Vol 75. Issue 27

News | 2

News | 3

Kambuni discusses future plans to expand Roundtable to other departments

July 16, 2020 Collegedale, Tennessee

Religion | 4

Bietz Center construction project avoids delays despite COVID-19

Peace amidst the storm

Southern Accent

Southern administration adjusts dorm,meal plan prices to reflect changes in the fall semester’s schedule

Vol. 75 Issue 27 Summer Edition

The student voice since 1926

Hamilton County Issues Mask Mandate

Megan Yoshioka Staff In preparation for the upcoming return to campus, Southern administration announced that students can expect to see reduced prices for dorm accommodations and meal plans for the Fall 2020 semester.

According to Senior Vice President for Financial Administration Tom Verrill, room and board in Talge, Thatcher and Thatcher South halls will cost $1,915, and housing in Southern Village will cost $2,080.

Bronze, silver and gold dorm meal plans will cost $1,075, $1,275 and $1,475 respectively.

Maximum refunds for each plan will be set at $50, $250 and $450, respectively. These prices will only apply to the 2020 fall semester and will revert back to their original prices for the winter 2021 semester.

In regards to graduating students and those who may need to stay in the residence halls and Southern Village past Thanksgiving to the end of December, Verrill said the reduced prices will also apply without extra charge. However, it will not apply to those staying in other university housing accommodations such as Spalding Cove or Winding Creek apartments.

According to Verrill, these students will also be able to use their meal plan funds to the extent of their balance.

“We thought [reducing prices] See PRICES on page 3

Pamela Acosta and Emily Brewer in the Village Market, where it is now mandatory to wear face covering while inside the store. Photo by Paola Mora

María José Morán Staff As COVID-19 cases continue to increase around the country, many states and counties have issued face mask mandates. Usually, these consist of a set of guidelines in which local governments tell their residents the instances where masks must be worn.

As Southern’s campus reopened on July 13, it is also enforcing the use of masks in all of its buildings and for larger social gatherings, with the exception of meetings outside.

Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger issued a mandate that requires Hamilton County residents to wear a mask in most indoor settings with the

exceptions of some restaurants and churches where a covering isn’t required. The rule exempts children under the age of 12 and people with certain verified respiratory conditions. If broken, the mandate can result in repercussions ranging from a “$50 fine up to 30 days in jail,” according to the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

As of this week, this mandate is effective July 10 through Sept.8. The amount of time, however, is subject to an extension.

As Southern’s campus reopened on July 13, the school also enforced the use of masks in all of its buildings and for larger social gatherings with the exception of meetings outside.

Both mandates came at a time when Hamilton County, the fourth largest populated

county in Tennessee, recorded a spike in COVID-19 cases. On Wednesday, July 15, 114 new cases were reported in the county, according to the Hamilton County Health Department. The mask mandates are expected to help decrease the number of potential COVID-19 cases.

“Widespread use of face coverings -- research shows -reduces the spread of infected respiratory droplets,” said Coppinger in an interview with Channel 3. “It might not prevent the spread of the disease, but it will help avoid further economic damage.”

To prevent further spread, many health centers and health care facilities are giving away free masks in order to help Hamilton County residents.

Although there have been

complaints of people not wearing masks, there have been no instances of people going to jail due to not wearing one, according to the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

On Wednesday, July 15, 114 new cases were reported in the county, according to the Hamilton County Health Department.

“We will not be responding to every call of someone not wearing a mask or imposing citations to every offender,” said Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Hammond. “The goal is safety, not sending people to jail.”

The Redemancy Project: a call to fight Southern confirms racism within Adventist education December graduation Gia Arroyo Staff

The Redemancy Project logo. Illustration courtesy of @theredemancyproject via Instagram.

Audri Dancek Staff As discussions of racism have sparked across the country, Fletcher Academy senior Hannah Taylor wanted to join the conversation.

