The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 95, No. 28, Ed. 1, Friday, December 8, 2006 Page: 1 of 8
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the Optimist
FRIDAY
Vol. 95 No. 28
1 section 8 pages
December 8 2006
www.acuoptimist.com
IN THIS ISSUE
CAMPUS
looks for cash
The Campus Store will
buy back used textbooks
beginning Monday for
cash or credit to
student accounts
page 3
Shining lights
The Abilene State
School opened a
Christmas lights display
(or the community at
Christmas Lane on
Thursday page 3
mt-mMcoflcn
Senior Brandon Tatum was
hired as Abilene Christian
High School's head
basketball coach at 21
years old jump on page 5
ARTS
Fountain of Low
'The Fountain' weaves
three story lines that take
place in different time
periods to tell a love story
page 7
SPORTS
WhHiing streak
The Wildcat women's
basketball team will play
the University of Central
Oklahoma in Talequah
Okla on Saturday. The
team's record is 7-0 page
SPECIALS
Final edition
This is the last edition of
the Optimist until Jan 19
ONLINE
Playing fetch
ACU's new Ultimate Fns-
bee Club competed last
weekend against other
universities view it online
at: wwwacuopfmsf com
FEATURES
at
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IACI ADKINS STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Coach Brandon Tatum senior Biblical text major from Austin stands with members of his team from Abilene
Christian High School during a practice on Wednesday afternoon In the school s gymnasium
Brandon Tatum landed a head coaching position at 21
By MALLORY SCHLABACH
EniroRisCmtt
Brandon Tatum walks
around the gym surveying
his team warming up His sll-
er athletic pants swish as he
swings liis arms through the
air motioning the team to fol-
low him
'We're going to take It easy
tonight since we hae our first
game tomorrow" Brandon
says to a group of teenaged
bos shooting baskets in the
gre and blue gym at Abilene
Christian School
The sound of basketballs
hitting the plastic tile floor
echoes as the boys hurry to
circle up In the middle of the
court around Brandon
"Joe Jason David Chris
and Michael " Brandon rat-
tles off the names of the bas-
ketball players he wants on
the gym floor. He stands tall
aboe their heads but choos-
es to kneel down in the middle
of the circle as the plaers
begin to mine into position
The three players who weren't
tailed stand on the sideline.
Woodruff murder
Brandon Woodruff former ACU
student has been In Jail since
he was charged with murdering
his parents last October; a trial
date has yet to be set.
By MALLORY SCHLABACH
EnnoRiNCiiiH
Notrialdatehasbecnsctfor
former ACU student Brandon
Woodruff who was charged
with one count of capital
murder In October 2003 for
A couple look disgruntled
because it means they won't
start in tomorrow night's big
game against Hamlin
At first glance Brandon
could pass as a high school
player himself except that he
sports a goalee
At 21 he's only a few years
older than most of the play-
ers on his team But any of
them will tell you that Ills age
doesn't matter.
Brandon senior Bibli-
cal text major from Austin
learned late in the summer
that he had just landed the Job
as a head basketball coach I le
wasn't holding his breath Af-
ter all he still had more than a
y ear of college to finish
"OK We're going to go
oer pre game stuff right now
and get it out of the wa" he
says Brandon talks quietly
his deep voice echoes in the
empt gym
"Each man needs to do f our
layups and then switch sides"
he yells as the players form
a line underneath the basket
and begin to take a warm up
the deaths of his parents at
their home in
Roy se City.
Assistant
District At-
torney Noble
Walker said
because of
numerous
murder cases
filed at the
same time
the Woodruff case Is still In
the docket at the courthouse.
Woodruff
coach
"No dunking m warm
up tomorrow unless
you can prove
otherwise that you
can dunk."
