Six students were induct-ed into Sigma Delta Pi, the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society and ACU’s first collegiate honor society for students of Spanish.

Sigma Delta Pi is the largest foreign language honor society and has chapters across the coun-try, said Dr. Beatriz Walk-er, associate professor of Spanish and adviser of Omega Gamma, ACU’s Sigma Delta Pi chapter.

“It is very important for our students to belong to an honor society that

represents what you are studying,” Walker said. “That means you are top in your field. For students taking a foreign language as a minor or major, I would assume if they have that pride in their studies, they want to belong to an association that recogniz-es their academic ability.”

During the ceremony students read excerpts from Spanish poetry and lit-erature, and Dan Mitchell, instructor of guitar, played Spanish guitar songs.

“Nothing is more Spanish than the guitar,” Walker said.

Four of the six inductees were also appointed officers of the new honor society.

President of Sigma Delta Pi Lawson Soward, senior electronic media major from Colleyville, said he was honored when Walker

asked him to be president.“Walker is an absolutely

amazing Spanish teacher,”

Optimistthe

Friday, October 22, 2010

acuoptimist.com

1 section, 8 pages

weatherinside

page 3

websitenewsThe National Association of Professional Women named Jennifer Ellison, ACU event coordinator, 2010 Woman of the Year.

page 5

artsBrian Selznick, popular children’s literature illustrator, recently spoke to a crowd at Abilene’s Art Walk.

video Take an in-depth look at ACU’s decision to end its affiliation with the Patty Hanks Shelton School of Nursing.

75° 63°

With health care reform comes sweeping changes for every U.S. citizen – in-cluding ACU employees. While most Americans will not be affected by many of the new laws for sev-eral years, faculty and staff will experience their own reform in health benefits starting Jan. 1, 2011.

Wendy Jones, director of human resources, presented ACU’s new health benefits plan Thursday. One of the government’s changes con-cerns employees’ flexible spending accounts, which employees can take from their paychecks and put on a spending card to use for medical costs, Jones said.

Employees are receiving the account because the money is not taxable and employees receive the full amount at the beginning of the year, Jones said. The fed-eral government is enforc-ing a new maximum limit of $2,500 annually from ACU’s current cap of $8,000 starting Jan. 1, 2013. Jones said employees will also no longer be able to use this new account for some over-the-counter drugs without a prescription in 2011.

Another major change concerns health insurance providers. ACU is switching from FirstCare to BlueCross BlueShield, which is more equipped to meet ACU’s needs and will reduce costs for the university, Jones said.

University to reform faculty benefits

FACULTY

Christianna LewisSenior Reporter

Fri. Sun.Sat.

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Reunited, page 8

STUDENT GROUPS

Linda Bailey Editor In Chief

Students inducted to honor society

see EMPLOYEES page 4

The FilmFest Committee will conduct a Screenwrit-ing Workshop from 11 a.m. to noon Friday in the Mabee Library Auditorium.

Kris Young, an instructor at UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television, will speak at the workshop via Skype.

Christina Johnson, senior English major from Dallas and co-chair of the FilmFest Committee, met Young while attending the Los Angeles Film Studies Center through the Best-Semester Program,

which partners with the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities.

“He was very influential in my own writing and what I wanted to do with my life,” Johnson said. “I thought that we needed someone like him to come to the ACU campus and help students out, especially since ACU’s screenwriting class isn’t of-fered every semester.”

Young has written six movies for the Disney Chan-nel and has also produced material for Columbia,

FILMFEST

L.A. screenwriter to Skype workshop

Matthew WoodrowOpinion Editor

see WORKSHOP page 4see LANGUAGE page 4

BAILEY NEAL // Page Designer

Several students gather in the University Park Apartment Clubhouse to watch Game 5 of the seven-game series between the Texas Rangers and the New York Yankees. Students and faculty gathered in various locations around campus to watch the game.

Vol. 99, No. 18

DANIEL GOMEZ // Chief Photographer

Lawson Soward, senior electronic media major from Colleyville, receives his certificate of induction to Sigma Delta Pi Thursday at Chapel on the Hill.

Fever Students, faculty break to watch Texas take on

Yankees for pennant

The Texas Rangers continue to venture even further into the uncharted territory of post-season baseball, and fans across ACU’s campus have caught a sweeping case of

“Rangers Fever.”Several groups of fans gathered in various

locations around campus to watch Game 5 of the American League Championship Se-ries between the Rangers and New York Yan-kees, hoping to see the Rangers secure their spot in the World Series.

“They’ll at least go all the way to the World Series,” said Bradley Campbell, senior psychol-ogy major from Abilene. “I was raised in Fort Worth and grew up going to all the games. You can’t grow up there and not be a Rangers fan.”

At 7-2 the Yankees were ultimately victo-rious in Game 5, but the Rangers still lead the best-of-seven series 3-2.

The televisions in the McGlothlin Campus Center were tuned to the game, and several stu-dents gathered around the screens to watch.

Other students headed to dorm lobbies across campus. Cason Dickson, a student in the graduate school of theology from Nor-mal, Ill., watched the game in the Mabee Hall lobby. He said he is confident the Rang-ers are headed to the World Series.

“I genuinely think with the way they’ve played the last three games that it would take an act of God for them to fumble this one,” Dickson said.

The Rangers’ recent success has also created a following of new fans who are cheering for the

team. John Martin, freshman advertising and public relations major from Pflugerville, is nor-mally a Houston Astros fan, but he is cheering for the Rangers during the 2010 playoffs.

“Truthfully, I’m an Astros fan, but they are trash this year,” Martin said. “So I decided to root for the Rangers this year.”

Even with the Rangers’ success, the Yan-kees still have their loyal followers on cam-pus. Timmy Fuentes, sophomore business management major from Monahans, has been a Yankees fan his whole life. He said he has been surprised with the series so far but thinks the Yankees still have a chance to win.

“The Yankees haven’t been too hot this year, but they are still the Yankees,” Fuentes said.

RANGER

see FANS page 4

staff report

Abilene Christian University

announcements

Friday 24Sunday

Friday, October 22, 2010

calendar & events

22 Saturday23 25Monday

44

Chapel

Credited Chapels to date

Checkup35 Credited

Chapels remaining

Don’t give prowlers an easy view - close your blinds and curtains at night so people cannot see into your residence.

Tuesday, Oct. 123:16 a.m. Abilene Police called ACU Police for as-sistance with a reported assault at The Grove apart-ment complex. ACU Police contacted the victim, who reported he had been walk-ing around and was jumped and hit by two men. He was transported to Hendrick Hospital by ambulance for treatment of a cut over his right eye.