“As the world began to experience turmoil in direct relation to the tragic deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, I began to feel passionate about the need to fight for justice,” Taylor said.

Taylor created a group chat

titled “Make Change To Be Change,” inviting many students to a Zoom meeting to discuss the topic of racism and injustice within Adventist education. As the meeting ended, she had the idea to form a separate group focused on research to support those who were actively advocating on social media. Lila Odhiambo, mass communication sophomore; Kaitlyn Deux, social work

sophomore; and Erik Lorenz, history senior, are current students at Southern. They are three of the eight students who joined this second group and became co-founders of “The Redemancy Project.”

According to the group’s Instagram, The Redemancy Project exists “to promote an anti-racist culture within the Seventh-day Adventist schools.” Their vision is to See REDEMANCY on page 2

In an email sent to students at the start of July, President Dave Smith confirmed that Southern would proceed with a December graduation ceremony. The in-person graduation ceremony will be held on Southern’s campus on Sunday, Dec 13th.

According to Administrative Assistant for Academic Administration Eve Knight, “the plans for December graduation are likely to be similar to the August program, but nothing has currently been officially decided other than the date.”

For the August ceremony, students were granted four seats for their family and friends.

Guests are required to wear face masks for the entire ceremony, but graduates will be allowed to remove their face masks during the processional, conferring of degrees and the recessional.

Students who are unable to attend or opt out of the in-person ceremony in December also have the option to participate in a virtual graduation ceremony or walk in the May 2021 graduation.

A registration form will be available to graduates during the semester to let the university know which ceremony they plan to attend. The deadline for this form will be before Thanksgiving break.

According to Industrial/Organizational Psychology Senior Luis Moreno, he is the first person to attend and graduate college in his family. However, with the ongoing spike in Coronavirus cases, Moreno is worried that the ceremony celebrating his accomplishment will be postponed.

I understand everything that is being put into place is for our safety, [but] that doesn't mean it can't be disappointing for those of us who have to experience this ‘altered reality’ of college.

“I understand everything that is being put into place is for our See GRADUATION on page 3

2 | Thursday, July 16, 2020

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

NEWS REDEMANCY continued from page 1

spread awareness of racism within Adventist institutions and offer solutions on how to diversify and educate students and faculty alike.

In June, The Redemancy Project reached out to alumni and students of Fletcher Academy and asked if they would be willing to share testimonies about their experience with racism while attending the school. Their experiences, along with a call for a more diverse faculty, celebration of Black History Month and stron-

ger awareness of racism within the school, were then put in a letter that was presented to the administration, The letter was sent with over one hundred signatures from students and alumni and was well received by the administration, according to the Redemancy Project founders.

“I had never seen so many alumni come together to do something this quickly,” Deux said. “It was incredible to see the work that was put into this.”

As school resumes, Taylor

Kambuni discusses future plans to expand RoundTable concept to other departments Taylor Dean News Editor During the weeks dedicated to campaigning for 2020-2021 Student Association (SA) positions back in the beginning of February, SA presidential candidate Sheryl Kambuni proposed that if elected she would strive to start a mentorship program for students by partnering with Alumni Relations. After winning the SA presidential election, she said that she still plans to put that proposal into motion.

Kambuni said her desire for the mentorship program surfaced after she heard of the RoundTable sessions that the School of Visual Art and Design (SVAD) and the School of Journalism and Communication (SJC) conduct to connect students with alumni of those departments. According to Kambuni, one of her friends Michaela Lewin informed her of RoundTable sessions. Lewin explained to her that one of the main purposes for RoundTable is to give students a space to build relationships and discover job opportunities after graduation.

“Michaela told me about RoundTable, and I thought that it was a great idea for seniors because it gives them a chance to connect and make connections for when they graduate,” Kambuni said. “So I wanted to get that idea from the SJC and find a way to get each depart-

ment to implement that concept, too.”

According to Kambuni, she is still in the middle of working out the specifics of how to encourage other departments to host sessions that mirror the RoundTable concept. She said that she is looking at working with Alumni Relations to pursue a mentorship program.

