Southern Accent Vol. 78, Issue 8

Southern Accent

Administrators stop plans for pepper spray giveaway due to liability concerns

Southern builds endowment for first-generation college students

More than 300 first-generation students currently attend South ern Adventist University, and over 1,000 have graduated since 2005, wrote Ellen Hostetler, vice presi dent for Advancement, in an email to the Accent. A recent plan to spe cifically benefit these students was developed by President Ken Shaw and the Advancement team as they prepared for the university’s first “A Taste of Southern” gala, which took place in downtown Chattanooga on Oct. 2.

Alana Crosby Editor-in-Chief

Due to liability concerns, South ern administrators have advised against a free pepper spray give away that was part of Student Asso ciation (SA) Senate’s “Stay Safe Ini tiative,” according to Htet Myint, SA executive vice president.

According to a previous Accent article, Senate planned to pass out $2,000 worth of pepper spray to students at an event focused on raising safety awareness. In addi tion, Campus Safety officers were expected to be present to instruct students on proper procedure.

According to Associate Director of Campus Safety Shawn Haas, Cam pus Safety, Talge Hall and Thatcher Hall also contributed money to pur chase approximately 600 canisters

The Senate minutes from Sept. 28 list the status of the “Stay Safe Initiative,” including the pepper spray aspect, as approved. How ever, Executive Director for Risk

Management and Leaseholds Jus tin Moore raised concerns regard ing the liability of Southern.

Senate purchased the pepper spray with money from its budget and is unable to return the items, according to Myint. He said the pepper spray had been approved and was later purchased before Administration heard of the plan and advised against it.

“Campus Safety and Student Association enthusiastically sup ported this initiative,” Vice President for Student Development Dennis Negrón wrote in an email to the Accent. “We had done this giveaway before on a much smaller scale and believed it was a good idea again. However, subsequent to purchas ing the canisters, we learned that pepper spray canisters have acci dentally gone off in school buses and cars, placing the occupants in danger. The liability of sponsoring the distribution of pepper spray to our student body thus was too high for the university.”

Moore stated that upon hear ing the plan to hand out free pep per spray, he contacted several colleagues and friends in risk man agement positions. Two friends told him of separate incidents involving pepper spray-related accidents at other schools. One instance involved pepper spray that went off in a bus and caused the driver to veer off the road, resulting in several student injuries and sub sequent lawsuits.

“My job is to keep Southern safe and make sure we don't have big lawsuits or things that could affect our ability to keep the school running,” Moore said. “Anytime you give out some thing that could potentially harm someone else, whether it's used for self-defense or [is involved in] an accident, like [it] goes off in a car type of thing, when the law yers get involved, it comes back to, ‘Who gave you that and why?’” Moore, an alumnus of South ern and former member of SA,

Southern Smiths teach honor at Pathfinder Camporee Génesis Ventura Reporter

Over fall break, members of Southern Adventist University’s blacksmithing club, “Southern Smiths,” went to Camp Kulaqua in High Springs, Florida, to teach blacksmithing to more than 350 pupils at the Southern Union Path finder Camporee.

The club's staff sponsor, Dusty Miller, maintenance supervisor for Talge Hall, attended the event with club President Emily Freeman, a junior construction management major. Freeman wrote in an email to the Accent about why she chose to attend.

“When I first came to Southern and joined the Southern Smiths club three years ago, the club had just been asked by the Southern Union to come to the 2022 campo ree,” she wrote. “I grew up in Path finders, so I loved the thought of combining my love for blacksmith ing with my love for Pathfinders. I knew I had to go, even though it was a few years down the road.”

Freeman explained the different requirements and history of the blacksmithing honor, stating in an email: “The blacksmithing honor is a combination of practical skills and class work (famous blacksmiths, the essential tools, safety rules, Bib lical connections to blacksmithing), which helps introduce the student to the wonders of this ancient craft.

“The honor was actually written by one of our current club spon sors, Lily Brunner, when she was 14 years old, so it was pretty neat to see all the little kids' reactions when we told them that a girl wrote the honor,” she wrote.

According to Freeman, the most impactful part of the experience was watching the kids gain confi

dence as they completed their two hands-on projects. Each pupil had to make a cross and hook.

“While some took longer than others, most kept an amazing atti tude even though they were learn ing a new, exhausting and often frustrating skill,” she wrote. “I had one group that had only one indi vidual who spoke English, but they had some of the best attitudes despite the language barriers. It truly inspired me to keep learning about my craft despite the frustra tions.”

About 15 to 20 members have consistently participated in the Southern Smiths this year, accord ing to Miller. He added that the most significant aspect of black smithing involves the many bibli cal parables and concepts, as well as sections from Ellen G. White’s writings, that draw inspiration from the trade. “One of the things that the Bible talks about is putting the metal in the fire to see what kind of [person] we are,” he said. “And that's very applicable because you can put [metal] in, and you heat it.

You get to know what it does, [and you get] a good idea of what kind of metal that is when you hammer on it and how it responds.”

Miller said this was Southern Smiths’ second time teaching the honor at a Southern Union Camp oree, which includes Pathfinder clubs from the Carolinas, Ten nessee, Kentucky, Georgia, Ala bama, Florida and Mississippi. The club also taught the honor at the last Oshkosh camporee, which included clubs from all over the world. Southern Smiths is currently preparing to teach at another inter national camporee in Gillette, Wyo ming, set to occur in August, 2024. The members are currently looking for more instructors to handle a large crowd of people. They are also trying to acquire more gear, which is very expensive.

Miller said non-Adventist volun teers have participated in many Southern Smiths events, and he encourages anyone with an inter est in blacksmithing, regardless of religous affiliation to join the club.

expressed regret at the way things worked out.

The event raised $93,459.62, with proceeds going to Southern’s new First-Generation Student Endowed Scholarship, according to Donor Recognition & Records Coordinator Candy Reichert.

“When it comes down to pro tecting yourself in accordance with our school policies, I just [have] to make sure that [pur chasing pepper spray] is a stu dent's decision,” Moore said. “Now, those accidents can still happen. You could [still] have pepper spray go off in your car, and there could be peo ple injured, but it's not the act of [the university] giving or encouraging the use of it.”

