PHOTOS

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Forecast InsideCBS PRODUCERLance Barrow visited with students Wednesday about working in the world of sports and the powerful ministry it can be.

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EDITORIALAdministrators have tried everything but begging to get students to behave in chapel. We propose a few unconventional methods.

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Have you hadenough rain?

Visit acuoptimist.com to see whatthe ACU community is saying.

VIDEO

West Texas Fair and Rodeo

Optimistthe

acuoptimist.comBREAKING NEWS, VIDEOS, PHOTOS, DISCUSSION AND EXCLUSIVE CONTENTVol. 98, No. 9 1 section, 8 pagesFriday, September 18, 2009

Rocketboys Return

LOUDandCLEAR

PAGE 5

Kimberly WolfordStudent Reporter

Political interest groups will play a larger role on campus this year as the ACU chapters of the College Democrats and Young Republicans

combine to form a new group, the ACU Political Alliance.

“We decided in the spring that it would be bet-ter for the ACU communi-ty to work together as one group,” said Jared Perkins, sophomore environmental

science major from Waco.Perkins, current presi-

dent of the College Demo-crats, said he and Aaron Escobedo, president of the Young Republicans, worked closely together in the spring to make their vision of tolerance and

collaboration a reality.“Because of a lot of par-

tisan divisiveness at the national level, we thought it would be best to unite the campus community to influence people who care and want to make a difference,” Perkins said.

Perkins said the Alli-ance will be a chance for students who don’t want to “pick a party” to get involved in the political scene.

“We saw that over the last year, the two groups were not a force on cam-

pus,” said Escobedo, ju-nior history education major from Lamesa. “So, we decided that if we could work together, peo-ple would realize who we are individually.”

Political groups merge to counter partisan trend STUDENT LIFE

Acts spread peace, love

David SotoStudent Reporter

Not many students know that for the last 10 years, ACU has had a hockey team in addition to its laundry list of more tra-ditional sports. Because the team is not a univer-sity-sponsored organi-zation, but a club team, it does not get as much publicity as other sports, such as football.

“We have a hockey team?” said Zac Watters, finance major from Clay-ton, N.M. “Wow, never knew that. I probably won’t ever go to a game, but it’s good to know we have a hockey team, I guess.”

The hockey team plays in the Southwest Col-legiate Hockey League along with three other schools in the Division II bracket; its competition includes schools such as the University of Texas at Dallas and Stephen F. Austin University. Last season, the team came in third overall, finishing 9-10-1. Philip Greer, ACU alumnus, served as team

Hockeyfliesunder radar

ATHLETICS

Bailey NealStudent Reporter

The banner is up, and so are students’ expecta-tions as the 92nd ACU Summit week approach-es. ACU has invited a se-ries of renowned speak-ers to lecture on topics and struggles Christians may face.

The consensus is that many students at-

tend Summit solely for the Chapel credits, said Alena Weeks, sophomore psychology major from Abilene, and Tyler No-len, junior information technology major from Flower Mound.

Whether that is the case, event coordinators have tried to make Sum-mit more relevant to stu-dents in the past couple of years, while still ap-

pealing to the community at large.

Weeks said she is ex-cited about the event and curious about seeing the advertised changes to the series.

“This is only going to be my second Summit,” Weeks said. “I thought last year was pretty good, so I’m hoping that this year is going to be even better.” She said she

is most looking forward to hearing from Donald Miller, the author of Blue Like Jazz.

Nolen said he is also excited about listening to Miller’s lectures.

“I go to Summit to lis-ten to certain speakers – this year, Don Miller is a big one.”

Donald Miller is the author of several books, many of which are stud-ied in ACU courses. One of his books, Searching for God Knows What, was this year’s Freshman Common Reading.

Speakers, Chapel credits draw student interestSUMMIT

HEATHER LEIPHERT Staff Photographer

A chorus of freshmen perform the classic Beatles’ hit ‘All you need is love’ during Freshmen Follies on Thursday.

FOLLIES

see ALLIANCE page 4

Brittany BrandStudent Reporter

Freshmen prepare for a night of enter-tainment as Freshman Follies kicks off the 2009-10 school year to the tune of “Peace, Love and Follies” this weekend.

“Students are taking that in all dif-ferent directions,” said Tom Craig, di-rector of student productions. “It is going to be a lot of fun and a lot of en-ergy. Everybody will enjoy the show.”

Four freshman co-chairs are re-

sponsible for ensuring the show runs smoothly: Carly Branscum, journalism and mass communication major from Fort Worth; Zak Kroeger, exercise sci-ence major from Tempe, Ariz.; Allison Roche, youth and family ministry ma-jor from The Woodlands; and Carole-Marie Wiser, youth and family ministry major from Richmond.

The co-chair positions were publi-cized during Welcome Week, and inter-views were conducted during the first week of school. Student productions

personnel selected the final four.Kroeger said the co-chairs are re-

sponsible for holding auditions for the specialty acts, planning rehearsals and getting props and music together. They are also allowed to participate in the acts if they choose.

“Once it all gets put together, it’s go-ing to be fun,” Kroeger said.

