The Optimist Print Edition: 02.21.10

Colter HettichEditor in Chief

After discussing possibili-ties and concepts for sev-eral years, the university announced Friday con-struction on the $21 mil-lion Student Recreation and Wellness Center will begin Tuesday. The facil-ity is named after Presi-dent Royce Money and his wife, Pam, and the roar of applause during Friday’s Chapel announcement said students approve.

Staff Report

“Phiwalkers,” cupcakes and the British Royal Guard screamed, clapped and jumped up and down as the Sing Song 2010 winners were announced Saturday night.

“I feel like everyone was at their top tonight,” said Megan Faver Hartline, senior English major from Lufkin. “They just put on a great show.”

In the women’s division, Sigma Theta Chi swept all categories – most entertain-ing, best vocals, audience favorite and overall – with their Betty Crocker tribute, breaking Ko Jo Kai’s two-year winning streak. The

Kojies’ Cinderella act earned them second place, followed by the Pac-women of Alpha Kai Omega in third.

“I congratulate the Sig-gies,” said Kat Bailey, assis-tant director for Kojies and junior musical theatre major

from Sugar Land. “I’m proud to call them my sisters in Christ.”

Linda BaileyOpinion Page Editor

Although next year’s freshmen won’t be receiv-ing iPads, some faculty members will research the potential of imple-menting the device for educational uses.

ACU Connected con-ducted a meeting Feb. 12 for faculty interested in the iPad and academic texts. During the meeting, George Saltsman, execu-tive director of the Adams Center for Teaching and Learning, introduced op-

portunities for faculty members to participate in researching how the iPad might be used as an aca-demic tool.

One piloting program will give 20 iPads to fac-ulty members who submit a proposal outlining a use for the iPad in education. Saltsman said the ACU Research Council and the

Mobile Learning Leader-ship team will be respon-sible for choosing the faculty members who will receive an iPad. He said they are open to all ideas, but preference will be giv-en to ideas that focus on research into how future students will interact with and consume academic texts. Faculty interested in submitting a proposal for this piloting program must do so by midnight March 22.

The same deadline ap-

Pilot program places 20 faculty iPads up for grabs

a. Hibernate.b. Drown Facebook in Sing Song pictures.c. Start planning for Sing Song 2011: Favorites.

PAGE 8

Optimistthe

Put a Smile On

Forecast InsideDR. PHIL SCHUBERT,ACU president-elect, can-didly answers students’ questions about his past, character and goals as ACU president.

Page 3

Online

Sun Mon Tue

31°62° 29°49° 26°39°

BACKSTAGE PICTURES FROM SING SONG reveal what really goes on behind the curtain. See how clubs and class acts prepared for the weekend shows.

Page 10

Sing Song is over. What do you do now?

Visit acuoptimist.com to join the discussion.

PHOTO

Backstage at Sing Song

LOUDandCLEAR

acuoptimist.comBREAKING NEWS, VIDEOS, PHOTOS, DISCUSSION AND EXCLUSIVE CONTENTVol. 98, No. 40 1 section, 14 pagesSunday, February 21, 2010

see STRUCTURE page 11

Christianna LewisContributing Reporter

Jason Davis spent hours chasing free-range goats through Zambia’s brush with members of the Ka-onde tribe last summer. Whenever he actually caught a wild goat, Davis, a senior animal science major from Chattanoo-ga, Tenn., would put on a latex glove, reach into the animal and retrieve a fresh fecal sample.

“It was the greatest experience,” Davis said, referring, of course, to the chasing.

Great experience or not, this wasn’t Davis’ idea of recreation. He was conducting one of last year’s undergradu-ate research projects, exploring ways to in-crease food produc-tion in underdeveloped countries. Davis and two other participating students, Melanie Shin-sky and Colton Laws, presented their studies at the 107th meeting of the Southern Associa-tion of Agricultural Sci-entists in Orlando, Fla., Feb. 7-9.

Davis has been con-vinced of the need for improving food produc-tion in countries like Zambia; last summer was the third he spent with the Kaonde tribe.

“They were hunter-

Studies tackle global issues

RESEARCHSING SONG

KELSI WILLIAMSON Chief Photographer

Sarah Greer, junior English from Flower Mound, celebrates winning overall in the women’s division with the ladies of Sigma Theta Chi.

All In the Family SING SONG WINNERS

Women’s Division1st – Sigma Theta Chi2nd – Ko Jo Kai3rd – Alpha Kai Omega

Men’s Division1st – Gamma Sigma Phi2nd – Galaxy3rd – Frater Sodalis

Mixed Voices Division1st – Freshmen2nd – Seniors3rd – Sophomores

see PROJECT page 7see VICTORS page 11

MOBILE LEARNING

University to break ground on rec center facility Tuesday

CAMPUS

see iPad page 7

acuoptimist.com

Follow Optimist coverage of the iPad launch and the Mobile Learning Initiative.

Photo courtesy of PUBLIC RELATIONS

A rendering of the exterior of the proposed Student Recre-ation and Wellness Center, an expected 16-month process.

HEATHER LEIPHART Staff Photographer

The men of Gamma Sigma Phi hold the overall men’s division trophy.

acuoptimist.com

View video and photos ofSing Song from rehearsal

to Saturday’s awards.

Sibling clubs Gamma Sigma Phi and Sigma Theta Chi snatch thefirst Sing Song cups in a close competition.

CALENDAR AND EVENTSSunday, February 21, 2010

2CampusDay

12:30-2:30 p.m.The Outstanding Alumnus of the Year award will be presented in the McCaleb Conference Center in the Hunter Welcome Center. Tickets cost $20. For more information, contact Jama Cadle at [email protected].

9 p.m.Nine O’clock, the weekly praise service, will take place at University Church of Christ at 9 p.m. Free drinks and snacks follow the service in the Family Room.

11 a.m.Mark semester series will continue with Mark Jackson in Chapel.

8-9 p.m.Eric Wyatt’s senior euphonium recital will take place in the Recital Hall of the Williams Performing Arts Center. For more information about the free event, call 674-2199.

22 MONDAY

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 [email protected].

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

29Chapel CreditedChapelsto date:

Checkup 44CreditedChapelsremaining:

Volunteer OpportunitiesThe Noah Project needs volunteers to cover the domestic violence crisis hotline between 6 and 10 p.m. Monday-Friday. For more information, call Yvonne Myers at 676-7107.

