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b. No, and I’ll probably wait until the last minute. PAGE 5 Optimist the acuoptimist.com BREAKING NEWS, VIDEOS, PHOTOS, DISCUSSION AND EXCLUSIVE CONTENT Vol. 98, No. 27 1 section, 8 pages Wednesday, December 2, 2009 Forecast Inside NICK JONES COMBED the phone book as a child, hoping to find his father’s phone number. After 20 years, Jones met his father for the first time Saturday. Page 8 Online Wed Thu Fri 27° 45° 28° 43° 25° 43° CITY COUNCIL TABLED a bill that would launch Abilene into a lawsuit against the Texas Open Meetings Act. We examine the pros and cons of open government. Page 6 Have you finished Christmas shopping yet? Visit acuoptimist.com to join the discussion. VIDEO Father and son united LOUDandCLEAR Farewell to the Chief a. Yes, I was at Walmart at 5 a.m. on Friday. c. Bah, humbug. International students anticipate holiday travel STUDENT LIFE Emily Loper Contributing Reporter KACU-FM is riding the waves of change in radio as it begins the transition to high definition, a change that should be complete by next semester. Dave Smith, director of operations for KACU, said high-definition ra- dio is very different from high-definition televi- sion. Nothing about the audio clarity will change, but high-definition radio will allow the station to function at three digital frequencies -- A, B and C -- all set at the station’s current radio address, 89.7 FM. Smith said A will be the same news and mu- sic currently broadcast by KACU. Content on fre- quencies B and C is not finalized, but B is set to play primarily classical music. Frequency C will focus on a younger audi- ence by playing sports, local news and varying types of music. “The switch is signifi- cant for KACU because it is one of the first stations in Abilene to make the change,” Smith said. “It is also a way to diversify our programming.” Smith said high defi- nition is the next natural curve of the radio indus- try, a change similar to the switch from AM radio to FM. Making this change is the best way for KACU to stay ahead, Smith said. College begins search for dean FACULTY Bailey Neal Contributing Reporter Simon Yammouni needs a break. Like many internation- al students, Yammouni, freshman from Monagas, Venezuela, doesn’t make it home often. That’s why, he said, he is look- ing forward to a long Christmas holiday. “I’m going home for the first time since March to be with my family,” Yammouni said. Not all international students have the same opportunity Yammou- ni does, though. Meiqi Zhang, a junior from northeastern China, has lived with a host family in Abilene since 2007. She said it’s fun to be part of a big family dur- ing the holidays, having spent three Christmases with her hosts. “There are three sons that are all grown-up and married, and [my host family] has six grandchildren,” Zhang said. “They all come the week before Christmas and eat a big meal and open all the gifts.” Although this Christ- mas will be her fourth in Abilene, Zhang said this one will be different. Her mother is traveling from China to visit, her first trip to the United States. “My dad has been [to America] without me, but it was a long time ago for a business trip,” Zhang said. While Zhang has be- come well-versed in traditional American Christmas events, it will be a new experience for her mother. KACU-FM awaits HD equipment TECHNOLOGY Christianna Lewis Contributing Reporter The search committee for the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences will propose a final candidate in March for the highest administrative position in the college. The committee is accept- ing applications through Dec. 31, said Adam Hester Jr., search committee chair and chair of the Depart- ment of Theatre. “We will have a short list to bring to the college to interview in a variety of settings in February,” Hester said. The “short list” of se- lected applicants will make presentations to CAS faculty and students, and the committee will use feedback from these introductions to narrow the list further. The final choice will be submitted to the chief academic of- ficer for approval. The committee aims to make a final recommen- dation to the provost, for- mer CAS dean Dr. Jeanine Varner, the week before spring break. ACU is advertising the see DEAN page 4 see HOLIDAY page 4 see HD page 4 Brittany Brand Contributing Reporter As the end of the semester draws near, many students are rushing to meet the University’s Chapel credit requirements. ACU requires full-time under- graduate students to attend 55 Chapel programs each semes- ter. Chapel is scheduled every weekday, except university holi- days, for a total of 70 regular programs. Students had the op- portunity to earn 23 credits by attending Summit lectures, in addition to several forums and a survey worth two credits if com- pleted by Monday. Leann Black, senior biochem- istry major from Weatherford, is one of many students who have not fulfilled their Chapel requirements. Black said before the Chapel Office added two fo- rums to the schedule in Novem- ber, she worried about earning all the credits she needed. Her class schedule prevented her from attending many Summit lectures, which she said would have helped tremendously. Students are allowed to ap- ply for Chapel exemptions (on a semester-by-semester basis) for several reasons, including em- ployment conflicts or medical conditions. According to the Web site, these exemptions must be processed within the first three weeks of the semester. If a stu- dent’s situation changes during the semester, requiring an ex- emption, he will have two weeks to submit the proper forms. Tsunami Hernandez, sopho- more information technology major from Abilene, works on campus repairing computers and is only required to go to Chapel 48 times during the semester. “Sometimes there is work we need to get done, and I have to miss Chapel and go help out,” Hernandez said. The Chapel Office also pro- vides alternative programs for students to gain credits, such as HEATHER LEIPHART Staff Photographer Josh Jones, senior theatre major from Ranchita, Calif., reads a newsbreak in KACU-FM studios Tuesday. CHAPEL CREDIT CRUNCH HEATHER LEIPHART Staff Photographer Students wait in line to swipe their ID cards for Chapel credit Tuesday. HEATHER LEIPHART Staff Photographer Students must swipe their ID cards before and after Chapel to receive the day’s credit. see CREDIT page 4 Tougher consequences in the new Chapel attendance policy have students scrambling for credits.
Transcript
Page 1: The Optimist Print Edition: 12/02/2009

b. No, and I’ll probably wait until the last minute.

PAGE 5

Optimistthe

acuoptimist.comBREAKING NEWS, VIDEOS, PHOTOS, DISCUSSION AND EXCLUSIVE CONTENTVol. 98, No. 27 1 section, 8 pagesWednesday, December 2, 2009

Forecast InsideNICK JONES COMBEDthe phone book as a child, hoping to find his father’s phone number. After 20 years, Jones met his father for the first time Saturday.

Page 8

Online

Wed Thu Fri

27°45° 28°43° 25°43°

CITY COUNCIL TABLEDa bill that would launch Abilene into a lawsuit against the Texas Open Meetings Act. We examine the pros and cons of open government.

Page 6

Have you finished Christmas shopping yet?