Wednesday, Oct. 138:05 a.m. An ACU employee reported the handicap park-ing spaces in the Campus Center lot were blocked again due to construction.

Thursday, Oct. 1410 a.m. Campus Center officials reported that a person previously barred from campus and issued a criminal trespass warning by ACU Police was on cam-pus in the Campus Center. The subject left the Campus Center prior to police arriv-al, but officers located the subject in the Nelson Hall parking lot. The subject was arrested for Class B Crimi-nal Trespassing and booked into the Taylor County Jail by ACU Police. 2:15 p.m. Someone report-ed they lost their iPhone on the Lunsford Trail.

Friday, Oct. 151:30 a.m. ACU Police han-dled a loud party and un-deraged alcohol violations in the 1400 block of Cedar Crest Drive.8 p.m. Someone reported her bicycle had been stolen from the bike rack on the north side of Gardner Hall.

Saturday, Oct. 1611:30 HSU Police notified ACU Police that three ACU track and field hurdles were on the HSU campus. ACU Police retrieved the hurdles and returned them to Elmer Gray Stadium.6:26 p.m. ACU Police assi-ated Abilene Police with a major accident at Highway 351 and Stamford Street.

Sunday, Oct. 1712:20 a.m. Someone re-ported a loud party at a resi-dence in the 2900 block of Garfield Avenue.

Tuesday, Oct. 191:20 a.m. ACU Police as-sisted a citizen who arrived home on Griffith Road to find a door open at their house. ACU Police checked the house. Everything was OK.

Report all suspicious activity to the ACU Police Department at (325) 674-2305.

Police LogEdited for space

ACU Police Tip of the Week

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

2Campus Day

Screenwriting Work-shop. Students seeking to improve their writing abilities are invited to hear Chris Young, UCLA/LAFSC professor and screenwrit-er will speak at a FilmFest screenwriting workshop from 11 a.m. -12 p.m. Oct. 23 in the Mabee Library Auditorium.

Dallas White Rock Mara-thon. Students wishing to run the Dallas White Rock Marathon or Half-Marathon can sign up with ACU to receive a $20 rebate, a free ACU running shirt and a free pre-race

party. Register to run at www.acu.edu/whiterock

A Crash Course in Photog-raphy, Poetry and Fiction Writing. The Shinnery Review, ACU’s student art and literary magazine, is hosting a free, one-day crash course in photography, poetry,and fiction writing from 1 - 4 p.m. Oct. 23 in the Living Room of the Cam-pus Center. Students are welcome and encouraged to refine their skills or learn something new.

Casting Crowns will give a concert with special

guest Lainey Wright at 7 p.m. Oct. 28 at the Taylor County Coliseum. Advance tickets are $30 ($20 for groups of 15 or more) or $25 for general admission tickets ($20 for groups of 15 or more). Call (325) 677-4376 or visit www.liveatthepark.com for more information.

Graduate and Professional School Fair will take place from 1:30 -3:30 p.m. Oct. 27 in the McCaleb Conference Center (Hunter Welcome Center). Recruiters from graduate and professional

schools from across the country will answer questions concerning the programs their schools offer and the admission process. Featured schools include: ACU, Dallas Baptist University, Hardin-Simmons University, McMurry University, Texas Tech, University of Texas and University of North Texas.

FCA, the ACU chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, meets at 9 p.m. every Thursday in the Liv-ing Room of the McGlothlin Campus Center.

11 a.m. Praise Day in Moody Coliseum

4 p.m. Soccer game at Angelo State University

11 a.m. FilmFest Screenwriting Workshop in Mabee Library Auditorium

2 p.m. Home volleyball game vs. Southeastern Oklahoma State

3 p.m. Football game at Eastern New Mexico University

12 p.m. Soccer game at Incarnate Word

11 a.m. Chapel in Moody Coliseum

October 22, 2010 Page 3CAMPUS NEWS

ACU Event Coordinator Jen-nifer Ellison recently earned recognition from America’s largest and most recognized network community for professional women. Two weeks ago, Ellison received a letter from the National Association of Professional Women (NAPW) awarding her its prestigious title 2010 Woman of the Year.

“It’s definitely an honor to be amidst such profes-sional women who are known to have great in-fluence and are on top of their professional fields,” Ellison said.

Ellison was among the one percent of members chosen to even be consid-

ered for the title. Stepha-nie Jackson, representa-tive from the NAPW office in New York, said women had to receive an invita-tion into the organization before they could even begin the application and interview process.

“Ultimately, the Board of Directors made their deci-sion by looking at her in-terview when she became a member,” Jackson said, add-ing that a research team also

scrutinized the final choice.Colleague and friend

Morgan Wilks worked with Ellison for two years while she was a student. After graduation, Ellison was asked to serve as events coordinator.

“She’s amazing at what she does,” Wilks said. “While I was working with her, she was not the typi-cal boss; she made the job fun. How she does her job just inspires me.”

Ellison graduated from ACU in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science degree in family and consumer science and business administration. She is currently working on nu-merous campus and com-munity events, including the Veterans Day Tribute, the Earl Young luncheon and a Boy Scout dinner.

“For University Events, we strive to retain a cutting edge reputation,” Ellison said. “We want to continue to grow in the department and to keep ACU events at the front of higher education.”

However, she also deems the opportunity to impact other women important.

“I strive to be a positive role model to women on campus and encourage professional growth and commitment to

service,” she said.Ellison is also involved in

some capacity with the As-sociation of Collegiate Con-ference and Event Directors International, the Meeting

Professionals International and the International Spe-cial Events Society.

Group promotes hip-hopSTUDENT GROUPS

contact Ferguson atmlf10a@acu.edu

Marissa FergusonStaff Reporter

University events director earns national award

Sanctify, a hip-hop dance group that has performed on campus in the past, recently conducted auditions and now has more than 12 members.

The group’s mission is to praise the Lord through hip-hop dance, not to change ACU’s policy on dancing, said Tom Craig, the group’s sponsor, and Teri Wilkerson, the group’s adviser.

“I’m really impressed with the talent we have. I’ve never seen so much dancing at ACU. I think it’s really a step forward,” said Joshua Cook, freshman musical theater major from Abilene. “It’s real-ly changing some things and making new things happen.”

Sanctify’s first perfor-mances were Oct. 1-2 in

Cullen Auditorium. The group began with between eight and nine students, but after auditions its numbers jumped to around 14.

Eean Cochran, freshman musical theater major from Fort Worth, was one of the students selected from the pool of dancers at Sunday’s audition. He said he learned about the auditions through the Dance Discovery Studio.

“The auditions were great; a lot of people showed up,” said Cochran. ”We did fun, fast-paced dancing.”