The Abilene Cultural Af-fairs Council needs vol-unteers for Gator Coun-try, an animal preserve and rescue operation from Beaumont, on Feb. 27 at the Abilene Civic Center. Volunteers will

prepare breakfast, assist with two performances, serve as ushers and direct visitors through the Nature Trail. For more information, contact Angie Cook at 794-4426, or e-mail [email protected]. Volunteers must sign up by Monday.

The American Heart As-sociation needs volun-teers any time 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Volunteers will

help with general of-fice tasks and assist with mailings. For more information, contact Kay Alexander at 627-0070.

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

Breakfast On Beech Street serves breakfast to Abilene’s homeless community and is in need of volunteers. Breakfast is served from 6:30-7:15 a.m. at the First Christian Church at 3rd and Beech Street. Volunteers must arrive at 5:30 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays,

Thursdays and Fridays and 5 a.m. Tuesdays. For more information, visit the First Christian Church’s Web site at www.fccabilene.org/out-reach.html.

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

Abilene Nursing and Rehabilitation Center needs volunteers at 2 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday to assist residents with Bingo and other activities. Volunteers will stay one to two hours. For more information, contact Rita Raymond at 673-0568, or e-mail [email protected].

21 SUNDAY

11 a.m.Departmental Chapel will take place at various locations on campus. For more information, go to www.acu.edu/chapel.

8:30- 10 p.m.Jazz Night will take place at Monks Coffee Shop and will feature various ACU jazz combinations. For more information about the free event, call 674-8274.

23 TUESDAY

AnnouncementsConnected film audi-tions will take place from 4-7 p.m. Monday in the Orchestra Hall of the Williams Performing Arts Center. Applicants will perform a short, cold reading and may per-form a 30- to 60-second monologue, although it is not required for the audi-tion process. For more information, call Caleb Green at 267-975-9393.

An Invisible Children Chapel forum will take place at 9:15 p.m. Feb. 25 in Moody Coliseum. Attendees will receive three Chapel credits.

Tim Wise, a nation-ally known anti-racism author and activist, will speak at 7 p.m. March 2 in Moody Coliseum. Wise will address racism and other topics, which stu-dents can find at united-byfaithabilene.com.

The Study Abroad Program will conduct an informational meetingat 7 p.m. Feb. 23 in The Den. Students who attend can drink free coffee, meet alumni and get their study abroad

questions answered. For more information, call 674-2754 or email [email protected].

Seasonal flu shots are still available in the ACU Clinic from 8-11 a.m. and 1-4:30 pm Monday-Friday.

The Honors College will present a murder mystery dinner at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 26 in the atrium of the Williams Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $10 individually or $15 for a couple. Formal dress is suggested.

Signups for intramural volleyball run March 1-5. The cost is $75 per team, and teams can register online. Games begin March 22. For more infor-mation, contact Susan Hardcastle at 674-2555 or email [email protected].

Tuesday Night Devo, an ACU tradition, begins this Tuesday at 10 p.m. in the Beauchamp Amphithe-ater, weather permitting. In case of bad weather, students will meet in the Biblical Studies Building.

February 21, 2010 Page 3Campus News

Students pose questions for president-electADMINISTRATION

Sondra RodriguezManaging Editor

The Board of Trustees and the Presidential Transition Team have assured us through countless e-mails and announcements Dr. Phil Schubert is qualified for the role of president. Students have been told he will bring “energy and enthusiasm” to the role as an “honest, trustworthy, Christ-cen-tered leader; a person of integrity, approachable

and personable, driven by a compelling sense of mission,” accord -ing to t h e Board of T r u s t -ees’ Mes-sage to the ACU Commu-nity found at www.acu.edu/news.

But, would the Board of Trustees ever choose someone who didn’t em-body these characteris-

tics? Would the Presi-dential Transition Team select a lazy, dishonest, spiritually weak person who lacks integrity? Of course not. These de-scriptions do not tell us much about who our new president is, so students raised some questions of their own. And got some fairly can-did answers.

ACU represented a pretty significant place in my family’s life. It rep-resented something I felt was important and had a special place in my life. I had what I would say was the best experience anyone could ever have here at ACU. Serving here and helping became a different aspect of my life, and I want that for my kids who are three, 11 and 13, and I want it for their kids and all the future generations.

QA

STRADLYNE HALLMANSophomore psychology and vocational missions major from Haiti

What made you want to be the next ACU president?

I was a Welcome Week program co-chair. I was in four years of Sing Song. I was in the Galaxy men’s social club. I did almost all the in-tramural sports. I worked with Big Brothers Big Sisters – every one of those were part of ACU for me and part of my student experience in ways that were affirmative, powerful and meaningful to me. I did all the dumb and crazy stuff that guys do in the dorm. I lived through Fresh-man Follies even though I had no talent whatsoever and people con-vince you that you can do something so they can see you stand up and make a fool of yourself. The dumb stuff, the fun stuff, all the things ACU has to offer – I took it all in as a wonderful experience for me, and those will help me remember what it’s like to be a student.

QA

Are there any experiences that stick out in your mind of being in college that would help you relate to students?

Absolutely, all the time. That was my nickname in elementary and middle school before ‘Shagnastic’ became popular. I had a full head of hair that was long and unkempt, and my middle school coach called me ‘Shagnastic,’ but it was shortened to ‘Shag.’ Between ‘Shag’ and ‘Sherbert,’ that’s what I went by in the early years

QA

BEN FULFERSenior sociolgy major from Memphis, Tenn.

Does your last name ever get confused with sherbert?

I’m a normal guy. I’m a dad of three kids, I’m a husband – a bad one at times, but I try to be the best one I can be to my wife, Jamie. I’m a guy who’s passionate about things that matter. I’m a guy who loves a chal-lenge, who’s not afraid to fail and who falls often but gets back up and runs faster and harder. I’m a guy who wants to make a difference, and I love to be around people who are willing to put themselves out there. I don’t care much for mediocrity. I think we’re here for a reason, and that reason is to glorify God in all we do.

QA

Who are you?

STRADLYNE HALLMAN

BEN FULFER

Chris Thomsen, the ACU head football coach. He puts God first in every aspect of his life, and he’s a guy I’d like to be more like in so many ways. And Dr. Gary McCaleb – he’s always been somebody who has been able to pull out of me things I didn’t know I had – and Coach Wally Bullington. That man has a competitive spirit in a Godly way, and with that combination we’d probably have a really good team. And we’d be from the United States of America.

AWILL MORGANSophomore accounting major from Longview

If you were in the Olympics and you had to come up with a four-man bobsled team, who would the three other people be, and what country would you be from?Q

contact Rodriguez [email protected]

Schubert

February 21, 2010Campus NewsPage 4


Freshmen and sopho-more men of Edwards Hall will compete for the title of best class during a nearly campuswide game of Capture the Flag.

