Now, as a 20-year-old graduating senior, I have spent the past two years serving as editor in chief. In my time as EIC, I have seen the best and the worst of the university. I have reported on how the community unites and how controversy can create a divide. It is a responsibility that I have never taken lightly.

Ashley Henderson, 2024-26 editor in chief, prepares to graduate after spending all three years of her college career on The Optimist staff. (Photo by Emily Rose)

Even after spending countless hours in the newsroom, handling the pressure of stressful situations and opening myself up to constant criticism, I will be forever grateful for my experience. It has given me the perspective and confidence to help others.

Here are some of the greatest lessons I have learned.

Truth and empathy are not competing values

The pursuit of truth requires compassion, empathy and care for the people it impacts. We can seek the truth by holding people accountable and asking difficult questions while recognizing human imperfections. It is not always easy to balance, but it is vital to better connect with those who have different backgrounds or beliefs from ours.

In today’s society, information is available at our fingertips, but strong journalism requires more than facts. It requires storytelling and understanding. It requires us not to make assumptions about others. It requires us to find a way to connect with those we disagree with and tell their stories. We must listen to one another and look at issues from all perspectives.

Change is inevitable and produces growth

Growth requires us to step out of our comfort zones, get involved, and speak up for what we believe in, even when it’s scary. If I had not been open to new opportunities, such as taking on new roles or learning new skills, I would have missed out on the experiences that shaped me.

For example, I was named an executive producer on our 2024 live election show without having any major broadcast experience. However, I committed to the project and gained knowledge of production, which led me to discover my interest in multimedia journalism and anchoring. It was evidence that while we may not be prepared for changes or new responsibilities, sometimes all you have to do is just answer the Lord’s calling.

The Lord is faithful

Jesus tells his disciples in the Gospel of John that the world is full of trouble, but he has overcome the world. Every day, there is more evidence of the world’s brokenness. During my college years, I have seen the impact of sin, rejection and loss. But I am reminded that God is at work through it all.

Our plans and goals do not always align with what God has in store for our lives. We have to accept that we will struggle. Doors will open and close, friendships will be lost and gained and seasons of trial will test our faith. Life may not go as planned, but Jesus is present in the midst of it. That is where our faith becomes stronger, and we learn to lean on him. Our hope is not found in carefully constructed plans, but in the Creator of the universe who holds them all.

As I step away from The Optimist, I do so with deep gratitude for how the Lord has used my time to shape me into the person and journalist I am today. More importantly, it has given me some of my favorite memories and experiences.

To my team, thank you for being the hardest-working, most talented individuals I could have asked for and for making me excited to work every day. Your work often goes unnoticed by most, but I am incredibly appreciative of everything you do. Thank you for giving me grace as I grew alongside you. Thank you for being true friends who supported me through the highest of highs and lowest of lows. The Optimist became my home away from home and my second family.

It has been an honor to serve and represent a publication with such a rich, impactful history. It was the best three years, and I will never take it for granted.

Officially signing off,

Ashley Henderson, 2024-26 EIC

The post Letter from the editor: Learning to lead appeared first on The Optimist.

I found out the hard way that just being in front of a screen does not always give you the full experience. I took a class, thinking it would be hands-on and in person, but instead, we were stuck doing assignments on a computer.

Without the professor there to explain things or show me where I could improve, it was really hard to know if I was learning anything at all. That’s when I realized that being in the classroom makes a big difference in understanding and staying on track.

I want to make it clear that I am not saying online classes are bad. They are helpful for some people, especially students who are working or cannot be on campus.

But studies show that most students learn better in a real classroom instead of just staring at a screen. When there is no professor present to explain things, especially in core classes, it can be hard to know if you are understanding the lesson.

Being in the classroom, hearing the discussion, and asking questions in real time makes the material click in a way that online classes often cannot replicate.

I went through that myself during my freshman year. We technically had to go to class, but the professor would lecture for a little bit, and then we would do our math problems on our devices alone. 

It did not feel like I was being taught, and the professor insisted that if we had questions, we would have to figure it out ourselves. I felt like I was set up to fail because I could not get help when I needed it. Instead of learning, I was clicking through problems, hoping I did them right.

Being in person should mean getting hands-on help, not being stuck behind a screen. Even small things, like seeing how a professor solves a problem step by step or noticing the feedback they give to other students, can make a huge difference in understanding.

According to the National Library of Medicine and the National Center for Biotechnology Information, most students still learn better in person. The study showed that 60% of students preferred face-to-face classes and only 31% perfered remote learning.

First-year students especially want to be in the classroom, with 85 percent saying they learn better that way. And even though 77 percent of students liked not having to commute to campus, that did not change how they felt about actually learning.

Students pay attention better, ask more questions, and understand the lessons more when they are in person. The research also suggests that younger students benefit the most from classroom interaction because it provides structure, guidance, and immediate support that online formats often cannot fully offer.

ACU Dallas offers online options that help students who are working or cannot move to Abilene. They make it possible for people to earn a degree while juggling jobs or family.

