting party came to ACUPD to report a brown pitbull roaming in front of the Zona Luce Building. Reporting party was concerned dog might attack someone. Dog was located, and everything was OK. Sunday7 p.m. Reporting party called and reported a possible burglary of their residence in the 2400 block of Campus Court. The glass panel in the rear door was broken, but nothing was taken.

Monday8:07 a.m. A vehicle disregarded the stop sign at the corner of East North 18th Street and Cam-pus Court. A traffic stop occured, and a written warning was issued to the driver.

1:45 p.m. ACUPD and APD investigated the activation of a house alarm in the 600 block of Washington Boulevard. The residence was checked, and everything was OK.

Police LogRemember to lock your houses and dorm rooms before you leave on the extended holiday break. As always, ACUPD will be on duty 24/7 over the holi-days, working to keep the area safe. Have a blessed holiday season.

A free marriage educa-tion class will take place from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 5 at the Texas Family Insti-tute at 100 Chestnut St. Attendees can save $60 on their marriage licenses. A free meal will also be

served. Call 670-0969 or 866-305-5524 to register.

Roots Art and Design Exhibition is on display in the Shore Art Gallery. It is an exhibit of paintings, sculpture, architectural

and interior design by five ACU seniors. Admission is free, and refreshments will be provided.

Alice in Wonderland will take place at 7 p.m. Dec. 3-5 in the Van Ellis The-atre at Hardin-Simmons University. Call 670-1405 for more information.

Reserve textbooks for the spring semester before Dec. 31. Reserv-

ing books is free and can be done in The Campus Store.

The Abilene Commu-nity Theatre will perform Inspecting Carol at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 5-7 at 801 S. Mockingbird Lane. Tick-ets are $8 for students. Call the box office at 673-6271.

Last day of class Last day to withdraw from the university

4 FRIDAY

Announcements

December 4, 2009 Page 3Campus News

Laura AcuffFeatures Editor

Service opportunities abound in Abilene, both on and off campus, and most of them involve people serving people. A small number of stu-dents, however, have found their niche serving a different group – of the four-legged variety.

Several ACU students volunteered at a Rescue the Animals adoption event Nov. 21. Rescue the Animals is an adoption center for dogs, and the event, which took place at United Supermarket on South 14th Street, showcased several of the available animals. It also served to raise aware-ness about RTA, as well

as donations of money and supplies. Volunteer Director Kathy Walker said one particular do-nation included six pal-lets of pet supplies and was estimated to be a $20,000 value.

Walker said the student volunteers make such adoption events possible.

“Students are great at events like that because they’re not afraid to get out and talk to the public,” Walker said. “They’re very helpful, extremely helpful.”

Lydia Melby, senior English major from San Antonio, showed dogs and explained Rescue the Animals to people enter-ing and exiting the grocery store. Melby has been vol-unteering with RTA since last spring and said even

the smallest contributions aid the organization.

“Rescue the Animals is one of those chronically understaffed organiza-tions that always needs more people to come help out,” Melby said. “The volunteers do as much as they can, but there’s only so many hours a week you can volunteer.”

Melby said the organi-zation is great for student volunteers because of its laid-back atmosphere and the adoption center’s sta-tus as a “no-kill” shelter –

volunteers do not become attached to animals that may be euthanized later. Volunteers may help the organization in numerous ways, from advertising and staffing upcoming events to handling office work to exercising and bathing the animals.

“You can know noth-ing about animals and go and help out,” Melby said. “Even if you don’t like animals, they have stuff for you to do.”

Melby recruited Ka-leigh Wyrick, sophomore

English major from The Woodlands, to help at the adoption event at United. While Wyrick said she is usually “not a big animal person,” she enjoyed be-ing able to raise aware-ness for the organization and thinks volunteering should be an important priority for students.

“There aren’t enough people who do it profes-sionally for it to make as much of a difference as volunteering can,” Wyrick said. “I think it’s impor-tant for people to find a

type of volunteering that they actually want to do, so that they’ll do it on their own.”

For Melby, Rescue the Animals offers the perfect volunteering opportunity.

“It’s really rewarding work with a very obvious result,” Melby said. “You can see the effect that you have, and it’s very instan-taneous gratification.”

Rescue the Animals is open from 1-5 p.m. Mon-day-Saturday. Those in-terested in volunteering may visit the adoption center at 5933 S. 1st St. or e-mail rescuetheanimals-volunteers@yahoo.com.

