Vol. 72, Issue 1 by Southern Accent

Southern Accent The student voice for 90 years!

Collegedale, Tennessee

Thursday, September 8, 2016

Vol. 72, Issue 1

GOODBYE TO HERIN HALL

Herin Hall was demolished on July 19 to make room for the planned Bietz Center for Student Life.

Photo by Terry Henson

Bietz Center to replace razed nursing building Sierra Emilaire Editor-in-Chief

Southern Adventist University said goodbye to Herin Hall after more than 40 years of service on July 19. The building’s demolition is a part of the Campaign for Excellence in Faith and Learning and is the first step in construction on the Bietz Center for Student Life. More than 70 students, faculty, and community members were present; online viewers also witnessed the demolition via live stream on the campaign website and social media. “[Watching the demolition] was fascinating. The machine used made it look like the building was made of paper,” said Tina Smith, project and planning manager for Marketing and University Relations. Gordon Bietz, former president of Southern, was also present.

“I have always enjoyed the changes that have taken place with the facilities on campus because it shows visible progress,” Bietz said. “I generally feel that things don’t happen fast enough, and to see the building come down so quickly was exciting. I wish the new building could go up as fast.” Prior to the demolition, Herin Hall was assessed for necessary repairs and their potential costs. These attempts were unsuccessful due to the rectangular and narrow nature of the building and its age, said Marty Hamilton, associate vice president of financial administration. Although Herin Hall was a structurally safe building, it did not meet the safety standards of the state of Tennessee building codes, Hamilton said. In 1973, the nursing program had become the largest division on campus and was divided between Lynn Wood Hall and mobile trailers parked

near the science building. Monetary gifts and fundraising by administration made it possible for a new nursing building to be placed on campus without debt. Rick Norskov, professor of biology, attended Southern from 1972-76. “Herin Hall was state of the art at the time,” Norskov said. “It feels like I have come full circle, from being a student [when it was built] to now faculty [at its demolition]. It was like watching the end of an era and the beginning of a new one.” Since the School of Nursing was moved to Florida Hospital Hall in 2011, Herin Hall has been an intermediary building that has housed many departments during various building projects. When Summerour Hall underwent renovations, the School of Education and Psychology was moved to Herin Hall. Once the renovations of Summerour Hall were finished, Infor-

mation Systems moved over so that their department could be renovated. The Bietz Center for Student Life is set to be built where Herin Hall once stood. Campus ministries, the chaplain’s office, student development and all umbrella departments will be placed in the new building. “We’re hoping students will embrace [the new student center] as their home on campus outside of their dorm room,” Hamilton said. Due to the extensive approval and design process, the new student center does not have an official opening date. The goal is to break ground in the spring of 2017 and to open in the fall of 2018. “This is our next big project and I am excited about that,” Hamilton said. “We care about our students and want to listen to our customers, which are our students and serve them [while also] meeting their needs.”

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Southern Accent

Library revamps website

Greetings from your

Taylor Scurry Staff Writer

Editor-in-Chief! My name is Sierra Emilaire and I am the editor-in-chief for the Southern Accent. I am a junior English (Professional/Writing): Pre-Law major with minors in Marketing and Political Economy. I am originally from Connecticut and I am your typical New Englander. I wear hoodies with shorts and boots, and I am a pizza critic. Ben and Jerry’s is my life, and I basically run on Dunkin’. The New England Patriots are unapologetically my team and Tom Brady is the greatest of all time. This year, I would like to further the progress of the Accent teams before me while paving a new path for my team and those to come. I have three main goals: Accuracy I want to make sure that people are not misquoted in ways that may affect their reputation. That being said, if something is said on record we have all the right to include it in our articles. I also want to make sure that every detail in each story is true and factual. Please do give us feedback on articles via email and in forms like “Letters to the Editor.” Immediacy I know that we are competing with the Internet and that students can

Thursday, September 8, 2016

Sierra Emilaire

acquire their news as soon as they want it. My job though, is to inform you about the news on campus and I will strive to deliver information promptly. This year, we are going to try to post articles as the events happen or within a few days of them happening on our website. No one wants to read about an event from two weeks ago. Transparency The Accent is a student led newspaper for a reason. We want to be your outlet for open conversation on simple topics and the more controversial ones. Transparency is important to us because we believe students should be informed and take it as our job to do so.