Cochran said Sanctify ex-pects to conduct a couple of shows in Cullen Audito-rium this year. The group also hopes to perform at Sing Song and FilmFest in the spring.

“We just want open minds,” Cochran said. “Danc-ing is not just a thing – it’s a

passion. It’s something I do to make people happy and to open minds to dancing with purpose and passion.”

The group performs mostly fast-paced themed dances along with lyrical hip-hop and contemporary pieces, cook said. Members focus on a verse that tells a story and try to present that message in their dance.

“We want to get people to understand that hip-hop isn’t all just the vulgar things we hear on the ra-dio and stuff,” said Cook. “There is actually Christian hip-hop out there. There are people trying to spread the message through the type of modern music that we listen to.”

Jozie SandsOnline Editor

contact Sands atjgs07a@acu.edu

STAFF

I strive to be a positive role model to women on campus and encourage professional growth and commitment to service.

JENNIFER ELLISON // director of university events‘‘ ’’

The second-annual Grad-uate and Professional School Fair will take place from 1:30-3:30 p.m. Wednesday in the McCa-leb Conference Center of the Robert D. and Shirley Hunter Welcome Center.

Abilene’s three universi-ties – ACU, Hardin-Simmons University, and McMurry University – organized the event, which will be hosted by the West Texas Central Consortium.

Twenty-six schools will present their graduate and professional programs at the fair, including the Uni-versity of Texas, Texas Tech

University, Texas Woman’s University, Dallas Baptist University and the Uni-versity of North Texas. No RSVP is required to attend, and business casual attire is recommended.

Several universities will have multiple representa-tives showcasing specific interests. For example, Texas Tech will have repre-sentatives from its Univer-sity Health Sciences Center School of Pharmacy.

“This is a great oppor-tunity for students con-sidering going to graduate school to ask questions about admission require-ments and learn more about specific programs,” said Bradon Owens, ACU

Career Center employer relations manager.

Rachel Elam, ACU Ca-reer Center Office Manager, said the event continues to expand and offer students more opportunities.

“We have more schools registered this year than last,” Elam said. “It is a growing event that Abilene universities plan to contin-ue hosting in the future.”

The UNT Health Science Center will conduct a semi-nar on Careers in Biomedical Sciences immediately follow-ing the fair. The seminar will take place at 3:30 p.m. in the Alumni Conference Room located on the second floor of the Hunter Welcome Cen-ter. This event is for anyone

interested in an alternative to medical or dental school.

The seminar will focus on a variety of professions in academia and the clinical field, as well as the graduate programs offered at UNT Health Science Center Grad-uate School of Biomedical Sciences. Speakers will ad-dress how to pay for gradu-ate school, how to succeed and job availability.

For more information on the Graduate and Pro-fessional Fair and the UNT seminar, contact the ACU Career Center at 674-2473 or online at www.acu.edu/careercenter.

Fair to feature graduate schoolsCAMPUS

Laura GasvodaStaff Reporter

contact Gasvoda atlag08a@acu.edu

STACY ACTON // Staff Photographer

Joe Thompson, member of the Big Country Astronomy Club, helps Christopher Burkes look through a telescope on top of the Grace Museum at Abilene’s monthly Art Walk on Oct. 14.

Seeing Stars

Page 4 October 22, 2010FROM THE FRONT

“If they keep playing well I think they can come back and win the series.”

The Rangers also have the support of President Phil Schubert, who said his entire family supports the Rangers.

“My son has developed several different dance moves when the Rangers do well,” Schubert said.

Schubert said Rangers’ outfielder Josh Hamilton is his family’s favorite player, and he believes the Rangers will come out on

top in their series with the New York Yankees.

Game 6 of the ALCS will be played at 7:07 p.m. Fri-day back in Texas at Rang-ers Ballpark in Arlington.

Nickelodeon, CBS and Tri-mark Pictures.

The workshop is open up to everyone interested in expanding their writing capabilities. Many faculty, staff and students have expressed interest and have submitted questions to Young, which they hope he will answer over Skype on Saturday.

The workshop will focus on writing in the three-act structure for a full film, but it will also highlight ways to incorporate that pro-cess in a condensed time frame for short films.

Sandra Amstutz, se-nior electronic media major from La Seria and a co-chair of the FilmFest Committee,said she hopes

to see more events during the year.

“Last year we had a workshop on directing; now we’re doing one on screenwriting and how to write better,” Amstutz said. “This year we’re hop-ing to have two or three more spread out through-out the year.”

The workshops were created after FilmFest was moved from the fall to the spring semester, as a way to help participants pre-pare for and learn about the film-making process before actually competing.

“We didn’t have very many participants in years past because [Film-Fest] came so fast into the school year and caught people off guard,” John-son said. “When I became

co-chair three years ago I met with Provost Dr. Dwayne VanRheenen. We talked about how FilmFest should be more focused and have a theme. We de-cided it would help if it was moved from the fall to the spring.”

Amstutz said the Film-Fest Screenwriting Work-shop was not advertised outside of campus but welcomes anyone in the community.

The FilmFest Com-mittee also hopes this weekend’s workshop will encourage participation in the upcoming 24-hour Film Festival on Nov. 6.

Soward said. “Because she has been so instrumental to my learning, it was some-thing I wanted to rise to, regardless of how much my other time commitments might pile up.”

Soward studied abroad in Montevideo during the spring semester of his sophomore year. He said he wanted to be a part of Sigma Delta Pi because of the love for Spanish he picked up while abroad.

“Ever since I studied abroad I’ve really loved everything about the lan-guage,” Soward said. “Being able to be in a society that extenuates everything I’ve been a part of in my minor sounded like a good idea.”

Students must com-plete two advanced Spanish

courses, have a 3.5 GPA and complete the appropriate forms to be evaluated for en-trance, Walker said.

Communications officer Aaron Shaver, senior voca-tional missions major from Tyler, said he is in the Depart-ment of Biblical Studies but doesn’t see himself working on church staff. He said his Spanish background would help in future job searches.

“In a lot of ways, my membership in Sigma Delta Pi might get me more job opportunities than my Bible degree,” Shaver said.

Walker said belonging to Sigma Delta Pi is a benefit to any job that requires a differ-ent language.

“This is an honor that is with you for life,” Walker said. “When you go to ap-ply for a job, maybe you can

say you speak another language, but if your tran-script can say that you are qualified to use that different language, and if you belong to an honor society within that field of the second language, of course you are a shoe in, I would imagine.”

Employees: University changes health benefitsBlueCross offers a 24-hour nurse line, a vast network of health care providers em-ployees can choose from without a referral and the option to service at Abilene Regional Hospital or Hen-drick Hospital, Jones said.

“That’s really going to be great for a lot of us,” Jones said. “All hospitals nation-wide who take BlueCross will be open for us.”

