Think twice before show-ing up late for Monday Chapel, because it could get crowded.

Dr. Schubert sent an e-mail to faculty and staff

earlier this week expressing the expectation that fac-ulty and staff will regularly attend Monday Chapel throughout the semester.

The e-mail expresses the significance of faculty and staff attendance at Chapel and announces a plan to

make, “a new commitment to worship in Chapel as one body at the beginning of each week.”

Mark Lewis, assistant dean for Spiritual Life and Chapel programs, said they encourage faculty and staff to sit among the students,

but also will reserve 340 floor-level seats in sec-

tions L and A for faculty on Monday only. Also only on

Monday, 360 seats will be set up on the floor, 60 more than normal, and the lower half of sections O and S will be available to help provide more seating for everyone attending Chapel.

ACU Online’s graduate pro-gram has been ranked third in the nation by Guide to Online Schools for the sec-ond year in a row.

Dr. Donnie Snider, chair of the Department of Grad-uate Studies in Education, attributes the success of the program to its faith-based curriculum.

“We try to keep a spiritu-al tie. Students really enjoy

the professional training, but the spiritual training is like a bonus,” Snider said.

Carol Williams, associate provost for Distance Educa-tion, said the program’s suc-cess comes from its faculty and students. She also be-

lieves a faith-based perspec-tive is important.

“I think we work re-ally hard to have interac-tive courses. Also, we have a great faculty that makes it much more than an online course,” Williams said. “[The

program] calls students to a high standard with a faith-based perspective.”

ACU Online’s graduate program has seen massive growth since its creation in the fall of 2006. Starting with only about 5 students,

Snider said the program now boasts more than 400 students worldwide.

“Despite the time delay, we also have international students. This program

Optimistthe

Friday, January 21, 2011

acuoptimist.com

1 section, 8 pages

weatherinside

page 8

websitesportsThe 2011 football schedule was released, notifying fans the Wildcats would be playing at Cowboys Stadium.

page 3

newsDr. Gregory Straughn was named assistant provost of general education, continuing implementation of the core curriculum.

news storyThe country music group, Diamond Rio will perform at the West Texas Rehabilitation Center’s Telethon at the Abilene Civic Center on Saturday at 7 p.m. 54° 31°

Fri. Sun.Sat.

59° 39° 53° 31°

POP! Art Show, page 5

ONLINE

Meagan HernandezStaff Photographer

Online graduate program ranked third in nation

Vol. 99, No. 29

Abilene Christian University

CHAPEL

see CHAPEL page 3

Linda Bailey Editor in Chief

About 50 faculty members attended an interest meet-ing to discuss the possible creation of a peace and social justice center on campus Monday.

Dr. Caron Gentry, asso-ciate professor of political science, submitted the pro-posal and said feedback for the center was positive.

Unlike a club, the cen-ter would be a resource for both students and staff and would focus on the univer-sity’s research, education and engagement of peace and social justice. Intern-ship opportunities also would become available.

“We’re currently still in the early stages,” Gentry said. “It will look at Christians in high-er education, and how might we use our lives to investigate peace and social justice.”

Gentry said the facility would complement the peace and social justice minor, which became available to students last year.

“The minor would possibly be housed in the center, and we’d possibly look at expand-ing it as a major,” she said. “We’ve been dreaming, and we’ve been dreaming big.”

Dr. David Dillman, Jack Pope Fellows program di-rector and professor of po-litical science, said the new-ly developed minor would serve as an umbrella for the center. Principally, the mi-nor examines how humans

Interest shown for new center

CAMPUS

see JUSTICE page 4

Faculty, staff to attend Monday Chapel

For owner MaryAnne Monteith, transforming lives is far more im-portant than turning a profit in the restaurant industry.

Monteith, 63, founded and opened The Forge, a local community kitch-en, last summer.

“Life is not about making money, it’s about something more,” she said.

Located on South First Street, Mon-teith’s restaurant only suggests prices for its fare, and the prices are kept in-tentionally low. She hires employees who need help getting back on their feet, regardless of their background.

Marissa FergusonStaff Reporter

see WEB page 3

Above: Kaitlin Huelle, a volunteer in training at the Forge Community Kitchen, prepares a simple sandwich for a customer. Right: MaryAnne Monteith, owner of the Forge Community Kitchen, stands in front of the “Remembrance Wall.”

Jeff CraigManaging Editor

see FORGE page 4

FOODAbilene restaurant owner forgoes profit

to provide hope to Abilene residents

photos by DANIEL GOMEZ // Chief Photographer

FOR THOUGHT

It acknowledges busyness while also acknowledging an important aspect of who we are as a university.”

MARK LEWIS // assistant dean for Spiritual Life and Chapel programs‘‘ ’’

announcements

Friday 23 Sunday

Friday, January 21, 2011

calendar & events

21 Saturday22 24 Monday

follow us on Twitter: @acuoptimist // become a fan on Facebook: The Optimist

2Campus Day

Spring Pledging Mens’s Social clubs Sub T-16, Frater Sodalis and Pi Kappa will conduct pledging in the spring semester. Interested students should contact the clubs directly by e-mail and also register to pledge by Jan. 21 at www.acu.edu/socialclubs.

Service Expo Students can meet with representatives from local agencies to dis-cuss volunteer opportuni-ties. The expo will take place from 10 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 26 and Thursday, Jan. 27 in the Campus Center.

Images of Aging Photo Contest ACU students may enter their photo-graphs into any of five categories. The deadline for entries is Jan. 31. For more information, visit blogs.acu.edu/imagesof-aging.

