The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 90, No. 41, Ed. 1, Wednesday, March 6, 2002 Page: 1 of 10
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Dvtimist
Sports
The Wildcat baseball
team moves up in the
national rankings to
No. 15 Page 4
Accent
Take a tour of the
construction on the
Williams Performing
Arts Center scheduled
for completion
Christmas of 2002
Page 3
Wednesday March 6 2002
Volume 90 Number 40 Abilene Christian University Department of Journalism and Mass Communication wwwacu cduoptimist
Fund raising for Quiet Place to continue
Money still needed for rooms
Lauren Crist
Staff Water
The Students' Association's
Advocacy Council is collecting
donations and creating fund-
raisers to help raise approxi-
mately $1000 for repairs to
the Mabee Business Building's
Quiet Place rooms that were
vandalized in January.
SA members asked stu
dents for donations after
Number
of enrolled
lower than
last year
Jason Northrup
Student Reporter
Undergraduate enrollment
has dropped from about 4300
last semester to 3800 although
these figures are not abnormal.
Executive Vice President
lack Rich attributed the bulk
of the loss to a normal loss of
freshmen and graduating stu-
dents. "About 10 percent of the
freshman class usually does
not return in the spring" Rich
said. "Probably the biggest
reason for the drop Is gradu-
ating students."
According to the Office of
Institutional Research 233
students graduated in
December making up almost
half the loss.
Reasons for other students
not returning vary.
"We sometimes hear that
finances are a reason" said
Miriam Upton associate
director of Career Counseling
and Student Retention.
"Some students find that the
university is just not a good fit
for them. Some students don't
return for academic reasons.
A few have things they need
to take care of at home."
Rich said sometimes the
university does not offer the
degrees some students desire
so students take core classes
here and finish their degrees
elsewhere.
Please see ENROLL Page 10
Parking
'Lot reopened
The ACU Drive parking lot has
reopened. The long lot from
East North 16th to the Biblical
.Studies Building by Sikcs Hall
'had been closed because of
'construction on the Williams
'Performing Arts Center.
Welcome
for group
Braid Sharp
Student Reporter
Applications for peer lead-
ers and Welcome Week group
leaders are available in the
Leadership Development
office.
Each University 100 class
forms a mentor group for
Welcome Week that includes
at least one peer leader with
four others to form the men-
tor group. Last year ACU had
approximately 59 University
100 classes which means
more than 250 upperclassmen
were Involved as mentor
group team members.
Although the titles of the
positions are similar some
differences exist between the
roles of the different posts.
According to the require-
ments In the peer leader
application students have the
responsibility of assisting
first-year students by serving
in a mentoring role for incom-
ing freshmen.
Brad Carter peer leader
Chapel Wednesday to help
fund the repairs but the stu-
dent body donated only $100.
Alicia Phillips chair of the
Advocacy Council said mis-
communication occurred be-
tween the student body and
representatives for the fund
causing the students to misun-
derstand the purpose of the
donations.
The main spokesman for
Passing the
Maresa Cadienhead senior industrial technology major from Toronto Canada
practices the high jump for the track team. She is the defending NCAA Div. II
national champion in the indoor high jump. The men's and women's teams
compete this weekend in Boston for the indoor national championship.
Week applications
leaders available
program assistant and
Steering Committee member
said peer leaders make a
greater commitment than
other members of the mentor
group team. Peer leaders
agree to complete Ave one-
hour training sessions to
acquire duties at Passport HI
to lead their mentor group
during Welcome Week to
attend seven training sessions
in the fall to be present at
each University 100 class and
to spend an hour weekly with
the University 100 instructor
or students outside class.
Mentor group leaders
while similar to peer leaders
have somewhat different
qualifications and commit-
ment requirements. Their par-
ticipation and responsibilities
are not quite as widespread.
The application requires
that mentor group team
members commit to only four
hours of training in'the spring
and Passport III and Welcome
Week leading. Each team is
I
the fund Mark Lewis coordi-
nator of Spiritual Develop-
ment was unable to speak in
Chapel Wednesday to repre-
sent the importance of the
donations. B
An announcement
was made for the '1
Advocacy Council but
not with enouch imnact to
motivate the student body to ' '
donate.
"It's important that stu-
dents donate money to repair
the damages because it sends
bar
Tourney
A ACU flrtl-rtar Program JL
also responsible for sending
volunteers to Passport I or
Passport II during the sum-
mer said- sources in the
Campus Life Office.
University 100 instructors
make peer leader choices. The
others are placed together
with instructors. Students
must meet academic and
other standards given in the
job description.
However mentor group
leaders may recruit their own
members to form a team.
Mentor group teams are gen-
erally made of two males and
two females with one sopho-
more one junior or senior
and one from any of the three
Classes. Peer leaders should be
at or above junior level in the
Please see WEEK Page 10
a message to the vandals that
the student body disagrees
with their actions and it
sends a message that stu-
dents love the Quiet Place
W and are willing to pre-
serve it" Phillips
It ; win
The Advocacy Coun-
cil plans now to raise funds
to repair the Quiet Place from
fund-raisers.
The parking space of uni-
versity President Royce Money
will be auctioned for one day
CUNT WALKER
What-we peer
and gfentor
group headers?