Brandon Tatum men's basketball
ACHS head coach
lap before running the drill
Jerron I'ackwood a senior
point guard leads the team
around the gym dribbling the
basketball. Hunter Haught fol
lows holding his ball as the
team saunters around the gym
and lines up to shoot layups
"Guys" Brandon yells be-
fore they begin shooting "no
dunking in warm up tomor-
row unless you can prose oth-
.Sec TATUM page 5
case still
"The bad thing Is for those
types of cases capital mur-
der cases It Just takes a
long time to gather all the
evidence and for It to be pro-
cessed" Walker said. "Hunt
County had a lot of murders
pending in court at the time
of the Woodruff murders so
It hasn't reached the Judge-
yet for a date to be set."
Walker said the DA's of-
fice is still in the discovery
process of going through evi
Students opt to
stay in Abilene
during break
U After finals end next Friday
tome student wHI remain In
town to work both on-campus
and Abilene Jobs during the
month-long break.
By NATHAN STRAUS
Snrr Writfr
Jacob Harbour senior
musical theatre major from
Friendswood works at
KACU. He Is also the techni-
cal director for the upcom-
ing ACU play 11k Miracle
Worker and spends time In
the theatre shop
When December finals
week is only a memory
and students are on their
way home Harbour will
Study Abroad
dismisses four
Oxford students
B The Study Abroad Office
sent at least tew students
home from Oxford England
after they breached a behavior
contract earlier this semester.
By DANIEL JOHNSON
SroRts Editor
At least four ACU stu-
dents in the Study Abroad
program In Oxford Eng-
land were sent home af-
ter violating the behavior
contract all participants
sign before beginning the
program
The students were dis-
missed from the program
earlier in the semester af
Midnight Breakfast
offered in the Bean
a The Wildcat Parents
organization will sponsor a
buffet breakfast In the Bean on
Dead Day. Students can relax
win prizes and sing karaoke.
By EMILY SMITH
SiuustRfporier
IHOP won't be the only
place serving breakfast af-
ter hours next week
Monday also known
as Dead Day Wildcat Par-
ents will serve students
Midnight Breakfast in the
World Famous Bean from
10 30pm to midnight. Stu-
dents can enjoy themselves
awaits trial date
dence and gathering evidence
and talking to witnesses.
Walker said he couldn't
estimate when a trial date
could be set but when the
case does go to trial it would
take between two and three
weeks for a verdict to be an-
nounced He said Woodruff still re-
mains in the Hunt County
Criminal Justice Renter
where he has been lor the
past 13 months
be in Abilene.
"This Is the third Christ-
mas away from my family"
I larbour said. "I spent Christ-
mas my freshman year and
stayed and worked in the
shop ccry winter since."
Harbour said he spent
Thanksgiving with his fam-
ily and does not regret hav-
ing to miss Christmas with
them this year.
Harbour operates KA-
CU's daytime music pro-
gram from 1 to 3 p m. on
Mondays Wednesdays and
Friday s. He hopes to be giv-
en a second show to run a
three hour classical music
See BREAK page 4
ter a disciplinary commit-
teemade up of the pro-
fessors of the program
and on-site director Ron
Morgan made a disci-
plinary recommendation
to Kevin Kehl executive
director of the Center for
International and Inter-
cultural Communication
and other university of-
ficials Kehl said he and the
other officials decided the
violation warranted dis-
missal from the program.
"There were some stu-
dents that failed to abide
See OXFORD page 4
and combat the stresses of
finals week.
"We just encourage ev-
erybody to have fun relax
talk to their friends and cat
breakfast" said Samantha
Adklns coordinator for
alumni programs and plan-
ner for the breakfast.
"We provide music play-
ing but when anyone wants
to come up and sing wc
have about 400 songs they
can flip through "
Students can borrow
board games card decks
or sing karaoke with other
See IREAKFASTjw;e 4
Woodruffs bail was set at
$ 1 million last October and It
hasn't been lowered despite
attempts by his defense law-
yer Jerry Spencer Davis in
January' to have the ball low-
ered to $100000.
Woodruffs parents Den-
nis 43 and Norma 42 were
found dead in their mobile
home on Oct. 18 2005 two
days after they had been shot
See WOODRUFF page 4
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The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 95, No. 28, Ed. 1, Friday, December 8, 2006, newspaper, December 8, 2006; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101917/m1/1/: accessed March 29, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.