Career Expo Current stu-dents and alumni have the opportunity to meet with employers from a variety of industries about potential full-time positions and internship opportunities from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Feb. 24 at the Abilene Civic Center. The event offers resume

reviews and mock inter-views. Professional attire is required.

FCA The ACU chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes meets at 9 p.m. every Thursday in the Living Room of the Campus Center.

Summer Youth Ministry Internships Students interested in summer internships can meet with more than 50 churches at the Hunter Welcome Center all day on Feb. 1.

ACUltimate The univer-sity’s ultimate frisbee club meets at 6 p.m.

Tuesdays and Thursdays. Interested students can contact Kyle Thaxton at krt06d@acu.edu.

Summit Art Contest ACU students can submit origi-nal artwork in the form of photography, drawings, paintings or other creations to visually communicate the theme of next fall’s Summit. Entries must be submitted digitally to summit@acu.edu by Feb. 15. The winner will receive $100 and his or her artwork will be used during Sum-mit. For more information, contact the Ministry Events Office at 674-3750.

11 a.m. Praise Day

4 p.m. Spring pledging registration closes

7 - 9 p.m. POP! Senior art show at the Shore Art Gallery

2 p.m. Home women’s basketball game against Texas A&M-Kingsville

4 p.m. Home men’s basketball game against Texas A&M-Kingsville

7 p.m. - midnightWest Texas Rehab Center Telethon at the Abilene Civic Center

3 p.m. Jazz Jam at McMurry Univeristy

2 - 3 p.m. Chapel forum with Dr. Mark Yarhouse in Cullen Auditorium

Last day to register for classes

Last day to drop a class with a 100% refund

04

Chapel

Credited Chapels to date

Checkup69 Credited

Chapels remaining

ACU Police Tip of the WeekHelp ACU Police prevent car burglaries: Hide your things, lock your car and take your keys with you.

Police LogEdited for space

Wednesday, Jan. 127:49 a.m. Someone report-ed an intoxicated woman knocking on doors in the 600 block of EN 18th. ACU Police officers located the intoxicated woman and re-leased her to her husband. 11:04 p.m. Abilene Police requested ACU Police as-sistance on a noise distur-bance at the Grove Apart-ments. ACU Police officers made contact with the tenant and requested they keep it quiet. The tenant complied with the request.

Friday, Jan. 1411:45 a.m. An ACU em-ployee reported a dis-turbance in COBA. ACU Police officers located the subject and asked the subject to leave campus. The subject complied with the request.

Sunday, Jan. 1610 a.m. An ACU employee reported a person they did not recognize walking through University Church of Christ. An officer con-tacted, identified and re-leased the subject.11:20 p.m. The Barret Hall Residence Director report-ed a resident in possession of beer. The student was identified, questioned and referred to Judicial Affairs.

Monday, Jan. 177:02 p.m. Someone report-ed a woman going door-to-door asking for money in the 1600 block of Morrow Lane. Officers checked the area but were unable to lo-cate the woman.

Report all suspicious activ-ity to the ACU Police De-partment at 674-2305.

Weekly StatsJan. 11-17

911 CallAlarm CallAnimal CallAssist CallAttempt to LocateBuilding Lock/UnlocksCheck Buildings

Domestic DisturbanceEscortFound PropertyIntoxicated PersonInvestigation Follow-upsMotorist Assist: Jumpstart

Disturbance Motorist Assist: UnlockNoise ViolationParking ViolationsRandom PatrolSuspicious ActivityTraffic Stops

1111114

25

11114

4

18

13129

January 21, 2011 Page 3CAMPUS NEWS

Straughn takes position as assistant provost

Dr. Gregory Straughn has moved into a new roll as assistant provost for gen-eral education, Provost Dr. Jeanine Varner said.

Last semester, Straughn served as dean of the ACU Honors College and direc-tor of core curriculum.

“We had a strong sense that as we rolled out the new core curriculum, it would require significant administrative oversight,” Varner said. “The time demands of that position forced us into a situation

where we had to make a decision.”

Varner said one per-son could not effectively serve in both roles be-cause each one requires a large commitment.

After discussing which role was more attractive to Straughn as well as what was most important for the university, Varner said they agreed it would be best for Straughn to move into the newly created position of assistant pro-vost of general education because of its emphasis on working with the new core curriculum.

“He is the person who is most familiar with not just the details of the core cur-riculum and it’s implemen-tation, but also with the grand vision of what the core curriculum can be,” Varner said. “This role with the core really requires both the vision and the de-tail orientation.”

Straughn said he has worked with the core for the last five years in vari-ous roles, a factor leading to his decision to move to general education.

“I’ve had a long connec-tion with the development of the core, and I’ve felt

very strongly that at this point in the process, we need to make sure we have someone ready to go as the semester begins rather than getting someone new in and having to learn the ins and outs of how we got here,” Straughn said.

In his new role, Straughn will focus on implement-ing the new core curricu-lum as well as administra-tive core details such as making sure classes have teachers, collecting evalu-ations and feedback in or-der to improve classes and creating opportunities for guest speakers.

“I want the core to be an experience that is en-gaging to students while they are here – something that’s thought provok-ing while they are here,” Straughn said.

While a search be-gins for a new dean of the Honors College, Dr. Joe Stephenson, assistant dean of the Honors Col-lege and assistant profes-sor of English, will step in as interim.

