The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 85, No. 38, Ed. 1, Sunday, February 16, 1997 Page: 3 of 19
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Texas Digital Newspaper Program and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Abilene Christian University Library.
- Highlighting
- Highlighting On/Off
- Color:
- Adjust Image
- Rotate Left
- Rotate Right
- Brightness, Contrast, etc. (Experimental)
- Cropping Tool
- Download Sizes
- Preview all sizes/dimensions or...
- Download Thumbnail
- Download Small
- Download Medium
- Download Large
- High Resolution Files
- IIIF Image JSON
- IIIF Image URL
- Accessibility
- View Extracted Text
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Hi Mjfc)pjijl nil n'wuimi mi jiinniiwfinm(iiwi
iyiWf'iNNiti i wipwiywiiii
MMMW4MMV'.
4
w -
tjl ' .!
v.-
u
'
rf tr warn .iBnnin'jmw.'ooi ' v : ar -at. ii'iiivii-i rune j juuuuv. rcu. iu. 133; .. .i.; s j-.j- 1 i. . .i 1
St
vc
1C
a-
:d
rt
mrl
'I
ite- j
if-
in
no
or
n
ur
of-
ils
b-:
t
't
nd
:
iUt.
odi
zY
an
oU
M
on
eW
in'j
i
4
M
)ajj
I
ur$
anj
i
. J ... jJtN "tsawo" - asm;. tara""-""
! ; Ktf1 ' ' h"'- ' ' ... '
5 H fv s' Lr rrl A u
w L k -is?fc (FTTI u
ill " '' ' "' "" ; ' ' " NAtsrDr::--'
iy-" I : ' ' ' - !
I'cb. 17 1967 ' .
Shadrach
show example of faith
Throughout my middle school years
seldom a day passed in which I did
not touch a basketball. Ballhandling
drills summer camps and Lipscomb Un-
iversity basketball were a huge part of
my life.
I quickly learned the skills of the game.
The practice court at my house rested
500 feet up the side of a rolling
Tennessee hill (a mountain by Abilene
standards). A slight dribble off the side of
my foot an airball or a major brick shot
-would send me chasing the errant ball
down the hill and into the creek.
It did not take many chases for me to
leam.
1 practiced for countless hours atop
that hill because I had a goal: to play col-
lege basketball.
A few years later entering the 10th
grade at a lofty 5 feet and 5 inches tall I
found myself wondering if I would even
be able to play high school basketball.
Then one day I read a sign in the varsi-
ty locker room: "Nothing great has ever
been achieved except by those who dare
Alewine
Editors note:
Keith Alewine was the
cdltorothe Optimist In
1991-92. He was on
staff for three years his
first year as the Friday
Copy Editor his second
year as the Opinion
Page Editor and his final
year as editor.
While on staff he wrote
a number of columns
under the name 'Piece of
my mind." The columns
were so popular at the
dose of the year that he
published a book of them
entitled: "Pieces."
Over the next two
Issues the Op-Ed page
will display three of
Alenines columns.
U
i
Meshach Ahednego
Lectureship
Student
Speaker
"Will we dare to
believe the Holy Spirit
that indwells us the
power to sustain our
jaith and lead us to
victory?"
Kevin) Thompson
to believe that something inside them
was superior to circumstances."
There was my answer hanging in the
very locker room In which I would one
day dress.
In March of 1995 during my senior
year Brentwood High School!? basket-
ball team recorded its first ever region
championship a team of which I was
privileged to be a member.
The players on that team dared to
believe that we had something inside of
us that could achieve something great
something that had never been ach-
ieved before. Because we believed we
realizes importance of impressions
T expected to be saddened in Chapel Friday
Abut I didn't expect to learn anything.
The assembly was conducted In memory l
of Ryan King the ACU student who died"
this summer while on a mission trip in
Swaziland Africa.
Ryan and 1 never met. All I know about
him is what I have heard since his death.
But I discovered Friday that I have much to
leam from him.
1 am a journalism major and I consider
myself to be a fairly good writer. I know
that 1 am in the right field because I enjoy
what I am doing.
