The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 82, No. 41, Ed. 1, Wednesday, February 16, 1994 Page: 1 of 6
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Volume 82 Number 41
ACU Department of Journalism and Mass Communication
Wednesday Feb. 16 1994
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Alumnus earns USA Today academic award
By Eileen Tan
.World Pago Editor
v
fk surprise lay in store for Robert Ncblctt
$rwhen he read the Feb. 4 edition of USA
Today he had been named honorable
mention to the USA Today All USA College
Academic Team. The publication chose 128
students from nearly 2000 nominees around
the country; Ncblctt was one of six Texas
students named to the team.
V The alumnus from Snyder who obtained
bachelor of arts degrees in English and the-
atre is the second ACU student to be hon-
ored by the national newspaper.
Tyson Drowning from Clearwater Fla.
was named to the team in 1993. Browning is
la graduate student at MIT.
Students from colleges and universities
across the nation were nominated for the
team by faculty members according to a
press release. Judges make their decisions
based on various talents that students pos-
sess according to the release.
Ncblctt was nominated by Dr. Chris
Willcrton professor of English and director
of the Honors Program. Willcrton said he
nominated Ncblctt for the team because he
possessed a versatility Willcrton had seen
only once or twice in 21 years of teaching
Ncblctt said he was surprised and proud to
sec his name on the list but he added "You
can't dwell on the moment for too long or
you lose sight of things"
Ncblctt said he probably had a competi-
tive edge over other nominees because he
tried to excel in all he did and therefore
appeared to be a well-rounded person capa-
ble of doing well in the arts and as a scholar.
"I try to challenge myself" Ncblctt said.
"A lot of what I've done didn't come easily."
Ncblctt graduated third in his class in
December 1993 and Willcrton said In a
news release Ncblctt had an extraordinarily
high grade point average considering he was
working on two degrees.
Ncblctt participated in several ACU pro-
ductions including "Big River" "The Win-
ter's Tale" and 'Twelfth Night."
He produced a play called "Roundabout"
based on an adaptation of Norwegian drama-
tist Hcnrik Ibsen's "Peer Gynt." Ncblctt also
had produced a collection of short pieces
called "Shaw Shorts."
Adam Hester chairman of the Department
of Theatre said Ncblctt has "an exciting ver-
satility as an actor" but he probably is best
in dramaturgy which involves researching
and analyzing a play and playwriting.
"Robert has outstanding analytic skills and is
a wonderful researcher" Hester said.
Neblctt whose first love is reading said
he is most interested in playwriting and
would like to be on the creative staff of a
regional theatre. He said he also would like
to teach theatre at a university.
Ncblctt said the person who influenced
him the most was the late Jim Hcnson cre-
ator of the Muppcts Hcnson was an innova-
tor who could reach people of all ages with
his work Ncblctt said adding that his own
work has been influenced by this quality of
innovation.
Watching Hcnson's work gave him a
sense of the power of imagination. "Freedom
of vision is what I strive for" Ncblctt said. "I
try not to limit myself."
Ncblctt's advice to ACU students was:
"Don't confine yourself to what you are
given at ACU. A lot of people criticize ACU
for lack of opportunity. You have just as
many opportunities. ... You just need more
initiative. ... Take responsibility for yourself
because It's a lifelong thing."
Robert Neblett
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Sing Song production causes
students7 stress levels to elevate
By Willie Hubbard
Studont Roportor
MyutWrtt
Hanging around
The Shore Art Gallery opened Friday with an exhibit by two siblings entitled "Paths to Glory" featuring works
by Saraboth Clevenger and Anthony Brown.
Siblings open exhibit in gallery
By Elvln Ong
Student Reporter
An opening reception for "Paths to
Glory" a combined art exhibit by
Abilene artists Sarabcth Clevenger and
Anthony Brown was organized Friday at
the Shore An Gallery.
Sharon Rathbun coordinator of Shore
Art Gallery said Clevenger and Brown
who arc brother and sister were chosen
because their works are accepted widely
and they are hardworking prolific artists.
She also said the public deserves to sec
their works together.
Their art forms arc different. Cle-
; venger is interested in angels as messen
gers of the Lord and flight as a symbol of
overcoming pain and Brown's artwork
reflects the Holy Spirit working through
him.