ACU was named one of the nation’s Best Online Bachelor’s in Business Programs for 2024 by U.S. News and World Report. That shows the online Bachelor of Science in Business Management is a program that really prepares students to grow as leaders in their careers.

Online programs can definitely be high-quality and give students flexibility. But even with all the awards and recognition, nothing can replace being in a classroom where the professor is there to guide you and give immediate feedback.

For me, in-person learning helps with the understanding of the material and staying on track. Classroom environments encourage participation, accountability, and deeper engagement with the material, which are all essential for mastering difficult subjects.

Overall, online learning has its place and can be a helpful tool, but it should not completely replace in-person classes, especially for courses that require hands-on experience or active discussion. Students not only learn better in the classroom, but they also feel more confident in their understanding and more prepared to apply what they have learned.

Being in the room, interacting with teachers and classmates, and getting real-time feedback are all things that a screen cannot fully replicate. For me, and for many students, the classroom remains the best place to truly learn and grow.

The post Online classes are not as effective as they seem appeared first on The Optimist.

The university has grown more successful each year since entering Division I in 2013. This success has led to higher expectations for the athletic department, athletes, coaches and staff. As a result, student-athletes are under more pressure than ever while continuing to win conference championships, break records and improve academically.

Plae Wyatt, redshirt senior safety from McKinney, transferred from Rice University after suffering a serious knee injury during the 2024 season.

After undergoing two surgeries, he decided to come to ACU and give his dream of going pro another chance. Even after completing his rehabilitation successfully, he still finds himself doubting the process.

“I never really felt like my knee was ever gonna feel back to normal,” Wyatt said.

For Wyatt, the challenge was not only his knee. Living in the uncertainty and being unable to play for two seasons created pressure and self-doubt that shaped him as an athlete.

“The portal is a dark place,” Wyatt said. “You don’t know where you’re gonna land.”

Wyatt’s experience reflects what many college athletes go through. College sports are highly competitive, and past success often does not matter if an athlete is not performing in the moment.

For Wyatt, that pressure is deeply personal.

“Most pressure is coming from people back home,” Wyatt said.

He wants to be a role model for the youth in his hometown.

“They still see me going,” Wyatt said. “You can do whatever you put your mind to.”

Head Football Coach Keith Patterson said Wyatt has the qualities of a team captain.

“He is a leader. He has got an energy, a smile on his face, a countenance,” Patterson said. “He is going to be a tremendous asset to not just our football program and our university.”

The football team has won back-to-back conference championships over the last two years, bringing national attention and visibility to the university.

That success benefits the entire athletic program, as strong performances help promote the university and attract new students like Wyatt, and increase funding for projects such as a new baseball stadium in 2025 and renovations to the football field in 2026.

Beyond competition, student-athletes are also managing the business side of sports through name, image and likeness.

Athletes are expected to build a personal brand, stay active on social media and represent businesses, adding pressure alongside academics and performance. The success of athletic programs also increases expectations, as athletes play a key role in promoting the university.

Rich Smith, senior guard and criminal justice major from New York, is part of ACU’s growing NIL culture. Smith has partnered with Fuzzy’s Taco near campus, where students can order his signature “Rich Taco.”

“It is good to promote your name and at the same time you support a local business,” Smith said.

While NIL opportunities can be beneficial, they can also create additional expectations. Athletes are not just competitors anymore. With the growing influence of social media, they are also marketers, representatives and public figures, which can quickly become an overwhelming and stressful responsibility.

Despite demanding schedules, student-athletes are also expected to succeed academically.

By the time they enter an 8 a.m. class, many have already finished a workout and are still expected to earn top grades to meet team standards and keep their scholarships.

“School is a lot during season,” Smith said. “When we are traveling, I miss class, and teachers just expect me to catch up next time.”

Even with these challenges, the university’s student-athletes continue to improve academically, reaching a department GPA of 3.41 in fall 2024, the highest since 2011.

In fall 2025, student-athletes recorded another strong performance with a GPA of 3.37.

Zack Lassiter, vice president for athletics, said the results show that student-athletes are receiving stronger academic support and becoming more resilient under pressure.

“I could not be more proud of the work our student-athletes have done in the classroom,” Lassiter said.

The women’s tennis team has set the standard, earning a team GPA of 3.79 in 2024 and continuing to lead ACU athletics academically. All players on the team are international, adding another layer of difficulty as they adjust to a new culture and language while meeting high academic expectations.

Elsa Luther, freshman finance major from France, had to learn a second language while performing off the court and meeting her team’s academic standards.

“I felt pressure to get good grades,” Luther said. “If I get a B, they told me to continue and do better.”

The demands on student-athletes continue to grow across all sports. While performance was once the primary focus, it now includes academic pressure, personal branding and public responsibilities.

College athletics has become a business in many ways. It requires commitment from everyone.

“We want to provide all the opportunities for our athletes to follow their passion, learn what is important to them and help them to grow,” Lassiter said.