Student volunteers rescue animals for adoptionSERVICE

Lizzy SpanoArts Editor

Local businesses and groups paraded down Cypress and Pine streets Tuesday, despite rain and a 30 degree wind chill, as part of KTXS’ 21st annual Christmas Lights Parade.

The temperature may have been ideal for Santa, who appears in the parade every year, but the cold, rainy weather caused nu-merous groups to drop their floats from the pro-cession. Although condi-tions threatened to keep

townspeople inside, KTXS and the Abilene Down-town Association decided to continue with the pa-rade and brave the rain.

“In the last 20 years, I know we have not can-celed or changed the parade,” said Wilma But-man, City Sidewalks com-mittee member.

“Usually cold weath-er doesn’t deter people from coming; it actually gets them more in the holiday spirit.”

An estimated 15,000-20,000 people have packed the downtown area for the parade in

previous years. Only about a tenth of the usu-al crowd showed up this year, but organizers said they were still pleased with the turnout.

“A lot of people came down early and sat in their cars and watched the parade,” Butman said. “Quite a few people I know of were inside the shops inside the parade route.”

The Christmas Lights parade is organized and funded entirely by the KTXS news station; it takes place every year during the Downtown Association’s City Sidewalks event. Rog-

er Ingram, KTXS promo-tions producer, said when it began the parade was a small event at the Mall of Abilene with only 10 floats. Since then, the event has grown to 100 floats and is a KTXS tradition.

This year’s City Side-walks theme was Light Up Your Christmas in His-toric Downtown, which made for decorative win-dow displays that com-plemented the glittering parade floats. The lighting of the community Christ-mas tree at the Abilene Civic Center concluded the event. Visitors of all

ages also welcomed the Christmas season with holiday-themed activi-ties, Butman said, includ-ing a gingerbread house competition, a coloring contest and a “reindeer game,” a scavenger hunt in the downtown area.

S e v e n - y e a r - o l d Brayden Campbell was awarded the grand prize of 500 “Downtown Dol-lars” for his gingerbread log-house creation, in a contest sponsored by ADA. Campbell, who in-nocently asked if grand prize was better than first, will have the op-

portunity to spend the dollars at any of 28 businesses in Down-town Abilene.

The winner of the coloring contest rode in Santa’s sleigh during the parade, and some of the elaborate creations from the gingerbread house competition will be on display in the Mc-Kay’s Bakery window this week.

“It was a fabulous time for everybody that came,” Butman said.

Parade presses on despite chilly weatherHOLIDAYS

contact Spano ateas07a@acu.edu

I think it’s important for people to find a type of volunteering that they actually want to do so they’ll do it on their own.KALEIGH WYRICKSophomore English major from The Woodlands

contact Acuff atlka07a@acu.edu

December 4, 2009From FrontPage 4

and senior finance major from Round Rock.

“It’s smaller and may be a little silly, but we also always have coffee, fruit and snacks down in the SA office,” Cochran said. “Students can stop by anytime.”

Tony Godfrey, vice president and junior po-litical science and English major from Burleson, said students also have access to SA’s meetings, which are streamed live online; Collegiate Cards, which give students dis-counts at numerous re-tailers and restaurants in Abilene; and access to the Wildcat Express, an online directory of every

recognized student orga-nization on campus.

Students can also take advantage of an arts and crafts room fully equipped with paint and brushes, Godfrey said.

Cochran and God-frey said although the resources seem obvious or trite, it is essential to make them available and keep an open line of communication regard-ing students’ needs.

“We’re elected by the students to be their voice and administra-tion,” Cochran said. “You hear people campaign about relationships ev-ery year, and I think it’s important that officers in these positions fol-low through with those

promises and make sure we’re connected with the student body.”

Cochran said members strive to maintain a rela-tionship that allows stu-dents to voice their needs to SA members freely.

“I’d recommend that anything people want to see changed, to let us one of us know whenev-er they see us,” he said. “I think a more casual relationship makes it easier for students to let us know what they need rather than having to for-mally come down to the office. They can just stop us on the way to class.”

plexity of it, and that re-gardless of how it came out he knew we had the students best interest in mind.”

Casual conversation evolved into meetings with library administra-tors and SA officers. Tucker said the transi-tion has not been an easy one, and although some individuals opposed the revisions, all who were involved decided the rea-sons for closing twice a week were far less rel-evant and not what stu-dents wanted.

“The rationale for clos-ing those hours has been to encourage participa-tion in congregational life; we’ve noticed it doesn’t necessarily have that effect,” Tucker said. “Students study when they want to study, and churches do things all during the week.”

