Vol.76, Issue16 by Southern Accent

Collegedale News| 3

News | 5

Religion | 6

Lifestyle | 7

McKee Foods property tax exemption approved by Collegedale commissioners

SA presidential candidates' platforms

Focusing on God's Kingdom

Where is your dwelling place?

February 17, 2021 Collegedale, Tennessee

Southern Accent

Vol. 76 Issue 16

The student voice since 1926

SJC’s new student-led TV show aims to "Ignite" difficult discussions on campus

Local massage school offers free massage therapy to Southern students Zoe Kanas Lead Reporter

February 11, 2021 (Photo by Xander Ordinola)

The brand new show Ignite is recorded in the School of Journalism and Communication. The show features Aaron Patterson, Sarah Manuel and special guests as they discuss ‘ignited’ topics. This week the show featured Professor Alva James-Johnson in a discussion about Black history.

Frank Canizares Staff Writer The School of Journalism and Communication (SJC) launched its new student-led show, Ignite, this past Friday, Feb. 12. The 15-minute weekly talk show discusses issues and solutions relevant to Southern's student community. SJC Professor Pablo Fernandez supervises the production. “At the moment, there is a [Southern] newspaper, a radio station, a podcast and a few social media accounts on campus, but there is not an SAU TV show,” Fernandez said. “This is an opportunity to not only offer a much needed entertainment medium to our community, but also to develop a stronger connection between the SJC and the student body.” The_show_is_produced_and managed_by_the_SJC._Mass communication and broadcast

journalism majors are involved and responsible for the creative process. Aaron Patterson, sophomore mass communication media_production_major,_and Sarah Manuel, sophomore mass communication_–_advertising major, are the show’s hosts. What_started_as_a_digital media_class_end-of-the-year project led to the birth of Ignite — a show that aims to create conversations_and_keep_students informed. Patterson said one of the purposes of the show is to draw high school students to Southern. “The overarching goal is to keep students informed [about] what is going on while keeping them_entertained,”_Patterson said. “Eventually, we would like to attract students from high schools_in_our_local_commu-

At the moment, there is a [Southern] newspaper, a radio station, a podcast and a few social media accounts on campus, but there is not an SAU TV show. nity, as well as Adventist high schools in other states to SAU through_the_excitement_and novelty of Ignite.” Manuel discovered her passion for video creation in 2017, which led her to create a YouTube channel. She said when Fernandez approached her with

an idea about producing a student-led show, she was excited. “When Professor Pablo came up to me and pitched the idea of producing a student-led program coming out of our very own journalism department, I was ecstatic,” Manuel said. Patterson_fell_in_love_with media_during_his_senior_year of high school, when he and a friend created a YouTube channel and a TikTok account. His TikTok account, @aaroncpatterson, now has over 200,000 followers. Manuel and Patterson are excited to bring their passions for media to life with a show that represents the values and principles of Southern as a whole. “The goal of Ignite is to talk about the topics most people feel_generally_uncomfortable

See IGNITE on page 2

The_Massage_Institute_of Cleveland (MIC) is offering free massage therapy for students on Southern’s health insurance. In previous years MIC partnered with Hulsey Wellness Center, but due to COVID-19 restrictions the massages are currently only offered at the institute, rather than the massage rooms located in Hulsey. MIC_is_a_massage_school located_in_Cleveland,_Tenn., about 20 minutes away from Southern. The school offers a six-month_training_program with an 87% passing rate of the licensing exam MBLEx. Upon completion of the course, graduates are licensed to practice massage therapy in Tennessee. James R. Hogwood, an instructor with MIC, believes that massage is extremely beneficial to college students on both a physiological and psychological level. “In college, what happens to a lot of people is that they understand_all_of_the_lessons_that they've been taught, and when they_go through their studies at home, they're able to answer every question,” Hogwood said. “But when they get into the stressful_[test]_environment, their sympathetic nervous system kicks in, which causes their heart rates to elevate.” See MASSAGE on page 3

