Vol. 80 Issue 17 by Southern Accent

March 5, 2025

Hargy wins SA presidential election Southern Accent

Bautista and Paulino secure VP positions

The student association election results were announced at midnight on February 28, revealing that John Hargy, senior biophysics major, was elected President for the 20252026 school year.

Hargy received 822 votes, beating his opponent Chino Zhao, sophomore nursing major, by 389 votes.

In an interview with the Accent, Hargy described how it felt to be elected.

“My initial reaction was one of relief,” Hargy said. “It was also a moment of deep gratitude for the overwhelming support I received along the way.”

When asked about his initial inspiration to run for president, Hargy reflected on his experiences at Southern, crediting them for shaping his leadership skills.

“I want every student to experience the same sense of growth, belonging and opportunity that I have enjoyed,” Hargy said. “I am passionate about fostering an environment where everyone feels valued and heard.”

See Hargy on page 3

Southern Adventist University President Ken Shaw released a statement to the Accent about the university’s stance on its diversity initiatives.

“After reviewing the executive orders — considering what I hear and read in the news, having conversations with other university presidents and meeting with colleagues here at Southern — I have found no evidence that Southern is out of compli -

ance with any of the executive orders,” Shaw stated in an email to the Accent.

"My perspective on diversity is simple and rooted in how I believe we should approach it as individuals."

“My perspective on diversity is simple and rooted in how I believe we should approach it as individuals,” Shaw continued. “It is based on Jesus’ second great commandment: ‘Love your

neighbor as yourself’ (Matthew 22:39 NIV). As disciples of Jesus, this principle should guide our actions. In the words of John, ‘A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another’ (John 13:34-35 NKJV).”

This statement comes after a wave of executive orders from President Donald Trump aimed to dismantle

The artifact is small, delicate and easy to overlook. Yet, the thin, jagged ivory comb –about the size of a U.S. postage stamp – holds an inscription that is the oldest sentence in an alphabetic script.

Discovered in 2016 at the ancient Canaanite city of Lachish, the 3,700-year-old comb features words etched faintly onto its surface. They simply state: “May this tusk root out the lice of the hair and the beard.”

Now, the artifact is temporarily located in a display case on the first floor of Southern Adventist University’s Lynn H. Wood Archaeological Museum. It arrived in January, hand-carried by an Israeli antiquities official

On Jan. 27, Southern hosted a symposium featuring international experts, including Chris Rollston, a leading scholar in ancient inscriptions . Since then, the exhibit has drawn visitors from across the country. The comb was unearthed

during the Fourth Expedition to Lachish, an excavation co-directed by Southern and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. One of Southern’s own students, Katherine Hesler, was leading the team that found it.

“I had little to do with it personally other than being present at the time it was found,” recalled Edwin Reynolds, a retired professor from Southern’s School of Religion, who was also present

Southern Adventist University’s Student Park has been experiencing increased beaver activity, leading to the downing of multiple trees.

According to Mark Antone, director of Landscape services, the beaver population in the area has recently grown. Antone said the increase in beaver activity may be linked to ongoing construction and urban development around campus, pushing wildlife into new areas.

“We’ve had beavers here before, but we may be getting more for the same reason we’re seeing an increase in deer and other wildlife,” he said. “There’s a lot more construction all around campus, which pushes the wildlife to more open areas, and we have a nice, open creek.” Antone said beavers alter landscapes by building dams, which can lead to flooding and significant environmental

changes. If left unchecked, these dams could flood Student Park, the soccer fields and other low-lying areas on campus. Additionally, according to Antone, the dams impact stormwater drainage, potentially disrupting the campus’s water management system.

“As the beavers start building the dam, and they keep making it bigger and bigger, that water backs up and changes the whole environment,” Antone said.

Beaver activity has also led to the loss of trees in Student Park.

Beaver activity has also led to the loss of trees in Student Park, according to Antone. He said the university has dealt with the situation primarily by dismantling beaver dams as soon as they appear.

“We had to take a couple of trees down,” Antone said. “There was one big one, right in the Student Park, that had

The Ivory Comb shown in the Lynn Wood Hall Archaeological Museum. Thursday, February 13, 2025. (Photo by Jehiely Balabarca)

Jeaneva Bautista (left), John Hargy (middle) and Esmeralda Paulino (right) won their respective elections on March 13. Thursday, February 20, 2025 (Photos by Anna Chang)

Ken Shaw speaks at a town hall meeting in Lynn Wood Hall. Monday, February 20, 2023 (Photo by Adam De Lisser)

Eva Resv Reporter

Chloe Smith Reporter

Hayden Kobza Managing Editor

Jehiely Balabarca Reporter

continued from page 1

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives across the federal government, as well as in schools and universities that receive federal funding.