Tucker said the revi-sions met little resis-

tance during the ap-proval process.

In addition to perma-nent schedule revisions, the library will close at 2 a.m. through Thursday of finals week.

In past years, the li-brary stayed open until 3 a.m. but staff saw in-sufficient use between 2 and 3 a.m. The library staff has offered finals-week hours for several semesters. “The stu-dents tell us that the extended hours are ben-eficial to them,” Tucker said. “We pay attention to what they say, and we want to have a schedule that reflects the way students work.”

The extended hours take a toll on the li-brary’s budget. Library managers must find people to work the extra hours, including front desk workers, people to work the top portion of the library, and coffee shop staff.

While these hours cost extra, donors and con-

tributors to the Brown Li-brary take care of much of that cost.

“We don’t really have any extra dollars to ex-tend our hours, but we have donors who give us gift funds to help us during this time,” Tuck-er said.

Students notice and appreciate extended hours. Dosh Simms, sophomore undeclared major from Austin, said the extra hours help him avoid distractions at night and focus on his studies.

“Finals week is a dis-tracting time for me because a lot of my friends want to hang out at night,” Simms said. “Having the library open for those extra hours will help because it makes me actually get out and study.”

received for a potential finalist.

“[Academic Search, Inc.] do this so much that they’ve just devel-oped what they think is the best practical ap-proach,” Crisp said.

The committee may adhere to established protocol generally, but Crisp said the commit-tee’s heavy emphasis on prayer makes ACU’s pro-cess unique. The com-mittee prays together every time they meet.

“As committee mem-bers we have been

constantly engaged in prayer, and in the up-dates we’ve asked the university to join us in that,” Crisp said. “We made that a big part of the process.”

A recent report by local media pointed to the steadily growing number of ACU stu-dents who do not as-sociate themselves with the Churches of Christ.

The search prospec-tus, compiled by Dr. Bill J. Franklin, senior consul-tant at Academic Search Inc., acknowledges the “slow but steady” decline, stating, “the next presi-

dent must be prepared to engage the Board of Trust-ees and the university in exploring the implications of these changes ...”

Committee members are aware of the trend, but there is no sense of alarm.

“The trend has been there; I don’t think it will change who we se-lect as prospective can-didates,” Crisp said. “We’ve not really spent any time on that spe-cific topic.”

Continued from page 1

SA: Just for students STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Continued from page 1

Finalists: The next stepPRESIDENTIAL SEARCH

Continued from page 1

Hours: Late into the nightLIBRARY

JOZIE SANDS Chief Photographer

Aiden Beck, a student at Abilene Christian Elementary School, performs with the Abilene Christian School children’s choir in Chapel on Wednesday.

contact Rodriguez atsar06g@acu.edu

contact Warton atoptimist@jmcnetwork.com

contact Hettich atclh05d@acu.edu

ArtsDecember 4, 2009 Page 5

Paul KnettelContributing Reporter

“Someone could have told me I was gonna be alright; I prob-ably would’ve been fine,” sings Michael Perkins in the memo-rable chorus to Put In a Basket, the first track on St. Swithun’s, the debut EP from Blinded By Bears – Perkins’ stage name.

Perkins, a local Abilene mu-sician and former lead singer of the disbanded Moroccan Victory Chant, has made a large departure from his pre-vious work with this new proj-ect. It is a stripped-down, bare-bones recording that rarely gets more complicated than acoustic guitar and vocals; a collection of five acoustic al-ternative songs with tints of folk and pop. The new style,

Perkins explains, came from his desire to “write songs where I sat down with a guitar and tried to be as honest as I could be with what I was say-ing…with not a lot between my emotions and the audi-ence: unmasked, unfiltered me in musical form.”

After the steady guitar picking and aching intensity of the opening track, St. Swit-hun’s continues with The Riv-er, a less-structured piece full of folksy acoustic guitar work and dissonant chords. Perkins’ vocals take on a hint of the strained passion of Andy Hull of Manchester Orchestra, and a melodica drifts in towards the end of the song, adding a subtle richness to the piece. Next up, clocking in at just over seven minutes, is Reeds,

which begins with an arpeg-giating guitar pattern and vocals that have a cathedral-like reverb effect. The second half of the track consists of a repeated guitar phrase with a progression of lyrics, and although the words are well thought out and powerful, the section grows a little stale with no buildup or change in the guitar progression.

