AUGUST 2017 AN ECLIPSE TO REMEMBER Through a rare natural phenomenon, Southern Adventist University is bringing together Seventh-day Adventist schools across the country. AHS EXPANDS CONFERENCE HELP LAOS JOY COMETH IN BEFORE THEY FOCUS ON PRESIDENT GROW THE MORNING CRIED, HE MISSION, ADOPTS ADVENTISM ANSWERED MINISTRY PLANT-BASED DIET contents Volume 111, No. 8, August 2017 The Southern Tidings is the official publication of august 2017 the Southern Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. features SOUTHERN UNION CONFERENCE 302 Research Drive Norcross, Georgia 30092 Mail Address P.O. Box 923868 Norcross, Georgia 30010-3868 Telephone (770) 408-1800 www.southernunion.com 4 AN ECLIPSE TO REMEMBER EDITOR R. Steven Norman III MANAGING EDITOR Irisene Douce CIRCULATION Bobbie Millburn AdvERTISING Nathan Zinner 8 LAYOUT Julie Burks AHS EXPANDS FOCUS ON PRODUCTION College Press MISSION, MINISTry CONTRIBUTING EDITORS AdvENTIST HEALTH SySTEM Meghan Brescher Halley 9 AdvENTIST UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH CONFERENCE PRESIDENT ADOPTS SCIENCES Lisa Marie Esser PLANT-BASED DIET CAROLINA Rebecca Carpenter FLORIDA Martin Butler GEORGIA-CUMBERLAND Tamara Wolcott Fisher GULF STATES Tyler Roberts 10 HISPANIC Mariel Lombardi HELP LAOS GROW AdvENTISM 4 KENTUcky-TENNESSEE Denise Pope OAkwOOD UNIVERSITY Kenn Dixon SOUTH ATLANTIC Carl McRoy 12 SOUTH CENTRAL JOY COMETH IN THE MORNING Michael Harpe SOUTHEASTERN Nicola McClymont SOUTHERN AdvENTIST UNIVERSITY Janell Hullquist 14 8 9 BEFORE THEY CRIED, HE CONFERENCE/ ANSWERED INSTITUTION DIRECTOry CAROLINA (704) 596-3200 P.O. Box 44270, Charlotte, NC 28215 FLORIDA (407) 644-5000 351 S. State Road 434, Altamonte Springs, FL 32714-3824 15 GEORGIA-CUMBERLAND (706) 629-7951 P.O. Box 12000, Calhoun, GA 30703-7001 GOD WILL PROVIDE GULF STATES (334) 272-7493 P.O. Box 240249, Montgomery, AL 36117 KENTUCKY-TENNESSEE (615) 859-1391 10 P.O. Box 1088, Goodlettsville, TN 37070-1088 SOUTH ATLANTIC (404) 792-0535 P.O. Box 1688, Decatur, GA 30031-1688 SOUTH CENTRAL (615) 226-6500 P.O. Box 24936, Nashville, TN 37202 SOUTHEASTERN (352) 735-3142 news P.O. Box 1016, Mt. Dora, FL 32756-0056 ADVENTIST HEALTH SYSTEM (407) 357-2083 16 IT IS WRITTEN 900 Hope Way, Altamonte Springs, FL 32714 17 AdvENTIST UNIVERSITY ADVENTIST UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES (800) 500-7747 OF HEALTH SCIENCES 671 Winyah Drive, Orlando, FL 32803 18 AdvENTIST HEALTH SYSTEM OAKWOOD UNIVERSITY (256) 726-7000 CAROLINA 7000 Adventist Blvd., Huntsville, AL 35896 20 SOUTHERN ADVENTIST UNIVERSITY 22 FLORIDA (800) SOUTHERN 12 14 24 GEORGIA-CUMBERLAND P.O. Box 370, Collegedale, TN 37315-0370 26 GULF STATES 28 KENTUcky-TENNESSEE SOUTHERN TIDINGS | Volume 111 30 SOUTH ATLANTIC Number 8 | August 2017 31 SOUTHEASTERN Published monthly by the Southern Union. Free to all members. 32 SOUTHERN AdvENTIST Periodical number: 507-0000 UNIVERSITY POSTMASTER: Send changes of address to Southern Tidings P.O. Box 923868 34 nON-DISCRIMINATION POlicy Norcross, GA 30010-3868 35 OBITUARIES EMAIL: [email protected] 44 CLASSIFIED AdvERTISING 46 EvENTS CALENDAR 15 47 AnnOUNCEMENTS AUGUST 2017 | SOUTHERN TIDINGS 3 coverfeature AN ECLIPSE TO REMEMBER Through a rare natural phenomenon, Southern Adventist University is bringing together Seventh-day Adventist schools across the country. BY ANGELA BAERG rare natural phenomenon tific study. They will host a field trip for Rarer still is for an event of this magni- will occur on August 21, physics students, an on-campus view- tude to happen in one’s own backyard. 2017 — a magnificent to- ing party for all majors, and a virtual To make the most of this opportunity, Atal solar eclipse. Although viewing party that is open to all North Southern’s Physics and Engineering De- eclipses of various magnitudes occur American Division (NAD) Seventh-day partment is canceling all indoor class- frequently, the last time an eclipse this Adventist schools. es on August 21, and instead spend- spectacular took place in North Amer- ing the day in the most cutting edge, ica was in 1918. Some people travel the A Rare Opportunity thought-provoking classroom of all — world in search of extraordinary eclips- A solar eclipse is caused by the moon the great outdoors. es, but during this event many United passing between the sun and the Earth, Together, students, faculty, and staff States residents will be able to view one casting a large shadow on Earth’s sur- will travel to the center of totality in Ath- from their own front doors. face. The most common type is a par- ens, Tennessee, to view the full length The eclipse will first be visible in Or- tial solar eclipse, which occurs when the of the eclipse and run experiments. They egon and pass through the Midwest be- sun, moon, and Earth are not perfectly will log the pivotal moments during the fore arriving in the