For many, the pressure never fully disappears and affects every decision they make.

What may seem overwhelming from the outside becomes a structured lifestyle that requires discipline, resilience and purpose.

Nevertheless, one in 10 students at ACU is an athlete, experiencing this level of pressure.

“It’s a lot sometimes,” Luther said. “But I just try to do my best.”

For athletes like Wyatt, success is about more than just winning. It’s about proving that, despite setbacks, pressure and uncertainty, you can still achieve your dreams.

“It feels like many people give up on their dream,” Wyatt said. “You just have to keep going, no matter what.”

Behind every performance of an athlete is a deeper story shaped by pressure, responsibility and the pursuit of a dream.

In the end, student-athletes are not just competitors representing their school. They are young adults learning to manage pressure, chase goals and grow through challenges that will stay with them long after their playing careers are over.

“My goals for each student-athlete are that they grow in their faith, they reach their potential in the classroom, and they compete for and win championships,” Lassiter said. “We are hitting all three goals at ACU.”

For many athletes, this is more than just part of their lives. It is their dream, and they are willing to push through any kind of pressure to make it come true.

The post Athletes today face pressure from every angle appeared first on The Optimist.

On paper, the labor market looks strong. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. added 178,000 jobs in March, a sharp rebound after losing 133,000 jobs in February. The unemployment rate dipped slightly to 4.3%, from 4.4%, signaling continued stability. After months of volatility, this growth suggests the economy is holding up better than many expected.

But for new graduates, the headline number is only part of the story.

Economists caution against reading too much into a single month. According to The Wall Street Journal, job growth has slowed significantly over the past year, with the economy adding an average of just 15,000 jobs per month over the last six months. That is a steep drop from previous years and points to a labor market that is still expanding, but at a much slower pace.

This slowdown matters for entry-level job seekers. Slower growth means fewer openings, more competition and longer hiring timelines. Even without widespread layoffs, many companies are delaying hiring, creating a bottleneck for graduates entering the workforce.

The composition of job growth adds another layer of complexity. March’s gains were concentrated in a few sectors. Health care led the way, adding tens of thousands of jobs, while construction and transportation also saw increases. At the same time, industries such as financial activities and parts of the federal government continued to lose jobs.

For graduates, this creates a mismatch. Many seniors are pursuing careers in fields that are not seeing the same level of hiring growth. The sectors that are expanding the fastest often require specialized training or certifications that not every graduate has.

According to the ADP National Employment Report, private employers added just 62,000 jobs in March, with growth driven largely by small businesses and concentrated in specific industries such as health care. Meanwhile, hiring in trade, transportation and utilities declined. This uneven distribution of job gains means opportunities exist, but not necessarily in the areas where graduates are looking.

There are also signs that the labor market is becoming less dynamic. Labor force participation fell to 61.9% in March, its lowest level since 2021. In some cases, this reflects demographic trends such as an aging population, but it can also indicate that some workers are stepping back from job searches altogether.

For new graduates, that reduced participation can be misleading. A lower unemployment rate might suggest an easier job market, but if fewer people are actively looking for work, it does not necessarily mean more opportunities are available. Instead, it can signal a labor market with less movement and fewer entry points.

Additionally, ongoing geopolitical tensions and rising energy prices are creating new risks for hiring and economic growth. These pressures can lead companies to take a cautious approach, holding off on expanding their workforce until conditions become clearer.

That hesitation is often felt most by entry-level applicants. When companies are unsure about the future, they tend to prioritize experienced hires who can contribute immediately, rather than investing in training new graduates.

All of this contributes to a familiar but frustrating paradox. Many “entry-level” roles now require years of experience, leaving graduates stuck between being qualified on paper and lacking the experience employers demand. In a slower job market, that gap becomes even harder to overcome.

Still, the March report is not entirely discouraging. The labor market is not collapsing. Job growth, while slower, is continuing, and key sectors are still expanding.

For graduates, that means the challenge is not impossibility but strategy.

In a market like this, flexibility becomes essential. Graduates may need to broaden their job searches, consider roles outside their original field or prioritize gaining experience over landing a perfect first job. Internships, contract work and smaller firms can serve as valuable entry points, even if they were not part of the original plan.

At the same time, the shifting labor market highlights the importance of adaptability. As hiring becomes more concentrated in certain sectors and skill sets, graduates who can demonstrate a range of abilities, especially technical and analytical skills, may have a stronger advantage.

The Class of 2026 is entering a slow, but not stagnant, labor market. The opportunities are there, but they are narrower, more competitive and often less predictable than in years past.

The post A strong March jobs report, but a slower path for new graduates appeared first on The Optimist.

The Pope had referenced Matthew 25:35, part of Jesus’ teaching on the judgment and how He will separate sheep from goats: “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”

Calling for “deep reflection” on the situation of people detained for allegedly violating immigration law, the Pope stressed that “many people who have lived for years and years and years, never causing problems, have been deeply affected by what is going on right now,” referring to the Trump administration’s aggressive deportation policy.

