Southern Accent Vol. 78, Issue 11

Southern Accent

Tuition to increase by 6% next school year

Due to high inflation, South ern Adventist University will increase tuition, the general education fee, residence hall rent and meal plans — called the “Big Four” by administrators — by nearly 6% for the 2023-2024 academic year, according to Doug Frood, vice president for Financial Administration.

Amanda Blake Managing Editor Matthew Orquia News Editor

Carl Bernstein, one of the report ers who helped uncover the Water gate scandal leading to the resig nation of President Richard Nixon in 1974, visited Southern Adventist University’s campus on Thursday, drawing more than 1,500 people to Iles P.E. Center.

Bernstein shared his views regarding “truth” and the role of journalism in society during a conversational-style presenta tion moderated by local televi sion personality Alison Lebovitz, host of “The A List with Alison Lebovitz,” a weekly WTCI/PBS interview series. The interview, taped before a live audience, will be broadcasted on WTCI/PBS sometime in the near future.

Bernstein, the 78-year-old leg

endary journalist, described how he worked for The Washington Evening Star as a teenager and cov ered the civil rights movement and former President John F. Kennedy’s inauguration. He provided insight into how he and Bob Woodward exposed Nixon’s crimes as young reporters in their late 20s work ing for The Washington Post. The majority of the conversation, how ever, consisted of commentary on the role of journalists, public dis trust of the media and advice for young reporters.

“What I learned from great report ers as a kid covering civil rights: The truth is not neutral,” Bernstein said. “And think about it, a lynching is not neutral. And so from that evolves the notion: the best obtainable ver sion of the truth is not going to be neutral a good part of the time.”

Bernstein used the phrase “the best obtainable version of the truth” frequently throughout the

presentation to reference what a good journalist or news organiza tion should aim to report.

“What a reporter does is not just cover these elevated events, but you cover the surroundings and the context and the place in which it occurs,” he said. “And a part of the best obtainable version of the truth is context, not simply a set of facts about what a congressman says on the floor.”

Bernstein’s visit to campus inau gurated the School of Journalism and Communication’s R. Lynn Sauls Lecture series, an annual event meant to “inspire a new genera tion of truth seekers, storytellers, and influencers” by annually invit ing prominent journalists and com munication professionals to cam pus. In addition to the hundreds who attended in person, the lecture also attracted more than 200 online viewers, according to the university.

As a college dropout himself,

Ignite Live to return next semester

Kathy Zelidon Reporter

On Feb. 4, Ignite Live will return to Southern Adventist University for its first show of the school year. The show will take place in Iles Gym at 8 p.m.

Regular Ignite hosts Gianna Bacchiocchi, junior health science major, and Aaron Patterson, senior mass communication – media pro duction major, will host the pro duction.

“Ignite Live is a live event that aims to expand our YouTube

school year, with the first featur ing special guest Alex Kendrick, a popular director of Christian films, and the second featuring Melvin Adams, a former Harlem Globe trotter and motivational speaker.

Fernandez said this year’s guest speaker is yet to be confirmed but will be “major.”

Fernandez told the Accent in an interview that the Ignite team is still considering several topics and themes for the night, but they want the show to be an opportu

key guest will be participating in the entire show rather than just as a speaker. Clubs will also be allowed to participate in games for prizes and have booths, and a stu dent-led band will be performing. In addition, curfew for on-campus students will be extended to 2 a.m.

This Ignite Live will be the first to be advertised to the Chattanooga population. When asked about the future of Ignite, Fernandez told the Accent that he hopes Ignite can be an event not only for students but

Bernstein said he believes more college dropouts and people who understand what is really going “in the streets” should become reporters. He addressed the belief among some Americans that “elites” now occupy most news organizations, controlling the top ics that are reported.

“What we are terrible about is covering the people of the country and what’s on their minds,” he said.

When asked about distrust in the media, Bernstein placed a large percentage of the blame on the general public’s low receptiveness to truth, adding that it has become a large contributing factor to polar ization in the nation.

“I would say an overwhelming [number] of people of all politi cal beliefs are looking for informa tion to reinforce what they already believe,” he said.

See CARL BERNSTEIN on page 2

For the academic year, tuition will equal $24,350, the general education fee $940, residence hall rent $5,140 and the bronze meal plan $2,920. Southern’s website lists the estimated food allowance for residence hall stu dents as $3,360, and using that number, lists $33,790 as a res idence hall student’s sample yearly cost. For community stu dents, that cost is $25,290. The website adds, “With a full load, plan for books and supplies to cost an estimated $1,100.”

“It’s been tough. I can tell you personally, there was not a sin gle person in the room when we were making the discussion to set tuition for next year that went out of there happy,” Frood said in an interview with the Accent. “ … We are trying, and we are trying our best. Let's hope inflation comes back to something more reasonable.”

Campus Shop changes prove good for students, bad for sales

Last fall, Southern Adventist Uni versity debuted its new student center, the Bietz Center for Student Life. With this new space came the relocation of numerous cam pus resources such as the Cam pus Shop, which was previously located next to the Village Mar ket on University Drive. The store, renamed the Southern Shoppe, is located on the first floor of Bietz.

In an interview with the Accent, Sydney Whitmill, senior education major, said moving the bookstore was a positive thing for students.

“Now that the campus shop is in Bietz, I feel like it’s so much eas ier for me to stop in and get what I need,” Whitmill said. “Walking all the way to the VM and then carry ing my stuff back to the dorm was not it; Bietz feels so much closer.”