The evening will begin with a brief explanation of the rules at Edwards at 9 on Monday, said Morgan Davis, junior information technology major from Frisco and resident assistant of Ed-

wards Hall. The teams, Edwards East against Edwards South, will then move out to their bases, hide their flags and start the game.

Davis said this won’t be the first time the men have played Capture the Flag on campus. Last se-mester and in previous years, Edwards and Ma-bee halls have played. However, Davis was re-sponsible for planning the event this semester. He said he anticipates

30-40 men will show up, which Davis said is just the right amount of people to play.

Many guys had ex-pressed a desire since last semester to take part in the friendly competition between different parts of the hall, Davis said.

He said the game al-lows the men to explore campus and have fun with their neighbors. Games typically last an hour and a half, Davis said. He said if the game ends quickly after beginning, they will play again; if it lasts too long, they will cut if off.

“It’s just fun to defend a base and take someone else’s,” Davis said. “It is really fun to experience this kind of ‘war.’”

Kyle Cortez, sophomore accounting major from Flower Mound, plans to play on the South team. He said he played last year as a freshman, and he decid-ed to play again because he had fun last year and a lot of people participated.

He said the games can get really competi-tive, and the winning

team proudly displays the captured flag on its side of Edwards Hall.

“Each team wants to be the dominant hall or class,” Cortez said.

Cortez said the games provide an op-portunity for the men to be active, participate competitively and form relationships through-out the hall.

Edwards competition pits East against SouthCAMPUS LIFE

Lizzy SpanoContributing Reporter

ACU and Hardin-Simmons University students had the opportunity to make new friends – or find true love – at the Trojan and Tri Phi Stoplight Mixer at the First Baptist Church of Abilene on Feb. 12.

The mixer was a com-bined effort of ACU’s Tro-jans and the HSU women’s club, Tri Phi, to create a Valentine’s Day event in which club and non-club members from both uni-versities could gather to play games, socialize and possibly find a date.

Those 355 students who purchased the $2 ticket enjoyed a night of Twister games, bowling, skating and other activities that allowed participants to gather in a relaxed at-mosphere outside of their

exclusive clubs, said Adam Tate, Trojan president and junior biochemistry major from Abilene.

“Sometimes in Abilene you don’t really know what to do, and that was the idea – just getting an event together across the campuses and having the atmosphere of everyone’s open and welcome to come,” Tate said.

Students who attended the mixer were encour-aged to wear a green, red or yellow shirt – hence the “Stoplight” theme – to declare their relationship status and remove poten-tial hesitance or mystery. Green meant single, yellow signified the person was “talking to someone,” and red meant the person was already in a relationship, Tate said.

Berkley Dugan, sopho-more elementary education

major from Colleyville, at-tended the mixer and said it was a successful event.

“I thought it was go-ing to be the whole awkward middle school thing where everyone stands on one wall,” Du-gan said. “I thought that it was really fun.”

The Trojans and Tri Phi social clubs hope to make the Stoplight Mixer an an-nual event, said Tri Phi president Hope Malone. Malone said the mixer was an unusual opportunity for both campuses to unite.

“I think it was really fun to combine the schools,” Malone said. “The Trojans are really nice and friendly, and everyone got along re-ally well, and there wasn’t a clash of power or any-thing like that.”

Mixer unites universitiesSOCIAL CLUBS

contact Bailey [email protected]

contact Spano [email protected]

It is really fun to experience this kind of ‘war.’MORGAN DAVISJunior information technology major from Frisco and resident assistant of Edwards Hall.


Kelsi WilliamsonChief Photographer

An old tradition is being reinstated with a fresh perspective this week. Tuesday Night Devo was a time of weekly wor-ship for ACU students for about 75 years of the university’s history, and Tuesday night, it will start again.

“Traditionally, it was taking place here on cam-pus since ACC moved up here on the Hill,” said Mark Lewis, director of Spiritual Life.

Students met for the de-votional on Tuesday nights in the Beauchamp Amphi-theater until the early fall

of 2001, when it naturally evolved out of university activities, Lewis said.

A group of about seven students has been prayer-fully planning for the new Tuesday Night Devo since last semester. Brady Rob-inson, sophomore com-puter science major from Columbus, Ohio,was con-victed to form a leadership team to plan for the devo-tional after hearing about it from Pam Money, wife of Dr. Royce Money, at a Stu-dents of African American Brotherhood dinner.

“It was one of those things I didn’t want to do for a while,” Robinson said. “God made it so I couldn’t forget about it.”

The leadership team chose John 13:13-15, which describes Jesus as servant leader, as the theme verse for their role in the development of the devotional.

“We’re up there as leaders, but we want to show that we’re leaders following Jesus’ exam-ple,” Robinson said.

As its first step, the team created a mission statement to focus its aim for the devo. They settled on this statement to de-scribe the time they hope to create: “Tuesday Night Devo is a student-led time of worship that fervently seeks God to energize this generation for service, fel-

lowship and to walk hum-bly before God.”

Team members agree they want the devo to be a place where all stu-dents can worship.

“Ideally, it would allow people to be able to real-ize in a much greater way that there are a multitude of ways to worship God,” said Jacob Lowe, sopho-more vocal performance major from Midlothian.

The format of the de-votional will differ from week to week, and Rob-inson said they plan to feature performances by groups such as Shades and Seekers of the Word. This week’s schedule will include foot-washing as a

part of the worship time. Robinson said he hopes these activities allow for a distinct experience un-like any other worship time offered on campus.

Because the event is not a university-required activity, those involved also hope the devotional will create authenticity.

“What’s beautiful about Tuesday Night Devo is it’s an elective event,” agreed Lewis. “Even when the obliga-tory is a good thing, it’s just a little different.”

The Tuesday Night Devo leadership team has no expectations for the devo, at least as far as attendance is concerned.

“Really what I’ve come to peace with is that the Lord will bring who need to be there,” said Jaimie Patterson, sopho-more theatre major from Abilene. “We’re not real-ly focused on numbers.”

Tuesday Night Devo will begin this Tuesday at 10 p.m. If the weather is warm, the devotional will be held outside in the Beauchamp Am-phitheater. Otherwise, participants can plan to congregate inside the Onstead-Packer Biblical Studies Building.

Students, faculty revive Tuesday devotionalCAMPUS

Jeff CraigSports Editor

Sing Song visitors and participants are per-haps unknowingly reap-ing the benefits of a de-cision earlier this year to delay construction of the new Student Rec-reational and Wellness Center, an estimated 16-month process, until after Sing Song.