He called for respect for detainees’ “spiritual rights” and allowance for clergy to minister to their spiritual needs. 

Rep. Johnson’s general case for national borders and the duty of civil government officials to enforce laws is fine as far as it goes. But the Pope and bishops’ concern is not about borders and immigration enforcement as such, much less civil authority in general.

The Pope has said, “No one has said that the United States should have open borders…I think every country has the right to determine who enters, how and when.”

No, their concern is with the manner in which the administration has been carrying out immigration enforcement. Rep. Johnson’s response, really written to critique the Biden administration, does not join that issue but aims instead at an easier target.

The rhetorical move appears to box any critic of the administration’s policy into a choice between supporting the administration’s approach in all respects and an open-borders policy. But it’s a false binary: there is a huge swath of real estate between those positions, room enough for favoring a more prudent law enforcement approach that better respects human dignity, civil liberties and community life. 

Central to Rep. Johnson’s biblical case for borders is that there is a distinction between duties of individual persons, families, civil governments and the church.

He argues that some injunctions applicable to persons, like the command in the Sermon on the Mount to turn the other cheek, do not apply to civil government officials because they have particular duties.

He applies that distinction to the command in Leviticus 19:34: “The stranger who sojourns with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.” 

The idea of a distinction between duties holds some weight. Indeed, the Pope’s argument for clergy to have access to detained immigrants invokes the primary task and authority of the church, to preach the gospel and minister to the spiritual needs of all.

Civil authorities indeed bear the sword and have a responsibility to punish evil in a way ordinary citizens do not (Rom. 13:1-7). There are also additional arguments for Rep. Johnson’s position in favor of national borders and for civil leaders to uphold a common system of law. Strangers and sojourners in ancient Israel were to follow the same law as the Israelites (Lev. 24:22). 

I submit, though, that the distinction Rep. Johnson draws between duties of an individual, a civil magistrate, and society as a whole are too stark.

Contrary to Rep. Johnson’s analysis, Levitical law was not aimed just at individual Israelites but given as the law for the polity as a whole. While God gave that law for ancient Israel and not as a blueprint for wholesale adoption in the U.S. today—and I don’t hear too many calls to institute stoning as a punishment for blasphemy or the death penalty for children cursing parents (Lev. 4:14-15, 20:9)—we should take that law as an instructive portrait of a God-honoring polity.

Such a polity is generally welcoming to the stranger, sojourner or foreigner. 

To say there are distinctions between the duties of individuals and civil authorities does not give civil magistrates carte blanche.

A Christian magistrate should humbly discharge the duties of office in a manner cognizant of Jesus’ teachings, realizing all power and authority is a grant from God (Jn 19:11).

The biblical witness and the gospel should affect the character of civil rule, imposing moral limits on the use of power, such as the just war tradition’s moral limits, even in extreme situations when rulers consider or wage war. 

Extending kindness to the stranger, sojourner, or foreigner need not exclude upholding and enforcing laws.

As Pope Leo said, “We have to look for ways of treating people humanely, treating people with the dignity that they have. If people are in the United States illegally, there are ways to treat that. There are courts. There’s a system of justice.”

Yet, even as justice demands civil leaders enforce laws, it demands they do so in a manner respecting the dignity and rights of every person. 

There is plenty of reason to believe the Trump administration’s aggressive approach to deporting people in the country illegally, repeatedly ignoring due process requirements, has failed to meet that standard, especially prior to the Department of Homeland Security shutdown.

On this score, I applaud Senate Democrats who asserted their leverage and shut down the DHS to try and extract concessions from the administration related to the manner of enforcing immigration law.

We should hope a more prudent and measured approach will prevail. 

The post Borders, Strangers, the Bible appeared first on The Optimist.

On Oct. 1, that funding stopped.

Congress voted to cut around $1.1 billion in federal funding for public media as part of a rescission package. This is because NPR and other public media platforms have been accused of having a liberal bias, according to a press release from President Donald Trump in May.

So, why does this matter?

Well, hidden away on a small corner of campus, we have 89.5 KACU, a student-run local NPR member station, that lost 31% of funding for the coming year. This equals out to around $150,000, said Heather Claborn, the station manager and news director for KACU.

She believes the main goal of the package Congress passed was to hurt NPR on a national level; however, this was not the result. Instead, NPR only lost a small portion of its funding, but the local member stations are experiencing devastating losses.

Many of these smaller stations were already struggling to maintain their staffing and funding before the vote; now they will need to make up a lot of that lost funding from their own listeners, Claborn said.

“For a lot of the big stations, it was like four or five or maybe 8% of their budget. To lose 31% of your budget is a big hit,” Claborn said. “We can’t just ask listeners to come up with $150,000.”

These local stations are important because they are a part of the community around them and help keep residents informed, and this closing of local news is part of a larger concerning trend throughout the U.S.