One of the biggest changes from the switch is the discounted rate it offers through providers in place of co-pays. While employees had been able to make a doctor’s appoint-ment for a $20 co-pay, they will now have to pay the discounted price, which will vary by provider.

Rather than an HMO or POS plan, ACU has set up a Health Care Account, a set amount of money ACU will provide each employee and his or her family every year for medical and pre-scription costs only. This money will make up part of an annual deductible – the rest of which will be the employees’ responsibility.

Employees can choose when and how much they use their account to cover medical expenses, Jones said. Any money left over will be added to the next year’s account. If employ-ees’ medical costs meet the deductible’s threshold, ACU will pay 100% of their medical costs for the rest of the year.

Single employees will have a Health Care Account of $1,000 and a deductible of $3,000. Employees with spouses or children will have a Health Care Account of $2,000 and a deductible of $6,000, Jones said.

Dr. Steven Ward, asso-ciate professor of music, questioned the philosophy behind the Health Care Ac-count allotment system.

“How is a couple with no children costing more than a couple with two children?” Ward said in the

presentation. “It doesn’t make sense how that helps the family.”

Ward, a father of two, said while he likes some of the changes to ACU’s health benefits, he is concerned about the $4,000 gap fami-lies will have to pay out of pocket before receiving more than $2,000.

“I’m going to have to look very carefully at the way it’s going to impact our family,” Ward said. “Obviously in the new system we’re going to meet that $2,000 faster than before because we don’t have co-pay.”

Dr. Cheryl Bacon, chair of the Department of Jour-nalism and Mass Com-munication, said she was a faculty representative during the planning stage of the new health benefits plan. ACU is allocating the same amount for couples as families because a cou-

ple without children is statistically more costly than a couple with chil-dren, Bacon said.

The plan will probably be more beneficial for singles and larger fami-lies than those who fall between that range, said Rachel Foster, benefits and compensation spe-cialist. However, she said the plan should help em-ployees lower their health care costs and prepare the university for the national health care reform.

“It’s very much of a con-sumer-driven plan that will start to make employees more aware of their health care costs,” Foster said. “We believe that making this change in 2011 is go-ing to put us ahead of the game for many health care changes to come.”

For more information about the changes in ACU health benefits, including the slide-show presenta-tion Jones presented, staff and faculty can visit www.employeebenefitswebsite.com/acu.com/acu.

FACULTY

quick factsThe university has changed the health care benefits package it offers to its employees. The majority of changes can be found in four key areas:

Health Insurancen ACU will switch from First Care to BlueCross BlueShield of Texas on Jan. 1, 2011.n BlueCross offers an open network with a 97.9% network utilization guarantee, rather than an HMO/POS plan.n Instead of co-pays, BlueCross will provide discounts through its network of health care providers.n BlueCross covers one annual doctor’s appointment and 100% of preventive care.

Health Care Accountsn The HCA is a set amount of money ACU will allot each employee and his or her family every year for medical and prescription costs only.n The HCA is $1,000 for singles and $2,000 for couples and families.n Employees can decide how much and when they want to use the HCA. Unused dollars roll-over annually to the amount of the deductible.

Deductiblesn The deductible represents a threshold annual medical expense met by the HCA, the flexible spending account and an employee’s personal expenses.n The deductible is set at $3,000 for singles and $6,000 for couples and families.n When an employee reaches the deductible, ACU will pay 100% of medical expenses for the rest of the year. If the deductible is reached after Oct. 1, ACU will provide for the following year.

Flexible Spending Accountsn A flexible spending account is an amount of money employees can withdraw from their paychecks to use only for health expenses. It does not roll over annually.n The card will no longer be effective for some over-the-counter drugs without a prescription.n The card’s cap will change from $8,000 to $2,500 starting Jan. 1, 2013 for the next year.

Continued from page 1

contact Lewis atcll09a@acu.edu

I’m going to have to look very carefully at the way it’s going to impact our family.

DR. STEVEN WARD // associate professor of music‘‘ ’’

Language: National societyinducts students of Spanish

STUDENT GROUPS

Continued from page 1

contact Bailey atljb07a@acu.edu

Fans: Campus watches gameCAMPUS

Continued from page 1

contact Staff atoptimist@jmcnetwork.com

Workshop: UCLA teacherto conduct online lecture

FILMFEST

Continued from page 1

contact Woodrow atmrw08a@acu.edu

quick factsSix students were inducted into Sigma Delta Pi:

n President Lawson Soward, senior electronic media major from Colleyvillen Vice President Emily Miller, junior management major from Grapevinen Secretary Leslie Record, senior communication sciences and disorders major from College Stationn Communications Officer Aaron Shaver, senior vocational missions major from Tylern Amanda McAdams, senior social work major from Hendersonn Abby Allison, senior vocational missions major from Amarillo

ArtsOctober 22, 2010 Page 5

Abilene Events

FRIDAYTejas Storytelling Association Tumbleweed FestivalVarying TimesDowntown Abilene

SATURDAY-SUNDAYBuffalo Gap Fall Festival and ParadeVarying timesBuffalo Gap

New Releases

ACU Events

Fake ConversationSocial NetworkingHHII

Whether you need a quick escape from an awkward dinner date, you want to appear deep in conversa-tion or you just want to try out a new practical joke, the Fake Conversation app is a must. The app allows you to preselect a “situation,” call the app number and then repeat a script provided by the recording. In other words, you can fake a crisis, a conversation with a pretend celebrity or employer, or an imaginary girlfriend. Fake Conversation boasts 50 personality options, several language choices, and a speaker mode in order to replay your recorded conversations with friends. Available for free at the iTunes app store.

Jordana Torrez, Soprano8 p.m.Recital HallWilliams Performing Arts Center

FRIDAY

Study Abroad Art Show5 p.m.Shore Art Gallery

FRIDAY

Shinnery Review Crash Course in Poetry, Photography & Fiction1 p.m.-4 p.m.Campus Center Living Room

SATURDAY

SATURDAY-SUNDAYHaunted Abilene6 p.m.-11 p.m.The Swenson House

App of the Week

Hereafter(Warner Bros. Pictures)

Oct. 22

Duo Piano Concert featuring Jim Rauscher & Richard Fountain8 p.m.Recital HallWilliams Performing Arts Center

THURSDAY

Illustrator Extraordinaire

Under the artificially twin-kling sky of Abilene’s downtown Paramount Theater, the curtain pulled back and the audience

was introduced to “the man whose name is synonymous with brilliant.”