U.S. District Judge Adam Abelson in Baltimore issued a preliminary injuction that has temporarily blocked key provisions of Trump’s executive order restricting DEI initiatives, citing concerns about its constitutionality.

According to the Associated Press, the injunction prevents the immediate enforcement of measures that would cut federal funding to institutions that fail to comply with the order’s restrictions.

"At Southern, our stance is clear: All students and employees are valued and should be treated as children of God, regardless of their background."

For Shaw, no matter what happens, Southern has a higher calling for the people it serves.

“At Southern, our stance is clear: All students and employees are valued and should be treated as children of God, regardless of their

continued from page 1

been girdled and was in danger of falling. If we let the beavers stay, all of those trees along the creek bank would be damaged.”

To manage the issue, the university contracts with a licensed Tennessee Wildlife Management professional who ensures humane trapping and removal of beavers when necessary, according to Antone. He said at least three beavers have been trapped recently.

Some students have enjoyed spotting the beavers around campus. Hanie Cruz, freshman biology major, recalled a nighttime walk by the river when she and her friends heard an unexpected sound.

“We heard a slapping sound in the water, and at first, we got really scared because we thought it was a person,” Cruz said. “Then we saw something moving, and one of my friends realized it was a beaver. We watched as it swam through the river, came out of the water, and started biting a tree. It was so cute.”

According to Cruz, she enjoyed the sighting but understands why the university needs to manage the beaver population.

“I want to see them more often, but I think it’s really sad that they’re going to be gone now,” Cruz said. “But it’s okay.”

Dee Dee Boyce, landscaping office manager, shared a

similar perspective to Antone, acknowledging the beavers’ impact on the campus environment.

"I hate to see them go, but it's really not a place for them."

“It's really fun to have a beaver around, but I know this is not their environment,” Boyce said. “You know, they're going to take trees down that we would like to keep, and when they dam up, they're going to make a big lake. I hate to see them go, but it's really not a place for them where they'll survive very well, either. It's just that wildlife management is difficult. You have to make some choices sometimes.”

Boyce said the university works conscientiously with ACES (Animal Control Emer-

Ruth McKee School of Business on schedule for Fall 2026 completion date Beavers

Construction of the Ruth McKee School of Business remains on schedule, with plans to welcome students by the Fall 2026 semester, according to Southern Adventist University President Ken Shaw.

Tom Verrill, senior vice president for Financial Administration, emphasized the scale and cost of the project.

“This project is larger than the construction projects completed in recent years, and I am confident it is the largest single financial project ever for Southern,” Verrill said. “Our Plant Services team has implemented cost-saving measures for this building and continues to look for ways of keeping the cost as low as possible while ensuring the building retains the quality expected.”

According to a previous Accent article, Shaw stated

Ivory Comb

continued from page 1

at the excavation. “Katherine Hesler, my student at the time, was the square supervisor. She collected it, recorded it in her journal, showed it to the bio-archaeologist who identified it as ivory, bagged it, washed it and shared it with the lead archaeologists who had it sent to the lab at Hebrew University.”

Reynolds said it was inspected more closely five and half years later and subsequently found to bear the now-famous inscription.

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that the project was originally estimated to be $20 million, and that they still remained inside the original estimate for the project.

“This facility will include state-of-the-art classrooms, expanded learning spaces and a large auditorium,” Shaw stated. “We have seen a rise in students pursuing business degrees, and this new facility positions our School of Business for continued growth, equipping more Christian business professionals to make an impact.”

"I believe this building will provide a huge benefit for the university for years to come."

Regarding the financial standing of the project, Verrill explained that the university has only been using donations to fund the building’s construction.

“Southern has not received

At the time of discovery, it was just another artifact filled with ancient remnants, according to those involved.

It wasn’t until Hebrew University researcher Madeleine Mumcuoglu took a second look that the inscription was spotted.

The words represent a critical moment in the history of writing.

The words represent a critical moment in the history of writing. Before the alphabet, civilizations relied on complex systems

Editor-in-Chief

Orquia Managing Editor Hayden Kobza

News Editor Alissa Flores

Collegedale News Editor Emma Rodriguez

any grants or utilized any partnerships for this project,” he said. “However, we have received over $20 million in donations for this project and expect it will be fully funded from donor contributions.”

