Mental Health | 5
Opinion | 6
Religion | 6
Lifestyle | 7
Coping with loneliness
Right to be forgotten online in the AI era
The Christian responsibility in government
Between two worlds: My Cuban-American heritage
October 09, 2024 Collegedale, Tennessee
Southern Accent
Vol. 80 Issue 05
The student voice since 1926
Southern responds to Hurricane Helene
Southern students and staff volunteer after the distruction of Hurricane Helene in Fletcher, North Carolina. (Photo courtesy of source)
Anaya Parker Reporter Hurricane Helene was reported to be one of the worst hurricanes to make landfall in the United States, according to USA Today. The devastation impacted hundreds of lives, with the death toll reaching over 225 as of Sunday, CBS News reported. The storm hit many states, including Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia and Tennessee. Several students at Southern Adventist University have been affected by the disaster. Emma Boughman, a junior animation major, lives in Spartanburg, South Carolina. “My parents and my best friend, they all lost power, and
[my] parents still don’t have power,” she said. According to Boughman, the storm caused some power lines to explode near her home, falling into the road and the water causing trees to fall on top of cars. She had not expected the storm to be so devastating or reach that deep into the mainland and was grateful that the damage was not worse. “I think it was just a different feeling around here because that doesn’t [usually] happen,” she said. Katie-Jane Emde, junior biology major, is from Greeneville, Tennessee, one of the towns struck by the hurricane. Emde’s family owned a historical cabin that they used for gatherings
History, Political Studies chair leaving Southern Anaya Parker Reporter After more than six years as a professor at Southern Adventist University, Michael Weismeyer, chair of the History and Political Studies Department, will leave at the end of the semester to join Arizona State University’s history graduate program, he said in an interview with the Accent. During his time at Southern, Weismeyer taught a variety of classes on U.S. history, for both upper and lower divisions, according to his Linkedin page. He has taught “US history in
the colonial period, 19th century, 20th century, immigration and ethnic history, as well as European 20th century history, plus classes on US government and political economy.” He has also been an advisor for students and the sponsor of the history club on campus. Weismeyer said his departure was not fueled by dissatisfaction but rather personal and professional opportunities that were too compelling to pass up. “It’s more pull factors than push factors,” he said. “I’ll be closer to family, and there’s a new opportunity for me as
Professor Michael Weismeyer teaches U.S. History Through Civil War at Brock Hall.
Monday, October 07, 2024. (Photo by Ronnell Cabacungan)
with friends and family. They hosted hot dog roasts and hayrides there for church friends and school functions. Emde remembered having her class over every year for a fall day at the cabin. “It was like a symbol of my family’s hospitality,” she said. Unfortunately, the cabin was destroyed during the hurricane. Emde said the dam above her home broke, sending water down the river. The water gushed over the riverbank and into Emde’s family farmlands, washing over the cabin. The family expected the cabin to be damaged underwater but found it thoroughly washed away. “You know, you always say people are more important
than places, but then you lose a place [and think], ‘Hey, that was important, too,’” Emde said. Despite her sadness at losing a place associated with so many memories, Emde said some of her neighbors lost their primary residences or suffered much worse. She has learned of fatalities reported in Greeneville and said some people in her town are still missing. “I definitely want to emphasize first how grateful I am that my family is, like, safe above all else,” she said. Zach Bradley, junior history major, also lost a special family place: his grandmother’s house in Fletcher, North Carolina. She built the home with his grandfather, filling it with sentimen-
tal value for the family. After her husband passed away, the house was something she had to remember him by. During the storm, a tree fell on the house. According to Bradley, the home is likely to be condemned. This was difficult for him since he grew up visiting that house and made many good memories there. “There [are] memories there in that house that are now all gone,” Bradley said. He is now having difficulty keeping up with school because he has been preparing things to send to his grandma. “We have a trailer, and I packed it full of supplies. I went See Helene on page 2
Southern students invited to "Taste of Southern" gala Eva Resz Reporter On Thursday, Oct. 3, Southern Adventist University hosted its third annual “Taste of Southern” gala at The Signal in downtown Chattanooga. Southern selected 10 students to attend the event, each representing their department. The dinner featured a live auction and performances by Southern’s Jazz Ensemble and the gospel quartet Ernie Haase and Signature Sound, all with the aim to bring a bit of campus to downtown Chattanooga businesses. Ken Shaw, Southern president, initiated the idea of the gala, which was developed in 2022 to raise funds for first-generation student scholarships. In an interview with the Accent, Shaw said the event has been a success and has raised over $220,000 for the first-generation endowed scholarship. “Sometimes [it’s] more challenging for first-generation students to be successful, and we want all of our students to be successful, obviously,” said Shaw. “With these students, sometimes just a little extra financial help can help them to be successful.” To attend, sponsors had to put down money to reserve one of the 30 tables at the event,
Southern students pose for a photo at the Taste of Southern Gala.
(Photo courtesy of source)
according to Shaw. Sponsors then invited special guests from the community and campus to attend.The sponsors include area businesses, Southern Southern alum and board members, according to an email by Ellen Hostetler, vice president for Advancement. A Taste of Southern’s website displays the 22 businesses from the community who sponsored tables at this year's event, many of which are owned by alumni or are where Southern students intern. “[The event is] a great public relations way to share the
good news about Southern,” said Shaw.“There are people in our community that know that there's a school in Collegedale, but they don't know much about it. And this showcases what our students are doing and their successes.”
“[The event is] a great public relations way to share the good news about Southern.” This year, the event coordinators invited 10 hand-selected Southern students to go to the gala, according to Preston See TASTE on page 3