University Health Center combats Baking for Jesus: Miss Brenda’s Bakery comes to COVID-19 with new resources the Village Market Alana Crosby Staff Writer A display of home-baked goods can be found every Friday, from 12 to 3 p.m., at Miss Brenda’s Bakery in the Village Market. Along with her team, Brenda Walsh is working to raise money for the "Kids Club for Jesus" ministry. “Kids Club for Jesus” is a website_filled_with_Christ-centered content_for_children,_including on-demand_programs,_crafts, Bible lessons, recipes, activities and a feature that ships used books to children for free. Walsh is currently looking for a building for her new ministry to and is seeking volunteers to help in the bakery and the ministry. “It’s not about the money. It's about the ministry, and that’s our biggest takeaway because we’re reaching people and letting them know what we do,” Walsh said. Walsh, known to many as Miss Brenda, is a former producer and host of Kids Time at 3ABN. Additionally, she has published six cookbooks, devotionals, an autobiography and the Miss Brenda’s Bedtime Stories set. Walsh and her team, which consists of her mother, Bernie

Micheff;_Mellisa Hoffman, who is Walsh’s business partner; and Hoffman’s mother, Pam Knechtel, started the bakery in October 2020. The idea for the bakery came to Walsh and her team as they were brainstorming fundraising ideas. “We_started_thinking_about the talents that we have that we could use,” Walsh said.

It’s not about the money. It’s about the ministry, and th at’s our biggest takeaway because we’re reaching people and letting them know what we do. Walsh’s mother taught her to bake and cook when she was old enough to stand on a chair to reach the counter. Seeing that Hoffman could also cook and bake, this brought the team to See BAKERY on page 2

Friday February 5, 2021 (Photo by Xander Ordinola)

Nursing major Kyle Salas receives a COVID-19 test from RN Ashley Brooks while in quarantine. Southern has increased testing to ensure the safety of students and faculty members.

Taylor Dean News Editor On Feb. 5, Vice President for Student Development Dennis Negrón sent an email to students announcing a free triage service, waived visit fees and the continuation of free COVID19 testing — all provided at the University Health Center (UHC). “Our goal is to eliminate any financial obstacles for you to get the health evaluation and

care that you need,” Negrón wrote in the email. UHC_Nurse_Practitioner Dorinda Harriss said the free triage service was created due to COVID-19 influxes as an additional avenue for students to get help if they feel sick. In previous years, the deans were the primary point of contact for students to report their sick-

ness. However, since the emergence of COVID-19, the UHC has set up a service for students to directly report illness to the health center. “There's_always_a_nurse_on call._There's_always_someone that you can get in touch with if you have to,” Harriss said. With this semester’s adjustSee RESOURCES on page 3

If you would like to be a contributor, contact Paola Mora at paolam@southern.edu

2 | Wednesday, February 17, 2021

NEWS Female theology student gets inducted as a Ministerial Trainee Miranda Delgado Staff Writer Southern’s School of Religion will host its annual Trainee Induction on Feb. 19 and 20. This year, only one female student will be inducted as a trainee in a ceremony where theology majors are affirmed on their journey to become pastors. In a primarily male-dominated_department, Merissa Erb is one of the five females majoring in theology in the School of Religion. Growing up in the small town of Mount Horeb, Wisconsin, Erb became passionate about ministry as a result of starting new churches with her family. She grew up believing that she was being called to share her love for Jesus with others. As a child, she had many female role models who inspired her calling to ministry. The person that impacted her the most was her cousin, Pastor Lisa Isensee. “I grew up watching my cousin, Pastor Lisa, in active church ministry,” Erb said. “She mentored me in a lot of ways, and I was baptized by her. She definitely influenced me and inspired me to be involved with ministry. My family is super supportive of women in ministry. And growing up, I never saw it as an issue.” In some of her classes this s e m e s t e r, _ E r b _ i s _ t h e _ o n l y woman. Due to this, she is sometimes asked to give her “female” perspective on a given topic_in_class._Although_Erb doesn't mind being in a classroom full of men all the time, she said she occasionally feels

