Big, Bad Bikers ACU students compete in local bike race
vol. 100, no. 17
Features page 5
Wednesday, october 26, 2011 1 SECTION, 8 PAGES
daniel gomez chief Photographer
Fans raise their arms as Switchfoot performs on stage in Moody Coliseum. Switchfoot performed after Atomic Tom and Anberlin Sunday night, the last day of fall break.
campus
Switchfoot rocks campus Mark smith managing editor Switchfoot brought a night of rock performances on campus to an emphatic close Sunday in Moody Coliseum. The final show of the nationwide tour also brought ACU’s fall break to an end. Atomic Tom opened for Anberlin and Switchfoot, as they have throughout the month-long tour. The band members said they’d thoroughly enjoyed touring with the popular rock bands. The band’s bassist, Philip Galitzine, said the other groups couldn’t have been nicer. “They’re some of the most incredible people we’ve ever hung out with,” said Tobias Smith, Atomic Tom’s drummer. “As a support band for two high profile groups, we weren’t nec-
essarily expecting to be so welcomed.” Anberlin followed Atomic Tom’s 30-minute set without its lead singer, Stephen Christian, who left the tour early for family reasons. Phillip Sneed and Dan Marsala of Story of the Year have filled in as lead vocals for the final stretch of the tour since Tuesday in Dallas. Nathan Young, Anberlin’s drummer, said the band made the decision to bring Sneed and Marsala on in the best interest of the fans. “It’s been different; we’ve only played with Stephen before,” Young said. “We could’ve either cancelled or continued with different singers. We decided this would be better than cancelling.” Audience members received the change fairly well. “It definitely would’ve been better if their lead
singer had been there,” said Erik Soulek, sophomore accounting major from San Antonio. “But they did a good job; the whole band played a great set.” Switchfoot, featured recently on ESPN’s college football broadcasts and Hawaii 5-0, headlined the show and ended the evening with an hour-long set, featuring songs from both older records and from their recently released album, Vice Verses. Jon Foreman, Switchfoot’s lead singer, said this concert was the first for which they played their new song “Blinding Light” outside the recording studio. Foreman played a small after-show outside Don Morris Center at midnight, about an hour after the concert ended. A small group of about 50 fans surrounded and sang along with him as he played acoustic songs
from his solo EPs and from Switchfoot albums. He said he really enjoyed the smaller after-shows with the smaller group of fans singing with him. The Abilene show ends Anberlin and Atomic Tom’s tour. While both bands expect to play a few shows before the end of the year, they are moving on to writing and producing. “We’re going to go into the studio in early February to start working our new record,” Young said. “It will probably be released in late spring or early summer.” Switchfoot will take a two-week break from the road before heading overseas early next month for a short tour through Europe.
contact smith at mds10a@acu.edu
Daniel Gomez chief Photographer
Jon Foreman, lead vocalist and guitarist, rocks out on stage during his performance in Moody Coliseum.
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Abilenian convicted of murder in road rage death
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The only reason that gun wasn’t found in his hand is because he dropped it when he was shot.”
David Thedford, said the opposite. Their argument stood on the foundation of selfdefense, emphasizing David’s initial display of a weapon the first time both men stepped David Thedford out of their vehicles. North’s defense attorney “The only provoker in this is Austin David,” Thedford said. “The only reason hour later in the hospital, Da- that gun wasn’t found in his hand is because he dropped vid was declared dead. District Attorney James it when he was shot.” A key witness to the trial Eidson argued that North was the instigator in the was David’s girlfriend, Mcsituation and thus at fault. Murry University student “He was mad,” Eidson said Stephanie Molina, who was during closing arguments. in the Mustang throughout “He was the aggressor in the duration of the incident. Molina testified North, after this incident.” But North’s two defense the shooting, said to her, attorneys, Sam Moore and “Next time learn not to pull
a gun on somebody.” Moore told the jury he didn’t think Molina was telling the truth and although she knew exactly what happened, she never revealed it in court. Prosecutor Eidson held fast to the truth of Molina’s words. Another key witness was Tyler Casey. Casey said he was at the stoplight of the intersection when the incident occurred, and in his opinion David was the aggressor. Video surveillance of the scene later proved that Casey was not at the location at the actual time of shooting. Eidson called Casey a liar, but Moore said whether he was stopped at the red light or not, he was focused on what was going on.
The trial lagged through a few delays, one of which was for blood work to indicate whether or not David had any illegal substances in his system during the incident. Judge Thomas Wheeler did not allow the test to be admitted as evidence because of conflicting results from different laboratories and the causes for the differentiation. Throughout the trial, North never took the stand to defend himself. Sentencing begins Wednesday, and he faces a prison term of 5-99 years.
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farron salley student reporter Christopher North was convicted of murder Tuesday for the shooting death of Austin David, which took place in February this year after a collision and confrontation on the corner of Sayles Boulevard and S. 14th Street. Closing arguments Tuesday morning wrapped up the ten-day trial. A jury made of ten men and two women spent about only two hours deliberating the decision. North, 45, was accused of shooting and killing David, 21, on Feb. 9. Although North admitted to shooting
David, he insisted it was an act of self defense. North and David were traveling southbound on Sayles, and upon stopping at the traffic light, both men got out of their vehicles. Witnesses of the scene testified in court that North exited his vehicle first, but David was seen first with a gun. Both men returned to their respective vehicles, and North put his pickup truck in reverse and slammed it into David’s Mustang. The force shoved the Mustang into the median. Both men again got out of their vehicles, and this time, both were armed. North shot David in the head. Just more than an
contact salley at fls08a@acu.edu
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