While this move seems to have positively impacted some stu dents, administrators tracking sale numbers said the relocation has negatively impacted revenue for the shop. According to Doug

Frood, vice president for Financial Administration, moving the shop away from University Drive has decreased the number of commu nity customers.

When asked if the move has affected the shop’s financial status, Frood said, “On one hand it’s great because the students are a little closer to it, but [it has] now lost the off-the-street traffic.”

Another change the book store made was moving to MBS, the largest used college textbook wholesaler, as its sole provider of textbooks. According to Frood, this has decreased the amount of money students have to pay for their books by thousands of dol lars, which also has resulted in less revenue for the shop.

Frood said the store has been looking to increase sales of other items such as clothing, but because there is less street traf fic, it has been focusing more on online sales.

“It may not be perfect,” Frood said, “but we’ve made progress.”

show, ‘Ignite,’ into a talk show experience,” said Professor Pablo Fernandez, Ignite’s staff sponsor.

“In ‘Ignite’ we discuss meaning ful topics for our community, giv ing students the chance to voice their opinions.”

The event is produced by the School of Journalism and Commu nication (SJC) in partnership with Student Association.

Ignite Live occurred twice last

nity for students to release their stress from their everyday lives.

“Students have been bom barded with issues like mental health, school and health prob lems,” Fernandez said. “At our event, students can come, relax, have some fun and hopefully get something out of it.”

The show will be in the format of a late night show with games and activities. Fernandez said the

also for the surrounding community.

“The long-term vision of Ignite Live is to become one of the major Christian entertainment events in Chattanooga,” he said. “We can show who we are as a university to the people just across the street.”

You can view Ignite’s episodes and past clips of the Ignite Live shows on the SJC’s YouTube channel or at the Instagram page @ignitesau.

Legendary journalist Carl Bernstein speaks with Alison Lebovitz, host of a weekly PBS series, in front of a packed audience in Iles P.E. Center. Thursday, December 1, 2022 (Photo by: Ron Cabacungan)

‘The best obtainable version of the truth’: Legendary journalist Carl Bernstein discusses role of media

Amanda Blake Managing Editor

Naomi Linder Staff Writer

Last year's Ignite hosts Aaron Patterson and Elise Deschamps speak to an Ignite Live crowd.

November 5, 2021 (Photo by: Cecelia Moreno)

The Southern Shoppe sign in Bietz Center for Student Life Monday, December 5, 2022 (Photo by: Alana Crosby)

According to Bernstein, all news organizations are not committed to the best obtainable version of the truth. He said Fox News, in particular, falls into that category, but the majority of reporting in the country is not influenced by political bias.

“I think most news organizations are looking for balance in the sense of ‘What are the facts?’ [and] ‘What is the context?’” Bernstein said. “I don’t quite accept the premise that

news — the evidence is in the sto ries. … Donald Trump is the first seditious president in the United States,” he continued in a state ment that was immediately met by fervent applause.

“That is a bold, bold state ment. What he did on Jan. 6, what he did in terms of saying this is a fake election, that this election has been stolen. What he did in terms of not turning over documents to the national archives … look at the record. …

He is a criminal president whose criminality goes beyond even that of Richard Nixon.”

effort to interview a bookkeeper who had vital information about Nixon’s reelection campaign crimes.

“That’s what so much reporting is about: Get your foot in the door,” he said. “And then you have a chance at a real story.”

In addition, he said, young reporters should listen well, avoid “manufactured contro versy,” and not take themselves too seriously.

He recounted advice from Kath erine Graham, the Washington Post publisher during Watergate, who wrote him and his partner Bob Woodward a note after Nixon

Alana Crosby if he believed media outlets like CNN or MSNBC are biased in their reporting.

Again, he mentioned his reluc tance to generalize or pigeonhole media outlets.

“I think we need to look at what the purpose is and values are of these news organizations individually,” he said. “Fox News is committed to what it does, and it does it really well. At the same time, its model has very little interest in the best obtainable ver sion of the truth.

… I just want to avoid generalizations. I think that’s a problem in tself in journalistic culture.”

“I think it helped open my eyes to realize that maybe not everything I’m hearing in the media is always truthful,” Nash said. “But it also makes me really appreciate truthful reporting and [the] desire to really listen for truthful reporting.”

Landon Asscherick, a sophomore business administration major, said he felt somewhat disappointed by the program.

“I was very intrigued by the title, which I thought was slightly mis leading,” Asscherick said. “ … To be honest, I don’t think he had a strong thesis supporting that. I don’t think that was particularly addressed.”

Asscherick said although he was not an avid supporter of Trump or Fox News, he disagreed with Bernstein’s comparison between Trump and Richard Nixon and felt that Bernstein’s calling out of Fox News was unfair.

“If you’re gonna mention Fox, then mention CNN,” he said.

Shelby Romashko, a Southern sophomore marketing major, pur chased Bernstein’s latest book “Chasing History” at a booth out side the event. She said she was inspired by Bernstein’s young start in journalism and hoped to gain further inspiration from the book. She also appreciated Bernstein’s insight on the field.

our news institutions and report ers, by and large, are swinging to one side.”

Bernstein made stronger polit ical statements later in the lec ture when Lebovitz began read ing questions sent in by audience members, one of which read, “What role could the national press and national media take in help ing to unify our country given the growing polarization?”