disconnected from the camaraderie that is shared between the male theology majors. Erb has learned to stand more on her own because of the small number of women in her department and to lean on God as her “ultimate role model.” Junior_theology_major_Austin Bates said he enjoys having classes with Erb. “[She] adds a lot to all of the classes I share with her, and I respect her opinions on things,” Bates said. “I don’t view her comments in class as ‘a lady’s perspective,’ as our professors refer to her, but as a human with her own life experience, walk with Christ and worldview.” He said he respects Erb for seeking a career that is primarily sought out by men and hopes that the church will be more open to women in full-time pastoral ministry. Even with the topic of women’s ordination circling the Adventist church, Erb does not believe this dispute affects the calling God has given her. As Erb finishes her sophomore year, she is trying to figure out what she will do when she graduates. However, she hopes that whatever comes her way, she will be able to face it with God’s help and guidance. “I am not sure yet, but I would love to be part of a ministry that is unconventional, out of the box and one that creatively and practically helps people,” Erb said.

Photo courtesy of Brenda Walsh

Mellissa Hoffman (left) and Brenda Walsh (right) sell their baked goods at the VM. Walsh started the business, Brenda's Bakery, as a way to support her ministry.

BAKERY

continued from page 1 the idea of a bakery. Walsh decided on the name Miss Brenda’s Bakery. “I produced and hosted Kids Time for almost 20 years, and so I’m known as Miss Brenda around the world," Walsh said. "And that’s why we named it Miss Brenda’s Bakery." The money raised from the bakery sales will be used to help Walsh's ministry, "Kids Club for Jesus," which Walsh believes provides children with resources for spiritual growth. “It’s a huge opportunity to give children spiritual food who need it,” Walsh said. Walsh would love to have people donate more books to be used for this ministry. The Adventist Book Center (ABC) is collecting used books to be shipped to children in need. Anyone willing to donate books can drop them off at the ABC and say they are for “Kids Club for Jesus.” “Right_now,_our_demand_is bigger than our supply,” Hoffman stated. Walsh and Hoffman are concerned with the absence of Sabbath schools for children due to COVID-19 restrictions. They are adding new programs every

week to try to fill the void left by the pandemic. The bakery provides an opportunity to get the word out about the website.

Anytime you pray about something and the Holy Spirit is leading, you can expect great things. That’s just the truth. I don’t go forward doing anything I haven’t prayed about. And I know God doesn't set you up to fail. Some of the products offered by Miss Brenda’s Bakery are lemon poppy seed bread, whole wheat bread, white bread, pies, scones, cakes and dinner rolls. The bakery tries to mix things up, bringing new items to the table each week. “I can’t think of anything we wouldn’t try,” Walsh said.

The bakery offers a wide variety of baked goods freshly made every Thursday and Friday morning by Walsh and her team in their kitchens. “We are super clean in the kitchen and germ freaks,” Walsh said. “I am a registered nurse. I make sure that everything is spotless!” Miss Brenda’s Bakery is in the process of adding display cases to make their products more COVID-19 friendly. The bakery can also accommodate special dietary needs on request. Additionally,_they_are_willing to make vegan recipes and adjust to personal preferences, like leaving out certain ingredients such as nuts. The money raised is a blessing, but takes second place to the team at Miss Brenda’s Bakery. The goal of the bakery is to spread the news about Walsh’s ministry so that as many people as possible can gain a blessing. “Anytime you pray about something and the Holy Spirit is leading, you can expect great things,” Walsh said. “That’s just the truth. I don’t go forward doing anything I haven’t prayed about. And I know God doesn't set you up to fail.”

IGNITE

continued from page 1

Photo by Xander Ordinola

Merissa Erb smiles for a picture. Erb will be inducted as a theology trainee during this semester's annual Trainee Induction program. Theology is a male nominated field and Erb is the only female trainee this year.

Corrections and Clarification The_Southern_Accent_takes_complaints_about_inaccuracy seriously._To_fix_errors_or_misinformation,_we_will_publish, with_some_limited_exceptions,_corrections_or_clarifications._To report_mistakes,_email_us_at_accent@southern.edu_or_reach_us_ through_our_social_media accounts. Vol. 76, Issue 15. The picture in the article, "IT creates new program for attendance and contact tracing," was taken by Xander Ordinola. The picture in the article, "Counseling Services addresses loneliness with 'Connection Week,'" was taken by Lila Odhiambo.