“Dr. Stephenson has been the associate dean for a good long while, and I know that he can con-tinue to serve the college

effectively while we con-duct this national search,” Varner said.

The goal of the search is for a new appointment to begin in fall 2011, and Varner said it has already generated several applicants. She said she will assemble a search commit-tee soon to help make an ap-pointment for a new dean of the Honors College.

“I look forward to hand-ing over a thriving Honors College to a new dean once summer comes,” Stephenson said.

Linda Bailey Editor in Chief

FACULTY

contact Bailey atljb07a@acu.edu

Web: Grad school builds reputation

is fulfilling the university’s mission all over the world,” Snider said. “Lots of growth in the program has happened through word of mouth, stu-dents to other students.”

The program now offers three different Master’s pro-grams and two graduate cer-tificates, all revolving around education and conflict reso-lution. Williams said the pro-grams are designed for work-ing professionals.

“We have tried to struc-ture the delivery of these courses,” Williams said. “Adult learners prefer short courses. These degrees and certificates can be com-pleted in two years.”

ACU Online’s gradu-ate program already is working on future plans to maintain its innovative reputation.

“We are looking to add hybrid programs, partially online and residential. We have a group on campus looking at what we ought to do with graduate programs,” Williams said.

While this is not the most prestigious honor the program has received, Williams stresses that it never hurts to get any kind of recognition.

Guide to Online Schools, located at www.guidetoon-lineschools.com, was formed by SR Education Group, a da-tabase of guides to all types of educational institutions, such as art schools, com-puter training institutes and culinary schools. The group’s website states that it serves as a place to help students enhance their educational endeavors and careers.

The guide used a pre-cise methodology to com-

prise the national rankings by a number of factors, such as cost, accredita-tion, graduation and re-tention rates and student feedback. These statistics were borrowed from The National Center for Edu-cational Statistics.

For more information on ACU Online’s graduate programs, contact David Pittman, the university’s graduate admissions coun-selor at, 674-2810.

ONLINE

“I greatly appreciate the president’s call for faculty and staff to come one day a week,” Lewis said. “It acknowledges busyness while also acknowledging an important aspect of who we are as a university.”

The university always has been interested in effectively involving fac-ulty and staff in Chapel, but it can be a challenge, Thompson said. However, he believes the the deci-sion to encourage Chapel attendance on Monday makes it as convenient as possible for faculty and staff to attend.

Thompson said they expect that the majority

of faculty and staff will be in Chapel on Mon-days to participate in praising and worshiping and listening to speak-ers. He also said the ar-rangement could facili-tate discussion of topics between faculty, staff and students.

“I hope that our fac-ulty and staff have an additional way to inter-act with students, and I hope our students will be open and receptive to critical mass of faculty and staff joining us in that space, and that they will be respectful of that and engage.”

Continued from page 1

contact Hernandez atmkh05a@acu.edu

CHAPEL

Continued from page 1

contact Bailey atljb07a@acu.edu

Chapel: Faculty urged to attend

To Monteith, every in-dividual has intrinsic wealth and beauty, no matter how broken and battered they appear.

“When you take a worth-less piece of metal out of the ground and take it to a blacksmith, they mold it and melt it. They hammer

it into something beauti-ful. That’s what The Forge is about, changing broken lives,” Monteith said. “We’re here on drug and prostitute row, everybody has a story.”

Meals and MinistryA 17-year-old walked into The Forge looking for work on Wednesday. His jeans were ripped, and his shoes

were oversized. He sat across the table from Mon-teith, and she began to ask him questions. He never spoke; he would only nod.

“Have you ever been hurt,” she asked. “Have bad things happened to you?”

She never asked him about his experience, his history or why he needed work. She didn’t need to;

she already knew. Monteith reached out and grabbed his hands to pray with him. His eyes were wide-open for the first half of the prayer, but he closed them tight for the second half. She hired him on the spot.

“God takes people plac-es for a reason,” she told him. “We draw people in here, telling them we’re go-ing to feed them, but what we really want is to tell them about Jesus.”

At the next table, Jack Shannon, a homeless man, is waiting to see if he can do anything to help Monteith. He said she has helped him, and now he wants to help her.

“I’m a stone-hard alco-holic. I live on the streets,” Shannon said. “This is a place where if you are cold, you can come in and sit down. If you need love, just come in and sit down.”

The PlaceThe Forge is divided into two main spaces: a pastel yellow dining room and an entrance area featuring a scuffed, black baby grand piano. Next to the piano, at the linoleum-topped coun-ter, patrons place their or-ders. A paper sign above the doorway tells The Forge’s intended purpose: “When God closes one door, He opens another.”

Monteith said she wants food at The Forge to be affordable and tasty. A cheesecake beneath a glass-domed cake stand on the counter is just one of many homemade treats she makes each day. Her goal is to minister to every-one though delicious food.

Earlier this month, it seemed like The Forge might not survive. The deadline for closing on the

property was quickly ap-proaching, and Monteith was short on funds to make the closing payment. How-ever, while things looked bleak, Monteith said she never lost faith.

She met with the own-ers of the property and told them her story. They agreed to extend the time she had to make the pay-ment and told her to just pay whatever she can.

“It was a crisis averted be-cause of God. He intervened and showed me favor.”

A Higher CallingMonteith said she believed her decision to begin The Forge was God-ordained. She said she always has had a heart for missions and was praying for God to point her in the next direction she should go.

“When the Lord began to speak and tell me to do this, I was on my porch praying and listening, but I didn’t have an answer,” Monteith said. “He said a non-profit restaurant. It was the last thing I imag-ined I’d be doing.”