McKee Library revamped its website to a more user-friendly version at the beginning of the semester. Students are now given access to a wider range of resources both inside and outside of the library . The previous website required separate searches for DVDs, movies, and books; however, this sleek new design enables users to search through databases with just one click. The search box on the homepage is now linked to databases and search engines across the Internet to give users a more convenient research tool. “This is a cutting-edge product,” said Katie McGrath, associate director and head of public services at McKee Library. This update not only makes research easier, but also safer. The library now uses cloud storage to ensure information will be preserved. McGrath noted that, before the revamp of the website, librarians had to personally manage the servers and risk losing vital information if servers crashed. The library chose to update its website because Southern

Meet the News Editor

If you ever have questions or would like to submit to the Accent, email us: accent@southern.edu. I hope to make you all proud as I lead the newspaper this year and if you see me on the Promenade make sure to say hello!

My name is Danielle Allen and I am a Global Policy and Service Studies major, as well as a journalism major. I am also this year’s news editor. I was born in New Jersey but moved to Miramar, Fla., at the tender age of 2. I plan to become a human rights lawyer, specializing in advocacy and community organizing.

Photo by Tierra Hayes A Southern student explores the McKee Library website.

has updated its platform campus-wide. They jumped on board knowing their transition would take a long time. They also updated their website to keep the online content up-todate and easily maneuverable for students and faculty. The library staff has worked on this project for at least a year and are constantly making improvements. Kamille Thompson, junior psychology major said, “Everyone is working really hard in making it user-friendly.” Many other updates were made in the administrative arena. McKee Library has transitioned from a multi-server system to a one-server system,

where there is only one server managing the webpage’s various components. Stanley Cottrell, media librarian and technical services librarian, notes that this transition to one server is cheaper to maintain, but a monetary figure is unable to be provided. Marshley Registe, sophomore biology major, says, “I love the new design of the site… It is perfectly relevant to me.” The entire library staff involved in the website’s production and development hopes that students will continue to have a seamless research process when navigating their new and improved website.

I love reading mystery novels, watching time period dramas foreign films, and talking about politics and feminism. I believe that black lives matter and in the power of radical self-love. You should write for the Accent because it is such a great way to get connected to news on campus. You can learn a new skill or fine-tune your own, and we are such a great group of like-minded people. Contact me at danielle allen@southern.edu.

Southern Accent The student voice since 1926

Sierra Emilaire, Editor-in-Chief Ramey Miller MANAGING EDITOR

Tierra Hayes PHOTO EDITOR

Daniela Ursulenko LIFESTYLE EDITOR

Mariah Crews RELIGION EDITOR

Tia Huff MEDIA DESIGN EDITOR

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

Kimberly Crooks

Danielle Allen NEWS EDITOR

Shivani Ward LEAD REPORTER

Alexis Hartline OPINION EDITOR

Rachel Brouhard NEWS DESIGN EDITOR

Arthur Harper WEB MANAGER

Daniel Olson STAFF ADVISOR

Hannah Jobe COPY EDITOR

Caleb Begley SPORTS EDITOR

Erica King HUMOR EDITOR

John Warren SECTIONS DESIGN EDITOR

Fayth Hargrove CIRCULATION MANAGER

The Accent encourages readers to write articles and voice their opinion. For questions, comments or article submissions, email accent@southern.edu. For all advertising inquiries, email David Cammack at dcammack@southern.edu.