Brian Selznick burst into Abilene’s Art Walk, Thursday Oct. 14, in snazzy silver shoes, a stylishly coordinat-ing belt and a blast of personality. Selznick is the Manhattan-based au-thor and illustrator of several award-winning children’s books, including The Invention of Hugo Cabret and The Houdini Box. He is also the illustrator of Frindle and The Doll People.

From the moment his presenta-tion began, the atmosphere inside the historic theater was buzzing with the energy of his clever and creative enthusiasm.

“I thought it was the perfect place,” said Asja Leznina, sopho-more art education major from Es-tonia. “It was so fairy-tale-ish, and

his stories are like real-life fairy tales.”

The National Cen-ter for Children’s Il-

lustrated Literature ( N C C I L )

brought Selznick to Abilene and host-ed his evening at the Paramount in conjunction with the current showing of his work at its downtown gallery, which will be on display until Jan. 29.

“I didn’t expect somebody that awesome to come to Abilene,” Leznina said.

Selznick gave an engaging, mul-timedia presentation about his life, work and creative process – includ-ing baby pictures, his favorite child-hood storybook (Remy Charlip’s Fortunately), and pictures of him-self inside a statue of a dinosaur.

His presentation revealed both a dedication to his craft and a natural talent. He showed doll-models and clothes he made by hand and pictures of monsters he drew as a grade-schooler that could easily hang in Shore Art Gallery next to senior art students’ work.

“I always thought it was important to draw what I wanted,” Selznick said.

Selznick concluded his presentation with a showing of Georges Me-lies’, Trip to the Moon,

which he nar-

rated with characteristic flair. Dan McGregor, associate professor of art and design, attended the event and was especially enthusiastic about Selznick’s presentation, praising his “beautifully hatched drawings that feel like they are made of static and dust.”

The playful, curious Selznick pri-vately admits to sculpting shapes out of kneaded erasers and taking inspi-rational naps on his desk when he gets stuck during his creative process. He likes magic, monsters, movies and mysteries, and his artistic heroes range from Caravaggio to Maurice Sendack.

His advice to aspiring Selznicks was simple: “Do what you like. Love your project – there has to be a reason for it to exist.” After a thoughtful pause he added, “And don’t be afraid of failing.”

The Invention of Hugo Ca-bret, Selznick’s latest and most celebrated work, won the Cal-decott Medal and is currently being made into a 3D film directed by Martin Scorsesi. Influenced by his interest in early French cinema, Hugo Cabret is a unique, 533-page combination of words and il-lustrations that pulls us into

a boy’s world in a 1940s Paris train station – a world filled with machinery,

silent movies and mystery. With each turn of the page the reader enters another engaging scene, some-times expressed in words and sometimes in S e l z n i c k ’s

b e a u -

tifully rendered, carefully composed graphite illustrations.

For Selznick, “a book is a tech-nology” — and he utilizes this technology to its full potential. Every page of Hugo Cabret feels magical, somehow managing to weave a story about automa-tons, friendship, clockmaking, mystery, trains and family into a book that is really all about his-toric French filmmaking.

Like the story’s interlocking mechanisms, Selznick has care-fully crafted and fitted the pieces of Hugo Cabret into an intricate and ingenious machine. He also gives readers the tools and freedom they need to enjoy it, and leaves it up to them to keep the story in motion with each turn of the page.

Selznick’s presentation revealed the otherwise hidden cogs and gears of his imaginative process that cre-ate his fantastic and complex world – a world that, like Selznick’s favorite kind of story, “feels magical, but isn’t.”

IMAGES COURTESY OF NCCIL

Above: The cover illustration from Selznick’s book, The Houdini Box; Below: The cover of Andrew Clement’s 1996 award-winning book, Frindle, was illustrated by Selznick.

Children’s book author and illustrator, Brian Selznick, speaks on the passion behind his creative process

by Bethany Bradshaw, Contributing Writer

FRIDAYHaunted Abilene6 p.m.-11 p.m.The Swenson House

TUESDAYFiddler on the Roof7:30 p.m.Abilene Civic Center

THURSDAYCasting Crowns7 p.m.Taylor County Coliseum

SATURDAYMontage Festivals-Arts and Crafts ShowVarying timesAbilene Civic Center

The Company Men(The Weinstein Company)

Oct. 22

Inhale(IFC Films)

Oct. 22

Rising Stars(Doberman Entertainment)

Oct. 22

Kalamity(Screen Media)

Oct. 22

Paranormal Activity 2(Paramount Pictures)

Oct. 22

Your Average JoBy Jozie Sands

I don’t believe in travel mugs.Don’t get me wrong, I

love coffee. The taste of coffee is more pleas-ing than any food, and the caffeine in coffee is more ben-eficial than a full night’s sleep. I just can’t dig the travel mug.

The point of a travel mug is to free the coffee drinker from the house or neighbor-hood coffee shop. The handy sippy-cup lid prevents the beverage from sloshing out of the cup during transit, and the insulated cup has been keeping hands cool and cof-fee hot for years. It’s a great

invention – it might even be the best since sliced bread. But the principle of the trav-el mug is what bothers me.

Its existence proves that the world has be-come a place that can’t rest. The death of the front porch and the con-stant link to work pro-vided by smart phones marks the passing of lei-sure. People feel a need to get ahead – to get some-where. The travel mug fa-cilitates that desire.

A cup of coffee with a book, a friend or just your own thoughts can provide an instant break. It gives the drinker a 15-minute window to enjoy life. Peo-ple don’t have time to en-joy life, because they are too busy making it better. I often fall into the mind-set that I need to concen-

trate all of my time on im-proving my life, whether that means improving my grades, finding a career or figuring out how I will eventually make enough money to live on.

Coffee is meant to bring joy to peoples’ lives. It is the perfect breakfast companion, a reason to sit down with friends in the afternoon or a great way cultivate relationships with professionals that we all hope will us lead to that first job after college.

But like many of life’s pleasures, it has been soiled by a need to get there. ‘There’ might not be all it’s cracked up to be, so just take some time and enjoy what’s here.

Just stop. Take a mo-ment and a cup of cof-fee to think about things. Stop and ponder, muse, reflect – whatever you want to call it – over a sta-tionary cup of coffee.

How much should our government control the video game industry? This has been a question al-most since the first video game hit the shelves.

One of the first video games that generated re-views from the National Safety Council and numer-ous protests was the 1976 arcade game, “Death Race.” The gamer controlled a car used to run over gremlins that made their way into the vehicle’s path.

Since then, as video game graphics have improved, so have the protests.

When games such as “Mortal Kombat” and

“Doom” reached the mar-ket, senators Joe Lieber-man and Herb Kohl led the 1992-93 hearings regard-ing video game violence. The government gave its ultimatum: either make your own rating system, or we’ll make one for you.

