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You are here: Home / Opinion

Student attendance makes a difference at games

December 4, 2025 by Lindsey Blasingame Leave a Comment

Wildcat athletics programs perform better at home than on the road nearly every season. The football team just wrapped up its regular home season 5-0 with an average game attendance of 9,077 people, including a 12,000-fan sell-out crowd for the Homecoming game against Tarleton State University.  The sold-out crowd against Tarleton played a huge ... [Read More…]

Filed Under: Opinion

Normalize counseling on campus

December 4, 2025 by Ashley Henderson Leave a Comment

The popular saying is 'college is the best years of your life,’ yet behind the highlight reels is the dark reality that suicide is among the leading causes of death for college students.  The stigma around mental health only leads to suffering in silence, but normalizing counseling can save lives. The 2024-25 Health Minds Study found that ... [Read More…]

Filed Under: Opinion

Give me back my em dash

December 3, 2025 by Callie Leverett Leave a Comment

I am not anti-AI. I’m not angry at or scared of it as a concept, but I do have one bone to pick. AI ruined my favorite punctuation mark. ChatGPT in particular has coined the em dash as its signature. Honestly, the word “signature” doesn’t quite get across how much the program uses em dashes. Put in any prompt, and an em dash will sneak into its ... [Read More…]

Filed Under: Opinion

My journey to understanding, overcoming anxiety

December 3, 2025 by Baylie Simon Leave a Comment

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 4.4% of the global population experiences an anxiety disorder. However, only around one in four people seek treatment, in part because of a lack of awareness that anxiety is a treatable health condition.  I began feeling anxious around the third grade, but didn’t identify the feeling ... [Read More…]

Filed Under: Opinion

The Wildcats have what it takes to make an FCS Playoff run

December 3, 2025 by Roman Raffaeli Leave a Comment

With their second consecutive FCS playoff berth, the Wildcat football team is equipped, motivated and ready to make a run at the championship.  After making the playoffs in 2024, the Wildcats won their first-round matchup against the University of Northern Arizona by a score of 24-0 before losing to the eventual FCS Champion North Dakota State ... [Read More…]

Filed Under: Opinion

Bring back philosophy

November 21, 2025 by Leslie Carrigan Leave a Comment

"Faith and Philosophy" books in the Brown Library. (photo by Leslie Carrigan)

The word “philosophy” may conjure up many different ideas. For some, it is rich, ancient, old men lying around and asking questions with obvious answers. For others, it may bring to mind people sitting in microbreweries and coffee shops wearing beanies with no job as they ask irrelevant questions about the meaning of life. For those looking to ... [Read More…]

Filed Under: Opinion

Grief isn’t a finish line

November 21, 2025 by Ashley Henderson Leave a Comment

For months, I watched the life slowly drain out of his cancer-ridden body. It had come time for my family to put my childhood dog, Buddy, to rest. The doctor injected him with a needle. I blinked, and he was gone.  They laid his body on the table, and with tears streaming down my face, I said my goodbyes. I prayed he would wake up, but I ... [Read More…]

Filed Under: Opinion

Change Greek Life back to social clubs

November 19, 2025 by Hayden DeLand Leave a Comment

For many students, Greek life is an exciting part of the college experience during their first year as they figure out which fraternity or sorority fits them best and which one their friends are joining. Fraternities and sororities have been a part of ACU’s culture since 1919 and were formerly known as “social clubs” until 2015, when the name was ... [Read More…]

Filed Under: Editorials, Opinion

Dorms are great for some, but not for all

November 18, 2025 by Roman Raffaeli Leave a Comment

On-campus housing offers a safe, maintained and generally affordable opportunity for first and second-year students, allowing them to have an easy transition into young adulthood after moving away from their families.  However, on-campus housing does not fit some students' needs, wants or goals. Some students are happy being on campus because ... [Read More…]

Filed Under: Opinion

College is not complete without a second language

November 14, 2025 by Lindsey Blasingame Leave a Comment

People often find themselves in scenarios in which knowing a second language is beneficial, but because of a lack of education, they are unable to communicate.  Learning an extra language in college should be a requirement, such as with science credits or humanities courses.  On campus, every student, regardless of major, is required to ... [Read More…]

Filed Under: Opinion

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acuoptimist The Optimist @acuoptimist ·
10 Nov

NEWS: Students can officially opt out of Wildcat Access program for the spring 2026 semester. The opt out period will run from today through Nov. 23.

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acuoptimist The Optimist @acuoptimist ·
1 Nov

BREAKING NEWS: The winners of the 2025 Homecoming Parade are: Sanctify in the student organization division, Ko Jo Kai in the sorority division and Gamma Sigma Phi in the fraternity division.

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Andrew North was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at 3 months old; he’s never known life without it. Now, in his late 20s and married, North has cultivated a fulfilling life despite facing adversity from the perceived limitations of his chronic disease. North is an ACU graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in marriage and family services.To read more, visit acuoptimist.com or click the link below. #acuoptimist #abilenechristianuniversity #feature acuoptimist.com/2025/11/grad-student-with-cystic-fibrosis-wins-scholarship-strives-to-make-an-imp...📝: Callie Leverett ... See MoreSee Less

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2 weeks ago

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The Indian Culture Association hosted their annual Golden Gala last Saturday at Hillcrest Church. Students, faculty, and members of ICA gathered together to celebrate the beauty of Indian Culture. To view the full photo gallery, visit acuoptimist.com or click the link below. #acuoptimist #abilenechristianuniversity #photography acuoptimist.com/2025/11/gallery-ica-hosts-the-annual-golden-gala/📸: Callie Brimberry ... See MoreSee Less

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