Abilene Christian College - Prickly Pear Yearbook (Abilene, TX)

Text from Pages 1 - 388 of the 1979 volume:

To see life; to see the world, to eyewitness great events; to watch the faces of the poor and the gestures of the proud; to see strange things — machines, armies, multitudes, shadows in the jungle and on the moon; to see man's work — his paintings, towers and discoveries, to see things thousands of miles away, things hidden behind walls and within rooms, things dangerous to come to; the women that men love and many children; to see and to take pleasure in seeing; to see and be amazed; to see and be instructed. — Henry Luce in his prospectus for Life magazine A majority of students come to Abilene Christian University with a narrow view of life, influenced mainly by their families, friends and hometown environments. Thrown together with students and philosophies from all over the world, these students learn, grow and mature with each year. They learn to open their minds and their eyes. It’s hoped that this yearbook will bring to mind and sight eventful moments which happened in each student's life this year; to make note of times and objects which were seen every day, but never really seen at all; and to remember people, who perhaps unknowingly, had a great impact on individual lives. And finally, its purpose is to present the year at ACU and to show what made this year unique in some respects, and yet, enduringly traditional. Table of Contents ABILENE ABILENE, Texas — “The Key City” of the Big Country. Abilene has its ups and downs — a large majority of students seem to feel that it has more downs than ups, but that's really only an opinion. To be honest, one can grow fond of the dirty little town which, when it’s not blowing dust is flashing floods. One thing for sure, Abilene didn't waste the taxpayers' money on frivolous things such as drainage systems. Abilene has proved once and for all that it is indeed possible to have two weeks of 100-degree-plus weather, months of drought (which KTXS's Bob Izzard faithfully worries about), a disabling ice storm and flash floods all in one year. They say that variety is the spice of life, but this is ridiculous. ABILENE CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY -► theYear Only at ACU 16 The Best of ACU 20 Here Today, Gone Tomorrow 26 Texas Politics 28 From Jonestown to the Summit: A Paradoxical Year 32 Better Dorms and Hovels...........34 Red Tape and Lines 38 Reaching Out 40 ONLY ACU ACU is a unique institution. Hardly a day will go by that something doesn’t happen to cause someone to sigh, “Only at ACU.” This section is dedicated to some of the idiosyncrasies that make ACU different from almost any other school. Events such as Sing Song and daily activities like chapel, plus a few more unorthodox items, are included. And as the Abilene Reporter-News quotes, “Without or with offense to friends or foes, we sketch your world The rock garden. We’re referring to that small plot of ground between the Campus Center and Moody Coliseum. It’s naked now, except for a few rocks scattered around. Once it held grass (brown grass, but grass nevertheless), but that was before the grounds department removed all the grass to make way for a flower garden. We've waited almost two years, and as far as we can see nothing has sprouted but rocks. Well, it's unique. Student housing. It's incredible the lengths some students will go to to get off campus. They tell their par- ents it will save money; they tell the school they can’t study in the dorm; and then, if the dean smiles kindly upon them, they're off campus. They live off an alley, over a garage, or the “lucky ones live in a house— houses like Pine Boulevard Estates where one resi- dent lived in the pantry and nailed his dresser drawers to the wall. Another resident lived in the screened porch where heating in the winter consists of turning a fan around backwards and blowing the cool air out. The stories students could tell about toilets that bubble when the bathtub is drained, gas ovens that adjust to one temperature — “On, wall heaters that fall off the wall, roofs that leak and mildew the walls, doors that won't open, doors that won't shut, and on and on. Most off-campus students could tell all these stories and more, but they won’t. If anyone should ask them, they'll reply, It's great. I love it. Because with all the hassles of living off campus, nothing beats having your own place and doing your own thing - if you can get all four roommates to agree to it. Social clubs. Most universities have frater- nities and sororities, national or- ganizations common to all schools. ACU has social clubs. The name it- self sounds horribly elitist. It conjures up visions of well-dressed people sitting around sipping tea and engaging in polite conversation. Social clubs at ACU are maligned and revered. Some think they’re sinful; some think they're wasteful and some think they’re great. They come in three sizes — struggling, comfortable and too 5 —Only at ACU The Bean. They say that students at Lubbock Christian College and Oklahoma Christian College have it worse, but that's not much consolation to the student who is greeted at the vegetable line with a choice of green peas, black-eyed peas, green beans and stewed tomatoes. Maybe the Bean is the secret solution to an ever-increasing enrollment. That would explain why turkey and dressing was served one day after it had been left unrefrigerated for five days. That, in turn, would explain why plates of turkey and dressing were left sitting under the tables that day. With all of its shortcomings the Bean is still one of the most popular places on campus. This is evidenced by the multiple lines of people who wait patiently (or cut) to enter its doors each day. Students go to the Bean to see people, talk, throw food, but rarely to eat. The lines of segregation are drawn there — those who sit on the east side disdain those who sit on the west side, and vice versa. Schemes are formulated there; dares are issued there; and one o'clock classes are skipped there. It's just too bad that food is served there. The Hello Book Yes, we’ll all remember where we were and what we were doing when we first laid eyes on the spring Hello Book. Comments ranged from What’s with those chickens?” to Did they mean to do this?” The Hello Book, published by the Student Press Association, is the one thing that no one can do without. Where else can one find so many misspelled names and wrong numbers plus totally incorrect addresses and other personal tidbits? But with all its failings, the Hello Book has saved many a girl or guy frorr the ultimate embarrassment of not knowing who just asked them out. The Wasteland. It could have been included in The Best of ACU” as the best i — OnlyatACU environmental blight. We're speaking of the wasteland behind Smith-Adams. We admire the school's position on not expending extravagant amounts of money on landscaping, but this is ridiculous. Summester. With summer school enrollment dropping drastically, something had to be done, and Summester was the Following chapel one day students theme — See ya at Summester.” If the Jazz Ensemble playing during a marathon basketball game, an Optimist insert, Summester sherbet in the Bean, Summester T-shirts and Chapel, or daily assembly as the deans kindly refer to it, is an institution in itself. Where else would you find a daily assembly in which the dean could have led us in our devotional experiences and thank you for making it a well-spring of joy that will remain with me throughout the day. The dean is right, you know. It's hard to forget the Creature from the Green Lagoon, the suave Mr. Sadie Hawkins with admonitions from the scriptures, Taylor Choir, presentations of Trustee of the Month awards, and of course, those ever-important announcements. students find it easy to forsake the assembly. They are soon greeted with the reminder that “refusal to attend is a serious disciplinary offense.” It's even complete with an agreement to be signed immediately seriously jeopardize his status) that automatically withdraw myself from school. Oh, to be so lucky! Would the school attempt to disguise its nuclear warfare program as just Furthermore, it seems the plan includes cutting off the water supply to Chambers, the Ad Building and the Science Building. After all, just how long can people in those buildings wait to go to the bathroom? N (lower left). ancTstudents make their way right). THE Nothing but the best. . . that's what everyone wants. So that’s exactly what we looked for. Of course, we made no attempts at objectivity as we searched the campus for the bests.” Some we pulled right out of thin air; others we took a random poll of whomever happened by. Some (at least three or four) are valid “bests. At any rate, we think the following are just some of the qualities that make this year and ACU “one of the best.” finals, bring Dr. Pepper to campus vending machines, shorten Bean lines, eliminate classes before Sing Song, create more parking places and destroy campus apathy. Now that's a politician. Best parking space. The red zone in front of the north door of the Ad Building. Unfortunately, it's also the best place to get a ticket. Best parking space to avoid. The space in the lot between Sherrod E-F and G-H. The rut you have to back into is large enough to swallow a small car. And yes, we called maintenance — last year. Best laundry. The Radford Hills Laundry. Where else can you go to do laundry that you haven't done for four weeks and still not miss Mork and Mindy”? It's the ultimate in suburban ease, color TV, stereo and clean washers. Best rule in the student handbook. It is the responsibility of the student to make arrangements with the landlord before entertaining guests of the opposite sex within the residence. The privilege does not extend beyond the regular closing hours of the dormitory (P-18). Best mystery. Who dumped the cows? Best fountain. (No relationship to the above.) The GATA fountain at Homecoming and graduation is at its best. These are also usually the only times it works. As Optimist writer Bobby Stokes once pointed out, the alumni come back to see the GATA fountain, located centrally in the mall area, it is the highlight of campus life.” Recently, some have complained that the fountain has lost its esthetic beauty and has taken on the likeness of a trash can. These same people advocate digging up the fountain and replacing it with a flower garden. To this GATA cheerfully responded, Over our dead bodies! The alumni really wouldn't like a GATA garden any better, especially with all those dead bodies lying around it. Best junk food. Taco Bueno and Burger King are about even in this category. Either one serves what everyone wants but really top) imitate Sonny and Cher at the fall Nova Radford Hills Laundry (top left). This first floor high on junk food junkie lists (top right), and shouldn’t have. Best local politician. Gary Thompson, state representative from Abilene. Dr. Thompson, on leave from ACU, won election to the Texas House of Representatives last summer with a campaign staffed primarily by ACU students and faculty. Best state politician. Bill Clements, of course. You can t argue with success. He is the first Republican governor in more than 100 Best of ACU — 2 Best restroom. Restrooms on the first floor of the Morris Center come complete with makeup lights. They come as close to luxury as ACU will probably ever get, and that's not very close. Best fad. We give thanks to those fine folks at National Lampoon who brought us “Animal House” and John Belushi. Since the hippies and the sit-ins of the '60s, most Americans have relegated college students to a posi- tion equal with the Asian flu, some- thing to be avoided if humanly possible. Animal House” brought college students new “respectability,” and if no one thought of toga parties before, they have now. of finding a room for them again. Smart, huh? Best Senate project. Contrary to popular belief, it is not the Wildcat mascot costume. In fact, it was the Michael Murphey concert in Cullen Auditorium. Best honorary organization whose sole value is its inclusion on a transcript. We couldn’t really make a decision between Alpha Chi, Blue Key, W Club and Omega Rho Alpha. But our choice is Omega Rho Alpha because its only meeting is for the yearbook picture. Best Boss. ACU registrar Ken Rasco was selected by the Western Horizon Chapter of the American Business Women's Association. Best motel to reserve a room in for your parents. The Blue Top Courts on Ambler. They're air-cooled. They’re also perfect for a budget-minded student. But their best point is that once your parents spend a night there, they'll never ask you to go through the hassle Best alumnus. John Holton. Best picture. In our opinion, the year's best picture appeared in the Optimist centerspread entitled At the Zoo (Nov. 3,1978). Corliss Hudson photographed the year-old giraffe which has a face that could melt even the hardest heart. Best Sing Song costumes. Galaxy (pharoahs), GATA (butterflies) and the Sophomore class (dragons). Best Sing Song vocal groups. Galaxy (“Pharoah’s Phollies”), GATA ( The Metamorphosis”) and thf Senior class (“The Off-the-Wall Gang Presents: A Bunch of Phonies”). Best joke. The Campus Center grill. This joke is followed by the all-time best joke, the mall area to be constructed near the Foster Science Building. — Best of ACU Best barbecue for Bean-weary students. Harold’s Pit Bar-B-Q at 1305 Walnut. Don't be deceived by the outside appearance; it's the best barbecue you’ll ever sink your teeth into. Best 532,000 expense. The new parking lot on Campus Court. Before it was paved, blowing dirt was enough to send everyone on campus running to take out contacts and to take in Dristan. Best bid night. The special bid night in the fall. Zeta Rho Alpha and Knights were allowed to have a second bid night to accommodate the large number of people who still wanted to be in a club but weren't accepted in the larger clubs. Best repetition. Chicken chunkies on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Fri- day and surprise, Sunday. They don’t have chicken chunkies on Saturday because they have to serve hot dogs with chili; it's a tradition. Best window. The stained glass circular win- dow in the balcony of the University Church of Christ. Best hotbed of controversy. Room 308 in the Morris Center, the S.A. office and the Campus Cops. Best door. The tubular door leading to nowhere. Well, actually it leads to an empty photojournalism lab. The door is designed to allow students to come and go from the lab without letting the dark leak out. Best rip-off. The drop-add fee charged with pre-registration. One confused student went through the drop-add process 20 times before he got it Best social comment on a cotton polyester T-shirt. “Happiness is seeing Abilene in your rear view mirror.” Best railroad crossing. Well it had to happen. Right when we thought we’d get them” back for all those years of driving over that crossing on E.N. 16th, they fix it. But not to be outdone, we had an emergency choice ready — the I — Best of ACU crossings at North 4th and Mesquite. It's mind boggling to discover that tracks cross the street between buildings and probably haven't been used for years. Oh well, they say we'll understand some day. Best vocal group. Essence. The group is comprised of Lanny Mullins, Cohn Drennan, Suzanne Martin, James Gambill, Angie Anglin and Hut” Hutto. In the fall they were chosen for a USO Carribbean tour. Best road out of Abilene. Any road that leads home. Best way to spend Christmas and spring vacation. Skiing. Instead of heading to typical Fort Lauderdale beach, college students are now heading to Winter Park, Vail and Red River. Skiing has become the “in” thing to do, something like wearing spiked heels with Best supplemental income in Abilene. An ACU professor's salary. Best “sharing experience.” Chapel, according to Dean Best all-round appliance for college survival. Any brand of popcorn popper that can also heat soup and water and fry bacon. Best profound comment at three in the morning. And I paid to do this to myself.” Denise Dillard and Vallorie Frederick Rho Alpha's second bid night in the fall. The best right) is definitely the best window. is the site of the best rendezvous(top left), and Daniels. Nick Pickle, Randy Clinton, Dave Gray, Best shower. McGlothlin Campus Center when Best rendezvous. The trees at the intersection of College Drive and Lincoln. Amorous couples like the privacy. Best equipped room. The television control room in the Morris Center. Best dorm mother. Mrs. Eloise Bern. She has been corralling freshmen in Nelson Hall for years. Best story. Cinderella” as told by Gary Hanna in the Freshman Follies. Best way to get sick. Place yourself downwind of the Bean on any day they fry chicken or shrimp. Here Today, Gone Tomorrow Every year or so it’s something new. Be it roller skating, Toga parties, 42, backgammon or Mork, ACU students and the American public are quick to grasp any new craze that comes along. But that’s the way it has to be, so in 15 years a new generation can say, Oh Mother, you didn’t really do that, did you?” Whaddya want for nothing . . . a rubber bis-kit? And so the Blues Brothers bow-bow” 'ed their way to But the Blues Brothers were only a small part of the fads of 1978-79. John Travolta and Saturday Night Fever” prompted disco dresses, disco shoes, disco shirts, disco 45s and even Disco Minutes” on TV. Why, only a few years ago the average American boy was a miniature mother into buying Fonzie linens, Fonzie toothbrushes, Fonzie underwear, Fonzie pajamas and a Fonzie doll — complete with upturned thumbs, imitation leather jacket and a drawstring Heeeeey!” Now suddenly Fonzie is old stuff and arrows through the head are in. Fads are those compulsive urges which in 1958 made the American citizenry spend $45 million on hula hoops, throw them away, then buy them back six years later for $3 more. Crazes of the 70s are far more expensive than those of the 60s. The beatniks economized. They grew beards to avoid buying razors; tripped out on free things — Oh wow ... dig the flowers! The hippies went one step further. life; and hitch-hiked wherever they couldn't