Peer leaders:
Peer leaders make a
greater commitment. They
agree to complete five one-
hour training sessions to
work at Passport III to lead
their group during Wel-
come Week to attend
seven training sessions in
the fall to be present at
each University 100 class
and to spend an hour
weekly with the University
100 Instructor or students
outside class.
Mentor leaders:
Mentor group leaders
have different qualifica-
tions and commitment re-
quirements. Mentor group
leaders may recruit their
own members to form a
team. Mentor group teams
are generally made of two
males and two females
with one sophomore one
junior or senior and one
from any class.
to the highest bidder. The
package could include free
dinner and other products
but details and auction days
have not yet been decided.
SA is searching for more
sponsors to donate to the
fund-raiser to repair damages.
Damages to the Quiet Place
included swastikas painted and
scratched into the furniture of
many rooms and obscene graf-
fiti on the walls.
Wnting covered a painting of
the Lord's Supper in one of the
Welcome Week
preparations start
with co-chairs
Theron Cole
Student Reporter
Preparation for Welcome
Week 2002 is well under way
as the spring semester rolls
on. The decision-making
process has changed some-
what with organizers choos-
ing to go with four student
directors this year.
This is a change for the
event which is designed to
welcome first-time students
and transfer students on cam-
pus. In the past co-chairs
have been selected to prepare
for this event.
The student directors of
Welcome Week 2002 are Kami
Smith Tamara Boyer Lori Gil-
more and Dusty Bennett. The
four were selected from a list of
about 40 applicants reviewed
by the First-Year Program.
"I am real excited about the
four of us working together on
such an awesome project"
said Boyer junior psychology
major from Piano.
With the student directors
accepting the responsibility of .
organizing such an event the
workload will be divided
equally among them allowing
each Individual to contribute.
"With four people dedicat-
ed to this event we have the
manpower to tackle all of the
behind the scenes work"
Boyer said.
"Being in New York has
made it a little harder to be
involved in everything but
with modern technology I am
able to participate in the maj-
ority of what is going on" said
Dusty Bennett juhior bio-
chemistry major from Plains
who is interning in New York
this semester.
Right now the directors are
busy finalizing the Steering
Committee retreat planned for
this weekend. The retreat will
be a bonding time for the com-
mittee student directors and
Students find other
activities for break
Katrlna Keichline
Student Reporter
While 600 students will
leave for Spring Break Cam-
paigns this week many plan to
spend their vacations working
relaxing or enjoying time with
their families.
Traveling home to spend
time with loved ones appeals
to many students who do not
opt to go on a campaign.
Klmberly Price sophomore
integrated marketing commu-
nication major from Sunny-
vale Calif. will be flying home.
Price who transferred to ACU
this semester from Foothill
College.in Los Altos Hills Calif.
has never been away from her
family for this long.
"My little brother Jason is
my best friend and I can't
wait to see him" Price said. "I
am more excited now about
going home than when I was
younger and looked forward
to Christmas."
Other students with a
heavy workload will be busy
meeting due dates and study-
rooms; the estimated damage
for the painting alone totaled
$600.
Security has increased
around the Mabee Business
Building but authorities do
not have a suspect.
"This is the first time we
have had any problems so we
were surprised" said Diane
Best administrative coordina-
tor for the College of Business
Administration. "It's a com-
plete shock that someone
would do that."
"I am excited
about the us
working together
on such an
awesome project."
Tamara Boyer
Welcome Week co-chair
First-Year Program faculty.
These leaders will take part
in transforming the event.
Organizers plan to integrate
students and faculty this fall
where traditionally it has been
more students interacting
with fellow students.
"With the new change in
the organizational process of
Welcome Week we want to
not only connect incoming
students with their peers but
also push the connection be-
tween the students and facul-
ty" said Eric Gumm director
of orientation.
Welcome Week which is a
six-day program preceding the
first week of the fall semester
allows newcomers a chance to
get to know one another and
become accustomed to their
new surroundings.
"I remember Welcome Week
as a time of uncertainty and
fear that throughout the week
turned into one of the best
decisions of my life" said Jere-
my Gordon junior finance
major from Dallas.
The campus is reserved the
week before school officially
opens intramural sports
tournaments devotionals
interaction groups academic
forums and annual talent
shows all take place
"The events that took place
during Welcome Week helped
me come out of my shell and
feel at home" said Gordon.
Those interested in finding
out more about Welcome
Week should call Ext. 2212.
ing for exams.
Alelsha Rhodes senior inte-
rior design major from New
Braunfels will remain in
Abilene for spring break work-
ing on projects. While Rhodes
planned to go on a campaign
pressure mounted and made
her decide to stay and get her
assignments done. This being
Rhodes' final semester before
graduation she said she felt the
pull to be on top of her studies.
Although Blake Kahla
freshman youth and family
ministry and missions major
from Missouri City will not be
participating in an ACU-
sponsored campaign he
plans to spend his break on a
ski trip with a spiritual focus.
Kahla and three other stu-
dents will be joining the youth
group from First Colony
Church of Christ on a ski trip
to Keystone Colo.
"I love to ski and my youth
minister invited me to help
him with devos and small
groups and be a helper while
on the trip" Kahla said.
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The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 90, No. 41, Ed. 1, Wednesday, March 6, 2002, newspaper, March 6, 2002; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101759/m1/1/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.