Myint stated that Senate is in contact with Campus Safety and

Individuals will begin receiving the scholarship in the Fall 2023 semester, and the amount given to them will depend on the amount of funds available each year, wrote Hostetler. Students are identified as first-generation if their parents did not complete a four-year college degree, as defined by FAFSA.

“Southern already serves many first-generation students, some from our local Chattanooga com munity,” Hostetler wrote. “As we planned an event for our local com munity, we wanted to provide a giv ing opportunity that would meet a need of current students and res onate with our local community guests. Hundreds of our alumni are first-generation students, and they are doing amazing things in our community — locally, nationally,

New School of Business building planned for 2025

Southern Adventist University’s School of Business will have a new home once an upcoming building project is completed. July 2025 is the target date, according to Marty Hamilton, associate vice president for Financial Administration.

Current plans include a fourstory, 40,000 to 42,000-square-foot building, Hamilton said. The bud get for the new facility is projected at $15 million, he added, but the fluctuating prices of materials and uncertain start date can make pro jecting the budget difficult.

The new building will be located in front of Mabel Wood Hall between Harmony Lane and Hick man Drive.

“What we’re looking for is to anchor the entrance coming into campus,” Hamilton said.

Visitors entering campus from that side of University Drive cur rently see the Talge Hall parking lot, the Southern sign and Mabel Wood Hall. Hamilton stated that the new School of Business building would

help provide people with a strong first impression of the campus before they reach the fountain on Taylor Circle. A welcome center in Fleming Plaza is also being consid ered, Hamilton said.

He added that the university plans to keep the design of the building cohesive with other build ings on campus, and Southern has worked with its own on-staff archi tect and will hire a second to help with the drafting process.

“We want something that’s stately, that fits into the skyline of the rest of campus,” Hamilton said. “ … We’re looking to have a beautiful building on that corner.

“These are still concepts, but there’s a lot of things that are prob ably going to occur. So it may not look exactly like this,” Hamilton said, regarding the mock-up of the new building. “ … There can be some slight changes and modifications as we move forward to get the floor plans all worked out.”

Though constructing a new

Pepper spray canisters purchased by Student Assocation for distribution to students (Photo by: Adam De Lisser)

Emily Freeman speaks with camporee attendees.

(Photo courtesy of Dusty Miller)

Amanda Blake Managing Editor

Matthew Orquia News Editor

"We learned that pepper spray canisters have accidently gone off in school buses and cars, placing the occu pants in danger."

New business building mockup (Photo courtesy of Marty Hamilton)

PEPPER SPRAY continued from page 1

the Collegedale Police Department to figure out a plan for the pepper spray. Senate still holds the safety of stu dents as a priority, according to Myint. He added that the conversation about safety on campus would be ongoing throughout the semester.

“I understand their decision regarding [the pepper spray],” Haas said about the administrator’s deci sion. “However, we have not seen an issue of misuse of pepper spray on this campus, so historically it has not been a problem.”

The “Stay Safe Initiative” hosted a panel on Oct. 27 with Campus Safety’s Life Safety and Fire Systems

FIRST GENERATION continued from page 1

and around the world.”

In a statement to the Accent, Shaw wrote that the university wishes to increase college comple tion rates for Hispanic, Black and first-generation students. Hostetler further explained that the universi ty’s strategic plan over the next five years will focus on student reten tion and graduation rates.

“While all student bodies are included in this initiative, the uni versity is working on plans to iden tify and address specific needs for demographics who may struggle in this area,” she wrote.

Hostetler mentioned that first-gen eration students are challenged in unique ways: They may feel guilt leaving family behind and uncer tainty about fitting in on campus.

“Their parents haven’t been able to pave the way for them or share their first-hand experience of what college life is like,” she added.

Triumphs and struggles

A current first-generation student at Southern who shared his story at the gala was Railyn Duarte, junior polit ical science and international devel opment major. When Hostetler asked Duarte to speak and told him about the scholarship, he immedi ately fell in love with the idea.

“I think it’s a great initiative, and a lot of people are going to really ben efit,” he said in an interview with the Accent. “ … It almost makes me feel like, “Oh, [Southern’s] looking at the little guys.”

Duarte entered the United States at 13 years old when his family moved from the Dominican Repub lic to New York. He was placed in a crowded middle school unable to speak English, he said, yet he dili gently worked to learn the language. After his first academic year, he was holding full conversations in English and scoring at the top of his class.

“I was really determined,” he said. “I was not going to be left behind. Mind you, it wasn’t easy. I went through a lot of embarrassing moments.”

Duarte’s parents and older brother graduated high school. And, although they did not pursue higher education, they are proud of Duarte’s decision to do so, accord ing to Duarte. He said his academic experience has served as a “symbol of hope” for his immediate family.

Duarte is president of Black Christian Union and a student sen ator, works 24 hours a week in Stu dent Finance and takes a full load of classes. He involves himself in numer ous extracurriculars, he added.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” he said with a chuckle. “It is stressful, but it’s rewarding.”

Duarte plans to graduate from Southern and attend law school. His career goals include creating his own law firm and establishing a nonprofit organization.

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

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Specialist Josh Fraker and Patrol Officer Mathew Gunther present ing. Students were encouraged to ask questions.

Concerns for students’ safety on campus heightened after several incidents involving suspicious vehi cles, according to a previous Accent article. Additionally, in December 2021, and later in April 2022, two men were arrested for stalking Southern students on campus on separate occasions.

“I know Campus Safety is work ing very hard to make sure patrols are out and about on campus, but I do not know as far as an alterna tive of what the school can encour age or give out to stay safe,” Moore said regarding potential alterna tive safety measures. “I mean, I

"Who knows?” he added. “Maybe one day I can even become president.”

During his presentation at “A Taste of Southern,” Duarte stressed that a specific struggle faced by first-gen eration students is the lack of knowl edge held by their parents concern ing the complexities of college life.

would say the typical things that we all know like walking groups, be careful after dark, you know, those types of things are common knowl edge and should be done.”

Moore added that his door is always open and he encourages students to come to him with any questions or concerns regarding event ideas.

“With, or without pepper spray, it is always important for everyone to have situational awareness,” Haas said regarding additional safety measures that students can take. “Identifying possible risks and mit igating as much of that risk as pos sible with sound decisions. Small things can make a big difference such as walking with a friend, lock ing doors [and] asking for a safety escort after dark.”

process looked vastly different.