Bernstein acknowledged the nation’s fractured state but reaf firmed a point he’d made earlier in the interview, which is that uni fying the country is not the press’ responsibility. The press’ job, he said, is to report what is happen ing and why. He then referenced the reporting done on the presi dency of Donald Trump.

“I think the reporting on the Trump presidency … has been the greatest reporting on a president of the United States in my lifetime. The idea that this has been fake

Bernstein continued his dicus sion on polarization and politics by explaining the heroic role played by Republicans to pass three articles of impeachment against Nixon on the House Judiciary Committee. Repub lican Senator Barry Goldwater even told Nixon face-to-face that the president did not have his vote, said Bernstein, recounting a story Gold water told he and Woodward years after Nixon’s resignation.

“The key votes were by coura geous Republicans,” Bernstein said.

Advice for Future Journalists

When Lebovitz asked Bernstein to offer advice to journalism and com munication students, he quickly said, “Get hired,” which sparked resound ing laughter. Continuing along the same line, he encouraged aspiring journalists to get their foot in the door, referencing a popular scene in the 1970s film, “All the President’s Men,” in which Bernstein (played by Dustin Hoffman) sticks his foot in a door in an

resigned. The note read: “Beware the demon pomposity.”

Bernstein Unmiked

In addition to speaking at the event, Bernstein interacted with students, Southern employees and individuals from the community at a VIP meet-and-greet,book signing and small media gathering.

At the press meeting that fol lowed the interview, Bernstein answered questions from student media and the Chattanooga Times Free Press. During that time, he insisted on giving each individual a chance to ask a question and responded to questions concern ing his statements on Fox News.

When asked if he viewed bias as part of the reason why some media outlets do not seek the best obtain able version of the truth, Bernstein said it is difficult to generalize about bias and media because the terms are so broad. He was then asked by Southern Accent Editor-in-Chief

“But the basic reporting is the old-fashioned kind of “shoe leather” reporting that needs to be done,” Bernstein said. “ … I was known as somebody who was great at work ing the telephones, starting when I was at the Star. There are certainly times when you want to be talking on the telephone, or maybe texting back and forth, but, by and large, the real reporting has to be done face-to-face.”

Audience Reactions

After the program, the Accent and SAU News interviewed some attendees.

Cindy Nash, a community member who is married to a former SJC professor, said the event gave her a new perspec tive on truth in the media.

“I think fake news has become so popular, and it's hard to know what to trust,” Romashko said. “So, I think it is important to treat it with discretion. But I think [Ber nstein] shed a lot of insight from a journalist’s perspective.”

Faulkner Hemming, a com munity member who also pur chased Bernstein’s book, said he wanted to learn more about Ber nstein’s story. Hemming added that the program didn’t change his thoughts on truth in the media but rather affirmed the values he already held.

“I think the media plays an important role in the country, and I think many times it's underesti mated,” Hemming said. “It's also been maligned in the last few years, and so it feels like journal ism isn't as important as it used to be. But I think it is, and [Ber nstein’s] presentation just really affirmed that.”

Intramural participation continues to see an uptick

Jacob Nevis Sports Editor

One of the programs at South ern Adventist University that is pop ular among students is the intramu ral sports program. Intramurals are usually played from 6 to 10 p.m. from Monday to Thursday. There is a rota tion of sports that are played, and this allows students to pick which sports they would like to participate in. The program allows students to make their own teams as well as enter as a free agent who can be picked up by any team.

This school year, Southern currently has the third largest freshman class it’s ever had, according to a previous Accent article. The increase in fresh man enrollment has since led to an increase in the number of participants in the different intramural sports, according to Intramural Director Troy Walker.

In an interview with the Accent, Walker spoke about freshman partic ipation in intramurals.

“One of the hardest groups usually to recruit to play the sports is the fresh

Southern Accent

The Accent encourages readers to write articles and voice their opinions. However, the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Accent, Southern Adventist University or the Seventh-day Adventist Church. For any questions, comments and article submission information, email the editor at acrosby@southern.edu For all advertising inquiries, email studentadmgr@southern.edu.

man class. This is largely due to the fact that they don’t know very much about it, and sometimes they rather worry about their studies first when

they get here,” he said. “This year has been different, though, with the early intramural sports seeing a lot of par ticipation.”

Caleb Asmare, a freshman chemis try major, was asked in an interview if he knew about the intramural sports program before coming to Southern.

“I knew that Southern had intra murals, but I didn’t know how many sports or how organized it was,” Asmare said.

Asmare was also asked about how intramurals have affected him in his life as a student.

“It's been fun playing sports that I’m familiar with and interesting to learn

how to play sports I’ve never played like floor hockey,” he said. “I choose to play because it lets me get my mind off school.”

In the past few years, even during the COVID-19 pandemic, the intramu ral program has seen an increase in participants, according to Walker. He specifically mentioned basketball and how the number of teams and partici pants continues to rise.

According to the Accent article, there was a decrease in students enrolled at Southern from 2019 to 2021. That drop did not affect the con tinuing increase in intramural partici pation.

Walker said he is happy the number of participants continues to increase because he wants as many students to enjoy intramurals as possible.

“The intramural program was cre ated for the students to enjoy,” he said.

Basketball is the upcoming sport for students to play next semester. Sign-ups for creating teams will end on Dec 7.

“I knew that Southern had intramurals, but I didn’t know how many sports or how organized it was."

by: Ron Cabacungan)

When asked about face-to-face journalism in the internet age, Ber nstein said that in-person meetings remain important, although new technology can facilitate reporting.