Morgan Johnson, sophomore marketing major from Rowlett, is a video switcher and light-ing technician for Sing Song. Johnson believes the university’s decision to delay construction will make the weekend much more enjoyable.

“The fact that you would have loud equip-ment outside would hurt,” he said.

Johnson also said he believes a work zone could have scared away Sing Song guests.

Construction would have altered the pro-gram, as well. The dou-ble gyms inside the Gib-son Center traditionally serve as the warm-up room for acts next in line to appear on stage, but they would have been unavailable in the event of construction. Sing Song host Wade Huggins, senior Bible major from Abilene, said the gyms would have been missed.

“The double gyms are historical for Sing Song,” Huggins said. “I don’t know what they’re going to do next year.”

Sing Song performers are thankful they don’t have to deal with the head-aches that would have come with construction. Tyler Lewis, senior finance major from Houston, is in the Gamma Sigma Phi act this year and said he can’t imagine the mess that would have arisen from the combination of a work zone and Sing Song.

“Logistically, it would be a nightmare,” he said.

Gibson renovation delayedCONSTRUCTION

contact Williamson [email protected]

contact Craig [email protected]

OpinionPage 6 February 21, 2010

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

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

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

containing personal attacks, obscenity, defamation, erroneous information or invasion of privacy.

Please limit letters to 350 words or fewer. A name and phone number must be included for verification purposes. Phone numbers will not be published.

Address letters to: ACU Box 27892 Abilene, TX 79699

E-mail letters to: [email protected]

Editorial and Letter Policy

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Editorial and Management Board

Colter HettichEditor in Chief

Sondra RodriguezManaging Editor

Kelsi WilliamsonChief Photographer


Brandon TrippSports Media Director

Hannah BarnesFeatures Editor


Chelsea HackneyCopy Editor

Kimberly WolfordPage 2 Editor

Aaron CavittCartoonist

Lucas WrightArts Editor

Multimedia Desk(325) 674-2463

Kenneth PybusFaculty Adviser

Cade WhiteFaculty Adviser

Christi StarkAdvertising

Optimistthe

By Aaron CavittMac-n- Tex

After months of specula-tion, Steve Jobs, CEO of Ap-ple, publicly announced his newest creation: the iPad.

The Jan. 27 announce-ment left many questions unanswered and many people disappointed. However, ACU’s Mobile Learning Leadership Team decided to look into the possibility of incorporating this new gadget into the Mobile Learning Initiative. They could have rushed the project and pushed to get enough iPads for every freshman next year, but they didn’t – and that’s a good thing.

George Saltsman, execu-tive director of the Adams Center for Teaching and

Learning and part of the Mobile Learning Leadership Team, assured us the team would do the research to make sure it would be a worthwhile venture before it ever made such an im-portant decision.

Last week, faculty mem-bers were invited to a lunch presentation about how to get involved with research for the iPad, specifically as an e-book reader and edu-cational tool. Faculty were invited to submit to the Mobile Learning Leadership Team ideas for iPad imple-mentation. The faculty members with the best pro-posals, as determined by the Mobile Learning Leader-ship Team and the research

committee, will receive an iPad and the resources to test their proposal. Salts-man said the team will take faculty feedback into consideration when decid-ing whether the iPad, or any digital reader, for that matter, could be useful at ACU. This strategy will en-sure students have the best tools available, not just the newest, shiniest ones.

Saltsman also said the team has no intentions of quitting the current Mobile Learning Initiative; he said they are very proud of how far it has come.

When ACU decided to try mobile learning, they didn’t jump in blindly. They did faculty and student re-

search and made sure the devices had positive and in-novative uses before hand-ing them out. This planned strategy didn’t waste stu-dents’ time or money.

The Mobile Learning Initiative is always chang-ing, and new ideas are always being discussed, but because they waited until they were prepared, the program has been successful and is known around the world for its innovation and creative implementation.

The Mobile Learning Leadership Team has said it is excited about the pos-sibilities the iPad might hold, but it is more con-cerned with the under-

graduate iPhone and iPod touch saturation happen-ing next semester.

We commend the Mo-bile Learning Leadership Team for recognizing new technology while remain-ing focused on maintaining and expanding the Mobile Learning Initiative in which they have already invested so much time and money.

While the iPad may be the hot new gadget, there is much left to be uncovered before anyone can say it should be used at ACU. The Mobile Learning Leadership Team recognizes this, and it is making the right deci-sion to wait.

Mobile Learning team prioritizes wiselyEDITORIAL

Silence makes stronger statement COLUMN

Sondra Not Sandra Sondra Rodriguez

We’ve forgotten how powerful it is to keep our mouths shut.

We forgot because w e ’ r e forced to talk. I’m told my class av-erage will suffer if I fail to speak up. What if I don’t have anything to say? What if I don’t want to spit out noise to en-sure a class participation grade? What if I’d rather let my thoughts accumu-late and open my mouth when I have something worthwhile to add? We’re trained to show our faith and knowledge through both words and actions, but how often do we live the words we proclaim so boldly? Why don’t we spend more time dis-secting and understand-ing our thoughts before we let them slide off our

tongue and become con-trasting actions?

We fall into this trap of constantly running our mouths because we think we look smarter if we al-ways have something to say. Maybe it will make us more popular, or maybe friends will come to us first when they need in-formation or wise words. Maybe it will boost our credibility if we’ve always got something to add to what’s already known.

I’ve realized the op-posite is true. I’m facing things that shake me to my core before I step out of bed every morning, and it has made me want to punch people who run their mouths. It’s definite-ly not what Jesus would do, but what He has done is planted great respect in my heart for those who understand the beauty and power of silence.

I will reach for that person when I’m hurt-ing. I won’t reach for the one who gossips – for all I know, I’ll be the next topic of conversation. The peo-

ple whose mouths never stop running can’t pos-sibly help me feel better because they never have time to think about what I’m saying if they’re always talking. I hear noise, not words. The person who always shares too much personal information reas-sures me they have never experienced what I’m ex-periencing, so why would I approach them if I am con-fident they cannot relate?

I’ll reach for the strong, silent type. I’ll reach for the one who enters a loud room and hones in on the one who’s singled out and alone. I’ll reach for the one who doesn’t tell me what to do when I’m hurting because I’m not a child, and I don’t need to be told what to do. I need to know there is some-one I can word vomit all

over – and I’m confident this is something we’re all looking for. We’re just too busy talking ourselves into temporary, idealistic bliss to realize how much we need silence.