“Not only was I paving my own path, but I was also trying to nav igate life with parents who were from a way different era than we are,” she said. “So everything — from getting my driver's license to applying for college to taking my ACT — was just so much more chal lenging. … The world was very dif ferent when they were young.

NEW BUSINESS BUILDING continued from page 1

building for the School of Business has been considered for many years, the project has gained trac tion in recent years.

“The School of Business has always been one of our strong majors,” Hamilton said. It has always been in the top five.”

A new building will help to allevi ate some of the spatial constraints that Brock Hall presents, Hamil ton added, referring to the build ing that currently also houses the School of Journalism and Commu nication (SJC), the School of Visual Art and Design (SVAD), English Department and History and Polit ical Studies Department.

“We want to continue to grow

and promote entrepreneurship with our students,” Hamilton said. “ … They need more space.”

Uses for the vacant space left in Brock Hall are currently undecided, Hamilton said. Previous construc tion projects like the Bietz Center for Student Life have allowed depart ments to be moved out of Lynn Wood Hall and Wright Hall into new accommodations and have freed up previously used space, accord ing to Hamilton. Southern’s new engineering department, which will start next fall, will move into the open space in Lynn Wood.

“Southern is experiencing some growing pains, which is a great thing,” Hamilton said. “We’re excited about the future and attracting more students.”

“Our parents don't really know the process of how to get into schools. Our parents have never been to school, and, a lot of times, they're disassociated with the idea of university and college because it's something they never priori tized,” Duarte later expressed to the Accent. “ … Oftentimes, parents have not planned for their kids to go to college, and I mean in an eco nomic way. … [Our] parents don’t even know how much school costs.”

He mentioned other questions first-generation students have about college that their parents cannot answer, such as how to best study for the ACT and SAT, when to start preparing for college and what to look for in their college search.

First-generation students often feel alone because their parents do not understand their workload and

As an adolescent, Hufnal was placed in the foster care system until her grandparents adopted her and her older sister when she was 10 years old. Her grandparents helped her to the best of their ability when she was in high school, but she still heavily relied on her teachers’ assis tance for college preparation. She specifically mentioned the difficulty of applying for FAFSA on her own.

Finances presented numerous challenges. Even now, Hufnal has to be intentional about working during summers and the school year to help pay for school. Scholar ships and grants have partly lifted that burden, and Hufnal believes God has played a large role in proid ing the necessary finances.

“I hope it doesn’t sound too cliche, but God has always provided in that area,” she said. “ … There were times when I wasn't sure how I was going to pay for school or what was going to happen because I'm pretty much

ing her the values of hard work and independence.

“I’ve had to work hard to get where I’m at,” she said, “and I’ve seen that hard work through many other individuals in my life. Many didn’t go to college … but they’ve built themselves up. I think that helps [me] have a humble appreci ation for education.”

An immigrant’s journey

Like Duarte and Hufnal, Nicole Rodriguez, liberal arts education major and first-generation student, has felt the lack of parental instruc tion in regards to higher education.

“At Southern, I’ve changed my major a lot because I felt like I didn’t have any guidance,” she explained. “Obviously, there [are] people here [who have helped], but it was just different. So I've felt very discour aged at times.”

Rodriguez crossed into the United States by foot at either seven or eight years old. She can not remember her exact age when it happened. Law enforcement offi cers caught her, but the govern ment’s policy at the time allowed her to reunite with her parents in Atlanta, Georgia.

She remained undocumented until her freshman year of high school, when her parents applied her for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), granting her a a work permit and social security card.

“As a child, you don’t really think about it,” she said. “I was kind of oblivious … but I wasn’t docu mented the whole time. I was ille gally here.”

her, even at parent-teacher con ferences. Now, Rodriguez hopes her knowledge and experience will alleviate the struggles her younger brother, now a freshman in high school, will face as he follows in her academic footsteps.

Over the summer, Rodriguez worked as an English teacher at Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy. In August, the school asked her to return to help trans late at the front desk.

“[The experience] made me real ize [education] is what I want to be doing,” she said. “ … I had to trans late with the families and go to

"My parents didn't really speak English, so I've had to kind of do things on my own."

registration, and it felt really good because I remember [being] with my parents and having to translate. It just felt really good because I was helping the kids feel less stressed.”

Rodriguez learned about the job from her advisor, Krystal Bishop, professor in the School of Educa tion and Psychology.

In an interview with the Accent, Bishop said Rodriguez’s story has made her ponder more than ever before the difficulties first-genera tion students face as they “navigate the waters” of college life. After receiving an advertisement for A Taste of Southern, Bishop made a $500 donation online to the new endowment in honor of Rodriguez. She then contacted her advisee.

accompanying stress, he added.

“They may try to sympathize with you as much as they can, but they really cannot relate to your experience,” he said. “ … The people who you want to comfort you don’t really know how.”

Destini Hufnal, senior nursing major and first-generation student, expressed similar sentiments to the Accent. She said she has not only struggled as a student because her parents cannot relate to her expe rience but also because she was raised by her grandparents who lived in a time when the educational

independent in that realm. But, I don't know, money has always come up, whether it was like a check that just got to me late or just people donating. It's been a huge blessing to see that throughout my college time.”

After graduating, Hufnal hopes to build a career around either crit ical care or maternity. Her passion for medical practice was further cemented when she worked in a clinic in Zambia as a student missionary.

Hufnal said her family members are supportive of her college jour ney, and she credits them for teach

Social Media Manager Anna Estep

As a DACA recipient, she is granted impermanent citizenship that she must renew every two years. Still, she cannot receive fed eral aid, which has proved to be a challenge for her at Southern. Fur thermore, she has struggled as the first in her immediate family to graduate high school and pur sue higher education, often feeling solely responsible for her own edu cational success.

“Even growing up, it’s been different because my parents didn’t really speak English, so I’ve had to kind of do things on my own,” she said.

