Southern Accent
The student voice for 90 years!
Collegedale, Tennessee
Thursday, October 20, 2016
Vol. 72, Issue 6
Southern mourns loss of late friend, classmate Whitney Powell was ‘genuine, sweetest’ person DaniELLE aLLEn NeWS editor
Photo courtesy of Vonasha Powell Whitney Powell passed away Saturday morning. The former Southern student was a nursing major from 2014 to 2016.
Former Southern student Whitney Brialle Powell passed away Saturday morning at the Erlanger Baroness Hospital in Chattanooga, Tenn. Powell was 20. Powell was a nursing major at Southern from 2014 to 2016. She was diagnosed with lupus in June 2016. Due to the aggres-
sive nature of the autoimmune disease that can damage any part of the body, Whitney had resided in the intensive care unit since June 9. To honor Whitney, the American flag at Taylor Circle was flown at half-staff earlier this week. Southern students mourned the loss of their late friend and classmate. “I remember when Whitney would give me the biggest hug every time I saw her and she would always have a smile on her face and tell me she was praying for me,” said Indira Strachan, junior nursing major. Powell is warmly remembered
by her friends and family at Southern. “Everything in her life was Christ-centered,” said Sierra Emilaire, junior English major. “She was a real prayer warrior, a very genuine person. She was one of the sweetest people I knew.” A memorial service was held on Wednesday at New Life Seventh-day Adventist Church in Chattanooga, Tenn. Vonasha Powell, sister of Whitney and senior art major, wrote a Facebook post regarding the service: “We will celebrate her life, be joyful, sing songs, See POWELL, Page 5
Former ‘Sesame Street’ television star meets University Drive Farrah DOminiquE DaniEL Staff Writer
Sonia Manzano hosted the Oct. 6 convocation and talked about her 45 years as “Maria” on the popular children’s show “Sesame Street.” Manzano retired in 2015. Manzano grew up in South Bronx, New York, in a Puerto Rican family that struggled with finances and domestic violence. Manzano noted that popular children’s entertainment in the early 1960s did not accurately portray diversity.
“Not seeing people like me reflected in society made me feel invisible,” Manzano said. “Worst of all, it made me wonder how I was going to contribute to a society that did not see me.” Growing up during the Civil Rights Movement, Manzano faced the racial divide. She wondered how Puerto Rican, fit into the black-and-white war that consisted of a multitude of political platforms, and how she would insert herself into an entertainment industry that did not include people of color. “It’s really interesting seeing
the struggle of other people and how I can resonate with the background of my mother, especially, who was an immigrant to the States,” Moses Maier, senior finance major, said. “[Her speech was a] really powerful story and testimony.” Maier said her testimony can inspire this community to work together. “Sonia is a living example of the idea that it doesn’t matter where you start from,” Yalyn Labrador, freshman biology major, said. “You can always overcome your obstacles to be successful.”
Photo used under fair-use guidelines Sonia Manzano played the role of “Maria” on the popular children’s television show “Sesame Street.”