Mental Health | 5
Opinion | 6
Religion | 6
Lifestyle | 7
Tools for dealing with conflict
Reconsider soft launching on social media
Rolling with faith: How I learned to trust God
Orchestra members share their perspectives
October 23, 2024 Collegedale, Tennessee
Southern Accent
Vol. 80 Issue 06
The student voice since 1926
Collegedale pilots fly aid to hurricane victims
Volunteers load a plane with supplies to take to those affected by Hurrican Helene (Photo courtesy of Jason Allin)
Emma Rodriguez Collegedale News Editor In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, the Collegedale Airport community stepped up to provide critical relief efforts to Asheville, North Carolina. A group of dedicated pilots, led by Mayor Morty Lloyd, flew several missions, transporting essential supplies to hard-hit areas in North Carolina and Tennessee. In the initial relief effort on Oct. 1, Lloyd joined Tom Bowen and Alan Robertson in piloting three aircraft into Asheville, which had been greatly affected by the hurricane. The team faced challenging conditions due to fog and low-lying clouds, according to Lloyd. But with the
assistance of air traffic control, the pilots successfully navigated the mountains and landed at the Asheville airport.
“[In] a lot of the communities that were affected, there [are] a lot of outlying areas that did not have access” Ryan Byford, director of airport operations at the Collegedale Airport, said the pilots had a significant impact on areas devastated by the hurricane. “[In] a lot of the communities that were affected, there [are] a lot of outlying areas that did not have access,” he said in an interview with the Accent. “Roads were closed; the only
way in was through air - helicopters and stuff like that. “So, what we did is try to expedite some of these deliveries that were collected at The Commons over to those areas where they were off-loaded, put in helicopters and flown to very remote places in western North Carolina,” he continued. “It helped make a very big [difference] for those communities that were less fortunate than we were.” The Commons served as the collection site for Collegedale’s Disaster Relief Operations, according to a press release from Bridgett Raper, communications strategist for the Small Cities Coalition of Hamilton County. “The City of Collegedale and
the City of East Ridge greatly appreciate the continued efforts and support as they gather supplies for the victims and families impacted by Hurricane Helene,” the press release stated. In an email to the Accent, Lloyd explained that with countless other aircraft from across the country delivering aid, air traffic controllers worked tirelessly to manage the influx of planes and ensure the safety of all involved. “The ground controllers held a Delta Air Lines flight in place, so that the cavalcade of general aviation aircraft could taxi to the ramp to unload,” Lloyd stated in the email. “I was immediately marshaled to a parking spot and shut my plane down.”
“The ground controllers held a Delta Air Lines flight in place, so that the cavalcade of general aviation aircraft could taxi to the ramp to unload” Once on the ground, Lloyd was approached by a local crew member of a privately owned helicopter, who was searching for supplies to deliver. “I began to list the various items and he said, ‘We’ll take everything that you’ve got. We discovered an isolated community on the top of a mountain that is completely cut off. I can See PILOTS on page 3
423 Night Market moves All-Day Softball changes the game for students to Hulsey parking lot Eva Resz Reporter
423 Night Market, traditionally held in the Collegedale Church of Seventh-day Adventist parking lot, successfully relocated to the Hulsey parking lot this year. Hosted by Student Association (SA) on Oct. 5, the event attracted students, community members and staff. With 82 vendors, the 423 Night Market surpassed last year's record of 60, making it the largest market to date, according to Edvan Benitez
SA president and senior theology major.
With 82 vendors, the 423 Night Market surpassed last year's record of 60, making it the largest market to date Benitez was in charge of coordinating 423 Night Market. “The church had all their events going on that weekend that they had booked way in advance,” Benitez said. “That’s why we needed to make that
change. I followed [the] recommendations of my sponsors and the advice of AV and plant services.” Due to the location change, the vendors had limited access to drop off their supplies at the Hulsey parking lot while the rest of the attendees had to park at the church, the Village Market and the Iles Physical Education Center. “I like both this year’s and last year’s locations, but for different reasons. Last year’s felt more cohesive and leveled, while this year’s was
Micah Leonor and Jeremiah Domingo playing at 423 night for the Battle with the Bands.
(Photo by Elias Zabala
See MARKET on page 2
Alexis Dewey News Editor Each year, Southern Adventist University students playing softball intramurals look forward to the last Saturday night of the season, according to Troy Walker, the university’s intramurals director. This year, however, the For the Love of the Game Softball Tournament, previously known as AllNight Softball, looked different than in years past. For the first time in Southern’s intramural history, For the Love of the Game was held on Sunday, receiving the nickname “All-Day Softball,” according to Walker. The tournament was originally supposed to happen on Saturday, Oct. 5, rather than Sunday, Oct. 6. This change was due to the last-minute cancellation of the original tournament when the fields became too wet from rain earlier in the day. Walker also stated that All-Night Softball could not be rescheduled to either of the next two Saturday nights, Oct. 12 and 19, due to the 423 Night Market and Latin American Club Night. Walker further explained that it wasn’t approved to have “For the Love of the Game” on the same night as 423 Night Market because the school is not large enough to have two events happening at the same time. Additionally, some 423 student vendors may have been on a softball team and wanted
to play. Walker and Judy Sloan, dean of the School of Health and Kinesiology, made the decision together, according to Walker. Madison Molina, junior nursing major, has played softball at Southern for the last three years. “I love being able to play a game after a stressful day and have fun with people,” she said. “I have met some of my best friends in college from intramurals.” In past seasons at Southern, Molina has attended For the Love of the Game. “I love All-Night Softball,” she said. “It is one of the best events, in my opinion, that Southern offers.” Molina also played in All-Day Softball this semester. “All-Day Softball was fine,” she said. “Definitely nothing compared to All-Night Softball, but we did what we had to do. At least we had the opportunity to play.” Molina said that the biggest plus of having the tournament on Sunday rather than on Saturday night was that her sleep schedule was not compromised. “[The] biggest con was the intense heat, and the environment was totally different,” she said. Many teams forfeited, and thus less people came to watch the tournament games,” Walker said that the whole goal of intramurals is getting people to play sports and interact with each other; therefore, Sunday was a better option See SOFTBALL on page 3