A study done by the Local News Initiative found that the number of news deserts is quickly rising and getting bigger. At the end of 2025, there were 212 counties in the U.S. without any local news sources and 1,525 counties with only one local news source. This results in roughly 50 million Americans living with little to no local news sources.

Since the CPB funding cuts in October, we have seen more legacy media cut their staff and limit reporting.

In early February, the Washington Post cut 30% of its employees, which amounts to over 300 of the 800 journalists in the newsroom, according to the New York Times. This reduced the Post’s metro section and international section, and completely eliminated its sports section.

The Post, which was founded in 1877, with the motto, “Democracy dies in darkness,” has played a pivotal role in American politics. Perhaps most notably, it’s the breaking of the Watergate scandal and the publishing of the Pentagon Papers in the 70s.

For many, these legacy outlets may seem distant and unimportant from the problems facing Americans, but in the end, journalism helps everyone, and when we see news organizations face cuts, we should be concerned. Local news provides valuable information and accountability to its readers. When there is no local news, there is no one reporting and holding local governments accountable.

Dr. Ronald Morgan, professor in the department of history and global studies, is a longtime listener of KACU. As a historian, he emphasized the importance of quality journalism.

“In politics, players are telling us their version of what they want us to think in order to gain their political points and carry out their agendas,” Morgan said. “Journalists say I’m going to go to Gaza and tell you what’s happening. I’m going to go to Sudan and tell you what’s happening. I’m going to go to a factory in South Side Chicago and tell you what we’re seeing there. News has to be separated from financial and commercial self interest.”

When government and those in power do not do there job, or fail to represent the beliefs and needs of their people it is journalists who help hold them accountable.

If you are reading these words, you are already doing something right. Go pick up a paper or turn on your radio and continue to invest in quality journalism.

The post Federal funding cuts hurt local journalism, Americans appeared first on The Optimist.

Chapel is a defining part of campus life, providing students with a midday pause for spiritual growth and community. But as the university adjusts its chapel credit requirements, students across different class years are experiencing chapel in different ways.

“Success from spiritual formation comes when we assess observed variables, like church attendance, the ability to articulate God’s action in life, and the ability to articulate the grounding of what faith in Jesus means,” said Ryan Richardson, vice president of student life. “Our goal is that a student becomes more animated by the presence of Christ in their life and in all of their decision-making.”

From underclassmen seeking connections to seniors balancing internships and heavier workloads, Chapel serves a different purpose at each stage of college, and student perspectives shift over time.

Beginning last fall, ACU implemented a tiered chapel credit system that lowered the number of required credits each year. The change reflects an acknowledgment that students’ schedules and responsibilities change throughout college.

Richardson said the tiered system is designed not to reduce spiritual formation but to shift responsibility over time.

“What we’re trying to convey is that you need to take ownership of your spiritual formation over the four or five years you are here and work with the local church,” Richardson said. “Our hope is that we’re kind of passing the baton to the church to continue that good work because that will continue long after they’ve graduated from our university.”

Richardson said the change in Chapel requirements was rooted in years of research and observation.

“When students have a lot of Chapel credits to accomplish, that sometimes can dissuade church attendance and further spiritual growth,” Richardson said. “We wanted to see if we could hit that tipping point, where our students would say, ‘I can achieve this, and it helps me, and it affirms my walk with Christ, and I don’t feel burdened under the heavy weight of having to get so many credits every semester with very few choices.’”

Many upperclassmen approve of the change, saying they like how the requirements drop each year.

“I was happy about the requirements changing, but I don’t think I would have wanted it to be different when I was a freshman,” said Lucy Wilkinson, senior social work major from Groxon, Connecticut. “But it’s nice that it changes every year, so you don’t have to work up to the same standard every year.”

While she does not attend Moody Chapel as much anymore, she continues to go to department and club chapels because it is more of an experience for her compared to Moody, where she mainly went for credit.

Her experience reflects a trend in student life: While underclassmen often rely on Chapel for community, upperclassmen tend to seek it out more selectively.

Hannah Anthony, sophomore biology major from Arlington, said that Chapel was a chance for students to take a few minutes out of their day to rest and give glory to God.

But as her workload increased, it became more difficult to be consistent.

“Being in harder classes makes it difficult because I need more time to study. I also have class at [noon], so sometimes I skip so that way I am able to make it to lunch and not be rushed since it is always busy after Chapel,” Anthony said.

Like Wilkinson, Anthony prefers small-group Chapels.

“In Moody Chapel, I don’t always feel engaged and tend to like small-group Chapels more.”

Anthony also said community was an important factor when it came to Chapel.

While some students find value in Chapel, some motivations are driven by completed requirements.

“My motivation tends to go away as the semester goes on. I go every day the first few weeks, but then tend to only go to certain ones,” Ebone Durham, junior communication disorders major from Garland, said.

Durham typically attends Chapel once a week and is more selective about which chapels she decides to go to, preferring small Chapels that are more engaging.

Students’ differing perspectives highlight that Chapel serves different purposes depending on where students are within their college journey.

