The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 96, No. 55, Ed. 1, Wednesday, May 7, 2008 Page: 1 of 14
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WEDNESDAY
May 7 2008
Vol. 96 No. 55
1 section 14 pages
vvww.acuoptimist.com
Keeping the Lone Star
OThe
PTIMIST
championship streak aHve
Both ACU track and field teams claimed the Lone Star
Conference titles over the weekend page 14
School beyond the bubble
Several soon-to-be ACU graduates will go on to
pursue master's degrees and doctorates page 2
A second shot
Pictures in this special graduation issue of the Optimist are
reprints of the photo staff's favorite pictures from the year.
Looking toward
L-E JM
Graduates of 2007 wait to walk across
Seniors to
By Rachel Davit
Opimcn Editor
More than 500 seniors
will walk across the stage in
Moody Coliseum Saturday
Commencement this year
is split into two ceremonies;
the first will start at 1 1 a.m.
for graduates of the College
of Biblical Studies College
of Business Administration
College of Education and Hu-
man Services and Patty Hanks
Shelton School of Nursing.
Graduates of the College
of Arts and Sciences will
participate in a ceremony at
3 p.m.
This ear's class of 560
students is up from last year's
class of 496 said June Black
in the registrar's office.
Cassl Boswell senior psy-
chology major from Lee's
Summit Mo. said she's ready
to graduate and move on to
her master's program in the
Graduate School of Marriage
Facebook dazzles
By Kimbcriy Prathcr
Sa'DEvr Reporter
In the Brown Library
a row of eight computers
meant for studying instead
all feature the same Web
site Facebook.
Students are checking on
friends' statuses the latest
posts and updated profiles at
one of the most popular social
networking sites for the aver-
age college student today.
With more than 69 million
active users worldwide one
would have to wonder what
Is the addicting agent that
Is In Facebook and what are
the hidden dangers that lie
beneath the initial good.
the stage. The morning ceremony for
walk on
lU. ak ma
See a list of all of the
undergraduate and graduate
students who are scheduled
to receive degrees on
Saturday p. 6-12.
and Family Therapy.
"I'm really excited; I get
to move on as far as majors
are concerned and it's like
a whole different area of
studies" Boswell said.
Boswell plans to celebrate
her graduation by seeing
her family and relaxing for
a little while.
"This will be the first
summer that I haven't had to
take classes so I'm excited
for a break" Boswell said.
Another senior Joel
Crane accounting major
from Lawrenceville Ga.
said his plans involve some-
thing a little different.
On Feb. 4 2004 the phe-
nomenon that is Facebook was
launched changing the world
for young adults everywhere.
Originally meant as a
harmless tool to connect
students with one another
all over the world the Web
site has now reached out
to millions everywhere and
might be secretly doing
more harm than good.
Initially meant for only
Harvard University stu-
dents the Web site quickly
expanded to all Ivy League
schools and then to any en-
rolled university student. On
Sept. 2 2005 the fixation
expanded to high school
students then to specific
MMPPl'l '"I I'll M 1
this year's commencement begins at 1 1
Saturday
"I'm going to do some
traveling after graduation"
Crane said. "I don't really
have any definite plans
lined up I Just plan on
hitting the road for a couple
of months. I suppose I'll
eventually find a Job."
Crane said he's excited to be
done with school.
"I'm very relieved that it's
over" he said. "On a scale of
one to 10 I'd say I'm at about
an eight just because I don't
really have anything that I'm
too thrilled to do. I'm not
overjoyed but I'm relieved."
Boswell said when she
does leave ACU she'll miss
the community.
"I'll really miss my
friends my church and the
community I've created
around me" she said.
-
tail Ink it nMlitKiiai
students
networks and finally to any-
one age 13 years or older by
Sept. 11 2006.
The free-access Web site
allows users to join net-
works such as a school
place of employment or geo-
graphic region to easily con-
nect and interact with other
people who share the same
interests. Its original set up
of just meet-and-greet facts
included features like the
Profile Wall Pokes Photos
and Status Update.
Facebook is now a lot
more intricate and becom-
ing more like the MySpace
world which was and still is
criticized by its bold open
access to anyone and subse
the future
a.m.. while the afternoon ceremony
Graduates sing during last year's commencement. Sixty-four more
graduates than last year will be graduating this year.
with features applications
quent lack of privacy.
According to MSNBC
com M Space recently was
the focus of several news
reports stating "Teenagers
have found ways around the
restrictions set by MySpace
and have been the target of
online predators. Stricter
methods for' enforcing age
admission will be enforced
in the future."
However users tend to
like the fact that Facebook
is expanding Its borders.
Deidre Montgomery Ju-
nior business management
major from Irving got on
Facebook when it initially
came out.
"I am on Facebook more
MUM SCHMIDT FIE PHOTO
starts at 3 p.m.
BRIAN SCHMIOT RE PHOTO
now than before because of
all the new applications to
play with; my purpose has
changed from when Face-
book first came out but I
am also more cautious with
these new applications"
Montgomery said.
Over time Facebook has
added many new features that
bring the profiles closer to the
MySpace arrangement. On Sept.
6 2006 Facebook launched
News Feed which caused huge
dissatisfaction with Facebook
users everywhere.
The News Feed appears on
every user's homepage and
highlights Information in-
cluding profile changes up-
coming events and birthdays
1
need tor
rec center
on campus
By Scott Stewart
StUDENT RfrORIFR
Attending school at a small
university like ACU can pro-
vide many challenges; one of
the biggest for several stu-
dents Is trying to find a way
to release the great amount
of energy that is stored up in
their bodies.
Many students try to take
care of excess energy by find-
ing ways to exercise. Running
lifting weights and playing bas-
ketball are among the many ac-
tivities students enjoy. The dif-
ficulty is that exercise at ACU is
not always an option.
Many problems often arise
including bad weather and the
availability of exercise rooms
and gyms because so few of
them are on campus. The gyms
which ACU does have are usu-
ally not reserved for the aver-
age non-student athlete.
"I wish there were a place I
could go to on campus where
I could workout whenever I
wanted and didn't have to wor-
ry about getting forced out by
student athletes and coaches"
said Justin Ruiz a junior ) outh
and family ministry major
from Belton.
Several students and faculty
say they think the best way to
solve this problem is to build a
recreational center on campus.
Among them is Kcrri Hart as-
sistant professor of exercise
science and the faculty staff
wellness director.
"A rec center is a place
where students can gather and
meet their recreational and fit-
ness needs and ACU should
build a rec center because we
are very behind facility-wise"
Hart said.
The Department of Exercise
Science and Health has the right
people and the right ideas but
the north and south exercise
rooms in Gibson Health and
P.E Center and the concourse
that circles Moody Coliseum
arc not enough she said.
"When students come in
they often want a gym but
there is not enough gym space"
Hart said.
Building a rec center would
solve these problems she said.
"The biggest need for a rec
center) is that the generation
of students we are about to see
could be the first generation of
Sec REC page 4
related to the user's friends.
"With all the new applica-
tions especially News Feed
more is being rev ealed about
people and people can see
Intricate details and spe-
cifics; this is dangerous"
Montgomery said.
Privacy started to become
more an issue with the re-
lease of News Feed as the
comfort of a private social
utility went out the window.
Dr. Susan Lewis assistant
professor of journalism and
mass communication con-
ducted a study that exam-
ined the reaction regarding
the News Feed In the first 36
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The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 96, No. 55, Ed. 1, Wednesday, May 7, 2008, newspaper, May 7, 2008; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101999/m1/1/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.