Monteith said her goal is to minister and to pray for whoever comes into her res-

taurant and help them with whatever struggles they may be experiencing. She said she also hopes the ministry even-tually will spread beyond the walls of the restaurant.

“If you walk in here and don’t feel the Holy Spirit, I’d be surprised,” Monteith said. “A lot of people off the street come in here beaten and bruised. This place can be the start of a lifetime of growth.”

The FutureMonteith has yet to miss a payment on her bills or her taxes, but the res-taurant still needs help. She said college students could help by just coming in to purchase food and eat. She also said the res-taurant always is in need of volunteers, including college students.

“Students can come in and eat, and I’d be delight-ed,” Monteith said. “But I could really use some help with fundraising. I’m really bad at that.”

The Forge is located at 2801 South First St. in the for-mer Hot Dog Castle building.

Page 4 January 21, 2011CAMPUS NEWS

contact Ferguson atmlf10a@acu.edu

Forge: Abilenian serves ministry through foodLOCAL

resolve conflict to achieve peace and justice.

“The director of the center would be the advis-er for the minor because it is interdisciplinary,” he said. “No department owns the minor because it draws from seven dif-ferent departments and three different colleges.”

Jonathan Holmes, junior social work major from Los Angeles, said although the center is still in an explora-tion phase, he believes it would be effective in pre-paring the ACU commu-nity for the future.

“It’s important for us col-lege students to be aware of the issues because our mis-sion as Christians is caring for people who are being abused and who are less fortunate,” he said. “It could help us learn how to think and not just think what we’re taught to believe.”

Although the center

currently is just a work-ing proposal, those in charge presently are contemplating means of funding, in order to bring the center closer to real-ity in the future.

Continued from page 1

DANIEL GOMEZ // Chief Photographer

A patron places a payment in the metal box on the counter at The Forge. Customers pay whatever they can afford.

contact Craig atjrc07d@acu.edu

Justice: New center would support minor

CAMPUS

Continued from page 1

No department owns the minor because it draws from seven different departments and three different colleges.

DR. DAVID DILLMAN // professor of political science‘‘ ’’

ArtsJanuary 21, 2011 Page 5

Jan. 14

Jan. 14

Jan. 14

Jan. 18

New Releases

The Dilemma(Universal)

The Green Hornet(Sony)

Ong Bak 3(Magnet Releasing)

Buried(Lionsgate)

Abilene Events

FRIDAYArtist Talk & Brown Bag With Mary McCleary12 p.m.Grace Museum

ACU Events

RunPeeUtilitiesHHHHIThis is a m u s t - h a v e

app for any frequent mov-iegoer. RunPee lets users know at which points in a movie they can leave and go to the restroom without miss-ing any important plot points. It even lets users know how much time they have to do their business. There is an alert option to remind users when it is time to go and a time option, so they can see how many minutes they have to make it back to their seat. Once they are back, users can view a summary of what they missed. With this app, users also can view movie trailers and use the built in Twitter app. RunPee supports all movies currently in the-aters and contains an archive of movies out of theaters. It is available for iPhone, iTouch, iPad and Android platforms for free.

Faculty Recital Featuring Kari Hatfield & Laura Logan6 p.m.Williams Performing Arts Center

SATURDAY

Omega Dance Company Auditions10 a.m.Campus Center Living Room

SATURDAY

App of the Week

THURSDAYMovie Night - Food Inc.6:45 p.m.Center for Contemporary Arts

Jan. 18Jack Goes Boating(Overture Films)

Jan. 18Paper Man(Lionsgate)

IN THEATERS

DVD

MUSIC

Jan. 25Iron & WineKiss Each Other Clean

SANDRA AMSTUTZ // Arts Editor

Will Reid, senior art major from Abilene, puts the finishing touches on the frame of his painting.

SANDRA AMSTUTZ // Arts Editor

Sara Morris, senior English and art major from Abilene, looks at a graphic design piece created by Katherine Seibert.

Seniors set up for art show

Five seniors have been hard at work from the moment they arrived back in Abilene. But their work really be-gan the moment they set foot on campus four years ago.

Sara Morris, Will Reid, Annika Ringle, Katherine Seibert and Bon-ni Wattigney will be showcasing the art they have created over the course of their time at ACU in their senior art show, entitled POP!, on Friday from 7-9 p.m. The show will take place in the Shore Art Gallery, and ACU art professors will intro-duce each senior.

In addition to viewing the pieces displayed, the first 100 guests each will receive a unique piece of artwork made by one of the five seniors.

The event’s dynamic title re-sulted from an art history lesson on artist Man Ray, who the seniors studied last semester.

“He gave viewers an interactive role,” said Ringle, art major from Springdale, Ark. “They would go around the room and pop balloons to reveal his artwork inside. We

were inspired by that.”Each artist will be displaying

anywhere from 6 to 10 pieces.“I’ve had to go over a lot of old

work and get it matted and framed,” said Bonni Wattigney, senior graph-ic design major from Keller.

In order to prepare for the show, the seniors also have been working hard to get the gallery ready.

“It was more involved than I thought it would be,” said Mor-ris, English and art major from Abilene. “We have to create the

entire environment. It has to be a cohesive show for five people.”

Creating the environment has included painting the gallery, arranging the pieces, advertis-ing the show and even preparing food for the big night.

“I’m getting really excited about it,” said Seibert, art major from Grapevine. “It’s been a lot of hard work.”