Collegedale, Tennes- lined up, so the sun is only partly ob- eclipse, attempt to photograph the dif- see, area around 2:30 p.m. Those located scured. The second type of eclipse is an ferent phases, and use a spectrometer to in the center of its path — also called annular eclipse, when the moon does not compare and contrast the spectrum of the “center of totality” — will witness completely block the sun, but instead ap- the sun’s corona in full sun and in to- an eclipse that lasts about two and a half pears like a dark disk on top of a brilliant tality. minutes. ring. Finally, the last type of eclipse is a The students who remain on campus Since Southern Adventist University total solar eclipse, where the sun, Earth, will also have a special viewing party. is located only 40 minutes away from and the moon are in a direct line. In this Although Collegedale is not at the center where the center of the eclipse will pass, scenario, the sky becomes very dark, as of totality, more than 99 percent of the the Physics and Engineering Depart- if it were night. sun will be covered, and students will ment faculty plan to capitalize on this It is this last and most rare form of use special eclipse-viewing glasses to unique opportunity for hands-on scien- eclipse that will occur on August 21. see the eclipse in near-totality. 4 SOUTHERN TIDINGS | AUGUST 2017 coverfeature Chris Hansen, Ph.D., Southern Adventist University physics professor, holds a ball representing the sun as he explains a total solar eclipse to elementary students. AUGUST 2017 | SOUTHERN TIDINGS 5 coverfeature Collaborative Learning This opportunity is so unique and excit- ing that Chris Hansen, Ph.D., Physics and Engineering Department chair, did not want to limit it to Southern students alone. Instead he came up with the innovative idea to host a virtual viewing party. With the help of the NAD Office of Education, he reached out to all of the Seventh-day Adventist schools in the Division within the scope of the eclipse. He offered them free eclipse-viewing glasses if they would perform experiments, take pictures, and share their results with sister schools via Southern’s website, southern.edu/eclipse. Anyone will be able to view the results as they are posted. ECLIPSE VIEWING ABCS “It is a great opportunity to build com- Eclipses can be as dangerous as they are amazing, so remember these safety munity within our Seventh-day Adventist tips as you prepare for your viewing experience. school system,” Hansen said. “Plus it’s sci- • Use special-purpose solar filters for eye protection, such as eclipse-viewing ence related, which makes it even better.” glasses or hand-held solar viewers. DO NOT LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE This virtual viewing party is the first of SUN WITHOUT PROTECTION. its kind within the North American Divi- • If you are taking photos, make sure you use a special solar filter so that you sion school system, and so far Hansen has don’t harm your camera’s imaging sensor. received an enthusiastic response. Twen- • Do not look at the uneclipsed or partially-eclipsed sun through an unfiltered ty-six schools in the path of the eclipse camera, telescope, binoculars, or other optical device, even if you are wear- — including at least 12 in the Southern ing eclipse-viewing glasses or a viewer. Union — have signed up to participate, • If you know what to watch for, there are several distinct events that occur totaling more than 1,500 viewers. Schools throughout an eclipse, such as “Bailey’s Beads” and shadow bands. They range from the western-most school of happen around four pivotal moments called “contact times.” These include: Gem State Academy in Caldwell, Ida- • C1, the moment the lunar disk first touches the solar disk, ho, to the eastern-most school of Myrtle • C2, the exact second when the lunar disk covers the sun, Beach Seventh-day Adventist Christian • C3, the moment when the sun pokes out from behind the moon again, and School in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. • C4, the exact moment when the moon quits covering the sun. Chadd Watkins, principal of Highland There are several solar eclipse timer apps for your cell phone that can help you Academy in Portland, Tennessee, has know when each of these phenomena occur, so you don’t miss anything. For more signed up the 100 staff and students of his information about the eclipse, visit southern.edu/eclipse. school to participate. “I’m hoping the stu- dents will enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime event,” Watkins said. “I want them to re- alize that we were created by the Master, and what we see is a result of His works, not some cosmic explosion. I hope all the schools are reminded that we are fearful- ly and wonderfully made.” Kelli Vigil is a teacher at Rapid City Sev- enth-day Adventist School in Rapid City, South Dakota.