“If we can start either a mentorship program with them or a way for [departments] to hold workshops during our Alumni Weekend, then alumni can come in and give workshops, talks and connect with a student to become their mentor for the school year,” Kambuni said.

While Kambuni said she, herself, has not attended a RoundTable session, she has friends who have. And she has seen how much they have benefited from them.

“I’ve seen how they’ve benefited from connecting with a mentor, someone who’s in their same field, and going out to have lunch together and just talk,” Kambuni said. “Especially during this time with COVID, I’ve seen how mentors have helped share different connections for jobs and things like that with their mentees.”

Each university will have its own issues regarding race, but it's important to get students involved and have conversations about what the issues are on this campus and work towards improvement and supporting others.

hopes to continue the mission even though many of the members will be attending different schools.

“My personal dream is to grow this organization to include even more students from a greater variety of schools to push for justice and a voice within their school,” Taylor said. “During this year, we will be working harder to grow our social media platforms and hopefully obtain even more stories from students who have experienced injustice or racism.We have

hopes to start fundraising … to educate, support, and provide awareness.”

Erik Lorenz would like to continue The Redemancy Project on Southern’s campus.

“I think making The Redemancy Project an official club would be a good start,” Lorenz said. “Each university will have its own issues regarding race, but it's important to get students involved and have conversations about what the issues are on this campus and work towards improvement and supporting others.”

meal plan prices because they are the items most directly affected by students not being on campus. The prices for other items such as tuition and general fees will remain the same because they cover expenses and services that Southern will provide to students throughout the full semester.

Junior nursing major Issac Abraham said that he understands the importance of the reduction, as they are costs that are essential to students.

“I feel like reductions in rent and meal plan are both justified and reasonable,” Abraham said.

“The dorms and meal plan do have a cost that we as students

need to pay; and a reduction in price, based on how long we use it, is justified in itself.”

Junior public relations and graphic design major Camryn Clark also agrees and says it is fair for Southern’s administration to adjust the meal plan and dorm prices.

“The price adjustments are appropriate for the shortened semester,” Clark said. “It would be unfair to charge students room and board for a time period in which they aren’t even on campus. I’m nervous for what it means for Southern’s bottom line. But as a student, I am relieved.”

PRICES

continued from page 1 was the right thing to do,” Verrill said. “We are aware of many colleges and universities who are ending the semester early as we are but are not reducing the room and board costs. This is because they still have costs of providing these services to students that they need to cover whether or not the students are on campus. We felt, on the other hand, that if students are not on campus for a certain number of weeks when they normally would be, that we should not charge them for these weeks.”

According to Verrill, the President’s Cabinet made the decision to reduce dorm rent and

MEAL PLAN PRICES FOR FALL OF 2020

$1,075

Bronze Plan

B

Purchase discount will remain at $40%.

In the winter semester, the amount will return to its original price of $1,325.

$1,475

G

Gold Plan

Purchase discount will remain at $40%.

In the winter semester, the amount will return to its original price of $1,725.

$1,275 Silver Plan

Purchase discount will remain at $40%.

In the winter semester, the amount will return to its original price of $1,525.

Illustration by Paola Mora Zepeda

DORM AND VILLAGE PRICES FOR FALL OF 2020 Roundtable logo. Illustration courtesy of Tom Wentworth.

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.

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

Editor-in-Chief Paola Mora Zepeda News Editor Taylor Dean Staff Sponsor Alva James-Johnson

$1,915

$2,080

In the winter semester, the amount will return to its original price of $2,360.

In the winter semester, the amount will return to their original price of $2,560.