David Alvarado runs down the court during hockey intramurals.

Novermber 16, 2022 (Photo by: Ronnell Cabacungan)

"What we are ter rible about is cover ing the people of this country and what's on their minds."

TUITION INCREASE

continued from page 1

Frood addressed a question that was asked at Student Asso ciation’s Town Hall on Thursday, which read: “Tuition and gen eral fees etc. increase each year by 6%, but our academic schol arships do not. Why do our aca demic scholarships not increase the same amount?”

"There was not a single person in the room when we were making the discus sion to set tuition for next year that went out of there happy."

At the Town Hall, President Ken Shaw said tuition does not increase by 6% each year, which Frood affirmed in the interview, and the scholarships students receive from Southern are based on the university’s endowment, which fluctuates with the finan cial market.

“If the market doesn’t increase … we’re not going to see an increase in that amount that we can provide students,” Shaw said. “So, this year — anybody who's been following the market — we’ve actually lost several mil lion dollars in our endowment, so what we’re able to actually provide students is going to be less next year as a result of the endowment.”

During the interview with the

Accent, Frood called the conver sation about student aid increas ing with tuition “challenging.” He clarified that student aid is not entirely dependent on the endow ment, as it currently contributes close to $4 million to the amount Southern gives in scholarships, which exceeds $20 million.

He said merit scholarships will not be changing in amount any time soon, partly because a ris ing number of students are qual ifying for them. This trend has occurred in several other private schools as well.

However, need-based scholar ships will rise at the same rate as tuition in the same way Southern has increased them in the past.

According to Frood, tuition rose 1.9% in the 2018-2019 academic year, 2.6% in 2019-2020, 1.9% in 2020-2021, 1.2% in 2021-2022 and 3% this academic year.

“[These increases] are some what typical of higher-ed as a whole,” Frood said. “We’ve always been accused of raising tuition faster than inflation, [but] the industry as a whole has essen tially been south of inflation for at least five to six years now. And, of course, as much as we’re raising at 6% — and people gasp at that — but technically, based on our current inflation number, that’s still a little less.”

The United States Labor Depart ment reported the annual infla tion rate as 7.7% for the 12 months that ended October, according to U.S. Inflation Calculator. The next update is scheduled to release on

the morning of Dec. 13.

“It’s cold comfort; I get it. But we are trying desperately,” Frood continued. “As I said to my busi ness students, inflation is a killer when it comes to higher ed and healthcare. It just wreaks havoc.”

this campus — that’s a ballpark estimate. So, a 20% move is $400,000,” Frood said. “That’s like three quarters of a percentage point from a tuition raise stand point, just that by itself.”

Adding the raised expense in gas to the raised expense of electricity already equals a 1% increase in tuition. The dining hall has been forced to increase prices as well.

wages would increase tuition as well. He later explained in the interview that some administra tors, including him, are pushing to increase student wages, and current discussions are centered around a raise of $2 per hour.

The university does not want to raise tuition and is working hard to increase its endowment, acquire more funding and become more efficient, stressed Frood.

In an opinion article about the relationship between the healthcare and higher education industries and inflation, The Hill contributor Vivekanand Jayaku mar wrote: “Since higher edu cation and health care need to employ highly educated profes sionals (who could otherwise be employed in alternate high-pro ductivity sectors), they still need to offer high pay to attract talent.”

Frood said the driving force behind tuition changes is alter ations in what the university pays its employees, and with periods of high inflation come necessary increases in compensation.

The university has been influ enced in other ways by the cur rent inflationary environment, with expenses rising in areas such as electricity and gas. In June, the Tennessee Valley Authority went from charging 9.1 to 11.2 cents per kilowatt, about a 20% increase, said Frood.

“It’s $2 million to electrify

Another question that arose at the Town Hall concerned student wages and why they have not risen. Frood said administrators have been discussing the idea but added that increasing student

“If somebody were to come to me to say, ‘Well, it’s not fast enough.’ Well, just know it’s not fast enough for me either,” he said. “But, we’re trying. It weighs on me every day.”

The United States Labor Department reported the annual inflation rate as 7.7% for the 12 months that ended October.

Comparatively, tuition is rising at a lower percentage next school year, but it is still increasing at a much higher rate com pared to recent years.

2018-2019 2019-2020 2020-2021 2021-2022 2022-2023 2023-2024

Feed My Sheep Community Food Pantry receives new refrigerator

Génesis Ventura Reporter

Student Senate and the School of Social Work recently collabo rated to provide Feed My Sheep with a new refrigerator.

According to Southern Adven tist University’s website, Feed My Sheep is a community food pantry open to all Southern students and employees. It is located in Flem ing Plaza suite #1500, next to the Adventist Book Center. The pantry is run by the School of Social Work in partnership with the Humanitar ian Engagement office.

In an interview with the Accent, Student Association (SA) Execu tive Vice President Htet Myint said the new refrigerator is the result of an SA initiative that allows depart ments to submit proposals for needed projects. The project sur faced to the top among 12 submit ted proposals.

“The criteria which [we used to] rank them is: How impactful would this be for students? And how

impactful it would be to depart ments that we previously reached from Senate last year?” Myint said. “We also base it on the depart ment's budgets. [The School of Social Work] doesn't have the bud get for Feed My Sheep. … Senate felt like this project would impact the most people.”

Since receiving the new refrigerator, the produce has stayed fresh significantly longer. Clinton hopes to spread awareness about the the food pantry, saying, "We

going hungry."