As a young student, translation responsibilities landed heavily on

“I said, ‘Nicole, I made a dona tion because I want you to know I see you, and I respect you and I admire you. And I want you to know that this is huge. What you're doing is huge,’” Bishop recounted. “It’s not just [that she’s a] first-generation Ameri can university student — which that's huge to me too — but she's first-generation with a whole story behind how difficult it was for her to get to this point. … Of the different types of scholar ships that are available to stu dents, this one is probably the one that touches my heart the most deeply.”

Correction It has come to our attention that a mistake was printed in Issue 7. Participants of the “Living Memoirs” event will sign up for 20 minute sessions, not hour long sessions as it states in the article. We sincerely apologize for this oversight.

Sports Editor Jacob Nevis

Editor-in-Chief Alana Crosby Managing Editor Amanda Blake

News Editor Matthew Orquia Collegedale News Editor Elsie Pak

Lifestyle Editor Christina Cannon Opinion Editor Xavier Quiles

Editor Adam De Lisser Religion Editor Madison Wilcox

Copy Editors Sarah Klingbeil Stefanie Green

Layout Designers Anton Kannenberg Hannah Mortenson

Web Manager Nickolas Nieves

Circulation Manager Norelie Cabrera Reporters

Génesis Ventura Charlene Arnold Kathy Zelidon Photographers Preston Waters Ron Cabacungan Mila Bales Staff Sponsor Alva James-Johnson

"It almost makes me feel like, 'Oh, [South ern's] looking at the little guys."

Railyn Duarte speaks to "A Taste of Southern "attendees.

Sunday, October 2, 2022 (Photo sourced from Southern's website)

Destini Hufnal takes a photo with her family at her nursing school pin ning. (Photo coutresy of Destini Hufnal)

First Year Experience observes positive impact on students made by student mentors

Kathy Zelidon Reporter

When Southern Adventist Uni versity begins a new academic year, incoming students have access to many resources meant to help them accustom themselves to the univer sity, like the Southern Mentor pro gram. Southern Adventist Universi ty’s website describes the mentors as “fellow students who have been at Southern for at least a year or two and who know how to successfully navigate the university.”

Ever since the mentor program was picked up by Renita Moore, First Year Experience coordinator, in 2008, she’s been able to observe growth within the program as well as its positive impact on students.

According to Moore and Chris Hansen, director of Institutional Research, the university’s fresh man retention rates were at a percentage in the high 60’s when Moore first took charge of the program but rose to 81% in 2021. Moore told the Accent that the mentor program began with the expectation of lasting one semes ter but has now lasted for 15 years with no signs of stopping.

The First Year Experience office has worked hard to accommodate and improve its mentor program for the increasing number of stu dents coming each year. Moore told the Accent that the program started out with 30 student men tors but now has more than 50. The office has also extended the pro gram from one semester to two. Before Moore became the head of First Year Experience, mentors were unpaid, but now mentors are paid between an average of eight

to 12 hours per week, depend ing on their class size. Though the program itself is expanding, the responsibilities of the mentors have always focused on the same thing: the wellbeing of the students.

In an interview with both Moore and Emily Raimundo, a senior social work major who is now the coordi nator of the mentor program, each stated that mentors guide students emotionally and point them toward resources Southern Adventist Uni versity offers.

“Our mentors are our eyes and ears outside of the classroom,” Moore said. “They are another layer to help support our new stu dents on campus, to help them acclimate and to be successful in their first year on campus. So the role of a mentor is to befriend them, to guide them, lead them,

encourage them, help them not make some of the same mistakes they may have made.”

Raimundo added, “The mentors connect freshmen and new trans fer students with resources on campus which they might not know about, such as counseling and First Year Advising. Students are more likely to take advice from them than the faculty.”

First Year Experience ran a men tor program evaluation survey in the winter semester of 2022, which showed that new students chose to take advantage of academic advising, tutoring and campus ministries more than other cam pus resources as a result of their mentor’s suggestions.

According to Moore and Rai mundo, mentors “have weekly staff meetings, attend Southern Con

nections, have weekly meetings with the mentees, fill out weekly reports and plan social activities.”

Raimundo told the Accent that the mentors establish a connection with their mentees by spending quality time with them.

While the job requires a lot from its staff, Moore and her team at First Year Experience try to sup port their mentors. The office has weekly staff meetings and an opendoor policy for their mentors.

We have weekly staff meetings to debrief their work, to grow pro fessionally, build or hone their interpersonal skills, to connect with other mentors, share ideas, com municate and tell us what they need,” Moore said.

Jeremy Ramirez, sophomore ani mation major, told the Accent that without the proper time manage

ment skills, becoming a mentor can be overwhelming. As a mentor of 15 new students this semester, he found himself falling behind in classes and even considered leav ing the position. However, he felt drawn to the calling of mentorship.

“I got burnt out pretty easily,” Ramirez said. “But it's also a good thing that the job is super reward ing because it balances itself out.”

After speaking with the First Year Experience office, they were able to reorganize his schedule, and Ramirez decided to continue being a mentor.

What Ramirez and many other mentors find attractive about the job is the connection they can develop with the incoming stu dents and the skills they can learn.

Delano Mattox, senior fine arts major, has been a mentor for two years. He told the Accent that he’s seen the impact he’s made on students.

“I definitely have had mentees come up to me and thank me for the stuff I've done,” Mattox said. “Some of my mentees from last year are now mentors and have complimented me on stuff, so that's a nice feeling to have.”

He added that becoming a mentor helped him develop more interpersonal skills.

“It's pushed my limits of what I thought I could do socially,” he said. “ [It] definitely got me out of my comfort zone, got me better at being a leader with out being too headstrong. It's taught me humility, and it's taught me time management.”

Free Google tools workshop available to all students Thursday evening

Jorge Pontarelli Staff Writer

Students and faculty of all disci plines are invited to attend a free Google tools workshop on Nov. 3 at 6 p.m. During the one-hour Zoom training, titled “What’s new with Google tools?” attendees will learn how to use Google Trends, Google Fact-Check Explorer, Goo gle Public Data Explorer, Google Earth Measure Tool, search short cuts and more.

The training will be conducted by Michael Reilley, a senior lecturer at the University of Illinois in Chi cago. The workshop is part of the Google News Initiative sponsored by the Society of Professional Jour nalists (SPJ). SPJ is providing univer sities with this training to help ade quately prepare journalism and communication majors for report ing and research using Google tools and data.