Be quiet. Sit in a room with someone in aware-ness of their presence as you become aware of your own. Look someone in the eye, feel his or her strug-gles, pain and worries and discover the power of serving by simply being. Misery only loves compa-ny because company can negate misery.

Words are powerful, but their absence makes a stronger statement. Be quiet for a while and see what, or whom, you’ve blinded yourself to.

THE ISSUEThe iPad was announced Jan. 27, and ACU’s Mobile Learning Team plans to research the use of the iPad for future generations of students.

OUR TAKEThe team is making a wise decision to pause for discussion before making any committments.

Sing Song stress overshadows fun

COLUMN

First and GoalJeff Craig

No event embodies the ACU spirit more than Sing Song. The props, cos-tumes, acts and hosts add up to cre-ate the m o s t elaborate and ex-travagant event on c a m p u s each year. U n f o r -tunately, it seems many aren’t enjoying Sing Song as much as they could.

First, a disclaimer: I have never done Sing Song. This is probably to my det-riment because Sing Song is a vital part of the “ACU Experience.”

As a nonparticipant, I see a startling and rapidly developing trend. McDon-ald’s recently released a commercial in which a man is unable to interact with society in any manner until he has consumed a cup of delicious premium roast coffee. Sing Song singers seem to have this same mindset.

Obviously, Sing Song is a worthy commit-ment; however, it does not have to consume people’s lives and domi-nate their emotions.

Stress is a normal and understandable response in many situations. Jesus himself experienced stress. In Luke 22:44, we are told Jesus was “full of anguish” as he faced his death.

Jesus did not stress out just at the end of his life, either. Throughout the New Testament, at times he had to get away to a place of solitude to pray.

My purpose is not to condemn Sing Song by any means; it is simply to encourage a healthy approach to the tradi-tion. Hard work is vital. Every club and act wants

to put on a good show. However, studies show a calm approach can lead to greater effectiveness and even a longer life.

While military-style rehearsals may seem ef-fective, it’s unlikely they produce many positive benefits. Those who want to work hard will work hard; those who want to be lazy will probably be lazy, even with a Sing Song drill sergeant breathing down their necks.

In all likelihood, if par-ticipants relaxed and took a deep breath during re-hearsals, their acts would likely improve as mem-bers enjoyed the process more. If Sing Song isn’t an enjoyable experience, peo-

ple will look back with dis-content even if the show was amazing.

For all of us non-Sing Song participants, the month leading to Sing Song can be a sad and lonely time. The Bean is less crowded, and friends are scarce. Tensions can also be high, making Sing Song month stressful for everybody on campus.

So, Sing Songers, sit back, relax and enjoy the ACU experience. The show will go on whether you develop an ulcer or break out in hives. Either way, the student populace will be much more pleasant on Monday – until the mid-term stress kicks in.

Email the Optimist at:[email protected]

contact Rodriguez [email protected]

We fall into this trap of constantly running our mouths because we think we look smarter if we always have something to say.

Obviously, Sing Song is a worthy commitment; however, it does not have to consume people’s lives and dominate their emotions.


Rodriguez

Craig

Page 7From FrontFebruary 21, 2010

suntil 20 years ago,” Da-vis said. “Agriculture’s a new concept for them.”

Projects

After Davis obtained goat fecal samples, he tested them for para-sites, the No. 1 hin-drance to small animal production in the world, Davis said.

Davis compared dif-ferent goats’ natural im-munity against intestinal parasites. He found free-range Zambian goats were the least susceptible to intestinal parasites, and American goats, which had been chemically treated to prevent para-sitic infestation, were the most susceptible.

Shinsky and Laws crafted their linked proj-ects to find a legume that would increase the goats’ weight when used as a supplement to their grass-hay diet. Laws, se-nior environmental sci-ence major from Clyde, examined how well the legumes grew with drip irrigation, a watering method that pipes wa-ter directly to the roots of plants.

The legumes did well – so did the weeds. Laws and Shinsky had to take out their hoes to save the crop, said Shinsky, junior animal science major

from Farmington, N.M. “We’d be out there

just sweating,” she said. “I’d be like, ‘Why did I sign up for this?’”

But the fruits of their labor were well worth the physical strain, Shin-sky said. Her project showed a legume called cowpea increased the digestion-aiding bacte-ria in the goats, so the goats absorbed more nutrients from the same amount of grass.

Prizes

Shinsky and Davis com-peted in the animal sci-ence oral presentations at the SAAS meeting. Davis’ won third place for his presentation on a different study he did last spring to determine if feeding goats sulfur in-creased their resistance to intestinal parasites. Laws won first place in the undergraduate agron-omy poster contest.

The competition was fun, Laws said, but the biggest thing he took from the experience was the real value of re-search. His project will be used by farmers in Honduras through Mis-sion Lazarus, “a holistic ministry that focuses on basic primary education, skill development, health education and treat-ment, agricultural devel-opment, and preaching and teaching the Word

of God,” according to its Web site, www.missionla-zarus.org.

“I didn’t know until we started that what we were doing was going to be used in Hondu-ras.” Laws said. “Even a small experiment like Melanie’s and mine can have impact on a much broader scale.”

Davis was amazed by the transforming power ag-ricultural support and the Gospel had on the Kaonde tribe between his second and third visit to Zambia. Davis and his fiancé plan to join a mission to Zam-bia upon graduation.

“They were beggars and didn’t view them-selves as heirs to the throne of the kingdom, like they are,” Davis said. “Now they don’t beg; they go out and get it or grow it. They’re start-ing to feel empowered themselves. Even though they’re poor as far as the world’s standards go, they have everything they need to survive.”

Continued from page 1

contact Lewis [email protected]

Project: Experimental value found in samples

RESEARCH

plies to the Mobile Learn-ing Fellowship, which will award six faculty mem-bers a $5,000 stipend and a $2,500 expense budget for research that Scott Perkins, director of research, said is related to the impact of mobile device usage on a college campus and elsewhere.

The Horizon Report, a publication that predicts what educational tech-nologies are going to impact universities and when, said digital books

are two to three years away from being used on college campuses, and Saltsman said the Mobile Learning Team must figure out certain details before the tech-nology will be useful.

“We don’t know where we’re going, and we won’t know until we hear back from faculty,” Saltsman said.

During the meeting, fac-ulty members asked ques-tions and shared ideas for proposals. Ideas ranged from implementation in graduate school classes to applications in Alpha Ser-

vices and Student Success to possibly help disabled students and improve learning strategies.

