The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 75, No. 50, Ed. 1, Wednesday, March 30, 1988 Page: 2 of 6
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Opinion
fc Wednesday march 30 1988 page 2
"But I tell you Do not mist an evil person. If someone strikes you on v.'
the right cheek tumtohim the other also" Matthew 5:39.
Optimist
Canity Holcombe
editor In chief
(onathanwiu
editorial ptge editor
KrUUBuchart
managing news editor
Dawn Treat
Wednesday edition editor
lulleFUzpatrick
friday edition editor
RebekchClbbs
wednelay news editor
Cindy Ueper
Kerry Cole
copy editor
TerriWest
assistant copy editor
Kenneth R.Pybus
sports editor
Cade White
photo editor
John Paul Brownlow
assistant photographer
Mary Wiley
stat director
Kevin Marshall
staff
friday news editor
The
i Optimist Is published semi-woeWy except during the summer vacations and final examinations by
wrnalism and Mass Communication Division of Abilene Christian University Abilene Texas 79699. The
tha taumalism and Mass Communication Division of Abilene Christian University
Optimist Is affiliated witn the Associated couegutte press tne Texas intercouegute press Association tne
Southwestern Journalism Congress the Associated Press and the Rocky Mountain Collegiate Press Associa-
tion. Editorial opinions appearing In the Optimist are views of the editorial board and do not necessarily reflect
the ofTidal policy of the ACU administration.
Signed Columns represent the Individual views of the authors.
editorials
Go see SA
The students of ACU have been
presented with many opportunities
during the last two years to hear
brilliant speakers. How many have
you heard?
If attendance at such speeches is
any indication many students have
missed the chance to hear such men
as Alex Haley Roger Staubach and
Charlton Heston.
During the last seven months the
list of speakers has stayed im-
pressive: Nicholas DanilofF Howard
Mohr Richard Ostling Tom
Sullivan Alan Loy McGinnis and
MaxLucado.
And just in the last month the Hill
has been visited by Henry Cisneros
mayor of San Antonio and Bernie
Volunteers
The representative nature of the .
election process in America will be
damaged unless- college students
volunteer in the political arena. A
new source of grass-roots workers is
needed now. Campaign professionals
already are moving in to fill the vol-
unteer void.
Matt Petersen a 21-year-old from
California State University
estimates he made 2000 phone calls
on behalf of Massachusetts Gov.
Michael Dukakis before Michigan's
Democratic caucuses Saturday. He
worked out of volunteers' homes in
Grand Rapids.
But Petersen was not himself a
volunteer. He was one of 40 paid
staffers who arrived in the state 10
days before the caucuses to help oil
the Dukakis machinery.
Dukakis is not alone in depending
upon paid campaign workers. To-
day any election involving more
than 5000 votes may involve cam-
paign specialists. An estimated $100
million a year is already being spent
on political consultants by can-
didates running for offices from
president to city councilman.
Future campaigns will doubtless
spend even more on professionals.
Candidates once .turned to the
local Democratic and Republican
party organizations for expertise in
running a campaign. But local polit-
ical machines are in disarray. In ad-
dition the need for specialized skills
has spelled the end of the election
won on the good will of friends
neighbors and relatives. A shoebox
full of names on file cards has been
replaced by computerized feats such
as targeting issue precincts rather
than geographic precincts and
fielding "interactive campaigns."
Also where once candidates'
spouses ran the camoaign they now
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J
Cody Moore
staff
Chris Maclean
froductlon
unesDlllingsley
ed production
Bryan Haddock
adproductlon
EricMcMnian
marketplace
Donna Southerlend
ad manager
Dr. Charlie Martar
adviser
speakers
Fuchs an award-winning illustrator
from New York City.
You don't run into these people
everyday on the street. They are
men who have accomplished a great
deal during their lives and their
presence on campus creates a privi-
lege none of us should ignore.
If you've ignored the privilege un-
til now wake up. listen for the
announcements about future
speakers and make an effort to hear
them.