Michelle Clinton, School of Social Work office manager, said that Feed My Sheep has been fundrais ing and starting conversations in hopes of obtaining a new refrig erator and was thrilled when SA reached out to see what needs the department had.

“We have had over 288 client vis its so far this semester, so it's defi nitely a need,” Clinton said.

Myint said Senate gave $2,859 to Feed My Sheep to purchase the new refrigerator and is open to helping Feed My Sheep with any future needs.

Clinton explained that the former refrigerators were old and were causing food to spoil quicker. Since receiving the new refrigerator, the produce has stayed fresh signifi cantly longer. Clinton hopes to spread awareness about the food pantry, saying, “We don’t want any body going hungry.”

Senate is fully supportive of any plans to serve the community of Collegedale, Myint said.

“We just want to [express] our sincere appreciation. We are so thankful. You should have heard me when I got [Myint’s] email,” Clin ton said, describing her excitement when she discovered that SA Sen ate was purchasing the refrigerator.

COLLEGEDALE NEWS

Mistletoe Market run by Touch The Sky Events moved to Camp Jordan in East Ridge

Elsie Pak Collegedale News Editor

The sixth annual Mistletoe Mar ket is scheduled to take place on Dec. 10 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Dec. 11 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Camp Jordan. Previously the event was set to be held at the Collegedale Commons, but the Mistletoe Market was moved to Camp Jordan in East Ridge due

to the growth of the event com pared to past years, according to Shannon Wright, the founder of Touch The Sky Events & Promo tions, LLC, which organizes and promotes the event, According to Wright, this event first took place in 2017 at Cleve land Middle School. However, the event eventually outgrew that

venue and was moved to Col legedale Commons.

“Now we’ve just outgrown [Col legedale Commons] and had to move it to Camp Jordan,” Wright wrote in an email to the Accent.

When asked what the inspi ration behind the market was, Wright commented on its con nection to the Christmas season.

“There are a lot of last min ute Christmas shoppers,” Wright said, “so this is an opportunity for them to purchase unique items.”

She also noted that the Mistle toe Market is a fun activity friends or families can attend together to get into the Christmas spirit.

“We will have Christmas music, free pictures and food trucks, [just] to name a few things,” Wright said about the festivities to be found at the market.

There will be a total of 185 ven dors including craft and commer cial vendors, 22 different types of food vendors, inflatables, a petting zoo, pony rides, trackless train rides and, of course, free photo opportunities with Santa, according to Wright. This event also offers free admission and parking.

Wright hopes college students and local families will come to enjoy the wintery activities and partake in some of the Christmas spirit generated by the event.

According to Wright’s web

site, the proceeds made from the events she coordinates go towards funding her ministry, which offers free of charge ser vices to individuals who are struggling with addiction, abuse, adultery, depression and self-mu tilation.

In an email to the Accent, she stated that the proceeds from the Mistletoe Market will go to support Surrender Ministries for Women & Resurrected Mar riage, as well as the North Cleve land Church of Middle School and High School Ministries.

More information about all upcoming Touch The Sky events this and next year can be found on the company’s website Touch TheSkyEvents.com or on its Facebook page @Touch The Sky Events & Promotions, LLC.

Due to the recent change, there are posters for the Mistletoe Mar ket Event floating online that list two locations for the event; how ever, the more accurate poster is the one listing Camp Jordan.

New fridge for the Feed My Sheep Community Food Pantry (Photo courtesy of Michelle Clinton)

Graph representing the increase (in percentages) of tuition each school year compared to the last (Graphic by Hannah Mortenson)

"As I said to my business students, healthcare is a killer when is comes to higher ed and healthcare. It just wreaks havoc."

don't want anybody

SA Christmas Party

Esteban Grajales puts icing on a cookie. Decorating Christmas themed cookies was one of many activities at the party.

Sunday, December 4, 2022. (Photo by: Adam De Lisser)

Briana Collins snaps a photo with a polaroid camera.

December 4, 2022 (Photo by: Mila Bales)

Nathan Graham poses for a photo alongside the Grinch himself. Sunday, December 4, 2022. (Photo by: Adam De Lisser)

A table was set up where students could pick up colorful Christmas themed socks. Sunday, December 4, 2022. (Photo by: Adam De Lisser)

Chidi Onyeije and Noah Wolfe make s’mores after roasting their marshmallows.

December 4, 2022 (Photo by Mila Bales)

Ella Huffman, Megan Sewell, Lindy Jenkins, Hannah Hagan and Josh Davis in their match ing Christmas pj’s.

December 4, 2022 (Photo by: Mila Bales)

MENTAL HEALTH

Your guide to staying healthy over the holidays

Amy Mejias Social Work Graduate Student

The holiday season can be fun, exciting and joyous, but, at the same time, it can be chaotic, draining and stressful. This stress can not only be bad for your men tal and emotional health but can also take a toll on your physical health and negatively affect your immune system.

Below are some tips to stay healthy over the holidays so that you can enjoy them more and

start the winter semester off right.

Get Some Rest

Rest and relaxation make you feel more energized when you wake up but also have other ben efits. A benefit to your mental state, sufficient sleep helps lower anxiety, boosts your mood and helps you think more clearly. A full night’s sleep can help your im mune system as well.