walk. Unfortunately, today money has Warm-up suits, which come in sizes 18 months to 46 large, cost about $25. Prices for disco styles start at about $12 for T-shirts and go higher than Fortunately, not all fads are Thursday nights at 7 p.m., where are the crowds of students? In the Campus Center? In the library? (Only kidding.) Although some are sweating through doubt they'd much rather be planted in front of the nearest TV watching that charmingly zany alien from the planet Ork. Mork and Mindy was without a doubt the hottest new TV show on campus — as indicated by the number of ACU students who greeted each other with “Nanoo-Nanoo” and Shazbott. The show had it all — outrageous humor, the hyperactive antics of Robin Williams, a pretty girl and even an occasional moral. Along with the new TV show, an older form of entertainment swept the campus. Forty-two is a domino game that’s been played in Texas since the memory of man runneth not to the contrary,” as Pres. Stevens would put Once considered an old folks game, 42 has picked up a devoted following among students within the last few years. Probably more midnight oil is burned in dorms (especially Mabee) for 42 games than on studying for history In fact, a hot 42 game is about the only thing that could drag students away from “Mork and Mindy. Or is it the other way around? Not ones to be left behind for long, ACU students quickly joined in the phenomenon known as a Toga party. These struck college campuses across the country. The Kinsmen spring grub social was a Toga party, and a house on Ave. E, appropriately named Delta House, threw several in the spring. Inspired by the movie “Animal House, ACU's Toga parties were tame compared to the original and to those on other campuses, but they were Toga parties just the same. For those whose togas were out being cleaned, a safety-pinned sheet would do — preferably white, but if all you had was that pink floral print you got for graduation, it really didn't Comedian Steve Martin was another trend setter. Just about everything that wild and crazy guy did was imitated. Martin inspired cheerleaders, the Freshmen Follies, the triple-crown winner of Sing Song and even chapel And as if all that weren't enough to keep students busy, they also found time to see the controversial, long- running Rocky Horror Picture Show, flip butter pats onto the Bean’s ceiling (that's a no-no!) and scrounge cars. But the best thing about fads is they come and go. In two years or less, our beloved Mork will return to Ork leaving Mindy and other devotees here on POLITICS 1Q7Q- TEXAS becomes the Two Star State dications, however, the years when Lyndon get i of coffee, was snapped ing. And Lyndon got The fanfare of Clements’ Connally, and former A e Republican Presider mtenders for the GOP Presidential b Bush, Connectic Presidential candidate John Connally (middle of California Ronald Reagan. ACU faces dotted crowds and centerstage at the inauguration. Herb Butrum, ACU's former coordina- tor of special alumni activities, helped coordinate the inaugural festivities. The Big Purple marched down Congress Avenue in the parade. Dr. Rex Kyker, head of the depart- ment of communication, read the preamble to the U S. Constitution accompanied by the University of Texas band, and many ACU officials special guests section. ACU Vice President Bob Hunter, also executive vice president of the Independent Colleges and Uni- versities of Texas, was already be- ginning the legwork which led to passage of the Texas Equalization The sides became clearly drawn for a battle that, in the words of a state representative, would make the Thrilla in Manilla' look like a Sunday picnic. On one front, there was Speaker of the House Bill Clayton, whose ambition to be governor may be the worst kept se- cret since the Sharpstown scandal. On the other side was Clements, the man who had spent a fortune for a job that pays him what he considers pocket Lieutenant Governor Bill Hobby, the man who captured his political ideology ir it ain’t broke? £ astound the old guard leaving them new gov£ jpport teacher pay hikes in excess of five percent, a figure big city superintendents said,' We can’t live with, but he’s made it clear it’s not negotiable.’’ The teachers' outcry of he's getting even for their support of Hill, drew lots of press, but no pay raise. Despite the predictions of the lobbyists, Clements announced he'd oppose an increase in the allowed homeowner rates. Observers outside the Lone Star State anxiously awaited the legislature’s decision on scheduling the Texas Presidential primary. The opportunity to host the pre- miere primary in 1980, getting a jump on New Hamphsire, was forsaken in the interest of fiscal con- servation. It’s cheaper to have a good way to keep the conservatives voting in the Democratic primary. With appropriations unsettled and the capitol at odds with the governor’s mansion on the subject of referendum, the Prickly Pear went to press with no better guess than the Austin grapevine about how many special sessions the maverick governor would call. 140 days every two years and some have wondered if the public interest of Texas might be better served if it met two days every 140 years. But somehow it all fits with the political scene of Texas. The people who gave you Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin, Ma Ferguson, Billy Sol, Lyndon, Speaker Sam, and Dolph and Janey, now give you a Republican governor, senators split 50-50 and chaos on capitol hill. Is this what they mean by From Jonestown to the Summit: A Paradoxical Year The year was eventful. Americans were shocked by cultic deaths, saddened by the passing of an American hero, frightened by a nuclear power accident, pressured by an ever- increasing energy shortage and encouraged by a foreign peace agreement. On Nov. 18,1978, the country was stunned by the suicidal deaths of hundreds of U.S. citizens in Guyana. The tragedy began when U.S. Rep. Leo J. Ryan (Calif.) and four other Americans were shot to death by members of the People’s Temple, a California-based religious cult operating in a settlement called Shortly after the shootings, hundreds of cult members, apparently under persuasion from the cult’s leader, the Rev. Jim Jones, committed suicide by drinking a cyanide-laced flavored drink. Jones died with the group, apparently of a self-inflicted gun shot. By Nov. 24, the death toll had risen to 780 men, women and children, and investigations into cults nationwide were sparked. Deaths of another kind captured national interest on May 25 when 275 people died after an American Airlines DC-10 jet crashed shortly after takeoff from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. The accident, claimed to be the worst of its kind in U.S. aviation history, occurred after the engine on the left wing separated from the craft and fell to the ground, apparently causing the plane to roll to the left and plunge 500 ft. to the ground nose first. The mishap resulted in a Federal Aviation.Administration order on May 29 grounding all DC-10 jets until it completed an inspection of the engine- mounting bolts thought to have allowed the engine to fall off. Thirty- seven of the 138 U.S.-operated DC-1 Os failed the inspection. By June 6, the FAA had grounded indefinitely all DC-1 Os operated by U.S. airlines and prohibited foreign- registered DC-1 Os from operating in U.S. airspace. It was the first time a U.S.-manufactured jetliner fleet had been grounded for anything but brief inspections. The controversial nuclear energy issue gained momentum in late March with an accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear power station near Harrisburg, Pa. A series of breakdowns in the cooling system of one of the plant's reactors on March 28 resulted in the leakage of radioactive steam and the formation of a hydrogen gas bubble which threatened to explode and scatter radioactive gas and debris throughout the area. On March 30, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission warned of a possible meltdown of the uranium core, and pregnant women and pre- school children within a five-mile radius of the plant were advised to leave the area. The NRC announced on April 2 a dramatic reduction in the hydrogen bubble and a cooling of the core, and on the following day the commission said the bubble had been eliminated, ending the incident but not the controversy. With the nuclear issue still raging, forces of nature seized the nation’s attention on April 10 as tornadoes struck in Tornado Alley” along the Texas-Oklahoma border. The twisters left at least 60 persons dead and about 800 injured, creating millions of dollars of property damage. In Wichita Falls, Tex., a tornado flattened everything in a mile-wide path nearly 10 miles long. Damage was estimated at $200 million. The twisters, called the most deadly to strike Texas in 25 years, also did about $6 million damage in Vernon, Texas, and $13 million in Lawton, Okla. From these destructive, yet rather simplistic forces, the United States turned to a highly complex issue that jr was predicted to grow steadily worse —the energy crisis. Not knowing who to blame for their problems, citizens, the other guy.’’ Iran as the major cause. Growing from the Jan. 16 departure of Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi amid violence and political turmoil, the revolution climaxed in early February when the armed followers of Anatollah Khomeini overthrew the civilian government of Premier Shahpur Bakhtiar after bloody fighting in Teheran. Iran cut oil production during the revolution two million barrels per day below the consumption rate. That cutback, coupled with the fact that domestic oil companies had cut gas for the winter, threatened the U.S. Even with the Department of Energy reporting that gas supplies were expected to be well below demand, prices were up an average of 15 cents per gallon. As the end of May approached, the average price per gallon of gas in the U.S. had reached 81.47 cents (up from 67.11 cents per gallon at the end of 1978), and consumers in some parts of the country were paying close to $1 per gallon. long lines of autos backed up near service stations and tempers flared. Lengthy waits in lines resulted in fights, stabbings and assaults among customers and attendants. When faced with the realities of shortage as stations closed and gas became increasingly hard to find, Americans apparently didn’t know what to think about the crisis. A May survey indicated 54 percent of the adults questioned thought the energy shortage was a hoax, while 37 percent sure. Thirty-nine percent put the oil companies at the top of the list of blame for higher gas and heating oil producing countries and 19 percent blamed the U.S. Amid all this, issues emerged offering hope to the world. On March 26, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin signed a formal peace treaty officially ending the 31 -year war between the two countries. President Carter, given much credit by both leaders for negotiations leading to the agreement, signed as a witness to the pact, the first such treaty between Israel and an Arab country. The agreement met strong opposition from other Arabs who expressed their disdain with acts of terrorism, demonstrations, strikes and hostile statements. It was clear that peace in the Middle East faced a long, uphill struggle. Earlier in the year the United States formally established diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China, ending 30 years of estrangement between the nations. The ties were established on Jan. 1, and on Jan. 28, Deputy Premier Teng Hsaio-ping arrived in the U.S. for a nine-day visit aimed at solidifying the relations. Teng and President Carter signed agreements on Jan. 31 for cultural and scientific exchanges before Teng continued on his tour of the country. Death saddened the country again in late June when John Wayne, a hero for young and old alike, died at the age of 72, ending a 50-year career that included more than 200 movies. Wayne, indestructible in many minds, finally was conquered by cancer, “the big C” he had boldly announced licking in 1965. Born Marion Michael Morrison on May 26,1907, the Duke won’t be remembered for his awards (he received his only Academy in 1969 for “True Grit”) but for his image, which many thought was America personified. In early May thousands watched from roofs, hilltops and on television as the moon fully blotted odfthe sun for a few seconds. It would be the last solar eclipse visible from the continental U.S. until the year 2017. On Aug. 17,1978, three Americans completed the first transatlantic balloon crossing when they landed the Double Eagle II, a helium-filled balloon, west of Paris. The trio from Albuquerque, N.M. left Maine on Aug. 11 and stayed aloft 137 hours and 18 minutes, traveling about 3,233 miles. numerous and many were omitted here —the successful operation separating Siameses twins joined at their heads, the death of former Vice President Nelson Rockefeller, the execution of John Spenkelink in Florida for murder, the deaths of two Roman Catholic popes within a period of about a month, farmer protests and demonstrations in Washington, D.C., the upcoming presidential election and potential candidates ... which many once considered uneventful compared to the 60s. Better Dorms and Hovels On Campus Student housing — it's an everything from the apartments of Sherrod Residential Park to the aging halls of Zellner. Each fall student housing is on the lips of every dean, dorm mother and there are always more students than student housing. Three girls, three beds, 12 pieces of luggage, 42 plants and their entire inventory of years of life are crammed into one very changed drastically in the last few years. Just four years ago, freshmen raced to reserve a room in Nelson while they were still high school stronghold of upperclass women, houses freshmen and sophomores almost exclusively. And Sikes Hall is now the ultimate in on-campus housing for women. The 1978-79 year marked the closing of Zellner and the renovation of McDonald. Zellner, the oldest, was part of the original set of buildings on freshmen, girls living in these dorms had a taste of what life was like in the '20s and '30s. Closets were cramped —after all, what girl of the '20s could afford more than two or three dresses? One electrical outlet was forced to carry a clock-radio, blow dryer, lamp, hot rollers, stereo, TV, an occasional electric typewriter, iron and fan. The fan was essential because each room had only one source of cooling in 90- degree weather — the window. It was quite a shock to girls who stepped from their home’s luxury of a private room and bath to dorm communal living. The plumbing, wiring and heating were antiquated, but for all their shortcomings these dorms created closer friendships than the other modern” ones. Rooms were more open and each girl always knew at least everyone who lived within three rooms of her. And when the chance to move presented itself in mid-year, the majority would pass it up mumbling something like, Well, it’s really not On the other extreme is Sikes Hall. It looks like a hotel because that's what it was originally designed to be. And somewhere in San Antonio are the brothers and sisters of these pre-fab rooms. In Sikes one could feasibly meeting the girls across the hall. With a bath in every room, girls no longer make the trek down the hall to the showers. And that means no more shouted conversations between shower stalls on the state of the world or, more importantly, the state of romance. The walls are soundproof, and that's good. But it also means no more shouted questions through walls and no more listening to the latest between What's-his-name?and You- know-who. Gardner. McKinzie, governed by Mrs. Ragsdale, is the oldest looking dorm McDonald. Old dorms have a way of breeding mischief. After all, what can you do to hurt them? McKinzie is bi- functional; three floors of girls live above a basement which houses the Social Work-Sociology department, the school nurse and band practice rooms. Skunks have a fondness for McKinzie, and the noise and aroma to cause quite a stir. McKinzie's roof is clothes drying to sunbathing to water balloon bombing. for anyone but a freshman. The volume of noise on third floor alone would be Zepplin to scream for mercy. And through it all Mrs. Bern smiles serenely. Well except for the time someone applied black shoe polish to time someone ... And last, but not least — Gardner. Once a sedate dorm of upperclass active freshmen and sophomores. One particularly active pair of girls are billed regularly for fire extinguisher Men have four options in dorm life: Edwards, Mabee, Morris and Smith- Edwards and Mabee can be classified together, although they will resent it. They do a lot of things together, like fight. During finals week, all-out war is declared and the parking lot between the two dorms becomes the battle site. Bottle rockets and firecrackers become ammunition and across campus. Probably this so- police weren't often called in to quell the rioting (as the Abilene media have been known to refer to it). Morris and Smith-Adams are among the new breed of dorm — private. For the most part, athletes make their home in Morris. With doors opening to the outside, curfew rules are sometimes bent to allow late-night trips to Sambo’s and the Barn. Guys living in new Smith-Adams Hall don’t have to leave the room for a late- night snack. Each room is equipped with a kitchenette. Starting out with grandiose dreams of homey suppers, residents quickly resorted to the off- campus standbys, Hamburger Helper and bologna. Smith-Adams has the unique aspect of being an off-campus dorm. Since this was its first year of existence, it hasn’t had time to really make a name for itself. On-campus means you live in a dorm, buy a meal ticket and don't have to petition for off-campus. It also means you often give up study hours to participate in conspiracies. Those who live in dorms are masters at improvisation. They can transform one reasonably decent bathroom into a sauna in a matter of minutes. All it takes is turning the hot water in every shower on full blast and sitting back to enjoy the resulting steam. For entertainment, slip and slides can be