Quicknotes | january 2020

“From Script to Scripture: The History of the Bible” opened to the public on January 15 and features more than 80 books and works of art, including a page from the first Bible ever printed in North America and a Breeches Bible brought over on the Mayflower. The free exhibit features additional historical Bibles such as the Olivitán, a 1535 pre-reformation French Bible; a bifolium from the Gutenberg Bible; and a complete 1611 King James Version Bible.

Visitors to Southern’s Lynn H. Wood Archaeological Museum can also stand in front of a replica of the Wittenberg doors and read an original printing of Luther’s 95Theses, which sparked the Protestant Reformation. Other exhibit elements guide guests through Bible printing history, document the role art played in illustrating biblical themes, and explore the innovations of the alphabet, the printing press, and modern technology in making the Bible the best-selling book of all time.

On January 14, bibliophiles and history lovers joined campus faculty and staff in Southern’s Dining Hall for a special banquet and guest lecture by Elton Kerr, ’71, MD, titled “Editio Princeps: First Presentations of Scripture Through History.” Afterward, attendees walked to the museum for a special tour of the new exhibit, which will run through April 30, 2021.

For more information about the museum, including hours of operation, visit southern.edu/archaeology or call 423.236.2030.

-Staff Report

Over the past four years, Southern's School of Music has worked to incorporate percussion back into its curriculum. During Winter Commencement in December, Arnie Salillas, ’19, was the first music major in several decades to graduate with a concentration in percussion.

“At first, I was conflicted about choosing a major because I loved both piano and percussion very much, but ultimately I wanted to pursue percussion,” Salillas said.

In recent years, the best tool percussionists had for learning more about their instruments was experience gleaned from performing in music ensembles on Southern’s campus, such as the Wind Symphony and Jazz Ensemble. Building the new the degree from the ground up presented challenges, such as adding classes, scheduling practice times, and finding practice space. According to Salillas, the normal practice rooms were simply too small for playing percussion, and the only alternative was to practice in open areas with other students. However, the School of Music made creative adjustments to transform existing spaces into something specifically for the snare drum, marimba, vibraphone, and other similar instruments.

According to percussion instructor Richard Henson, 20 Southern students are currently pursuing this concentration. Prior to Salillas, the most recent graduates leaving campus with degrees emphasizing percussion were music education majors from the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Graduates from the School of Music are prepared for a variety of career options after Southern, including teaching music, performing with professional ensembles, and attending graduate school in various fields—including law and medicine. To learn more about music’s impact on students, read “A Connecting Thread” from Columns magazine (Spring 2019).

-by Xander Ordinola, sophomore journalism major (original article published in Southern Accent)

Cassie Matchim Hernandez, ’16, double majored in journalism and global policy and service studies while at Southern. She knew her dream job would utilize communications skills for a ministry organization, but the exact vision beyond that proved elusive. Little did she know this ideal position would be found so close to campus and the classrooms where her calling first took root.

“I kept telling people I wanted to work somewhere ‘like It Is Written’ one day,” Hernandez said. “After graduation and a mission year in Palau, I thought: ‘Why not try to work at It Is Written?’ So I sent in my portfolio, and things went from there! I really like working here because the focus isn't on money or self, but outward. Every day we are reminded that we are doing what we’re doing to serve God and others.”

Hernandez, a marketing assistant with It Is Written, isn’t the only Southern graduate working for the international media ministry. After It Is Written moved from California to Chattanooga in 2014, several Southern alumni filled open positions. According to the organization’s administrators, approximately 15-20% of their current employees are Southern graduates. On top of that, the nonprofit employs multiple Southern students in paid internships at any given time.

The relationship between Southern and It Is Written—synergistic even before the nonprofit’s move to Tennessee because of the SALT evangelism training program—will likely grow even stronger as its headquarters recently moved to a new location in Collegedale only two miles from campus. A grand opening event in November for the ministry’s 41,000-square-foot home was covered by local media and Adventist media alike as North American Division president Dan Jackson helped dedicate the space. For coverage of the grand opening, visit the Chattanooga Times Free Press and Adventist Review.

It Is Written is an award-winning media evangelism ministry sharing the gospel worldwide for more than 60 years. The first religious television program to broadcast in color, It Is Written is the ninth-longest running television program in the United States. The ministry also operates websites, mobile apps, and other faith-sharing resources.

-Staff Report

Gymnastics has cartwheeled through Annika Northrop’s life for as long as she can remember. She started lessons at age 3 and began competing individually at age 6. At Highland Academy, gymnastics became a team sport for her, and at Southern, it also became a ministry.

Northrop got her first taste of witnessing on a ShareHim trip to Kenya at age 13, where she timidly preached a sermon to more than 300 strangers. She loved it and wanted more. When Northrop found out that she could combine witnessing with gymnastics in the Gym-Masters program at Southern, she was ecstatic. First, the team builds its members up through daily worships, which helps them stay focused on what is really important and feel like a big family. Second, they try to live out each year’s theme through their own lives. This year’s Gym-Masters’ theme is “Grow.” With every performance and with every younger team that they mentor, they encourage others to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).

Northrop’s favorite part of Gym-Masters is that the team takes mission trips together during Spring Break. She has been on three missions with the team, one to Puerto Rico, one to the Dominican Republic, and one to Belize. Different destinations involve different activities, ranging from gymnastics shows to church services and construction work. Belize was Northrop’s favorite trip. The theme that year was “Dig Deep: Lay the Foundation,” so it was very fitting that during their 10 days in Belize they helped lay the foundation for a new school.

“We spent the majority of the time scorched by the sun, our backs bent and shovels in our hands. We soon realized that we had been saying the words ‘Dig Deep’ all year long without actually understanding them,” remembers Northrop. “In the act of laying a foundation, we began to truly ponder what our theme meant—literally, and in our own lives. The words came to life for us.”

The students weren’t scheduled to go back to the job site on the last day, but Northrop and some of her friends wanted to help all that they could, and returned. The foreman was surprised and delighted. They performed two gymnastics shows that week for the children. The team didn’t have thick pads for landing protection, so they had to keep the shows simple. Still, Northrop has never seen a crowd go so wild or be so grateful.

“I hope I can always use gymnastics to touch the lives of others, whether I am performing myself or teaching,” said Northrop, now a senior English and accounting double major. “Gymnastics has been such a big part of my life for so long that I honestly cannot picture my life without it. It has been a tremendous blessing to be able to use the talents that God gave me to bring inspiration, encouragement, and joy to others.”

-by Angela Baerg, ’06

Having overseen 25,000 employees and 2,500 physicians while working with AdventHealth in Florida, Brian Paradis has earned the credentials necessary to write a book using standard metrics for best practice in business management.

Lead with Imagination takes a different approach. Instead, Paradis’ book focuses on the value of love, curiosity, and humor in team development on the path to “collective genius.”

Paradis, a graduate from Southern's School of Business, recently moved back to the Chattanooga area and is part of a strategic advisory firm led by former health care industry CEOs. The full Q&A article from his interview with EDGE magazine (January 2020) is available online.

-Staff Report