“As a freshman, you want to plug into small group chapels, especially if you are looking for community,” Wilkinson said. “But as a senior, you have already established that.”

Chapel can hold value even during your last semester of college.

While students’ experiences vary, the university measures Chapel’s effectiveness through long-term growth.

“Surveys have proven that from freshmen up to seniors, levels of trust and reliance upon God as foundational to life increase throughout the four years of ACU,” Richardson said.

Even with the changes in requirements, the overall goal of Chapel still stands:

“Our hope with Chapel is that students know that Christ created them, that Christ died for them, that Christ rose from the dead for them, and that Christ wants to be a part of every decision that they make in their lives,” Richardson said.

The post Chapel requirements shift, students perspectives follow appeared first on The Optimist.

A tournament highlighted by being the biggest postseason gauntlet in sports. The storylines, the drama, the talent and the history all make for one of the best sports watching experiences a fan can have. 

With that being said, absolutely nothing is guaranteed when these teams step on the floor. One shot, one pass or one injury could completely flip the entire tournament’s outcome. That’s the beauty of it. Sure, you’ve got schools that are a fraction of the size of their opponents, but you also have chemistry and an incredibly deep chip on the shoulder of every person in those programs. 

Now, let’s get into my bracket. For some context and reason to trust me, I’ve picked the winner the last three years. It started with picking 4-seed UConn in 2023, a year where Alabama, Kansas and Purdue were “unbeatable.” I rode with Dan Hurley, and it paid off. 

I followed that up by riding with the Huskies for a second year. Much of the nation joined me as the one-seed and highly touted Big East champs rolled through the bracket and won me my second straight bracket. 

Despite winning two straight with Hurley’s Huskies, I felt more confident than ever in 2025. History said a 1-seed was a high percentage pick, and as we’ve seen with the transfer portal, the tournament has become much heavier on the top end. I picked Florida and didn’t look back. Walter Clayton Jr. made plays when he needed to, and Todd Golden led his team to victory over Houston in the Championship, one of the best basketball games in recent history. 

Now here we are, I’m sitting pretty with three straight winners. Something tells me this year could be a lot like last year. We’ve got four dominant 1-seeds and several 2-seeds that were just a handful of games away from being ones themselves. 

The East

Starting in the East, I have Duke, Kansas, Michigan State, St. John’s, UCLA and UConn taking care of business while Louisville falls victim to 11-seed UCF. From there it’s pretty chalk. My biggest pick of the region is UCF to the Sweet 16. They’ll be hot and flying high after advancing to the round of 32, and they’re high flying, fast-paced style beats the brakes off Tom Izzo and MSU. The Bulls do fall to the Huskies, who turn around and fall to Duke in the Elite Eight. I’ve grown close with UConn after picking them both years they won. However, that game could be ugly. 

The South

As mentioned, I believe the transfer portal and NIL have made the tournament less prone to upsets. I think the days of 16-over-1 upsets are behind us, and the South will prove my point. I do have Troy knocking off Nebraska in round one, but after that, the region isn’t terribly surprising. Vanderbilt makes a run before facing Florida for a third time this season. They lose, and Florida sets up a 2025 Championship rematch with Houston, but the Commodores are dangerous, and if a few shots fall early, the Gators could be the ones washed up after the Sweet 16. 

The 2025 Championship rematch goes the way of Kelvin Sampson and the Cougars. They’ll be playing in Houston, and this team feels different. Sampson does very similar things with his roster every season, but he strayed this year. Kingston Flemings is a game-changer, and they find themselves in the final four. 

The West

Much like the South, I don’t see much surprise in the West. I do have Utah State knocking out Villanova in the 8-9 matchup, but every other favorite wins in the round of 64. Utah State very easily could have been a 6-seed or better and should be treated as one of the most dangerous teams in the bracket. 

Round two of the West is where I believe we see two of the best games in the entire tournament. Wisconsin vs Arkansas will be a dog fight, and I honestly don’t think anyone can confidently say who will win it. That being said, I’m a sucker for John Kalipari. Give me the Razorbacks to the Sweet 16. Ultimately, they fall to Arizona because nobody in the country has been as consistently elite as the Wildcats.

The second game that can be an instant classic is BYU-Gonzaga. The Bulldogs will always have a chip on their shoulder from the discrediting they endured coming out of the West Coast Conference, and they’ll continue to prove they’re legit despite it. AJ Dabatsa is a shoo-in NBA lottery pick and will have to live up to it if he’s going to lead his team to beating what feels like a sleeping giant in Gonzaga. I’ll take the Bulldogs to advance and play an easier game against Purdue in the Sweet 16. The Dogs have experience, depth and talent, and they’ll find themselves in the Elite Eight. Though ultimately losing to Arizona, they make a run and demonstrate what a mid-major conference winner is truly capable of. 