School of Journalism and Com munication (SJC) Professor Alva James-Johnson learned about this opportunity after she attended a National Institute for Comput

er-Assisted Reporting (NICAR) con ference in Atlanta, Georgia, in the spring. While there, she networked with journalism educators from uni versities all over the United States.

“They added me to their email list, and after the conference I began receiving emails from the group,” James-Johnson stated in an email. “In one of the emails, Michael Reilley informed us about the free Google training that is available for university journalism programs.”

According to James-Johnson, there is no limit to how many people can attend the workshop, and she encourages everyone to take advan tage of this learning opportunity.

“I believe learning to master and maximize online tools such as Google Fact-Check Explorer and Google Trends can benefit not only journalism and commu nication majors but any student or faculty member who conducts online research,” she said.

The Google training is the SJC’s latest effort to equip students for investigative journalism and data-driven reporting, according

to James-Johnson. She said the school recently developed a rela tionship with the School of Comput ing, where students are also being encouraged to attend the Google workshop.

In a recent article published in the SJC’s magazine, “The WiRE,” School of Computing Professor Harvey Alférez explained that stu dents of any discipline, including journalism and communication, can now obtain a certificate in data analytics.

“The certificate is designed for students not pursuing a tech degree and can be completed in two semesters,” he said in the arti cle. “ … Project-based learning is used in every course so students can apply data analytics in their areas of interest.”

James-Johnson believes students from the School of Computing also can benefit from a partnership with the SJC. They can add deeper meaning to their work by taking journalism and communication classes, she said in the article, and by working on projects with SJC stu

ship with the School of Computing as we aim to provide our students with the best training possible."

Four Candidates running for Collegedale Board of Commissioners

Matthew Orquia News Editor

The fast-approaching Nov. 8 general election will determine who fills the two open seats on the five-member City of Collegedale Board of Commissioners. There are four candidates vying for the positions currently held by Larry Hanson and Ethan White, both of whom are not seeking re-election.

In addition to local candidates, citizens will also vote for governor and two Tennessee House repre sentatives and on four Tennessee constitutional amendments when they go to the polls. Early voting began Oct. 19 and ends Thursday.

According to the City of Collegedale website, the Board of Commissioners has five seats, with members serv ing staggered four-year terms. The responsibility of the board is to vote on city ordinances and resolutions. The board also appoints the city manager, mayor and vice mayor.

The following is a quick snapshot of who is running for the two avail able seats:

Billy Burnette Billy Burnette is an assistant chief and paramedic at Hamilton County Emergency Medical Services, accord ing to his Facebook page. A Col legedale resident for the past 22 years, he serves as a volunteer fire fighter for the Tri-Community Fire Department and as treasurer for the Forgotten Child Fund, a char ity providing Christmas presents to children in Hamilton County.

Burnette’s platform focuses on financial responsibility, transparency and a common sense approach to government, according to an email sent to the Accent.

“I will take a carefully thought out strategic approach to growth,” Bur nette wrote. “I believe that being a Commissioner is truly being a voice for the people.”

Morty Lloyd Morty Lloyd, a Chattanooga native, has served as the senior pastor for Chattanooga Church the past 29 years. He also fundraises for the Air craft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), providing scholarships for high school students pursuing avia

tion careers, according to informa tion on his website.

Lloyd’s platform focuses on advo cating for parks, green spaces and a strategic plan for growth, according to an email he sent to the Accent.

“Collegedale does parks and green spaces better than any other com munity in Hamilton County,” he wrote in the email. “My goal is to have a park within a 10-minute walk of any child in Collegedale.”

Ted Rogers Ted Rogers is the former city manager of Collegedale. He resigned from the position in 2021 after working there 15 years. He

currently serves on the Hamil ton County 911 board of directors and has spent 40 years working in county and city government, according to an Oct. 31 Chatta nooga Times Free Press article.

Rogers' resignation from the city manager position resulted amid con troversy regarding the termination of Collegedale’s Parks and Recre ation Director Traci Bennett-Hobek and an alleged lack of communica tion with commissioners, according to a previous Accent article.

In the Oct. 13 Times Free Press article, Rogers stated that he pro duced 14 balanced budgets “with

common sense principles” while serving as city manager.

“The main focuses of his plat form include the economy; support ing emergency services, especially the police, maintaining roads and investing in parks -- namely, increas ing the number of available pickle ball courts,” according to the article.

Tonya Sadler

Tonya Sadler is a Hamilton County Criminal Court clerk who served previously as a Collegedale municipal court clerk and former public information officer for the Collegedale Police Department.

Sadler’s campaign focuses on promoting citizen involvement in government and supporting the city’s local businesses, according to an email to the Accent.

“While businesses like Walmart make significant tax contributions to our tax coffers, small and locally owned businesses are what gives Collegedale its unique character,” Sadler wrote. “Our city should do everything it can to nurture these businesses and help them thrive. Their success is our success.”

Campaign

along

Debbie

(Photo by: Alana Crosby)

Motivational sign (Photo sourced from Unsplash)

Google workshop poster (Photo courtesy of source)

dents that could get published. "The possibilities are endless," she said in the article. "We look for ward to continuing our relation

Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Staff members of McKee Library show their support of domestic violence survivors and victims by wearing purple. (Photo courtesy of School of Social Work)

Social Work faculty and an administrator support domestic violence awareness together.

Shown: Candy Dolcy, professor in School of Social Work, Laura Racovita, dean of School of Social Work; and Jason Merryman, vice president of Adminissions & Enrollment (Photo courtesy of School of Social Work)

Administrators on campus come together to support Domestic Violence Awareness Month on Purple Thursday, an initiative encouraged by School of Social Work.

Shown: Laura Racovita, dean of School of Social Work; President Ken Shaw; Bob Young, senior vice president of Academic Administration (Photo courtesy of School of Social Work)

Students from the School of Social Work host information booths for Purple Thursday at the Bietz Center. Graduate Studies in Counseling, as well as Family Justice Center and Foundation House Minis tries were present at this event. People shown: Laura Gibbs, Sierra Dunzweiller, Sarah Cole, Ilsia Bonilla (Photo courtesy of School of Social Work)

Female faculty, staff and administrators demonstrate their support of Domestic Violence Awareness Month on Purple Thursday together. Shown: Laura Racovita, dean of School of Social Work; Dionne Felix, associate vice president of Academic Administration; Pilar Anderson, administrative assistant for Academic Administration; Candy Dolcy, professor in School of Social Work; Kathy Purnell, diversity advisor to the president (Photo courtesy of School of Social Work)

Students and Professor Lunelle Bertresse of the School of Social Work host information booths for Purple Thursday at the Bietz Center.

