The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 85, No. 21, Ed. 1, Wednesday, November 6, 1996 Page: 2 of 6

                                
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Jeremy Parish Editor in Chief
Tiffany Kondrup Managing News Editor
Jessica Gray Wevvponts Page o7tor
Rebecca Wilson Chief Copy Editor
Michael Woods Chief Photographer
Dr. Merlin Mann Faculty Adviser
Cade White Photographic Adviser
Alex Alfaro Advertising Production
Kent Darnett Advertising Director
Tony Bedard Staff Photographer
Becky Bowden Advertising Sales
( Wyatt Bowden Advertising Sales
Lovey Chin Staff Photographer
Amy Daugherlty Sfatf Writer
Kelly Enrlght Copy Fdifo'
Jennifer Fierro SportJ Writer
Willie Hubbard Staff Pnotographer
Eunice Urn Staff Wrifer
Brenda McCain Ad Production
Krist! Pawlik Contributing Writer
Claire Prultt Contributing Writer
Amanda Relter SfarY Photographer
Sidney Schuhmann rVews Page fo7tor
Jared Schroeder Sports Assistant
Kim Sublette Advertising Production
Melanle Ihomat News Page Editor
Nathan Willis Graphic Artist
:
Accept pray
The battle is won. The campaigning
is over and the sparring has ended.
We now know who our president will
be for the next four years.
Dubbed the leader of the free world
the president of the United States has
one of the most stressful jobs in the
world.
This man will make decisions that
will affect the lives of all Americans. He
will assemble with heads of state and
Republican platform stance on abortion clarified
To the editor
"We believe the unborn child has a
fundamental right to life which cannot
be infringed. We therefore affirm our
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the Constitution and we endorse legis-
lation that the Fourteenth Amend-
ment's protections apply to unborn
children."
Quoted in its entirety this constitutes
the core provision regarding the 1996
Republican Party platforms advocacy
for legislative restoration of the sancti-
ty of human life. The clause referred to
in Janet M. Sarver's Oct. 16 letter to the
editor is a peripheral provision entail-
ing the Republican's principle regard-
ing the alteration of individual con-
science and is not representative of that
legislation that would be implemented
under a Republican - controlled
Congress.
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him who have
been called according to his purpose.
What then shall we say in response to this? If God is for us who can be against us? "
Campaigns
Trifolds explaining key aspects of
each activity were set up on dozens
of1 tables. The leaders of almost every
campaign stood vigilant at each station
ready to answer questions and explain
all aspects of their trip to would-be cam-
paigners. These campaigns are none other than
tlie 26 Spring Break Campaigns sched-
uled for the spring break of 1997.
1 The people milling around discussed
(fun activities like trips to Disneyland
' and the beach skiing and even a Ferris
Buclert Day Off scene re-enactment.
 Most people present were interested in
activities of a different sort.
Activities such as visiting nursing
homes an AIDS hospice childrens' hos-
pitals womens shelter and a maternity
horn?; working on houses through
Habitat for Humanity and with inner-
city youth and teaching people to read
abilene  
christian '
university . .
122 McGlothlin Campus Ctr.
ACU Box 27892
Abilene TX 79699-7892
E-mail: 0ptimi5tjmc.acu.edu
The Optimist is a publication of the stu-
dents of the Department of Journalism and
Mass Communication ot Abilen Christian
University 122 McGlothlin Campus Ctr.
ACU Box 27B92 Abilene Texas 79699-
7892 The Journalism laboratory newspaper Is
published twice a week September through
April (except for during univers.ty holidays
in November December January and
March) Subscriptions to the Optimist would
be $30 for third-class mail and $75 for first-
class mail for the academic year.
The unsigned editorials are the opinions
of the students on the Optimist Editorial
Board and do not necessanty reflect the
policies or views of the university. The '
signed columns cartoons and letters to the
editor are the options of their creators and
do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of
the Optimist Editorial Board or the unlversi-
ty administration.
for newly elected president
meet with royalty. He will veto laws of
which we may or may not have
approved.
He deserves the respect of all citi-
zens. Although a relatively low per-
centage of eligible voters voted for
this man that does not change his
position.
He is still our leader and as such he
should be prayed for and looked after
supported and upheld.
As a delegate to the 1996 Republican
State Convention I witnessed caucus
proceedings and platform committee
debates that culminated in the slating
of the most unequivocally pro-life
national delegation in America (esti-
mated at 98 percent). These positions
were eventually incorporated into the
national platform which retained
those precepts originally included
under the preceding conventions. It is
politically and rhetorically irresponsi-
ble to maintain that there is no sub-
stantive differences between the two
partys tenets. The Democratic Partys
ability to condone the federally sanc-
tioned eradication of innocent human
life is indicative of the moral ambiva-
lence undergirdlng this party.
Perhaps more than any other nation-
al institution the liberal Democratic
Party and its ideological affiliates have
facilitated the demise of Americans
valuable tool
"The services rendered
on these campaigns show
a love for our fellow
man and a love for
Cod.'
rH?
Jessica Gray
using the Bible are just some 'of the
many ways in which campaigners will
be reaching Out to the men women and
children of Boston Chicago New York
Seattle San Diego and Orlando
These activities ate the heart of Spring
Break Campaigns. The services rendered
on these campaigns show a love for our
fcllowman and a love for God.
One thing that many do not realize
about these campaigns Is the fact that
Criticism should come for negative
things he docs not simply for the sake
of criticism. This criticism should be
expressed in the form of letters nbt
slanderous gossip.