created with a little inexpensive soap and water and a nice long hall. Maybe someday it will be possible to look back fondly and say, Those guys who chained me to the commode until my hands turned blue really weren’t that bad.” You’ll laugh about all the times your towel was stolen, a trash can full of ice water was dumped over your head and essential parts of your telephone were removed so that no one could hear you. Come to think of it, those guys who cut the head off a rattler and threw it into the shower with you probably have a really good sense of humor, you just Dorms, they're not meant for the faint-hearted or the unsociable. But they're all part of the educational process. Once you’ve lived in a dorm, even the worst of off-campus living seems like heaven. Off-campus “Why didn’t someone do the dishes? Who left their books in the living room? I thought it was your time to take the trash out.” These may not sound like earth shattering issues to the average man on the street, but the mere mention of dishes or trash day is enough to strike fear into the heart of any off-campus student. Dorm residents seldom comprehend just what living off-campus really means. Whenever they run out of toilet paper, all they have to do is wait until the maid or janitor brings more. Gas and utility bills are completely unknown to them. The off-campus student has to live with the day-to-day uncertainty of the real world. And most uncertainty involves the landlord. To listen to most off-campus tenants, one would think “the landlord,” (all landlords) is a cold-hearted ogre who believes in an equally cold room temperature in the winter. As the University continues to grow, more and more students are allowed to live off-campus. The highest concentration of off-campus housing is within a five-block radius of the school. Apartments line every alley in the area, and students live two, four, six and eight to a house. To a casual observer, the Hill appears to be overrun by these unique dwellings. But come every fall, notices go up all over the bulletin board in the Campus Center. Need apartment for four close to school — will take anything.” And anything is usually what they get. Most reek in tradition — 40 or 50 years worth. One off-campus resident observed that its not tradition that Beating the System There oughta be a law against red tape and lines, but considering each is usually a direct result of the other, laws probably wouldn’t solve anything at Unlike many state-funded institutions of higher education, ACU probably ranks low on the bureaucracy scale. But that doesn't mean there isn't bureaucracy, developed after many years of “Let's try this and see if it spent in lines. He waits in line to get a room for freshman orientation, to have to register and to call home after the first night. But registration is tbe “Great Equalizer. No matter what your rank, classification or serial number, there’s no way to get around the paper work. Seniors complain that for the eighth from high school and all their relatives who ever attended ACU. Although they complain loudly about being put upon, in reality seniors process. While freshmen painstakingly fill out forms such as the student information sheet, seniors defiantly scrawl See last year's! There are off-campus petitions to be filled out, chapel excuses to be filled out, room reservation cards to be filled out, class schedule cards to be filled out, data verification sheets to be filled out, student information sheets to be filled out and, oh yes, car registration forms to be filled out. Now what was that license number? to registration. Only a few lucky students have achieved the inner peace that comes only with having filled out a purchase order — correctly —and having it approved in time to who go by the book and never try to beat the system. And while they never seem to have as much trouble as those who plot and scheme, they don't have Want to beat the line for room reservations in the spring? Think ahead. Register for the class that meets in the Ad Building room closest to where the line begins and then faint at the front of the line when class lets Come to think of it, does the electronic eye at the library’s entrance really insure everyone is out of the building before it is locked? Put it to the test, see if you could get yourself locked in the library. Suggestion: It is best to try a dry run first. Consider tackling the short time the library is closed on Sunday night. Or take the Bean for instance. Please. assumption students will eat elsewhere appetites of some will balance out the large appetites of others. Show them you mean business, stuff yourself at every meal. Ask for five helpings of frito pie. Don't worry about taste, And then there’s dorm curfew. One group employed a tried and true method to outwit the system. Call the dorm mother or father and check off campus by giving them the address of accounting class. Now spend the night gloriously cruising the empty streets of Abilene. After about an hour of being parking lot and spend the rest of the night sleeping in the car. Aside from a most will say freedom was worth it. And then there’s Sing Song. Now it takes real finesse to beat the system there. Have your Saturday night ticket order ready two months ahead of time. office and find out exactly when mail orders will be accepted. Then after the post office closes the night before, slip your order in the mail so it’ll be waiting for them in the morning. You must develop a hard heart for this activity since all your friends will bemoan the fact that their parents can’t get tickets for Saturday night. But with all of these great ways to beat the system, few try to scheme their way out of the final line — graduation. Reaching Out “We’ll be losing almost 100 Bible school teachers and bus workers when the students leave for the summer. If you can help...” The announcement is not new. In fact it's perennial. And though the numbers vary from one congregation to another, the message is the same. Freshmen may mumble a Sunday or two about the way we did it back home, but come summer, the folks will tire quickly of but in Abilene, we ... It’s not that one place is better than the other, just that a new place has become home, has become a new spiritual frame of reference and has become a new place to serve. Opportunities for students to minister were not limited to the local congregations’ pleas for bus workers, teachers and communion servers. On campus a variety of outreach efforts were available for those who sought a place to serve. The Students' Association handbook on ministries lists nine special organizations, each with a different scope of interest. Some lead across country, some around the world, some across town. But the list is deceiving. Most organizations, including the much-berated social clubs, scheduled service projects in their regular scheme of activities, paint, or the nails, or the dollars, or maybe just the hours, to fill it. Yet campus ministries were not without failure and controversy. Christmas for Children, an ACU tradition, never got off the ground let alone into the stockings because of poor organization. And in the spring, rising concern about Campus Advance techniques, or tactics, depending on who offered the description, spawned a series of articles in the Optimist, a series of letters to the editor and a series of letters asking for subscriptions to next year’s continuing Campus ministries were not perfect, but then neither is the Church or the University. Like those institutions, those who minister can only strive for perfection, meanwhile walking in His Unlike campus crime, campus ministries seldom make the front page ministry leads to foreign mission, it often goes unnoticed by the Church and school in general. And that is likely how it should be. Sports ' -JT- Men's Basketball Women's Basketba Volleyball Men's Tennis Women's Tennis Women's Track sssarSc football After a successful 1978 year that led to an NAIA football title, the 1979 NAIA national championship became the goal of every ACU coach and player. During the windy, hot August weather, men from all over the nation came together to prepare for the football season. What seemed like endless drills, workouts and lengthy practice sessions combined to form a small part of the players' routine. ACU 14, ECO 3 ADA, Oklahoma — The Cats opened the season with an expected but sluggish victory over defensive- minded East Central Oklahoma State. ACU opened the scoring when John Mayes hit Tim Purnell with a 35-yard touchdown pass. Early in the fourth quarter Mayes once again found Purnell with a 53-yard pass that added six points to the scoreboard. Contrary to pre-season fears, Purnell compliment to Mayes. He grabbed six passes in the game, good for 183 Although critics said graduated manpower could not be replaced, they were proven wrong. The Cats held the Tigers to three net yards rushing and 105 total yards on offense. ACU 16, UNC 14 It was not easy, but ACU managed to hang tough for a 16-14 win against the University of Northern Colorado. During the first half the Wildcats dominated play and took the lead when quarterback John Mayes ran 32 yards for a touchdown. ACU racked up 201 yards during the first half but completed the game with only 244. UNC had 119 total yards in the first half and 271 for the game. The ACU defense, led by linemen James McCoy and Kenny Davidson, was tough. They shut down the Bears' running game and gave up only 50 yards on 33 carries. UNC's star quarterback, Jeff Knapple, could not make up for the non-existent ground game. The season held many surprises and disappointments. Fans of the Cats were caught off-guard when head coach Dewitt Jones announced he was leaving. While at ACU, Jones enjoyed two successful years of football and accumulated an impressive 18-4-1 record and an NAIA national title. Then, during a chapel assembly in February, students and teachers were stunned when athletic director Wally Bullington announced that ACU fullback Kelly Kent had died following a heart attack in the night. Although the Wildcats did not capture another NAIA title, the dedication of a team peppered with ten seniors, three of whom were all-Lone Star Conference, led to a successful 7- 3 season and secured second place in the LSC for the Cats. CAMERON STATE 17, ACU 13 LAWTON, Oklahoma — Early in the season, the Cats learned their opponents were not going to let the nation's No. 1 football team have a relaxed season. The Aggies aggressively proved this point with an upsetting 17-13 victory. The spectacular punting of Cameron’s Joe Hugon proved to be the downfall of ACU, although the Cats played very well against the No. 10- ranked Aggies. The offense came to life, racking up 449 total yards, while CSU ended the game with only 156. While the Wildcats battled with the Aggies on the field, ACU coaches and fans fought another battle with the referees. ACU was whistled 11 times for 128 yards while Cameron escaped with only four for 48 yards. ACU 28, TEXAS A I13 Shotwell Stadium was filled with anxious fans who eagerly cheered the Wildcats to a 28-13 victory over arch- A 64-yard kickoff return ignited the Wildcats after a listless first half that saw A l take the lead. Only five plays DeWitt Jones second-guessed the •Javelinas and went for the two-point S. F. AUSTIN 28, ACU 21 NACOGDOCHES, Texas — The Wildcats needed to avoid another defeat, which would automatically disqualify ACU from NAIA post-season playoff action. Stephen F. Austin settled that issue, and playoff hopes were shattered by a 28-21 loss. Both teams battled scorelessly during the first quarter, but in the second quarter John Mayes put six points on the board when he passed 15 yards to fullback Steve Worthey in the end zone. ACU asserted itself more forcefully during the second half. With 52 seconds left on the clock Mayes quietly moved the Wildcats to the SFA 32-yard line, but the magic ended when the Lumberjacks intercepted a last-gasp pass at the goal line. Kelly Kent’s sudden death stuns campus The ACU campus was stunned Feb. 7 when a bow- legged brute of a football fullback died at home of an apparent heart attack. Kelly Kent, 21, a star student- athlete for the Wildcats, endeared himself to ACU fans with home-spun humor, humility and marvelous athletic ability. A native of Cisco, Texas, he was called The Cisco Kid by his teammates. Kent started at fullback, rushing for 2,124 yards and scoring 26 touchdowns. He sparkled in the 1977 season, rambling for a school record 1,184 yards and 16 touchdowns in leading ACU to the NAIA Division I national championship. Hobbled by shoulder and ankle injuries in his junior season, he still managed 743 yards and nine touchdowns. In the 1977 title season, Kent was named the Wildcat's Most Valuable Player after garnering Outstanding Offensive Player awards in two NAIA playoff games. Kelly died in the early morning hours of Feb. 7, and his tragic death was announced some six hours later to a Moody Coliseum chapel crowd of about 3,000. This is a very difficult announcement for me to make ..., said ACU athletic director Wally Bullington. One of your friends, Kelly Kent, died last night. Kelly Kent loved ACU and his fellow students. He was a great Christian man and a great student, he told the tearful audience. School officials learned that morning that Kent had been named second team Academic All- America for 1978. Kelly's funeral was attended Feb. 8 by some 1,000 friends and fans, and he was buried in Rising Star. The Texas Legislature passed a resolution Feb. 22 honoring the energy and enthusiasm of this noteworthy young man who contributed greatly to the success of his football team ... He will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him and by all who cheered his success and ability. ACU 34, SAM HOUSTON 10 A crowd of 8,000 watched a tough ACU offensive machine slaughter Sam Houston, 34-10. ACU piled up 637 yards of total offense, just short of a 677 yard record. Mayes hit his receivers often, connecting on 22 of 36 passes for 447 yards. His performance was enhanced by a balanced Wildcat running game led by Kent and Worthey. SHSU opened the scoring with a 40- yard field goal, but it was to be a long time before SHSU could muster ACU scored on three consecutive possessions to open the second quarter. Kent plunged one yard for the first score; Mayes hit Steve Thomas with a 56-yard touchdown pass and then found Kirby Jones in the end zone to complete a 14-yard scoring play. SHSU managed to break loose and score once during the second half, but the Wildcats completely dominated play. ACU 10, SOUTHWEST TEXAS 7 833 33333333883882881 men’s basketball Coach Willard Tate and his team played with an attitude that was admired by every team in the Lone Star Conference. His optimistic spirit was reflected by a plaque in his office that reads, I'm not afraid of tomorrow, I have seen yesterday and I love today. ' Tate was fully aware, but not troubled by what the season held in store for the Wildcats. Rodney Fedell, Randall Moore and Kim Younkin were the only proven players Tate could count on. They provided the backbone for the team and gave less experienced Wildcats a chance to develop. The accurate shooting of Fedell and the play-making ability of Moore carried ACU to an early 3-1 record. After an upset 69-66 loss to Eastern New Mexico, the Wildcats recorded wins over Paul Quinn, College of Santa Fe and Wayland Baptist. Fedell and Moore were spectacular in the Cats' victory over Wayland Baptist. Fedell, a 6-6 forward, racked up 34 points. He hit 15 of 17 from the floor and dropped four of six free throws to fuel the win. Moore broke his own school assist record and handed out 18 against WBC. He contributed 16 points to the ACU effort. ACU jumped to a 17-6 lead in the first half and WBC could not catchup until midway through the second. The Cats grabbed 44 rebounds to the Pioneers’ 34. Fedell led the way with 17 for ACU and teammate Larry Hendrix added 10. ACU hiked its record to 4-1 with a win over Texas Wesleyan College. The near-flawless shooting of Fedell coupled with an effective stack four” offense led ACU to a 70-64 victory. Fedell racked up 20 points on a nine- for-10 shooting performance from the field. He was supported by a balanced Wildcat attack with Moore scoring 16, Younkin 12 and Sammie Weathersbee and Hendrix 10 each. ACU managed to take the lead five minutes into the second half for the first time, 54-53. The Wildcats maintained their one point margin by entering a stall with 11 minutes remaining in the game. They held possession for nearly eight minutes. The stack four” offense proved its dependability against TWC. This Coach Willard Tale (above) motions for a lime offense differed from the traditional four corner offense in that the latter was a stall tactic, while the stack was designed as an offense, intended to spring men for easy baskets. ACU raised its record as the spectacular inside game of Hendrix and Fedell led the Cats to an 84-66 victory over Doane College. Fedell’s 29 points and Hendrix's 17 rebounds proved to be major factors in The Wildcats played well as a team and shot 55 percent for the game. ACU opened the home portion of its LSC play with an upset 88-69 victory over Texas A l and a disappointing loss to Southwest Texas State. SWT led throughout the first half. The Cats were outscored as the SWT defense shut down the ACU offense. During the second half it appeared that SWT would take the game, but ACU began to match SWT. With less than a minute left on the clock, Moore scored to pull ACU within four points. SWT failed to score, and the Wildcats recovered the ball. Thirty- three seconds remained in the game, but the Cats could not score. Moore led ACU with 20 points, and Hendrix added 19. Hendrix grabbed 14 rebounds, and Fedell pulled down 11. In the A l battle ACU led 36-35 at halftime. In the second half, the Wildcats stacked a nine-point lead. ACU shot 59 percent from the floor compared to 42 percent for A l. Moore led the Cats with 25 points and Jim Lynch racked up 18. The Cats suffered defeats against Howard Payne and East Texas State, both conference heavyweights. HPU shot only 39 percent in the first half, but managed to end the half with a 38-34 lead. The second half proved to