Currently, the School of Business is located on the third floor of Brock Hall, and due to the lack of space, many business classes meet in different buildings across campus, according to a previous Accent article. Since the department will be transferring to a new building next school year, its previous classrooms can be utilized by other academic departments, according to Verrill.

“I believe this building will provide a huge benefit for the university for years to come,” Verrill said. “[It] provides space for the growth of the business program, and the relocation of the School of Business from Brock Hall will open up space for the growth of other academic programs.”

According to Verrill, South-

like Egyptian hieroglyphs or Mesopotamian cuneiform, both requiring hundreds of symbols. The alphabet, developed around 1800 B.C., changed everything, reducing written language to a set of simple characters that could be learned and used by more people.

“The development of writing is probably the most important invention of humankind,” said Yosef Garfinkel, one of the excavation’s co-directors, in an article published in the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

In a field where entire

gency Services) to handle wildlife concerns.

“If we have an animal issue on campus, he's very conscientious about handling the animals,” she said. “I know my contractor is so knowledgeable about all the animals he traps. You can tell that he really cares too about keeping things in balance because they were taking a lot of trees.”

According to Boyce, campus landscaping staff prioritize maintaining green spaces while ensuring safety for students and faculty.

“I know Mark [Antone] and the supervisors here really care about the campus, and we want to keep green spaces and trees and things to keep nature here,” she said. “You know, it's part of God's creation as part of the school as well. They're good keepers of the environment here, and keep trying to keep a

balance. But the main thing is to protect people too.”

Abhishek Thavamani, a professor in the Biology Department, shared insight on beavers' positive effects on the Collegedale community.

“Since coming to Southern a couple of years ago, I have only heard about the famous ‘duck pond.’ I haven’t seen them, though,” Thavamani said. “I read recently that the city of Collegedale was revamping the pond.”

According to Thavamani, the beavers have apparently decided to pitch in and help create natural water habitats for other flora and fauna (such as ducks) to flourish. Beaver dams allow for great water diversity and serve as a natural filter for water purification, said Thavamani.

“I think beavers are cool animals,” Antone said. “If this were a national park, I’d love to see them. But in our situation, they pose a real problem.”

According to Antone, managing the beaver population allows landscaping to protect the trees, maintain the stormwater systems and ensure safety for people walking through Student Park.

“The best thing we can do is keep knocking down the beaver dams,” he said. “If we can stay ahead of it, we can discourage them so we don’t have to trap them. It’s all part of a wildlife management approach.”

ern's administration has incorporated maintenance costs into future financial projections to ensure longterm sustainability. Verrill said administration remains confident that sufficient funding exists to sustain the quality of the building in the future.

As construction continues, Shaw reaffirmed the university’s vision for the project.

careers are built on a single breakthrough, the discovery is what archaeologists dream of.

"If we had moved just 30 centimeters to the souther, we would have missed it entirely. It was God's providence.

“Over the past several years, we have seen an increase in the number of students who desire a business degree,” he stated. “Our new building will provide the potential to grow our School of Business even further and, as a result, provide more Christian businessmen and women to be change-agents in the world.”

“Holding the ivory comb is humbling,” said Michael Hasel, co-director of the excavation and School of Religion professor at Southern. “If we had moved just 30 centimeters to the south, we would have missed it entirely. It was God’s providence.”

The exhibit at Southern highlights not only the comb but also the broader history of Tel Lachish, a site mentioned in the Bible and once one of the most influential cities in the region. The comb will remain on display until May 2, offering a rare opportunity to see a piece of ancient history up close, a reminder that even the smallest artifacts can carry the weight of civilization’s earliest words.

Three beavers have been caught on Southern's campus.

(Photo sourced from Pexels)

Workers use a crane to construct the Ruth McKee School of Business. (Photo by Chino Zhao)

Marian Polanco Reporter

Adventist Peace Fellowship Club celebrates Peace Week with events

Emma Rodriguez Collegedale Editor

This week, Southern Adventist University’s student chapter of the Adventist Peace Fellowship (APF) has been celebrating peace week.

According to an email from Lisa Diller, interim chair of the History and Political Studies Department, the Seventh-day Adventist church asks its educational institutions to hold a peace week every year in order to “to inspire and educate its young people in the work of non-violent peace-making.”

“We like to collaborate with many clubs on campus to show the variety of ways that Christians can be peacemakers, from the individual scale to the international,” Diller stated.