Those who did not vote for the pres-
ident simply have a reason to" pray
harder for God to guide the president
Those who voted for him .have an
obligation to pray for him as their cho-
sen leader.
Jrf.
.t-
Christian heritage. The Democratic
Party has continued its adamant oppo-
sition to any measures that would lift
the prohibition of prayer in American
public schools. The party has vehe-
mently supported the promulgation of
homosexuality as a legitimate alternate
familial unit even to the degree of
propagating it in elementary level cur-
riculum (refer to Clinton education
initiatives). Clinton repeal of the bans
on homosexuals in the military and
fetal tissue research are tantamount to a
blatant and contemptuous assault on
the traditional family. Such stances are
undoubtedly inconsistent with a plat-
form that allegedly "closely fits our
Christian standards.
Matthew J. Kacsmaryk
Treasurer ACU College Republicans
freshman political science major
Fort Worth
for growth
Spring Break Committee chair Trey
Finley pointed out in Dally Assembly
yesterday: the campaigners are affected
as well.
A whole new world Is revealed to stu-
dents when a new coat of paint on a
house one meal a day or a visit from a
group of Christians ready to share Gpd
can change a life.
More spiritual growth can be achieved
through this one week than might oth-
erwise be achieved all semester.
The campaigns do cost money.
Ranging from about $150 to more than
$500 some students might find this to
be an almost impassable obstacle. There
are ways to circumvent the cost howev-
er. Ask a your home church or a relative
to sponsor you. '
To get involved in this worthwhile
cause go to the campus center windows
the rest of this week and next week from
noon to five.
When confronted change
should be faced not feared
Change is a simple six-letter word
but still it can instill in the strongest
of souls a tremor of fear and resistance.
Our country is undergoing a change.
Any time a leader is elected or re-elected
a group must shift. Agendas are set
that not everybody will agree with. New
attitudes are developed that not every-
one will share. 'Whether under a new
leader with completely different views
or under an old leader with a new set of
goals every four years America must
adapt to a change in its commander-in-chief
taking the good with the bad.
--As. college .students cbinges-.in per-
sonal lives-are usually more noticeable
to us.
Breaking up with your boyfriend of
two years or changing your major in the
spring of your senior year means a
major change in lifestyle. Explanations
must be given for why you're not with
your ex as much anymore. Little old
ladies at your church and the people
from your lntcr-G group will wonder
why you're not graduating with your
class. Things won't be the same now
that you don't have an automatic date to
your social and people will get tired of
hearing you say "When I was freshman
they had lights In the Bean Sprout .. "
The decisions you made - for better or
worse - will change your life and to
make it through you must be able to
flow with change.
Regardless of how long it takes you
graduation Is a change in and of itself.
'Illinois drivers' not only
ones endangering self
others on highways
Think back to the last time you saw
someone roll through a stop sign
change lanes in the middle of an inter-
section disregard the speed limit cut
off an oncoming car or fall to use tum
signals.
Where 1 come from we call people
likethis "Illinois drivers" - not quite a
slanderous statement against the people
who live across the Mississippi River
from St. Louis Mo. but such a state-
ment demonstrates the typical driver
state-of-mind:
I'm not the bad driver; ills someone
else.
When 1 movetf to Abilene I wondered
if all the Illinois drivers had followed
me here from the Land of Lincoln.
Why were all these people making
safe driving so difficult? Why were
all these' people making driving so
dangerous?
Then 1 realized: Illinois drivers are the
same as Texas drivers the same as col-
lege drivers the same as elderly drivers
the same as distracted parent drivers
the same as drivers in a hurry.
You - and I - are the bad drivers.
OK so maybe we don't have any
marks on our driving records. Maybe
our consciences are clear from unob-
served speed limits and maybe we
'If sleeping through
church became easy at a
Christian university
what do you think will
happen in a secular
world?"
Tiffany
Kondrup
For many students here shifting from
Mom and Dad to the ACU bubble was a
change but that change is nolliing like
shifting from the ACU bubble to the big
bad real world will be. Suddenly you
have to have cash because you can't 
depend on points The computer labs
you had become accustomed to aren't
available anymore. Announcements
aren't made from a dally stage and signs
aren't hung on every sldcwilk remind-
ing you to attend devotionals and prayer
meetings. If sleeping through church
became easy at a Christian university .
what do you think will happen in a sec-
ular world?
We can't avoid cliangc and in all hon-
esty would we want to? Every new thing
that comes into or goes out of our lives
happens for a reason. If we have placed
our lives Into the hands of God as we
face change we should hold strong to
the belief that He will not send anything
into our lives that we cannot handle
together.
"When I moved to
Abilene I wondered if
all the Illinois drivers
had followed me here
from the Land of
Lincoln."
JtR
sm
amv
Amy
Daugherity '
always use our turn signals.
But speaking from personal experi-
ence concentrating on driving often
becomes secondary to chatting with
passengers singing with die radio sip-
ping a soft drink anticipating a date or
zoning in outer space.
These nondriving activities can be
dangerous to you your passengers and
other drivers and pedestrians.
If everyone starts driving conclen-
clously and cautiously we'll save our-
selves much grief pain and stress.
Even with seatbelts and speedbumps
driving always will be a gamble on our
Jives - but the odds of an accident are
decreased by simply concentrating on
your task and following the rules.
Please take care when you drive.
Don't be an lllinlois driver.
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