The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 87, No. 25, Ed. 1, Friday, November 20, 1998 Page: 1 of 8
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FOCUS: New restaurants and business revitalize downtown Abilene
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imi
Focus page 3
Sports page 4
Opinion page 6
Scene page 7
H a
bilene christian university
November 20 1998 Friday Volume 87 Number 25 Department of Journalism and Mass Communication
Unexcused absences can hinder graduation
Sidney Schuhmann
Copy Editor
Students with cicssic Chapel ab-
senecs who want to giaduatc should think
again
Dean of students Wanc Barnard said
students w ho ha e not taken care of execs-
stc absences with community sen ice will
not be able to graduate in December
Students arc allowed to be absent from
Daily Assembly 15 tunes each semester All
absences after (hat will lue to be made up
wiih one hour of conummii) sen ice per
absence
Students ready
for holiday
Some going home for
first time others staying
with friends or in Abilene
Rhonda Oaks
Student Reporter
"It is therefore recommended to set apart
Thursday the 18th of December nct for solemn
thanksgiving and praise that with one heart and
one oicc the good people may express the grate-
ful feelings of their hearts and consecrate them-
selves to the service of their divine benefactor'
This quote given b Samuel Adams on Nov 1
1777 was adopted by the 13 states as the first
official Thanksgiving Proclamation according to
the website www thanksgiving org
Although the date and some traditions have
been changed the spirit behind Thanksgiving
remains the same the spirit of giv ing thanks for
ones blessings
Thanksgiving means something different to
everyone
To sonic the day is for family gatherings
while others view it as a day to do things for
other people
Paula White sophomore undecided major
from Williamsburg Va who was unable lo go
home last y ear for Thanksgiving said she is look-
My parents don't
know I'm coming
home but I'm glad
I'll get to spend
the holiday with my
family.
- Paula White
ing forward to surprising her family this year
"M parents don't know 1 in coming home"
she said "but 1 m glad I II get to spend the holi-
day with m family "
Cheryl Mascan sophomore graphic design
major from Abilene is going to spend
Thanksgiving feeding people who would have
gone without
'Usuallv we stay at home and friends come
over" she said ' But last year we went to llamhn
with relatives We made a big dinner for people
with nowhere to go and nothing to eat We even
sent some food out into the community for peo-
ple who couldn't come to us "
Mascan said she and her family will be doing
that again this) ear
Man) students are looking forward to the time
off from school
"1 in looking forward to food besides the Bean
and two extra da)s of stud)ing" said Cr)stal
Dr)den sophomore animal science major from
Lo)alton Calif
Many families have a history of Thanksgiving
traditions that range from preparing certain foods
to established fanul) activities
"We usually gel the whole extended fanul)
together and have a turke) dinner and all the
stuff that goes with it" Dr)dcn said
This )car however Dr)dcn said she will not
be going home but will be spending Thanks-
giving at a friends house instead
Jo Robertson an Abilene resident auditing a
Bible class said her family celebrates Thanks-
giving year-round
"Anytime we get the family together is a time
for thanksgiving" she said "We used lo have
more traditions but now we're more thankful to
the Lord we're all together "
See Thanksgiving page 8
The students who have lo make up the
absences aie sent to the oluntcer "si.ivu.c-
I earning Center to icceive a scivicc
assignment
So far mil) lliicc students have hull
assigned tommunit) set vice to make up
for their absences
The coiniimnil) service pohev for Dill)
Assembly absences is new this year
In the past students paid fines for
excess absence:.
The 19WM Student Guide states that
communit) sen ice must be completed with-
in 10 calendar da)s of assignment or a i5
fine for each Chapel absence will be assessed
in addition lo the communit) service
1 uilheiinore the guidebook slates that
all communit) service and fines must be
fulfilled bcfoic a student can register the
following semester receive transcripts or
be eligible for graduation
Chapel sccretar) Rll.i llanell said letters
have been sent out lo students with exces-
sive absences requesting them to come to
the Campus 1 lfe Office lo address the
pioblem
She said man) absences can actuall) be
exeiiscd because people foigot to slide in
or out when the) went to Chapel
Though not mail) students have conic
lo ihe office in l espouse to the letter
1 larrell said she expects to sec man) com-
ing in within the next two weeks as the
scmcslci tonics lo an end
Barnaul warned students lo take care of
excessive absences before the) start lo icg-
islcr next scmcslci
I T they register an) w a a flag vv ill appear
on their account similar lo one for finan-
cial difficulties
"Just like financial problems it has to be
taken care of Barnard said lie said
Chapel is a graduation requuement just
like an) other class
1 larrell said as of Thursday 10 students
on the December graduation list have
unexcused excess absences
Barnaul said the Campus Life Office
wants to work with students who have
excess absences and students can check
how many absences they have on the
intranet
However be stressed that students will
not be able to simply buy their wa) out of
attending Chapel next semester when reg-
istration tunc comes
"A minority of the students will push
this and Us going lo be unfortunate for
them Barnard siul The) need to realize
this is serious They need to lake care of it "
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BUrt' T A VVV xjs v
Senate approes
magazine request
hears physics
Jennifer Smalling
Hunger Strike: David Hall associate director of Manna International and an ACU alumnus talks
with a student in the Chapel on the Hill Wednesday.
