The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 97, No. 47, Ed. 1 Friday, April 3, 2009 Page: 1 of 8
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Inside
This
Issue:
Pg. 3
Students to audition to be
Pg. 5
Student band to release EP
Softball streak on the line
Willie the Wildcat mascot
at coffee shop performance
against No. 1 team in nation
Core curriculum to change in 2010
By Laura Acuff
Opinion Page Editor
All Incoming freshmen
and transfer students in the
fall of 2010 will be the first to
experience a transformed lib-
eral arts core curriculum, ap-
proved by a vote of the ACU
faculty in May 2007.
“This really fits in with
ACU’s 21st Century Vision be-
cause it’s innovative, it’s dis-
tinctive, it’s going to help our
graduates. It’s going to create a
stronger, better prepared grad-
uate for the world ahead,” said
Dr. Charles Maths, dean of the
First-Year Program and chair of
the university core curriculum
implementation team, which
includes representatives from
all of the university’s colleges.
The change comes after
survey results indicated ACU
graduates were not meeting
expectations in skills, such as
writing and speaking, as well
as hoped, Maths said. And
while the university’s core
curriculum has not faced dra-
matic overhaul in 20 years,
Maths said he is confident
the change will be posihve.
“We’re raising the bar, and
I think our students will be
challenged more, and they
will be better for it,” Maths
said. “If we’re going to be a
premier institution for Chris-
tian higher educahon, then
these are the changes we need
to make to get there.”
Some of the changes to
the curriculum affect for-
eign language, English and
speech requirements. Maths
said math skills also were a
concern, but officials hoped
to incorporate more quantita-
tive thinking throughout the
core curriculum rather than
increasing the number of re-
quired hours of mathematics-
related courses.
Although the number of
hours required per student
to graduate will not change,
See Core page 4
Jozie Sands :: staff photographer
Charena Camacho, freshman advertising/public relations major from McGregor,
takes notes in Composition and Literature, while Dr. Laura Carroll, assistant
professor of English, lectures during class Thursday.
Goodwin
run raises
money for
families
By Colter Hettich
Features Editor
While some students catch
up on sleep Saturday morn-
ing, others will lace up their
running shoes for the 26th
annual Kirk Goodwin 5K
Run. The event raises money
for families with unforeseen
medical expenses.
About 100 individuals
have registered for the race
— more than 75 percent of
them students — but the
number does not include on-
line registration.
Wilson Rotenberry, junior
political science major from
Abilene, served as the direc-
tor and coordinator of this
year’s run. Rotenberry said
he is the only avid runner to
serve as director for the Kirk
Goodwin Run in recent years.
His familiarity with long-dis-
tance running prompted him
to make changes this year,
the most prominent being the
addition of chip timing.
“It’s fairly expensive, but
we’re really trying to make
this more of an area event
than just a campus event,”
Rotenberry said. “We’re hop-
ing to attract more runners
with'the chip timing.”
Chip'Tuning provides a
far more accurate time than
See Run page 4
Zak Zeinert:: chief photographer
Amanda Sampson, junior English major from Austin, leaps through the air during Left: A Dissection of The Brain at the Paramount Theatre on Saturday.
C0ITI: See a photo slideshow and a video of the dance show, left: A Dissection of The Brain," in which several ACU students performed.
Rushing
to begin
with joint
club event
By Heather Leiphart
Staff Photographer
The 2nd annual all-club
rush will be Monday from 6-8
p.m. in the mall area in front
of Moody Coliseum. Each so-
cial club will set up a booth,
showcasing their colors, let-
ters and club gear, along with
information about each club’s
upcoming individual rushes.
“It’s a nice, laid-back intro-
duction to rushing to get ev-
eryone’s feet wet,” said Katie
Findley, junior middle school
education major from Hous-
ton and president of Sigma
Theta Chi. “The idea is to
draw in the people who never
really thought about social
clubs before. Instead of you
having to come to the social
club, the social clubs are com-
ing to you.”
The all-dub rush is a dub’s
first chance to create interest
for potential members. It also is
the only event where every dub
is in the same place at the same
time, so the air is thick with
competition for attention.
“It’s kind of like a mini Sing
Song,” Findley said. “It’s good
to have that competition be-
cause that will just make ev-
ery dub step it up a notch
and make it really enjoyable
for whoever comes.”
See Rush page 4
Professor wrapped up in paper prank
By Grant Abston
Sports Editor
Dr. Jeff Childers opened the door to
his office and was surprised to see it
ready for painting. A chair and desk, pic-
ture frames, a couple of paintings and a
computer were wrapped in white pack-
ing paper. But two steps into the room
quickly turned Childers’ confusion into
two simple words: April Fools.
“I thought, ‘Wow, it was an enormous
amount of work,”’ said Childers, asso-
ciate professor of Bible, ministry and
missions and Carmichael-Walling Chair
See Prank page 4
Grant Abston :: sports editor
Dr. Jeff Childers, associate professor of Bible ministry and missions, sits in his
office where someone wrapped more than 100 books in paper.
Students to saddle up
for annual ACU Rodeo
By Megan Haggerton
Student Reporter
Students can show off their goat-
milking, steer-saddling, calf-scram-
bling talents at the ACU Rodeo, an
annual event catered to the spirit of
“cowboy” competition.
The ACU Rodeo will be 7 p.m. on Tues-
day at the Taylor County Expo Center.
Students can sign up for the rodeo
events through Friday at a booth in
the Campus Center, but late registra-
tion will continue through Monday.
Kyle Ferrell, sophomore business
agriculture major from Weatherford,
is helping to organize the event.
“We try each year to really get ACU
students to participate in the rodeo be-
cause it is a great chance for students
to learn more about rodeos and experi-
ence something fun with their friends
that they otherwise may have not re-
ceived a chance to do so,” Ferrell said.
See Rodeo page 3
ACU
Breezy
Breezy
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
acuoptimist.com
Videos :: Podcasts :: Slideshows
Is the core cur-
: riculum change
necessary?
a. Yes. U-100 was a waste of time.
b. Only time will tell.
c. No. All core classes are easy anyway.
d. I don’t care; I’m an upperclassman.
^acuoptimist.com
Online Poll
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The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 97, No. 47, Ed. 1 Friday, April 3, 2009, newspaper, April 3, 2009; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth903888/m1/1/?rotate=270: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.