The iPod allows peo-ple to carry 1,000 songs in their pocket, and Saltsman thinks the iPad could potentially allow people to carry 1,000 libraries in their backpacks. Many details need to be settled, but Saltsman and other fac-ulty members are hope-ful for the possibilities of iPads in education.

iPad: Faculty investigate possibilities in classroom

MOBILE LEARNING


contact Bailey [email protected]

Page 8 Page 9February 21, 2010

What’s in a Name?The clubs and classes of Sing Song 2010 played the name game as their performances concentrated on larger-than-life characters.

acuoptimist.com

See more photos and videos of Sing Song 2010

“Name Fame.”


Ko Jo Kai long for their prince to come.


Erick Carter, junior musical theatre major from Abilene, mimes a trumpet solo in Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.KELSI WILLIAMSON Chief Photographer

Shades puts the “rock” into Rockin’ Robin.

acuoptimist.com

See more photos and videos of Sing Song 2010

“Name Fame.”


Frater Sodalis turns back the clock with The Frat Pack.KELSI WILLIAMSON Chief Photographer

Cassey Owens, senior finance major from Dallas; Kara Dubose, senior advertising/public relations major from Fort Worth; and Alex Howard, senior youth and family ministry major from Longview, bring back the Beatles.


Seniors bring their quest to a close with Destroy the Ring By Spring.


Dubose performs Ave Maria.


Owens laments a squandered day in Mama Said.


Payton Jones Jr. sophomore musical theatre major from Abilene, and Jeremy Varner, senior theatre major from Abilene, in Ko Jo Kai’s performance.

Page 10 February 21, 2010Campus News

Backstage PassSing Song participants use valuable time backstage to

rehearse, touch up costumes and get pumped up.




HEATHER LEIPHART Staff PhotographerHEATHER LEIPHART Staff Photographer

HEATHER LEIPHART Staff PhotographerKELSI WILLIAMSON Chief Photographer

Above Left: Katie Beth Ware, sophomore advertising/public relations major from Colleyville, and Jenny Dodd (‘09) practice the Sigma Theta Chi act before going on stage. Above Right: Seth Poplaski, junior information technology major from Pittsfield, Mass., carries props. Above: Sam Souder, senior worship ministry major from Arlington, readies the men of Gamma Sigma Phi.

Above: The women of Sigma Theta Chi line the halls between performances. Top Right: Joni Hutcherson, junior math education major from Spring, puts the final touches on the costume of Bridget Howe, sophomore vocational missions major from Grapevine. Middle Right: Ryan Simmons, sophomore information systems major from Sugar Land, dresses as Princess Leia for Gamma Sigma Phi’s act. Bottom Right: Trojans Cody Bowden, sophomore information systems major from Crowley, and David Calderon, freshman chemistry major from San Antonio, take a minute to pose for the camera before going on stage.


Structure: Construction begins after Sing Song CAMPUS

Dr. Jean-Noel Thompson, dean of students and vice president of Student Life, said the university would not use a single tuition dollar to pay for the 113,000-square-foot facility. About 60 percent of the anticipated cost of the project has been raised already, according to www.acu.edu.

Students had the op-portunity to contribute $10 via text message dur-ing Chapel. Students have used text messages to donate $750 to date, with another $200-$250 await-ing confirmation. Charles Gaines, president of the Students’ Association, said the university has been adamant about un-derstanding what students want and making sure the recreation center reflects that. Although this year’s

SA officers and those of the past few years have met with administrators, Gaines said students have initiated direct contact to voice their concerns.

“Forget the middle man of SA; students went straight to the administra-tion,” said Gaines, senior criminal justice major from Cedar Hill. “And the administration spent a considerable amount of time polling students and looking at what they said.”

The facility will include a new leisure swimming pool, a one-eighth-mile sus-pended jogging track, rock-climbing wall, expanded free weights and aerobics areas and renovated bas-ketball courts, according to www.acu.edu. The 16-month project is expected to conclude in time for a Fall 2011 unveiling.

Gamma Sigma Phi sur-passed Galaxy’s Buzz and Woody act to take first overall in the men’s di-vision. GSP and Galaxy placed first and second respectively in every cat-egory, and Frats surprised some in the audience by taking third overall.

“We had seen Galaxy. We knew they were good, they were funny, and we knew we had to keep our energy

up,” said Conner Halstead, GSP director and senior youth and family ministry major from Odessa. “Win-ning Sing Song is one of the best things in the world.”

The freshmen turned out to have the best class act, winning first overall for the first time since 2006. The senior hobbits came in a close second with De-stroy the Ring By Spring, and the princes and prin-cesses of the sophomore class took third.

“We worked really hard; we practiced to the extreme; we got really pumped and were really confident,” said Jaime Metscher, freshman English major from Austin. “It was great.”

Besides awarding a tro-phy for the first time in

Sing Song history, co-chairs shook up this year’s event by giving each over-all winner $1,000 to do-nate to the charity of their choice, as long as it was af-filiated with ACU in some way. Audience members were given an opportunity

to donate to the pool dur-ing intermission.

Although each act had the option of choosing its own charity, all three winners opted to donate their prize to Jenny Bizail-lion, a former member of Ko Jo Kai who was hospi-talized about two weeks ago with pneumonia that turned into sepsis. The illness has resulted in sev-eral amputations and may require more. The money will be donated through

the Gregg Pearson Foun-dation; further donations can be made at www.greg-gpearson.org.

“Tonight I think we were reminded what this whole thing is about – to glorify God,” said Ann Marie Rauscher, Siggie di-rector and junior vocal performance major from Amarillo. “This one is for Jenny Bizaillion.”

Photo courtesy of PUBLIC RELATIONS

The facility will include a new leisure pool and renovated pool to enhance water-based courses, such as scuba diving.


contact Hettich [email protected]

Victors: Sigma Theta Chi, Gamma Sigma Phi triumph SING SONG


contact Staff [email protected]

Winning Sing Song is one of the best things in the world.CONNER HALSTEADSenior youth and family ministry major from Odessa and GSP president

February 21, 2010 Sports Page 12

The Winter Olympics are full of sports where the competitors are not be-ing defended in any way, making for less suspense.

Names like Michael Phelps and Shawn John-son instantly elicit a greater reaction than the athletes of the win-ter games. Sure, Shaun White is a beast when he’s boarding down a mountain; sure, Apolo Anton Ohno seems to fly on the ice; but they get nowhere near the publicity of the summer athletes. This is prob-ably because more view-ers tune in to the sum-mer events rather than the winter.

