News | 2
Opinion | 3
Religion| 3
Lifestyle | 4
International students face uncertainty
Worth the sacrifice: Why we should do our part
Motivation to get you through tough times
Tips for working from home during social distancing
March 26, 2020 Collegedale, Tennessee
Southern Accent
Vol. 75 Issue 18 Online Edition
The student voice since 1926
COVID-19 concerns force Southern students off campus. What's next?
University community voices hopes, concerns and plans for distance learning Joel Guerra News Editor Taylor Dean Copy Editor More than two weeks after Southern announced that classes would be shifting to distance learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students are set to begin their online classes on Monday, March 30. Over the past two weeks, the majority of students have left campus, student employment has been discontinued, faculty have received distance learning training, textbook buybacks have been moved to online and graduation has been postponed. As mentioned in an earlier article this week, many inter-
national students faced uncertainty in regards to where they would live once Southern shifted to online learning. On March 19, international students were notified that if requested, they may be allowed to reside in Southern Village at least for the remainder of the semester. Most students, however, have packed up completely, evacuated campus and even received housing payment refunds or adjustments to their payment plans. According to Janell Hullquist, editorial manager of Marketing and University Relations, students will receive refunds for their remaining meal plan balances, as well as 50 percent of the associated
SJC Professor Pablo Fernandez has set up his in-home classroom space. Photo courtesy Pablo Fernandez.
administrative fee over the next few weeks. Additionally, many campus resources will remain available to students remotely. Tutoring, Counseling Services via Zoom, Disability Support Services, First Year Experience and other ser-
vices will be accessible via website, phone and email. Over the extended two-week spring break, professors have also adapted their courses to correlate with an online format to help students navigate through the remainder of the
semester. Journalism and Communication professor Pablo Fernandez commends Online Campus for being a great resource for the campus during the transition and is hopeful for the success See WHAT'S NEXT on page 2
Letter from Students stage an impromptu Asian Night after canthe Editor: cellation of all campus events to surprise club VP We'll still be here to keep you informed Paola Mora Zepeda Editor-in-chief We are living in a time of constant change. When I grabbed a copy of the Accent three weeks ago, I had no idea that it was going to be our last printed issue for the rest of the school year. I also could have never imagined that classes were going to transition into distant learning and that everyone would be asked to go home. A lot has happened in the last few weeks. I am, just like you, still trying to process everything. It is in this time of chaos, however, that being informed is more important than ever. Here at the Accent, we know that. Though the circumstances around us have changed, our priorities haven’t. We still aim to be your voice by accurately and fairly reporting what is happening in our community. We hope that during this time of isolation, we will be a bridge between you, your friends, your professors and your school. This year still has five issues left, and we will finish them. Though our website is currently down, we are working on creating a backup wixsite. We will also upload PDF versions of each issue on Issuu. com so that it is easily accessible for everyone to read. This will also ensure that all articles are in order so that the library can archive these stories for future references. In addition, we plan to remain active on our social media accounts where we will communicate with our readers and be a quick link to their Southern community. You can find us on Instagram (@ sauaccent), Twitter (@Southern_Accent) and Facebook (@ the.southern.accent). There will be some modifications to the newspaper as we are still trying to adapt to all the See LFE on page 2
Students perform at impromptu Asian Night. Photo by Treson Thompson
Paola Mora Zepeda Editor-in-chief On March 12, members of the Asian Club staged an impromptu Asian night performance after news that Southern Adventist University was going to switch to distance learning for the rest of the semester. The show included seven performances that highlighted the cultures of Korea, the Philip-
pines, China, Japan, Indonesia, the Oceanic Islands and India. It took place in the Iles P.E. Center and was put on by students as a surprise for nursing junior and Asian Night Director Issac Abraham. “[Country leaders] felt so bad that everyone had worked so hard [for the show], especially Issac,” said management senior Rodny Aquino. “So, they asked us if we would be willing to come last minute to perform
Local and state officials expand responses amid growing coronavirus concerns Tierra Hayes Managing Editor As governments across the country and world continue to tighten constraints on citizens to help curb the spread of the COVID-19, the City of Collegedale, Hamilton County and the state of Tennessee have announced various policies to promote social distancing. On Sunday, March 22, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed an executive order to prohibit social gatherings larger than 10 people. The order limits restaurants to takeout, drive-thru and delivery services; closes gyms and restricts visits to care facil-
ities for the elderly and vulnerable. On, March 24,the governor also recommended that all school districts remain closed until at least April 24. Based on the same concern, the City of Collegedale closed government buildings, including City Hall, to the public. Government operations will continue, but those who wish to contact officials and workers are asked to do so by calling, emailing or faxing according to a statement released by city spokeswoman Bridgett Raper. Collegedale officials have also limited access to public
See GOV. RESPONSES on page 2
and surprise Issac.” Abraham said he is happy to have seen the performance and thankful for the effort of everyone involved. “I could never imagine or ask for a better team. The amount of effort put into this is insane,” Abraham said. “They stepped out of their comfort zones and took time out of their busy schedules to make this amazing night. …I would like people to see the potential of what the
Asian community has done on this campus in bringing a sense of unity among everyone else.” For many seniors, like Aquino, this was their last time to see the show as students. “[Asian Night] was very important for me and for everyone, especially seniors, because it was a time where we could get some closure, which was something I was so sad that I wasn’t going to be able to get,” said Aquino, who was also one of the dancers for the Indian and Tonga groups. “Besides, [with] the negative news we have received, it is so good to know and see the energy and love that the students have for this club, Southern, and each other.” The show ended with a mock graduation for the seniors who were present, and Aquino handed out imaginary diplomas. Asian night is the last cultural show of the semester and was originally scheduled to take place on April 4, after spring break. Earlier that day, Southern made the decision to move classes online due to COVID-19 concerns.
'At first I didn't want to go home': Southern student missionaries make tough call
Student missionaries smile for a picture in Honduras. Photo courtesy Shannon Hill.
Paola Mora Zepeda Editor-in-chief On March 12, shortly after Southern Adventist University announced that it would be changing its classes to distant learning for the rest of the semester, the Student
Missions office sent out an email advising current student missionaries to return home. The recommendation came as a response to ongoing COVID-19 concerns. “As a student missionary, See MISSIONS on page 2