Despite all of the work entailed, Reid, art major from Abilene, said getting ready for the show was a

lot more fun than he expected.“We’ve got a really good

group,” he said. “We are all flex-ible and willing to work with each other’s ideas.”

He expects the show to be a success but does not view it as his career finale.

“I’m looking beyond it,” Reid said.All of the artwork will be avail-

able for viewing until Feb. 4.

contact Amstutz atsla07a@acu.edu

Jan. 18Stone(Overture Films)

Jan. 25Secretariat(Walt Disney Pictures)

Jan. 25Saw 3D(Lionsgate)

Jan. 14

Barney’s Version(Sony Pictures Classic)

Jan. 17The Switch(Miramax)

Jan. 21

Jan. 21

Jan. 21

No Strings Attached(Paramount Pictures)

The Way Back(New Market Films)

The Company Men(The Weinstein Company)

Jan. 21

The Housemaid(IFC Films)

Jan. 25Gang of FourContent

Jan. 25Fujiya & MiyagiVentriloquizzing

Jan. 25The ExCatch My Shoe

Jan. 25DestroyerKaputt

Jan. 25DeerhoofDeerhoof Vs. Evil

Jan. 25The Get Up KidsThere Are Rules

SANDRA AMSTUTZ // Arts Editor

Bonni Wattigney, senior graphic design major from Keller, hangs her photo on the gallery wall.

Sandra Amstutz, Arts Editor

The shooting of a United States Congresswoman along with 18 other Amer-ican citizens calls for an examination of the cir-cumstances leading up to the Jan. 8 tragedy.

Yet the tragedy itself should not be used as a step-ping stone for politicians to fulfill their own agendas. To do so would be a disservice to the men, women and child who fell victim to the assassination attempt.

Already we see pointed fingers and sharp tongues eager to create a scapegoat.

On Jan. 12, President Obama refused to lay blame on any one reason to explain why this tragic incident occurred. Instead, he focused on the outcome,

stepping away from the po-litical game and showing a spark of human emotion. We commend him for that.

This is a tragedy we hope never will be repeated. Work and research need to be done to root out the cause and provide preventative mea-sures. However, the manner in which work and research is conducted is crucial.

After Sept. 11, 2001, the nation stood together to find out who was responsi-ble for the heinous act. But this case is different.

Authorities already have the shooter in custody and can delve straight into how a mind could conceive such an act. But instead of co-operating in the search for understanding, the coun-

try is becoming further di-vided as Left blames Right and Right blames Left.

Outbreaks of blame point toward the Second Amend-ment, the hate speech of poli-ticians and the lack of mental health services in the nation that some say are continuing to widen the very divisions many say were the potential trigger that sparked Jared Lee Loughner to open fire.

In the months lead-ing up to the shooting, a cloud of hate has pervaded Congress and all political climes. Mud slinging has been taken to a new level Columns, editorials, blogs, conversations and personal e-mails all have incorporat-ed language that is hurtful, accusatory and hateful.

Many Americans be-lieve the increasing ten-sion between the politi-cal parties is directly to blame for the shooting.

CBS News released a sur-vey stating that 32 percent of those asked said they be-lieved the shooting was a re-sult of the negative tone that American politics currently are taking. Vision Critical released a similar survey revealing that 37 percent of Americans share that view.

One-third of Americans think that the current atti-tudes of politics are directly to blame for the shooting of 19 people.

We can only imagine how many more believe the current climate is hurtful, if not murderous.

Whatever the real reason Loughner attempted to as-sassinate a Congresswom-an, if it was in fact because of the political strife we all are witnessing, the contin-ued vehemence we spit at each other can only create more gunmen.

At the very least, we must temporarily suspend our differences while we search for answers.

Discourse and debate are possible, and even neces-sary, without the dissention

that divides us on a per-sonal level. Obama called us as a nation to remember the dead and wounded, applaud the heroes who helped stop the shooting and, most of all, to remem-ber them when we go back to our everyday lives.

And for once, out of re-spect for the wounded and dead, we must stand togeth-er behind our president.

OpinionPage 6 January 21, 2011

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 & management board

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Optimistthe

Tucson tragedy must unite politicians EDITORIAL

Bipartisanship remains unattainable pipe dream

COLUMN

Homeskool ValidictorianBy Jeff Craig

The buzzword for 2011, at least so far, seems to be bi-partisanship, with Amer-ica’s “reds” and “blues” both prom-ising co-operat ion and civility. H o w e v e r, history dic-tates that this histoy of compro-mise won’t last.

Responses from Con-gress and President Obama to the tragic shootings in Tucson, Ariz., earlier this month were commendable. The assassination attempt on Congresswoman Gabri-elle Giffords was met with condemnation and sym-pathy from members on both sides of the aisle.

Republican House Ma-jority Leader Eric Cantor delayed all House business following the incident, and President Obama urged

Congress to unite in re-sponse to the event.

At Tuesday’s State of the Union address, Republicans and Democrats will cross the proverbial aisle and sit together, as opposed to past speeches, which have seen the parties sit on opposite sides of the chamber.

Here’s the problem: Re-publicans and Democrats don’t get along. Never have. Probably never will. The two sides are diamet-rically opposed on almost every issue. Unfortunate-ly, in our current political climate, bipartisanship is a Utopian myth.

Politicians run for office on a platform of bipartisan-ship, but it’s a big lie.

During his campaign, Obama said he wanted to end partisan bickering in Washington. However, an MSNBC report in February 2008 showed Obama voted with the Democrats more than 90 percent of the time.