There will be 14 hall acts and seven specialty acts this year. Specialty acts

see SUMMIT page 4

see FOLLIES page 4

see HOCKEY page 4

I won’t lie; more Chapel credits would be awesome. But it would be nice to just go to hear what these people have to say.ALENA WEEKSSophomore psychology major from Abilene

ACU Police Tip Of The Week: Car burglaries are on the increase in the area. Always lock your vehicle and place valuables out of sight. Report all suspicious activity to ACUPD immediately.

Friday, Sept. 11 9:31 a.m. Reporting party came to ACUPD to report the burglary of a black 1966 Ford Mustang. Burglary occurred between Sept. 10 at 10 p.m. and Sept. 11 at 9 a.m.

Visit acuoptimist.com for the complete log.

Announcements

CALENDAR AND EVENTSFriday, September 18, 2009

2CampusDay

7 p.m.Summit: Theme Conversation God hears and God remembers

8:30 p.m.Summit: Late Night Events

20SUNDAY

1 p.m.Freshmen Follies

2 p.m.ACU Volleyball vs Eastern New Mexico

3:15 p.m.Freshmen Follies

6 p.m.ACU Football vs SE Oklahoma State

8 p.m.Freshmen Follies

19SATURDAY

8 a.m.Silent auction benefit at Taylor County Courthouse

9 a.m.West Texas Fair & Rodeo at theTaylor County Expo Center

11 a.m.Parents of the Year presentation in Moody Coliseum

7 p.m.Parents Weekend

8 p.m. Freshman Follies

18 FRIDAY 20Chapel Credited

Chapelsto date:

Checkup 51CreditedChapelsremaining:

Freshman Follies will begin at 8 p.m. in Cullen Auditorium. Tickets are $10.

Summit begins Sunday at 7 p.m. in Moody Coliseum with God Hears and God Remembers.

Ryan Christian and Fate Hagood will lead worship. Also there are two late night services, The Day

After Tomorrow and The Word in Motion. Both services begin at 8:30 p.m.

Volunteer OpportunitiesFrontier Texas! needs volunteers to staff a haunted house fundraiser. Volun-teers will be asked to create a frightening

character and assist in crowd control and building sets. They will be needed Oct. 20-31. For more in-formation contact Jeff

Salmon at 437-2804.

Fellowship of Chris-tian Athletes needs volunteers to create info cards. Volunteers

are needed Oct.14 from 8:30 p.m. – 10 p.m. For more infor-mation please con-tact Steve Keenum at 795-0020.

PoliceLog

September 18, 2009 Page 3Campus News

Ryan CantrellAssistant Sports Editor

The ACU Outdoor Club led its third annual Rock Your Face Off clinic at Abilene High School for students in-terested in rock climb-ing Wednesday.

The clinic was in-tended to prepare them for a rock-climb-ing trip with the club later this month. Col-ter Lane, president of the Outdoor Club, said he was excited about the event.

“My favorite thing about the event is seeing others get excited about climbing,” Lane said. “It is a sport that I love to

do, and it is really cool to see others get excited about it, too.”

The clinic covered a variety of topics, in-cluding climbing safety and belay techniques. Students of all skill lev-els were welcome, but those with some climb-ing experience learned a few more advanced techniques.

Rock Your Face Off is supposed to be a two-part event each year. This year, students were encouraged to come back for a rock-climbing trip to Lake Brownwood on Sept. 26. The first couple of hours on-site will be spent picking up trash and cleaning

up the climbing area, and students can earn service hours for this part of the trip. The group will spend the rest of the afternoon climbing. The trip is $6 for students and $3 for members.

Treasurer Emily Holt said she thinks the Out-door Club is a great way to share common inter-ests with others.

“I love being with a lot of other people who enjoy the same things I do,” Holt said. “It is about getting to have fun with them.”

Outdoor Club attracts climbersSTUDENT ORGANIZATIONS

Jill DougherStudent Reporter

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation will spon-sor the Great Strides Walk of Abilene to raise awareness and money for further re-search in developing a cure for the disease Sept. 19. The walk will take place at Redbud Park; check-in begins at 8 a.m., and the walk starts at 9 a.m.

Cystic fibrosis, an in-herited chronic disease, affects the lungs and di-gestive system of about 30,000 children and adults in the U.S. About

1,000 cases are diag-nosed each year, and the predicted median age of survival for a person with CF is a little more than 37 years. Great Strides has given more than $180 million to re-search and coordinated walks at more than 600 sites since 1989.

This will be the third year that Great Strides has taken place in Abilene. Laura Hobbs, special events coor-dinator for the walk, says she expects to have 100 walkers and hopes to raise around $20,000.

Registration is free,

but individual walkers and teams are expect-ed to find sponsors to donate to the cause. Prizes will be given at the end of the 5K walk to those who raised the most funds.

“The prizes will range anywhere from T-shirts to beach tow-els to a Blu-ray player,” said Hobbs.

To sign up for the walk or for more in-formation regarding cystic fibrosis, visit www.cff.org.

Walk seeks funds for CFAWARENESS

Ben WartonStudent Reporter

The annual West Tex-as Fair and Rodeo re-turned to the Taylor County Expo Center on Friday for a 10-day run that will end Sunday. Attractions include nightly ro-deos, a carnival and various musicians.