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Thursday, September 8, 2016

Southern Accent 3

Letters from your presidents David Smith University President My passion for over 40 years has been Adventist education. I love students. I love how God loves them. I love to see Him work in their lives. I have served as a boarding academy teacher and assistant boys’ dean, college professor and department chair (including 17 years teaching English and chairing the English department at Southern), president of Union College in Lincoln, Neb., senior pastor of the Collegedale Church and now president of Southern Adventist University. God has blessed my life with many unusual experiences including playing tricks on others with my twin brother, being stalked by a panther, flying an airplane for the first time, being confronted by wild wolves, being threatened by a policeman pointing a gun to my head. Another experience involved taping music (I played the piano back in the day) in Columbia Broadcasting Studios in Chicago along

with my friend who was an amazing singer. We won a Chicago-area radio station music contest, were asked to perform in Orchestra Hall, and we had our music played on the radio to advertise the program. I love public speaking and have spoken to a variety of audiences around the world. I once spoke for “Chapel Day” in Seoul, South Korea. I began speaking at 7 p.m. one evening and spoke to groups of several hundred students in 30-minute intervals. I stopped at 10 p.m. and began again at 7 a.m. the next morning and spoke until noon. Fortunately, I get energized when I speak. Traveling to many countries of the world has enriched my life. My office contains memorabilia from many of these countries. Bird watching has been a lifelong hobby. Among my favorite birding destinations have been Australia, Kenya, Papua New Guinea,

President David Smith speaks at the first convocation.

Costa Rica, Israel and South Korea. Apart from my decision to live my life for God, the best decision I ever made was to marry my wife, Cherie. She is my inspiration and best friend. I am so proud of my

two daughters, who, along with my wife are alumni of Southern. I love spending time with my family, including my sons-in-law and six grandchildren. My favorite Bible text is Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the

Moses Maier SA President

Student Association President Moses Maier seeks to serve students.

Photo by Tierra Hayes

Behind my desk is a big window that allows natural light to flood my workspace. Through this window, I can see the fountain, the wellness center and the beautiful hills of Tennessee. Without doubt, this campus is beautiful. However, if my window was the only perspective I had, I would be missing so much. This campus is more than the image from my desk. Southern is blessed with a rich mixture of people, cultures, ideas, experiences and learning opportunities combining to paint the beautiful picture that is our school. I am excited for this new year and have been praying for you over the summer. My name is Moses Maier. I am your Student Association President. I grew up in a small town in Ontario, Canada. I moved to Loma Linda, Calif., and then went to high school in British Columbia. Life has given me many amazing adventures. At Southern, I have learned to love, among many things, rock climbing and long boarding. I was also able to

Photo by Tierra Hayes

Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.” This text has guided me through life and I am so grateful to God for His trustworthiness. spend a school year in Zambia, Africa. This is a part of my experience that has helped shape who I am, and through this year, I hope to learn more about you. You may be thinking, “What does the SA President do all day?” Well, I just started this position, so I do not know where this journey will take me, but I will let you know. For starters, I attend many administrative meetings where I strive to accurately represent your voice. So if you have suggestions or ideas, I am here to listen. Beyond meetings, I seek to support the wonderful SA team and student body. The theme for SA this year is “Live to Serve.” Serving is my mission and my purpose for being in office. We have some amazing events planned and I hope to meet more of you. Often, like the view of campus from my desk, my life becomes constrained by my own perceptions. My aspiration this year is to look beyond these constraints and live a God-driven life of service. My hope is that this theme resonates with you and becomes part of your daily life. Live to serve. See you around!

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Southern Accent

Thursday, September 8, 2016

Smith ‘sets the tempo’ during student dedication Shivani Ward Lead Reporter

David Smith gave the student dedication address at his first convocation as president of Southern Adventist University on August 25. Smith said that this convocation reminded him of many he experienced during his 17 years teaching at Southern. “I was excited for the opportunity to invite students to take ownership for their spiritual journey at Southern and to consider what God might be calling them to do while they are here,” Smith said. “I am confident in our students and what they can do with the Spirit’s leading. I can’t wait to see how they are going to partner with God to transform our campus.” Moses Maier, student association president and senior

finance major, was among the leadership on the stage. “The convocation was an inspiring and insightful experience,” Maier said. “I believe the question “why” that Dave Smith talked about is profound. Understanding why we are here and that God has an amazing purpose for us, will make our Southern experience an incredible one.” Students were also moved by President Smith’s address, seeing it as inspiration for the new school year. “President Smith set the tempo for what’s to come this school year,” said Phillip Warfield, junior history major. “He said that we are [not limited to] our majors, [but] we are all children of God.’ Smith is searching for unity, and personally, I feel like that’s what Southern students are looking for this year [too].”