'Abilene is has a great
art community and is
very supportive of the
arts
Anthony Brown
Rathbun said although the artists are
different they respond to the evil in the
world and both want to elicit hope in
their works
Students interested in attending the
exhibition might find Brown's works
familiar as he obtains inspiration in West
Texas. Clevenger on the other hand
"draws wings of huge birds of prey and
believes that wings carry people and help
people overcome problem" she said.
Brown who won an award at the
Regional Show at Abilenc's Fine Arts
Museum two years ago said his works
are representative of this region. "Abilene
has a great art community and is very
supportive of the arts" he said.
Rathbun said a gallery talk will occur
Feb. 24 and attendees may ask Clevenger
and Brown questions about their artwork
and careers.
Sing Song can become a very stressful
time for students.
When beginning the period of Sing Song
preparation that they know will be stressful
students should anticipate the stress and
compensate by rcprioritizing some commit-
ments finding time to sleep and eating
healthily said Dr. Steve Allison assistant
professor of psychology and director of the
University Counseling Center
Typically a student piles more and more
on top of an already busy schedule and that
largely causes many
people's healths to fail
Allison said.
He said students tend
to suffer burnout the
week after Sing Spng.
Students keep pushing
themselves in the weeks
before Sing Song and they battle the stress
it causes he said.
Students are more likely to see physical
health problems because of lack of sleep he
said.
If teachers could say 'Take the week off
because it is Sing Song week" Allison said
students would recover more quickly but
most professors believe Sing Song is not a
legitimate reason for making bad grades.
"I intentionally don't plan tests to try to
account for this high-stress time and I
know some teachers are so unsympathetic
that they won't'ehange anything about their
schedules" Allison said.
If teachers plan a test for the Thursday of
Sing Song week students' grades will
'.. Some teachers ...
won't change anything
about their schedules
Dr Steve Allison
reflect the lack of sleep caused by Sing
Song practises he said. Students need to
talk to their teachers if they have problems
in their classes said Allison.
Most professors arc witling to work with
students if students are interested in passing
the class he said. However he said stu
dents need to manage their time well
enough not to sleep late or miss classes.
Ann Kay licensed vocational nurse in the
Health Services Office said she believes
some students have trouble staying up until
3 a.m. and attending class at 8 a.m.
Jill Powell senior human communication
major from Sugar Land said students
HnnnnH should bring home
work with them to
Sing Song practice.
The year can be very
difficult for students
who pledged a club in
the fall and participate
In Sing Song in the
spring she said. "I lhink that clubs expect a
lot out of them and they have a watchful
eye out for them"Powcll said.
New members arc still striving for accep-
tance into their club she said. "They are
just trying to say 'I am part of this group
and I am going to work hard. I am just as
good as the older members'" she said.
Allison said "I am all for Sing Song. I
think it is a wonderful social time for the
students and it is a great recruiting mecha-
nism for the school.
"It is just learning how in life after you
graduate there are going to be special
opportunities and you don't stop going to
work just because you take on some kind of
community responsibility" he said.
The Friday edition of the Optimist
reported University Park an on-campus
200-unit apartment community will be
completed in August. In the same article
the Optimist reported that by the fall 1995
semester the park will be able to connect
personal computers to ACU s fiber net
work which caused some confusion
about when the facility will be available.
For clarification the park will be avail-
able in the fall of 1994 for accommoda-
tion of about 430 single juniors and
seniors married and graduate students
and faculty and staff members.
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Anti-ACU book accuses school of encouraging liberalism
Bv Kellv Davidson quotes Money as saying: "I want to encourage you issue of Wineskins where Resner reflects on the irony ACU's spiritual error. "Has anyone at ACl
siudont Rooortor toward unity in the body of Christ. The last and longest that the pure son of God would be born to a virgin of of Matthew 7: 1 -57" he writes. "As a remit
k
t'
W By Kelly Davidson
Studont Roportor
Anew anti-ACU book accuses ACU of falling into
liberalism by teaching principles that arc not bibli-
cally tnithful. . t M
The book Abilene Christian University;' Ever
'Chancing. Never Changing" by David Brown asserts
that specific faculty members directly contnbutc to the
"evil influence of this error-encouraging apostate
Christian school" .
Brown director of Houston College of the Bible in
Spring said he wrote the book because he was shocked
at several messages emanating from ACU. "I felt like
what I was hearing from Abilene was not in harmony
with the gospel" Brownaid
"I certainly am a product of higher education and
I'm actually for what I deem to be Christian education.
But ACU is leading what apostasy there is in the
church."