Eat Well

What we put into our bodies has a huge impact on our mental and physical health. It is very well known that a long-term healthy diet can help a person maintain a

healthy weight and protect them against certain diseases. But, eat ing well can also help your shortterm health by boosting the im mune system, especially when your diet includes foods such as blueberries, spinach, ginger and garlic.

Eating healthy can greatly benefit the mind as well. Ac cording to Mental Health Amer ica’s website, people that have a diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish and nuts are 30% less likely to experience depression. And don’t forget to drink your water! Staying hy

drated can help with fatigue, concentration and mood.

Get Moving

Daily walks have great bene fits for your health. On top of los ing and maintaining weight, daily walks can also help with strength ening your immune system, re lieving stress and improving your mood, cognition, memory and sleep.

Take Time For Yourself

The holidays are usually nonstop busy and often involve a lot of gatherings, parties and social izing. It can become very drain ing and affect your mental health.

If you start to feel yourself getting too burnt out, say no, and don’t feel guilty about it. Your peace and mental health are more im portant. You can also look at ev erything coming up and prioritize what to go to and what to pass on. Having Christmas dinner with your family, if they aren’t a source of stress, may be a better use of your energy than attending a work party, for example.

I hope and pray, no matter what your plans for the holidays are, that you have fun but also rest so you can begin next semester with a positive and successful start!

The World Cup: A power like no other

Jacob Nevis Sports Editor

The World Cup is off to a dra matic start. After starting on Nov. 20 with the group stages, the Cup is already into the Round of 16. For countries to qualify for the Round of 16, they had to get first or second place in their group. Those same countries move into the round of 16 which is a single elimination.

Team U.S.A. was able to qualify for the World Cup this year. They were placed into Group B along with England, Iran and Wales.

The U.S.’s group matches allowed them to qualify for the Round of 16.

The U.S. tied with Wales and England but then beat team Iran to get second in the group.

After qualifying for the Round of 16, team U.S.A. had to play the Netherlands. The round of 16 in the Cup has the teams that placed first out of a group play a team that placed second out of a group.

This past Saturday saw the de feat of the U.S. at the hands of the Netherlands with the final

score being 3-1. This marked the end of their run for the Cup.

The Quarterfinals of the Cup are set to start on Dec. 9, and the finals are slated for Dec. 18.

While the U.S. may not have brought back the Cup, it did some thing more for the country. The U.S. has been very divided in almost ev ery aspect, but the Cup showed that Americans can all come to gether to cheer for a common goal.

Many Americans were cheer ing for team U.S.A., and this

showed how important sports can be. Sports can have the pow er to bring people together, even for just a brief moment.

At Southern Adventist Univer sity, students were able to con nect with the World Cup through several Student Association (SA) events for students to participate in. SA Executive Vice President Htet Myint commented on their focus for the World Cup and the events planned for the students.

“We’ve been inviting students

to come watch the games in our office. We [also] had an event that was World Cup themed, and a raffle for a World Cup [soccer] ball,” Myint said.

Southern has a diverse cam pus with students from a lot of different places; so students may have been cheering for dif ferent countries. The World Cup may not be as big for America as it is for other countries, but it has a power unlike any other sports event.

Editor’s note: The following article is written in partnership with Counseling Services and the Southern Accent.

“What we put into our bodies has a huge impact on our mental and physical health.”

(Photo by: Noah Buscher)

Alfredo Trevedan and Abraham Hernandez warmly embrace after Mexico scores a goal.

(Photo by: Mila Bales)

Students should be able to obtain worship credits off-campus

Hannah Johnson Staff Writer

If Southern Adventist Uni versity’s enrichment credit pro gram collaborated with local churches, students would have more chances to obtain wor ship credits and would be less likely to push back against the worship requirements.

Due to Southern’s current worship credit requirements, students are attending reli gious functions they are not interested in because they are worried about receiving a fine. Instead, students should be fo cusing on their own personal walk with God.

If Southern were to reach out to local churches and partner with them to provide a more diverse list of worship credit opportunities, students could receive credits while attend ing services with church at mospheres that they prefer. In addition, interacting with that preferred community could en courage students to participate in more religious experiences, including those on campus.

I am not arguing that the worship credit system should be done away with entirely.

Students who registered for Southern did so with an un derstanding of the worship requirements. While I do be lieve there are issues behind required worship, we have an opportunity to go to a different university if credits bother us so badly. Furthermore, the univer sity gives students numerous opportunities to receive credits by attending various functions through many different organi zations and events.

If you are like me and work is a priority and interferes with credit opportunities, you can

apply for a reduction on the enrichment credit webpage.

While it is important for an Ad ventist university to encourage its students to strengthen their relationships with God, I have seen some push back against the system because students feel forced to participate and go at a pace in the church they are not comfortable with.

That is why I believe South ern should reach out more to local churches, asking them to collaborate with the university’s worship credit program. I believe students would be better encour

aged to attend more religious experiences once finding the church that suits them the best. Plus, it’s not fair for students who have found that atmosphere in an off-campus church to feel drawn away from it at times be cause they have to return to cam pus to get worship credits.

Last year, when I attended Col legedale Church of Seventh-day Adventists, I did not feel con nected the way I wanted to. Having a close-knit church fam ily is important to me, and the community was way too big to experience that. I started going

to other churches until I found a church that fit me best. Now, I’m constantly involving myself with the Adventurer Club, Sab bath School and other church events. Even though I am highly involved within the church, I do not receive credit for it.