Visit acuoptimist.com to join the discussion.

VIDEO

Father and son united

LOUDandCLEAR

Farewell to the Chief

a. Yes, I was at Walmart at 5 a.m. on Friday.

c. Bah, humbug.

International students anticipate holiday travelSTUDENT LIFE

Emily LoperContributing Reporter

KACU-FM is riding the waves of change in radio as it begins the transition to high definition, a change that should be complete by next semester.

Dave Smith, director of operations for KACU, said high-definition ra-dio is very different from

high-definition televi-sion. Nothing about the audio clarity will change, but high-definition radio will allow the station to function at three digital frequencies -- A, B and C -- all set at the station’s current radio address, 89.7 FM.

Smith said A will be the same news and mu-sic currently broadcast

by KACU. Content on fre-quencies B and C is not finalized, but B is set to play primarily classical music. Frequency C will focus on a younger audi-ence by playing sports, local news and varying types of music.

“The switch is signifi-cant for KACU because it is one of the first stations in Abilene to make the

change,” Smith said. “It is also a way to diversify our programming.”

Smith said high defi-nition is the next natural curve of the radio indus-try, a change similar to the switch from AM radio to FM. Making this change is the best way for KACU to stay ahead, Smith said.

College begins search for dean

FACULTY

Bailey NealContributing Reporter

Simon Yammouni needs a break.

Like many internation-al students, Yammouni, freshman from Monagas, Venezuela, doesn’t make it home often. That’s

why, he said, he is look-ing forward to a long Christmas holiday.

“I’m going home for the first time since March to be with my family,” Yammouni said.

Not all international students have the same opportunity Yammou-

ni does, though. Meiqi Zhang, a junior from northeastern China, has lived with a host family in Abilene since 2007. She said it’s fun to be part of a big family dur-ing the holidays, having spent three Christmases with her hosts.

“There are three sons that are all grown-up and married, and [my host family] has six grandchildren,” Zhang said. “They all come the week before Christmas and eat a big meal and open all the gifts.”

Although this Christ-

mas will be her fourth in Abilene, Zhang said this one will be different. Her mother is traveling from China to visit, her first trip to the United States.

“My dad has been [to America] without me, but it was a long time

ago for a business trip,” Zhang said.

While Zhang has be-come well-versed in traditional American Christmas events, it will be a new experience for her mother.

KACU-FM awaits HD equipmentTECHNOLOGY

Christianna LewisContributing Reporter

The search committee for the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences will propose a final candidate in March for the highest administrative position in the college.

The committee is accept-ing applications through Dec. 31, said Adam Hester Jr., search committee chair and chair of the Depart-ment of Theatre.

“We will have a short list to bring to the college to interview in a variety of settings in February,” Hester said.

The “short list” of se-lected applicants will make presentations to CAS faculty and students, and the committee will use feedback from these introductions to narrow the list further. The final choice will be submitted to the chief academic of-ficer for approval.

The committee aims to make a final recommen-dation to the provost, for-mer CAS dean Dr. Jeanine Varner, the week before spring break.

ACU is advertising the

see DEAN page 4

see HOLIDAY page 4

see HD page 4

Brittany BrandContributing Reporter

As the end of the semester draws near, many students are rushing to meet the University’s Chapel credit requirements.

ACU requires full-time under-graduate students to attend 55 Chapel programs each semes-ter. Chapel is scheduled every weekday, except university holi-days, for a total of 70 regular programs. Students had the op-portunity to earn 23 credits by attending Summit lectures, in addition to several forums and a survey worth two credits if com-pleted by Monday.

Leann Black, senior biochem-istry major from Weatherford, is one of many students who have not fulfilled their Chapel requirements. Black said before the Chapel Office added two fo-rums to the schedule in Novem-ber, she worried about earning all the credits she needed. Her class schedule prevented her from attending many Summit lectures, which she said would

have helped tremendously.Students are allowed to ap-

ply for Chapel exemptions (on a semester-by-semester basis) for several reasons, including em-ployment conflicts or medical

conditions. According to the Web site, these exemptions must be processed within the first three weeks of the semester. If a stu-dent’s situation changes during the semester, requiring an ex-emption, he will have two weeks to submit the proper forms.

Tsunami Hernandez, sopho-more information technology major from Abilene, works on campus repairing computers and is only required to go to Chapel 48 times during the semester.

“Sometimes there is work we need to get done, and I have to miss Chapel and go help out,” Hernandez said.

The Chapel Office also pro-vides alternative programs for students to gain credits, such as

HEATHER LEIPHART Staff Photographer

Josh Jones, senior theatre major from Ranchita, Calif., reads a newsbreak in KACU-FM studios Tuesday.

CHAPEL

CREDITCRUNCH

HEATHER LEIPHART Staff Photographer

Students wait in line to swipe their ID cards for Chapel credit Tuesday.

HEATHER LEIPHART Staff Photographer

Students must swipe their ID cards before and after Chapel to receive the day’s credit.

see CREDIT page 4

Tougher consequences in the new Chapel attendance policy have

students scrambling for credits.

Page 2: The Optimist Print Edition: 12/02/2009

Volunteer Opportunities

CALENDAR AND EVENTS

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

2CampusDay

Last day of class Last day to withdraw from the university

5:30 p.m.ACU Women’s Bas-ketball vs. Cameron

7 p.m.Alice in Wonderland at Hardin-Simmons University

7:30 p.m. ACU Men’s Basket-ball vs. Cameron

8 p.m. Shinnery Review: Slithy Tove Poetry Reading

3THURSDAY

11 a.m.Elementary Choir Christmas Presentation

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

69Chapel CreditedChapelsto date:

Checkup 2CreditedChapelsremaining:

Announcements

The Rock Paper Scissors Craft Fair will take place from 7-11 p.m. Dec. 4 in the William Performing Art Cen-ter lobby. Abilene residents, ACU students, Wishing Well

and TOMS will be selling their crafts. There will be free baked goods and live music by Wildebeest and Virgil Caine and the Stone-wall Calvary.

Residence Halls will close at midnight Dec. 12 and will reopen Jan. 9.

A free marriage educa-tion class will take place from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Texas Family Institute at 100 Chestnut St. Attendees can save $60 on their marriage licenses. A free meal will also be served. Call 670-0969 or 866-305-5524 to register.

Roots Art and Design Exhibition is on display in the Shore Art Gallery. It is an exhibit of paintings, sculpture, architectural and interior design by five ACU seniors. Admission is free, and refreshments will be provided.