President Royce Money said a local radically con-
servative group of 10-12 people regularly writes these
criticisms of ACU .
"Tliis has been going on from the very beginning
Money said. "ACU will never be the kind of place this
radical minority wants it to be. Something like this usu-
ally comes out before Lectureship and I think this is by
flesign. But I fail to see how this type of activity builds
the body of Christ."
The book begins by criticizing a portion of Money s
1992 Bible Lectureship closing speech. The book
V
toward unity in the bouy ot ciinst. i tie last ana longest
prayer of Jesus haunts me. Surely the unity cannot
come out of uniformity. We have tried that. It will have
to come out of diversity and out or other virtues.
The book says Money's unity-in-diversity statement
proves he believes it docs not matter whether or not one
believes in God and Jesus Christ repents and confesses
his faith or is baptized.
Money said he regarded this as one of many miscon-
ceptions included in the book and he defended his Lec-
tureship speech. "If you look at the first century church
and you don't see diversity I don't know what you
see" Money said. "These people confuse unity and uni-
formity of belief and of course uniformity of belief
is defined by them."
Brown cites several faculty members he believes
contribute to the university's faulty biblical teaching
Included in the list were Andre Resner assistant profes-
sor of Bible; Dr. Carroll Osburn professor of Bible;
Dr. Jim Mankin.chairman of Undergraduate and Bible
Ministry; Dr. Leonard Allen associate professor of
Bible; and Dr. Ian Fair dean of the College of Biblical
and Family Studies and professor of Bible. Brown said
he never has spoken directly to any of these men.
Money defended the men and their contributions to
ACU. "These are godly men that they criticize" Money
said. "That grieves me when people like this bite and
devour each oilier in the kingdom."
Brown's major criticism of Resner is directed at his
article "Christmas at Matthew's House" in the 1993
questionable heritage.
"I do not believe that I have ever read a more blas-
phemous piece of literature from anyone claiming to be
a member of the Lord's church" Brown wrote. "What
this piece of trash should be called is 'The "Gospel of a
Different Kind" According to Andre Resner' or 'The
Anathema Gospel.'"
Brown's book cites Osburn's view that women
should take an active role in the church as another
example of the biblical error ACU supports.
Osbum said he was unaware the book existed even
though Brown's book addresses him specifically. "I've
never heard of the volume" he said.
The book condemn Mankin for his defense of Max
Lucado author of Christian books. Brown labels Luca-
do a false teacher who is supported by ACU.
However Mankin said he was puzzled by the accu-
sation. "I didn't know I had defended him either way"
Mankin said.
Allen also was unaware Brown's book criticized
him for not validating points included in Allen's own
book The Cruciform Church "I'm sorry that someone
feels it's worth all his time to write something like
this" he said.
Brown writes: "The truth of the matter is that Allen
and his crowd do not believe in absolute objective truth.
Allen and his fellow travelers employ logic when it
suits them and reject it when it exposes them."
But Brown suys he thinks his duty is to correct
ACU's spiritual error. "Has anyone at ACU ever heard
of Matthew 7:1-57" he writes. "As a reminder to Abi-
lene CHRISTIAN University we quote the words of
our Lord: 'Judge not that ye be not judged.'"
However Brown said a difference exists between the
type of judgment he accuses ACU of practicing and the
type of judgment he uses in his book. "There is a scrip-
tural judgment to discern right from wrong" Brown
said.
After reading the book Brian Perkins junior bio-
chemistry major from Bedford said this statement J?
hypocritical. "He's wrong to quote Matthew 7:1-5 so
much and at the same time ignore that Scripture him-
self" Perkins said. "For instance he accuses a student
of judging yet the entire book is a judgment against
ACU."
At the close of the book Brown writes: "Yes as far
as faithful members of the church are concerned if
ACU wants to continue in its present sectarian denomi-
national mind-set and conduct it ought to die. In fact
to faithful members of the Lord's church ACU is
already dead."
Money said he disagrees with the criticisms
expressed in the book and he questions the ethics of the
people who perpetuate this type of activity. "I think
their goal is to control ACU and that is not going ta
happen" Money said.
"If they think they can do better than us maybe they
should start their own Christian university and sec how
they do. But they're sure not going to take over thjs
one."
ft
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The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 82, No. 41, Ed. 1, Wednesday, February 16, 1994, newspaper, February 16, 1994; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth92225/m1/1/?q=%22%22~1&rotate=180: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.