The fair, situated on 117 acres of land, attracts people from all over Texas. The event advertises daily themes ranging from “School and Military Day” and even “Senior Citizens’ Day.

Austin Holt, junior Biblical text major from Fort Worth, ap-preciates the fair as cheap entertainment.

“I felt like this could be a great way to get to-gether with friends to have fun and not cost

me too much money.”Several musicians

and artists perform ev-ery night in the HEB pa-vilion, including Craw-fish, Top and Abilene’s own Aaron Watson. Attendees even get a shot at the micro-phone during Karaoke Night on Thursday. Fair admission is $7 for adults, $4 for students and free for children 5 and younger.

Music is not the only attraction. Carni-val rides, rodeo events, fair food, exhibits and a petting zoo compete for visitors’ attention. Single tickets to the carnival cost $1, and a strip of 24 tickets costs $20. Hours are

5-11 p.m. Monday-Friday and 1-11 p.m. Saturday-Sunday.

The fair has a little something for everyone, including students.

“I’m going because of the environment; I love the lights and sounds,” said Lacy Rountree, sophomore art education major from Granbury. “It makes you feel like you’re a kid again.”

For more informa-tion, go to www.taylor-countyexpocenter.com or call 677-4367.

West Texas Fair offers affordable entertainment

ENTERTAINMENT

contact Dougher atoptimist@jmcnetwork.com

contact Warton atoptimist@jmcnetwork.com

contact Cantrell atjrc07f@acu.edu

JOZIE SANDS Chief Photographer

Mary Ballard feeds goats and donkeys at the 4-H petting zoo.

It makes you feel like you’re a kid again.Lacy RountreeSophomore art education major from Granbury

September 18, 2009From FrontPage 4

give students an oppor-tunity to demonstrate a particular talent, such as singing or dancing, and students had to au-dition for a spot during the first week of school. Hall acts are open to any resident on that hall, allowing everyone to participate.

“I’m estimating that 700 to 800 students are involved,” Craig said.

The shows will take place in Cullen Audito-rium on Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 1 p.m., 3:15 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Tickets are $10 – or $5 with a valid student

ID – and are available in the Campus Center from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m Friday. Tickets for all performances can also be purchased online or at the door.

For more information or to buy tickets, visit www.acu.edu/follies.

His appearance at ACU is the seventh stop on his A Million Miles tour, which began in Vancou-ver on Sept. 15.

Twenty-three possible Chapel credits still ap-peal to students.

“I won’t lie; more Cha-pel credits would be awe-

some,” Weeks said. “But it would be nice to just go to hear what these people have to say.”

While in the past, Chapel credits have proven most influen-tial, it seems opportu-nities to hear relevant, well-known speakers are becoming a factor in students’ decisions to attend Summit lectures.

“If the school could get more well-known people to speak – more familiar names – maybe we would think, ‘Oh, I’ve heard of them. Let’s go,’” Weeks said.

captain last year, ending the season with 11 goals and five assists.

Although hockey is a less well-known sport in Texas, the team has a loyal following, thanks partially to a few Face-book groups. Most of the games take place outside the Abilene

area, which makes it challenging for fans to watch the team in ac-tion. However, a few die-hard hockey fans continue to make the trips to watch the team battle it out on the ice. One such fan, Jesse Go-forth, attends several games each season.

“I love hockey; I al-ways have,” said Go-forth, an accounting and

finance graduate student from Houston. “I found out about the hockey team about two years ago, and since then, I have gone to around six games, and I plan on go-ing to many more.”

will be a few Young Repub-licans events scheduled, along with events spon-sored by the Alliance.

The group is bringing two retired congressmen to ACU for its “Congress to Campus” event in Oc-tober, Escobedo said.

Perkins said the group is planning to coordinate with SALT to organize a Service Saturday for Alliance members.

“We just want to make our presence known and let everyone know we still want to make a difference,” Es-cobedo said.

The ACU Political Al-liance will have an in-terest meeting in Room 219 of the Administra-tion Building at 7 p.m. Sept. 24.

Hockey: Club on campusATHLETICS

Summit: Student responseSUMMIT

Continued from page 1

Continued from page 1Continued from page 1

Continued from page 1

Alliance: Parties join forcesSTUDENT LIFE

Follies: acts prepareFOLLIES

contact Soto atoptimist@jmcnetwork.com

contact Wolford atoptimist@jmcnetwork.com

contact Neal atoptimist@jmcnetwork.com

contact Brand atoptimist@jmcnetwork.com

HEATHER LEIPHART Staff PhotographerJessica Welshans, freshman music education major from Spring, sings On My Own as Sam Souder, senior worship ministry major from Arlington, plays the piano.

ArtsSeptember 18, 2009 Page 5

Joel DallasContributing Writer

My favorite way to judge a live performance is to observe the interaction between the performers and the crowd. The Hunters and Gath-erers, a band of ACU al-ums based out of Austin, brought in a formidable crowd at Abilene’s The Hideaway recently. They lived up to their reputation for putting on a rollicking show, charging the air in the packed-out venue with a palpable excitation.