Fresh Water Gospel, the fourth and by far my favor-ite track, lays a foundation of simple guitar chords over which Perkins’ vocals soar with a quality so similar to Ben Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie, it is haunting. Longing lyrics hope for a better and more meaningful life, and massive amounts of reverb give the vocals an underwater

feeling. Piano chords resound throughout the piece, and the intro is reminiscent of a Jon Butler Trio jam session.

Last but not least is Croco-dile, the most upbeat tune on the EP musically, despite dark lyrics like “If only I could have you and keep you alive, but I need you dead to survive.” Perkins utilizes his powerful low vocal register, sounding not unlike The National, and a folksy swing gives the tune a driving rhythm. A group vocal part in the bridge adds to the fullness of the song, with ACU students Aaron Carlile, Tan-ner Hadfield and Casey Oliver, all friends of Perkins, contrib-uting to the track.

St. Swithun’s was recorded at Micah P. Hinson’s house in Abilene and gets its inspira-

tion and name from an Eng-lish folk poem.

“I liked it because it fit with a watery theme, and it said something to me about how our decisions will affect us for a long time,” Perkins sai.

Overall, this EP is a fantas-tic start for Blinded By Bears, and I cannot wait to see what the future has in store for this talented local singer/song-writer.

Be sure to catch Blinded By Bears in their next concert Jan. 12 at Monks Coffee Shop, and pick up a copy of St. Swithun’s EP ($5) while you’re there.

‘Bears’ EP debut shows honest, reflective style REVIEW

An

After a semester of rehearsing for 20 hours a week, dancers at Dance Discovery Studios will present their winter hip-hop show, entitled X, at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday in the Abilene High School auditorium. The show will feature a variety of

dance genres, including contemporary and hip-hop, and even acrobatics. Photos by: Kelsi Williamson, Staff Photographer

Dance Discovery dancers perform their piece, X-plosion, during rehearsal. The recital this weekend will benefit the Abilene High School theatre department.

Above: Kelcie Broom, freshman youth and family ministry major from Richardson, rehearses a piece entitled X-Centuate. Danc-ers age 16 and older will perform in the X show.

Molly McDonald, senior theatre

major from Sugar Land, performs X-Clamation during

rehearsal.

explosion talentof

contact Knettel atoptimist@jmcnetwork.com

OpinionPage 6 December 4, 2009

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

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Editorial and Management Board

Colter HettichEditor in Chief

Sondra RodriguezManaging Editor

Laura AcuffFeatures Editor

Linda BaileyOpinion Page Editor

Jozie SandsChief Photographer

Brandon TrippSports Media Director

Tanner KnauthSports Editor

Chelsea HackneyCopy Editor

Liz SpanoArts Editor

Mary GarvinPage 2 Editor

Jordan BlakeyCartoonist

Multimedia Desk(325) 674-2463

Kenneth PybusFaculty Adviser

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Christi StarkAdvertising

Optimistthe

By Jordan BlakeyAtaraxia

Sniping an enemy from a rooftop in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro is cold, bru-tal and bloody – but it isn’t illegal. In fact, it’s just the opposite. Headshots are free speech.

With the recent release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, the discussion of video game violence is again emerging in many households and for good reason. Gratuitous or ex-cessive violence is un-healthy – a 2003 article by the American Psychological Association cites several studies where violent video games were “significantly associated with increased

aggressive behavior.” Vio-lence could even be im-moral in some cases, if it involves murder or other heinous acts. But as much as we’d like to, we can’t al-ways outlaw immorality.

Video game developers have a constitutional right to create artistic content, including violent content, and consumers have a right to purchase it. On the other hand, they have the right not to purchase it if they think it is inappropriate for their children or them-selves – and often, it is.

But it’s not as though Call of Duty is the only first-person shooter to depict

particularly disturbing or gratuitous violence. Many players would even argue the violence in those games is not gratuitous.

The mission game play in the Call of Duty series is supposed to be an accurate representa-tion of real-life warfare. However, “true-to-life” is not always a justification for violence.

One scene in particular in Modern Warfare 2 high-lights this. In what the game review Web site GameIn-former calls a “morally gray” mission, players are required to infiltrate a ter-rorist organization and in

the process, kill hundreds of civilians.

To their credit, the developers made signifi-cant efforts to protect those who want to be protected from viewing the scene. Once the game starts, players can opt out of the mission without penalty, and even if the player starts the mission, he or she doesn’t actually have to shoot – although that isn’t stated. Finally, GameInformer contends, “The mission draws the morality of war and espio-nage into sharp focus in a way that simply shooting the bad guys cannot.”