The Adventist Peace Fellowship chapter on campus is a branch of an independent nonprofit organization that champions peace, social justice and reconciliation among nations.

Founded in 2001, the APF seeks to raise consciousness about the centrality of peacemaking and social justice

Hargy continued from page 1

During his campaign, Hargy prioritized the opinions of students to meet the most important needs on campus. He emphasized listening to the ideas of others and plans to carry on with this in his presidency next school year.

“While the specific proposals of my platform are very important,” Hargy said, “I am equally interested in listening to the ideas and concerns of the student body.”

In the interview, Hargy said he plans to establish focus groups and conduct surveys to gather opinions to ensure that all student voices are heard during his presidency.

While taking on the role of president is new to him, Hargy is not unfamiliar with working with Southern’s Student Associ-

to the beliefs and heritage of Adventists, as stated on its website. Its emphasis is centered around public service, activism, advocacy and scholarship in order to mirror the radical spirit of many Adventist pioneers in the early church.

This year for Peace Week, the APF is collaborating with Model UN Club, Student Association, Social Work Club and Student Missions Club for various events throughout the week, including an upcoming poster-making booth the Promenade on March 5 and a Vespers service March 7.

Earlier this semester, on Feb. 13, Southern’s APF chapter held a Valentine-themed flower market on the promenade in partnership with Bridge Refugee Services, an agency that helps international refugees who are relocating to East Tennessee. Student leaders organized the event as a fundraiser in response to a recent executive order that suspended all funds to the local nonprofit.

Makena VonBergen, history education major and APF president, explained the club’s mission and told the

ation, having served two terms as an SA Senator.

In an interview with the Accent, Edvan Benitez, senior Theology major and current SA president, noted Hargy’s experience.

“I say his biggest strength is that he’s been in leadership,” Benitez said. “He knows how Student Association works. It’s different when you want to be a leader, but you haven’t been [a leader].”

Hargy believes his previous leadership experience helped lead to his victory.

With his upcoming responsibilities, Hargy said his top priority is enhancing communication between administration and the student body.

“I am using my transitional period to collaborate closely with students and student organizations to identify urgent needs…,” Hargy said. “This will ensure that my term will begin

Accent why she believes it is so important to be involved in local service.

“In our self-centered society, it’s easy to focus on how our faith can benefit us,” VonBergen said. “While these things aren’t bad, they’re also not what the gospel is all about. Faith without action is dead. We’re called to follow in Jesus’s steps, to welcome the outsiders and meet the eyes of those that have been marginalized.”

One of the club’s officers, Amy Van Arsdell, senior history major, told the Accent that she underestimated how much support her fellow students on campus would show. APF members picked and created the bouquets they sold on the promenade so that all proceeds could be donated directly to Bridge Refugee Services, and the flowers sold even faster than expected.

“We were thrilled by the turnout and were so happy to sell out an hour before we planned to leave the Promenade,” Van Arsdell said. “We hope that even people who didn’t buy flowers learned about the need in our community and can be moved

with a student-driven agenda.”

Because of his connections to Student Association, Benitez says that Hargy’s plans align with many of the current goals of SA.

“We have had different conversations, and I feel like a lot of the things that he’s planning to push for are things that we already started or things that we are already doing,” Benitez said.

For those who want to learn more about Hargy’s platform, further information can be found at johnhargypresident. com.

Chino Zhao, the other candidate for President, received a total of 433 votes. Despite losing the election, Zhao said he learned from the experience.

“The election is a really great experience where you can put yourself out there,” Zhao said. “I believe no matter the outcome, the process is more

to donate or volunteer with Bridge Refugee Services. The crisis is not over, and Bridge Refugee Services is going to need our support in the months to come.”

When asked why the club is centered around service to the community rather than a more central approach to service within the church, VonBergen said, “When it comes to issues of social justice, the environment, peacemaking and human rights, Christians should be at the forefront. At Adventist

Peace Fellowship, we’re trying to become Jesus’s hand and feet to the world.”

According to Diller, one mission of APF is to remind Adventists about the church’s history of non-violent justice work and “tell the stories of those who work for peace in their neighborhoods, families, congregations and the larger world.”

“We want to remind our church that God’s kingdom is not of this world, and we work, as the prophet said, ‘for the healing of the

important than the result.”

Before the results were announced, Zhao credited Hargy with having great leadership experience and said he would remain on good terms with him.