In fact, it was the crowd that initially complicated

my journalistic endeav-or. I arrived at the front door of The Hideaway as an aggressive rework-ing of Hendrix’s Hey Joe blared clearly through the wall, only to be told by a sour-faced bouncer with a handlebar mus-tache the establishment was full. I could hear the heavy bass line in the bridge building to a climax, and I realized I had to get myself inside – and fast.

Without hesitation, I managed to surmount a tall wooden barrier at the back of the build-ing where an unguarded

door was located. Once inside, I was immersed in an eruption of sound that had already driven a roomful of people to groove along to the mu-sic. The Hunters and Gatherers, with their stellar showmanship, were filling the building with so much energy it was impossible to sit or stand still.

On the drums, Jared Durham sounded out beats with his mouth, one arm held high twirl-ing a drumstick. He pounded out the rhythm as Bryce Powell ham-mered the opening lick

to the Beatles’ Come Together. Logan Pringle roared into the micro-phone as he sang, “Here come ol’ flat top.” This was not a cover. This was the Hunters and Gather-ers reinterpreting a clas-sic through a raw and edgy modern lens.

The band’s take on Stay with Me by The Faces ex-pressed the gamut of the group’s stylistic influences. The song opened with Rob Watkins on guitar franti-cally picking a progression, backed by Powell smashing on the keyboard in a manner reminiscent of early rock pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis. On

Pringles’ vocal cue, “Slow down!” the band seamless-ly transitioned into a funky breakdown that showcased Powell’s command of the keys and Durham’s skill in orchestrating time chang-es through compounded backbeats.

Perhaps the group’s most notable talent is its ability to channel authen-tic emotion into the lyrics and composition of their original material. Rain Check conveyed solem-nity and contempt as the song gradually climbed to its furious peak.

In the end, I was im-pressed by the immense

amount of energy the band poured into the audience throughout the three-hour set. Every member of the Hunters and Gatherers is capa-ble of performing more than just memorized progressions, beats and riffs. Their show, in-stead, was a creative, improvisational form of musical expression that swept the crowd up in its path and never put them down.

REVIEW

Several classes, concerts and exhibits will be offered Monday-Friday.

Exodus and FilmCaped Crusaders and Dark Knights: Redemption in Popular FilmMonday, 9-9:45 a.m.Tuesday, 8:30-9:50 a.m.BSB 115

Freedom's MealHow Passover Became The Lord’s SupperMonday, 10-10:45 a.m. Tuesday, 9:30-10:15 a.m. BSB 249

Hear the VoiceRecapturing the Beauty of God’s StoryMonday-Tuesday4-4:45 p.m.BSB 112

Coffee House Comedy: UncagedMonday, 8:30-9:30 p.m.Brown Library Learning CommonsBob Smiley

The Word in MotionSunday, 8:30-9:30 p.m. WPAC, Fulks TheatreACU Department of Theatre faculty and students

Iron Pour EventMonday, 8:30 p.m.,Grassy area west of Teague Special Events CenterACU Department of Art faculty and students

Of Mountains and MusicTuesday, 8:30-9:30 p.m.WPAC Recital Hall ACU Department of Music faculty and students

Talmud: The Art of Ben Zion and Marc ChagallDon H. Morris Center, Shore Art Gallery Exhibit open Monday-Friday9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Summit Arts Events

Paul KnettelContributing Writer

Everyone loves a free concert, especially when it features one of the most well-known and successful bands to come out of ACU in the past few years. The Rocketboys – formerly known as Homer Hiccolm and the Rocketboys – will be playing a free concert during Summit next week.

The Rocketboys are made up of five ACU alums – Dan-iel Wheeler on guitar; Justin Wiseman on keyboard; Mitch Holt, guitarist and vocalist; Brandon Kinder, on vocals, guitar and piano; and Josh Campbell on bass and vo-cals. They formed while at ACU and developed a strong following across the coun-try, writing and recording two EPs, two live DVDs and touring extensively, all while completing their degrees.

They have since moved to Austin to pursue careers in music, but they are return-ing to their roots Wednesday when they play in the “World-Famous Bean.”

The Rocketboys will be sell-ing their first full-length CD, 20,000 Ghosts, at the show, even though the CD’s official release date is Sept. 29. The album was recorded and pro-duced in Austin by Louie Lino (Nada Surf, Matt Pond PA) and mastered by Alan Douches (Sufjan Stevens, Animal Col-lective), and has 11 brand-new songs on it.

Several of the new tracks are available online and on an EP sold during their summer

tour. They include such titles as Like Ice In Water and All the Western Winds, and they are an enjoyable continua-tion of the band’s resonating, uplifting sound.

The tracks are filled to the brim with rich guitars, intriguing rhythms and complex keyboard patterns, topped with Kinder’s soaring vocal melodies. Kinder said The Rocketboys are proud of this new offering, and that it represents “the next level of the band” as they grow together musically.

The band spent a year on the record from its concep-tion to the final product. They will embark on a month-long nationwide tour promoting

the album Oct. 8 in Dallas. Dignan, a band from McAllen and former tour mate of The Rocketboys, will join them on the tour. Dignan released its new CD, Cheaters & Thieves, in June.

