The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 90, No. 52, Ed. 1, Friday, April 26, 2002 Page: 1 of 10
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Sports
Track and field
athletes compete in
Penn Relay Carnival
Page 4
Accent
The temperatures are
rising making the dress
code harder to follow
for some. Page 3
Friday April 26 2002
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Volume 90 Number 52 Abilene Christian University Department orjouriinllsin and Mass Communication www acu.eduoptitnist
Concert stalled until band confirms
(ivtimist
3BT
t'r-
Chris Smith
Opinion Editor
Plans to bring Christian
rock band Third Day to ACU
during Welcome Week have
reached a stalemate accord-
ing to Welcome Week co-chair
Tamara Boyer.
The process has been
ongoing all semester Boycr
said. Since being assembled in
December the Welcome Week
committee has taken the nec-
essary steps to provide the
concert. The committee has
made contact with people
from Third Day and negotiat
ed a bid to bring the populai
band to ACU.
After calculating the con
cert costs lights lodging
food and other expenses
the committee sent a contiaci
outlining the band's expenses
However lliiid Day
which is cunenily on a world-
wide tour lias not accepted
or declined the bid pievenl-
ing the Welcome Week com-
mittee from negotiating with
any other groups like jars of
Clay which lias expressed
interest in coming to ACU
Boer said.
Dorm
crowding
not
expected
Kara Turskey
Student Reporter
Officials say they expect a
smaller freshman class in the
fall which will result in less
crowding in residence halls
and more unity among fresh-
man women.
"My understanding is that
it is not going to be as tight"
said Reg Cox director of
Residence Life.
This semester 22 rooms are
being used for freshman girls
in McDonald Hall which is
usually reserved for sopho-
more women.
"Next year we won't need
any more than that: mabe not
any at all" Cox said. Tram a
housing standpoint it makes
my job easier."
Earlier in the year some
university officials voiced con-
cern about the crowded situa-
tion in the residence halls
when freshman women were
assigned to McDonald and
some sophomore men were
asked to live in Sherrod Hall. A
smaller freshman class next fall
will help alleviate crowding.
The lack of freshman over-
flow into a sophomore hall
will also allow freshman
women to get to know each
other better said Emily Jones
director of Gardner Hall.
"The overflow separates
them from the other fresh-
men" Jones said. "I would
rather them all be in two places
because now it is harder for
them to create a community."
Joanna Martin director of
Nelson Hall agreed
"Sometimes the girls in
McDonald feel left out"
Martin said. "They don't know
what is going on; in Tollies the
McDonald act was smaller."
However when it is neces-
sary for freshmen to live in
McDonald Martin said there
are also advantages.
"It is a benefit to freshman
girls who get to live witli soph-
omores because they have role
models and it is easier to
become friends with them. But
it is always nice not to have the
crowding aspect."
1 lie committee cannot neg-
otiate with another group be-
cause it is lias a legal contract
binding with lliiid Day until
the band chooses to reject it.
"It is out of om control" said
linvcr junior psvchology major
from Piano. "Third Day can
respond in the next few weeks
a j ear from now or not at all.
We at e the small guys talking to
the big man and right now we
aie not their top priority."
"A lot of legal stuff has to be
done to insure a tonccrt"
Hojer said. "If the money is
not theie for the group then
we could be sued."
Despite a lack of commit-
ment from Third Day Boycr
said ACU would definitely
have a Welcome Week concert.
"We are going to get a big
name group here" she said.
The Welcome Week com-
mittee is working in conjunc-
tion witli Hardin-Simmons
University McMurry Univer-
sity and the Campus Activities
Team in funding and planning
for a concert scheduled to
take place at Crutchcr Scott
Held Aug. 24.
In February the Students'
Association allocated $0250
of a $12000 rquest by the
Welcome Week committee for
the concert leaving less than
half of the SI 6203 that had
been left in the Student
Request fund at the time.
The grant contributed to a
budget crunch later in the
semester as the fund nearly
ran out of money with several
groups still waiting to request.
"I feel we got the money
from SA fairly" Boyer said.
"This concert will benefit
every single student. Students'
money is going back to them
for something the whole stu-
dent body can attend. There
arc not many opportunities
when SA and CAT do things
every student can attend.
Students are excited about it."
The projected cost of the
concert is 534750. Based on
enrollment ACU is expected to
carry a heavier burden of the
concert costs than McMurry
and HSU Boyer said. Atten-
dance is free for all ACU stu-
dents with identification cards.
The committee will meet
this work to continue Wel-
come Week planning.
Little League
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BRADY LANE
Jason Nadaskay sophomore Bible major from Arlington feeds a pitching machine during a Little
League baseball game.
