Volume 75 Issue 9

Page 1

Sports | 5

Opinion | 6

Religion | 6

Lifestyle | 7

Hypocrisy in sports

Climate change and the media

Spreading beauty when I used to see none

Student Spotlight: Up and coming student creatives

November 14, 2019 Collegedale, Tennessee

Southern Accent

Vol. 75 Issue 9

The student voice since 1926

Campus Shop responds to student survey: Southern's

Results reveal mixed reactions to new online book system food pantry

for students

Zailin Peña Lead Reporter Despite Southern offering to feed those who are struggling, only seven to 10 students have visited the food pantry that is on campus to help feed those who are struggling to afford food. The students that have gone, have been the recurring ones who have shown up all semester. At no cost to students, food is available to those who go. The pantry was started by graduate social work students,

AMOUNT OF STUDENTS USING THE CAMPUS SHOP IN PAST SEMESTERS

200 MORE STUDENTS USED

Illustration by Kahelena Giltner

Sarah Klingbeil Lead Reporter This past summer, Southern’s Campus Shop switched to an online platform with a partnership with MBS Direct. In the past, students could buy books directly on location at the campus store. MBS Direct offers textbooks printed and electronic, digital quizzes and homework options, such as Cengage and Pearson, called Inclusive Access. After nearly a semester of the new system, The Accent sat down with Russel Orrison, associated VP for retail and auxiliary operations, and Danita Payne, Campus

MBS DIRECT THIS SEMESTER Shop manager, to learn how the new system is going. Recently you conducted a student survey about how students felt about the new system. Can you tell me a little about that? Orrison: Yes, we conducted a student survey. It went out to all undergraduates, which is slightly more than 2,000 students, and we received just a little bit under 400 responses. So far what we’ve been able to see pretty much fits with what we already knew or highly suspected. The survey was broken down into three main parts: the ordering process, payment process, and what kind of value

"A worthy project": Continuing the work of Alexander Ennis Ciarah Clark Staff Writer Alexander (Alec) Ennis, a former senior at Southern Adventist University, died unexpectedly in May before he could finish his senior capstone project. However, Southern computer science professor Robert Ordóñez plans to complete the project within the next year, possibly using the finished product to fund a scholarship for computer science majors in his memory.

Working on the project has made me really think about that idea of legacy Ennis, son of Randy and Wendy Ennis and husband of Angie Ochoa, would have graduated from Southern in Dec.

Alexander Ennis Photo courtesy of Angie Ochoa

2020 with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, a bachelor’s degree in computer science and a master’s degree in computer science after only five and a half years of studies. Ennis spent the Winter 2019 semester developing his project: an encrypted translator connecting a computer to a USB drive in order to make high levels of security easily accessible to the general public, according to Ordóñez. Ordóñez is working with a select group of computer science students to finish the device, but he said they have a long way to go and are unable to predict how much time such a task might take to complete. “You’re trying to basically reverse-engineer how far somebody got,” Ordóñez said. “I See PROJECT on page 2

the students perceived from the new program. We also gave them the opportunity to write in comments. So out of these 700 comments, we can see some themes. So, what were some of these themes? O: There were some sticky points on the ordering and payment process in general. For example, students had some difficulty in creating their accounts correctly and charging their books to their student account. But probably the overwhelming pattern had to do with issues regarding Inclusive Access, which is the dig-

I think it [Feed My Sheep] is a program that is touching a big need here on campus, in our church and in our community

ital platform where a lot of your content, such as your textbooks, online quizzes and homework, is available through an online portal. We were the first school that attempted, with MBS Direct, a full integration for providing Inclusive Access content, and there were issues. There were access issues and connectivity issues. Students were registering for a class, and then they were getting paired incorrectly with their content. Anything you learned after this first semester? O: Hindsight being 20-20, we were probably a little aggres-

Tania Barry and Marlenny Franco-Johnson in 2013, according to Kristie Wilder, dean of the School of Social Work. Feed My Sheep is a food pantry that is open to all students. To get food, students must show their ID card. The variety of meals includes Ramen noodles, pasta, beans, vegetables and fruits. Currently, there are two social work interns who set up the donations, Angelica Rodriguez and Jasmine Townsend. Their mission is to “meet

See CAMPUS on page 2

See PANTRY on page 3

It Is Written headquarters open close to Southern's campus

Aerial view of the It Is Written headquarters building. Photo courtesy of Matchim Hernandez

Xander Ordinola Lead Reporter The new headquarters for It Is Written will officially open on Nov. 22 at 9340 Four Corners Place, Collegedale, Tennessee. The headquarters will feature wider spaces and a larger staff than the previous building. The grand opening will hold a ribbon cutting and speakers, including It Is Written president John Bradshaw and representatives from Southern Adventist University. For over 60 years, It Is Written has produced evangelistic media in the attempt to spread the Gospel around the world by developing television programs. The new headquarters are also providing opportunities for Southern students to intern and grow within their respective fields. Specifically, students get to learn more about video production and editing, according to junior broadcast-journalism major Hannah D’Avanzo. Though the position does not relate directly to her career, D’Avanzo says that it ties in closely with real-world experience that may prove useful in

the future. “I want to be a reporter one day,” D’Avanzo said. “But this is also a part of it. As a journalist, you have to be able to edit your own videos. It’s helped me with my future career, but it’s not necessarily what I want to do in the long run.” We [also] decided on Chattanooga for better access to volunteers, better access to employees and we are also going to start a program with Southern Adventist University, so we want to be closer to that partnership Prior to August, over 40 local workers of It Is Written would commute to Bonny Oaks Drive, according to D’Avanzo. Currently, the new building allows closer access and will include two film studios, conference rooms, gym and eating areas. In addition to the main staff, there are a few workers producing the Spanish version of It Is Written, Escrito Esta. Mass communication and media production senior Kehiry Castillo had the opportunity to translate and write blogs for that ministry.

Despite the smaller staff, they produce similar types of devotionals, sermons and Q-and-A’s as the English version. “It was very challenging,” Castillo said. “I had my supervisor come up to me and say, ‘I need you to produce some spots for the program with Pastor Acosta’. So I had to come up with the idea, find footage, edit it, find someone to do voiceover.” According to Treasurer of It Is Written, Charles Reel, a majority of the staff are graduates from Southern Adventist University. However, due to the old building being located in California, it was difficult to obtain employees since the cost of living over there is much higher. “We thought it would be better to move to a place with more affordable housing,” Reel said. “We [also] decided on Chattanooga for better access to volunteers, better access to employees and we are also going to start a program with Southern Adventist University, so we want to be closer to that partnership.”


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