Vol. 75, Issue 24

Page 1

News | 2 SA Senate Leadership Scholarship

June 4, 2020 Collegedale, Tennessee

News | 2

Religion | 4

Social Media | 4

Enactus places second place in national competition

I still choose to praise Him

Supporting the Black Lives Matter movement

Southern Accent

Vol. 75 Issue 24 Summer Edition

The student voice since 1926

Southern COVID-19 task force prepares for fall semester

'The goal is change. Voices need to be heard': Students join global movement for racial justice

Taylor Dean News Editor On May 7, Southern sent a survey to all students via email following a previous announcement that the campus will reopen for fall semester. The purpose of the survey was to help Southern's Fall Campus Preparedness Task Force in making sure all areas on campus are ready to open up safely and appropriately. According to the email, the survey included questions that fell into two general categories: 1) How willing you are to live with additional safety precautions in order to minimize infection risk on a residential campus, and 2) What you feel your response would be if cases of COVID-19 were detected on campus during the Fall 2020 semester. “While the current plan is for Southern Adventist University to open its campus back up to residential life for the Fall 2020 semester, we recognize that the university does not control how the COVID-19 pandemic will play out across the country over the next few months,” the email said. The questions in the survey asked for student feedback in areas such as their likeliness to return and their willingness to abide by new procedures on a changed campus. As stated at the end of the email, the survey closed at 1 p.m. on May 15 . Results have not yet been released. According to Vice President See TASK FORCE on page 2

Louisville Police use concealment and tear gas to push back protesters an hour prior to curfew. Photo by Xavier Snyder.

Taylor Dean News Editor Paola Mora Zepeda Editor-in-Chief Protests flooded streets across the country and calls for justice spread on social media as thousands mourned the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died in the custody of Minneapolis police. The May 25 incident also sparked outrage among Southern students, many who spoke up about the tragedy. According to CNN, former police officer Derek Chauvin, who pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck, was originally charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. But as of Wednesday June 3, the charges were upgraded to second-degree murder. Additionally, the three other officers who were present at the scene of Floyd’s killing are now facing charges of aiding and abetting second-degree murder.

Though the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement started in 2013, it has gained significant momentum over the past week as many on social media continue to demand justice for the 2020 killings of Floyd, Ahmud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. Clinical psychology sophomore Karissa Osorio is one of the students who spoke out via social media against the racial injustice that many have experienced, including her own family, as her mother’s side of the family is black. On social media, she shared multiple ways to help in the BLM movement. “I have shared links of petitions that people can sign to help us get one step closer to justice for those who have died at the hands of those who were supposed to protect them,” Osorio said. “[I] posted books that people can read to educate themselves, as well as dates, times and locations of BLM pro-

tests. I’ve been consistent with showing those on my social media what is happening in our country, whether it be police brutality or people at protests.”

The most important thing we can do to support is to move forward together, to remember the purpose of why the movement was created, and not get sidetracked from our goal. Osorio said the Black Lives Matter movement has become a voice for pain and struggle that the black community has had to deal with for far too long. “The most important thing we can do to support is to move forward together, to remember the purpose of why the movement was created, and not get

sidetracked from our goal,” Osorio said. “That goal is change. … Voices need to be heard. People are tired of seeing injustice.” Junior history major Xavier Snyder lives in Louisville, Kentucky, and joined the protests in his city last Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Though the demonstration started out peacefully on Friday, Snyder said, as the night progressed, it eventually became more violent. Protesters began breaking windows, destroying ATM machines, spraying graffiti on walls and even started some fires. Police, standing in a straight line, tried holding protesters back by shooting pepper balls and tear gas. “It [the tear gas] hurts. It really hurts,” Snyder said. “Your mouth burns. Your eyes burn. You try to wipe your eyes, but the gas is on your hands, too. It’s a horrible experience.” See BLM on page 3

'When the baby got sick, that's when my From the editor: We are fear really tightned up': A mother shares still here to inform you her experience with COVID-19 Paola Mora Zepeda Editor-in-Chief

Fuentes poses with her husband and children during a family trip. Photo courtesy of Angela Fuentes

Paola Mora Zepeda Editor-in-Chief

Though the doctors had not yet confirmed it, Angela Fuentes, a mass communication online student, recognized the symptoms. First, her mother-in-law got

sick, with a fever reaching over 103 degrees. Then, three days later, her husband started experiencing strong headaches, coughs and loss of taste. Not long after, Fuentes started feeling weak with fatigue.

It was difficult, and Fuentes worried for her husband and mother-in-law. But none of that compared to the day when Fuentes’ youngest son, a one-year-old toddler, woke up See FAMILY on page 2

I’ll be honest. After a long school year filled with projects and sleepless nights, I felt tired. I reviewed my last assignment and turned in my last test, ready to sit back and relax. But the truth is that news does not stop just because you do. News does not go on summer vacation or end once you’ve received your grades. Our community is experiencing constant change. We are living in a time that will mark history forever. And so, the Southern Accent is ready to keep reporting. This is the very first time the Accent has continued to produce issues during the summer. Though a bit different from the publication published throughout the school year, we are still aiming to bring you the latest information about your school and community. The summer 2020 version of the Accent will encompass two pages of news, a half a page of

religion and a half page of social media. The issues will come out once every two weeks for a total of six summer issues. In addition, we will constantly update our social media accounts for any breaking news. You can find us on Instagram (@sauaccent), Twitter (@Southern_Accent) and Facebook (@the.southern.accent). Like always, we want to hear from you. If you have any story ideas or questions for the incoming school year, please email me at paolam@southern. edu. Our team is always eager to accurately and fairly report that which concerns our audience. We thank you for your continuous support and for trusting the Accent to be your voice. In a world that is in chaos, be assured that you can count on us to keep you informed.


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.