Wet weather rolls into the Big Country
A week of extreme weather conditions came to a climactic end Friday, with icy conditions, postponed classes and a frigid north wind.
Temperatures on Jan. 22 reached a near record high of 85 degrees in Abilene; on Friday, temperatures struggled to reach the freezing mark, prompting university officials to push the start of classes back to 10 [...]
The Optimist Print Edition: 01/29/2010
Critical Mass: All students to have iPhone, iPod touch by fall 2010
ACU’s Mobile Learning Initiative will expand to include all full-time students, Executive Vice President Dr. Phil Schubert said last week.
“We’re getting ready to fully saturate the mobile devices throughout the university. All full-time students will have them by fall 2010. We’ve been anxious for a long time to get devices in every student’s hands,” said [...]
CAS, Honors name dean finalists
Candidates were announced this week for the deans of the Honors College and the College of Arts and Sciences. Search committees selected three candidates for each position and will introduce the candidates within two months.
Dr. Jeanine Varner, former dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, accepted the position of provost in May 2009.
Finalists for [...]
Medina’s visit to ACU canceled
By Ben Warton
Dark horse gubernatorial candidate Debra Medina recently canceled her ACU speaking engagement to take a better offer – Medina was invited to participate in the Belo Debate, an hour-long debate between the three Republican candidates.
The debate, which includes Governor Rick Perry and Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison will broadcast on KTXS Friday. Aaron Escobedo, [...]
Festival to highlight undergrad research
By Christianna Lewis
Kayla Pyper knows explosions in the microwave are always messy. But when the microwave is splattered with chemical reactants heated to 375 F, cleanup is even trickier.
After a couple of eruptions at the beginning of their experiments with the microwave chemical reactor, undergraduate chemical researchers learned to monitor the reaction pressure with care, [...]
Switchfoot to perform at Abilene Civic Center
“Friends of the foot” can get their fix next month when Switchfoot performs at the Abilene Civic Center. Tickets are already on sale for the Feb. 21 concert, which will also feature Seabird.
The alternative rock band, composed of brothers Jon and Tim Foreman, Chad Butler, Jerome Fontamillas and Drew Shirley, formed more than a decade [...]
Wildcats drop two games at Tarleton
The men’s and women’s basketball teams traveled to Stephenville hoping to make a statement against two powerful Tarleton State teams. Instead, the Wildcats headed back to Abilene with more questions than answers.
The first-place Texans outmatched the men’s team; the Wildcats shot just 38 percent in an 83-63 loss. The Wildcats dropped to 7-12 on the [...]
Hutton Jones enters 14th season as coach
In his 14th season as the men’s and women’s tennis head coach, Hutton Jones is the longest tenured head coach at ACU.
Jones’ career has been studded with Coach of the Year awards, Lone Star Conference championships and successful seasons. Before coaching, he played tennis at ACU from 1978-81, serving as the men’s team captain his [...]
2010 Tennis Season Preview
By Sam Bartee
The spring season of Wildcat tennis begins next week when the women’s team scrimmages Monday and Tuesday.
The women’s team will compete in separate events next week, including matches with Division I-AA opponents Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston State. The Wildcats have a lot to live up to this season after a great [...]
IPad release offers new opportunties
Apple alone is not the answer.
Apple’s mobile tools can improve and expedite the exchange of information, but they can do nothing on their own. Apple is a facilitator of creativity and collaboration, attributes the leaders of ACU’s Mobile Learning Initiative have clearly demonstrated.
Although the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch are merely tools, a tool often [...]
Vitamins provide flavorful insight
I have a new obsession involving Gummi bears and vitamins. How might these two substances mix, you ask? In the form of Gummi bear vitamins, of course. I know your mind is blown – mine was too.
It’s not that I haven’t had my fair share of Flintstones vitamins as a kid or any other flavored [...]