be a disaster for the Wildcats as they could manage only 11 points against the Yellow Jacket defense. ACU was shut out during the final minutes of the game while HPU scored nine points. The outcome of the East Texas game was the same. The ETSU Lions played a fast game and never slowed down, opening up an 11-point lead in the first six minutes of the game. The Cats did not play well, and the second half proved to be a duplicate of the first. They were outscored 44-31. Moore led ACU with 22 points, and Lynch was next with 11. ACU finished the game shooting only 39 percent, while ETSU hustled in 56 percent of its Later in the season Coach Tate and his team celebrated after they upset nationally-ranked East Texas State, TO- SS. ETSU, ranked No. 13 in the nation, entered the contest with a 15-3 record. The successful execution of the now-familiar high attack stack offense proved to be a key factor in the victory. The high stack was designed to create defensive mismatches and that was the script for Moore as he scored numerous layups against taller but Cats defeat LSC power, ETSU -Sports With 33 seconds left in the game, SHSU led 69-67. Bearkat guard David Simpson went to the free throw line for one shot and the bonus. He hit the first shot but missed the second. SHSU had a 70-67 lead. Lonesome scored on a layup with 24 seconds left to cut the lead to 70-69. Lonesome intercepted a stray SHSU pass with 10 seconds left. He drove the length of the court and hit a 10-foot jump shot that put ACU in the lead, With five seconds remaining, SHSU launched a 35-foot shot that narrowly missed at the buzzer. The victory upped ACU's record to 13-10 overall and 6-5 in LSC play. The Cats closed their regular season with a three-game road trip. ACU defeated Texas A l, 85-75, but was beaten by Southwest Texas State and Angelo State. ACU finished the season with an overall record of 14-12 and 7-7 in the LSC. Against A l the Wildcats won with their shooting at the free throw line. ACU managed only 18 field goals to A l’s 30, but the Cats hit 49 of 55 free throw attempts, a school and LSC Fedell led all scorers with 26 points, including 16 free throws. Hendrix added 21 points and 10 rebounds. The loss to SWT was the only time during the season that an LSC opponent defeated ACU for the second time. ACU was close early in the game, but SWT took a commanding lead by halftime. In the second half ACU managed to cut the lead to six points but hopes faded when Fedell and Hendrix fouled out in the fourth quarter. ACU ends season with 15-13 record Moore scored 10 points to pull ACU within three, but SWT regrouped and outscored ACU to win the game, 76-69. Angelo State broke a 16-16 tie with eight minutes left during the first half and outscored ACU, to take a 34-24 lead at halftime. Fedell led ACU with 25 points, followed by Hendrix with 11 and Moore with 10. Fedell became the ninth leading scorer for ACU with 1,245 points in 81 games. Moore became the school’s assist leader with 546, breaking the old record of 521. ACU had high hopes as it traveled to Huntsville for the Lone Star Conference tournament, but Southwest Texas State shattered the Wildcat dream. SWT's Jeff Kelley destroyed hope as he made clutch free throws with only five seconds left on the clock. Southwest Texas defeated the Wildcats, 54-52, in the semifinal game of the tournament. The win propelled SWT into the finals, where it edged ETSU, 70-69, also on free throws in the final seconds. It was a sad ending to a bittersweet 15-13 season for the Wildcats. Their unique high stack” offense put fear into the hearts of coaches and almost sent the undermanned team into the NAIA District IV playoffs. i women’s basketball Anyone who saw the women’s basketball team play came away with the same impression: they were quick, they shot well, and they played good The Wildcats possessed an unusually balanced offense and a wealth of experience, with Melissa Gibson, Deedy Johnson, Coilla Compton and Kathy Marshall generally scoring in double figures. McCoy 's team quickly jumped to a 3- 0 lead defeating tough Angelo State and Texas Tech. Against Angelo State the Wildcats suffered a disadvantage in height. The Rams sported three players taller than six feet while Compton, at 5-9, was the tallest regular. The Wildcats offset the Rams' height with quickness, tough defense and a full-court press. The team vaulted its record to 6-1 with a 94-35 battering of Howard Payne University. There was never any doubt in the game as ACU jumped out to a 24-6 lead in the first 10 minutes of the game. The Cats extended their lead in the second half by outscoring HPU 50-15. ACU shot 49 percent from the field, as a result of the Wildcats' tough press. Senior Marshall, the leading scorer, paced the game with 27 points. Sophomores Jordan and Johnson each had 16 points. ACU once again raised its season record with a 90-59 defeat over Hardin- Simmons. The accurate shooting of Jordan was a key factor in the victory. She paced the Cats with 24 points and led the team with seven steals. The Wildcats jumped to a 20-10 lead in the first 10 minutes of the game and did not let up. They held a 43-26 lead at the half, and led by as much as 30 points during the remainder of the Deedy Johnson (right) outjumps teammate Cats reach state tournament Dreams of a TAIAW championship were shattered when Texas Wesleyan defeated the Wildcats, 72-62, to capture the state small college title. The game marked the first time an ACU squad had reached the state finals in the team's nine-year history. The Wildcats failed to beat TWC, three times earlier in the season, but they stayed close to the Rams until the final minute. The Rams outscored ACU by nine points in the last 55 seconds, and their final seven points came from the free throw line. Jordan played her finest game of the tournament scoring 19 points. She averaged 15 points per game, which was good enough to earn her second team all-state honors. Marshall followed with 17 points to give her an 18 point average for the tournament. She was selected first team all-state for her performance. volleyball 1979 meant more to the volley- ball program than just wins and loss- es. In only the second year tor scholar- ships, coach Joyce Curtis had the chance to build a strong, successful program able to attract talented players and earn a solid reputation. The Wildcats raced to a 10-0 record early in the season with wins against Howard Payne, Hardin-Simmons and Tarleton State. The team fell from the ranks of the unbeaten when it was defeated by the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Tech swept the best-of-five match in three games. On the road ACU defeated Beth- any Nazarene and Oklahoma Baptist but was beaten twice by Cameron State. The Cats ran their season record to 12-4 with a victory over Texas Wesleyan and a loss to Angelo State. ACU set new school records with 39 blocks and 26 saves in the ASU match. Kathy Moore had 10 blocks, while Alice Ball led the team with six saves. ACU continued its winning ways and raised the season record to 16-5 with a two-game victory over West Texas State by identical scores of Cats place 3rd in AIAW play The team split a pair of matches against Texas Tech and West Texas State. They emerged victorious over West Texas State but dropped the second match to Texas Tech by scores of 15-11,15-14. Against Tech the Wildcats were successful in 94 percent of their serves, 70 percent of their sets and 65 percent of their spikes. The Wildcats continued their successful season and raised the season record to 19-5 with victories over Hardin-Simmons, Texas Wesleyan and East Texas State. They placed fifth in the TAIAW state tournament, winning five games and losing two. Their 7-15,12-15 loss to Southwestern cost the Cats their seeding in the finals. ACU traveled to Fort Worth to play in the AIAW regional tourna- ment. Fourteen teams from Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana were entered. The Wildcats, 26-8, were seeded eighth. Angelo State, seeded first in the tournament, secured sec- ond place. Although ACU was seeded eighth, the team played strongly and came away with third place. men’s tennis Control is an important factor in the game of tennis and Coach Cecil Eager expected his players to be in control over their opponents. The men's squad didn't disappoint their coach as they began their season with a sound defeat of Howard Payne University. ACU’s top doubles team of Bryan Fowlkes and Steve Foster led the Cats to a third place finish in the Wildcat invitational tournament. The team of Fowlkes and Foster were tough in competition, losing only to Baylor. As a team, the Wildcat squad went 2-2 in match play. H-SU won the tourney while Baylor was second, South Plains took fourth and Weatherford was fifth. In the finest performance of the season, the Cats blasted opponents from sister Christian colleges to easily defend their title in the Harding College Invitational tournament. Foster and Fowlkes, commonly called F-Troop,” lead the team to a resounding victory while Larry Fatheree and Mark Dotson were undefeated in singles play. The Cats closed their regular season by trouncing Texas A l 7-0. The victory raised ACU's dual match record to 15-9 and provided the Wildcats with their only conference win of the women’s tennis In the shadow of the Lectureship tent, the women’s tennis team, coached by Cecil Eager, opened their season with a 2-2 tie against Howard Payne University. Although they were disappointed, the women were determined not to let the tie against HPU become a pattern throughout the As the season progressed, the Cats proved they knew their game. The women defeated Howard Payne University, 5-1, and captured third in the Wildcat invitational tournament. In tournament play, ACU defeated Weatherford, 6-3, and beat West Texas State, 8-1. The team suffered losses at the hands of Hardin-Simmons and South Plains. Later in seasonal play, freshman Kelly McGlothlin led ACU to a third place finish in the Hardin-Simmons invitational tournament and a surprising victory over Angelo State. Fans and followers of the team were delighted by the 6-3 win over ASU. It was the first time in four years of competition the women's squad had been able to defeat Angelo State. baseball The biggest news about ACU baseball was not made on the diamond, but midsummer in the paneled interior of ACU hierarchy with the announcement that ACU would no longer play baseball. For several years baseball has been the weak sister in an anemic spring than a little surprise on the Hill when the edict was passed down. As one observer noted it was like you knew someone was going to die and yet Despite the absence of scholarships, coach Alvin O'Dell seemed to play the role of optimistic skipper well, even though he headed a proverbial sinking ship. Gone are the days of eighty-year-old bench jockeys hooting at every error. No longer can you see 102 errors in 40 games or teams with E.R.A.'s of over 7. Every fly ball was an adventure and no kind of gerrymandering with the defense could plug the gaping holes. golf Fourth place may not seem like a very high goal to aim for, but to the ACU golf team, it was the moon. And as it turned out, just as unattainable. The team, under the direction of first-year coach M. L. Daniels, thought a fourth place finish in the Lone Star Conference Golf Tournament was a reasonable expectation. But halfway through the tournament in Kingsville, the Wildcats found themselves last in a seven team field with a 644 two-round total. Even host school Texas A l, considered to have the lowliest golf program in the LSC, was ahead of ACU, thanks to a first-round score of 313 by the Javelinas. Daniels still thought his team could pass the Javelinas and he turned out to be right. A l had a 607 in the final round, the worst score by an LSC The Rams of Angelo State won the tournament with a score of 2,375, one better than defending NAIA champ Sam Houston State. ACU, led by senior Vern Spurlock of Kilgore and junior Donnie O'Bannon of Tyler, escaped the dregs of the LSC by posting a score of 2,511. men’s track— For those cynics who still declare lightning does not strike twice in the same place, use the NAIA National Championships in Elmer Gray Stadium as Exhibit I. Lightning, in the form of Texas Southern University's powerful Tigers, struck down ACU's hopes of winning that elusive national title once again. ACU moved up one place from the previous season to finish second, but it was still a distant 20 points behind the sprinter-laden Tigers. However, it was once again a superlative season for Don Hood’s Wildcat tracksters, as the team continued to perform as one of the top teams in the Southwest. The Wildcats' flair for the unique continued this season as ACU fielded a 31-year-old triple jumper, Bill McClellon; a 25-year-old pole vaulter Don Lee; a new African distance runner, Geoffrey Koech; a Canadian miler, Frank Houston; and various assorted college-aged athletes from Texas and all points East and West. The '79 season saw ACU's proven performers such as Randy Baker, Billy Olson, Frank Estes and Sugar Williams continue to excel, as well as the emergence of several new performers of great potential such as Houston, Koech, Kriss Brooks, Martin Guerrero, Stanley O'Neal, Rusty Hagemann, Ken Thurmond and Kelly Carter. It was a season of steady improvement for some of the Cats’ most seasoned performers; Lee, Hunt, Rick Richards, David Conder, Bennie Matthews and John Michaels. And sadly, it was a disappointing season fo the Cats felled by injury; Roscoe Mason, Wes Kittley, Al Bateman, Terry Davis, Stan Jones, and most tragic to ACU’s title hopes, John Kebiro. Kebiro sat out the entire season, complaining of an injury that occurred at the 1978 Texas Relays and that he said had not improved. The disagreement between Hood and Kebiro about the injury made the front page of the sports section and the grievance committee of the Lone Star Conference. At press time, it was unknown, but doubtful, whether Kebiro would compete his last year for ACU. Whether he ever dons the purple and white again, Kebiro will leave track fans with many great memories of his cavalry-charge-to-the-rescue finishes and his victories at the Texas Relays and the Lone Star Conference meet. ACU's season started well with an excellent recruiting year and the return of all but four athletes from the previous year. The Cats' aspirations for a national title received a severe blow early in the season when sprinter Eddie Toliver and shotputter Jim West were declared scholastically ineligible. Toliver was ACU’s best sprinter and West was a fifth place finisher at the nationals in '78. But ACU recovered to finish second to Jackson State in the NAIA Indoor Nationals.lndoor meets showed ACU fans where to expect the points in the 1979 season — in the jumps and the pole vault — as McClellon won the triple jump, Williams placed third in the long jump and Olson, Lee and Estes went one, two, three in the pole vault. Add in impressive freshman Frank Houston's second place mile finish and ACU looked strong for the outdoor season. The outdoor season started off like the previous season with ACU winning everything in sight. ACU won the Border Olympics and the Southwest Recreation meet, the first two major outdoor meets. The Border meet was close as ACU needed to win the mile relay for a victory, and as injury and apathy struck down part of the squad. The Southwest Recreational meet was never close. Jackson State did not show up as had been hoped and ACU won by 39 points. In search of competition, Hood took his proteges to Fayetteville, Ark. for the Arkansas Relays. The meet saw an end to Olson's and William’s domination of their events. Both finished second to eventual NCAA top finishers. It was the first loss for Williams in an outdoor meet in 17 straight meets. The members of the squad who did Stephenville instead for the Tarleton invitational and garnered a very strong third place finish. At the Texas Relays, ACU was unable to return to the victor's stand a phenomenal four times as had happened in 1978, but Sugar Williams once again won the long jump and Olson and Estes went two, three in the pole vault. The meet was deluged by a steady, annoying rain that particularly bothered the vaulters, whose hands slipped from the poles. Those Cats not at the relays were at McMurry placing second behind Wayland Baptist. ACU’s dual meet with Northwest Louisiana State was like a homecoming as one of ACU’s greatest athletes returned as NWLSU's coach. Mr. Versatility, Jerry Dyes, the school- record holder in the javelin brought in his NCAA Division I team to teach little ole ACU a lesson and got schooled himself ! ACU won 11 of 17 events to beat NWLSU 80-65. The victory was not quite as impressive as the previous year's trouncing of Oklahoma State, but it was a solid victory over a NCAA Division I team. The conference meet was disappointing in some ways, but elating in others as ACU scored a 35 point victory over Angelo State to finish first. However, the poor track facilities at East Texas State led to many disappointing performances by all Lone Star Conferences athletes. The old reliables, Olson, Williams, McClellon, Baker, Guerrero, Houston, came through with firsts, as Geoffry Koech was struck down by cramps. The team was almost struck down by over-confidence. Until the pole vault, the meet was close, but as usual ACU won the first four places to nail down the team's victory. At season's close, ACU bid farewell to some of its all-time most successful athletes. Randy Baker will be missed in the 400 and 800. Bill McClellon leaves with the school record in the triple jump. Frank Estes and Don Lee leave as national-class pole vaulters with Estes carting hopes for Moscow in 1980. Rick Richards, a consistent point getter, left as the school's only javelin thrower of the But the farewell’s did not signal the end of ACU's dominance. Hood signed several world-class sprinters, hurdlers and distance men for the new season, and with the return of several ineligible athletes, the '80 team could be stronger than the '79s. So maybe Hood will be able to keep lightning from striking a third time at Elmer Gray Stadium and finally win that national title. Team Members Randy Baker Al