Alice in Wonderland will take place at 7 p.m. Dec. 3-5 in the Van Ellis Theatre

at Hardin-Simmons Univer-sity. Call 670-1405 for more information.

Residence Life will begin hiring residence assistants Dec. 1 for the 2010-11 school year. Apply through ACU CareerLink.

Reserve textbooks for the spring semester before Dec. 31. Reserving books is free and can be done in The Campus Store.

The Abilene Community Theatre will perform In-specting Carol at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 5-7 at 801 S. Mocking-bird Lane. Tickets are $8 for students. Call the box office at 673-6271.

The Slithy Tove Poetry Reading will take place

from 8-10:30 p.m. Dec. 3 in the Shore Art Gallery. There will be poetry, music, art and free food.

A Midnight Breakfast sponsored by Wildcat Parents will take place from 10:30 p.m.-midnight Dec. 7 in the World Famous Bean. The meal is $5 or can be purchased with a meal plan.

Jazz Night at Monks will take place at 8:30 p.m. Dec. 8. The event is free.

The Annual Film Festival Celebrating Social Activ-ism will take place at 2 p.m. Dec. 6 in Hart Auditorium. The festival will be present-ed by the School of Social Work.

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

The Christian Service Center needs volunteers to fill requests for cloth-ing, bedding, kitchen utensils, etc. from the do-nation center. Volunteers may work from noon-4 p.m. Friday or Saturday. Contact Jim Clark at 673-7531 for more informa-tion.

The International Res-cue Commitee needs volunteers to set up apartments before refu-gees arrive. This includes shopping for household supplies, assembling furniture and putting away kitchen and food items. All volunteers are required

to attend an IRC volunteer orientation and must be available during week-day afternoons. Reliable transportation and ability to perform minor physical labor are also required.

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

Meals on Wheels is looking for volunteers to deliver hot meals to seniors and adults with disabilities each week. Volunteers may work once a week, Monday-Fri-day, between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Contact Elisabeth Rodgers at 672-5050 for more information.

The College Heights Friendship House needs help with children’s activi-ties from 3-5 p.m. Mon-day-Friday. Call 829-6514 for more information.

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

Breakfast On Beech Street serves breakfast to homeless and low-income members of the Abilene community and is in need of volunteers to serve and prepare breakfast. Break-fast is served at the First Christian Church on 3rd streetand Beech Street from 6:30-7:15 a.m. Volunteers must arrive at 5:30 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and 5 a.m. Tuesdays. If interested,

visit the First Christian Church’s Web site at www.fccabilene.org/out-reach.html.

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

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

The National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature needs volun-teers to assist with art activities, greet visitors, give tours, sell books and

create a welcoming envi-ronment Tuesday-Satur-day from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. and 1-3 p.m. Contact Debby Lillick at 673-4586 for more information.

Abilene Adult Day Care needs volunteers to help call Bingo. Volunteers are needed every Mon-day at 1:30 p.m., except the third Monday of the month, when volunteers are needed at 10:30 a.m. Contact Donna at 793-3519 for more informa-tion.

Christian Homes Of Abilene needs volun-teers to spend time doing activities and encouraging women. Volunteers are needed Monday-Friday at any time. Call Ashley Jef-ferson at 609-4541.

Care Inn Of Abilene needs volunteers to spend time with the elderly. They would like

someone who can play a musical instrument and would be willing to perform in the evening.Volunteers are needed Monday-Friday at any time. Call Sally Diaz at 692-2172 for more infor-mation.

Covenant Place Of Abilene needs volunteers to lead singing or play the piano for residents. Volunteers are needed Monday-Friday at any time. Call Ann Erwin at 793-1144 for more infor-mation.

Lighthouse Adult Daycare Center needs volunteers to work with clients, play cards, help serve lunches and aid in arts and crafts.Volunteers are needed Monday-Friday from 7 a.m.-noon. Call Ricky Felts at 670-9577 for more information.

2WEDNESDAY 4 FRIDAY

Page 3: The Optimist Print Edition: 12/02/2009

December 2, 2009 Page 3Campus News

Casey OliverContributing Reporter

Choreographers and dancers are limbering up once again for the Dance Discovery Studio’s winter hip-hop show.

The curtains rise on the dance recital, themed X-plosion, at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 4-5 in the Abilene High School au-ditorium. Proceeds from the show will benefit the Abilene High School theatre department.

Amanda Sampson, one of the show’s chore-ographers, said perform-ers have been rehearsing since September.

“The dancers in our routines range from soph-

omores in high school to young adults, so there’s no kids dancing on stage with us,” said Sampson, senior English major from Austin. “We’re going to be doing everything from hip-hop to contemporary and lyrical dances.”

Jessica Floe, junior art major from Arlington, Wash., said she under-stands the importance of promoting artistic en-deavors in Abilene.

“As an art student, it always means a lot to me when other students can appreciate what I do,” Floe said. “I think showing up to these types of recitals is an awesome way to support artists and keep Abilene as cultural as possible.”

Sampson said the dance company is trying to make this year’s show different, bringing in guest artists to heighten the appeal. Stu-dent attendance has been high in the past, she said, and tickets go quickly. Students who wish to at-tend can buy tickets from dancers on campus.

“We’ll be putting post-ers up around campus” Sampson said, “but we’re really depending on word of mouth.”

Sampson said people who want more infor-mation can join the Dance Discovery group on Facebook.

Dance studio polishes its hip-hop X-plosion

ARTS

Jill DougherContributing Reporter

The Career Center is of-fering students new op-portunities for on-the-job experience through intern-ships -- and they don’t all involve going for coffee.

Companies like South-west Airlines often ap-proach the Career Cen-ter requesting student applications for part- or full-time positions rath-er than internships.

Daniel Orozco, asso-ciate director of the Ca-

reer Center, said the cen-ter is a full-service office for helping students prepare for internships and jobs. He pointed to several students as suc-cess stories; one student worked for the Houston Astros and another with the St. Louis Fox News. Orozco said many stu-dents accept unpaid in-ternships in order to get the experience.

Mackenzie North, sophomore history ma-jor from Bedford, found her internship through

the history department. She helped organize a reunion for the WWII 306 bombers, where she heard firsthand ac-counts of the war.

“History is a lot of reading, so it’s difficult to put faces with events,” North said. “I was able to see things that most

people don’t have the op-portunity to.”