Talge, Thatcher and Thatcher South

Southern Village

Illustration by Paola Mora Zepeda

S

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

3 | Thursday, July 16, 2020

NEWS

Bietz Center construction project Southern students help in construction of new avoids delays despite COVID-19 Bietz Center Taylor Dean News Editor

Since the majority of students departed from campus back in March, the construction on the Beitz Center has continued in perusal of a March 2021 grand opening. The following updates on the building process of the Bietz Center have been shared with the Accent by Marty Hamilton, associate vice president of financial administration.

According to Hamilton, there have not been any delays over the past four months, and the grand opening of the Bietz Center is expected to be scheduled for March 2021.

“The pandemic has created some material supply delays, but we continue to be optimistic we can get the building construction completed by December 2020,” Hamilton said. “Moving all of the departments, moving Campus Shop and opening a new eatery has its challenges, and they all need time to relocate.”

When asked what important updates there are for students, Hamilton said the school redesigned the parking lot signage and installed them all over campus, which provides an improvement in visibility.

Additionally, students can expect to see updates all over campus in the Fall, including a remodeled first-floor restroom in Talge Hall, all Brock Hall bathrooms remodeled, a new elevator and sidewalk entrance at Wright Hall, a new air purification system in all campus buildings and Florida Hospital Hall’s name change to AdventHealth Hall.

“I hope you all realize the COVID-19 pandemic will require some lifestyle changes we are forced to make to keep us all healthy,” Hamilton said. “We are very hopeful this will not severely alter the college experience you expect.”

Here is a complete list of updates on the Bietz Center construction: Currently happening: completed roof installation, installation of HVAC equipment, installation of HVAC interior ductwork and fire sprinkler system (both 90% complete), completion of electrical and plumbing rough-in, interior metal framing (95% complete), installation of exterior brick and stone (50% complete) and the current installation of exterior trim and windows.

Yet to finish: drywall, interior trims/finishes and flooring, interior and exterior glass, restrooms, sidewalks, exterior columns, parking lot, landscaping, dining patio, second-floor patio/balcony and paint.

María José Morán Staff As construction and progress continue at the new Bietz Center, some Southern students have had the opportunity to help with different phases of the project.

I really enjoyed stepping inside the building and seeing all the floors.

I was amazed by it. I really wanted to be inside, and I didn’t think that we'd work on it.

Just being there felt good.

Three weeks ago, a group of three students employed by Plant Services were assigned to help with construction in the building.

According to the department, they were helping with anything that the construction workers needed, primarily cleanup. This consisted of picking up trash and moving materials around as well as other minor tasks.

“I really enjoyed stepping inside the building and seeing all the floors,” said Valden Gardiner, a junior auto service major and a plant services worker. “I was amazed by it. I really wanted to be inside, and I didn’t think that we'd work on it.

Just being there felt good.”

The Bietz Center remains under construction and is scheduled to be finished later this year, with a grand opening in March 2021.

GRADUATION continued from page 1

Construction behind the Bietz Center, where they have already installed the exterior bricks on the wall Photo by Paola Mora Zepeda.

Inside the Bietz Center. Currently workers are fininishing the installation of the HVAC interior ductwork and fire sprinkler system. Photo by Paola Mora Zepeda.

safety,” Moreno said. “[But] that doesn't mean it can't be disappointing for those of us who have to experience this ‘altered reality’ of college.”

Mass Comm Media Production Senior Kehiry Castillo is a Chattanooga resident who commutes to Southern. Castillo would like to walk in-person but said she will make a final decision based on the COVID-19 cases in the area. Throughout this whole process she has felt lucky to live near campus.

“My biggest concern is for students who don’t live in Tennessee,” said Castillo, referring to students who may live too far to leave and return for graduation. “It makes me sad that many of them will have to decide between going home for Thanksgiving Break, spending time with family or staying on campus just to attend their graduation ceremony.”

In a poll conducted on the Accent’s Instagram account, the Accent asked December graduates if they planned on returning and attending the ceremony. With 40 responses, 48 percent said they’d return and 52 percent said they would not. Graduates were also asked if they would prefer walking in

the December ceremony or in May. With 38 responses, the vote was split in half— 50 percent voting December and 50 percent voting May. Any information or updates on the December graduation will be posted on Southern’s website. Emails with this information will not be sent out to the graduates.