While the violence of Call of Duty might serve some higher purpose, many other games do not – think Grand Theft Auto. However, it is the conscien-tious consumer’s responsi-bility to choose not to pur-chase or play such games rather than the developer’s to refrain from developing.

Blaming the developers for making you consume im-moral content is juvenile and morally escapist. Just following orders is never a good defense, especially not if your trigger finger is on the joystick.

Violent games require user discretionEDITORIAL

Iron & Wine bill stirs mixed emotionsCOLUMN

Guest Column Charles Gaines, SA president

It has come to our at-tention there are mixed emotions regarding the Iron & Wine bill which provides c o n c e r t tickets to students. W h i l e some of our peers are excited, others have ex-

pressed frustration and confusion. On behalf of the Students’ Association, I would like to address the issue, being upfront and honest.

The final decision was twofold and involved Con-gress and the Executive Cabinet. Congress – your peers – carefully listened to arguments presented by both sides. After a time of questioning, debating and thoughtful examina-tion, Congress decided to accept the Iron & Wine

bill. The cabinet made sure to follow all rules and regulations through-out the process.

At the beginning of the year, I promised my cabi-net if we did a good job, the credit would belong to everyone. However, I would be accountable for any less than perfect situ-ation – so on a selfish note, I asked them to do a good job. Although there are dif-ferent opinions about the Iron and Wine bill, it’s just that: difference in opinion,

which is neither right nor wrong. I only ask that we move forward through constructive conversation.

I have come to under-stand both sides of this issue very clearly, and I un-derstand our differences are how we appreciate our similarities. “To develop a Christ-centered organiza-tion that leads by example” – this is what we stand for. This is who we are.

THE ISSUEThe content of popular video games is becoming increasingly violent.

OUR TAKEThese games are violent; however, instead of placing the blame on developers, consumers should carefully decide if they should play.

Graduate recalls lifelong lessons

COLUMN

Just a Bit Outside Tanner Knauth

Shakespeare knew what he was talking about when he wrote, “Parting is such s w e e t sorrow.”

N e x t F r i d a y will be my last day as a s tudent at Abilene Christian University, and I find my-self conflicted. After all my complaining there’s noth-ing to do in Abilene, after years of waking up for 8 a.m. classes and pulling all-night study sessions, I find myself hoping time slows these next few days to al-low me to appreciate what ACU has meant to me.

ACU wasn’t my first choice of universities – ac-tually, I had never heard of ACU in high school. So, I ended up going to a school some of my friends got into. After I realized that wasn’t the place for me, I transferred to an-other university where I made a multitude of bad decisions and found my-self out of college and working full-time.

After a few years, I found out the real world is a tough place when you don’t have a college de-gree, and I decided I want-ed to go back to school. A friend of mine suggested ACU, so I applied.

I won’t lie; my GPA left much to be desired at that point, but ACU gave me a chance. Two years later, I’m days away from doing something many people never thought would hap-pen – graduating college.

I’ll leave behind many memories, such as the tales of a ring by spring. I swore I wouldn’t fall into that trend – I’ve now been happily married for six months to a beautiful ACU

girl. I’ll never forget the first time I saw Sing Song and began to see what all the fuss was about, or the pride I felt when I saw the Texas flag brought into Moody Coliseum during Opening Chapel. I’ll never forget working on the newspaper or having to stay in the newsroom un-til 6 a.m. completing the Homecoming issue.

But college is more than simply memories; it’s also about learning, and I’ll take some lifelong lessons from Abilene and ACU. These are some of my favorites:

Taco Tuesday is a re-ally good deal, and no

matter how bad a week I’ve had, a Sharky’s bur-rito always makes me feel better. Good coffee should always be close at hand, and it’s OK to talk to your professors because some of them are actually pretty cool. You and your friends – and your professors – should have a quote board because we say some odd things worth laughing about later. And I’m sure I actually learned a few things in class, as well.

More than anything, though, ACU was an op-portunity to find out who I was, as cliche as that sounds. I’ll never forget the people I’ve met here. Thanks for the memories, the laughs and, most of all, the ACU experience.

Email the Optimist at:optimist@jmcnetwork.com

But college is more than simply memories; it’s also about learning, and I’ll take some lifelong lessons from Abilene and ACU.

contact Knauth attxk07a@acu.edu

The recent decision by the Students’ Association to purchase Iron & Wine tickets shows poor stewardship skills. SA purchased 129 tickets to the concert, while the total undergraduate population is around 4,000.