But as I sat in the yellow seat In Section H
Friday I learned much about my profession.
Jim Reynolds who lead the mission trip
read excerpts from a paper Ryan had writ-
ten for one of John Willis' Bible classes.
The paper revealed some of Ryan essen-
tial beliefs about his responsibility as a
Christian and 1 am right there to hear It as
were thousands of other people.
an
r
under fire
achieved.
The same thing can happen in out;
lives as Christians.
Temptation persecution and the "fire"
which our faith is under are mere cir-
cumstances of life Every Christian
always has and always will experience
them.
The question is this: Will we dare to
believe the Holy Spirit that indwells us
has the power to sustain our faith and
lead us to victory?
Once three young men dared to
believe.
By obeying a simple command they
could have continued in their lives of
luxury and prestige; instead they dared
to believe In Yahweh the God who
could offer the only thing the world
could not.
Because of this their faith was not just
set under fire it was set on fire.
Shadrach Meshach and Abcdnego
placed their faith in something inside
them and that something proved to be
superior to circumstances.
Editor of the
Optimist
1991-92
"I want to be remem-
bers as someone who
used what he had to
serve Cod."
Keith
Alewine .
My mouth opened and I took a quick breath
as 1 wluiesscd the power of journalism.
What 1 write has the possibility of being
read by thousands of people. I have the
chance to reach out to people that millions
of people will never have. I have a great
responsibility.
I always have been afraid that I will have
embarrassing tvDocranhlcal error in
something 1 write but I have never been
afraid of the impression 1 might leave
behind when I die - until right now.
Life lessons harried in
early days at ACC
Today our teen-agers complain about
earning $4 an hour but in 1965 I
was a union shop steward who was glad
to be maldng that much.
I worked all three days of Labor Day
weekend to get the double time then
caught the red eye out of JFK so 1 could
be in Abilene TUesday morning for reg-'
istration.
Wliat a way to meet West Texas.
1 had to wait in line in Bennett Gymna-
sium to get a card admitting me to each
class I wanted to sign up for had to wait
in line ih the student center for meals
and a mailbox and finally stood in a line
that stretched out the south door of the
'Administration Building behind Sewell
' Theatre (in 100 degrees-plus heat) so I
could pay for the privilege of being there.
I threw my bags in my room In
McDonald Hall and clutching my cam-
pus map literally ran to Ehner Gray
Stadium for a football physical.
By the time my first practice was over
and 1 found the Bean it was closed. No
loss; it wasn't monris cooking.
I went back to my room to meet my
roommate and wonder what had I got-
ten myself into. Later that evening I
found a malt shop which was to keep
me from starving many times. A malt
shop was a malt shop whether in Texas
or Jersey and 1 needed the comfort of
the familiar.
Classes began either at 7:30 or 8 a.m.
with Chapel every day at 9 a.m. in
Sewell Theatre. Although 1 didn't like it
the structure was good for me.
Coming back to friends
tfTT 7hat's it like to come back to the
YV Hill many years later and
speak at 'Bible Lectureship?" The Opti-
mist staff invited me to share my
thoughts in their Lecture week edition.
How bold of theml (Who says this guy
can writ!?!)
What!s it like to be back? Well it's flat-
tering. After 34 years the powers that be
have said '"All is forgiven - you can
come back to town." '
Second its nostalgic. ACU has been a
major force in shaping my family's
thinking through seven decades. En-
visioning what life would have been like
without this institution (ala Jimmy
Stewart "It's a Wonderful Life") Is
impossible.
Third its timely. Assimilating spiritu-
al insights into conscious thoughts is a
lifetime process. It has taken me a long
time to discover what ministry is all
about.
1 understand the preacher (whose
name I've forgotten) who wrote "At age
30 1 wanted to be a great preacher. At
40 1 wanted to build a great church. At
50 I want to know God."
I may not Identify fully with his
thoughts' at ages 30 and 40 but I know
we're on the same wavelength about the
50s.