For more information about The Rocketboys or to listen to tracks from their new album, visit myspace.com/rocketboys. The free show will be at 8 p.m. Sept. 23.

Rocketboys to release ‘Ghosts’MUSIC

Popular alumni group returns to Abilene for show

Photo courtesy of PAPERTHIN MEDIA

The Rocketboys will release their new album, 20,000 Ghosts, at their show Wednesday during Summit.

contact Dallas atoptimist@jmcnetwork.com

contact Knettel atoptimist@jmcnetwork.com

OpinionPage 6 September 18, 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

Editorial and Letter Policy

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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

Sommerly SimserMultimedia Editor

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Liz SpanoArts Editor

Scott StewartPage 2 Editor

Jordan BlakeyCartoonist

Multimedia Desk(325) 674-2463

Kenneth PybusFaculty Adviser

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Christi StarkAdvertising

Optimistthe

By Jordan BlakeyAtaraxia

How do we make Chapel the best it can be? This has been an ongoing de-bate since ACU’s found-ing in 1906. There have been many attempts over the years to discourage excessive talking, “slid-ing and gliding” and poor attendance, but we at the Optimist have some sug-gestions of our own to make Chapel a truly en-riching experience.

First, few moments are more awkward than when a song mentions “stand-ing,” and everyone waits to see who will be led by the Spirit to rise from his seat. Those brave souls who do venture to rise to their feet risk being the only one in Chapel – a

social nightmare that per-suades many to remain seated. That is why we suggest implementing a 10-second grace period to allow students to get to their feet. After 10 sec-onds, a tiny electric shock will shoot through the seats of Moody Coliseum, rising in intensity every 30 seconds. After all, the song does not say, “I sit contently in my seat in awe of you.”

Another problem that has plagued members of the Church of Christ for centuries – more so than the debate about the use of instruments in the as-sembly – is our inability to keep time when clap-ping. In order to alleviate

this problem, we propose a giant metronome be in-stalled behind the stage. A large flashing light will keep pace for the selected song so that everyone can remain in tempo. Those that are unable to keep pace will be asked to cease and desist. We all know Thomas and Alex-ander Campbell were ex-cellent clappers; we must not let that tradition die.

Few would argue any action more heinous than “sliding and gliding.” Thus, we believe the best solu-tion is shame. Those who choose to engage in this act – you know who you are – will be found out and given a cowbell to place around their necks for the remain-

der of the week. Whenever one who has been caught “sliding and gliding” walks across campus or nears a large group of people, she must shout “Slider and Glider” at the top of her lungs to alert others who might otherwise associate with her. We hope this will discourage “sliding and gliding,” but for those that persist, a few days in the stocks outside Moody are not out of the question.

Unfortunately, while these measures are sure to “encourage” better ob-servation of several tradi-tions, they entirely miss the point.

Whether one stands or sits or claps rhythmi-cally is not a product of

one’s spirituality. The state of your heart de-termines the quality of your Chapel experience. Talking during a speak-er’s lecture or inten-tionally clapping out of sync with everyone else reveals a lack of respect for others’ Chapel expe-rience. “Sliding and glid-ing” shows disrespect for Chapel itself. A truly

enjoyable Chapel experi-ence cannot come from new policies, but will instead come when stu-dents begin to show con-sideration for others.

Chapel solution: shocking, shaming?EDITORIAL

Abilene weather increases frustrationCOLUMN

Sondra, Not Sandra Sondra Rodriguez

Every time it rains, Abilene floods. It gets pretty windy here, too, and shortly after Christ-m a s b r e a k , s t a r t a n t i c i -p a t i n g a snow d a y that’s ac-tually an ice day.

Abilene weather is unique, to say the least. You’ll wake up one morning hoping to wear flip-flops and a T-shirt till you get slapped in the face with the bitter hand of winter – even though it was 70 de-grees yesterday. It is inconvenient and frus-trating that we are not graced with the gradual and scenic change of the seasons. But, there are ways to prepare.

The past few days of rain gave us a taste of the campus’s potential for floods. The simplest way to deal with it, un-

less you enjoy trudging to class with wet jeans, is to buy some rain boots. You may not re-alize how cold wet jeans will feel while you’re in the rain, but once you’ve settled into a freezing classroom for an hour and 20 minutes, you might regret not rolling up your jeans at least.

The Abilene wind typically brings the rain, sticks around for the storm and carries it out. It makes runners feel like they’re trying to run through a brick wall, it always seems to push my hair in the most unnatu-ral direction imaginable and it births dust storms that bring to mind an apocalyptic sci-fi movie. It is infuriating.

Being mad at the wind can only last so long. Eventually, you realize how foolish and probably unhealthy it is to get angry with a force of nature. Instead of getting mad, carry the necessary pieces to pro-tect yourself and your good mood.

These include a hat,

a scarf, a jacket – any-thing to shield you. If you own none of these things, hardcover bind-ers and notebooks work quite well at deflecting debris and blocking powerful gusts.

