Southern Accent
The student voice since 1926
Collegedale, Tennessee
Thursday, November 2, 2017
Vol. 73, Issue 8
Plans for the new student center on campus Natalie Boonstra Contributor
Southern has begun the first steps in constructing the new Bietz Center for Student Life. One of those steps includes working on the sewage and waste systems that are located below the parking lot next to the Thatcher and Thatcher South dorms which has raised concerns about parking. In recent years some students felt parking on campus has been especially tight and have expressed difficulty in finding a space. “It is ridiculously hard to find a parking spot, especially near Thatcher. Driving in at night can be stressful because I don’t know if I’ll get a spot,” said Elaina Bergondo, freshman
general studies major. Students have been advised that they can park in other lots near Thatcher and Talge. Even though this is a temporary loss, in order to have adequate room for the new Student Center the parking spaces in front of and behind McKee Library will be taken away. Surveyors are currently working on a design for additional parking to replace the spaces that will be lost. The Financial Administration department will finalize all of these details in November, and the actual building process will begin in April 2018. Students can anticipate the completion of the building in about two years, in March of 2020. “This project is funded,” said Marty Hamilton,” and we want students to know this isn’t just
“We were very sensitive to the needs of students and employees when designing the building.” —Marty Hamilton
Student Center plans, 2nd floor
something we’re talking about. It’s actually going to happen very soon.” Despite possible inconveniences, many students are still optimistic about the outcome. “I think the new student center
Courtesy of Marketing and university relations
is a fantastic idea,” said Gavin Finch, Student Association (SA) vice president and senior english major. “The university is showing its students that they matter by putting forth so much effort to build something for us. In
reality there was nobody forcing the university to put so much effort into raising the money, and I think it is very thoughtful of them to do this.”
Fruition Lab happening today Tierra hayes News Editor
Fruition Labs, held today in the Ackerman Auditorium from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m, brings together a five-time Emmy award winner, a guy who started coding in his SAU dorm room and built a com-
pany that sold for nine figures, an award-winning wedding dress designer, and someone who forged his way into investment banking and broke into the big-name tech scene. According to their website, Fruition allows students to “hear
from, connect with and be inspired by experienced CEOs and founders.” Students who signed up for Fruition labs paid a discounted fee of $20, as opposed the general $100 cost to attend.
Fruition lab’s slogan
Courtesy of Caleb Cook