Southern Accent The Accent encourages readers to write articles and voice their opinions. However, the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Accent, Southern Adventist University, or the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

talking about,” Manuel said. Patterson_said_the_show will address sensitive topics in Adventism and Christianity. “We will be talking about the LGBTQ+_community,_difficult questions in both Adventism and Christianity, racism, a Q&A session with a police officer about police brutality, and many more conversations and testimonials with students from our very own SAU,” Patterson said. When_asked_about_Ignite, Lexi Benardo, a senior mass communication major and one of the show’s associate producers, said a student-led production is beneficial. “I think having a student-led show helps the audience connect more,” Benardo said. “Another exciting thing is the fact that Ignite [will] showcase students as guests and participants. That in itself would want to make you tune in to see your friends on the show adding more audience and more connections.” The process of producing the show included things such as

Lifestyle Editor Elise Deschamps Editor-in-Chief Paola Mora Zepeda

Opinion Editor Paula Macena

Managing Editor Christina Coston

Religion Editor Sarah Klingbeil

For any questions, comments, and article submission information email us at accent@southern.edu

News Editor Taylor Dean

Sports Editor Zach Roberts

For all advertising inquiries, email studentadmgr@southern.edu

Collegedale News Editor Bailey DuBose

Photo Editor Xander Ordinola

laying the groundwork and figuring out graphics,_according to Bernardo, who described it as a “blessing.”

The goal of Ignite is to talk about the topics most people feel generally uncomfortable talking about. “I think the biggest thing is that God has been answering a lot of prayers,” Bernardo said. “We have all these goals and desires,_and He is just really coming through. I’m hoping it [will] be a blessing for the students as well as for Southern in general.” The_show's_intended_audience is Southern students, but it_does_not_exclude_the_Collegedale community and other college-aged viewers that might benefit from the conversations.

Copy Editors Megan Yoshioka Patrick Scriven Layout Designer Nickolas Nieves Web Manager Timothy Morgan Circulation Manager Evarline Ondieki

S J C _ P ro d u c t i o n s _ s t a r t e d releasing Ignite on YouTube @ School of Journalism and Communication as a main-platform and on IGTV as a sub-platform. Snippets_will_eventually_be uploaded to the TikTok account, @saujournalism._If_students want to be a part of the show as talent, video or audio producers, feature or prop crew, they can reach out to @ignitesau.

Scan the QR to watch Ignite's premiere episode

Lead Reporters María José Morán Amanda Blake Aubri Dancek Lesieli Heimuli Zoe Kanas Xavier Quiles Staff Sponsor Alva James-Johnson

For more related news, visit our website at southern-accent.org

3 | Wednesday, February 17, 2021

NEWS MASSAGE

RESOURCES

continued from page 1 Hogwood said that this reaction, known as auditory exclusionary — or “tunnel vision,” is extremely common in college students. “We go into what we call auditory exclusionary and tunnel vision, and we end up with our fine motor skills depleting,” Hogwood said. “As fine motor skills go away, we end up owning gross motor skills, which means only the big muscles in the body are actually working properly. If all this is occurring and the brain is basically shutting down because of this, how do we answer the next question on the exam?” The Accent contacted South-

ern administrators regarding MIC’s previous arrangements with the university and students getting massages off campus, and the Marketing and University Relations Office released the following statement: “University administration altered or discontinued a variety of services on campus to maximize the health and safety of our community during the pandemic. Any time individuals come in close contact, there is risk of COVID-19 exposure. We encourage students and employees to follow safety protocols and best practices both on and off campus.” Massage_therapy,_according to Hogwood, can activate the

parasympathetic nervous system, which helps a client feel more calm and relaxed. “Massages help us to stimulate a parasympathetic response from the body, which reverses all of that stress and brings it back down to a normal heart rate,” Hogwood said. “A normal blood pressure allows more blood to start circulating to the brain through a process called hyperemia, where we move the blood around in the body.” Hogwood_said_massages often consist of a lot of motion as clients experience a greater range of motion while on the table. The increased blood flow calms down the nervous system, taking the person out of a fight or flight mentality. The breathing techniques that a client learns during the massage can also be beneficial to practice during a stressful situation. “When you sit down to take a test and use the breathing techniques that are taught to you by the therapist,” Hogwood states, “you can calm your body back down to how it was during massage.”