Gusts and flooding are irritating, but the worst stage of Abilene’s weather is yet to come. Anticipate ringing in the spring semester with a few days of ice. Even if you’re not plagued by my fear of slippery surfaces, the ice is un-pleasant. It’s cold, but it’s not the kind of cold that allows for moon-lit strolls across fresh snow, bundled in lay-ers and sipping on hot chocolate. It’s a violent kind of cold. The wind whooshes and makes you feel like someone

is shooting frozen darts into your naked, unpro-tected flesh.

Fortunately, classes are usually canceled when such weather rolls in, but if they aren’t, wear enough layers to make you feel like you’ve put on a fat suit. More importantly, have the courage to walk to class in your home-made fat suit, know-ing everyone you pass wishes they were just as prepared as you.

THE ISSUEChapel participants cause other students to lose focus with loud and disruptive actions.

OUR TAKEThe best Chapel will not come from new policies, but from students showing more consideration.

Beatles’ formedlasting legacy

COLUMN

Conscientious Conjecture Laura Acuff

John Lennon caused mild chaos back in 1966 when he said the Beatles were “more popular than Jesus.”

C o n -servative C h r i s -tians pro-t e s t e d , some even b u r n i n g piles of Beatles al-bums, but the band con-tinued to maintain solid success. A remastered album of the band’s mu-sic was released just this week, and a new version of Rock Band featuring Beatles songs is spin-ning in game consoles across the country. Sev-eral weeks ago, hundreds of fans brought traffic on Abbey Road to a stand-still as they celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Abbey Road album. All this for a group that disbanded more than 30 years ago.

Musically, many of the Beatles’ songs seem sim-pler than today’s popu-lar songs. Their vocals are rawer than the highly processed vocals of many modern artists, and their harmonies generally seem uncomplicated. Lyrically, their tunes range from simple desires, such as “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” to abstract lines about yellow submarines and walruses.

We like their vintage style now, but the Beatles might not have met with the same success had they tried to break into the music business today instead of in the 1960s.

The music industry of the 1960s explored pre-

viously uncharted terri-tory. When the Beatles marketed their chipper, catchy songs, consum-ers welcomed a brand of music that seemed al-together different than the products of other rock ‘n’ roll performers of the time. What they did musically was sim-ple, but different. They opened up an entirely new genre of music.

The Beatles found success not as musical prodigies, although they certainly were geniuses, but as musical innova-tors. They escaped the

more traditional box of the 1950s to usher in the tumultuous 1960s with rebellious exuberance.

In some ways, the foursome made even better salesmen than musicians. They built a legacy outlasting even the band mates them-selves. With record-breaking music sales, a video game and even a feature film constructed around their iconic mu-sic – ¬¬¬ Beatlemania, it seems, is here to stay, whether in actual sup-port of the band or in the spirit of innovation their legacy inspires.

Email the Optimist at:jmcnetwork@acu.edu

The Beatles found success not as musical prodigies, although they certainly were geniuses, but as musical innovators.

contact Acuff atlka06a@acu.edu

contact Rodriguez atsar06g@acu.edu

You’ll wake up one morning hoping to wear flip-flops and a T-shirt till you get slapped in the face with the bitter hand of winter – even though it was 70 degrees yesterday.

Rodriguez

Acuff

discussion around the water cooler. They also sent a clear message to those watching that yelling, screaming and cussing is the way to get attention. All Wil-liams and Federer need-ed to do was hold their breath, cross their arms and scream, “I hate you!” before storming off to their rooms – ex-actly what we want to be teaching our kids.

Take another tennis great as an example. John McEnroe is one of the best players to ever step onto a tennis court. But, rather than being remembered as a for-

mer world champion or a winner of seven Grand Slam titles, he is remem-bered for screaming at an umpire, “You can not be serious!”

Fortunately, Wil-liams, whose tirade was far more vicious than Federer’s, has many years ahead of her. Peo-ple have time to forget. This was the first time she has reacted in such a manner, and she apol-ogized to the judge. Now, she has a choice: she can be remembered as a McEnroe or a Billie

Jean King. Tennis needs fans.

It needs to get people excited about watching matches and cheering on their favorite play-ers. What it doesn’t need is another prima donna player to mouth off in front of millions of people.

September 18, 2009 Page 7From Sports

“We are looking to see who’s going to step up and play,” Jones said. “These matches also mean something in that they get us ready for re-gionals.”

Sophomore John Strahl stepped up, winning his side of the bracket with a convincing victory (6-0, 2-6, 6-2) over North-ern Arizona University’s Robin Pezzuto. Strahl be-

gan to come into his own during his freshman year, and Jones said he sees Strahl as a key player on the team this season.

“John was a very tal-ented freshman last year, and he really didn’t break into our top six until the end of last season,” Jones said. “In my mind, he was a blue chip recruit, and I am expecting big things.”

Strahl and his team-mates on the men’s and women’s teams will have

to develop quickly. The women’s team has its re-gional tournament in To-peka, Kan., Sept. 25-26; the men’s tournament is at ACU Oct. 2-4.

Play: Tennis season startsTENNIS

Continued from page 8

contact Craig atjrc07d@acu.edu

contact Knauth attxk07a@acu.edu

HEATHER LEIPHART Staff Photographer

John Kelly, freshman from Richardson, serves during the Walmart Open on Friday.