Bipartisanship is a sexy word that makes Ameri-cans feel all warm and fuzzy inside. We envision our

elected officials standing in a circle, holding hands and singing “Kumbaya.”

Bipartisanship makes us feel good in response to tragedies and disasters. Af-ter Sept. 11, 2001, United We Stood. Two years later, divid-ed we fell. Bipartisanship is a good thing, no doubt, but just don’t get too excited.

There probably will be a moment of silence at the State of the Union, and Speaker of the House John Boehner probably will cry. But when the House Repub-licans try to de-fund health care shortly thereafter, the love bubble is likely to pop.

Sorry to be cynical, but what fun would politics be if Republicans and Democrats got along anyway? Bill O’ Reilly and Keith Olbermann would be among America’s unemployed, and imagine how many laws Congress could pass if they got along. It’s terrifying. Thank good-ness bipartisanship really is just a buzzword.

contact the Optimist atjmcnetwork@acu.edu

Craig

contact Craig atjrc07d@acu.edu

By Morgan DavisThe Funny Funnies

the issuePoliticians are manipulating the Tucson shooting to further their own gain and flare divisive and unproductive speech.

our takeIt is a time to mourn the victims and work together to prevent future attacks, not place blame.

Bumper car failures wreck boyhood dreamsBarbarossaBy Matthew Woodrow

When I was younger, I re-ally liked cars. I even had a bed frame that looked like a racecar. Preparing for the day, I would get to drive at high speeds, I would race around the house pell-mell, never l o o k i n g where I was going.

Being the awkward, gangly boy I was, I often ran into things. My mom would yell at me, telling me to be careful. But my abundant energy could

not be contained for long, and I soon would be run-ning around again. And soon enough, I would be in trouble once again.

Now, imagine the joy of a five-year-old boy who has found a way to combine both his love of cars and ten-dency to crash into things without getting in trouble.

There I was, five years old, stretching in new boots to barely hit the 42-inch mark that would allow me to drive solo in the bumper cars for the first time.

This was a special day: the bumper cars were the first step in speeding my way down the highway in massive freeway police chases, leaving 40-car pile-

ups in my wake. (This was the first step in my active imagination, at least.)

The line was long, so I diligently scouted out all the bumper cars, looking for one that would be fast enough to leave all others behind and allow me to slam into my brother and drive away unscathed.

Being the genius I was, I soon spotted a car in the corner. Undriven, un-touched by human hands.

That was my car.Unspoiled by previous

drivers, resting up, conserv-ing its energy for the time when a worthy driver hap-pened to come along.

For three whole turns it sat there, no one ven-

turing near. It was as if fate had set it aside.

When my turn came, I ran for the car, jumping in, ready to barrel into the first unfortunate bystand-er who happened to enter my path of death.

The bell started, and my car zoomed about half the length of the course before my older brother broad-sided me into a wall.

Laughing, I quickly prepared to wreak re-venge on the evil tyranny lorded over me, especially this new outrage.

I revved my engine.Nothing happened. I

didn’t move.I pushed all the pedals.

Nothing happened.

Desperate, I looked to the people waiting in line, hop-ing some nice person would help me in my time of need. One guy noticed my di-lemma and started shouting instructions. Soon, half the people in line were shouting.

“Push the right pedal!” I did, and nothing happened So I stomped down on the right pedal with all my five year old strength.

Vroom! I was off with unimaginable speed. No other car could compete. The only problem: I was going backward.

Bam! I slammed into the back wall. The pain was extraordinary.

I exited the car with whiplash, a bruised back

back and, more painful, a damaged ego.

It took me almost an-other five years to drive a bumper car again, al-ways remembering that day. But when I finally boarded another bumper car, it was great, and now I regret those years when fear kept me from doing something I enjoy.

If we spend too much time looking back at our lives, memories can hold us back. Whether good or bad, sometimes the best thing to do is take what lessons we can from our experiences and then strive forward.

Woodrow

contact Woodrow atmrw08a@acu.edu

January 21, 2011 Page 7FROM SPORTS

2011: ’Cats set schedule

Sept. 24 features a match-up with the Wildcats’ clos-est rival, Angelo State at Shotwell Stadium – the Wildcats’ first home game of the season. ACU has beaten Angelo State in each of the last four sea-sons dating back to the 2006 season.

The Wildcats will make a second straight trip to Portales, N.M., to face the Greyhounds’ vaunted run-and-gun offense.

After the game against Eastern New Mexico on Oct. 8, the Wildcats begin a stretch of four games against teams that made postseason appearances in 2010, beginning with West Texas A&M. The Wildcats beat the Buffs in Canyon

to clinch the LSC title last season.

This time around, West Texas A&M will be travel-ing to Shotwell for a home-coming showdown with Coach Thomsen and the Wildcats on Oct. 15.

After Homecoming weekend, ACU will travel to Wichita Falls for a game against Kanza Bowl-par-ticipant Midwestern State, then back home to play Texas A&M-Commerce.

Then the Wildcats make a second trip down south to Kingsville for a showdown with the Jav-

elinas, a team ACU has beaten in seven of the last 10 meetings after losing 20 straight to the Javelinas from 1984-2004.

ACU wraps up the sea-son against the newest LSC school, Incarnate Word, at Shotwell on Nov. 12.

The Wildcats have two open dates on Sept. 3 and Oct. 1, but Mosley hopes to have at least one of those dates filled to give the Wildcats an 11-game schedule.