Bateman Kriss Brooks Kelly Carter Terry Davis Danny Dixon Martin Guerrero Rusty Hagemann Frank Houston Ron Hunt John Kebiro Wes Kittley Geoffrey Koech Don Lee Roscoe Mason Bill McClellon Billy Olson Stanley O'Neal Brad Pursley Kenny Thurmond Carl (Sugar) Williams women’s track were happy to really celebrate for a change. Barbara Hooper and Deedy Johnson qualified for state by finishing first and second respectively in the 100 meters. Johnna Cook also qualified for the state meet, breaking her own school record of 130-2 in the discus, and breaking her old shot put mark by throwing 34-7' 2. Rosalinda Ramirez turned in a 20.26 in the 400-meters for a first place and new ACU record and the mile relay added the final new school record of the meet with a 4:03.7 time. But the sun also sets, and it set at midday for the women when they finished in a four-way tie for eleventh place at the TAIAW state meet in Kingsville. The team's only points were earned by the 400-meter relay team of Deedy Johnson, Anne Naismith, Arlene Hooper and Perri Lou Short. Their fourth place finish was the only match struck that day as the other relay team and seven individual qualifiers failed to There's hope for a brighter season next year. More scholarships will be available and Coach Burl McCoy who took women's basketball at ACU to new stellar heights, will be taking over for Coach Addie Felts. Ah, the sunshine! Football Men’s Basketball I'll, tovM You Ilk to _ pty some Tennis ■ rntymlsm- i :pf ini Volleyball cheerleaders Mark North Stacy Brewer Kim Kirby Lane Bloxom Matt Corbin Jeff Lawrence Wes Phillips Jamie Kay Jones Dewitt Jones: He had a better idea In some ways, it's like he was never The Dewitt Jones era was short, and although it was successful, its passing wasn't mourned. Jones, ACU’s football coach for the 1977 and 1978 seasons, quit in late November, with a year left on his contract, to enter the sporting goods business. I had a lot of fun over there at ACU, Jones would say in June. However, one gets the impression he doesn’t miss it very much. Everyone figured that ACU would be just a stepping stone for Jones; only most figured he would be going off to a bigger school with a bigger football program. However, Jones had other I never looked at football as a lifetime job, he said when he announced his resignation. Indeed, he seems just as comfortable dressed in jeans in his store as he did in the obligatory double knits he wore when he paced the sidelines as a coach. His resignation was so unexpected that many looked for some hidden reason. Was he pressured? Was he asked to leave? And if so, why? The speculation is unfounded. Jones left because he found something he wanted to do more. And no one tried to convince him otherwise. One always got the impression that Dewitt wasn’t one of the gang. All of the other coaches had either played with or for former coach and Athletic Director Wally Bullington. Jones was from a later era. That's one reason why everyone seemed so happy when longtime assistant coach Ted Sitton took Jones' place. However, Jones' departure was amicable. The only thing that gnaws at him is the charge that he won a national championship with “Bullington's boys.” True, most of the players had been recruited by Bullington, but there weren't many experienced players around when Jones took over. They were as green as gourds, Jones said. You tell me they weren’t True, it was always Jones’ team, and that rankled some of his players. He was always saying it was his team, said one of the stars from the 1977 team. I thought that it was our team. Reserved? Seldom. Impetuous? Often. But Dewitt Jones was never boring. intramurals Men’s Intramurals Overall Winners - 1 Cross Country Bull Roar Raquetball L 2. Cory Rodriguez Ping Pong Rodeo 2 Kinsmen Handball 1. Galaxy 2. Beginners Frisbee T 1 Stephen Parker W0 d, Football Racquetball Track Meet 2. Husbanders 2. Galaxy Waterball 2 SutXT-16 Swim Meet Basketball 1. Galaxy 1. Not-Ready-For- Bowling Team Tennis Badminton Softball Volleyball Golf Women’s Intramurals Overall Winners — 1. Delta Theta 2. Jumping Jacks Flag Football Frisbee Track Meet Badminton Singles Raquetball Doubles Tennis Singles Ping Pong Events Homecoming My Three Angels Don't Drink the Water Sing Song Lectureship Taylor Choir Michael Murphey Cats and Moyers are winners “Oliver!” delights crowds Oliver!,” Lionel Bari’s musical adaptation of Charles' Dickens' classic novel, was presented Oct. 19-21 at the Abilene Civic Center. Directed by Nelson Bennett, the cast featured sophomore Jan Jones as Oliver Twist. “Oliver is more than a character, said Jones. He's a symbol of goodness, purity and innocence. Bennett designed the sets from a smaller module and blueprints, which Construction began the last of August. Graduate student Mark Loudermilk was technical director in charge of scenery construction, coordination and special effects. One technical problem arose because Peter Wolf Studios in Dallas planned to rent a major set from the was able to construct the set. Auditions were held last spring with more than 100 students trying out. Only 15 principal parts were available, found places in the chorus and other groups. The cast included 30 local children ranging in age from 10 to 15 years. These children were used in a number of scenes, including the workhouse and thieves' kitchen. Bennett said that all of the musicians, technicians and actors did an excellent job, under the direction of Mark Loudermilk, Ed George, Jeanette Lipford and Marj Baucum. Oliver! is more than the sum of individual talents added together,” said Bennett. Oliver! is talent multiplied by labor jJLmS . p “My Three Angels” My Three Angels”, this year's first spring dinner theatre production, is a comedy about three convicts who try to fix a family’s roof and end up fixing all their problems. As criminals, they use the tools of the trades they know best — fraud, larceny and murder. Set on a French prison island at Christmas, the atmosphere of the play was carried into other parts of the dinner theatre. The lobby was decorated with island scenery, including fish nets, woven baskets and tropical plants. Ushers wearing prison uniforms served a menu of French cuisine. The opening three shows were canceled when one of the leading actors was arrested for possession of marijuana only two days before the first scheduled performance. Freshman Brent Johnson, who had been working on the theatre's technical crew, agreed to play the part, and the play was able to open just one week late. The shows ran Feb. 1 -3 and Feb. 8-11. The postponement of the play caused some ticket problems but theatre director Nelson Bennett said, “Surprisingly, most people were very understanding. Brian Clovis.......Father Drobney Jef Slatton .......Ambassador Magee Charles Pullen....................Kilroy Jeff Berryman .........Axel Magee Michelle Hipkins . . . Marion Hollander Nelson Bennett..........Walter Hollander Jan Jones .............Susan Hollander John Mann........................Krojack Donald Booker......................Burns Buddy Evans.........................Chef Barry Wiseman......Sultan of Bashir April Cline.....................Sultan's Wife Kate Riddle.........................Maid Sky Forrister.....................Kasnar Sharon Litland..................Countess Jordan Rutherford..................Guard Judith Collier.....................Party Guest Krojack (John Mann) vows he'll get back at the American tourists (top left), and Susan Hollander (Jan Jones) assists Father Drobney (Brian Clovis) in his magic act (top right). After falsely tries to light a guest's cigarette (left). and help with s annual spring I competition Lectures focus on the home The Home in Crisis” was the theme of the 61 st annual ACU Bible Lectureship, Feb. 18-21. About 8,000 people attended the lecture series, which featured nationally- recognized speakers Kenneth Dye, Batsell Barrett Baxter, Gary Beauchamp, Joe Schubert, Jack Lewis, Paul Faulkner, Carl Mitchell, Harold Hazelip, Jack Evans and Prentice Meador Jr. Three special lectures on Preparation for Marriage were planned for ACU students during the regular chapel hour. Jack Evans, Gary Beauchamp and Prentice Meador Jr. delivered the special Other special events included concerts by various ACU choral and instrumental groups, dinners and breakfasts. The seventh annual Symposium on Mass Communication Evangelism, which coincided with Lectureship, consisted of three major presentations and several panel discussions. Speakers included Stanley Lockhart, Batsell Barrett Baxter, Joe Barnett and Jim Bill Mclnteer. The purpose of the symposium is to help educate church members in more effective uses of mass media for evangelism. At the conclusion of the regular lectureship program, the Christian Counselors Seminar featured a day of discussion and classes on the theme Marriage Counseling. left). Bobby Weir and Robin Hersham (middle right) work in the tent, and Batsell Barrett Baxter For one week in February, Bible school educational supply houses, Christian camps, church touring groups, publishing companies and individual church representatives are drawn to the ACU campus. And like the wandering tribes of Israel, they set up camp in a tent. Or rather, the university provides a tent that has become the only physical symbol of Lectureship. The canvas tent, stretching longer than a football field, measures 330 feet by 60 feet (19,800 square feet), and has become something of a production in itself. But something this big is not problem free. Jerry Drennan, head of the industrial education department, says security and inadequate heating are continuing problems. Other problems are related to weather. High winds lift poles off the ground, rain stretches the canvas, heat constricts it, and snow may cause it to cave in. While the tent may cause problems, it also seems to solve many. Lectureship director Carl Brecheen thinks it serves a sort of catch all function. There are all kinds of commercial aspects of the Lectureship program. The purpose of the tent is to get all the commercial aspects under one roof. Those Remarkable Little People Interview with Michael Murphey This is the third Church of Christ “If I had to pick a favorite musical school I've played at in the past month experience, I'd pick Eric Copeland. I 4 Administration President.......................134 Office of the President........ 135 Academic........................136 Financial...................... 137 Public Relations Development .138 Student Personnel Services......139 Board of Trustees...............140 president Dr. John C. Stevens Since 1969 Dr. John C. Stevens has served as president of Abilene office of the president academic The academic division of the university includes under its oversight the assistant dean, faculty, librarians, instructional media, registrar and psychological services. This year 190 teachers offered courses on the Abilene campus. In addition, two new degree programs, a Bachelor of Nursing degree and an engineering physics major, were approved this year. financial public relations development student personnel services board of trustees The Board of Trustees meets biannually, at Homecoming and Lectureship. The board makes the guiding policy of the university. It approves the budget and all appointments within the One of the board's most important functions is to guide the school in its Departments Agriculture.....................144 Art ............................146 Bible 148 Biology 150 Business Administration.........152 Chemistry.......................154 Communication . . ..............156 Education.......................158 English.........................160 Foreign Languages ..............162 Health, P.E. and Recreation.....164 History and Political Science 166 Home Economics 168 Industrial Education.............170 Library..........................172 Mathematics......................174 Music ...........................176 Psychology ......................178 Physics 180 Social Work and Sociology 182 Faculty Senate...................184 Agriculture The art department grew physically two ways this year. In the fall the department moved into the new Brown Art Hall and Shore Art Gallery. And the number of art majors increased this year by 23 percent. Faculty and student work was invited to be shown in Houston, Dallas and San Antonio shows and exhibitions in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Florida, Tennessee and New Mexico. The inaugural exhibition in the Clover Virginia Shore Art Gallery was a Brent Green retrospective, followed by eight one-man and group exhibitions. Ted Rose, assistant professor of art, received an ACU grant to aid in his research with a special acrylic medium used in an unusual reverse-painting process. And Dr. Brent Green was appointed associate head of the department. Bible Biology Business Administration i: SMS’ 7. Overton Faubus, 9. Ray Holder 10. Gary McCaleb 12' Ma Rolfbins Continuing its claim to tame as one of the largest departments on campus, the business clan expanded with the return from leave of Assistant Dean and Associate Professor Gary McCaleb. The computer team bettered last year’s performance and placed fourth in a national meet, immediately behind But even with all those numbers of business graduates each year the reputation of the business department seems to be enough to land a good Chemistry Communication Education Despite the ever-increasing numbers of teachers deserting the classroom each year in sheer frustration over weak-willed disciplinary policies and strong-willed children, the department of education One need only watch the throng of BSEd grads at commencement rise in unison to understand why there is yet no teacher shortage. While ACU's largest department strives to disprove that old adage about those who can't, teach, a secret organization of Roommates of Elementary Ed Majors has been formed, adopting as its singular goal the abolition of styrofoam egg cartons and pot pie pans. Oh, by the way, do you still have your file box from ...? English Foreign Languages Health, Physical Education and Recreation Departments— • History and Political Science University of' Home Economics The home economics department focuses on the family as the basic unit of society and tries to combine skills relating to family relationships, child development, resource management, nutrition and consumer education with principles from the sciences, arts and humanities. This year the department moved into new facilities in the Don H. Morris Center. Dr. Kelly, head of the department, served as a Texas voting delegate at the American Home Economics Association meeting in A major in the department, Louise Industrial Education a r Although a small department, the industrial education department is highly respected. Dr. Jerry Drennan serves as national membership chairman for the American Vocational Association, publicity co-chairman for the American Industrial Arts Association and in November attended another professional meeting in St. Bert Mosier, associate professor, attended an American Vocational Association meeting in Dallas. The department provides aid to many other facets of the University and is responsible for the oversight of the Lectureship tent in February. Library Mathematics While answering the first question on his first math test in college, a perceptive freshman will immediately realize he hasn't picked an easy major. In addition to traditional math work, majors today are expected to do many class assignments on the IBM 360 30, the University's computer. This year Dr. William Poucher was involved in a research project and had a paper published. Other members of the department continued to be active in professional organizations. Music Psychology Physics It’s the department where many end up standing on the Foster Science Building roof in 20-degree weather studying the stars. It's also the one where many graduates are able to select jobs from several offers. This year the University approved a new degree program in engineering physics for the department. And companies are already waiting to snatch up the program's first graduates. The head of the department, Dr. Charles Ivey, has a $42,000 Welch Foundation grant, is president elect of the Texas section of the American Association of Physics Teachers and was invited to write a paper for the Congress of the Canadian Association of Physicists. V . Social Work and Sociology One of the youngest departments in the University is the social work and sociology department. All of the members of its faculty hold professional degrees, either the Master of Social Work or the Ph.D. in sociology. Students in this department work i william Culp directly with human service programs 2. Coy Puiiara in the Abilene area. Faculty Senate Freshmen Juniors Seniors Grads David Baker Kel Hamby Melanie Turner Bubba Newhouse Curtis Carpenter Melanie Evans Brad Bailey Dale Moody G,H H H That first year — there’s nothing like it The freshman year is like no other. Never again will everything be quite so exciting. Never again will everyone feel the urge to meet as many people as possible in the shortest amount of Having left high school behind, many are eager to plunge headlong into college life. No other class is as active, no other class is as loud and no other class will faithfully attend all class meetings. The freshmen are out in full force for all the firsts: the first pep rally, the first open house and the first class party. Their rooms are elaborately decorated with John Travolta and Cheryl Ladd posters. Freshman girls always dress up. They never wear jeans, unless they're Calvin Klein. The freshman male always wears T- shirts and Jap flaps, even when it's 28 degrees outside. They fall for all the tricks. Such as the perennial mattress trick in which an upper classman calls freshman girls impersonating a maintenance man and asks them to check their mattress number. If his number and their number correspond, which they always do, then the mattress should be left outside to be replaced. By the afternoon freshman halls are lined with mattresses and dorm mothers receive calls asking what the girls are supposed to sleep on that night. They’re doomed. They just can't help what they do. And ironically, no one