Nursing
dean
resigns
The dean of Abilene's collegiate
nursing program announced her res-
ignation April 10 leaving the pro-
gram's administrators to search for a
new dean before next semester.
Cecilia Tiller who has been dean
of the Abilene Intercollegiate School
of Nursing since 1996 said she
resigned for reasons that included
the graduation of her children from
college in Abilene.
Dr. Dwayne VanRheenen ACU
provost and member of the AISN
administrative board said the board
is hoping to hire an interim dean for
next semester with the expectation of
hiring a permanent replacement by
the beginning of 2003.
"I plan to relocate to where I have a
strong support field" Tiller said. She
said she will likely move to the East
Coast and start a new career track.
While Tiller was dean of the AISN
the school gained national accredita-
tion and graduates have performed
well on national licensing exams.
"We appreciate the role Dean Tiller
and the faculty have played in these
accomplishments" VanRheenen said.
He told the media last week that the
AISN board was in no hurry to find a
replacement for Tiller. The dean will
remain in her position until May 15.
The Abilene Intercollegiate School
of Nursing is a program for nursingstu-
dents from ACU McMurry University
and Hardin-Simmons University.
Online
registration
continues
Melissa Dossey
Managing Editor
Registration with the new system
Banner Web has so far been success-
ful according to Kevin Roberts
director of re-engineering.
"It's going great" Roberts said.
Roberts said that there has been
extra staff on hand in the Team 55
and Registrar's offices to ansyver stu-
dents' questions but most of the
questions thus far have been regard-
ing things like forgotten passwords.
"The questions have not been
' Please see REGISTER Page 2
Campus police shape image under new chief
Paul A. Anthony
A&E Editor
Jimmy Ellison was sitting at
home Feb. 8 watching "Sein-
feld" when he heard the bang.
The chief of police and dir-
ector of Public Safety was
about half a mile away from a
homemade chemical device
that exploded in the parking lot
ofGardnerllallat 10:40 p.m.
What followed was an inves-
tigation by the ACU police that
resulted in the admission by a
student to planting the device
and another like it that explod-
ed outside University Park
apartments several minutes
later.
The investigation is an
example of Ellison's profes-
sional approach to police
work one honed after veais
working as a police detective
in Beaumont. Ellison is help-
ing his department change its
image on campus from a
bunch of campus cops to a
group ol police
officers.
The ACU
police staff is a
bit smaller than
other campus-
es'. But it is
allowed more
power by stale
law and has begun to adapt to
Ellison's efficient and oigan-
led style The ACU campus is
a relatively safe place when
compared to similar schools
and what crime does exist is
usually being solved and pun
3
Ellison
islied Ellison said.
Tour full-time and two
part-time officers currently
make up the university
Department of Public Safety
also known as the ACU police
force. The two part-time offi-
cers are on loan from other
agencies. A commissioned
security guard also patrols the
campus.
Ellison came here over the
summer from the town of
Beaumont Texas about the
sie of Abilene but not nearly
as safe. His experience as a
detective there is resulting in
changes here.
"We're on the threshold of
some leally good things" said
Wayne Barnard dean of
Campus Life the man who
"We're on the
threshold of some
really good
things."
Wayne Barnard
dean of Campus Life
oversees Ellison and his force.
"From a very practical stand-
point things are great."
Ellison's investigative prow-
ess has led to the quick wrap-
up of several investigations
including the incident witli the
explosive devices an incident
in Edwards Hall where a man
assaulted a resident in his sleep
and a break-in at the Don
Morris Center last semester.
Only the vaudalization of the
Mabee Business Building Quiet
Rooms remains unsolved.
"Interviewing a crime is
really just interviewing peo-
ple" Elision said. "It's ABC; it's
not like rocket science. You
use gut feelings."
And although many high-
profile cases have been solved
Ellison said solving crimes of a
campus nature residence
hall thefts car break-ins and
the like Is difficult.
"Many crimes have a low
solvability rate" he said.
"Some crimes are just a lot
less likely to be solved."
But those crimes happen
far less often than students
may think. Ellison said he
attributes the safe nature of
the campus to four reasons:
The character of the students
the dedication of the police
officers the dedication of the
administration to student safe-
ty and the safety of the city.
But while Ellison is proud of
what he and his officers have
accomplished the force still
must deal with an occasional
negative public image but it's
a public image that is improv-
ing Barnard said.
"I would say that's greatly
improved" he said. "Probably
there was a time where 'stu-
dents may have thought offi-
cers were not true peace offi-
cers. I think that image is
changing."
That image may have been
Please see POLICE Page 7
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The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 90, No. 52, Ed. 1, Friday, April 26, 2002, newspaper, April 26, 2002; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101770/m1/1/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.