SA funds should primarily go to service organizations and academic groups. How many Treadaway Kids activities could the money spent on the concert have funded? How many conferences could stu-dents have attended? How many campuswide activities could have been run? Instead of maximizing the amount of good that could have been done with students’ money, the SA Congress has funded a relatively frivolous activity.

This shows a major problem within the Student’s Association: the SA Congress shows a frightening level of apathy. This problem was present when I was a member of the SA Congress. Only a small percentage of the SA Congress cares about the activities of SA. Some get elected because they want a line on their resume. Others get elected and find they do not care for the workings of SA. Very few actually care for the work; those very few work with no check on their activities.

This apathy leads to actions such as the purchase of Iron & Wine tickets for a small percentage of stu-dents. I wonder how much more responsible SA would be with students’ money if more members of the SA Congress cared about their responsibilities.

The student body should care more about what SA does. Every undergraduate student pays money to SA each semester. This money should be spent in a way that helps the most people do good things.

Andrew GreenbergGraduate Student

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

SA demonstrates apathetic, rash spending

Email the Optimist at:optimist@jmcnetwork.com

Knauth

Gaines

including a mixed dou-bles tennis tournament, volleyball, softball and soccer. Spring intramu-rals run from January to May and feature leagues for students of all skill levels. Beginners can start in the laid-back Rec-

reational League, while more experienced play-ers can enter the highly

competitive Champion-ship League.

Kenli Edwards, direc-

tor of intramurals, says intramural sports are a great way to get involved in campus activities.

“We try to provide an atmosphere that is not only challenging but also fun for everybody on campus,” she said.

tem. The current BCS system is great because it gives all the major confer-ences a bid into a high bowl game, and it also has rules and regulations to give smaller schools a chance to play if they have a good season.

In a playoff system, would all con-ferences continue to receive automatic bids, or would the top eight teams be chosen, regardless? Most people would vote to take the top eight teams regard-less of conference. The problem here is smaller schools or non-BCS schools would still be subjected to exclusion from the eight-team playoff.

I will concede the BCS has snubbed someone almost every year it has been in existence, but that is what makes college football so great. The only way to guarantee yourself a shot to play for the BCS national title game is to be undefeated. This essentially makes ev-ery game a playoff game. In the NFL,

if a team loses a single game, it is no big deal, but if you lose once in college football, you could be eliminated from contention for the big game. This is what makes college football truly great; every week is a playoff game, not just the games at the end of the season.

The college bowl system is one of the greatest traditions in sports. Col-lege football would be making a big mistake if it got rid of the bowl sys-tems. This system allows the teams to travel across the country and spend a week going to parties and luncheons, all while preparing for one big game. In a playoff system, this is impossibe because teams would be getting on a bus every weekend and going to a new place. Teams and players would miss the great traditions and festivities that come with the bowl system.

December 4, 2009 Page 7From Sports

Spring: New variety of sports available to studentsINTRAMURALS

contact Goggans atzdg08b@acu.edu

Ten: Top moments of 2009 football season

FOOTBALL

Continued from page 8

contact Gwin atagg07a@acu.edu

Problems: BCS failingsnot solved with playoffs

OPINION

Continued from page 8

Continued from page 8

contact Cantrell atjrc07f@acu.edu

We try to provide an atmosphere that is not only challenging but also fun for everybody on campusKENLI EDWARDSDirector of Intramurals

6Over the course of three games – against East Central, Angelo State and West Texas A&M – running back Daryl Richardson made a habit out of crossing the goal line. Richardson scored nine times for an ACU offense that was averaging 34 points per game.

7Sometimes the small plays make the biggest difference. During the Wild-cats’ 47-35 win over Texas A&M-Kingsville, the Javelinas blocked a punt and were poised to take over, but linebacker Arthur Johnson recovered and rushed for a first down, a heads-up play that saved the drive.

8Little seemed to go right for the Wildcats in their 15-13 loss to Mid-western State during the final week of the regular season. The offense sputtered, but kicker Morgan Lineberry connected on field goals from 51 and 56 yards to make it a close game.

9Fred Thompson dominated the Javelina offensive line during the Wild-cats’ game against Texas A&M-Kingsville. He had nine tackles and two forced fumbles. He also put pressure on the Javelina quarterback Billy Garza, with 1.5 sacks.

