The Optimist Print Edition 04.04.2007

The Vol. 95, No. 46

IN THIS ISSUE CAMPUS Going to India

Three students will spend the summer in India, deprived of electronics and communication with the outside world, page 3

•

1 sections, 8 pages

The on-campus devotional group, The Call, which began last semester, is growing in number, page 4

WEDNESDAY

April 4, 2007

Hunter accepts new role n Dr. Bob Hunter took his eighth job with the university as special assistant to the president. Hunter’s responsibilities will be to help with special projects. By DANIEL JOHNSON Sports Editor

Hearing the Call

OPTIMIST

Former Texas State Representative Dr. Bob Hunter has one more title to add to his resume. Hunter took his eighth job at the university in his 51 years at ACU after being ap-

pointed as special assistant to Dr. Royce Money, president of the university. “He’s just ideally suited for the position,” Money said. Hunter took the job after finishing his final term as state representative for the Hunter 71st District. Hunter served for 20 years as the

71st District’s representative and gave up his seat by not running for re-election in 2006. “President Royce Money asked me to become an adviser and helper to him,” Hunter said. “I was happy to do so because of my love for the ACU community.” Hunter’s main responsibility will be to help Money with special projects, the first of which is to serve as campaign See

HUNTER page 7

•

www.acuoptimist.com

Hunter’s ACU Jobs Since 1956, Dr. Bob Hunter has worked at ACU, holding eight different positions. n Director of Special Events n Director of Alumni Relations n Assistant to the president n Vice president for Public Relations and Development n Graduate School of Business lecturer n Senior VP of ACU n Senior VP emeritus n Special assistant to the president

Creative Date revealed The winning entry of the Creative Date contest is detailed by the winner and person who selected it, page 4

Student Reporter

PovertyLink, an on-campus organization developed to fight poverty, is hosting Hunger Banquet, which will take place on Monday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Hilton Room of the Campus Center. The Hunger Banquet will consist of a dinner prepared by PovertyLink members, followed by a presentation about poverty. Cristina Del Pinal, president of PovertyLink, said there will be entertainment and surprises at the banquet. Tickets can be purchased at the ticket windows in the Campus Center after Chapel for $3.

‘Street Scene’

See

The Department of Music put on the first opera in more than two years. The department plans to produce another opera, Mozart’s ‘The Magic Flute,’ next year, page 3 Emily smith CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

Young Alumnus of the Year Kasey Pipes laughs at a remark by Dr. Royce Money on Tuesday at the Alumni Association’s banquet in his honor.

Pipes named Young Alumnus n Kasey Pipes, class of 1995, urged students to lose, listen and love as leaders at the Young Alumnus of the Year banquet. By KELSI PEACE Features Editor

Setting the pace

Nicodemus Naimadu set the world’s fastest time this year in the 10,000meters at the Stanford Invitational in his first collegiate competition in the event, page 8.

Kasey Pipes has put words into the mouths of modern-day leaders President George W. Bush and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger as their speechwriter. And on Tuesday, Pipes, class of 1995, was honored at the Young Alumnus of the Year luncheon for his own leadership and service to the university. Pipes, the 17th Young Alumnus of the Year to be honored with the Alumni Association’s award, offered three actions a leader takes: leaders lose, leaders listen and leaders love. “Someone is going to lead the world,” Pipes told students, “and it might as well be you … In fact, it had better be you.” Pipes himself set out to lead in the

political arena as a member of U.S. Rep. Kay Granger’s staff, equipped with communication and political science bachelor’s degrees from ACU. “ACU blessed me with a feeling, a sense that somehow I belong,” Pipes said. “That somehow, I posses a talent that I should go out and use for God’s glory.” Pipes used that talent working as associate director of the Office of Strategic Initiatives for President Bush, where he wrote speeches for the President, Laura Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Lynne Cheney and cabinet secretaries. In 2006, he joined Gov. Schwarzenegger’s re-election campaign as the chief speechwriter. Today, Pipes owns and operates The Pipes Co., his consulting and public relations firm, in Fort Worth. His biography of former president Eisenhower, “Ike’s Final Battle,” was released in March — a work that Pipes says is more of a character study than case study.

