Sports | 5
Opinion | 6
Religion | 6
Lifestyle | 7
The rise of MLB Cheating Scandals
Political chess in the Middle East
Bible study plans for you
A time to reflect
January 23, 2020 Collegedale, Tennessee
Southern Accent
Vol. 75 Issue 11
The student voice since 1926
Items stolen in Hulsey and McKee Library
Bietz Center faces continued delays Weather, permits push completion five to six months
Bailey DuBose Lead Reporter Eleven cases of theft were reported to Campus Safety during the first week of the winter semester at Southern Adventist University. According to Campus Safety’s Daily Crime Log, there were two thefts of backpacks from McKee Library on Jan. 13 and nine thefts of personal items from Hulsey Wellness Center on Jan. 14. Campus Safety Associate Director Shawn Haas said the items stolen in Hulsey were from the Gym-Masters area, and the victims include Southern students and Collegedale Academy students. The backpacks stolen from the library were from an open area. According to senior English major Anthony Nelson, his See STOLEN ITEMS on page 3
Bietz Center under construction. Photo by Hannah Moyer
Sarah Klingbeil Lead Reporter A mix of wet weather and unforeseen circumstances has put the Bietz Center for Student Life five to six months behind schedule, according to Marty Hamilton, associate vice president of financial administration.
Hamilton attributes the delay to the contractors’ limited fivedays-a-week work schedule, costly corrections that have affected the building progress and rain. “Rain was one of the issues, but when the steel was coming up, we found out that bolts in the foundation wall were in the
2020 Chattanooga Women’s Rally generates varying responses to the event’s agenda
wrong place,” Hamilton said. “And this wasn't the university's fault. This was one of our contractors’ fault. So, the university did not have to pay, but we had to go through a correction. The steel came back down, and it had to be re-engineered. We lost three weeks right there.” The team plans to have the
Bailey DuBose Lead Reporter Taylor Dean Copy Editor On Jan. 18, roughly 80 individuals, including Southern students, gathered in Miller Park in Downtown Chattanooga on a wet, chilly Saturday morning to participate in the 2020 Chattanooga Women’s Rally to advocate for an inclusive American culture characterized by civility and respect, according to the rally’s official website. Coverage from Times Free Press over the past three years shows thousands present in 2018, over 500 in 2019 and only about 100 in 2020. Contrary to previous years where the event involved participants marching through Downtown Chattanooga, this year’s rally did not include a march and instead was enclosed strictly within the limits of Miller Park. Junior clinical psychology major Hannah Sbacchi experienced uncertainty as to what the event’s objectives were and
what was scheduled to happen. Sbacchi stated poor communication as the main contributor to the confusion. “The lack of people and weather put a damper on the whole thing. But it was very hard to know what was happening because there was no communication,” Sbacchi said. According to the Chattanooga Women’s Rally website, “I felt like we actually contributed to society last year. I was doing my civic duty.
the mission of the 2020 event was to harness the political power of the diverse women of Chattanooga for transformation and inclusive change, as well as celebrate the 100th anniversary of the passing of the 19th Amendment. Junior social work major Mahlet Valdez attended the event with other members of the School of Social Work to serve as volunteers. Valdez’ expectations for the rally were different from what she experienced. “Since it was my first time
attending this event, I thought it was going to be more like a women’s march,” Valdez said. “But it was actually a women’s rally celebrating the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote.” However, due to the event occurring on the same day as the Women’s March in Washington D.C., along with other marches across the country, responses varied regarding the different agenda of the Chattanooga rally. Organizations that were originally scheduled to appear at the rally expressed opinions over the new agenda in comparison to previous years. According to a schedule posted by The Chattanoogan on Friday, Jan. 10, non-profit organization La Paz Chattanooga was expected to be present at the event. However, La Paz later announced via Twitter on Thursday, Jan. 16, that it would not be participating in the 2020 Chattanooga Women’s Rally. “La Paz’s mission is to empower and engage our city’s See WOMEN'S MARCH on page 3
See BIETZ on page 3
Miller Hall tree removed due to safety concerns Tierra Hayes Managing Editor
L-R: Hannah Sbacchi, Jessica Pepper, Chloe Bastajian holding their signs during Women's Rally Photo by Taylor Dean
building completed at the end of 2020, but no official date has been announced, according to Hamilton. Still, there are further obstacles for the opening day, he said. “The local city here also requires that we have a landscaping plan. So that means all the sidewalks, all the lighting, all the landscaping around the building has to be done before we can get an occupancy permit. So, I can get the building built and ready to go; but, unless I have everything done, I can't occupy [it],” Hamilton said. Students have expressed mixed reactions to the delay. “I understand that you must have some landscaping rules, but practically speaking it is kind of frustrating,” said Kari Remmers, freshman nursing major. “For me, it doesn’t make that much of a difference, since I would not be seeing it anyway, which is too bad,” said Joi McClellan, senior music major.
A large Willow Oak tree outside of Miller Hall that was estimated to be around 70-80 years old was removed over Christmas break on Jan. 7 and 8. According to Director of Landscape Services Mark Antone, Administration and Landscape Services came to an agreement that the tree was compromised and a likely hazard, after a branch and a large portion of the tree fell with little to no warning on July 30. “Safety and peace of mind is my most important responsibility for students, staff and community who walk our campus,” Antone wrote in an email. “Trees are my thing, but not when they could potentially hurt someone.” Antone said trees on campus are routinely monitored by on-campus staff and evaluated by professional arborists, especially when there is a concern about the health or structure of a tree. The Miller Hall tree had begun to have hollowed-out spaces behind many of the large branches, weakening
Miller Hall tree being removed Photo by Arlene Leavitt
their holds to the trunk, making other options for saving the tree unviable, according to Antone. He said that he is currently unsure as to why the otherwise healthy tree presented these anomalies, but that the tree likely sustained some damage in the past. After the removal of the tree, Landscape Services plans to plant an additional tree near the same area but further away from the building. Some who have been around campus for a long time, like
Safety and peace of mind is my most important responsibility for students, staff, and community who walk our campus,” Antone wrote in an email. “Trees are my thing, but not when they could potentially hurt someone. School of Journalism and Communication professor Stephen Ruf, were sad to see the tree go. “Well, I was very sad to see that old tree come down,” Ruf said. “It was a beautiful, old grand lady. It was gorgeous in the summer with its spreading limbs and I'm sure it's been here for a very long time and seen a lot of things come and go. So, to see an old-timer like that come down kind of breaks your heart.”
Miller Hall after tree was removed. Photo by Paola Mora Zepeda