Federer had a similar outburst during his match against Juan Pierre del Potro in the U.S. Open finals. Federer complained about a call and was told to be qui-et. That did not sit well with him, and he started swearing at the judge.

Although I do not condone the two players’ actions, I do think as a general rule our society loves this kind of thing, and not just in tennis.

People watch every-thing Terrell Owens does, because no mat-ter how offensive it is, it sells. Every time John

Daly comes intoxicated to a tournament; every time Ron Artest throws a punch; and every time T.O. shouts at his offen-sive coordinator on the sidelines, we watch with anticipation. Only after do we say how atrocious their behavior was and demand better behavior from our “role models.”

So, even though Wil-liams used every curse word in the English lan-guage and invented some of her own, no one can deny that she brought tennis some of the best publicity it could ask for.

Rage: Outbursts good publicity

COLUMN

Tantrum: Ridiculous antics COLUMN

Continued from page 8

contact Tripp atbjt07a@acu.edu

ACU is frequently men-tioned in CBS broadcasts, thanks to Barrow. For ex-ample, Barrow will cover the Pittsburg Steelers and Chicago Bears game this week. The announcer will mention ACU a few times, because Johnny Knox and Danieal Manning, both Bears players, are former ACU football players.

Barrow is in a unique position. He works in a secular industry, yet maintains his Chris-tian beliefs, influencing

many in the business, including his colleague, Grant Boone.

“Lance is a phenom-enal guy,” Boone said. “He is a great example of what I like to call a vocational witness. The people he is witnessing to would never darken the door of a church. The way that Lance preaches is treating people with respect and dignity, no matter who they are or what walk of life.”

contact Gwin atagg07a@acu.edu

Continued from page 8

Barrow: Sage advice for ACU students

ALUMNI

Continued from page 8

Jeff CraigSports Writer

The men’s tennis team opened its singles sea-son at the New Mexico State Invitational in Las Cruces, N.M., Friday. The matches allowed Head Coach Hutton Jones to evaluate the individual members of his squad for the first time.

“We had enough suc-cess that we have hope for a good season,” Jones said. “But we also got beat enough to know where we are going to need to be.”

NCAA tennis lasts all year, but the fall sea-

son consists of singles matches only; doubles play begins in the spring. While these early match-ups have little to do with the team’s spring rankings, they are still important. Singles sea-

son moves rapidly, and teams have little time to prepare. Jones said these types of events are vital to setting his rosters and evaluating progress.

Tennisbeginsseasonhopeful

TENNIS

Austin GwinAssistant Sports Editor

The life of a CBS produc-er might seem like one of luxury, but Lance Barrow, coordinating producer of CBS Sports, would be the first to say producing a game takes preparation and hard work.

“I enjoy the challenge of being the producer,” Barrow said. “I enjoy the challenge of studying ev-ery week and getting bet-ter every week. I love be-ing a part of doing all the events that we do.”

Barrow and Wildcat football announcer Grant Boone gave students a chance to hear firsthand how life in the sports broadcasting industry works Wednesday. Stu-dents also got advice on

how to be successful in such a competitive field.

“Start working as early as you can,” Barrow said. “Develop contacts. Use any resource you have. Try to get out there and get as much experience as you can.”

A white lie at a golf tournament got Barrow started at ABC Sports. He went to the Colonial Golf Tournament in Fort Worth hoping to help with the broadcast of the tournament. Someone asked if he had worked for ABC before. He said yes, and he has worked in the industry ever since.

Barrow’s position has allowed him to befriend such sports legends as John Madden, Jim Nantz and Pat Summerall. Sur-prisingly, his most ex-

citing contact is not a sports star.

“I went to Maine one time with Jim Nantz, and I got the chance

to sit in the back of a Suburban with the 41st president of the United States, George Bush, and two Secret Service

agents,” Barrow said. “Sometimes, I just have to pinch myself.”

Barrow offers wisdom, advice

SportsPage 8 September 18, 2009

Angelo St. 1-0 2-1

MSU 2-0 3-0

Tarleton St. 1-0 3-0

Standings

FRIDAY

TennisACU at Racket Club Invitational ACU at Islander Invitational

SATURDAY

Cross-Countryat Missouri Southern Stampede

VolleyballACU at Eastern New Mexico, 3 p.m.

FootballACU at Eastern New Mexico, 3 p.m.

TennisACU at Racket Club Invitational ACU at Islander Invitational

MONDAY

Golfat The Territory Classic

HOME GAMES LISTED IN ITALICS

Upcoming

SATURDAY

VolleyballACU 3, Southern Arkansas 0ACU 3, Dallas Baptist 0

FootballACU 20, TAMU-Commerce 14

TUESDAY

SoccerACU 1 vs. Hardin-Simmons 2

THURSDAY

SoccerACU 1 vs. Hardin-Simmons 2

Scores

FOOTBALLTeam Div.

ACU

VOLLEYBALL

TAMU-K

Central Okla.

WTAMU

1-0

1-0

1-1

0-1

SE Okla. 1-1

ENMU 1-1 1-2

Team Div.

TAMU-C

SE Okla. TAMU-K

0-0

0-00-0

ACU 0-0 9-3

WTAMU 0-0 11-2Cameron 0-0 10-2

WOMEN’S SOCCERTeam Div.