The process of collaborat ing with off-campus churches would not be difficult. If, for ex ample, a student could receive a form from Student Develop ment that could be signed by a pastor or other church leader explaining the church event the student participated in, that

would be a great and simple way for them to get credit with in a church of their choice.

Southern grants us many op portunities to receive worship credits, but that doesn’t mean students are happy about the requirements. I believe a far smaller percentage of the stu dent population would contin ue to be unhappy, however, if they could receive worship credits from off-campus church es, allowing them to simultane ously worship in a setting they enjoy and obtain credits.

RELIGION

Read and rejoice: Study this to prepare for finals

Madison Wilcox Religion Editor

Here’s just one more item to add your to-do list as you pre pare for finals: Read Ecclesiastes. I think it would both discourage and encourage you, all in the best way possible. Let me explain. I’ll begin with the discour agement, since that’s how the author of Ecclesiastes chose to begin: “All is vanity.” (Eccle siastes 1:1) Or to translate into modern language: “Everything is useless.” From this thesis, the author begins a litany of sup porting points. Money is useless: People who have it lose it when they need it most. (5:13-14) Plea sure is useless: You’re satisfied, and then you’re not. (2:10-11) Work is useless: You never get enough done to stop. (4:8) Reli

gion is useless: Tragedy still hap pens to all people, good or bad. (9:2) Words are useless: The peo ple who use them the most are fools. (5:3) Even wisdom is use less: The wise can’t escape even tual disaster any more than the fool can. (2:15) Finally, life itself is useless: we all die. (8:8)

The picture that comes to mind is of rats on a treadmill — all of them running but none getting anywhere. And the iro ny? All the things listed here are good things, yet the author still describes them as useless.

Why? What makes some thing useless, and what would make it meaningful instead? The author refers to several criteria throughout the book.

I will mention three. For life to be meaningful, work must get what it works for (Eccl. 1:8), bro ken things must be fixed (Eccl. 1:15) and all good things must last forever (Eccl. 3:19)

How well does our world measure up to these criteria for meaning? Even in college — is the work ever completely done? Are broken things ever com pletely fixed? Does anything ever last forever? No.

This conclusion is discour aging. If everything is useless, then what is the point of doing anything? But here is where the encouragement comes in, and the encouragement is only stronger in the face of the discouragement.

So far, we have looked at the world “under the sun.” We have listed (though very generally) everything and anything a per son can do or pursue. But what about God? Where is He while we spend our lives “chasing af ter wind” (2:17) and coming up empty, time and time again?

Solomon answers that question in chapter three verse 11: “He has made everything beautiful in its time. And he has put eter nity in their hearts …”

While we work, play, study, sweat, complain, rejoice, suffer, laugh and die, God is here. And He isn’t just watching us from above. He’s with us, doing a work we struggle to understand, yet meeting the criteria for meaning

every step of the way. Will the work ever be done? God says, “It is finished.” (John 19:30) Will the broken ever be fixed? God says, “The crooked places shall be made straight.” (Isaiah 40:4) Will anything ever last forever? God says, “And they shall reign for ever and ever.” (Rev. 22:5)

Only once we’ve accepted the discouragement — we can nev er get enough done; we can’t fix everything; we can’t ever make it last — will we be prepared to receive the encouragement of His provision for us. God has done all that is impossible for us, all that creates meaning, and He gives the results of that work to us. Free. Our only task is to receive and to rejoice.

“I believe students would be better encouraged to attend more religious experiences once finding the church that suits them best.” (Photo by: Gregory Hayes)

LIFESTYLE: Arts & Ideas

A Christmas Essay: Recapturing the real nativity

Christina Cannon Lifestyle Editor

An acrylic infant with large, ba by-blue, cherubic eyes gleams up from where it sprawls alone on a pile of swaddling clothes with its glossy chest and abdomen ex posed to the cold, dry air.

A figure who clearly represents its mother (she is the only woman in the stable among a large collection of onlooking male figures) kneels stiffly on the side of the chic, rustic wooden crib. Her light, Anglo features are no where near as girlish as the 13-year old she is meant to represent.

Nativity scenes, both in minia ture and life-size, populate fireplace mantles and winter lawns spanning the U.S. around this time of year. In spite of occasional feelings I have that I should feel otherwise, I often

find these scenes repulsive in their serenity and overwhelmingly smug “cuteness.” I recognize that if these images of God incarnate, too, were truly made in the image of God as I am and had any emotive capacities whatsoever, I’m sure they would be no less dissatisfied with me.

Nevertheless, I am reminded that I must take these images and oth er representations of the original Christmas story (as opposed to the 1983 rendition) as they are — no more, but also no less.

There are many features of these frequent set-ups that are common ly inaccurate, both biblically and historically. For example, the magi, with their jeweled gifts, arrived long after that first holy night (almost

certainly not a silent night), as op posed to in entourage with the shepherds. In addition, the entire tone is generally profoundly inac curate. Commercial, cute, clean … there are (entirely appropriately) none of the signs of a recent birth, none of the blood-stained gar ments or soiled straw and no rec ollection of the shearing pain and agony promised to Eve and her daughters at the beginning.

But by carefully studying little or life-size dioramas, I can observe truths that I often neglect when I have no such stage on which to let loose my imagination and wind my brain back to a random, provincial town under the jurisdiction of Rome.

It is a comment on the culture of

Bethlehem that an unwed, pregnant soon-to-be mother with no family in the area to stay with could find no one willing to offer up their bed for her for the night. It is a comment on our current culture that a mother under these same conditions, who is equally homeless, would likely also have difficulty finding a welcoming home in which to take rest.