Photo by Tierra Hayes From left, Bob Young, senior vice president of academic administration, Dennis Negron, vice president of student development, and Moses Maier, SA president, speak during the student dedication.

Intramural app aids in sports signup

STUDENT ASSOCIATION

Participants enjoy different cultures at Welcome Back Party

Kimberly Crooks Contributor

Southern’s intramural program has partnered with IMLeagues, a nationwide intramural sports website and app, to create a student-friendly website and app. Students must register on Southern’s IMLeagues website. Once a student registers, they have an account until they graduate. Students have access to many features on the website. “We should have done this years ago,” said Troy Walker, intramural director. “[This program] makes it easy for [students] to participate, which is our goal.” The Sports section posts announcements and event for fans and players to stay updated on games and other intramural related information. The homepage also includes a section where students can view more detailed game schedules throughout the school year. Walker recently posted information regarding tennis doubles, which is the first intramural sport of the school year. “The app is really cool

Danielle Allen News Editor

Photo by Tierra Hayes The IMLeagues’ app helps Southern students register for intramural sports and stay updated on schedules and standings.

because I am able to keep up with my friends’ games,” said Sammantha Francois, junior elementary education major, “I have a very busy semester ahead of me and I like that I can see how they are doing so easily.” Other sections of the website include team rankings, live updates and the final scores of each game. Another feature is the ‘Free Agent’ option, where students can notify teams of their availability. IMLeague comes with a companion app called ‘Rec It’, for students to access the

website on their phones and tablets. Teams can also input their availability for smoother competition scheduling. Christian Bunch, senior business administration major, said that he enjoys the accessibility of app and access to scores of games he cannot attend. The app enables students to sync their intramural schedules into Google Calendar or iCalendar. It also gives students options for team and individual chats without exchanging numbers, as well as text alerts on game day.

The Student Association of Southern Adventist University hosted its annual Welcome Back Party on August 27 with the theme UNITED. Doors opened to the Iles P.E Center at 9:15 p.m. Students came dressed in cultural attire and were handed a “passport” at the front entrance to the gym in order to win prizes at the end of their “journey”. The event’s activities were grouped together by similar cultural influences and geographical regions—Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America were placed on one side of the gym, while Europe, North America, and Asia were placed on the opposite side. Each region was specifically designated a budget of $1,000 by SA for decorations, games and prizes for students. “The event [was] intended

to mimic Disney’s EPCOT World Showcase on a much smaller scale,” said Kaity Clements, SA social vice president and senior animation major. “I wish that I could have spent more time planning, and put more money into it. Even though I’d spent the summer developing it, everything was hypothetical until I got on campus.” Several students reacted positively to SA’s first event. “I thought that it was pretty good, but it wasn’t the best event. The people there enjoyed the event and it lasted longer than I thought it would,” said Rachelle Martin, sophomore history major and Black Christian Union secretary. Junior psychology major Mark Belfort said that it was a big opportunity for clubs on campus to work with SA outside of events like Fall Fest. This is the start to many events on campus that bridge SA and other student organizations.

