The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 100, No. 39, Ed. 1 Friday, February 24, 2012 Page: 1 of 8
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THE OPTIMIST
VOL 100. HO. 39 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24. 2012 1 SECTION. 8 EASES |page 8
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DANCE, DANCE
RESOLUTION
Board approves changes
to long-standing policy
Dancing is now permitted
in university-sponsored
events or other events spon-
sored by official student or-
ganizations.
ACU’s Board of Trustees
affirmed a revised dance
policy statement created by
the office of Student Life. In-
stead of prohibiting all forms
of dance at any university or
organization event, the new
statement says Student Life
may consider certain dance
forms for approval. Only of-
ficially recognized organiza-
tions may submit requests
for permission to incorpo-
rate dance into the event.
“Many forms of dance
and cultural expression are
embraced by our society,
some of which are consis-
tent with our Christian mis-
sion and values, while others
are more likely to distract us
from a Christ-centered life,”
states the revised policy.
“Therefore, in keeping with
the Christian mission of
the university, only certain
dance forms and venues will
be considered for approval.”
. ■ Dr. Jean-Noel Thompson,
vice president of student life
and dean of students, sent
students an email detailing
the difference between the
old and new policies to fac-
ulty and staff Tuesday after-
noon. It was sent to all uni-
versity students soon after.
Thompson said the decision
was made to help students
have a more positive experi-
ence at events sponsored by
the university or official or-
ganizations.
“We’ve been meeting
within Student Life and with
the Students’ Association to
create a plan that would al-
Two deans
to resip
before 2012
school year
Mattis
Reese
MANDY LAMBRIGHT CHEF PHOTOGRAPHER
Top: Lindsey Smith, sophomore business management major from New Braunfels and
Michael Davis, sophomore accounting major from Malibu, Calif, dance at the Oplin
Dance Hall. Below: Swing Cats performs on-stage at Sing Song 2012.
low organizations to request
permission to have social
dancing, beginning
SEE DANCE PAGE 4
Two ACU deans are re-
signing from their posi-
tions at the end of the aca-
demic year.
Dr. Charles Mattis, dean
of the College of Arts and
Sciences, is
leaving the
university
to open a
dental prac-
tice, and
Dr. Jack Re-
ese, dean of
the College
of Biblical
studies, will
fill a differ-
ent role at
the univer-
sity.
“I just
wanted to
do some
different
things,” Mattis said. “I’ve
invested a lot of my life
here, but I’m ready to do
something different.”
Before taking the role
of dean of the College of
Arts and Sciences, Mattis
served as the dean for the
First Year Program for sev-
en years. He has been with
the university 17 years.
“I hadn’t dreamed that
when I came here I’d be a
dean someday,” Mattis said.
The more and more I got
into administration,
the less I was
able to practice.”
OR. CHARLES MATTIS
DEAN OF THE COLLEGE OF
ARTS AND SCIENCES
Mattis originally came
to ACU to teach biology. He
continued his dental prac-
tice while he was a faculty
member.
“The more and more I
got into administration,
the less I was able to prac-
tice,” Mattis said.
Reese has been with the
university since 1988 and
completes his 15th year as
dean of biblical studies in
SEE DEANS PAGE 4
UNIVERSITY
Gardner intruder arrested, investigation continues
: :
ACU Police arrested a man
for trespassing in Gardner
Hall Saturday night, 11 days
after Gardner residents re-
ported a nearly identical
incident before the sus-
pect got away. ACU Police
are actively investigating
the arrest but haven’t con-
cluded the same man was
involved in both incidents.
According to a Taylor
County Sheriff’s office ar-
rest report, Jeremy Dan
Jacques, a 40-year-old His-
panic male, was booked in
the county jail at 8:47 p.m.
Saturday after Thomas Val-
dez, ACUPD patrol officer
and lead detective, saw him
crawling out of a bathroom
window on the north side
of Gardner. Valdez tackled
Jacques and placed him
Jacques
in custody.
After two
residents
confirmed
they had
seen Jacques
on the sec-
ond floor of
the dormi-
tory, Valdez took him to
the county jail. Jacques is
a 5-feet 2-inch, 140-pound
Sweetwater native.
Jacques committed no
crime other than Class-A
trespassing and no mo-
tive is known, according
to the police report. ACU
Police issued him a formal
Criminal Trespass Warn-
ing, which makes it an of-
fense for him to come back
to ACU properties.
Jacques was arrested for
a similar incident last year
on Oct. 31 and accused
of peeping into women’s
bathroom stalls various
Abilene businesses, ac-
cording to a KTXS report.
Jacques has no affilia-
tion with ACU.
Jimmy Ellison, ACU Po-
lice Chief, said the depart-
ment increased patrol time
around residence halls
immediately after the first
incident, and that helped
to ensure the suspect was
caught.
“We increased our pa-
trol presence around all
residence halls,” Ellison
said. "We had every patrol
officer check in twice per
shift with desk workers at
each residence hall.”
The night Jacques was
caught, Valdez had pa-
trolled the Gardner pe-
rimeter, parked, checked
in with the desk worker
briefly and returned to his
vehicle to back out when he
saw a man climbing out of
the shower facility window.
Ellison said the heightened
patrol time helped to make
the arrest possible.
“In response to that first
incident, we took some im-
mediate, proactive steps
that led to this arrest,” Elli-
son said. “It was good police
work, and I truly believe the
steps we took led to appre-
hending the intruder.”
Madison Brown, fresh-
man interior design ma-
jor from Frisco, found a
short Hispanic man in her
friend Taylor Brown’s room
in Gardner Feb. 7. Taylor
said the news of the arrest
eased their minds.
"We’re glad they caught
someone,” said Taylor,
freshman advertising and
public relations major from
Southlake. “We hope it’s
the same guy for the sake
of safety of everyone in the
ACU community.”
ACUPD is working with
the Sweetwater Police De-
partment because when
Jacques was arrested, he had
stolen property from Sweet-
water in his possession.
Ellison said having an
unknown intruder in a
res hall is a rare occasion
and on-campus residents
should feel safe.
“We’re working with resi-
dence life and facilities man-
agement to make sure the fa-
cility is as safe as can be,” he
said. "While it’s rare, we’re
not immune to crime. This
should remind everyone to
not get caught up in the ACU
Bubble’ mentality.”
Ellison cautioned first-
floor residents on and off
campus to keep windows
secure.
"Keep your windows
locked and keep your cur-
tains closed at night,” Ellison
said. “Don’t give Peeping
Toms an easy target. Make
sure people can’t see inside.”
Ellison said it’s neces-
sary to alert the ACUPD as
soon as students see suspi-,
cious activity.
“In the first incident
there was a rather lengthy
delay between when the
suspect was spotted and
when we received a call,”
he said. “Alerting us when
you see suspicious activity
should be the first course
of action.”
While Ellison couldn't
say for sure whether Jacques
is the same man in the Feb.
7 incident, he said the two
events were too similar to
be a coincidence.
“We think we arrested
the right guy,” he said. “The
circumstances in each inci-
dent were nearly identical.”
CONTACT SMITH AT
MDS10A@ACU.E0U
news
Online zine launches
discussion regarding
campus LGBT community
Page 4
opinion
Donors should invest
in students rather than
buildings
page 6
video
Watch this week's JMC
Network's Newscast
acuoptimist.com
news
Students and faculty
react to scholarship
campaign
page 4
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The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 100, No. 39, Ed. 1 Friday, February 24, 2012, newspaper, February 24, 2012; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth896688/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.