People shown: Jessica Saing, Shekinah Satterfield, Alayna Crawford, Professor Lunelle Bertresse (Photo courtesy of School of Social Work)

MENTAL

Finding peace: How to manage stress levels

Brandon Grentz Counselor

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

If you’re anything like me, you’ve heard statistics about stress and how we need to avoid it due to the damage it can cause our bodies. However, all the statis tics and all the warnings do any thing but give me peace.

In fact, most conversations sur rounding stress cause me more stress, which makes me feel stressed, and I stress over the amount of stress I feel.

It can be easy to look at our lives at work or school and feel overwhelmed by the number of things we need to do, people we

need to interact with, homework we need to get done and time we seem to be lacking. So, let’s take a deep breath and dive into this topic to gain some clarity.

First off, what is stress? The Na tional Institute of Mental Health defines stress as the physical or mental response to external causes. These stressors can be one-time occurrences or repeat ing occurrences. They can be short-term (acute) or long-term (chronic). Simply put, stress is our body’s way of responding to things around us.

Is all stress bad for our phys ical and mental health? Positive stress, or eustress, is actually help ful. Eustress occurs when we have a positive experience; it could be

an adrenaline rush when snow boarding down a mountain or getting good work in before a deadline. These short bursts of adrenaline and cortisol can ener gize you and create focus when needed for appropriate tasks and situations.

Negative stress is typically long-term, or chronic, stress be cause our responses to stress are meant for survival and only when needed. Prolonged stress keeps these levels of cortisol and adren aline for much longer than they are intended to last.

So how can we keep our stress levels in check to keep them from becoming unhealthy? There are two main ways to keep our stress in check. The first way is to con

trol the aspects of our environ ment that we have control over. This might look like adjusting our schedules to allow for breaks, choosing friendships that en courage us, sticking to a sched ule to meet deadlines or maybe even cutting back on work hours if needed.

If there are aspects of your en vironment that you cannot move or control, the second way to at tack stress is to evaluate your re sponses to it. We can cope bet ter with stress by looking at our perceptions of situations that af fect us. Many times the way we interpret an outside event has much more effect on us than the event itself. Try on different per spectives of things and see which

one is most helpful to you. Other ways to take care of your stress are to get plenty of sleep, exercise regularly and lean on your friends and family for social support.

If you are having trouble with chronic stress, especially in daily functioning, feel free to reach out to us here at the counseling center or reach out to a friend, family member or trusted indi vidual.

Life can be stressful, but let’s put more eustress into it rather than chronic stress, which is det rimental to our health. Go for a hike, race a mountain bike down a hill, explore places with friends and turn that homework in with plenty of time left on the clock.

Phillies versus Astros: A Cinderella story versus last year’s runner-up

Jacob Nevis Sports Editor

The World Series is off to the races, with both the Phil adelphia Phillies and Houston Astros having won a game. Both teams have played in credible baseball to get to the World Series, and some might call the Phillies’ jour ney a Cinderella story.

Most sports analysts didn’t predict the Phillies to make the World Series. At the start of June, the Phillies had a 2129 record and had fired man ager Joe Giradi. Rob Thomson took over as interim man

ager for the Phillies and has helped them turn their sea son around.

With the new expanded postseason in the MLB, the Phillies were the sixth seed in the National League. In any other year, the Phillies wouldn’t have made the play offs. In this year’s first round of the playoffs, the Phillies visited the St. Louis Cardinals, and they defeated the Cards in the three-game series.

The Phillies then went on to face the reigning champions,

the Atlanta Braves. The Phil lies defeated the Braves in a five-game series.

On the other side of the Na tional League, the San Diego Padres knocked off one of the heavy World Series favorites, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and they then progressed to play the Phillies in the NLCS.

In the seven-game series, the Phillies saw their Cinder ella story continue after de feating the Padres. Now, the Phillies are playing the Hous ton Astros.

In the American League, the Astros had a much easier time getting to the World Series. The Astros were the runner-ups last year, losing to the Braves. They entered this year’s season as heavy World Series favorites again, boasting one of base ball’s best rosters.

The Astros had the best re cord in the American League, allowing them to coast their way to the World Series.

The Astros played the Seattle Mariners, who they ended up sweeping. Houston then

played the New York Yankees in the ALCS, and they easily took that win as well.

Now, the Astros are facing the Phillies in the World Se ries. The first game of the series saw the Phillies come back from a 5-0 deficit, win ning 6-5 in the 10th inning. In game two, the Astros took the victory 5-2.

The MLB playoffs were ex citing for baseball fans, and that will continue until a World Series champion is crowned.

(Illustration by: Mila Bales)

(Photo by: Tim Gouw)

TJ Simmons Contributor

What’s the process you imag ine for finding a long-term re lationship? Does it involve any goals like marriage, a family and/or a specific place? How do you choose to meet those goals in the near future? At the risk of sounding like someone bashing our generation, one thing we all could learn is to act with purpose and courage in the context of dating. Unfor tunately, the prevalence of “just talking” instead of purposeful dating can lead to miscommu nication and uncertainty.

How does someone get a job? You don’t just send up a couple prayers and then stand awkwardly outside of the place you want to work, hoping you’ll be the manager in a few weeks. Surely not! You send in an application. Then the employ er, if interested in hiring, works with the applicant to arrange an in-person interview as swiftly as possible. If the interview goes well, theapplicant gets hired.

Why don’t we do this with dat ing? Social media and texting are fine, but if you want to know someone and be fully known, just ask to hang out in person.

You may feel that there’s too much pressure or it’s too scary to ask someone on a date.

Think of it this way: If you ask out Person A, and it doesn’t work out, you both know where you stand. There are no blurred lines. If it does work out, great. On the other hand, if you fear losing Person A as a friend, consider what happens if you marry someone else, Person B.