After several different rat-ing systems were suggested, the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) be-came the the standard in September 1994.

ESRB’s current ratings include Early Childhood (eC), Everyone (E), Ev-eryone 10+ (E10+), Teen (T), Mature (M) and Adult Only (AO).

Because even the Mature rating is so vague, the ESRB not only places the rating on the video game box, but also provides content de-scriptors, such as “Strong Language,” “Nudity,” “In-tense Violence” and several others that give a clearer reason for the rating.

In October 2005 Cali-fornia governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a law fining $1,000 to anyone who sold or rented violent video games to minors, with “violent” defined as the player offensively “kill-ing, maiming, dismember-ing or sexually assaulting an image of a human being.”

The law was struck down in courts on First Amendment grounds, but it is set to be reviewed by the Supreme Court in early 2011 after an appeal from the State of California.

While a forced volun-tary rating system isn’t exactly voluntary, we still don’t think the govern-ment should take a more active role in enforcing regulation of video game sales. To prevent further regulations, sellers should be more concerned with the ages of their custom-ers. Mature games are suggested only for ages 17 and up, and sellers should

respect that suggestion just as they would R-rated movie ticket sales.

Parents should also take a more active role in moni-toring what material their children are exposed to. Between the rating and the descriptor, parents should be able to decide if a par-ticular video game is ap-propriate for their child. If they’re still not sure, they

can review the game online or play it themselves.

Video games are not all “Mario” and “Sonic” – the Teen, Mature and Adult Only ratings are placed on the box for a reason. Indi-viduals should be aware of that fact, so the govern-ment doesn’t have to be.

OpinionPage 6 October 22, 2010

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

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

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

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

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

Address letters to: ACU Box 27892 Abilene, TX 79699

E-mail letters to: optimist@acu.edu

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Optimistthe

Government reviewing game ratingsEDITORIAL

Dog metaphor offers standard

COLUMN

Small Town HeroBy Alan Cherry

I was in my car the other day going somewhere or other, and in the dry grass of the church on my right, I noticed a dog. The late afternoon s u n l i g h t g l e a m e d off his thin fur coat to reveal an i m p r e s -sive musculature for such a young Labrador. He was well-groomed and clean, which I thought was odd for a stray. His fur was a brownish-yel-low, sort of a lager-colored amber in the late afternoon sunlight.

I noticed he wore a nice leather collar, but I didn’t see any owner in sight while he ran around the church-yard, sniffing at the ground and bushes and street signs. He wasn’t act-ing like a feral dog, but since his master was no-where around, he wasn’t showing the restraint and discipline I’m sure he usually would have.

I sat in my car and be-came entranced by this dog. Before me was pure animal. After genera-tions of what appeared to be good breeding, he had become fast and strong – nature’s ath-lete. He could probably find food and shelter, though no one had sat him behind a desk for years and made him answer questions and complete hours of busy-

work to teach him how to do so.

He eventually stopped his errant sniffing to look into each of the cars (I’m sure it was into each of the cars, not simply at each of them) as we drew to a stop at the traffic light on the street next to him. When he looked at me there was more than just a mere flicker of intelligence. Sure, his thoughts were canine, but they were intelligent nevertheless.

I watched him play, running back and forth, content to simply live and explore the world. He looked happy, just sniffing the bushes and chasing the birds. He had

no responsibilities, no worries, no masters. He had no forebrain making him question and doubt the world or himself. I envied him as I sat there idling in my car, in traffic, on my way to work.

Then the light turned green, and I drove off. I watched him through my rearview mirror. Just as the dog was nearly out of sight, I saw him sniff at a pole, lift his leg and urinate all over it.

I remembered then that despite all of his ad-mirable qualities, he was, after all, still just a dog.

contact The Optimist atjmcnetwork@acu.edu

the issueThe video game rating system is often unclear, and the government is debating regulating sales.

our takeIndividuals need to take responsibility in monitoring vio-lent video game usage in homes and stores.

Sands

Coffee provides break for weary

Cherry

COLUMN

The principle of the travel mug is what bothers me. Its existence proves that the world has become a place that can’t rest.

contact Cherry atarc07a@acu.edu

By Morgan DavisThe Funny Funnies

He could probably find food and shelter, though no one had sat him behind a desk for years and made him answer questions.

contact Sands atjgs07a@acu.edu

October 22, 2010 Page 7FROM SPORTS

vs.

Offense

Defense

SpecialTeams

OptimistPick

Just because the Greyhounds have a 100 snap offense,doesn’t mean they have the better offense. Quarterback Wesley Wood has thrown 23 touchdowns this season but also has 16 interceptions. Gale, on the other hand, has thrown just one interception and 22 touchdowns.

The Wildcats have been stopping opponents all season long, including Harlon Hill candidate Zack Eskridge two weeks ago. The Greyhounds do lead the conference in pass defense efficeincy but have given up too many points to bad teams.

The kicking game has struggled recently for the Wildcats, including a few miscues on field goals. But the Wildcats still get the advantage here with so many potent returners like Darrell Cantu-Harkless, Kendrick Johnson, and, as we found out last week, Charcandrick West.

38 20The Wildcats have done a great job this season beating the opponents they are expected to beat, and at 3-4 the Greyhounds are another one of those opponents. The offense will need to run the ball a bit more than they have in past weeks to keep Eastern New Mexico’s offense off the field. In the end ACU will be too much on both sides of the ball.

CoachingCoach Thomsen has never lost to Coach Mark Ribaudo, and it doesn’t look like this year will change that. Thomsen has also prepared his players well for the run and gun offense they will face this week.

Gates: Sweet reunion

The car quickly pulled a U-turn and followed behind on a side road – and first time in 15 years, Gates laid eyes on his father.

“It was just relief,” Ed-mund said. “It was over-whelming, because it’s some-thing I always wanted.”

Edmund walked up to his father and shook his hand, but Edward Gates instead pulled his son in tight and held him for the first time in a long time.

“It’s a lot of emotions for me, because I have been gone so long, and he was so young when I left, he was just a baby,” Edward said.

Edward was incarcerated in 1992 for his part in a mur-der involving drugs in Wichi-ta County. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison and 20 years without his son.

“I knew there was the pos-sibility that I might not get out until 2012,” Edward said. “How could I tell a 6-year-old that ‘you might be 24 or 26 when I get out.’”

Every time he spoke with his son on the phone he said three simple things: I’m coming home soon, mind your mother, and mind your grandmother.

And Edmund did.“I knew that I could follow

his footsteps and it would be real easy,” Edmund said. “He had a lot of respect in our community.”

All Edmund would have needed to do to find trou-ble was mention his fa-ther’s name. But he heeded his father’s advice, kept his nose clean and went a dif-ferent way.