Amanda Duke, junior social work major from Arlington, said she is looking forward to starting her internship in the spring semester.

“In social work, you have to have experience,” said Duke. “You can’t

just learn through the classroom. You have to get out and do it.”

Orozco said it is nor-mal for departments to advertise internships, but the Career Center is the central clearing house for information, and any student can use it.

Some departments re-quire internships in order to graduate, and Orozco said it would be better if every department did so.

“Every opportunity to get work experience says to employers that you’re interested in their indus-try,” Orozco said. “In the end, an employer will look to see who’s more qualified; it’s not just about good grades.”

Full-time positions, internships available to studentsCAREER CENTER

KELSI WILLIAMSON Staff Photographer

Matthew Bowman, freshman music education major from Brookhaven, Miss., leaps across stage in a piece titled ‘X-plosion’ during rehearsal Monday night. The performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 4-5 in the Abilene High School auditorium.

In the end, an employer will look to see who’s more qualified; it’s not just about good grades.DANIEL OROZCOAssociate Director of the Career Center

contact Oliver [email protected]

contact Dougher [email protected]

Page 4: The Optimist Print Edition: 12/02/2009

December 2, 2009From FrontPage 4

position on its Web site and in the Christian Chronicle. According to the advertisement, the dean will be “the chief academic, fiscal and ad-ministrative officer of the college.”

The dean’s responsi-bilities include recruit-ing and evaluating staff and faculty, managing the budget, planning curriculum and en-couraging excellence in teaching and research.

Qualifications, the ad says, include a doctoral degree, experience as a professor and a history of strong leadership and collaboration. Applicants also must be members of

the Church of Christ and committed to Christian higher education.

Along with the usual bumps and blunders that come with a new position, the dean will face a campuswide transition to a new core curriculum, said Dr. Jef-frey Haseltine, associ-ate CAS dean.

“Implementation of the general education core curriculum, begin-ning in Fall 2010, will be a huge undertaking for the university, and the CAS dean will play a key role,” Haseltine said. “The new dean must be able to in-spire our current faculty to bring their best creative energy to the task.”

Dr. Gregory Straughn, the interim dean of the

CAS, said it is ACU’s largest and most di-verse college, which could pose a challenge to the future dean.

“The size of the col-lege means that the dean must be able to converse on and repre-sent a vast expanse of majors,” Straughn said. “While there is no way for one person to mas-ter each of these disci-plines, it is important to accurately represent their scope and activi-ties to prospective stu-dents, as well as mem-bers of the trustees.”

Similar to HDTV, listen-ers must own an HD ra-dio to listen to HD radio stations. Smith said he hopes KACU will be able to discount HD radios for listeners when the official transition takes place.

One of the few draw-backs to HD radio is the lack of technology in place to gauge how many people are listen-ing, Smith said.

“It’s just a matter of time before that technolo-

gy is created,” Smith said. “For now, it will be hard to determine its success.”

Jacquie Harbour, KACU disc jockey and junior elementary edu-cation major from Na-cogdoches, said the change will be good because it will bring in younger listeners.

“Our current setup is great, but I’m excited about hearing that more students are listening to 89.7,” Harbour said. “I don’t think people re-alize what a great radio

station they have right here on campus.”

Smith said more in-formation about the switch to high defini-tion will be available as the transition date draws closer. The ac-tual dates depend on the order and delivery of necessary new equip-ment. KACU will go off the air for three days to install the new system.

“In China, we don’t cele-brate Christmas,” Zhang said. “We have Chinese New Year, and that’s the big holiday.”

Carolle Ranaivoar-ivelo has lived in the United States for five years. She hasn’t visited her hometown of Anta-nanarivo, Madagascar, for a year.

In previous years, Ra-naivoarivelo has spent the holiday with her host family, but this Christmas, she will travel to New York City with her boyfriend.

She said she looking

forward to doing some-thing different this year; her plans include Broadway shows and watching the ball fall in Madison Square Garden during the New Year’s celebration. Like Zhang, Ranaivoarvelo said the celebration of a new year is most exciting in her home country.

“We do have Christ-

mas. We do exchange gifts,” Ranaivoarvelo said. “Here you have lots of decorations, people dress in Christ-mas colors ... People re-ally take Christmas to heart in America.”

to gain credits, such as forums, Summit and the anxiously awaited Chapel survey at the end of each semester. Students received an e-mail with a link to the survey, worth two

credits if completed by Monday.

According to the Chapel Web site, students who do not achieve the required credits will be placed on probation. The proba-tion period lasts through the next semester and prohibits students from

participating in student organizations and univer-sity-sponsored activities.

For more details on the Chapel attendance policy, visit www.acu.edu/cam-pusoffices/Chapel.

Continued from page 1

Credits: Students fall shortCHAPEL

Continued from page 1

Holiday: Christmas vacationSTUDENT LIFE

Continued from page 1

Dean: Search continuesFACULTY

Continued from page 1

HD: Making the switch

TECHNOLOGY

Here you have lots of decorations, people dress in Christmas colors ... People really take Christmas to heart in America.MEIQI ZHANGJunior journalism major from China

contact Loper [email protected]

contact Lewis [email protected]

contact Neal [email protected]

HEATHER LEIPHART Staff Photographer

Blane Singletary, sophomore broadcast journalism major from Abilene, works as an an-nouncer at KACU-FM radio Tuesday.

contact Brand [email protected]

Page 5: The Optimist Print Edition: 12/02/2009

I n the fall of 1960, a tall, lanky freshman walked onto the Abilene Christian College campus as the first member of his family to at-

tend college. Already, he knew his calling: He planned to preach.

Royce Money graduated from ACC prepared to lead a church, and more than 30 years later, he returned to lead a university.

The ACC Experience

During Money’s high school years, his preacher and youth minister guided him toward preaching, and he decided to seek formal training. Drawn to ACC by its contagious Christian environment, he expected to learn the fundamentals that would carry him through his career as a preacher. What he did not expect was how deeply the college would root itself in his life.

He made lifelong friends. He immersed himself in campus life, joining the Knights men’s social club and serving as vice pres-ident of the Students’ Association his se-nior year. He worked as an assistant to the dean of students from 1964-66. He even met his future wife, Pam. The two married in 1965, with Dr. Tony Ash, professor of Bible, officiating.

“Once I got here, I was hooked,” Money says. “I was hooked for life.”

Senior Vice President Emeritus Bob Hunter knew Money as a student and came out of retirement for the third time to work for ACU at Money’s request. He says Money impressed others as a leader on campus and was keenly interested in the university’s foundational mission and principles even as a student.

