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Southern Accent
Vol. 77 Issue 18
The student voice since 1926
Brooks and Rogers: Southern students share engagement story
Campus Safety updates emergency text app Geoffrey Fowler Reporter
ice skating in the snow. Brooks remembers it being cold, but a fun time. “I’ve had such a great time,” said Brooks, as they ran back to their car. “I just love you so much.” Rogers didn’t react to it then, not until they were on a plane from Chattanooga to Chicago on their way home for Winter break. He asked her, “Do you love me?” And she replied, “Yes, I do.” On the 30-minute layover at O’Hare airport, they were grabbing bags and running through the station to their respective gates on the other side of the airport. They sat together on a bench. And when her gate called, “To Oklahoma,” they got up, and Rogers finally said what he’d been thinking all along: “I love you.” They hugged tightly, not wanting to let go, as they were about to spend five weeks away from each other.
Campus Safety has a new updated feature on its app Omnilert. The feature will allow a user to enable his or her location with the press of a button. Omnilert, formerly called EQCampus, has been used for emergency text service for Southern Adventist University since 2015, according to Shawn Haas, associate director of Campus Safety. Campus Safety has been testing the app on the Biology Trails to make sure that it works correctly. According to Haas, the Biology Trails are the best place to test because of how often people get lost or hurt themselves in that area. The app gives users three emergency options: call Campus Safety, call 911 or submit a silent alert. The silent alert takes the user’s GPS location and sends it to Campus Safety. Haas said the app allows a Campus Safety officer to respond to the number that sent the call or alert. Even with this new feature, Haas said it is best to call 911 if in danger. He said the app timestamps the person’s location when he or she presses the button. After pressing the button, if you’re in danger, it is good to leave the dangerous situation as Campus Safety responds. According to Haas, one of the obstacles Campus Safety is facing with the app is getting people to download it. He said some people are hesitant to use location services due to privacy reasons. Another feature that will be added is the ability to send videos or pictures. “There is a certain hesitancy to adding that feature because you see on the news that peo-
See ENGAGEMENT on page 2
See OMNILERT on page 2
Ted Rogers and Celeste Brooks pose for a photo after announcing their engagement. (Photo courtesy of: Ted Rogers)
Frank Canizares Contributer “It was a rainy night and we were out walking,” said Celeste Brooks, sophomore mass communication major, as she recalled the moment when she realized Ted Rogers, sophomore communication and history double major, was the one. “He had dropped me off at the girls’ dorm, and he was leaving,” she said. At that point, Brooks said, she wasn’t sure if they were going to see each other the next day, or if Rogers was going to ask her out on another date. At that moment, all she knew was she just didn’t want him to leave. Southern Adventist University — affectionately called “Southern Matrimonial College” by many students, alumni and employees over the years — is known for being the place where many have found the person they eventually married. Brooks and Rogers met during their first week at Southern; and from there, their love
story ensued. The child of Adventist missionaries, Brooks said she spent her childhood like a fish-out-ofwater, as her parents relocated constantly, answering their call to serve. Always the new kid in town, Brooks — influenced by her mother — loved romance movies and western novels. She said she always dreamt about a movie-like love story; and by junior high, she started picturing her wedding day as a “sentimental day.” “A day to take in the moment where everyone and everything had meaning to be there, from the venue to the type of food, all the way down to the guests,” Brooks said. She met Rogers on August 22, 2020, at Vespers. Friends had asked her to come out and meet new people. She remembers everybody saying his name, “Hey Ted,” “Have you seen Ted?” But it was dark, and that was that. “I had never met a ‘Ted’ before,” said Brooks, as she remembered the day she met her fiancé. A week later, at the Blue
Hole at the bottom of Lookout Mountain, she sat on a bench waiting for friends. Suddenly, a car pulled up, and an enthusiastic guy got out and introduced himself. Brooks and Rogers spent the day among friends, hiking and cliff jumping. As she saw him interact, she realized he was real and honest. She would look to see if he was looking. She thought he was cute and wanted to talk to him. “There were butterflies,” Brooks said. “Hey! So, you are from California?” Brooks asked Rogers. They had a moment to themselves to talk and connect. “She had so much to say about culture, geography, about life,” Rogers said. “You could tell in the way she talked, she was intelligent.” A few days before Winter break, 2020, Rogers planned a beautiful evening — a romantic night out in Chattanooga. The Christmas tree was up, and there was an outdoor ice skating rink. They spent the night
'Off the Grid' graphic Student Association's annual talent design gallery opens show to return this Saturday Celeste Brooks Staff Writer The School of Visual Art and Design’s (SVAD) annual Senior Gallery Show opened on March 10. According to SVAD Professor Joe La Com, this year's theme is “Off the Grid.” Berly Hernandez Ortiz, senior graphic design major, explained the backdrop for this year’s gallery theme. “As graphic designers here, when we first arrive, we don't really know anything about design,” she said. “We're instructed by professors and begin to learn. Eventually, your junior or senior year, you start to get out from what is known to be ‘right’ in graphic design, like the rules. “ As designers, we kind of go off the grid, because we begin to do our own thing,” she continued. “We're our own self. We do our own style of pieces. The event will also be showcasing how people are different.” According to Ortiz, the theme was decided by the senior
class. Growing from their own experiences, the theme of the gallery became personal and allows guests to walk through the walls of art following each student’s passion. “For us, it's because every single person has a different style,” Ortiz said. “You're going to be able to see that when you walk through the show. You're going to be able to tell what makes each of us different. We're going to have an entrance where people are going to see a concise theme, [but] when you get to like the art pieces you can see the differences.” Ortiz said the event is an opportunity for senior graphic designers to showcase their best designs that they did over all four years. Ortiz described the showcase as a gallery-style event with an opening night where the artists will stand with their pieces and answer questions or speak with potential employers. “We're going to be placed in our section, where we're showSee GALLERY SHOW on page 3
Lesieli Savelio Staff Writer
Student Association (SA) will host its annual talent show on Sunday March 27 in the Iles P.E. Center beginning at 7:30 p.m. SA has hosted the talent show for at least 22 years, according to Kari Shultz, director of student life and activities. “I have been here 23 years, and we have hosted one all but the year that we were sent home for the pandemic,” Shultz said. This year’s talent show will include prizes of $2,000 for first place, $1,000 for second place and $800 for third place. Ari Rodriguez, SA social vice president, said these amounts are larger than last year’s prizes. If a group wins, they will have to split the prize among themselves. Ten participants will be chosen from those who auditioned to perform on stage and compete for the prize money. Applications and auditions closed on Thursday, February 24, at 3 p.m. See TALENT SHOW on page 2
Talent Show poster. (Poster courtesy of: Student Association)