Staff Writer
Two more student requests highlighted the
Student Senates Wednesday meeting this week
Tirst the Society of Physics Students present-
ed a $226 55 request for a local competition it
participated in Jon VaiiBuskirk senior physics
major from Irving presented the request which
would supplement the cost of building a trc-
huchct structure for the contest
The supplies needed to build the large wood-
en structure that threw pumpkins in ihe compe-
tition cost SI'S more than its y early $50-60 bud-
get VaiiBuskirk said that money is collected
ftom the 15-16 members in the club
Senate will discuss and vote on the request in
two weeks
The S700 request by the Snitimn Rcucw lit-
erary magazine was uninimously approved by
officers of Senate 31-0 Logan Baud sophomore
English major from San Antonio said the
money w ill be used in the S 1 800 printing cost of
the student poetry magazine The Department
of English and Campus Life also contribute to
the cost he said Publication of (he Siiiincry
Rmciv Baird said will happen sometime in
April
With the approval of ibis request the
Students Associations student request fund is
S854 50. said executive treasurer Jason
Schumacher junior business management
major from Arlington
All students are members of the SA and con-
tributes to its budget with a portion of their S35
student activities fee Lvery Wednesday at 5
p m members of the Sen itc and interested stu-
dents gather in Room I H of the Biblical Studies
Building Meetings include updates on what
classes and committees within SA are doing stu-
dent budget requests and other business items
Senate members hive only three unexcused
absences from weekly meetings before they are
released from Senate This week absent members
were senior class sen nor Jason OQuinn biology
major from Tyler junior class president Darren
Keyes international business major from Fort
Worth sophomore class senator Nadia Bien (2)
political science major from San Antonio Adopt-a-Grandparcnt
chairwoman Laurie Dromgoole
sophomore undecided major from Abilene Cam-
pus Concerts Committee treasurer Paul Pasanlla
senior biochemistry major from DeSoto MIND.
Committee chairman Chris Riley (2). junior
political science mijor from Beaumont Spnng
Break Campaigns Committee treasurer Rick
Carder junior accounting major from Bir-
mingham Ala and travel coordinator Jonathan
Cioudcau junior missions major from Midland
Spiritual Life Prayer Committee chairwoman
Bryanna Self sophomore undecided major from
Garland and Program chairwoman Merriam
Massey (2) sophomore undecided major from
Broken Arrow Okla Special I riends Committee
chairwomin Leslie Chadwick (3) sophomore
elementary education major from Lubbock and
Wildcat Kids Committee chairwoman Jenny
Murphy junior nuliuion major from Piano
Sigma Chi representative visits with faculty staff at breakfast
Editor in Chief
Wayne Tucker a national represent.!
live from Sigma Chi met with faculty
and stalf members Wednesday lo discuss
mens social club Sigma Clu Alphas
effoils to establish a colony or chapter of
the national fraternity at ACU
The social club is waning for a green
light from university administralois lo
begin the process of starting a colony
which would lake a minimum of two
years Tucker said the process of starling
a colony al Peppcrdine University took
five years
"We see AC I as a good place lo cstab
lish a nation il fraternity chapter" Tinker
said Sigma Chi has certain standards
and ideas we profess to live up to and
these guys have demonstrated the capa-
bility lo live up to those standards I per-
sonally fed confident m the men that are
nuking up ibis group "
Tucker said the faculty and staff
biougbt up the perception of fraternities
at Wednesday mornings meeting
" There is an animal bouse mentality'
surrounding fraternities " he said "They
wanted to know if this is the best way to
prov ide a strong social outlet for students
ACU has a very receptive administration
that cares about students well-being
If the university decides to allow Sigma
Chi Alpha to proceed with us petition
the group would enter the Dccliration of
Intent phase an initial review stage
'The decision rests with the adminis-
tration" Tucker said
Cynthia Cooke dean of students
attended Wednesdays breakfast and said
those in allendance learned a lot more
about Sigma Clu and what ihcy stand for
"Mr Tucker was very accommodat-
ing and encouraged us to seek out his
responses" she said "He's a Baylor
graduate so he understands a bit more
what ACU is like as opposed to some
one from a state school
Dr Dwayne VanRheencii university
provost said during the spring semester
the entire campus will look at social or-
ganizations on campus and evaluating
whether they contribute to (be develop-
ment of Christian character and the goals
of higher education
"As part of that discussion we will
look at whether national fraternities and
sororities would make a positive contri-
bution" he said "The process for Sigma
Clu to be accepted by the national frater-
nity would take two to three years So
any way one looks at it we aie a long
ways away from making a final decision."
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The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 87, No. 25, Ed. 1, Friday, November 20, 1998, newspaper, November 20, 1998; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101603/m1/1/: accessed May 3, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.