The Bible does not preclude the possibility of an assisting midwife, nor does it indicate that Mary was the only woman in the room. Na tivity scenes depict this dynamic (allowing the occasional androgy nous blonde angel) — no mother or sisters were there to guide her, no one who had ever or would ever give birth there to sit beside her

and tell her, based on their own experience, that everything would indeed be alright.

Nativity scenes are both true and false. Some are more true to the real historical event than others in terms of construction; some are more beautifully designed (a factor that is not insignificant — we are in the im age of the Designer of the universe).

Whatever the vices and virtues of each individual scene, rightly con sidered, they can aid us in remem bering the birth of the homeless Child in our homes. They can serve as a foothold on which to place our imagination, like a strong lower branch in a tree that we climb in order to climb up, higher, nearer to the star at the top.

Dear Kevin: What are your study tips for finals week?

Dear Stumped Student: Dear, dear student. Take heart. Finals week is a time of great stress, often heightened by unhealthy and unwise deci sions. But never fear, I am here with a list of tips to get you through this week as painlessly as possible.

Take breaks

Set time intervals to study and then take a waddle across campus to the duck pond or call a friend.

Find a distraction-free zone

Whether it be alone in a study room or with a group of friends at a coffee shop, find a place where you can concentrate.

Ask for help

If there are concepts you need to brush up on, don’t be afraid to sign up for tutoring or ask a friend. Now is the time!

Make a schedule

Set up time slots for each test you have to take and then stick with the schedule.

Teach the content

Try to teach the material as if you are instructing a student. This can help solidify and clarify the information you are trying to learn or review.

Hope this helps, friends. And remember to make time for sleep, nutritious food, water and exercise.

Dear Kevin: If I get another pair of socks for Christmas I will scream. How do I tell my relatives I want cash?

Dear Melancholy Materialistic, In answer to your question, start letting close family know that you only want cash, and they will likely pass on the in formation. Peggy Post, an ex pert in etiquette, says that it is acceptable to ask for what you really want for Christmas, but do so graciously and without making it sound like an expec tation. And, in your spare time, maybe try to locate the spirit of Christmas, because you seem to have lost it.

Kevin Southern Accent Mascot

“Whatever the vices and virtues of each individual scene, rightly considered, they can aid us in remembering the birth of the homeless Child in our homes.” (Photos by: Burkay Canatar)

by_the_waters This may or may not have been taken in a Taco Bell parking lot.

Tristan Deschamps

Anaya Parker T A

Emma Fenwick

Nyah Banks

Alejandra Camacho

Karis McConnell A K

11:00 a.m. Convocation: Departments/ Schools, Various Locations 5:30 p.m. GRADFEST, The Grid at Bietz

Weekly Birthdays

TODAY |7

Joseph Ardron Jeremy Gustman

Max Harrison Eli Hoffman Melanie Illescas Thursday |8

Caleb Anthony Tori Avila

Emily Boring Kami Harris

Franc Henry Madrio Miro Manestar Fatima Syed Maya Wong Friday |3

9:00 a.m. Adoration Worship, Collegedale Church 9:00 a.m. Connect Worship, Gym of Ele mentary School 11:45 a.m. Renewal Worship, Collegedale Church 11:45 a.m. Merge Worship, Lynn Wood Chapel 4:00 p.m. School of Music Christmas Con cert, Collegedale Church 5:00 p.m. Schools/Departments/Student Organizations Christmas Party, Various Locations

Karissa Arnold Lissy Buck Desiree Clemons Stephanie Lowery Carmen Perez Glynnell Robinson Michael Scott Eric Suh

Saturday |4 Laura Chavarria

Marcus Chen

Julia Dacosta

Jyle Frias

Clemence Harelimana Sarah Hasel

Lilly Jorgensen Frank Lizardo

Raegan Moore Hannah Piroski Earl Ploche Laura L. Viana Delmas Whitlock Sunday |5

Sammie Armstrong Grace Chan Natalia Cruz Kaeddie De Voyard

Miranda Delgado Yoledine Fatal Cristian Flores

Kirsten Kim Ryan Lopez Dana Min Obed Salazar Heidi Wittmer

SA Announcements

Monday |6

Sophia Cirigliano Caroline DeWind

Vitor Doy Gisele Fields Anna Fisher

Madalyn Fisher Nelly Graterol Mason Harmon Geoffrey Montoya Bob Overstreet Cooper Roth

Olivia Sandoval Tuesday |7 Madie Canong Ji Lian Firman Brandon Grentz Brian Lee Ryka Ordalus Anella I. Poljak Raul Ramirez Nicole Sabot Zipporah Satterfield Jordan Spivey Janae Thompson

Get ready for SA Senate Surprise this Friday! A yummy treat will be handed out in front of the old student center at 11:50 a.m. See you all there!

Check out our website! www.southern-accent.org

MASTER OF ARTS IN TEACHING

A Pathway to the Classroom (With Any Bachelor’s Degree!)

Our online MAT program offers a master’s degree and initial teacher certification at the same time.

Seventh-day Adventist and/or public school certification options are available in as few as five to six semesters. All classes are available online and students have the possibility of being paid during their field experience or student teaching.

Set yourself up for a rewarding career that offers: • great benefits • summers off • incredible job security • a strong sense of mission • fulfillment that comes from knowing you’re making a difference

Semester Exams Last day of BS Nursing Consortium