The friendship with Person A is probably going to change dras tically. So, if you ask Person A out and it fails, or if you marry someone else, the stakes hav en’t changed very much.

A couple final thoughts: Dat ing with no endgame is like cooking with no recipe. Some people are great at cooking without a recipe, but that comes with years of experience and wisdom, leading to internalized rules that guide thought. Most people our age don’t have that kind of experience yet.

I leave you with some words from Henry Wadsworth Long fellow: “Look not mournfully into the past, it comes not back again. Wisely improve the present, it is thine. Go forth to meet the shadowy future without fear and with a manly [womanly, etc] heart.”

Alana Crosby Editor-in-Chief

As a connoisseur of roman tic-comedies, I love a good “meet-cute,” the part in the movie when the couple meets for the first time in some zany way and have an instant con nection while La Vie En Rose plays softly in the background. But rom-coms aren’t real, and dating is far less dreamy than most cinematic portrayals.

The “talking stage” is a phrase used to describe the cautious beginning of a relationship. It is both exciting, confusing and a bit aggravating. The talking stage is a good way to main tain a safe distance while you try to figure out if you have any chemistry with this per son. Overall, I think it serves a healthy purpose when it comes to dating.

Maybe this is my introversion speaking, but personally, I find

it rather absurd when someone asks a person out when they have just met and/or barely know them. This date is based on little more than physical appearance. Is that enough to survive a first date? Wouldn’t it be better to be familiar with the person, to have built the begin nings of a relationship?

Taking a few weeks to talk virtually will answer a lot of questions. You may learn that you are simply not compatible and have saved yourself from sitting through an agonizingly awkward date.

I once talked to a guy for a couple weeks. We had a lot of chemistry. And then I men tioned feminism, and he went on a tirade of how privileged women are and how he’s nev er seen in this day and age a woman who has faced any kind

of oppression (Somebody re strain me before I get on my soapbox).

While I could respect his opin ion, our beliefs on this topic dif fered so much that we parted ways amicably. By having this conversation, we saved our selves from the hassle of meet ing and possibly becoming more emotionally attached before dis covering our differences.

The beauty of the talking stage is that there is no pressure to commit. You can get to know a person without labeling it a “date” and can possibly remain friends even if you’ve written each other off as a potential spouse.

the talking stage should not drag on forever. If there is chemistry, connection and no billowing red flags, then it’s time to meet up for a date.

RELIGION

He holds all the keys: A valuable lesson in trusting God

Alana Crosby Editor-in-Chief

The door latched behind me. I stepped back, panic coursing through me, and stared at the closed door. The realization of what I had done rushed over me like icy water. It was Christmas, and my family was at my grand parents’ home in Michigan. I was six years old and had been playing house by myself all day. “Play” might be a stretch. I was dead serious.

My grandma kept dolls and toys for her visiting grandkids, and I was playing with my fa vorite. Her name was Clara. She had unnaturally long, blond hair

and glassy blue eyes. She was my only daughter, and her fa ther was away at war, obviously. My heart racing, I stood in the dark hallway in disbelief at what I had done. I had been so deeply engrossed in my pre tend world that I had locked Clara inside the guestroom with instructions to unlock the door for me when I returned from “shopping.” (I couldn’t just leave her in there with the door unlocked; she could’ve been kidnapped.) As I stood there, dark thoughts filtered through my mind. My grandparents will

never be able to use this room again. Where will people stay when they come to visit?

There was no key-hole in the knob, just a useless, tiny hole no bigger than a toothpick. I decided that my only option was to pray.

“I’ll do anything You want, just please, please unlock the door.” After each desperate plea I would try the doorknob. Final ly, I knew there was only one thing left to do. Tears streaming down my face, I went to confess my misdemeanor to my grand mother. Calmly, she followed me back to the hallway and

pulled a tiny metal stick from the top of the door frame, and, fitting it neatly into the knob, swung the door open with a perplexed smile.

Relief washed over me, and I went back to taking care of Clara. I figured it out, I thought. The prayers didn’t work, but I took care of the problem. This dangerous confidence is a mindset I have struggled with over the years. I can fix it. If my prayers don’t work out, I’ll have a backup plan; I can deal with it. But believing this is living a lie.

Answers to prayer come in

many different forms. Personal action can be God’s answer, or the answer might come from other people. It took years for me to re alize the real lesson to be learned from my locked door experience. The lesson wasn’t that keys come in all different shapes and sizes, rather, it was that we may not see the behind-the-scenes of our prayers. There will be times when we don’t understand why God chooses to say no or to an swer a prayer in a way that is difficult to accept. But He knows the end from the beginning, and He holds all the keys.

(Photo by: Josh Hild)

Let’s date more intentionally Get to know them, then let the dating begin Exploring the pros and cons of the ‘talking stage’

LIFESTYLE: Arts & Ideas

Creative Contributions: ‘Accepting your part’ and ‘Dege at dawn’

TJ Simmons Contributor

“O me, O life!” with Walt Whit man’s answer recurring: Life is a powerful play, and I get to contribute a verse.

Long have I anguished over what my verse shall be.

Shall it be a lonely soliloquy, only heard by an audience Hidden within the light?

Will it be a short comedic scene Where I bumble and trip over my own feet?

A powerful choreographed fight scene

Where I triumph over evil? Surely not!

For I have no script, no words of my own worth repeating Or wisdom worth remembering Oh friend, our legacy matters not For I am not the Actor the Audience came to see I am but an extra, and this role is now enough for me

Madison Wilcox Religion Editor

We hiked up the ridge line to wards Dege through patches of snow. Sometimes the path would trace the edge; other times it would turn into the snowbank, and we’d have to stomp a trail through, the crust of ice holding and then giving out at every step, each person packing the snow further and further down, a millimeter at a time. The stars we had seen

two hours earlier from the tarp in the Sunrise parking lot had faded. Then, they had winked low above us. Now, at 3:30 a.m., the sky was lighter every time I looked up.

We talked in low tones as we walked, getting acquainted.

“What’s it like living in Central California? Did you always live there?”

“How often do people con fuse you and your twin?”

“Do you write because you’re good at it or because you couldn’t imagine yourself do ing anything else?”

I wasn’t ready to return to the flatlands or respond to the questions.