The Midwest

Finally, the Midwest. Highlighted by Iowa State and Michigan, who have shown glimpses of contending for a title, it also has the best mid-majors in the tournament. I’ve got St. Louis knocking off Georgia in round one. The Billikens have been one of the most entertaining teams all season long, and they’ll put up a fight before falling to the big M. 

Cover your eyes, Red Raider, nation. The Akron Zips are no joke. Their guard play is Power Four level, but I think Christian Anderson prevails despite being without JT Toppin. It’s close, and it’s ugly, but Anderson has shown this year he is a top-10 guard in the country and is capable of racking up 25/15/8 at any given time. 

The drama and sudden roster absence of Aden Holloway pulls the ‘Tide back from the shore, and Hofstra earns itself an opportunity in the round of 32. However, they get run off the court with an impressive shooting performance and another takeover from Anderson. 

I’ve got Santa Clara sending Kentucky packing in round one, but falling to Iowa State after that. Tennessee beats Virginia before also falling victim to the Cyclones, who earn their second Final Four appearance in school history and first since 1944 with a win over Michigan. 

The final four is set. 1-seeds Duke and Arizona headline, while Houston and Iowa State pose a real threat. Yes, three Big 12 teams in the Final Four is strange, but Arizona is that good, and Houston will play the large majority of their games without needing the aid of an airplane. 

Arizona beats Iowa State, and Houston knocks off Cam Boozer and the Blue Devils. For the third time this season, the Cougars and the Wildcats square off. This time ends just like the first two; Arizona outlasts a gritty Kelvin Sampson squad and earns its first NCAA Title since 1997. 

These are just my predictions. I could repeat my past success or whiff on the large majority of my picks. That’s the beauty of it. Fortunately, I think this is one of my best in recent years and believe I’ll be moving on with a fourth straight correct pick.

The post Breaking down the madness: Predictions, upsets, contenders appeared first on The Optimist.

He rightly notes Christianity is both spiritual and political, concerned with love for our neighbors. But Talerico has twisted Jesus’ teaching to fit a progressive political agenda. The most conspicuous way he has done this is to suggest that Luke’s gospel and the Bible more generally support the choice to abort an unborn child.

On Joe Rogan’s podcast, Talerico incorrectly stated that in the story of the Annunciation, the angel Gabriel “asks” Mary if she wants to give birth to our Savior. He went on to say, “To me, that is an affirmation in one of our most central stories that creation has to be done with consent. You cannot force someone to create,” and to suggest that “the idea that there is a set Christian orthodoxy on the issue of abortion is just not rooted in Scripture.”

Talerico’s claim that Christians can and should be pro-choice is misguided. Every Christian should be unabashedly pro-life.

Let’s first dispense with Rep. Talerico’s absurd misstatement and misinterpretation of Luke 1:31. While Mary laudably consents to carry and give birth to Jesus, Gabriel in fact does not ask but declares to her, “you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.”

Secondly, even if Mary had in fact declined to carry and give birth to Jesus, that would have happened before she became pregnant. To argue that Mary’s submission to God’s plan can be the basis for a pro-choice stance regarding abortion, Rep. Talerico must imply that God would have been pleased if Mary had chosen to abort Jesus in the womb.

Absurdity upon absurdity.

To the larger issue: why should every Christian be unabashedly pro-life? The argument is that intentionally ending the life of another human being without cause is never licit. Such an action violates the sixth commandment: “You shall not kill.” Most people would agree with the principle; the issue turns on whether a fetus is a human being.

The argument that life begins at fertilization is not primarily scriptural or religious, but biological: when a sperm cell fertilizes an egg to form an embryo, a unique human organism at the earliest stage of development comes into being.

Conceding even that we can’t say with certainty the exact point when a fetus is ensouled, or full personhood commences—though I am not sure there is such a point because we are spiritual-psycho physical beings—we can nevertheless say a distinct human life which did not previously exist begins to exist at fertilization. If that is true, the manner of conception, whether through consensual sex, rape, incest, or in vitro fertilization, does not make a difference: the embryo in the womb is a distinct human life.

While the argument that life begins at conception is not primarily based on scripture, and I don’t want to rely on isolated proof texts, there are scriptural sources for the notion that our lives begin in the womb, such as Psalm 139:13: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.”

The sanctity of life has clear scriptural roots: Christians believe every human life has inherent dignity and worth because we are made in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-7, 9:6). As New Testament scholar and theologian Michael J. Gorman, who warns against cheap proof-texting, concludes, “the fundamental posture of Scripture is toward life rather than choice.”

Moreover, one of the earliest collections of Christian teaching after the New Testament, the Didache, explicitly prohibits abortion on the basis of the second commandment Talerico mentions, the command to love our neighbors as ourselves:

There are two ways, one of life and one of death; but a great difference between the two ways. The way of life, then, is this: First, you shall love God who made you; second, your neighbour as yourself; and all things whatsoever you would should not occur to you, do not also do to another…And the second commandment of the Teaching; You shall not commit murder…you shall not murder a child by abortion nor kill that which is begotten.

An important part of the early church’s social witness was a stance against abortion and infanticide, countercultural in the context of ancient Rome.