Living in Texas and not having an actual winter seems to sway Texans toward the sum-mer games. There isn’t a strong connection between people from

warm climates and the winter competitions. Since most Texans aren’t regular speed skaters or lugers, they don’t fully comprehend the diffi-culty of the sport, which makes it less entertain-ing to watch.

The Summer Olym-pics also seem to have the upper hand in the convenience category. Since it is summer time, a lot more people are out of school able to keep up with the games.

Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion, but it seems clear the Summer Olympic Games are the more popular of the two. The sports in the summer games are more exciting, competi-tive, intense and down-right entertaining.

Olympics: Summer games bring the heat

COLUMN


contact Bartee [email protected]

his actions and apolo-gized to his wife, family, friends and fans.

Tiger seemed genuine-ly sorry for his behavior. He has been in therapy for the past 45 days and seems to be working on improving his act. Some people criticized Tiger for taking a long break from golf. I would say he is do-ing the right thing by tak-ing time off.

Tiger needs to get his life fixed off the course

before he can fix his game on the course. If Tiger would have tried to come back and play without taking a break, he would not have been the same player. The media would have been all over him, and his game probably would have suffered.

High-profile athletes like Tiger Woods live in the spotlight of the me-dia. Tiger became a role model and a hero to many people. Every company wanted Tiger to endorse its products. Tiger Woods

was rolling like a big shot, and then it all came down. As a fan, it was hard to watch as things fell apart. Golf has not been the same since.

Tiger made the right decision to restore his im-age as a person before he returned to the game he loves and plays so well. Tiger is doing the right thing by fixing his life, and we as fans should forgive him and wait patiently. Take your time, Tiger Woods; your true fans aren’t going anywhere.

Get your life straight be-cause at the end of the day your family should be more important than the game of golf. I hope through all of this you become a better person and work through all of your problems. Get your life straightened out and once you do, your family, friends and fans will be there when you decide to return to the game.

Woods: Tiger needs to step backOPINION


Weekend: Baseball team continues dominanceATHLETICS

Their next game will be Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. against the Eastern New Mexico Zias within the friendly confines of Moody Coliseum.

The basketball teams were not the only ACU squads suffering during the weekend.

The softball team won a game against Cameron but fell to Emporia State 8-1. The Wildcats now sit a 4-6 in what is rapidly becoming a disappoint-ing 2010 campaign. The Wildcats were projected to finish second in the LSC-South, but have stumbled early in 2010.

Fortunately for the Wildcats, conference

play does not begin until April 2, giving the team plenty of time to solve their issues.

While the softball and basketball teams were la-boring, the ACU baseball team continued its early season dominance.

The Wildcats have won three straight games against Texas A&M-Kingsville, with the

fourth and final game of the series scheduled for noon Sunday.

The Wildcats won the first game of the se-ries 12-6 on Friday. The ’Cats took both games Saturday by scores of 14-1 and 6-3. The Wild-cats now stand at 10-1 on the season.

The Wildcat bats continue to light up

the scoreboard. They scored 49 runs in their last series with Central Oklahoma and have al-ready scored 32 runs in three games against the Javelinas.

The Wildcats are in the middle of a nine-game road trip, with stops in Austin and Canyon still to come. Their next game will be Tuesday against

St. Edwards in Austin. The Wildcats’ next home game will not be until March 2 and will again pit the Wildcats against St. Edwards. First pitch is scheduled for 3:35 p.m. at Crutcher Scott Field.


contact Cantrell [email protected]

but also the PGA Tour. Many people watch golf just to see Tiger play.

Do I think he should have taken a break? Ab-solutely not. I am a huge Tiger fan. I’m also a golf fan, but I will not watch

any tournaments if the greatest golfer of all time isn’t playing.

What many people need to realize is his professional career is separate from his per-sonal life. If a salesman is caught cheating onhis wife, can he take an indefinite leave of ab-

sence from his job? No one may come to watch said salesman do his job, but he must do it nonetheless.

Tiger Woods needs golf and more impor-tantly, golf needs Ti-ger Woods.

Ratings for golf have plummeted. Tiger owes

it to Tim Finchem, the commissioner of golf, and the PGA Tour to come back and play.

The golf world is call-ing for Tiger’s trium-phant return, and I for one can’t wait.

Tiger: Golf needs its greatest player backOPINION


contact Gwin [email protected]


February 21, 2010 Page 13From Sports

Olson was ranked as the No. 1 pole vaulter in the world in 1982 by Track and Field News; he set the world record for indoor pole vault and competed for the Unit-ed States at the 1988 Olympics. He was quite adept at other events, as well. Garrett’s favor-ite Elmer Gray Stadium memory is of Olson at his peak.

“When Abilene Chris-tian was competing in the LSC meet, Billy Olson was pole vaulting and easily getting up over 18 feet,” Garret said. “He put his pole down and ran to his

next event, the 100-me-ter, and literally ran back to vault again. It was the top collegiate vault in the country that year.”

Garrett also places among his favorite mo-ments in the stadium a shot put toss by the legendary Michael Cart-er. Carter had already set a world record for a high school shot put toss – more than 81 feet – while competing for Jefferson High School in Dallas. Later in the season, ACU hosted a warm-up meet for high school athletes who had already qualified for state, and Carter was one of the attendees. Garrett recalls a shot

put toss that is etched in his memory.

“He was throwing from the old shot put pit, and they had a tele-phone pole that was out around 75 to 76 feet to keep the shot put from rolling away,” Garrett said. “I was ac-tually working at the pit that day, and he threw a shot for 81 feet that went over the telephone pole and the heads of some people sitting on the pole. Needless to say they scattered pret-ty quick.”

Carter remains the only athlete in U.S. his-tory to win an Olympic medal and a Super Bowl ring in the same year.

Stories like those told by Garrett add to the allure of Elmer Gray Stadium. The stadium hosted the U.S. women’s Olympic trials in 1960, and the NCAA Division II championships in 1993 and 2005, yet with every passing year, the stadium’s rich history grows even richer.

ACU track and field has produced 20 world records, 35 Olympians and two Olympic gold medals. In 1999, Texas Monthly called the pro-gram “The Texas Sports Dynasty of the Centu-ry.” Elmer Gray Stadium has been the training ground for great ath-letes for decades.

Walk on the field at Elmer Gray, and you may very well feel the spirits of American track and field legends. Maybe you’ll hear the starting gun or see Billy Olson vault into the sky.

Maybe you’ll see Bobby Morrow sprint by in a flash – or maybe like Mickey Mantle, you’ll just get goose bumps.