Southern Accent

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Thursday, September 8, 2016

SA WELCOME BACK PARTY August 27 9:15 pm Iles Gym

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FIFA 16 captivated more than just soccer fans

the poutine looked disgusting but tasted great - Sierra Emilaire

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it was good to see students engaging in other cultures - Tierra Hayes

new president David Smith was happy to join in the celebration

a variety of foods were offered blindfolds optional

to read more about this event check out page 4

Southern Accent

Thursday,September 8, 2016

religion

SCHEDULING IN GOD Michelle Nieb Contributor

It’s 1 a.m.; in a few hours my alarm will go off and I will be faced with the choice to hit the snooze button and sleep a few more minutes, or to get up and have my devotional time with God. For the next two semesters this will be my constant battle. Most days the choice will be easy, but on days like these, when I’m up late or have lots to do, the decision to make time for God will be a struggle. For many people the beginning of school means a shift in their devotional lives. For some, time with God gets neatly penciled in along with classes and intramurals and for others, it gets pushed to the bottom of the “To Do” list or is rushed through like a last minute assignment. How does school affect your spiritual life? When it comes to God, is it easier to have a devotional life during the summer or the school year? “School year, definitely,” said Micaela Myers, senior music education major. “During the school year I can lump it together with homework.” Others shared similar sentiments saying,“I’m more structured during the school year, even though I have more

free time during the summer,” said Jeffrey Dean, senior music education major. “That’s a tough question. I have more free time in the summer so [my devotional life] should be better then,” said Paul Turner, senior theology major. “But I feel like there’s more urgency in the school year, like I know I need it now or else I’m going to fall faster.” For others the busyness of school competes with their time with God. Tierra Hayes, sophomore mass communications major, said her devotional life is better in the summer. “ [In] the summer it’s just easier [to make time for God].” Whether the school year makes scheduling time with

God easier or more difficult, God would like to hear from you. A friend once told me that making time for God was like a tithe on your time. In God’s word we find a verse where God boldly declares, “Bring all the tithes and gifts to me, and see Me lather My goodness into your life until you are so covered that no more will fit.” (Mal. 3:10, adapt.) God understands your issues of time, but He wants you to try Him and to watch how He enriches it. You’ll find you have more time than you think. So when my alarm goes off later this morning, I can trust that the time I spend with God will prepare me for the day far better than an extra ten minutes of sleep ever could.

Student finds time for God Photo By Tierra Hayes

LIFE OUTSIDE OF LIFE GROUPS

Delcy Eman Contributor

Last year I was anti-Life Groups… okay I wasn’t anti Life Groups, but I definitely had no desire to participate. Last fall was my first year in the nursing program and I came to the conclusion that Life Groups would be too time-consuming. I figured I could have Jesus time without joining a Life Group. In the past the groups I attended were either very small, I was the only member, or they were my best friends’ life groups, all scenarios made me feel obligated to come back. So I made the choice to forgo Life Groups and try it on my own for a semester. Released from the pressure of going to a meeting every week, I felt I could concentrate on the things that “really” mattered--like studying and naps. To be honest, skipping Life Groups made me feel liberated. I was able

to use the extra time to talk to my parents, study, work out, contemplate my life, or just lay in bed, the possibilities were endless! Although I felt free, I also felt deprived. It wasn’t that I was skipping my own personal time with God, but I missed having discussions and learning more about Him from others’ perspective and knowledge; I missed the words of encouragement and the accountability to spend time in the Bible. Most of all, I missed the community that comes with Life Groups. So this year I decided to not only get involved in Life Groups, but to become a leader, so be on a lookout for your girl when Group Link comes around! This decision was not on a whim or simply because I missed Life Groups. It was through prayer and listening to God that I came to this decision that my past restless

spirit might resonate with someone else. I know what it’s like to feel too busy for Life Groups, but I also know how powerful communal worship can be. Although I am a little fearful with all that comes with leading a group and getting people involved, I know with God leading me everything will fall into place. If you’re thinking about being “anti” life group this year, I totally get it. My advice to you would be to be honest with yourself and what you need to personally grow in your relationship with God. For me it was having a group of people to study the Bible with and pray with. For you it might be hanging out in nature, attending Sabbath School, or following a Bible reading plan. Whatever it is you choose to do, seek God fully.

Spiritual Spotify 1. No Longer Slaves

Jonathan Davis