If you feel no desire to make the
effort continue to stay home and
watch reruns. You've missed the
author of Roots a Super Bowl
quarterback and an Academy
Award-winning actor.
needed
may have their own jobs and
businesses to run.. With the largest
source of volunteers housewives
disappearing rapidly because mil-
lions of married women are entering
the work force a candidate will have
to pay for help if a new source of
volunteers is not found.
When a candidate is forced to hire
help he or she comes to depend
upon professional full-time cam-
paign workers who know the politi-
cal process better than they know
the local issues. Because local
workers have to live with the results
of the elections they are motivated
to be careful whom they support.
On the other hand professional
campaign workers are likely to look
upon a candidate as a product to be
packaged rather than as a repre-
sentative of their own viewpoints.
Representation of the voters'
points of view is a fundamental
characteristic of American
democracy. Historically Americans
believed that local representation
was worth fighting for. Today
guaranteeing local representation is
surely worth working for. It will be
far easier to make sacrifices to
preserve democracy now than it
would be to restore democracy later.
Matt Petersen took a leave of
absence from college to work for
Dukakis. But many college students
can volunteer in local state and na-
tional elections without taking a
semester off. Most college students
will be in school only half of the
time in the seven months remaining
before the presidential elections in
November.
We believe that students can and
should become the new corps of
volunteers that ensures that we the
people elect our own repre-
sentatives. A
frfe. justice
CPS
Fire holds
"The great grass fire of '88? Oh I
drove through that one back when I
was at ACU."
I can here myself falling into that tale
&t the most passing allusion from my
grandkids.
Two fellow Optimist staffers and I
eluded the check points with adroit use
of the backroads and made our way to
the fire that eventually consumed
375000 acres of grass land.
A few weeks ago I had lost an ex-
cellent grandchildren tale when the
Chuck Berry concert was canceled in
my hometown. I was prepared to make
something up but I realized that the
actual concert could have been a far
more fruitful starting ground for a tall
tale.
But when I saw that grass fire I
knew my second shot at a wondrous
tale would not be denied.
We drove through areas where the
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Helping boy like helping Jesus
In Matthew 25:40 Jesus said "I tell
you the truth whatever you did for one
of the least of these brothers of mine
you did for me."
Earlier in the passage Jesus makes
reference to the hungry the thirsty the
sick naked and imprisoned. Today's
Christian may sometimes wonder how
he can apply these verses in modern
American society. After all how often
do we meet a person who is truly starv-
ing or not fully clothed?
But something a friend of mine did
made me see just how clearly this
passage applies even to the 20th-
century American.
The day before Spring Break my
friend came to pick me up so we could
go to dinner before parting for the
week.
"We need to hurry" he said.
I glanced at him in surprise knowing
full well we had plenty of time to get to
the restaurant and finish dinner before
church.
"I saw a little boy crying on the side
of the road and I want to see if he is
still there" he explained.
As we got in his truck he chided
himself for not stopping and talking to
letters to the editor
Good service
worth costs
To the Editor:
Everyone who thinks we have a
great phone system raise your hand.
Oh yes I'm raising my hand. Just
think we don't have to pay $60 to
get our phone installed. And isn't it
great we don't have to pay the basic
service charge of around 1 5?
I remember these fees every time I
use ACU telecommunications service
and find static on the line. This only
happens when I call long distance.
Yes I miss paying these fees when
my phone goes dead after 5 p.m. I
called to have it fixed but was told it
would be called in the next morning.
Thank goodness I didn't need to call
in a pizza order.
I believe I would rather pay a little
extra to have the guarantee of my
phone getting fixed ASAP.
strange
a&B
witticisms
Jonathan witt
fire had been. Scattered embers descen-
ded into the distance on soot-black
fields made invisible by the night. The
red embers seemed to be draped onto a
plane of nothingness falling off from
the road on every side.