And it is Eisenhower who Pipes holds up as a pristine example of leadership. “Leaders don’t just do things right, they do the right thing,” Pipes said. While addressing faculty, friends and family, Pipes directed his message of leadership to students, challenging them to learn to lose, listen and love. “Today’s setback is the beginning of tomorrow’s victory,” Pipes said. And while leaders’ losses make them great, Pipes said the ability to listen and connect is just as vital. As is the ability to serve, which ultimately both defines a leader and enables everyone to be a leader, Pipes said. “[Leaders] don’t just work at a job,” Pipes said. “They have a labor of love.” His desire for all students is that they find work they can love and labor at, Pipes said. He recalled his own moment of professional glory, when he captured Schwarzenegger’s message — receiving See

PIPES page 7

Lucado steps down for health issues Sweeping Start

The 17th-ranked ACU baseball team started LSC South play with its first-ever sweep of Tarleton State in four games this weekend, page 8.

ONLINE Visions of Grace

Celebrating Women’s History Month, see the performance and art of ‘Visions of Grace’ at: www.acuoptimist.com.

n PovertyLink’s Hunger Banquet will support two organizations that deal with poverty, Faithworks and Kiva, Monday night in the Hilton Room. By CAMILLE VANDENDRIESSCHE

NEWS

SPORTS

Hunger Banquet benefits poverty

n Max Lucado, ‘77, known for his more than 50 Christian books, surprised many upon his decision to step down as senior minister at Oak Hill Church. By MALLORY SCHLABACH Editor in Chief

Max Lucado, arguably the university’s most well-known alumnus, will step down as senior minister at Oak Hill Church in San Antonio for health reasons, he announced in March. Lucado, class of 1977, is known worldwide for the more than 50 Christian books he’s written, including: “He Still Moves Stones,” “The Crippled Lamb” and “Footsteps of Jesus.” He has been

Department of Journalism and Mass Communication

preaching as senior minister for nearly 20 years. Lucado said his decision to change roles at the church came at the beginning of March after learning that since August, he had been dealing with a heart condition known as “atrial fibrillation.” This abnormal heart rhythm, while it is the leading type of heart arrhythmia, could still cause blood clots and ultimately lead to a stroke if not taken care of properly. “The church that I lead has about 6,000 members right now, and it takes a lot of time and effort to lead a church this size, not to mention the time spent preparing for sermons,” Lucado said. “It seems to me that this position is a

full-time position and I only work part time at it because I make my profession as a writer, plus being a senior minister. “Doing everything is OK if the church is still small and I’m healthy, but I didn’t feel like I was doing the best job I could for the position only being part time,” he said. He said his role will not be to leave the church but to hand over the leadership duties to a new senior minister. Until a new minister is found, though, Lucado will still continue his role as the senior minister, leading the church, preaching on Sundays and overseeing a staff of more than 80 people. “As soon as the new [min-

ister] arrives here — on his very first day — is when I transition into my new role,” he said. Lucado’s decision to step down came as a surprise to many, he said, including his family. Andrea Lucado, junior English major from San Antonio, said she was sad at first when hearing that her father was stepping down as the senior minister. “Initially I was sad because I didn’t expect it to happen so soon,” she said. “I always knew that it would, but I had to realize that my parents are getting old and at a point where retiring is an option.

Abilene Christian University

See

LUCADO page 7

BANQUET page 7

Gary unveils Center Peace n Dr. Sally Gary is reaching out to individuals with samesex attraction through an organization, Center Peace, that is gaining local support. By LAUREN SUTTON Opinion Editor

When Dr. Sally Gary, assistant professor of communication and director of forensics, overcame her struggle with same-sex attraction, she developed an urge to help others dealing with the same issue. In the late ‘90s, Gary began dreaming of a program that would help individuals confront and work through struggles of samesex attraction, a program that has been set into motion within the last year: Center Peace. Gary said she had few resources when she was personally dealing with this struggle. “There were no messages in my world,” Gary said. “There was nothing in the Churches of Christ.” So in 2005, after writing a proposal to her church elders, the Highland Church of Christ committed to support Gary in her dreams and worked with her for more than a year to develop a strategic plan to reach people dealing with homosexuality. Gary chose a board comprised of individuals from Zoe Group’s Brandon Scott Thomas to English professor Steven Moore to assist her in her organization. In the past year the non-profit organization was named Center Peace. See

CENTER page 7

Serving the ACU community since 1912