“I just remember him always being involved with the student life of the cam-pus and, therefore, earned the respect of his fellow students in his leadership roles in a quiet way, an unassuming way,” Hunter says.

Something to Prove

Money graduated from ACC in 1964 with a bachelor of arts and in 1967 with a mas-ter of divinity. He left with something to prove, to himself if no one else.

“I always intended to preach,” he says. “I had to find out if I could do that or not.”

He could. Money preached at numerous churches

from Maryland to Dallas. He helped shep-herd churches through the tumultuous civil rights movement and the horrors of the Vietnam War, consoling parents when children returned from war physically and mentally mangled or dead.

He even met President Lyndon Johnson in Washington, D.C., in the fall of 1967.

About 20 Church of Christ preachers were invited to the White House to pres-ent the president with a Bible in honor of National Bible Week. After waiting more than three hours in the Oval Office for the president’s appearance, Dr. Don H. Mor-ris, then president of ACC, and Dr. John C. Stevens, ACC’s then upcoming presi-dent, approached Money, asked whether he’d given any thought to returning to his alma mater.

In fact, he had, and after that conversa-tion, he began applying for jobs at ACC. But he received rejection letter after rejec-tion letter.

“Those doors were absolutely shut,” Money says.

Discouraged but not defeated, Money decided to create his own opportunities. During the next 14 years, Money earned his Ph.D in religion at Baylor University, worked as a part-time minister, and wrote for the Christian Chronicle. He and Pam became certified as members of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy. They counseled and en-couraged church groups, addressing di-vorce recovery and adult aging issues and conducting marriage seminars.

No Place Like Home

Still, Money yearned to return to Abilene. He remembers crying out to the Lord in surrender.

“Lord, I did everything I could to go back to ACU. If you want me there, you better do it. I quit.”

He reordered his life, eliminating ACU as an option. Three months lat-er, he received a phone call about an ACU job offer.

Even though working for ACU was a lifelong dream, moving to Abilene meant sacrifice. Money’s two daughters left be-hind friends, Pam had to give up tenure teaching at a public elementary school, and the move cut their income in half. But the family agreed he should take the job, and Money says it was the best decision they ever made.

When the family relocated to Abilene, Money began teaching as a professor and serving as a minister at the High-land Church of Christ. Eventually, he became provost, the university’s chief academic officer.

Moving on Up

Ultimately, Money found himself consid-ered for the position of president of his alma mater, along with Dr. Gary McCaleb, vice president of the university, and an outside candidate. Though some consid-ered Money a dark horse candidate, the Board of Trustees selected him in 1991 as the tenth president of ACU, succeeding Dr. William J. Teague.

The board gave Money three goals: bal-

ance the budget, increase enrollment and improve ACU’s public image. Money gave himself three years.

“If I can’t do it in three years, then I’m the wrong man for the job,” he says.

Since taking office, Money has con-ferred 15,643 degrees and contributed to an increase in the endowment to $236 million from $55 million. During his term, ACU has been ranked No. 1 for “innova-tive leadership” in U.S. News and World Report’s list of “America’s Best Colleges.” ACU also remains on the national list of “America’s 100 Best College Buys.”

Jim Holmans, executive assistant to the president, has worked with Money for 12 years, and says his dedication to the job never wavers. He says Money always represents ACU, whether in the office or on vacation. He never leaves the ACU mis-sion behind.

“He goes early in the mornings until late at night, and it’s not just three, four or five days a week – it’s seven days a week,” Holmans says. “I can’t say this too much: he lives and breathes ACU. It doesn’t make any difference where he is; he’s making contacts for ACU. He bleeds purple.”

Hunter says Money empowers faculty, staff and students to work together to further the university’s goals.

“It is a very difficult role that a presi-dent has, and he has filled that role with great energy, with long hours and with an unswerving devotion to the task of edu-cating young people for Christian service around the world,” Hunter says.

McCaleb has known Money since their college days and says their two families kept up with each other through the years, even before Money rejoined McCaleb at ACU. McCaleb says Money has always been able to strike a balance between his public and pri-vate lives, keeping up with a highly de-manding job while still making family a priority. Most importantly, McCaleb says, Money has maintained a strong

relationship with God. “I think he has always had a clear

sense of what is important,” McCaleb says. “Those qualities are a nice fit for a place like ACU.”

A New Chapter

Money told the Board of Trustees on May 16 he plans to retire as ACU president at the end of this year. After considering re-tirement for several years, Money decided to transition to the position of ACU chan-cellor after 19 years as president.

“I see this as a relay race,” Money says. “I took the baton from Dr. Teague and others. I’m handing it to someone else. I think I handled my race pretty well.”

While Money says he does not want to be involved in the search for his succes-sor, he promises to support the board’s choice and hopes the next president finds as much fulfillment in the position as he and Pam have.

“My goal is to make as smooth a transi-tion as we possibly can to the next presi-dent,” Money says. “I hope this president has built a platform of stability for the next president. I do believe that the best days of ACU are still ahead.”

In May 2010, Money will oversee his last ACU graduation as president, and a new university president will transition into office. The move will be a significant change for Money and the university, but Hunter said he is confident Money’s con-tribution to ACU will be a lasting one.

“People will remember Dr. Money as one who understands the role of a Chris-tian institution in higher education with a resolve to do the very best that we can do to serve the needs of students in a very important way,” Hunter says, “in a way in which it truly matters – eternally.”

Writer Christina Johnson contributed to this report.

FocusDecember 2, 2009 Page 5

contact Staff [email protected]

Photo courtesy of THE ABILENE REPORTER-NEWS

HomewardFOUND

Presidential vocation evolves from lifelong collegiate calling

Staff Report

EMILY JORGENSON File Photo

Above: Dr. Royce Money, president of the university, speaks at the dedication of the JMC Network Student Media News Lab in September 2008.

Left Above: Pam Money adjusts her husband’s graduation cap at their graduation from Abilene Christian College in 1967. The two were married in 1965.

Page 6: The Optimist Print Edition: 12/02/2009

OpinionPage 6 December 2, 2009

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

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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.

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Optimistthe

By Jordan BlakeyAtaraxia

Hushed voices. Furtive glances. Covert meet-ings. Secrecy might be appropriate for an Or-wellian novel, but there is no place for it in city government – at least ac-cording to Texas law.