However, Edmund was still tempted to fall into the

lifestyle so many people he knew had already fallen into.

“Of course there were temptations,” Edmund said. “Me coming to Abilene Christian was my escape from the streets and just that type of lifestyle.”

It wasn’t just the tempta-tions he had to ignore – it was the people who told him he was going to be just like his father.

“He told me he would hear this all day everyday ‘you’re just like your daddy, you’re going to do the same things as your daddy, you’re going to be in trouble,’” Ed-ward said.

But in a letter Edmund wrote his father, he said he had gone the other way and had surprised them. He wasn’t just the chip off the old block.

Edmund proved his doubters wrong again when an unusual set of circum-stances brought him to the university in 2007. When his cousin and former Wildcat Bernard Scott came to ACU to play football, Edmund de-cided to come with him. At the time, he was a basketball player in Vernon and figured he would try to earn a spot on the basketball roster.

During the summer Ed-mund decided he would give football a try. The re-ceiver approached head coach Chris Thomsen and asked if he could play foot-ball. After a tryout, Gates made the team and began to play that season.

“He didn’t play high school football,” Thomsen said. “He was a basketball little 5-feet 9-inches guy in high school.”

He has turned into much more than that, both as a player and as a man.

“I’ve seen him handle all kinds of situations, and I know he’ll handle this one just as well as all the others,” Thomsen said.

Edmund attributes his entire situation and his life – both the good and the bad – to being part of God’s plan, which he believes played a part in how his fa-ther was released.

Edmund was ready to meet his father as soon as he heard the news nearly two weeks ago that his fa-ther would be released in Huntsville. A week-and-a-half later Edmund learned his father would be released Oct. 20 in Abilene.

Edward never requested he be released in the city where his son lives and plays football, but that’s how it worked out.

“I thought about it and said ‘it’s a blessing from God,’” Edward said.

After 18 years of only see-ing him inside prison walls, Edmund will finally look up in the stands one Saturday and see his father.

“I always knew that one day he would show up.”

FOOTBALL

I always knew that one day he would show up.

EDMUND GATES // junior wide receiver from Vernon‘‘ ’’

contact Tripp atbjt07a@acu.edu

Continued from page 8

Hope: No more heartbreak

It’s the same story, the same heartbreak.

The Stars won the Stanley Cup in 1999 and returned to the finals in 2000, only to lose six games in overtime. Since then the Stars have had a problem with spotty post-season records. It’s the same story, the same heartbreak.

In all these instances, I’ve become used to post-season failures. It doesn’t hurt as much because I’ve

seen it before.However, it was always dif-

ferent with the Rangers. They have always just been the Rangers. I always watched their games all summer, but it was okay if they lost or missed the playoffs because at least it was expected. They were bad, but they never broke your heart.

This season has been something special for them. They won their first postsea-son series and went up on the Yankees three games to

one. Still, after losing Game 5 on Wednesday, that fear comes back into your mind.

The Rangers are in a great position: they lead the series 3-2, going back to Texas with two chances to close out the series. Cliff Lee is scheduled to pitch Game 7 if necessary. Please Rangers, you have never broken my heart be-fore. It’s time for the heart-break to end.

COLUMN

Continued from page 8

contact Cantrell atjrc07f@acu.edu

Preview: Result bodes well

returned again, the team has certainly matured.

“We had a good team last year, and since every-one has improved on their game that much since last year it’s making a difference this year,” Sheppard said. “We need to be on top of our

game and don’t get ahead of ourselves, but things defi-nitely look positive.”

Last season the Wild-cats finished seventh in the Lone Star Conference Championship. Head Coach Mike Campbell, who has led ACU’s golf team for the past six seasons and helped the Wildcats win

their first title since 1995, said he hopes to make this season something special.

The Wildcats will play in the Bruce Williams Memo-rial next Monday and Tues-day at the Dominion Coun-try Club in San Antonio.

GOLF

Continued from page 8

contact Jefferies atjdj10a@acu.edu

Road: Greyhounds will pass

of chances against a team that throws the ball so much.

“Our scout team offense this week in practice has gone fast, fast, fast to prepare our defense,” Thomsen said. “Usu-ally you get 70 plays in a game. They will try to run 100.”

The ACU offense will look to expose a glaring weakness against Eastern – its run defense. The Grey-hounds have given up the second-most yards of any team in the LSC, which has

the Wildcat backfield lick-ing its chops. Both Darrell Cantu-Harkless and Daryl Richardson will get a good number of carries.

When the Wildcats get to the air, Mitchell Gale will have to be accurate. The Greyhound secondary con-sists of ball-hawks who will try to take it the other way. Eastern ranks second in the conference in interceptions this season with 12, but it will face its toughest test of the year this Saturday in Gale. ACU’s quarterback has

only thrown one intercep-tion all year to lead the LSC.

“They are a team that plays extremely hard,” Gale said. “Offensively, if we pro-tect the ball and make the routine plays, we have the ability to do really well.”

Every game is a must-win from here on out for the Wildcats, and this one isn’t any different. Game time between the Greyhounds and Wildcats is set for 3 p.m.

FOOTBALL

Continued from page 8

contact Gwin atagg07a@acu.edu

SportsStandings

Briefs

n In the regional rankings announced yesterday, the Wildcat volleyball team was a comfortable fifth. The top eight teams make it to the regional tourna-ment. The No. 20 ’Cats will take on Southeast-ern Oklahoma (6-12, 3-5) at 2 p.m. Saturday in Moody Coliseum.

n The ACU soccer team will continue its 2010 campaign at 4 p.m. Saturday in San Angelo against Angelo State. ACU (11-2, 6-1) will look to extend its current win streak of six games against the Rambelles (9-4-1, 6-1) as they begin their final four games, all of which are on the road.

PlayerProfile

n Charcandrick West, a freshman running back from Spring Hill, La., caught three passes for 85 yards, including a 67 yard catch for a touchdown in the Wildcats’ 54-14 win over Incarnate Word last Saturday. West also had 22 yards rushing in the game, accumulating 104 total yards and one touch-down. His 85 yards receiving doubled his previous season total. West now has over 200 yards rushing on the year and continues to be a special teams threat in the return game for the Wildcats.

Ex-Factor

n Bernard Scott and the Bengals had a bye week last week and will resume play Sun-day against the Atlanta Falcons. Scott has run for 78 yards on 17 carries this year.

n Johnny Knox had five receptions for 120 yards in the Bears’ 23-20 loss to the Seahawks on Sunday. Danieal Manning had four tackles in the ef-fort.

October 22, 2010Page 8

Carpenter wins again, team in fourth

The ACU Wildcats golf team finished strong at the NCAA Division II Cham-pionship Preview Tour-nament, placing fourth among 19 teams.