Stadium: Olympians competed in famed facilityTRACK AND FIELD




Elmer Gray Stadium's bleachers sit on the west side of the facility.

SportsPage 14 February 21, 2010

Standings

MEN'S BASKETBALLTeam Div.

Tarleton St.

ENMU

8-2

3-6

MSU 8-2 23-2

WOMEN’S BASKETBALLTeam Div.

Tarleton St. 7-3WTAMU 9-1 25-2

TAMU-K 6-3 18-6

Angelo St. 4-5 11-12ENMU 2-7 7-17

TAMU-K 2-7

20-5

8-1512-12

20-5

Ovrl.

Ovrl.

ACU 1-8 8-16

ACU 5-4 15-9

Angelo St. 6-3 15-9

SATURDAY

Women's BasketballACU 61, Midwestern St. 64

Men's BasketballACU 96, Midwestern St. 83

BaseballACU 14, TAMU-K 1

ACU 6, TAMU-K 3

SoftballACU 3, Cameron 5

ACU 3, Emporia St. 6

FRIDAY

BaseballACU 12, TAMU-K 6

SoftballACU 3, Emporia State 6

THURSDAY

SoftballACU 3, Cameron 5

ACU 1, St. Mary's 8

MSU 0-10 6-17

WTAMU 5-5 14-11

Scores

SOFTBALLTeam Div.

TWU

Tarleton St.

0-0

0-0

Angelo St. 0-0 10-0

BASEBALLTeam Div. East Central 2-0

ENMU 3-1 3-3Cameron 3-1 3-1

Northeastern 3-1 4-5TAMU-K 2-2 6-2

TAMU-K 0-0

5-2

5-43-6

2-0Ovrl.

Ovrl.

ACU 0-0 3-2

ACU 3-1 7-1

ENMU 0-0 3-8

SW Okla. St. 2-2 3-5

WTAMU 0-0 8-4

Angelo St. 1-3SE Okla. St. 1-3 4-3

Tarleton St. 1-3 4-4

WTAMU 0-2 1-2

6-5

Central Okla. 1-3 2-3

SUNDAY

SoftballACU vs. Henderson St., 2 p.m.

BaseballACU at TAMU-K, noon

TUESDAY

SoftballACU vs. Midwestern St., 3 p.m.

ACU vs. Midwestern St., 5 p.m.

BaseballACU at St. Edwards, 3 p.m.

Upcoming


The women's basket-ball team missed an opportunity to clinch a Lone Star Conference tournament berth by failing to beat Midwest-ern State on Saturday.

The men's basketball team continued its late-season slide, falling to MSU 83-96.

The men's team's loss to the Mustangs was its ninth defeat in the last ten games, dropping the 'Cats to 1-9 in LSC play. The women's team now

sits at 5-5 in LSC South play, after its 64-62 loss and is in danger of miss-ing the postseason.

The Meyer sisters again paced the Wildcat offense. Jamie Meyer fin-ished with 17 points and 12 rebounds, while sis-ter Jody finished with 15

points and 11 boards.The Wildcats are in

direct competition with Angelo State for the fourth and final spot in the LSC South wom-en's bracket. The Wild-cats must match ASU in their last two games to qualify for the tour-

nament. ACU and ASU are currently tied in the standings with ACU holding the tiebreaker over the Rambelles be-cause of ACU's victory against ASU earlier in the season.

Wildcats suffer up and down weekendATHLETICS

see WEEKEND page 12


In 1976, Mickey Man-tle told reporters he got goose bumps when he entered Yan-kee Stadium. He said he could feel the spir-its of Yankee greats past and present walking around him. That legendary ball-park in the Bronx is a baseball museum. For track and field, that museum is El-mer Gray Stadium.

Former Olympi-ans, world record holders, world cham-pions and even NFL Hall of Fame mem-bers have competed on Elmer Gray’s hal-

lowed ground. Names like Bobby Morrow, Billy Olson, Michael Johnson and Wilma Rudolph have prac-ticed their trades in the stadium and cap-tivated audiences in the process.

The stadium has been constructed and renovated in waves, with the most recent significant update 1990 when a new all-weath-er track was installed. Today, the stadium seats about 4,000 and remains a huge part of ACU history.

The stadium’s namesake, Elmer Gray, was the first in a long line of Wild-cats with Olympic

ties. Gray competed in the 1932 Olympic trials and paved the way for other stand-out Wildcats, like 1956 Sports Illustrat-ed Sportsman of the

Year Bobby Morrow. Don Garrett has

served as the voice of Elmer Gray Stadium for parts of several decades. In his time as PA announcer, Garrett

said he has seen some special moments and some special athletes, including pole vaulter Billy Olson.

Tracking Champions

TRACK AND FIELD

Hallowed HallsA four-part series on the venues of ACU Athletics


Elmer Gray Stadium sits on the northern edge of the ACU campus. The stadium has hosted Olympic trials and two NCAA Division II national championships. The Wildcats' lone competition at the stadium this year will be the Oliver Jackson Invitational on May 1.

Elmer Gray Stadium, home of track and field legends

see STADIUM page 13

Sam's NameBy Sam Bartee

Growing up in Colorado, winter activities were a big part of my life. How-ever, if I had to choose between w i n -ter and s u m -mer, I w o u l d p i c k s u m -m e r , hands down. The same goes for the Olympics – the summer games are just better.

Although sports in both seasons are com-petitive, the Summer Olympics seem to be a tad more challenging, and everyone loves a good challenge. There are many more events with two opposing teams or individuals in the Summer Olym-pics. Sports such as basketball, soccer, ten-nis, volleyball, base-ball and softball seem to attract greater audi-ences due to the com-petition factor.

Summer Olympics beat Winter Games

COLUMN

Bartee

Tiger Woods said Friday he was “deeply sorry” for his infidelity. He also announced he did not know if he would return to golf this year.

This news is awful not only for Tiger Woods fans around the nation

Agree to DisagreeOPINION

Tiger should move forwardAustin GwinAssistant Sports Editor

Tiger Woods apologized to the media Friday for his now well-known infidelity and said he was not sure when he would return to the PGA Tour. Is it time for Tiger's return?

see OLYMPICS page 12

Woods needs to solve issues

Tiger Woods issued a statement Friday apologizing for his behavior off the links.

Last November the media report-ed Tiger had allegedly been cheat-ing on his wife with multiple wom-en. Tiger took full responsibility for

Ryan CantrellAssistant Sports Editor

see WOODS page 12see TIGER page 12


The new all-weather track was installed in 1990.

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