During an Abilene City Council meeting Nov. 18, council mem-bers discussed joining 15 other Texas cities in a lawsuit that challenges the Texas Open Meetings Act. The council even-tually decided to table the issue, choosing not to vote either way until new information arises.

Abilene city attorney

Daniel Santee said the law – and the lawsuit – boils down to the First Amendment.

The controversy be-gan in 2004, when Alpine City Council members

were indicted for break-ing the open meetings law by sending e-mails to each other about a pend-ing issue. Though the case was dismissed, they filed a lawsuit – which

other cities have joined – claiming the law violates the free speech rights of elected officials and the potential punishments are too great.

The council mem-bers argued the actions taken against them in-fringed on their First Amendment rights to free speech; however, the members gave up those rights when they were elected as public officials.

The Open Meetings Act keeps the public in-formed and holds the government account-able, something all citi-

zens, including students, should desire. Elected officials have a respon-sibility to conduct pub-lic business in an open forum where voters can observe and comment. Openness fosters trust and, more importantly, furthers democracy.

The council also ar-gued the potential severi-ty of the punishment was too great. However, if punishment didn’t exist, people wouldn’t follow the rules. With a stricter punishment comes a greater effort to follow the rules, and it indicates how seriously we take

open government. In Abilene, Santee

said, the council isn’t worried about the law because it isn’t breaking it – and hasn’t in the 30 years since the act took effect. For Abilene coun-cil members, public trust in government is worth the risk of jail time, a fact the cities involved in the lawsuit seem to be ignoring.

Besides, making good decisions is easier when several thousand people are watching.

Local government should remain openEDITORIAL

Absolute openness causes chaosCOLUMN

Bread with Tomato Colter Hettich

Our nation’s founders understood only a rela-tively small group of people can communi-cate and eva luate ideas to success -f u l l y make an informed decision. We elect individu-als to represent us in Congress and city coun-cils, so the majority of taxpayers’ opinions should be represented.

Most would agree these representatives are obligated to be hon-est and transparent with their constituents unless it involves matters of na-tional security. The prob-lem is most disagree on the definition of a “na-tional security issue.”

National security ex-tends far beyond pro-tection from invasion and acts of terrorism. The security of our na-tion depends on peace at home as much as, if not more than, peace abroad. The working

American literally can-not afford to know ev-ery detail of every deci-sion being made across the nation.

If a teenager’s request for $100 is denied, his parents can not possibly explain every aspect of their financial situation in a way the teenager could grasp. They might say, “We have bills to pay, food to buy and we do not have $100 to spare,” but anything beyond that would only cause unnec-essary confusion.

Imagine if you ran a major corporation and had to explain every decision you made, de-scribing all your options and thought processes. You would quickly be rendered ineffective as a leader. But more impor-tantly, how would you maintain order in your office if every employee had the right to demand explanations from you and other executives at any moment? It would result in chaos.

American taxpayers have a limited right to know where their mon-ey is going, and truth be told, seem to be con-cerned only when things

are not going well. If you were living comfortably, working a secure job, saving for retirement and paying the bills, how desperate would you be to know exactly how the government spends your tax dollars?

It is the reason the En-ron Corporation and Ber-nie Madoff were able to scam investors and em-ployees out of billions of dollars. Everybody was making money; every-thing was great. Nobody asked questions.

At the city level, there are few issues that affect city secu-rity, so citizens can de-mand almost complete transparency from their council members.

The problem with American government is not the system. What better way is there? Every year we have the opportunity to re-place corrupt officials with ones we think will

better serve us. Any form of government re-quires the population to give decision-making power to one or a few individuals. At least we have the opportunity to choose ours, even though voter turnout is embarrassingly low in any race other than the presidential election.

If your current gov-ernment leaders are not trustworthy, either vote them out or run for public office your-self. If Americans were as involved as our fore-fathers wanted us to be, government openness would not be an issue.

Transparency key to building trust

COLUMN

Hacked OffChelsea Hackney

Picture Capitol Hill without people. Not a tourist or lob-byist in sight. A sign on the door of the Capitol Build-ing reads, “Govern-m e n t closed un-til further notice.”

Except u n l i k e the 1995 s h u t -down, Congress hasn’t gone home. Representa-tives are still proposing, debating and passing leg-islation – legislation the public has never heard of, much less discussed.

Taxes hike and drop, soldiers are deployed and brought home, roads are built, build-ings are demolished, treaties are signed, and average citizens notice only when they see it on their bill.

If that doesn’t sound like democracy to you, you’re in luck. It’s not.

Edmund Burke, a rep-resentative in the British House of Commons in the 1700s, articulated a trustee theory of repre-sentation. In this model, citizens “entrust” their representatives with the power to act for the com-mon good without con-stantly checking in with their constituents.

This model allows representatives to make decisions based on con-science and common sense – something most people would agree isn’t used often enough. What it does not do is shield government from public scrutiny.

Openness in govern-ment at all levels is a hallmark of democracy. Granted, some infor-mation must be confi-dential, whether for na-

tional security reasons or simply to ensure rep-resentatives can make good decisions without fear of a backlash from their constituents. And if voters distrust their representatives, they can always choose not to elect those people the next time around.

But voting some-one out of office after they’ve cheated or lied or committed adultery or stolen a dollar from the Coke machine might

make us feel better, but the damage is done. Vot-ers need to be informed before the fact, so they can make, well, informed decisions and contrib-ute to an informed dis-cussion about issues in which they have a stake. That adds up to most everything in a country with a government com-posed of the people – at least in theory.

Similar to a presump-tion of innocence in criminal cases, there should be a presumption of openness in govern-ment. Unless the state has a compelling inter-est in keeping informa-tion from the general public, it shouldn’t.

Email the Optimist at:[email protected]

The working American literally cannot afford to know every detail of every decision being made across the nation.

contact Hettich [email protected]

Similar to a presumption of innocence in criminal cases, there should be a presumption of openness in government.

contact Hackney [email protected]

Hettich

Hackney

QUICK FACTS

The Texas Open Meetings Act regulates certain types of speech by city council members. Below is a summary of key portions of the law.

n The law prohibits a quorum, or majority, of council members from meeting behind closed doors. This includes physical meetings, e-mail correspondence or phone conversations.n Council members may talk about litigation in executive session behind closed doors, but any final action must take place in public.n The law requires councils to post an agenda 72 hours prior to the next meeting. n Punishment for breaking the law includes a fine of $100-$500 and/or one to six months in county jail.