FOOTBALL

contact Tripp atbjt07a@acu.edu

Continued from page 8

Jones: Stars are absentTRACK AND FIELD

Awards: Turner, Gates await chance at NFL

and the American Foot-ball Coaches Association all-America team.

Five other Wildcats were named to the second all-region team. Senior linebacker Kevin Wash-ington, senior defensive end Fred Thompson and senior defensive tackle Marvin Jones represented a defense that allowed just over 18 points per game in the regular season.

Sophomore quarter-back and Harlon Hill Fi-nalist Mitchell Gale was named to the second of-

fensive team and finished the season with 38 touch-down passes, the most in a season by any ACU quar-terback. Joining Gale on the second team is junior tight end Ben Gibbs. Gibbs snagged 20 receptions for the season, five of those going for touchdowns.

“It’s great to see a lot of our guys have success as far as awards,” said Head Coach Chris Thomsen. “It’s also great recognition for our program to be able to get on the national stage.”

Aside from the all-Region team, two seniors have been invited to post-

season bowl games to showcase their talent for NFL scouts.

Offensive lineman Tre-vis Turner participated in the 2011 Cactus Bowl showcasing Division II players. Turner helped his team to a 28-6 victory and was named the Offensive Lineman of the Game.

Wide receiver Edmund Gates has accepted an in-vitation to the National Football League Players Association All-Star Chal-lenge in February.

FOOTBALL

contact Tripp atbjt07a@acu.edu

Continued from page 8

DANIEL GOMEZ // Chief Photographer

Desmond Woodberry puts up a shot against Dallas Christian earlier this year. The Wildcats are off to an 0-3 LSC start.

Loss: First-half woes continue

Zach Williams came off the bench to score 11 for ACU. After shooting just more than 17 percent in the first half, ACU finished at 30.2 percent for the game.

After a huge win against DBU on Jan. 3, ACU has lost three in a row. The team lost at home to Tarleton State, and they faced two of the conference’s best teams on the road, leading the Wildcats to an 0–3 con-ference start. ACU looks to

get back on track against Texas A&M Kingsville this Saturday at 4 p.m.

“We have some kids that are injured, and we are looking to get them back,” Copeland said. “We still have a lot of season left to play, and we got to get back to playing well.”

It is important for ACU to win on Saturday. The Javelinas also are 0-3 in LSC play so far this season.

contact Cantrell atjrc07af@acu.edu

Continued from page 8

I think it’s great to get this opportunity, and to do it at Cowboys Stadium.

JARED MOSLEY // ACU Director of Athletics‘‘ ’’

Jones has never thrown better than he did last weekend, just the first week of the season, throw-ing exactly 57 feet – by far, good enough for the win. Automatic qualification for the NCAA Indoor Na-tional Championship is 58 feet 8 inches. Jones’ mark provisionally qualifies him, but he would like to improve that and get the automatic bid as quickly as possible.

Jones already is a two-time National Champion in the discus for the Wild-cats, but he said he would love to get another ring in the shot-put. In 2009, Jones won the Lone Star

Conference title in both shot-put and discus.

The only other pro-visional qualifier in last weekend’s meet for the ’Cats was Kevin Johnson, who finished sixth in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 7.7 seconds.

All of the track and field Wildcats will get another chance to qualify for the indoor championships this weekend when they travel back to Lubbock for the Texas Tech Invitational.

“I feel like we have our best chance this year to win a National Champi-onship since 2008,” Jones said. “We have a great core of guys with Ramon Sparks, Desmond Jackson, Tyler Fleet and Amos Sang.”

ACU holds 30 NCAA Na-tional Championships in track and field including 18 outdoor championships and 12 indoor championships.

Continued from page 8

I feel like we have our best chance to win a National Championship since 2008.

NICK JONES // junior shot-put and discus thrower from Amarillo‘‘ ’’

contact Gwin atagg07a@acu.edu

MEN’S BASKETBALL

We still have a lot of season left to play, and we got to get back to playing well.

JASON COPELAND // men’s basketball head coach‘‘ ’’

SportsStandings

Briefs

n The women's basketball team lost to West Texas A&M Wednesday night 78-64 in Canyon. Mack Lankford led ACU scorers with 15 points. The loss sends their record to 4-11 for the season.

n The men’s basket-ball team went 5-4 while, the women’s team was 3-5 over the Christmas break. Both teams will continue Lone Star Conference play into February.

n Look in next week’s Optimist for an up-date on Rex Fleming, and find out how you can support the Flem-ing family in their time of need.

PlayerProfile

n Nick Jones, a junior from Amarillo, provisionally qualified for nationals with a personal record throw of 57 feet in the shot-put. He is a two-time national champion discus thrower and will turn his attention to the shot-put as well this year. A former defen-sive lineman, Jones played football for two years and is a gradu-ate of Amarillo Tas-cosa High School.

n The track and field team will compete at the Texas Tech Invita-tional meet Friday and Saturday, Jan. 21-22, in Lubbock.

n The men’s basketball team will host Texas A&M-Kingsville at 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 22.

n The women’s basket-ball team will host Texas A&M-Kingsville at 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 22.

Upcoming

January 21, 2011Page 8

TAMU-K 0-2 4-10

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Team Div. Ovrl.

UIWTarleton St.ENMUMSUAngelo St.WTAMU

2-02-02-01-11-10-2

13-111-37-713-35-913-2

Team Div. Ovrl.