The two-day tourna-ment, which featured five of the nation’s top 12 ranked teams, was played at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at the Shoals Fighting Joe Course in Ford City, Ala., the same loca-tion for the Championship Tournament scheduled in May 2011.

Chico State University placed first, with tourna-ment host North Alabama University taking the run-ner-up spot. The Univer-sity of Indianapolis edged out ACU by a mere two strokes for third place.

After the first day of play the Wildcats were tied for third, after shoot-ing a one over par 289. The Wildcats turned in a 293 the following day for a two-day total of 582, 11 shots back of tournament winner Chico State.

ACU sophomore Alex Car-penter won the individual medalist title, finishing at

5-under-par 139. Carpenter was in eighth after the first day of play in the individual standing after shooting a 1-under-par 71. On the fol-lowing day, Carpenter fired a blistering 68 to come from behind and capture the indi-vidual title by one stroke. His teammate, ACU senior Cyril Bouniol, came in third at 141.

“I played pretty good the first day,” Carpenter said. “I played four under, noth-ing special. The second day the conditions were harder, and so I definitely took ad-vantage of that.”

As a freshman, Carpen-ter earned the Phil Mickel-

son Award as the most out-standing freshman in NCAA Division II men’s golf. He was also named Freshman of the Year and Player of the Year in the Lone Star Con-ference. In the summer af-ter his freshman year Car-penter remained on top, winning the Southern Am-ateur and qualifying for the U.S. Amateur, along with teammate Tyler Sheppard.

“I played in some big tournaments this summer, and I definitely had some success,” Carpenter said. “Playing well in those tour-naments definitely helped my confidence.”

The Wildcats are ranked in the top 10 in two sepa-rate national polls. The latest poll, published by Golfstat, puts the ’Cats in fifth place behind Chico State, Western Washing-ton, North Alabama and Lynn University. The Wild-cats are ranked 10th in the Div. II Coaches’ Poll, but should move up after plac-ing fourth in the NCAA Div. II Championship Preview Tournament over some teams ahead of them.

Sheppard said while all of last year’s players have

Brenna JefferiesSports Reporter

GOLF

A Sight for Sore Eyes

One hour and 45 minutes passed, and E d m u n d “ C l y d e ”

Gates was still waiting in the parking lot of the French Robertson Prison Unit in Abilene. He was waiting to see his father for the first time in nearly two decades.

“I actually didn’t sleep at all; I’ve been up all night,” said the senior wide re-ceiver from Vernon just before seeing his father.

Edmund was supposed to drive to the prison and pick up his father, but be-fore he had the chance his cousin, who made the trip with him, had already picked him up.

Driving to the parking lot of the Robertson Unit, Gates spotted a familiar car coming from the pris-on and carrying his father.

Brandon Tripp Sports Director

FOOTBALL

BRANDON TRIPP // Sports Director

Edmund Gates hugs his father, Edward, for the first time in nearly two decades. Edward was incarcerated in 1992 and has never seen his son play football. He will get the chance on Oct. 30 when the Wildcats play at home against the Anglo State Rams.

Receiver Gates sees father for first time in 15 years

Claw, antlers give broken fans hopeJust A Bit OutsideRyan Cantrell

Growing up in the DFW area as an avid sports fan, I have almost become numb to heartbreak. Sure, the C o w b o y s were good in the early ’90s, but I was still young. The Stars won a Stanley Cup in 1999, but they have slowly gone downhill since then. For most of my life and in my most recent memo-ries, my teams have only caused pain and tears.

The Cowboys top this list in recent years. Every-one remembers Romo’s botched extra point snap against Seattle that would have tied up the game late. Dallas followed this perfor-mance by not showing up to play against the Giants in the next year’s postsea-son. The Cowboys missed the playoffs the next season

after a terrible loss to Phila-delphia in the last week of the regular season.

Last season the Cowboys won their first playoff game, only to get killed by Min-nesota the next week. This season the Cowboys were picked to have a chance to make it to the Superbowl, but a 1–4 start is not look-ing promising. It’s the same story, same heartbreak.

The Mavericks’ postsea-son history isn’t much bet-ter. Dallas made it to the fi-nals, went up 2-0 against the Heat and was in a perfect position to win its first NBA Championship. Then the series went back to Miami, and four games later Dallas was still without a title.

The Mavs followed this up by being the only No. 1 seed to lose a best-of-seven series, getting upset by the Golden State War-riors. Last season the Mavs lost the Spurs in six, de-spite being the No. 2 seed.

COLUMN

Blackwater Draw up next

The Wildcats will have to travel to one of the most unforgiving environments in the Lone Star Conference when they head to Blackwa-ter Draw in Portales, N.M., to take on the Eastern New Mexico Greyhounds.

With a rowdy home crowd and team coming off its worst loss of the year, the Wildcats will have to tread lightly. Last Saturday the

Greyhounds lost to perenni-al cellar dweller East Central Oklahoma in a sloppy game marred by turnovers.

While the Greyhounds are 3-4 on the season, they are by no means a team to ignore. Eastern New Mexico has historically been a team that isn’t afraid to throw the ball, and this year is no dif-ferent. Quarterback Wesley Wood leads a Greyhound passing offense that ranks second in the Lone Star Con-ference. Wood has thrown 23

touchdowns this year, lead-ing the conference.

“We have to stop East-ern New Mexico’s offense first,” said head coach Chris Thomsen. “They can roll up a lot of yards and a lot of points, and they do it in an up-tempo way.”

Frequent passing usu-ally means a lot of picks, and Wood has thrown 17 of them this year to lead the LSC. The Wildcats they will get plenty

Austin GwinSports Editor

FOOTBALL

DANIEL GOMEZ // Chief Photographer

Linebacker Courtney Lane dives to deflect a pass last Saturday against Incarnate Word.

FOOTBALLTeam Div. Ovrl.ACUTAMU-KMSUWTAMUENMUE. CentralTarleton St.Angelo St.UIW

4-03-12-12-12-22-11-20-40-3

7-06-16-15-23-42-52-52-42-5

VOLLEYBALL

Team Div. Ovrl.ACUWTAMUAngelo St.Tarleton St.MSUTAMU-K

8-08-07-14-44-44-4

20-316-811-1017-710-119-10

WOMEN’S SOCCERTeam Div. Ovrl.MSUACUCen. Okla.WTAMUNE St.E. Central ENMU

7-0-06-1-03-4-02-4-10-4-31-5-10-7-0

12-1-011-2-07-7-06-5-34-5-55-7-23-11-0

see GATES page 7

see HOPE page 7 see ROAD page 7

see PREVIEW page 7