disdains a freshman more than a newly-matured sophomore. How soon they forget. NAP W f.m rn S = JT mw WSL BHBffiS ? S?SS?S“ ssaasr” sisrsr, vm mm U,V,W,Y SK'.,°sx w “... B SOPHOMORES Ricky McCall Mark Lowe Liz Whitefield Kyle Cotton Jeff Knipp Mary Hufstedler Cathy Johnson Keith Morgan A,B W i. SSSSH- Krnih I HHSrr“ � a: l”T SHHL. SSSa.. £5™ mn oflTft G,H K,L,M ESSJEr W Cla p a ™ a«A illTfopp 'HH tSim V,W,Y,Z JUNIORS Lanny Mullins Guy “Mojo” Lewis Laurie Bullington John Agan Greg Powell Scott Sickles Tami Vaught NAP------- Q,R Dean Garrett Liz Sharp Liz Thompson Christi Clark Becki Ellis Jeff Nelson Sam Ware A,B,C V,W,Y,Z Diane Wolbert, Olympia, Wash. David Wright, fibilene GRADS Organizations School-wide.....................248 Departmental....................257 Performing......................284 Features: John C. Stevens...............296 Don H. Morris Center..........300 Mr. Brown.....................304 Students’ Association From the very first days of the fall semester to the very last days of the spring semester the Students' Association was actively involved in controversial issues. Not that there were really that many issues, it was just that they stayed around for long stretches of time. Less than a week after the fall semester began, S.A. officers and Senate members were presented with an administration proposal to add a show to both Friday and Saturday Sing Song, canceling the Thursday show. As a result of a joint S.A. and Inter- Social Club Council vote, students compromised by deciding to have one show Friday and two shows Saturday. With a fall semester budget of $21,695 and a spring budget of $14,614, the S.A. was well-equipped financially to accomplish a lot. Members voted to pay $330 of the cost for 80 students to attend the World Mission Workshop in Henderson, Tenn. A chapel collection for Christians in Nicaragua netted $3,112. Members donated $1,000 to the Doug Small Scholarship Fund and $650 toward the purchase of a mascot costume. And the computer programming team received $250 to help with the expenses of national competition. It soon became evident that the S.A. was making a definite effort to keep ACU students entertained. At Homecoming it was The Main Event,” musical entertainment in the campus center. Plans were made to sponsor entertainment in the Bean on Fridays from 5:15 to 5:45. And in the spring there was a week full of Sadie Hawkins activities. Movies such as Dr. Zhivago, “Sound of Music” and Gone With the Wind were consumed by entertainment-hungry students. But controversy has a way of staying close to the S.A. In November the Senate approved an interpretation of the S.A.'s constitution that allowed Ron Hollifield to run for an S.A. office in the spring. That decision prompted an unfavorable response from the Optimist and uneasy relations with the newspaper for the remainder of the Students' Association officers for 1978-79 Senate Student Foundation This year 54 junior and senior students served as members of the Student Foundation. Each year members are selected by their peers after a process involving an application and interview. The foundation is involved in three areas: student recruiting, public relations for the university and church As an entirely self-supporting group, members are responsible for raising money to cover operating expenses. Coordination of the Festival of Foods during Homecoming was one of the year's major projects. Student Advisory Board A group of approximately 100 freshmen, sophomore, junior and senior students serve as the Student Advisory Board. They volunteer to assist the alumni office by serving as hosts and hostesses for alumni events such as Sing Song, Homecoming, Lectureship and Commencement. As a supplement to the alumni office staff they generally act as the arms and legs of the office. 2 Barbie Shelton 6. Marshall Aldriedge 3. Elizabeth Tate Melanie Whiteside Blue Key W Club Alpha Phi Omega Alpha Phi Omega, a national service fraternity, exists to develop leadership, promote friendship and provide service to humanity. Some of the club's service activities include the annual Haunted House, weekly distribution of the Optimist, tutoring at Abilene Boys' Ranch, participating in Pulling for Plasma, the grandparent program and the Meals on Wheels canned food drive. Officers are David Buenrostro, president; Keith Johnson, vice president of service; Ronald Booker, vice president of membership; Donald Booker, treasurer; K. C. Stanger, sergeant-at-arms; Eddie Meadors, chaplain; and Marvin Geldhausen, Sigma Tau Alpha With the move into new facilities in the Don H. Morris Center, the Home Ec Club changed its name to Sigma Tau The organzation, designed to provide professional experience for home economics majors, sponsored a fall retreat at Camp Butman, attended the state THESS convention, helped the Women of ACU with the Tasting Fair and sold cookbooks. The club awarded the Lylian Arledge Scholarship to Jo Dee Parker and Karen Burgess, and the Wilmeth Scholarship to Kathy Price. Officers are Sherry Rohre, president; La Rhea Pepper, 1 st vice president; Kaye Hunt, 2nd vice president; Joan Boomer, secretary; Linda Coffee, treasurer, Juli Shive, reporter; Lisa Hart, historian; Kay Coffee, parliamentarian; and Karen Burgess, Campus Service Organization 9 Susan Walden 9 Michelle Scott 41 Kathy Falasek Campus Service Organization, a women's organization aimed at providing service to ACU and its students, was one of the busiest groups on campus. Members handled freshmen elections and registration for Homecoming and High School Day during the fall semester, and assisted at Lectureship Central, sold flowers and helped tally student elections during the spring. Under the leadership of Susan Van Eaton, the organization grew from about six women to more than 50 active members this year. Other officers are Nan Ray, vice president; Martha Gunter, secretary; Marcia McMorries, treasurer, and Brenda Gernand, program chairman. Student Press Association Publication of the Hello Book each semester continued as the main project of the Student Press Association, which is made up of members of the Prickly Pear and Optimist staffs and mass comm majors. Because of the long wait in the fall for a student directory, SPA switched to a faster, more efficient method of getting directory information during the spring. For the first time, the spring Hello Book was compiled from a printout of student information from the ACU Computer Center. SPA also purchased four typewriters for the Optimist and Prickly Pear offices, awarded eight $50 scholarships each semester and co- sponsored the spring mass communication division awards Members voted Cindy Stocking, this year’s president, as the most valuable Other officers are Ron Hadfield, vice and Kent Hunter, treasurer. banquet with KACU. Pi Beta Sigma 6 Karen Ferguson 10. Debra Watson 3SS. 18. Cindy Wolfe Pi Beta Sigma, a national business fraternity, heard several speakers from different business professions and sponsored a field trip to the Dallas-Fort The organization is designed to promote professionalism through the encouragement of study in the field of business and to provide social interaction between business students. Officers are Curtis Peet, president; Mary Catherine Arnold, vice president; Karla Wester, secretary; Billy Taylor, treasurer; and Keith Dowell, fifth Sigma Tau Epsilon Sigma Tau Epsilon exists to fill the need for better fellowship and professional interest among the students of industrial arts and to render services to the university and the industrial education department. Activities of the year included the AVA convention in Dallas, the State Fair, the West Texas Fair, TCIAA meetings at Tarleton and in Abilene, TIAA and AIAA conference in San Antonio and field trips. In addition, an experimental working prototype wind-powered electric generator was constructed by Rodger Officers are John Francis, president; Ronny Bundy, vice president; Sallie Copeland, secretary; Louis Clayton, treasurer; Don Herrington, sergeant- at-arms; and Chris Wilson, reporter. La Tertulia In its second year of existence. La Tertulia, the Spanish organization, participated in fiestas, devotionals, caroling parties and showed a Spanish Students who had studied in Honduras presented travelogues during the spring semester. The organization is open to all ACU students and faculty who have a common interest in learning and employing the Spanish language and in learning more about the Hispanic culture. Officers are Phyllis Lowe, president; Robert Reynolds, vice president; and Jenny Tipton, secretary. Student Bar Association The Student Bar Association heard several guest speakers throughout the year, including Harry E. Thompson, noted stockbroker and financial planner, and the dean, assistant deans and professors from the Pepperdine University Law School. Led by Chief Justice Todd Thompson, the organization enabled pre-law majors at ACU to become acquainted with different law schools, requirements and various fields of law during its monthly meetings. Other officers are Wayne Irvin, associate justice; Tunisia Sekhon, clerk of the court; and Jeff Grady, Mu Sigma Beta Beta Beta The Sigma Omega chapter of Beta Beta Beta, a national biology fraternity, was established during the fall semester. The organization's purpose is to encourage scholarly attainment in biology while cultivating interest in the natural sciences and promoting appreciation of the value of biological study. Six students represented ACU at the national Tri-Beta convention at Texas Southern University during the fall, and Steve Maxwell presented a paper. Bob Burnett, president of the group, was named top biology student and received $100. Other officers are Marlene Bird, vice president; Becky Maxwell, secretary; Steve Maxwell, treasurer; and Lee Ligon, historian. Aggie Club Striving to fulfill its purpose of promoting an interest in agriculture, the Aggie Club was busy with a number of events, including the annual spring rodeo (always a favorite with the students), a special field day for 4-H and FFA groups and the annual Thanksgiving and Christmas ham Proceeds from the ham sales were used to award scholarships to Ken Hounsel and David Horn. The club also sponsored a Homecoming banquet for exes and a spring Aggie banquet. Officers are Guy James, president; Brian Cobb, vice president; Cindy Walker, secretary; Carlton Cullers, treasurer; Richard Fahrlender, parliamentarian; Don Lambert, publicity chairman; and Dave Flow, social chairman. Judging Teams The livestock judging teams turned in a solid performance this year by earning consistently good rankings in competition across the country. At Angelo State University the senior livestock judging team placed third overall. In individual rankings Cindy Walker was second and Jay Knight was third. Brian Cobb was second high individual in horse judging. At the same contest the junior team placed fourth in sheep judging. Out of 22 major universities entered in the Houston Livestock Show, the senior livestock judging team placed fifth overall. It was second in sheep judging and sixth in quarterhorse judging. The junior team entered competition in Minnesota and emerged the second high team overall. It placed first in beef cattle judging, third in sheep judging and fourth in swine judging. Overall, individuals placed fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh as well. In a Fort Worth competition, the freshman team tied for fifth in sheep Teams also placed in competitions in Louisville, Ky., Kansas City and Shreveport, La. 1-Dr. Keith Justice An honorary agriculture society, Delta Tau Alpha recognizes outstanding upperclassmen majoring in agriculture. The society is also active in promoting agricultural professions throughout that department of the university. Sigma Tau Delta Omega Rho Alpha Social Work Club The Social Work Club became official this year when members drew up a constitution. The club exists to provide those interested in a social work career a chance to interact with professionals and broaden their understanding of the field. Programs for the various meetings consisted of a speaker from the Big Brothers-Big Sisters Organization, a genetic counselor and a faculty presentation of the curriculum outline Society of Physics Students American Chemical Society Membership in the American Chemical Society allows students in any science-related field to broaden their insight into the rapidly expanding world of chemistry. During the fall semester, members made a field trip to Texas Instruments in Dallas, Texas. Later, Dave King of Dow Chemical delivered a seminar on For the second year members of the chemical society and members of the Society of Physics Students combined the Optimist New facilities in the Don H. Morris Center, new electronic typesetting equipment and an increase to 24 pages each week made for an interesting year for the Optimist. A 24-page tabloid supplement guide to Sing Song and Lectureship and an additional issue during dead week of the spring semester, as well as the winning of several awards highlighted The Optimist received an All- American rating for the fall semester from the Associated Collegiate Press Association (ACP), was given an honorable mention from the Texas Associated Press Managing Editors and placed second overall in the Rocky Mountain Press Association contest. The ACP considers it one of the top 12 university weeklies in the As the paper strove to inform faced issues such as the suspension and reinstatement of a security officer, the cow-in-the-fountain prank, attempts to build a campus grill, changes in the Sing Song performance schedule and the campus evangelism movement. i«u KACU This year KACU moved into new studios on the first floor of the Don H. Morris Center. In addition to a new building, the staff learned to operate some of the highest quality equipment found in any radio station. And new transmitters were installed around campus to improve the KACU signal. In the spring selected members of the staff went to Lubbock to attend Alpha Epsilon Rho Southwest Regional Broadcast Clinic. Steve Cooner and Greg Lowe placed first in TV documentary. Steve Cooner also placed first in radio newscast and second in radio news feature. Gary Foster placed second with his TV news Foster, KACU's program director, also received the Lowell G. Perry Memorial Award. Jode Dean was voted the best new KACU staff member and Ray Aragon, music-promotions director, was chosen best in broadcast services. Steve Cooner, news director, was selected best director, and the staff selected Cedric Townsel and Martin Perry as the best announcers. 2. David Wallace 4. Steve Cantrell Melissa Scott Greg Eaks Dana Williams Unidentified Unidentified David Caldwell Student Education Association ACU’s chapter of the Texas Student Education Association sent representatives to the state convention in Houston, Texas, this year. At the convention, Mike Cranfill was elected to a state committee, and Mara Hardin was elected president of District I for the coming year. TSEA is an organization for college and university students who are preparing to teach. Sponsored jointly by the TSTA and the NEA, the association exists with the goal of developing professional competence and personal growth. Kappa Delta Pi Kappa Delta Pi, an education honor society, attempts to further education and to provide outside growth to its members. This year the society co-sponsored the Morlan Award. Junior and Senior education majors are eligible for membership if they have a 3.0 overall g.p.a. Officers are Brian Borah, president; David Adams, vice president; Kellye Crenshaw, secretary; Ardythe Ruebush, treasurer; and Randy Bivone, parliamentarian recorder. Ad Club ACU Ad Club offers students interested in advertising an opportunity to learn more about the advertising professionals. As a college chapter affiliated with the American Advertising Federation, members of the club are kept informed of national advertising trends. This year the Ad Club handled all of the advertising sales for the fall and spring Hello Books. Officers are Kent Hunter, president; Joe Porter, vice president; Jan Taylor, secretary; Donny Fox, treasurer; and Dr. B. E. Davis and Jeff Warr, sponsors. Circle K Circle K is a national service organization affiliated with the Kiwanis Club International. Members were active this year beginning in the fall with a pumpkin carving contest in front of McKinzie Hall. The majority of the group's projects this year centered on service to a local nursing home. Members bought a Christmas tree for the home and gave birthday parties for the residents. They also arranged to make weekly visits to In the spring they sponsored the Quarters for Christ collection in chapel and organized car washes to raise Flying Cats The Flying Cats exhibit gymnastic skill and grace at basketball half-time shows and high school days. The group is directed by Ben Zickefoose. I C Big Purple Approximately 280 students comprise the Big Purple Marching Band, led by Dr. Charles Trayler and Dave Pennock. In addition to marching at home football games, the Big Purple is active in other areas of student life. A Christmas party was organized and more than $1,300 was contributed to help needy children. Late in January the band traveled to Austin where it was one of four university bands to march in the inaugural parade for Gov. Clements. Also in the spring semester the symphonic band made a concert tour through the south plains of Texas. In addition to band concerts scattered throughout the year, the Big Purple hosts a band musical every year in the spring. The theme of this year’s musical was A Salute to Disney. Band officers are Dave Gray, president; Phil Gabbard, vice president; Kathy Simon, secretary, and Jeff Nelson and Beth Spidell, drum majors. Elnice Coulter was chosen 1979 Band Sweetheart. halftime duties (opposite) during the football A Cappella Choralaires A Cappella and Choralaires are the two largest ACU choral groups. A Cappella performs a variety of classical, contemporary and religious music. Choralaires perform contemporary music for the most part. This year A Cappella made a three- week tour of New England, and performed numerous school concerts. Almost 70 freshmen and sophomores sing as members of Choralaires. The group completed a four-day tour to New Orleans, La., in addition to its campus concerts. Although A Cappella's standards are more stringent, members of both groups must audition, have previous choral experience, have the ability to sight-sing and be proficient in vocal technique. A Cappella is directed by Dr. Jack Boyd, and Gary Mabry directs Choralaires. 