Christians should unabashedly and joyfully carry on this witness in our teaching, lives, and communities. There is room for some debate about how best to offer this witness as it pertains to civil law. Whether the penalty for abortion should be equivalent to or lesser than that of murder; whether mothers, doctors, or both should be liable to civil or criminal charges; and how to ensure doctors can act in situations such as ectopic pregnancies that threaten mothers’ lives and require interventions which people sometimes confuse or conflate with abortion all require prudential and informed judgment.

These questions about how best to protect life and promote justice through civil law are important, but the more central task is to promote a “culture of life” in our churches and communities that respects and cherishes every human life from conception to natural death. In this respect, the progressive Christianity Rep. Talerico touts points us in the wrong direction.

The post Every Christian should be unabashedly pro-life appeared first on The Optimist.

Prediction markets are quietly reshaping college athletics. As of Feb. 27, contracts tied to university games generated $13,642,070 in trading activity across the two most popular prediction market platforms. Not point spreads. Not parlays. Financial contracts are tied directly to the outcomes of Wildcat games.

Prediction markets, such as Polymarket and Kalshi, are relatively new, both having been created in the last eight years.

Polymarket is a crypto-based prediction market where users buy and sell shares in event outcomes. If a trader believes ACU will beat Southern Utah, they can buy a contract that pays out if it does. Each share resolves to either $1 or $0, depending on the result. It resembles stock trading more than traditional sports betting.

Kalshi operates differently. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission regulates it, and Kalshi markets itself as a legal exchange for event contracts. Users trade contracts tied to everything from inflation rates to election outcomes. In recent years, sports contracts have become a growing part of that ecosystem.

The branding is important, though. These platforms call it trading, not gambling. But when money is tied to whether a college athlete makes a shot or wins a game, the distinction starts to blur.

Data collected on Feb.27 shows how embedded these markets already are. More than 20 men’s and women’s basketball games appeared on Polymarket this season, with more than 36 on Kalshi. Several men’s basketball matchups generated six-figure trading volumes.

These were regular-season conference games. Not March Madness. Not a national spotlight.

The platforms sell contracts for the university’s football, baseball and women’s basketball games as well, though most recorded significantly lower volumes.

This raises an uncomfortable question: Who is trading these contracts?

Prediction markets appeal to college students because they feel accessible and analytical. Setting up an account can take minutes, sometimes with little verification needed. Polymarket requires cryptocurrency, while Kalshi functions more like an online brokerage. For students who are comfortable with fintech apps like Robinhood, the interface feels familiar.

Legally, the landscape is complicated. Kalshi operates under federal commodities regulation. Polymarket has faced federal scrutiny, including a 2022 settlement with the CFTC over unregistered event-based contracts. Sports betting laws are typically governed at the state level, but prediction markets rely on federal financial regulation instead.

The NCAA prohibits all sports wagering. Its rule book states, “NCAA rules ban participation in sports betting activities and prohibit providing information to individuals involved in or associated with any type of sports betting activities concerning intercollegiate, amateur or professional athletics competition.”

That includes betting on other schools. Compliance offices would likely view trading a sports event contract as wagering under NCAA rules. Because Texas does not have fully legalized statewide online sports betting, federally regulated contracts tied to college sports create additional complexity.

College athletics has already seen how gambling pressures can affect integrity. In 2023, the University of Alabama baseball program was linked to suspicious betting activity involving inside information. Iowa and Iowa State athletes have faced charges connected to online wagering violations. In response to the rise of prediction markets, the NCAA has urged lawmakers to suspend prediction markets entirely across sanctioned sports.

The university’s student-athlete handbook addresses gambling directly. It states that “participating in any form of sports wagering, including placing, accepting or soliciting bets on any youth, intercollegiate, amateur or professional sporting event, is strictly prohibited.”

The listed consequences include a one-year suspension, loss of a season of eligibility, potential loss of scholarship, expulsion and permanent ineligibility to compete at ACU. The handbook’s NIL section also prohibits student-athletes from endorsing or entering into compensation agreements connected to sports betting.

While prediction markets frame their activity as financial trading, if interpreted as sports wagering under NCAA or university policy, participation could carry serious consequences for athletes.

Beyond legality, a cultural shift is underway. College athletes, many not on full scholarships and still juggling academics, now perform in a landscape where their box score affects not just fans but financial markets. Hundreds of thousands of dollars can trade hands based on a single conference game.

The normalization may be the most important part. No flashy campus ads are promoting these markets. No stadium sponsorships. Just quiet digital contracts moving money in the background.

Because prediction markets position themselves as financial tools, they have largely avoided the intense scrutiny aimed at sportsbooks like DraftKings or FanDuel. Yet the economic reality looks similar. Money rides on unpaid college athletes.

The money is already there. The markets are live. And on campuses like ACU, the conversation has barely begun.

The post Prediction markets are dominating college athletics, but no one is talking about it appeared first on The Optimist.