10In his first career start, freshman quarterback Mitchell Gale torched East Central 43-6. His second start against No. 23 Angelo State was much tougher, but Gale came through, completing 75 percent of his passes for more than 200 yards. The result: a 38-14 victory.

Touchdown Barrage

Heads Up

Special Teams, Special Moments

Thompson Breaks Loose

Gale Rams ASU

contact Sports atsports@jmcnetwork.com

the chance, Boise State showed it belonged in the upper echelon of college football. But it still wasn’t the championship.

This year, both Boise State and TCU will get to play in BCS bowl games, but that isn’t enough. Let’s give them a shot at the championship. The BCS punishes Boise and TCU for not having sched-ules as difficult as Big 12 or Southeastern Confer-ence teams. But when Boise sends an open invi-tation to play any school and no one bites, is that Boise’s fault?

So, instead, the Bron-cos and Horned Frogs run through their sched-ules and win every game against mediocre schools. They do every-thing asked of them. They are perfect. Unfor-tunately, computers that

know everything there is to know about col-lege football determine which two teams play in the championship.

I propose an eight-team playoff system. If Boise and TCU really aren’t as good as the Floridas and Texases of the world, then they will lose, and the teams that deserve it will win. Thousands of people call into work sick for a reason the first Thurs-day and Friday in March. March Madness is a fair and competitive way to de-termine one true champi-on. The NCAA could even give the football playoff a cool name, like the Win-ter Classic or the Holiday Showdown.

If we set up a play-off between the top eight teams right now, the first-round match-ups would be as follows: Florida (1) vs. Ohio State (8); Alabama (2) vs. Or-

egon (7); Texas (3) vs. Boi-se St. (6); and TCU (4) vs. Cincinnati (5). I am posi-tive the BCS won’t give us matchups that good.

I implore you, NCAA, get rid of the BCS and go to my playoff sys-tem. If you don’t, you will continue to say to millions of college foot-ball fans, “A team can do everything right and still get shafted.”

Playoffs: Bracket system would pick true winner

OPINION

Continued from page 8

JOZIE SANDS Chief Photographer

Midwestern quarterback Zak Eskridge works to deliver a pass as Eric Edwards moves in for an attempted sack. The Wildcats won their second-round playoff matchup with MSU, 24-21.

Quick Facts

Below are registration dates and costs for spring intramurals.

n Basketball: Register from January 13-20, $75/teamn Soccer: Register from February 15-19, $45/teamn Tennis Doubles: Register from February 22-26, $5/personn Volleyball: Register from March 1-5, $75/teamn Softball: Register from April 5-9, $45/team

SportsPage 8 December 4, 2009

SATURDAY

Women's BasketballACU vs. SW Oklahoma St., 2 p.m.

Men's BasketballACU vs. SW Oklahoma St., 4 p.m.

DEC. 12

Women's BasketballACU at TAMU-Commerce, 6 p.m.

Men's BasketballACU at TAMU-Commerce, 8 p.m.

HOME GAMES LISTED IN ITALICS

Upcoming

n Former ACU running back and current Cincinatti Bengal Bernard Scott is suffering from turf-toe. The sixth-round pick suf-fered the injury filling in for injured starting back Cedric Benson in Sunday's victory over the Cleveland Browns.

n Offensive lineman Tony Washington has been named a finalist for the 2009 Gene Upshaw Division II Lineman of the Year award. ACU of-fensive lineman Sam Collins won the award last year.

n The Steamboats took on GSP in the men's waterball championship game last night, while the women's champion-ship game pitted Siggies against Alpha Kai Omega.

n The two semifinal games of the Division II football playoffs will be played Saturday. Carson-Newman will head to Grand Valley State to take on the Lak-ers. The game airs at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN. California will take on Northwest Missouri State in Maryville, Mo. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., and the game will be aired on CBS College Sports.

Briefs

Standings

MEN'S BASKETBALLTeam Div.

Tarleton St.

TAMU-K

0-0

0-0

MSU 0-0 7-0

Angelo State 0-0 3-2

WOMEN’S BASKETBALLTeam Div.

WTAMU 0-0Tarleton St. 0-0 6-0

TAMU-K 0-0 4-1Angelo St. 0-0 3-3

MSU 0-0 2-3

WTAMU 0-0

4-0

3-1

3-3

5-0

Ovrl.

Ovrl.