63' Brad len nby Chamber Singers 3 Vaierie rork 10. Gloria Pale 11 Paul Willis 12 David Wright 16. Paul Fletcher The exploration of chamber music literature for chorus in preparing young choral directors and singers is the goal of the Chamber Singers. This group is comprised mainly of music majors admitted by audition. Each year the group performs both a fall and spring concert. His Singers His Singers was formed this year by a small group of A Cappella members. It is the only University singing group specifically organized to present religious music programs. The group has taken its singing ministry to Kansas City, San Antonio and various churches in the Abilene vicinity. A portion of the group, led by Gary Mabry, went to Spain in July to encourage the churches there. A trip to Australia and New Zealand is being planned for the coming year. Dr. Jack Boyd is the director. Orchestra TRASH-U An Interview With President John Stevens When he became the eighth president of Abilene Christian University on September 1,1969, John C. Stevens was the first of the eight to take office at a time marked more by prosperity than poverty. responsible for areas in campus planning, architectural planning, financing and governmental liaison for Phase I of the Design for Development. Since his inauguration as president on Feb. 21,1970, President Stevens has overseen the successful completion of Phase II in the Design for Development, which added 12 major facilities to the campus. In an interview with the Prickly Pear, President Stevens discusses the past 10 years and comments on the future. ACU since you’ve been president? Of course I came at the end of the presidency of Dr. Don Morris, and I think he was the person of the century at Abilene Christian University. So much of what we have been able to accomplish in the last 10 years was because of the foundation laid during the 29 years of his presidency. I'm always aware of the fact that no college president gets the job done without a lot of good people. But with Don Morris as president, B. Sherrod as chairman of the board, Walter Adams as dean, Lawrence Smith as business manager and on down the line, we did have a lot of great people working. Could you name any event that is particularly significant in the history of the school during the last 10 years? Well, I think maybe the opening of the Don H. Morris Center would be one of the big things for several reasons. First of all, it provided exceptional facilities for us in connection with the fine arts departments of communication, art, home economics and our new Institute for Marriage and Family Studies. Secondly, it meant we did away with the last of our old temporary buildings, the old art barracks. It was such a contribution to greatly strengthening our academic program. We've been talking about the physical growth of the school, do you think the school could ever become too big? Well, I think it could, but I don't think it will. For one thing, I don't know that we would want to keep on expanding our physical facilities to take care of the growth. I really like the size we are. I believe you could get it up to 5,000 and be all right. But there comes a point a university can be so large that it is perhaps a little bit out of control. I'd Do you think it would ever come to the point where the school would have to limit enrollment by setting a ceiling? That’s possible, and in fact, we’ve had to do that this year. Practically speaking, we’ve run out of dormitory spaces. We've had a number of students who would like to be with us this fall and we’ve had to say we simply don’t have any place for you. So in effect, we’ve had to do that already. It might be that the day will come when numbenof freshmen and that’s all. Recently we’ve lost a lot of, what could be termed, the great men of the school. For example Crutcher Scott and Clifford Rhoden on the Board of Trustees. Who do you think is coming up to replace these men, or can they be replaced? Well, of course these men have been really great, but we’ve got some great younger trustees. I always thought that B. Sherrod was the greatest board chairman who could have served. He was chairman of the board for 20 years. But I truly believe that Ray McGlothlin is just as great. He is a relatively young man. The same is true with other board members, I don't want places left by these great men who are What about women on the board? Is there some kind of stipulation about women, or are there just not any? There's no stipulation, but it just so happens there are not any women. Board members are discussing this and they’re looking for good strong women who could serve on the board. There isn't anything to prevent it, and it ought to be done. And it will be done. Right now the nation is facing an energy crisis, inflation, and schools are talking about declining enrollments — although ACU has been lucky as far as that's concerned. Is the school making any plans to handle these problems, or do you think we’re affected by them? So far of course, our enrollment has continued to grow. We’ve had more applications for new students this year than we've ever had. But we do have a fall back plan in the event of a shortfall in enrollment. Because, there’s no question about it, within just a very few years there will be 25 percent fewer 18- year-olds in this country than now. That’s not guesswork, they’re already universities as a whole there should percent fewer students. And there may even be fewer students than that because there is a possibility that not such a large percentage of students are going to try to go to college in the future as in the past. In the past, the idea was every student ought to try to go to college. But that was never true. Some students shouldn't try to go to college. So now there is more of a tendency for some students to go to technical schools and go to going to affect college and university enrollments, but it could have an effect. You became president in September 1969. How long did it take for you to get used to being president? Well for one thing, I had been assistant president for thirteen-and-one-half years right here in this same suite. I’ve been in this suite of offices now for twenty-three-and-one-half years. I had worked very closely with President Morris, so it wasn’t entirely new to me. However, it was a new experience for me to be president and for Don Morris, the man for whom I had worked so many years, to be coming — in fact, he still worked as chancellor — and had Walter H. Adams and Lawrence Smith still on the payroll. These were three such great men, and were themselves so humble, that it was a problem at all. But for the first few years I didn’t feel very much like president of the college. Did you have to change your lifestyle Well not particularly. But there is a difference in being assistant president and being president, because you really can’t pass the buck to anybody much. On many questions it's a board matter — a policy matter. But on personnel matters and the day-to-day operations of the university, of course the president is the one who's finally Are you making any plans for Well, normally I’ll retire in five years. Our retirement plan says on June 1st following the 65th birthday. My birthday is in July so I'll get to go around almost the rest of the year to the following June. So it'll be just before my 66th birthday when I’ll plan to retire as president. Now the new law passed says that beginning in 1982 college faculty members can go ahead and teach till they're 70. So I would be perhaps as a history teacher. And in fact, I suppose I could continue as president, but my plans and the board's plans are that I'll retire at 65. Do you plan to teach history? That remains to be seen. If there’s a need for a history teacher, I might enjoy it. I always did enjoy it. I think I was a good history teacher. One problem is that I haven’t taught now in many years. But I've kept up my reading and my interest in history to a pretty good extent. So I think I can brush up and get back in there and the office of president in the future? Well, it seems to me that the first characteristic of the president of the institution must be that he believe wholeheartedly in the work of Abilene Christian University and Christian education. And beyond that, I think he has to be interested in every phase of the institution. You couldn't get just a of Abilene Christian. He has to relate to the alumni — first of all to the Board of Trustees — and parents and students. So I don't necessarily think it takes the most brilliant person in the world to be a college president, but I do think it takes a person who tries to employ In researching, we noticed you've had quite a few jobs in the past. Do you think these helped you? (left) lakes the first leg of the annual torch relay Over the 10 years, how do you think the typical student at ACU has changed? Well, I'll tell you the truth. I think it's all for the best. Now 10 years ago when I moved into this office we were bogged down in the Vietnam War. And many students were discouraged, disheartened, somewhat cynical, defeatist — they didn’t know what the future was. People were somewhat disgusted. We never had any riots on our campus, but at the same time our students were affected. The hippies and the yippies, all that affected our student body. That is, you'd walk across the campus and students wouldn't speak to you very well. In fact, this was the time when the expression was current, 'Never trust anyone over 30.' They thought they'd been betrayed by older people. Well, now students enjoy being young, they’re smiling, they speak to you, they’ve got hopes for the future. So I've just seen them improve all the way along in the last 10 years. In the brotherhood, do you see the role of Abilene Christian as changing? Yes, I think I've seen a lot of improvements in our brotherhood relationships in the last 10 years. I don’t know exactly how this came about. It might have been because of think we were having a little bit of it even before Don Morris went out as president. A lot of people among churches of Christ were critical of Abilene Christian. They thought we were becoming too liberal in our theology. They were suspicious that we weren’t serving the families of the church and the young people of the church as we should. But I think that now, for the most part, we enjoy the confidence of the people of the church. I’m glad of that because we’re here primarily to serve the families who are members of the churches of Christ. Of course we’re glad to have other students, and we have a lot of fine students who are not members of the church of Christ. And they're welcome. But the great majority of our students are, and always have been, from the churches of Christ. If we lost the confidence of those people we'd be in bad shape. I think right now we're in pretty good shape on that. Of course there are always some problems, and there’s always some criticism, and you expect that. But for the most part we have a good feeling. help them find a great university and get them placed there. But I do think that we could offer it in the field of religion because we have a department of Bible that is second to What about the spiritual reaffirmation movement? Oh, now I really think that is the greatest single thing that has happened in the last 10 years. That would have to be greater than the Don Morris Center. And I don’t deserve the credit for that. A group of faculty members came to me and said we want to do this. I just listened a little while and said that's undoubtedly a great idea. It's a great thing. The purpose of the spiritual reaffirmation movement was not to say that we have not been spiritually oriented, but it was to say we want to continue to be, and we want to grow stronger. It was not in any way designed to be critical of our predecessors, but it was designed to be thoughtful of our successors. Those who come after us, we want to be sure they have these great blessings. No, when you asked me a while ago the greatest single event of my 10 years, let me change my mind. It was the spiritual reaffirmation movement. Academically, where do you think the university should go, as far as its graduate program is concerned? Will it ever offer a doctorate? Now, I personally doubt we’ll ever find it necessary to have a comprehensive Ph.D. program. I do think that we’ll need to build up even more our graduate programs in Bible. But I'm not certain, at least in the foreseeable future, that we need to worry about the doctor's degrees in other fields. First of all, there's been a oversupply of Ph.D.’s. And secondly, the great wealthy comprehensive universities are better prepared to offer that. I think that if we offer a strong undergraduate program, emphasizing the Bible as the heart of the curriculum, and having our students here for the four years, and in many fields for the fifth year for the master's, that will be the best service we can render. Then by the time they get ready to go on for the Ph.D., let's Do you think this will keep ACU from drifting into becoming just like any other school? Yes, we do know that the great majority of schools that started as religiously-oriented schools, have drifted away. And I think this spiritual reaffirmation movement — and of course there'll have to be another one, a continuing spiritual reaffirmation movement — is the hope for the future. Just every so often we need to take a totally new look at where we are and where we want to be. We need to look at where we’ve been, where we are, and which direction we want to move. And that needs to be done just every so often. MR. BROWN He walks stooped over, with a hint of the limp he has had since he was dropped as a baby, almost 74 years ago. Most know him only by sight, but to the ones who know him by name, he’s Mr. Brown. W. Earl Brown lives in a quiet brick house on College Drive, with- in walking distance of the school. And every day, if at all possible, Mr. Brown comes to chapel and the library. In fact, he’s probably chapel’s most faithful patron. “I go all the time if I can, he said. John Stevens told me, ‘If you want, you just come on and on’.” Prior to his retirement in 1970, Mr. Brown had been associated with ACU for 50 years. He graduated in 1922 when the campus was located where Coca-Cola Bottling now stands on North First. As a college junior, he began his career teaching history. For the first two years after graduation he taught five classes of freshman English. The main thing he remem- bers about those years is that he had to grade a paper every week. After doing master's work at the University of Colorado in Boulder, he returned to ACU to teach history, political science and economics. I was a busy fellow, seemed to sum up the years as far as Mr. Brown was concerned. For 30 of his 50 years, he served as head of the department of history. He was president of the West Texas Histor- ical Association from 1961-1963. A native of Hill County between Waco and Dallas, Mr. Brown spent many of his early years traveling around Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma. We moved to near Snyder and then we moved to New Mexico while it was still a territory. Now that was something strange. I finished high school in Lubbock,” said Mr. He came to ACU with $35 in his pocket, ambitious to become the first in his family to receive a college degree. In those early years he was close to then President and Mrs. Sewell. Brother Sewell would help me out with money. I was his secretary for a long time, and I signed Brother Sewell's name to the application forms that were sent in. He said, 'You can read these as well as I can,' so I approved them. One time Ruth Rambo (now Mrs. John Stevens) wrote and asked Brother Sewell, 'Do I have to wear those uniforms?' And I just wrote back and answered, 'Yes'!'' In addition to his secretarial duties, Mr. Brown also mowed the campus and helped in the cafeteria, serving and washing dishes. “He was just a country boy who came in contact with the church and wanted an education bad enough to do just anything,” said Mrs. Delno Roberts, Mr. Brown's niece and an ACU librarian. But post-graduate education did not come easy for Mr. Brown. When he went to Boulder to work on a master's in sociology in 1926 he saw his first setback. I was writing my thesis on labor problems and all these union men were striking at the time. It was in all the papers and everybody knew about it. Anyway, I wrote my paper about this and the day I finished it the Supreme Court came out with a ruling against it.” The worst disappointment came when he attempted to get a doctorate. After taking a leave of absence from ACU, Mr. Brown entered the diplomatic school at Johns Hopkins University. It was really exciting because there were men, diplomats, from all over the world there, said Mr. He finished his course work and turned in his dissertation. Nine months later, his supervising professor died and Mr. Brown's manuscript was found in his desk drawer, unmarked. His professor was replaced by a younger man who was not interested in the area Mr. Brown's paper covered. “He said, 'If you'll choose a new topic I’ll work with you on it,' but I couldn’t afford to stay any longer,” said Mr. Brown. He returned to Abilene having finished all the course work, but never to receive his Ph.D. In 1951 when the school was originally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Mr. Brown was counted as having the equivalent of a Ph.D. As head of the history department, he had to have a Ph.D. in order for the school to qualify for accredita- How does the present school compare to ACU 50 years ago? It’s not different,” said Mr. Brown, it's just got more.” The only difference he could see President John C. Stevens, a former student of Mr. Brown's, was what Mr. Brown called sophisticated.” Was Pres. Stevens a good student? “No ..., said Mr. Brown