“No matter the outcome, I’m still friends with all the opponents,” Zhao said.

When asked about his opponent, Hargy admired Zhao’s passion and strength in fostering community.

For the role of executive vice president, Jeaneva Bautista, senior accounting major, won with a total of 703 votes. She beat her opponent, Heaven Robles, sophomore biology major, by 151 votes.

“Running against a great contender, it was hard for me to believe that I would win,” Bautista said. “So, I was shocked but extremely grateful to those who voted for me.”

Esmeralda Paulino, sopho-

more business-public relations major, ran unopposed for the position of social vice president. She won by receiving 853 “yes” votes, 67.97% of the student body that voted.

“I am honored to be elected as social vice president,” Paulino said. “I’m excited to create events and experiences that bring [people] together and make this year unforgettable.”

When asked what message he would give to the winning candidates, Benitez shared insight about being a leader on campus.

“My biggest advice is that your main role to be a leader on this campus is that you need to be a spiritual leader,” Benitez said. “If at the end, you don’t have God at the center of your leadership … I don’t think you will be a successful leader.”

COLLEGEDALE NEWS

Collegedale hosts first-ever Storm Safety day to promote community and education

Collegedale’s first-ever Storm Safety Day brought together professionals and volunteers from more than 10 organizations last week to educate the City of Collegedale and the greater community on emergency preparedness.

The event, which took place from 3 to 7 p.m. at The Commons, attracted an estimated 400-500 people, according to Collegedale Commissioner Laura Howse.

A main focus of the event was to allow community members to buy new weather radios or bring their old ones to be programmed by an expert.

According to Amy Maxwell, public relations manager for the Hamilton County Office of Emergency Management, around 125 weather radios were sold or reprogrammed during the event.

“That’s 125 families that have that emergency tool,” said Maxwell. “It makes us happy to see that we have families in the city of Collegedale who are proactive when it comes to emergency preparedness.”

Despite the seriousness of the topic, Storm Safety Day had an almost fair-like

atmosphere, with lights strung across the venue and hot dogs and other snacks for sale. After viewing live safety demonstrations and informational booths, families shared food around outdoor picnic tables and enjoyed the sunny weather. Along with community members, volunteers and personnel took the opportunity to meet and interact with other organizations. Representatives from the Collegedale Police Department and the Tri-Community Fire Department joined volunteers from the

Humane Educational Society, the Samaritan Center and the American Red Cross, among others. Members of Southern’s Nursing Club also ran a booth and took an active part in the event, from conducting blood pressure checks for Collegedale police officers to engaging young members of the Civil Air Patrol Cadet Squad in a friendly push-up contest.

“It’s been really great to even just meet our community partners and get to know the people that will be there to help [in an emergency],” said Howse.

According to Howse,the free health clinic offered by the Nursing Club was “a huge hit” with visitors. At their booth, Southern nursing students screened community members for important health indicators such as blood pressure, pulse oximetry and body mass index. Based on the results, students provided online resources for further education. At another table, students gave out information on how to put together an emergency medical kit.

According to Nursing Club President Maddie Showalter, getting Southern students involved in the event was a way to help them connect with locals in a different setting.

“It’s just so important,” said Showalter. “It grows community outside of where we are.”

Howse said one of the most important safety measures for community members is an emergency plan, which explains where to get good information and where to find the safest part of their homes.

During large storms and potential cell service outages, weather radios are more reliable than cell phones to warn people of tornadoes and other dangerous conditions. Even when

cell phones have service, weather radios often receive warnings minutes before the phones do, which can give people valuable time to get to shelter, according to Howse.

Emergency Management Director Chris Adams explained that the best warning system includes three means of notifications: weather radios, cell phone alerts and news networks on television. To help, the Emergency Management Office maintains an emergency alert system where country residents can receive warnings to their phone numbers or emails. Interested individuals can sign up for these notifications at the Emergency Management Office’s website, hamiltonready.org.

According to Adams, hosting a community event such as Storm Safety Day cuts through the distractions of daily life by meeting people face- to- face and making sure they know how to act in an emergency.

“That's just a big thing about community,” said Adams. “You know, we ought to work together, and when [disaster] happens, we all got to come together to help each other.”

The APF Club passes out flowers on the promenade. Thursday, February 13, 2025 (Photo by Emma Rodriguez)

Southern nursing students pose for a photo during the event. Wednesday, February 26 , 2025 (Photo by Sienna Escobar)

Sienna Escobar Reporter

LAC Volleyball Tournament