MSUTAMU-C

0-00-0

WTAMU 0-0 5-0-1

Angelo State 0-0 4-2

East Central 0-0 1-1-1

NE State 0-0 2-3

Central Okla. 0-0 3-3-1

SW Okla. 0-0 2-4-1TX Women’s 0-0 2-3

ENMU 0-0 2-4

TX Woman’s 0-0

Angelo State. 0-0East Central 0-0 9-6

Central Okla. 0-0 6-7ENMU 0-0 4-9SW Okla. 0-0 3-12MSU 0-0 2-12

NE State 0-2 0-3East Central 0-2 0-3

SW Okla. 0-2 0-3TAMU-C 0-2 0-3

n Freshman golfer Adam Carpenter won the indi-vidual medalist title at the Charles Coody West Texas Intercollegiate Tournament at Diamondback Golf Club on Tuesday. It was Carpen-ter’s first collegiate tour-nament, and he won in a playoff on the fourth hole.

Briefs

3-0

3-0

2-11-2

0-3

12-3

9-49-3

8-5

7-7

3-0-15-1

ACU 0-0 2-3

Ovrl.

Ovrl.

Ovrl.

JOZIE SANDS Chief Photographer

CBS producer Lance Barrow discusses topics such as how to become a sports journalist and to how to maintain your Christian values while working in a secular business.

Many people said Ser-ena Williams’ verbal abuse of a line judge was good for a sport

that has b e e n stereo-t y p e d as a c o u n -t r y c l u b s p o r t

p l ayed by rich

white men. Roger Federer was doing the tennis community a favor throwing a tan-trum on national tele-vision, they said. Ten-nis could stand to lose some of its dignity.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Although tennis could use some marketable larger-than-life per-sonalities, Williams and Federer are going about it the wrong way. The two are some of the most talented play-ers in tennis, but they should let their play do the talking. They can be strong personalities without the profanities – and without threaten-ing to shove a tennis ball down the throat of someone half their size.

It’s become cliché to say, “Think of the kids,” but in this case, it is true. The tirades made SportsCenter and made tennis a topic of

Knauth

Serena Williams swore at the top of her lungs on national television. It was shocking, ugly and un-c a l l e d for. But it cer-t a i n l y was not harmful to the reputa-tion of tennis as a sport. In fact, nothing could have benefited tennis more.

Williams’ and Roger Federer’s outbursts were the most energetic and emotional moments in the sport since the days of John McEnroe, with his continuous swear-ing and thrown rackets – rackets that still lie in pieces somewhere.

Williams went off the deep end when a line judge called her on a foot fault, which was, in all fairness, a bad call. She threatened the judge, saying she would shove the tennis ball down her throat. Of course, she spiced it up with some profanity. Williams was complete-ly wrong and has apolo-gized for her actions. Still, how many times do we have to watch it on Sports Soup? In four days, almost 3 million people have watched the YouTube clip of the blow-up.

Agree to DisagreeCOLUMN

Displays of ragegood fortelevision

Tantrums immature, set poor exampleTanner KnauthAssistant Sports Editor

Brandon TrippSports Media Director

Tennis stars Serena Williams and Roger Federer have had well-documented arguments with officials in recent tennis matches. Some would argue the profanity-laced tirades are good for tennis because they show person-ality and passion. Others say tennis players should show more decorum.

see RAGE page 7 see TANTRUM page 7

HEATHER LEIPHART Staff Photographer

Lauren White, sophomore accounting major from Midland, tosses up a serve during a match Saturday.

The Wildcat offense has not put up point against good defensive lines consistently, but a stellar defense has made plays when the team needed it most. Southeastern Oklahoma University, which has scored at least 34 points in every game this sea-son, will put the defense to the test Saturday.

Cats look to stay perfect FOOTBALL

KEY PLAYER: RB Baylen Laury leads a very good offensive attack for SE Oklahoma. Laury was named LSC North Division Player of the Week after racking up 184 yards and two touch-downs in Southeastern’s 49-47 win over Eastern New Mexico. Laury is the leading rusher in the conference aver-aging 115.7 yards per game.

KEY MATCHUP: Special teams could be a major factor in this game, and SE Okla-homa has a dynamic return man in Je-rome Hewitt. Hewitt set a pair of school records last week we seven kickoff re-turns for 201 yards. If the special teams unit can provide good field position for SE Oklahoma, it could help their offense score against a stout ACU defense.

KEY PLAYER: Coming into the season WR Edmond Gates was being touted as one of the most explosive players in the LSC. Gates has started the season slowly with only nine catches for 92 yards and no touchdowns. Gates could have a breakout day though as the SE Oklahoma defense has given up nearly 40 points a game this season and 695 yards passing against Eastern New Mexico last week.

KEY MATCHUP: The Wildcat defense has played extremely well this season. Aston Whiteside leads the LSC with 4.5 sacks, but will be facing a Southeast-ern team that averages 36.3 points per game. If Whiteside and the defense can slow down a rushing attack that aver-ages 175.3 yards a game, ACU should be able to outscore SE Oklahoma.

see PLAY page 7

Tripp

see BARROW page 7

ALUMNI