February 14, 2021. (Photo by Xander Ordinola)

Premises for Massage Institute of Clevaland (MIC). MIC is offering free massage therapy for students with Southern's health insurance.

TMC soon to acquire new STEM Hub Katie Scott Staff Writer The School of Education and Psychology (SEP) is in the early stages of adding a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)_hub_to_the_Teaching Materials Center (TMC) located in Summerour Hall. Currently,_the_TMC_contains various teaching resources such as bulletin board supplies, craft utensils and curriculum guides. Kathryn McGrath, TMC Director, said the STEM hub will have many features, including basic coding_applications,_custom t-shirt making supplies and a 3D printer. This new addition to the TMC will not require a special membership. However, it may include a fee for utensils used.

This STEM hub is made possible by the Versacare Foundation grant. According to Lucas Patterson, associate director for administration,_Versacare_primarily aims to help Seventh-day Adventist institutions financially for educational advancements. “[Versacare] covers our initial_set-up,”_McGrath_said. “But_of_course,_we_will_be looking_for_additional_funding sources so we can expand our offerings and stay current with industry trends.” SEP Professor Faith Laughlin cannot wait to see the technological impact that it will have on the local community. “Technology is needed more

than ever,” Laughlin said. In order to optimize the STEM hub’s limited space, the SEP is currently evaluating TMC materials for currency and relevance, according to McGrath. The SEP will donate some of their items to other ministries. However, due to limited space, McGrath said that they are “in the process of evaluating the materials in the TMC for currency and relevance, and items which have served their useful life are being donated to other ministries” in order to accommodate the STEM hub. M c G ra t h _ a n t i c i p a t e s _ t h e unveiling of the STEM hub by the end of this spring.

continued from page 1 ment to the attendance policy, Harriss said students are constantly calling with symptoms of congestion or headaches, or for failed symptom checks with the concern of missing class. Last semester, students were able to miss class due to symptoms or other reasons without an official note from the UHC, according to Harris. But now, the UHC is writing excuse notes for students who call the triage line and report their symptoms. “The difference is people didn't have to have a note before,” Harriss said. “So the only thing that has changed is that I have authorized [UHC personnel] to give students a note to excuse [students] for a day if they just have one minor symptom but they don't really qualify for quarantine. But [students] still need a note so they don't go to class feeling sick.” Additionally, UHC fees for visits that are COVID-19 related are now being waived. Harriss said the reason stems from two scenarios: The complications that arise with students who have private insurance, and those who don’t have insurance at all. “Students who have private insurance have to pay the fees and try to get it billed through their insurance,” Harriss said. “And it can make it really complicated for them, because sometimes they don't get reimbursed or don't get it figured out.” While the university requires all students to have insurance upon registration, Harriss said a lot of students do not answer that question honestly during the registration process. However, despite the lack of insurance, the university doesn’t want students to be a health hazard to the rest of campus in regards to COVID-19. “We don't want to create a problem_for_[students without insurance],” Harriss said. “For some people, they had insurance, and then they lost it because of financial problems, and they didn't know what to do. [There are] different circum-

stances. So instead of making it a complication, we just said, 'You know what, we're going to see you and take care of you; you're our student. We're not going to worry about who's going to pay for it.'” According to Harriss, the fees for rapid testing kits are also waived for this semester, which is a change from last semester when not many were available. She added that while the state of Tennessee provides COVID19 testing kits to the university for free, the rapid testing kits were a significant investment. “We spent a lot of money on