Frank Packone of my graduate men-
tors at ACU said the preacher (and all
Christians) must approach the world
with the Bible in one hand and the
newspaper In the other. J.D. Thomas
A sense of humor is a gift God has given
me and I like to keep It on the tip of my
tongue most of the time. But lately It has
been on the tip of my tongue so much that
not much else has made its way out of my
mouth.
Each of the columns 1 have written for
the Optimist have been attempts at humor
and 1 have several more sjuch columns in
the works.
But 1 sat in Chapel wondering if that is
what 1 would-be remembered for.
MAs you know Keith passed away earlier
this week as he was commuting from
Clyde. He is gone from us but we will not
forget him. fie used to write for the
Optimist Hers? is an excerpt from his article
about coming up with a name for his col-
umn: ..l stopped on the word "ken" thinking
it would make a broad column title but
then I realized "Keiths Ken" sounded gay.
And I don't mean happy. ...
I
' thought J had all the
answers bid I didn't
even have all of the
questions."
Roger
Kondrup
God knew what 1 needed.
I met my wife-to-bc in history class at
7:30 a.m. It was quite a wake-up to find
out there was somebody else from
Jersey here. I later found another young
lady from New York and a young man
from Baltimore.
Most of the students then were from
the South and some of them didn't
know the Civil War had ended.
I was too bold and brash to be patient
with many of these "hicks." I thought I '
had all the answers but I didn't even
have all of the questions. 1 was run ovct j
on the football field out-wrestled on thfe
mat and even outscored in the class-i
room. 1 was 'humbled in a way thai
helped me be conformed to Gods will i
I teamed to accept that every person I
has worth and talents. 1 learned that'
where you are from is not as important
as who you are. 1 began learning tha
each person needs to be allowed to bet
themselves although I still need work
on that one. 1 learned that God is irj
charge even when 1 can't figure out His!
plan.
Theme
Lectureship
Speaker
"I understand the
preacher who wrote
At age 30 1 wanted to
be a great preacher. At
40 1 wanted to build a
great church. At 50 1
want to hnow Cod.""
Crowe
Gayle
another mentor and friend brought
God off the pages of the Bible and Into-
the forefront of my thinking as he
explained the (then little-discussed))
reality of God's grace. Combining these;
two I have been Impressed with the fact
that Christians must know God and His
grace through Jesus and we must know
people X
Abilene Christian's curriculum is'
designed to encourage both but keep-
ing the two in balance is no easy task
Unfortunately I have often taken th&
former for granted.
Christian ministry has its share - pos-
sibly more than many other disciplines
- of fads whims trendy projects and
off-the-wall practitioners. One can fill
hours days weeks and years with all
tlifcf ttilncrc nnrl nfvw find flmp for the
double axis of ministry: God and pco-!
pic.
How does it feel to come back? ACU
has left its mark on my life ACU is a
friend. 1 like to be with my friends.
on readers
"'Unsatisfied with anything that I found
1 turned to the "c" words In the dictionary.
"The only word that I remember consid-
ering was "cud." I figured the way a cow
ingests grass and then coughs it up again is
sort of similar to how 1 would be taking
information and experiences and thch
splitting them back out on paper for the
readers of the Optimist.
"Keith was funny that way."
No thanks. I want o be remembered as
someone who used what he had to serve
God.
Humor is vital to our lives; however it
should never become so Important that ft
sunnresses the showinc of other feelings -
llke resnect love and concern.
I still will try to write some humorous
Class of '82
columns.
But never at the expense of leaving some-
thing more important unsaid. T
Ryan King was a biology student. But lie
taught me a lesson in journalism. '
4 v .
v
Vk.S.
it i t. K.. iv.v w it. .. t. L I. k Vi I. '.. v
i
k.....' HlJUff-
v v.rtu
V'fl
. . - . 7"
"yitKgi'Bi Wui.iiiiimilii
fcYUil9
.vwv
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 85, No. 38, Ed. 1, Sunday, February 16, 1997, newspaper, February 16, 1997; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth99726/m1/3/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 15, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.