shaking his head, well, he was smart, but he wouldn't come to class.” As junior class president, Earl Brown was pictured in the 1919 Prickly Pear. Under the picture ran these words: “Some people are born great.” And 57 years ago, in 1922, he served as editor of the Prickly Besides a large assortment of very old Prickly Pears, Mr. Brown, also possesses a copy of Elliot Roosevelt’s handwritten diary. Roosevelt, son of Teddy Roosevelt, made a trip to Texas on an extended buffalo hunt as a young man in the 1870s. Permission was obtained from the Roosevelt heirs and the Harvard library for Mr. Brown to use a copy of the diary to write an article for the Southwest Historical Asso- ciation. He’s worked on that article for years before he retired and ever since he retired. It’s given him something to keep him busy and that’s been good,” said Mrs. Roberts. Mr. Brown has been a stenographer, dry cleaner, secretary and teacher. He's also been taken to heart by a number of students who are disarmed by his infectious smile and eagerness to meet as many students as possible. In fact, once those twinkling eyes hit you, you'll never forget Clubs Frater Sodalis frater sodalis galaxy kinsmen knights sub t-16 trojans Mike Daniels sssr iscc The Inter-Social Club Council is comprised of representatives and presidents of each of the 11 social clubs on campus. The council exists to facilitate communication and cooperation between the clubs. Working closely with the dean of students, the group makes many of the rules that apply to social clubs in general. The council is especially active at Homecoming and Sing Song. This year the issue of having two Sing Song performances on Saturday was one of . delta theta gata ko-jo kai sigma theta chi iiiil zeta rho alpha Honors Mr. and MissACU...............334 Mr and Miss ACU Nominees 335 Honor Boy and Girl 336 Who's Who 337 Teacher of the Year 351 V. W. Kelley Award 352 Sherrod Scholars..............353 Trustees Award................354 Dean Adams Achievement Award 355 Homecoming Queen .............356 Queen's Court ................357 Morris. Smith. Adams Tribute 358 Mr. and Miss ACU Raymond Lunsford Becky Ellis Nominees Grant Knight Caren Cox Melinda Scruggs Doug Williams Honor Boy and Girl Jeff Nelson Melinda Scruggs The titles of Honor Boy and Girl are awarded by the Student Life Committee to two students who are ideal examples academically, socially WHO’S WHO Who's Who is a special honor given to juniors and seniors considered outstanding leaders by ACU's faculty, administration and students. In the spring, the Student Personnel Office asks the faculty to nominate students with 60 hours and a minimum GPA of 2.25. Nominees must be outstanding in their leadership, citizenship, character, dependability, school service, attitude and future promise. In the 150-180 nominees are asked to submit information service to others. The Student Life Committee screens each questionnaire and chooses recipients. A quota is set at the Who’s Who national headquarters. These 48 do not include all of ACU's outstanding students, but they do represent a fair cross-section of that group. One of the Homecoming co-chairmen, Jay Reynolds is a political science major from Round Rock, He is a member of Alpha Chi and Omega Rho Alpha, and serves as Phi Alpha Theta’s secretary and treasurer. He directed junior class Sing Song in 1978 and Kinsmen in 1979. Jay also serves as reporter for Kinsmen. Nan Ray is a physical education and pre- physical therapy major from Abilene. Her freshman year, Nan was vice president of her class, a class favorite and served as director of Freshman Revue. She has also served on the Judicial Board, the Student Advisory Board, the Student Foundation and the Dorm Council. A member of P.E.M.M., Nan is GATA pledge mistress and vice president and program chairman of CSO. A recipient of the Conrad Marcel Scholarship, Terry Cagle is a physical education and health education major from Abilene. He is a member of Kappa Delta Pi, Omega Rho Alpha, SEA and was a freshman cheerleader. Terry has served on the Judicial Board, the Summer School 1979 committee and twice has been intramural director for Kinsmen. A physical education and health major trom Fort Worth, Christi Clark has been a freshman cheerleader and co-captain of the women's track team. She is a senior class senator and a member of Sigma Theta Chi, W Club, Alpha Chi, Kappa Delta Pi, TSEA, and SEA. Christi is listed on the Dean's Honor Roll. A biology major from Memphis, Tenn., Jeff Lawrence was a freshman class favorite and a senator his freshman and sophomore years. He has served on ISCC as Galaxy representative and president. Jeff is a member of Omega Rho Alpha, Beta Beta Beta, Alpha Chi, Blue Key, the American Chemical Society and Galaxy. Jeff played ACU football and is a varsity cheerleader. Jamie Kaye Jones is a physical education and health major from Arlington. She was a 1978 Homecoming Queen nominee. The recipient of a volleyball scholarship and captain of the team her senior year, Jamie Kaye also played for the women's basketball team. Jamie Kaye has been a varsity cheerleader for three years. Melissa Gibson is an accounting major from Arlington who has been captain of the women's basketball team and biddie master and president of Delta Theta. She has been a recipient of the women’s basketball scholarship and the Women of ACU's athletic scholarship. Melissa is a member of the Student Foundation and Alpha Chi, and is on the Dean’s Honor Roll. Melinda Scruggs, a speech pathology major from Abilene, is a 1978 Homecoming Queen nominee. A recipient of the Anderson-Adams, Abilene Women's Club Wright and Texas Easter Seal scholarships, she is a member of Sigma Theta Chi and serves as ISCC president. Melinda received the Optimist Youth Appreciation Award and served as president of the ACU Speech and Hearing Club. She is listed on the Dean's Honor Roll and is a member of Kappa Delta Pi, Alpha Chi, TSTA, SEA and NEA. Becky Bradshaw, an elementary education major from Lubbock, served as co-chairman of the JOY Christian Sisters Aid committee. She is a member of Sigma Theta Chi, Student Foundation, TSTA, NEA and SNEA. An agriculture and business major from Memphis, Sue McKinney is a member of the Student Foundation and the Student Advisory Board. Sue has been a three- year member of the Aggie Club. A business major from Olney, Raymond Lunsford served as vice president of his junior class. A member of Galaxy, Raymond was a one-year letterman in ACU football. Grant Knight is a marketing and management major from Tyler. He has served as vice president of Galaxy and as the Financial Aid committee. Grant is also a member of Pi Beta Sigma and the ACU Ad Club. Mark Hanna is a marketing and management major from Overland Park, Kan. The chairman of Christmas for Children in 1976, he was a senator and class favorite his sophomore year. Mark was co-chairman of Student Recruiting for the Student Foundation, and a member of Galaxy. A member of Alpha Chi, Russell Noll is a marketing and management major from Boerne. He is also a member of Galaxy. Teacher of the Year of the Year. The $1,000 annual award is given to a faculty member nominated by the senior class and chosen by the Academic Council. Churchill has written several research articles, is a member of the Texas Education Agency Advisory Committee on Conservation and Environmental Education, and has served as president of the Texas section of the Soil Conservation Society. In 1973, Churchill founded the annual summer Environmental Conservation Workshop held at ACU. V.W. Kelley Award Melinda Scruggs Doug Williams The V.W. Kelley Award is given by the Executive Board of the Alumni Association to two students who have served the University and their fellow students. Sherrod Scholars Angela Kreidel Gary Foster Trustees Award Dean Adams Achievement Award The Dean Adams Achievement Award, named for Dean Emeritus Walter H. Adams, honors a student who has overcome obstacles to complete his education. Dean Adams served Abilene Christian University from 1925- 70. Teresa Moore Homecoming Queen Louise Moyers Queen’s Court Becky Ellis Beth Knipp Caren Cox Liz Thompson Debye Ellis Jamie Kaye Jones Beth Garrett Melinda Scruggs Debbie Cox The Triumvirate Don H. Morris, Walter H. Adams and Lawrence L. Smith contributed a combined total of more than 100 years of service to ACU. Known as “The Big Three, these men worked closely together during a span of five decades, which proved to be a period of tremendous growth for ACU. In the fall of 1978, a SI ,901,752 men's dormitory complex was opened. The west wing, Adams Hall, and the east wing, Smith Hall, house a combined total of 252 men. With the opening of the $4.3 million Don H. Morris Center, Phase II Design for Development was completed and the departments of art, home economics and communication were housed in new facilities. The Prickly Pear would like to express its gratitude to these three men who contributed so much to both the physical and academic growth of ACU. Don H. Morris He loved the student body. He loved these young people. He often said that one of the greatest things of his life was that wherever he went there were ex-students who would come up to him. . He was a great lover of all the people he ever came in contact with, said Mrs. Morris, wife of the late president of ACU. And Don H. Morris came in touch with thousands during his 29-year service as president. He was the first ex-student to serve as president of ACU. He assumed the job in 1940 and occupied the position until 1969, when he became chancellor and was succeeded by Dr. John Stevens as president. In January 1975, Morris died following a heart attack that struck while he walked across campus one morning. Morris began his career at ACU as a speech teacher in 1928. When he was first asked to come to Abilene Christian College we had never had any dreams or hopes of doing that,” said Mrs. Morris, but when the opportunity came up, there was never a moment’s hesitation to do it. We agreed unanimously that that was what we would like to do. We just wanted our life to go that way. In 1932 Morris became vice president and head of the speech department and in 1940 he became president. The Morrises believed that participation m school affairs was very important In those days the entertainment of the school centered around the president s home so much At the dose of school we would always have a reception for the seniors and their parents in our home Then there were few enough of them that we could do that, said Mrs Morris In retrospect she has no misgivings about the 29 years her husband served as president. We loved every minute of it. I can't think of a time when everyone wasn't just lovely to us.” How would Pres. Morris feel about the complex named in his honor? Isn't the Don H. Morris Center wonderful?” she replied. I know that he would be so glad to know that there was something with his name on it that was so useful to the school, and that so many people could enjoy. I know the departments will be able to do a wonderful job, and that is what he would like. ab'lene c,„ collec- E believe in Tfi[ 0F c«Hista d a . inspiration of - SCKIPTUHES. Contend earnestli f.= the Faith once for DELIVERED TO THE Walter H. Adams When he was named dean of the school in 1932, he was the only faculty member with a Ph.D. When he retired in 1970, 38 years later, more than 50 percent of the faculty had earned doctorates. Dean Walter H. Adams came to ACU in 1921 from Chickasha, Okla. When he graduated in 1925 he was asked to join the faculty and teach mathematics. In 1926 he left ACU to earn the master’s and doctoral degrees before returning in 1932. Upon his return Adams was asked to become dean of students. In fact, he was the only dean at the time. The principal thing I had tried to do in dealing with students was to help them make their own decisions... instead of the faculty making all the decisions. Students behaved then pretty much as they do now. I went up to school one morning and found President Cox’s cow in the lobby of the Ad Building. During the Depression, nearly every faculty member kept a cow, and the president was no exception. So some of the boys put the cow in the hallway right next to We had some serious problems every now and then, but it was mostly a good time. After ACU hired a dean of men and a dean of students, Adams began to deal more with the faculty than the students. He is particularly proud of the strides made in upgrading the caliber of the faculty during his years with the school. Adams served as president of the Texas Association of Colleges and Universities, president of Texas' graduate schools and chairman of the State Board of Examiners for Teacher Education. He still retains his original goals for the school. I would sincerely hope that students who come here will graduate as members of the Lord’s church and go out with the idea that their primary responsibility is to serve the Lord. And also, that they be successful in whatever vocation they might choose to follow, and keep in mind that success is measured in terms of service, not in terms of money that they make or position that they hold, except as those secondary things are used for real service.” ADAMS HALL Lawrence L. Smith For more than four decades he was known as the Bursar. He handled all of the school's funds, a job which has since been spread among several people. During the Depression, he was instrumental in keeping a small, liberal arts college in Abilene from folding. Lawrence Smith has been on the ACU payroll for 51 of his 75 years. He came to ACU in 1922 as a freshman from Weatherford, Texas. While Smith was still a junior, Batsell Barrett Baxter, then president of ACU, asked him to assume the responsibilities of school business manager at a salary of $75 a month. He accepted since the money would come in handy to help him support a mother and three sisters. In addition to his administrative responsibilities, Smith also taught Greek. He started the business administration department in 1929, which has become one of the school's most respected departments. In 1969 he became vice president of financial affairs. Smith retired in 1972 and became treasurer emeritus. To what extent did Smith rely on Don Morris and Dean Adams? We worked together as the three chief administration officers. We didn't have as many administrators as now, Smith recalls. We didn't really have any clearly defined areas. We would take care of matters in our area, and call one another if we didn't know what More than anything else in working with these two fine Christian men — we disagreed on very many things. Not on matters of principle but on matters of expediency. Our disagreements were very strong sometimes, but we learned from each other, and understood each other, and learned to live with each other. And although we would disagree in a meeting, we would come out as friends and never hold any grudges against each other. To me, that is a symbol of what Abilene Christian stands for. That to me is Christianity in operation. Currently, Lawrence Smith is writing the history of ACU, from its early beginning as Childer’s Classical Institute to the present. ACU is one of a very few unique schools, and I've enjoyed writing its history more than anything of this Index mmmmh mi t ui' iu:viv:ihl(i to me that more than a making procurations for the '79 yearbook. mi time, I can honestly say I have written my i t book for a long, long, long time. And I about it, that's no small accomplishment for j .1 per.son of U2. burns -.nee said, The best laid plans of mice and a tray. In some instances, the truth of that sent - ; impressed upon me. At other times, things ■ : .-iter than I i)lannod. In any event, I have tried ;i o this a yearbook for every student; extrovert, mivovi-rt and in-between. It - inn for an editor to begin to speak of the ua! as my book.’’ And perhaps a bit unfairly, my a loin will go on this book. But without the help ; .-.ea! 1 , but infinitely loyal staff, the 1979 Prickly !v;ir would not exist. mad plioto:'. rapher Corliss Hudson took on the Prickly • ai' n the spring semester in addition her work as Optimist !•'! '! . rnpher, class teacher and student. She stayed with -e to the end, and I will never forget that. sjutial thanks go to Bob Nutt, Dana Williams and ;u ■ t ta banco for hanging in th re with me. To my advisers, i r. Charlie Hurler and Cheryl Mann, I can't express how muon your advice and support has meant to me. And to my unoffical advisor, Kent Hunter, mingled thanks for being such a hard act to follow. To Cindy Stocking, Debbie Archer, Donna Woods, Scott irk, Yvette Moore and Ron Hadfield—my neighbors next door at tin- OptinTsyt—my sincere appreciation for not ! -'ughing i n my face when I asked you to write just one ittsy-bitsy story. And finally to my roommate Marsha Thut, who I conned into drawing; the prickly pear on the cover and division pages by promising not to tell anybody who did it...I lie The 1979 Prickly Pear, Volume 64, was printed offs by Taylor Publishing Company of Dallas, Texas, using •« 150-line screen for photography. Paper stock is 80 lb. enamel and the book's 384 pages are trimmed to 9x12 inches. A duotone black process is used on various pages throughout the book. Spot color is Taylor's Sepia Brown 41 and Chocolate Brown 42. Photographs on pages 337-350 are brown 41 duotones. The cover is 150-point binder board covered in Taylc Cordova Brown 641P leather with a shoe grain, embosser, and a black overtone applied. Endsheets are 651b. cove weight printed 100% in Fawn 48 on front and back. All body type is 10 12 Helvetica Standard. Cutlines identifications and page folios are 8 point Helvetica Standard. Headlines are set in Tiffany Demi and Helvet Medium and Bold, varying in size from 24 to 72 points. The press run for the Prickly Pear was 2,700 copies. Photographers Head Photographer: Corliss Hudson (spring) Staff Photographers: Marci Brader Margie Dotson Amy Fitts Steve Harper Bob Morgan Keith Speer Linde Thompson Nan Whitworth Contributing Photographers: David Dillard David Johnson Cheryl Mann Max Stewart Studio Portraits: Special Acknowledgements: Koen’s Studios, Lubbock, Texas Clark Potts and Communication Services Prickly Pear Staff %- MV