Our goal is to eliminate any financial obstacles for you to get the health evaluation and care that you need. getting some of the top-of-theline rapid kits,” Harriss said. “The state provides us with the other kits through the local lab for free, and they're very good. But sometimes we need a rapid kit so we can figure out what's going on with a student.” Despite the waived fee for a rapid test kit for Southern students, not every student who requests a rapid testing kit will receive one, as certain criteria must be met beforehand. “Those rapid kits are only for certain situations, not because of the cost, but because we want them to be accurate,” Harriss said. “Anyone can get a free test, but the nurse practitioners decide which test is best based on [students’] symptoms.” Harriss encourages students to reach out when they are feeling sick and receive an excuse note from the UHC if needed. The UHC triage line can be reached at (423) 236-2713.

COLLEGEDALE NEWS

McKee Foods property tax exemption approved by Collegedale commissioners Aubri Dancek Lead Reporter Bailey DuBose Collegedale News Editor On Jan. 4, Collegedale commissioners_voted_on_the_first amendment_to_an_agreement that would exempt McKee Foods from some property taxes as part of the company’s $500 million expansion project. The_ original_ resolution between McKee Foods Corporation, the City of Collegedale and the Industrial Board of Hamilton County was first voted on March 18, 2020, by the Industrial Board of Hamilton County. On April 6, 2020, Collegedale commissioners voted unanimously in favor of Resolution #514, the same as the March 18 resolution. With the approval of the resolutions, the McKee expansion project was added to the Hamilton County “Payment in Lieu of Taxes” or PILOT program. According_to_the_Hamilton County website, the PILOT program_allows_larger_companies and corporations to be exempt from_paying_certain_property taxes._The_program_is_handled by three Hamilton County Boards: The Industrial Development Board of Chattanooga, the

Industrial Development Board of Hamilton County and the Health Education and Housing Facilities Board. The average length of granted time in the PILOT program is 10 to 20 years.

According to the press release, McKee Foods is anticipating creating 480 new jobs over the course of this entire project. McKee released a press statement in March 2020 announcing the company would be launching a large expansion of its Apison Plant located in the 10800 block of Apison Pike. Throughout the duration_of_a_15-year_period, McKee has agreed to invest more than $500 million in capital projects. The expansion will include new production lines and additional investments at its other Collegedale facilities, according

Mckee Foods Operations on Apison Pike.

to the press release. Within the first five years of work, McKee plans to spend approximately_$225_million, according to the press release. Out of that amount $110 million is set to “more than double” the current size of the Apison plant and add the company’s first new production line. According_to_the_press release, McKee Foods anticipates creating 480 new jobs over the course of the entire project. The company has also committed to 125 new jobs within the first seven years. Most of the jobs will be primar-

ily manufacturing jobs, according to Mike Gloekler, corporate communications_and_public relations manager. On Jan. 4, during a Collegedale Commission_ meeting,_ Kurt Faires, from Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel P.C., a legal representative of McKee Foods, stated that McKee will be adding Plant No. 6 and a Wastewater Treatment Plant in the plans for investment. This is an amendment to the original agreement, which only included Plants No. 2 and No. 5. “Originally, we thought it was going to be two facilities in Collegedale,”_Faires_said._“..._But

April 2, 2020 (Photo by Paola Mora Zepeda)

now we’re going to spend the same_investment_dollars_and spread them to four places here in Collegedale.” This is the fourth major expansion of this facility, according to the press release. “McKee Foods is an important part of Collegedale,” said Collegedale Mayor Katie Lamb. “We are grateful that the company has chosen to continue its investment in our city with a significant expansion of its operations. We are excited for the new opportunities and the jobs that this growth will create.”

4 | Wednesday, February 17, 2021

If you would like to be a contributor, contact Paola Mora at paolam@southern.edu

NEWS

LAC N I G H T

February 13, 2021. Photo by Xander Ordinola

Joshua Pongstiphon delivers the final flip for the end of the first dancers' sequence. The dance team practiced the routine since October. Tori Waegele choreographed the entire sequence. “I’m from a Brazilian family, so I got a lot of inspiration from my upbringing,” Waegele said.