Tarleton St.WTAMUAngelo St.UIWACUENMUMSU

2-02-01-11-11-11-10-2

12-29-68-65-94-103-114-10

ACUTAMU-K

0-20-2

8-65-9

Jones

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Ex-Factor

n Johnny Knox, Danieal Manning and the Chicago Bears will host the Packers Sunday at 2 p.m. in the NFC Conference Champion-ship Game.

Bound for Jerry World

A month after being elimi-nated from the 2010 NCAA Playoffs, the Wildcats have started to look ahead to the 2011 season, releasing their schedule for an upcoming season that includes a trip to Cowboys Stadium.

ACU will be participat-ing in the first-ever Lone Star Conference Football Festival in the upcoming season. The Wildcats are part of a three-game, one-day event, featuring five LSC teams and ACU’s op-ponent, three-time Divi-sion II National Champion, North Alabama from the Gulf South Conference.

“We have always had a desire to at least play a game in the metroplex,” said Athletic Director Jared

Mosley. “I think it’s great to get this opportunity and to do it at Cowboys Sta-dium. I think it also has a great impact in recruiting students from the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, and it’s a great opportunity for our student athletes to play in a venue like this.”

The Lions finished last season at 9-4 under for-mer Clemson Head Coach Terry Bowden and reached the playoffs for the sixth straight season. The game

against North Alabama marks the fourth straight season the Wildcats have began by facing a Division II powerhouse.

“Strength of schedule is really the second criteria they use to select playoff participants,” said Head Coach Chris Thomsen. “I be-lieve you have to go find the North Alabamas of the world to help boost your strength of schedule. But also, those are the kind of teams you face in the playoffs.”

Apart from the seem-ingly annual game against a marquee non-conference opponent, the Wildcats be-gin with a pair of LSC rivals in their first three games. First up, ACU will travel to Stephenville for a show-down with long-time rival Tarleton State on Sept. 10. The Texans will be looking to avenge a 65-3 thrashing at the hands of the Wild-cats in 2010.

Brandon TrippSports Director

FOOTBALL

COURTESY OF // Ralph Cole Photography

The new Cowboys Stadium, built in 2009, lights up the Arlington sky. Neighboring Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, the gigantic stadium is the biggest in the National Football League. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones paid over a billion dollars to construct the luxurious facility.

Senior awards pile up

The Wildcat football team has ended its season, but during the past month, the awards for its record set-ting 2010 season have con-tinued to pour in.

Ten Wildcats were named to the Don Hanson NCAA Division II Super Region Four football team. Five players were named to the first team; four of them were offensive players.

Seniors Edmund Gates, Emery Dudensing, and Tre-vis Turner and junior Matt Webber all were voted first

team all-region for the first time, while junior defen-sive end Aston Whiteside made a repeat appearance on the first team, following up on his 2009 selection.

Whiteside was the LSC South Pre-season De-fensive Player of the Year and the LSC South Defen-sive Lineman of the year for the second time in as many years.

“It’s an honor for them to recognize me even though my stats weren’t as big this year,” Whiteside said.

Gates also was named to two different all-Ameri-ca teams for his outstand-ing season in 2010. The senior from Vernon was named to the Daktronics all-America second team

Brandon TrippSports Director

FOOTBALL

With none of the big names in track and field competing for ACU in the Texas Tech Open last weekend, Nick Jones’ first place finish in shot-put served as the highlight for the Wildcats.

Instead of being on ACU’s football team last fall as he had been in years past, Jones spent the off-season training for the shot-put in hopes that the extra work would improve his distance.

“When you play foot-ball, you tear your body down week after week,” Jones said. “This year, I went through the full track offseason and built my body up instead of tearing it down, and the difference has shown.”

Austin GwinSports Editor

TRACK AND FIELD

KELSI WILLIAMSON // File Photo

Junior Nick Jones throws a discus during track practice. Jones is a two-time NCAA National Champion in the discus. This year he has a win under his belt in the shot-put.

Shot of victory for ’Cats Wildcats fall to 0-3 in LSC

A poor offensive first half doomed the Wild-cats against West Texas A&M. ACU scored only 12 points in the first half, re-sulting in an 71–54 fall to the Buffaloes.

ACU hit three field goals on 17 attempts in the first half as they struggled to score points. The Wildcats would trail 30-12 at halftime.

“I thought we defend-ed really well in the first half, but we were very lethargic on offense and trying to score,” Coach Jason Copeland said. “In the second half we played like a team that belonged, but in the first half, we looked like a team that is trying to find their way. And you can’t

have that at this point in the season.”

ACU picked things up in the second half as they went on a 12-2 run to get within 12 with over 15 min-utes in the game. However, the deficit was too much, as the Wildcats never fully reengaged the game.

“Scoring 12 points in the first half is disappoint-ing. We have been coming out slow and digging our-selves into holes,” junior forward Ben Warton said. “We need to work on set-ting screens and getting guys open, so we can get better looks offensively.”

The Wildcats dropped their third game in a row, falling to 8-7 overall 0-3 in conference.

Preston Davis led ACU with 13 points, while

Ryan CantrellSports Multimedia Editor

MEN’S BASKETBALL

DANIEL GOMEZ // Chief Photographer

Ben Wharton goes up for a lay up in a game earlier this year.

Wildcats to play North Alabama at Cowboys Stadium

see 2011 page 7

see AWARDS page 7

see JONES page 7 see LOSS page 7

It is an honor for them to recognize me even though my stats weren’t as big this year.

ASTON WHITESIDE // senior defensive end‘‘ ’’