We made our way to where the fire
freshly blazed. By now the fire had
broken up into smaller lines that clean-
ed up the leftover acreage of unburned
land. We drove down the road lined
with glowing charcoal fence posts and
come upon a line of fire that crowded
up against the road and sent sparks
raining across our path. At first we
were afraid to cross lest the sparks catch
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the little boy earlier.
When we passed the baseball field
across from Gardner Dormitory there
he stood a boy of about six years old
his fists knotted in balls at his sides and
his face stained with tears.
My friend parked his car and walked
to the little boy. I saw him bend down
and put his arm around his shoulder
offering comfort.
A few minutes later my friend and
the boy walked over to the truck. He
introduced me to the little boy who
still had tears in his eyes.
"He was afraid to cross the street"
my friend explained matter-of-factly
without embarrassing the boy or mak-
ing him feel babyish.
My friend asked him where he need-
ed to go and the boy pointed a finger
straight ahead.
We drove until he told us to stop.
The little boy jumped out and began
And what about these less-than-a-minute
calls? If I pay these will my
phone get fixed faster?
Dftldre Foot senior
Garland
Attitude unfair
for athletes
To the Editor:
The March 11 Chapel was one of
the best all semester and it was con-
ducted entirely by some great
athletes. Good job guys.
Ever since I was younger my fa-
ther who coached high school
athletics was in high praise of the
athletic programs here at ACU yet
when I came here a couple of years
ago I found a very bad attitude
toward athletes on this campus.
Here at ACU the students applaud
the world-class status of our track
team. We love ACU basketball and
Saturdays at Shotwell. And yet we
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attraction
our car on fire. But I decided the odds
of a mishap were reasonably low and I
sent the Chevrolet Caprice through the
fire.
Nothing happened to the car. It
wasn't mine but I was glad never-
theless. The smoke had grown rather
thick by now and the scene around us
had taken on the likeness of a nuclear
holocaust. I've never seen a nuclear
holocaust myself but I'm sure this
wasn't far off the mark.
We were absolutely fascinated by the
destruction around us. A couple of
burning tires which apparently started
the blaze had laid waste to everything
within sight. The power of that blaze
left us in awe. We marveled at the sheer
destructive force of those flames.
Why something so terrible so
destructive attracted us so I don't
know. Perhaps our grandkids will
discover the answer.
running down the street to a friend's
house.
As we drove away my friend began
talking of other things but my mind
was still focused on the little boy and
my friend's actions.
And I then began to think of Mat-
thew 25:40. Later I looked it up and
read it and suddenly the verse came in-
to focus.
That little boy standing on the side of
the road was Jesus.
And the distressed motorist sitting on
the side of the road in a broken down
car is Jesus. And the lost child in the
shopping mall is Jesus. And the elderly
woman struggling beneath the weight
of her grocery bags is Jesus too. And
the list goes on.
I admire my friend for stopping to
help that little boy.
But more than that I thank him for
helping me see the meaning of this
passage.
For on the Judgment Day I don't
want to be standing on the left and
listening to the King say "Depart from
me .... Whatever you did not do for one
of the least of these you did not do for
me."
are extremely judgmental of the
athletes here.
I am presently working as a resi-
dent assistant in Edwards Hall and
from time to time an athlete wUl get
into some trouble. But so does the
student next door. And yet we're
always down on the athlete.
I think it's extremely unfair to ex-
pea perfection of the athlete on the
field in the classroom and on the
campus. Whereas 5 percent of the
athletes may cause a firw problems
95 percent of them are great exam-
ples of discipline leadership and
Christianity.
We would hate to be judged by the
action of a few students on this cam-
pus so why do that to the athletes? I
don't know of anyone who brings
more honor to ACU than do our
athletes and for that I am thankful
and supportive of every one of them.
They're not perfect but neither are
you or I.
J. Michael Hall Junior
Sprlngtown
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The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 75, No. 50, Ed. 1, Wednesday, March 30, 1988, newspaper, March 30, 1988; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101451/m1/2/: accessed May 22, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.