Source: www.oag.state.tx.us

Page 7: The Optimist Print Edition: 12/02/2009

December 2, 2009 Page 7From Sports

had been disconnected, Nick stopped calling.

“I really do not know why I did not call the other num-ber,” he said.

“I guess that I was just nervous. So I just saved the number on a flash drive, and it stayed there.”

After a little more time, Miriam pressed harder.

“I kept telling him that he needed to find his dad, that even though he never knew

he had a son, he deserved to know that he has a grandson now,” Miriam said.

But Nick kept finding ex-cuses, so Miriam finally took matters into her own hands. Deciding it was worth a try, she searched Facebook for the name Perry Hogsten.

“As soon as I saw the pic-ture, I knew it was Nick’s dad,” Miriam said. “They had the same face, the same ears and even the same eyes.”

After exchanging a message or two, Miriam decided to tell her husband, putting Nick in contact with the man he had

always wanted to meet. Nick and Hogsten ex-

changed e-mails and phone calls for about a month, but had not determined when they would meet face to face. Hogsten lived in Indepen-dence, Mo., which happens to be about two hours away from Maryville, Mo., home of the Bearcats. Nick knew if the Wildcats made the play-offs, they’d probably have to face Northwest Missouri – and they did.

When Nick boarded the plane with the rest of his

team, he wasn’t thinking about the game.

“I was wondering what I was going to say,” he said “I didn’t know.”

It didn’t matter. With very little sleep and no idea what was going to happen, Nick walked out to meet his father. And in one hug, 20 years faded away.

“It was just really awesome,” Nick said.

Jones: Defensive end meets father for first time FAMILY

Continued from page 8

holding the Meyer girls in check in the first half. The twins com-bined to score only nine points in the first 20 min-utes. ACU’s lack of offense and the Cardinals’ stellar shooting put the halftime score at 43-28.“We just looked out of sync,” said spectator Joc-elyn Nederhoff, freshman advertising and public re-lations major from Albur-querque, N.M. “I have seen us play better than that.”

ACU’s defense stepped up in the sec-ond half, holding the Cardinals to 17 points. Unfortunately, the Wild-cat offense was able to manage only 16 points. Jamie Meyer was the only Wildcat in double digits, with 12. She also led ACU in rebounds, 10, for a double-double.

“Defensively, I can

handle giving up 60 points in a game,” Lav-ender said. “What I can’t handle is playing of-fense like we did. That is not ACU basketball.”

Thanksgiving vacation was mostly work for the team, which went 2-1 in three away games.

The Wildcats split two games in Austin in the St. Edward’s Classic and then made the drive to Odessa to beat Texas-Permian Basin.

Jamie and Jody Meyer led the Wildcats in scoring in all three games, with four double-doubles be-tween them. Jamie scored at least 21 points in all four games this season, while Jody posted a dou-ble-double in each of the last three games.

The Wildcats are 2-2 overall this season, includ-ing one loss at home. Their first victory of the season was against St. Edward’s University on Nov. 20. Ja-

mie put up 27 points in the second half to bring the Wildcats back from a first-half deficit for a 72-62 win.

The Wildcats lost their footing early in the second Classic game against Incarnate Word. After fighting for a two-point lead in the second half, the Wildcats fell behind for good. A shot at the buzzer went up too late, and the ‘Cats lost 67-63.

Trailing seemed to be a trend in the game against Permian Basin, before ACU took a two-point lead, 47-45 at the half. The Wildcats ex-tended the lead to ten points shortly into the second half, winning 93-83.

Season: Rough start to yearWOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Continued from page 8

addition to six rebounds and three steals.

ACU’s real chance lay in several missed free throws that loosened the Patriots’ grip on victory. Unfortunately, it didn’t loosen it enough. After taking the lead, 83-82, the Patriots missed a free throw but got the rebound, forcing the Wildcats to foul again. DBU split another pair of free throws, and the Wildcats trailed 84-82 with 17 seconds left. Af-ter a failed three-point attempt by ACU and an-other foul on the Patri-ots, Preston Davis gave it one last shot – a 45-foot shot that bounced off the front rim.

“We got in the mode of trying to outscore them,” said Head Coach Jason Copeland. “We

were too focused on the offense instead of the defense. We need to fo-cus more on the defense and getting stops on our end of the floor.”

Unlike Monday’s game, the other games were not so close. The Wildcats averaged more than 101 points per game against their first three opponents.

After a blowout open-ing win against Baptist Bible, 116-74, ACU de-feated Dallas Christian 85-59. Giordan Cole scored 19 points and snagged 13 rebounds for his second double-double of the season. ACU overwhelmed the Crusaders on defense, forcing 30 turnovers.

The Wildcats contin-ued with a 104-49 win over the Hillsdale College Saints. Eddie Thompson led all scorers with 15 points; he also had five assists for the game.

A pair of conference crossover games is the next step for ACU, as they take on Cameron University on Thursday and Southwest Oklaho-ma State on Saturday.

“We are going take this loss and let it dig inside of us, so that we know how it feels. Now we can learn from it,” Heiman said. “We are going to take these next two games and go 2-0.”

Defeat: Record drops to 3-1 MEN’S BASKETBALL

Continued from page 8

contact Gwin [email protected]

It was different for me. I could not wave to my dad in the crowd like most of the kids.NICK JONESDefensive End

contact Tripp [email protected]

contact Cantrell [email protected]

Page 8: The Optimist Print Edition: 12/02/2009

SportsPage 8 December 2, 2009

THURSDAY

Women's BasketballACU vs. Cameron, 5:30 p.m.

Men's BasketballACU vs. Cameron, 7:30 p.m.

SATURDAY

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

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

HOME GAMES LISTED IN ITALICS

Upcoming

n Former ACU running back and current Cincinatti Ben-gal Bernard Scott rushed for 87 yards in the Bengals' 16-7 win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. Scott has rushed for 206 yards in two games, filling in for Cinci-natti's injured starting running back Cedric Benson.

n Former ACU wide receiver Johnny Knox caught a 24- yard touchdown pass from Jay Cutler in the Chicago Bears' 36-10 loss to the Min-nesota Vikings. Knox ranks second among all NFL rook-ies in receiving touchdowns this season, with four.

n Middle blocker Shawna Hines was named to the NCAA Division II all-South Central Region volleyball team last week. Hines led the nation in blocks in 2009, with 190, and also in blocks per set, with, 1.58.

n Cross-country runner Amos Sang finished in fourth place at the 2009 NCAA Division II National Championships. Sang crossed the line just 11 seconds behind the individual champion, Daniel Kirwa of Adams State. Sang was also named all-American after his fourth place showing.