ACU 0-0 3-1

ACU 0-0 2-3

ENMU 0-0 4-1

MONDAY

Women's BasketballACU 44, Incarnate Word 60

Men's BasketballACU 82, Dallas Baptist 85

THURDAY

Women's BasketballACU 77, Cameron 66

Men's BasketballACU 57, Cameron 58

HOME GAMES LISTED IN ITALICS

ENMU 0-0 1-4

I would like to inform all the TCU and Boise State fans of one undeniable truth. Regard-less of how good your football team is, you will never play in a national championship un-der the Bowl Championship Series system. It should not be that way, but it is. The BCS is a terrible system to determine

a champion. It only exists to make money – a lot of money.

Boise State has lost only three regular-season games in the last four years, but they have been invited to a BCS bowl only once. In that game against Oklahoma, they pulled off one of the most miraculous wins in col-lege football history. Given

Agree to Disagree Would a Division I College Playoff System Work?

OPINION

Playoffs necessary to pick a champion Austin GwinAssistant Sports Editor

1The most memorable moment of the 2009 season came before the first game’s open-ing kickoff. A severe storm rolled through the Big Country, wreaking havoc prior to the

season-opener against Northwest Missouri State on Aug. 27. Strong winds lifted the end zone bleachers, tossing them onto the field. Fans had to hold down tents in the parking lot, and students had to push cars out of the mud after the game. After a lengthy delay, the first nationally televised game at Shotwell Stadium kicked off as a rainbow stretched across the eastern sky. The No. 5 Wildcats capped the night with an impressive 19-14 victory over the Bearcats.

2The Wildcats played their first game at Texas’ most famous stadium, the Cotton Bowl, on Sept. 12. A rain-soaked night in Dallas held the offense back, and a strong effort from

Texas A&M-Commerce forced the game into overtime. During the first play of overtime, Drew Cuffee picked off Lions’ quarterback Adam Farkes and returned the interception for a touchdown and a 20-14 victory.

3In Week Six, the 5-0 Wildcats made a switch at quarterback, handing the reins to Mitchell Gale, a red-shirt freshman from Alva, Okla. Gale did not disappoint in his first start, completing 20

of his 28 passes for 300 yards and three touchdowns, as the Wildcats clobbered East Central 43-6.

4The combination of second-ranked ACU’s 38-14 drubbing of Angelo State on Oct. 10 and Hillsdale College’s shocking 27-24 up-set of No. 1 Grand Valley State propelled

the Wildcats to the top of the rankings. For the first time since joining the NCAA Division II, the Wild-cats found themselves atop the American Football Association's Top 25 poll.

5Hope for a spot in the playoffs seemed all but lost after a disappointing 15-13 loss at the hands of Midwestern State in the final regular-season game. However, the Wildcats

snuck in by earning the South Central Region's sixth and final playoff spot. The Wildcats faced Midwest-ern State again in the first round of the playoffs but with different results. The Wildcats advanced to the next round with a 24-21 upset win.

Zane GoggansSports Reporter

The spring semester is right around the corner, despite this week's snow. The football season is over, ACU basketball is in full swing, and baseball and softball will start soon. But for students whose favor-

ite sports didn't make that list, the spring will present some alternatives.

Spring intramurals are an opportunity for stu-dents like Jordan Bell to play sports they enjoy. Bell, freshman art major from Waco, says he is most look-ing forward to basketball. He's not the only one.

“Hey, if I can find a team that needs a post, I’m their guy,” says Chris Marshall, freshman history major from Kermit.

Basketball is a favorite of many students; however, the intramural office will of-fer several popular sports,

Students turn attention to spring sports INTRAMURALS

see SPRING page 7

FOOTBALL

College playoff system would be problematic

TOP

10TOP

Moments of 2009

HEATHER LEIPHART Staff Photographer

Daryl Richardson fights for extra yardage in the game against Tarleton State on Oct. 24.

The Storm

Cuffee and the Cotton Bowl

Gale Arrives

We're No. 1

Playoff Payback

see TEN page 7

KELSI WILLIAMSON Staff Photographer

Freshmen play basketball during Welcome Week.

The Bowl Championship Se-ries is not the perfect sys-tem by any means. However, a playoff system should not be implemented in Division I football anytime soon.

The main argument for a play-off system is based on the fact nobody would be left out, and every team would get a chance.

However, this is not true. If the BCS system was replaced with an eight-team playoff system, someone would have to decide which eight teams in the coun-try should get a playoff bid. In this situation, teams would still be left out, just like in the BCS.

Another problem to deal with is how conference representation would factor into the playoff sys-

Ryan CantrellAssistant Sports Editor

see PLAYOFFS page 7 see PROBLEM page 7