When it was quiet, again I breathed in rhythm with our

steps and watched the branch es of the Whitebark pine sway above the path. We were a slow train of four, moving under the trees, walking bravely under the face of the mountain. Every few minutes I would remember and turn my head. Every time, there it was, across the valley. Massive and silent, holding its breath; far away, the climbers tracking slowly across its face, making an early attempt at the summit, their headlamps a few points of light blinking against the snow. It was their moun tain, too.

We reached the crest of Sour dough Ridge where the trail turned up towards the summit of Dege at 4:30 a.m. The edge dropped into a rounded basin,

scree covering the slopes that tilted down towards the grass es below. We stood on the rim of a crater, looking out towards the rim of the world. The rest of the cascades were backlit or ange — it was coming soon.

I sprinted up the last few switchbacks. It was thorough ly morning now. The conver sation of the three behind me rumbled louder as the moun tain awakened, exhaling after a long night of silence, the steam rising from the trees.

Now I could laugh. Now I could talk, loudly even, about Central California, and my twin, and why I write just because I couldn’t imagine doing any thing else.

Last turn, and I was there.

Who knew you could balance on the head of a pin and feel like laughing and screaming and crying and lying flat on your face all at the same time? The summit was only about 20 feet in diameter. I didn’t know which way to turn. I didn’t know where to look.

“Scatter my ashes up here when I die,” I joked to the three with me.

Then the sun came. It was as slow as it was sudden. I want ed to be alone. Within min utes, the whole mountain was a burning bush. I felt the urge to throw off my running shoes and tell Him I’d do whatever he said.

I hiked down knowing I’d re turn. Higher next time.

Kevin Southern Accent Mascot

Dear Kevin, What should I do if I discov er a secret that a close friend is withholding from me?

Dear Restless Friend,

Ah, the classic “They don’t know that you know something they don’t want you to know.”

It’s a common issue among us ducks as well, but that doesn’t make it any less complicated.

I believe the direction of your next waddle all depends on the secret. Was your friend with holding the secret to protect themselves or you? Is it some thing personal or embarrass ing? If so, they may have had good intentions in deciding not to tell you.

It’s never fun being left out of the loop, but think about how your friend might feel if they discovered you knew the secret before you confront them.

That being said, if you feel like the information they’ve kept from you needs to be talked about, whether that’s because someone might be in danger or your friendship may suffer if you don’t reveal your new

knowledge, confront them re spectfully.

Be kind, and don’t assume you know why they didn’t tell you. Sometimes, secrets spread like words underwater. The sounds are all jumbled, and no one ever perfectly understands what you’re saying. Ask your friend questions, and don’t try to make them feel bad. Look at things from their perspective. Sometimes, friends don’t share everything, and that’s ok.

There’s no reason to engage in any sort of fowl play here. Don’t be a chicken, but don’t be a vulture either. Be a duck with its head out of the pond. After you learn your friend’s side of the story, it may feel like you’re hearing their words for the first time out of water. The sounds will become clearer, and you’ll likely know what to do next.

However, if you don’t, write me another question, and I’ll do my best to answer before flying south.

Dege Peak at Sunrise: Rainier National Park, WA

Mountains (Photo by: Soley Moses)

cho.woobin I just wanted to nap :<

nico.mill.er Who needs a titanic when you’ve got friends like these

Cho Woobin Nicolas MillerC N

ianormousg Back when I had hair….

lexgillard it’s been awhile

Ian Glenn

Lexi GillardI L

abbytishaw

Emily Freeman

Abby TishawE A

Church

Online W23 Registration for Returning Juniors 54 hours and Seniors Preview Southern 11:00 a.m. Convocation: Schutte Family Inaugural Lecture Series, Neil Nedley, Collegedale Church 5:00 p.m. SA Supper, Promenade (Free Pizza)

Weekly Birthdays

TODAY |2 Eugene Choi Olivia Chong Chris Dietel Jason Dubose Cy Durias Lukas Evans Rachel Illingworth Ella Jalba Ben Juarez Randy Kim Wesley Moore

Dean Charlson Angelyn Edwards Eric Eiselstein

Matthew Jensen Christiana Nardi Gisell Ochoa Christian Teal Saturday |5 Amy Dias Nogueira Paityn Foszcz Nicole Iniguez Anna Ivashchenko

Hayden Grundy Maria Hernandez Liana Hillebert

Madeline Kim Marla Crystal Liedke

9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Southern Union Virtual Education ‘Get Acquainted’ Inter views

9:00 a.m. Adoration Worship, Collegedale Church 9:00 a.m. Connect Worship, Student Park Goliath Wall 11:45 a.m. Renewal Worship, Collegedale Church 11:45 a.m. Merge Worship, Lynn Wood Chapel 5:30 p.m. Evensong, Collegedale Church 9:00 p.m. SA Fall Festival (Walking Track or Gym in the event of rain)

Thursday |3 Ambar Acevedo Tomorrow Arnold Ekaterina Beresneva David Caleb Karl Camacho Davis Canas James Mendez Elisabeth Mercado Genesis Ramirez Bill Rogers Claudio Sandoval Friday |4 Garik Brown

Joshua Jenkins Kheera Joe Benjamin Kim Lauren Martinez Josh Norris Luke Perkins Tyler Ritterskamp

Lilyan Saliba Macaela Strother Zary Vargas Sunday |6 Josh Cole Claire Elias Nicolas Galindo

SA Announcements

Gabriel Reed Evelin Sanchez Alani Santa Cruz Monday |7 Charlene Arnold Eduardo Campos Hernandez Kimberly Keni Josh Kim Ignacio Lizarraga Lisa Miller Isaiah Price Donna Pritchard Roshney Puthankalam Janie Smith

Tuesday |8 Brandy Canterberry Naomi Dufraine Billy Locke Kacie Shelton

SA Fall Fest is this Saturday, Nov 5. Come out for a fried oreo, tractor ride, car show, or to hang out with friends. It will be held at the walking track at 9:00 p.m.

In Progress grades due for December Grad uates

Online W23 Registration for Returning Soph omores >23 hours, Juniors and Seniors 7:00 p.m. Museum Lecture, Lynn Wood Chapel 7:30 p.m. Performing Arts: Violinist, Marcio Candido, Ackerman Auditorium

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