Briefs

FAMILY

Standings

MEN'S BASKETBALLTeam Div.

Tarleton St.

TAMU-K

0-0

0-0

MSU 0-0 7-0

Angelo State 0-0 3-2

WOMEN’S BASKETBALLTeam Div.

WTAMU 0-0Tarleton St. 0-0 5-0

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

MSU 0-0 1-3

WTAMU 0-0

4-0

3-1

3-3

5-0

Ovrl.

Ovrl.

ACU 0-0 3-1

ACU 0-0 2-3

ENMU 0-0 4-1

Season ends with second-round playoff lossFOOTBALL

Jeff CraigSports Reporter

For the second consec-utive year, the Wildcats' season has ended at the hands of the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats.

The Bearcats defeat-ed ACU 35-10 in the second round of the NCAA Division II play-offs Nov. 21.

The teams commit-ted a total of seven turnovers, three by ACU and four by the Bearcats. NWMSU scored

on the opening drive of the game when La-Ron Council ran up the left side for an 8- yard score. ACU answered with a 29-yard Morgan Lineberry field goal, but 7-3 was as close as the Wildcat's got.

The Bearcats went on to score 28 unanswered points to take a 35-3 lead. Daryl Richardson scored late but to no avail as NWMSU ran out the clock on its next possession to seal the Wildcats' fate.

The Wildcats finished the 2009 season with a 9-4 record overall and a fourth-straight playoff appearance.

The 'Cats finished the season with the top over-all defense in the Lone Star Conference and the nation's top-ranked rushing defense.

Ryan CantrellAssistant Sports Editor

The Wildcats struggled to close the game against Dallas Baptist on Monday night, which ended in a narrow loss, 85-82. The loss is the first of the season and drops ACU’s record to 3-1.

ACU's four-point lead evaporated in the final three minutes of the game, after turnovers and bad possessions on offense allowed the Pa-triots to outscore them 7-2.

“We just made the little mistakes down the stretch,” said guard

Dustin Heiman, who scored 15 points and picked up a team-high six rebounds in the game.

The Wildcats didn't let DBU walk away with the victory, however,

tying 12 times and ex-changing the lead seven times. ACU forward Vladimir Garvanic led all scorers with 19 points, in

Patriots hand 'Cats first defeatMEN'S BASKETBALL

Austin GwinAssistant Sports Editor

Incarnate Word proved to be a problem the ACU women’s basketball team couldn’t solve, as the Cardinals took down the 'Cats for the second time in nine days, 60-44.

The final score of Monday's game was the lowest point total for the Wildcats since Jan. 27, 2001, when ACU scored 43 points.

“Tonight, we really played on our heels,” said Head Coach Shawna

Lavender. “Our hands were down the entire first half. We have made a habit of getting down and coming back; we just couldn’t tonight.”

The Cardinals hit seven of their 11 three-point attempts in the first half, a 60 percent average. Cardinal Nia Torru had 18 points in the first half, hitting six of the seven Incarnate Word threes.

The Incarnate Word defense did a good job

Up and down start to season continues

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

see DEFEAT page 7 see SEASON page 7

Nov. 23

Men's BasketballACU 104, Hillsdale Free Will 49

Nov. 24

Women's BasketballACU 93, Texas-Permian Basin 83

Nov. 30

Women's BasketballACU 44, Incarnate Word 60

Men's BasketballACU 82, Dallas Baptist 85

HOME GAMES LISTED IN ITALICS

Scores

ENMU 0-0 1-4

JOZIE SANDS Chief Photographer

Reggie Brown fights for yards in the Wildcats' playoff loss.

Finding His FatherA dad and his son are united at a football game

Brandon TrippSports Media Director

Nick Jones waits. Nervously checking his phone every couple of minutes, he stands in the lobby of the Ramada Inn, for updates from his wife on the progress of the car that may change his life.

As the car pulls into the parking lot, he wonders what to do. It is a moment he has played in his head countless times during the last 48 hours, but now it's here. Impatient, he bursts through the door of the ho-tel lobby and strides toward a father he has never met.

His father smiles, one hand in his pocket.

“How are you?” Nick extends his right

hand, wrapping the other arm around his dad. Perry Hogsten grips both of Nick's hands tightly before throw-ing his arms around the son he never knew he had.

Nick simply says, “It’s good to finally meet you.”

And after 20 years, nothing could be closer to the truth.

The fact the two had never met was no one's fault, just a case of bad tim-ing. In 1988, Stephanie Jones was dating Perry Hogsten, an air force sergeant stationed at Dyess Air Force Base. The two were planning to marry when Hogsten was unexpect-edly deployed to Panama.

Jones intended to wait

for him in Abilene, until she found out she was pregnant. When the pregnancy became risky, Stephanie’s mother moved her back to Amarillo, where Nick was born. When Hogsten returned a number of years later, Stephanie was gone.

“My mom told me she tried to look for him a cou-ple times,” Nick said. “But I think she got the feeling

that he had moved on.”During his childhood,

Nick played football just like any other kid – almost.

“It was different for me," Nick said. "I could not wave to my dad in the crowd like most of the kids."

Nick said he never pressed his mom for an explanation, ac-cepting it as part of who he was.

Who he was changed quick-ly when, at age 19, he and his wife of one year had a baby. Nick became a father without ever having one of his own.

Having a family was only one of Nick's accom-plishments. After standing out in track and football in

high school, he came to ACU on scholarship. He quickly made a name for himself on the track team, winning the national championship in discus his freshman and sophomore year.

Still, there was something missing.

“After we found out Miriam was pregnant, she started pushing me to find my dad.” Nick said.

So, Nick paid for an online person search, which yielded an address or two and a couple of phone numbers. After call-ing the first number, which

BRANDON TRIPP Sports Media Director

Defensive end Nick Jones meets his father, Perry Hogsten, for the first time on Nov. 20. Hogsten, a Missouri Na-tive, traveled to Maryville, Mo., to see the Wildcats' second round playoff game against Northwest Missouri.

see FATHER page 7

JOZIE SANDS Chief Photographer

Guard Preston Davis fights for the ball in Monday's loss against Dallas Baptist University.

contact Craig [email protected]

acuoptimist.com

Watch video of Nick Jones meeting his father for the

first time.


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