The most important thing for graduates to do is to order their regalia and make travel arrangements so they can be here on Dec.13. All other details and instructions will be updated on the website as it becomes available.

“The most important thing for graduates to do is to order their regalia and make travel arrangements so they can be here on December 13,” Knight said. “All other details and instructions will be updated on the website as it becomes available.”

December 2020 graduates who say they plan to return to Southern for a December Graduation From a poll of 40 participants

48 %

52%

Returning Not returning Ceremony preferences of December 2020 graduates’ From a poll of 38 participants

50% December

The main stairs on the front sides of the Bietz Center have already been built, and workers are now focusing on completing the roof installation. Photo by Paola Mora Zepeda.

50% May

Illustration by Paola Mora Zepeda

4

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| Thursday, July 16, 2020

RELIGION

Peace amidst the storm: What Typhoon Haiyan taught me about God Paola Mora Editor-in-Chief I was living in the Philippines when Typhoon Haiyan, also known as Typhoon Yolanda by the locals, hit the country in January of 2014. This was not the first typhoon I had lived through, but in my five years in the Philippines I had never experienced something of this magnitude. It was a Category 5 storm on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale – the strongest and most destructive rank a storm can get.

Though I was blessed to live in a well-built house that saw minimal damage from the storm, I remember being scared that night. I was awakened by the sound of the wind howling and the tree branches swaying. I did not know this at that time, but a lot of that noise came from trees falling and roofs flying – a dramatic scene, the effects of which I witnessed the next morning. One of the most distinctive sounds, however, was the torrential pour of rain hitting against the roofs and windows. It was as if the sky was at war and the raindrops were its drummers announcing attack.

When I think of this typhoon, it makes sense why we often compare the trials of our lives to a storm. We can feel so insignificant and powerless in the middle of these obstacles. We wonder if the howling of the wind will ever stop or if the downpour

of rain will ever cease. It can be scary, because like the trees falling and the roofs flying, we don’t know what to expect when we go out the next morning.

But, on the night of the typhoon, I learned something new – something beautiful.

As I laid scared on my bed, my dad came to check on me.

I don’t recall exactly what my

father said, but I know that his presence calmed me down. As long as he was there, I knew that everything was going to be okay. I knew that he would do everything in his power to keep me and my brothers safe. I had nothing to fear; the sound of his voice turned the violent howls of the wind into gentle whispers.

I don’t know what kind of

trial you are trying to overcome right now. I do not know what winds are threatening to push you over. But I do know this: We serve a God who can calm the storm. Just like the presence of my father made me feel safe, God wants to bring you peace in your times of tribulation. The roaring thunders and growling tempest are merely background

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noise amidst the soft voice of his companionship. The destruction we fear is nothing compared to the safety he wants to offer us. You are not alone in the storm. He is in control, and He is here to provide you harmony as you get through these trials.

#SAUlife Caitrin Kramer

Michael Ross Garcia

Monica Mendoza @monicafoorever

My comment on YT got 1,000 likes, might as well move to LA since I’m so famous.

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I be getting mad at autocorrect for not understanding that mijdst means Monday

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So you are telling me no one is gonna see my white teeth after spending big bucks on whitening strips ?

Just whining for no reason, wear your masks. caitrin_kramer You make me happy when skies are grey #SAUlife

Rence Arroyo @notrence

Yeah I’m gonna have to give Hamilton a 100/10.

Andrew Oliver

mrossg_12 What’s poppin? #SAUlife

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Joel Guerra @j8war

My beard really starting to fully fill in when everyone has to wear a mask everywhere...I hate it here

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Dudes will be 6’3” and that’s their personality

andrew_m_oliver Ohio honestly has surprised me! #SAUlife

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isamontav oh captain, my captain #SAUlife

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