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September 18, 2024 Collegedale, Tennessee
Southern Accent
Vol. 80 Issue 02
The student voice since 1926
University considers armed presence on campus
Campus safety officer, Jonathan Barker, assists students crossing the road after convocation. September 12, 2024. (Photo by Ron Cabacungan)
Anaya Parker Reporter Alexis Dewey News Editor Due to the rapid growth of the student body, Southern’s President’s Council and Board of Trustees recently launched a discussion about developing a new safety plan, according to an email from Dennis Negrón, vice president of Student Development. The Sept. 6 email contained information about the possibility of introducing a greater armed presence on campus and included a survey to gauge students' and faculty's interest in heightened security. Ken Shaw, university president, stated in an email to the
Accent that the university is in an exploratory phase. Southern’s Board of Trustees will discuss the topic again in October after further research. Assistant Chief of Police for the Collegedale Police Department (CPD) Jamie Heath said, “Just Hamilton County alone, when you talk about school threats, the Sheriff's Office has made 20-30 arrests this semester. Twenty might be a little high [but] it’s still alarming. The issue is growing across the country and in Hamilton County.” Southern’s open campus layout also creates more vulnerability, especially with the main road running through the university, which complicates efforts to control who comes
on and off campus, according to Shawn Haas, associate director of Campus Safety. “When we’re looking at safety planning in general, we’re always evaluating the campus and making changes or recommendations for change,” said Haas. “[For instance] it’s a little dark in some areas, so they’re upgrading the lighting.” According to an Accent article published in September of 2023, “Cameras that scan license plates and identify car owners to determine if they have active warrants or are banned from campus have been installed at every entrance at Southern Adventist University to increase safety on campus.” The Collegedale Police Depart-
ment (CPD) is a few minutes from the university. Officers are routinely on-site. However, Southern does not hire them. “Collegedale officers are already frequently on your campus,” said Heath. “Whether we are working with our campus safety partners, answering calls for service, or simply parking our patrol cars and walking around, an officer is either already there or very close by.” Heath said Collegedale is separated into four areas by the police department: North, East, South and West. Southern is located in the South district of Collegedale, making it one of the routine locations that officers are sent to patrol each day, along with the neighborhoods
Pickleball fever: Inside Southern Adventist University's growing intramural scene Alissa Flores Reporter After a long wait, university intramurals are back in the game, ready to serve up some fun competition this year. With previous Accent articles publicizing the rise in intramural participation over the last two years, this coming semester is looking like it will be a smash hit, particularly for pickleball. According to Troy Walker, director of intramural sports at Southern Adventist University, there has been a significant increase in the singles/ doubles sports on campus. Pickleball matches, as well as leisure competition on the courts, has seen exponential growth. In the spring of 2022, when the university first offered pickleball as an intramural option, its 37 teams included mens, womens and mixed doubles. “That year there were no A and B leagues, but I think last year I broke some of it up into A and B, and this year, it’s gonna be obvious that I’ve got to offer A and B for men’s, women’s and co-ed,” Walker said. “That definitely has to happen with the pure numbers of teams.” According to Walker, the number of pickleball teams in
2023 spiked to 81, more than double the number of teams compared to the first year. He stated that the sport’s reputation of being easier to pick up and play than other racquet sports, and requiring less running, lends itself to its popularity. Preston Waters, senior marketing major and the head of the pickleball life group, is excited about its popularity. “I am the life group leader for pickleball and prayer, and my life group size has nearly doubled with the amount
of people who come to the Southern courts on Friday at 2:00,” said Waters. Walker added, “This will be our third year with pickleball intramurals. We’ve done it for two years now. It’s difficult to say the specific rate, but it has grown faster than any other sport.” Many students have enjoyed the addition of pickleball as an intramural option and have voiced their stories and appreciation for its impact on student life. Waters told his story of winning a men’s A league
championship, as well as the mixed B league with his fiancée, Alexis Dewey. Raegan Blake, sophomore public relations major, stated that her love for pickleball was solidified when she was able to play a tournament with her brother during her first year on campus. Blake and her teammate, Anderson Mills Slade, won the women’s doubles B league championship for pickleball in 2023. Matthew Taylor, junior mass See PICKLEBALL on page 2
nearby. Therefore, Southern has armed officers patrolling its grounds each day, throughout the entire day. “And we are out there for extra jobs and just walking around the campus getting to know the students and the layout and responding to calls for help,” Heath said. Negrón said the discussion about whether the university needs to expand that armed presence has taken off more recently, “likely because several different constituencies have asked us to explore the topic: students, employees, alumni, trustees.” Southern already hires police See Officer on page 2
Crumbleberry market closes Alexis Dewey News Editor On Sept. 3, 2024, Crumbleberry Market posted on its Instagram page that it is no longer operating on campus. The post stated that Southern created a new policy that will no longer allow independent businesses to compete with its food and beverage sales. “As a result, SAU will be putting restrictions on our lease renewal, which will make it impossible for us to continue to operate the business in the way we would like.” According to a previous article by the Accent, Crumbleberry Market is a plant-based, local and family-owned café-style restaurant started by Southern alumna Nicole Gustman. For the last several years, the market has been located in Fleming Plaza, which houses the Village Market. Before the market was located in Fleming Plaza, it sold baked goods, cheeses and more at the Chattanooga market, as well as at surrounding eateries including Local Juice, Cashew, Nutrition World, Juice Bar, Georgia Winery and the Village Market, according to its Instagram. See MARKET on page 2
Andrew Sangar and Alissa Flores play pickleball. (Photo by Elias Zabala)