WORLD NEWS & PERSPECTIVES

aculty, staff, and students at Southern Adventist University are mourning the loss of their friends and colleagues, those killed in the plane crash near Collegedale on December 2.

"This is a deep blow to everyone here at Southern," said Gordon Bietz, university president. "The immensity of this tragedy goes beyond all of our personal and professional friendships with these dedicated people. We have lost a significant portion of our conference leadership."

Vinita Sauder, vice president for Marketing and Enrollment Services at SAU, was a colleague and former classmate of David Cress, president of the Georgia-Cumberland Conference. "Dave was an outstanding leader and a tremendously positive influence at our Board of Trustees' meetings," says Sauder. "I was a classmate of his at Forest Lake Academy and again at Southern Adventist University in the late 70s, and he was a leader even back then in the Student Association. He was destined to lead and to minister to people. He will be missed so very much."

Southern's assistant director of Planned Giving, Carolyn Liers, said that shock and disbelief were the best words to describe how she is feeling. "Dave [Cress] was a classmate of mine at Forest Lake Academy in 1972. He was a sweet young man and a friend to all who knew him." After graduating from academy, it was many years before Liers saw Cress again. "When we met again, about 30 years later, the sweet young boy that I remembered had grown to be an honorable and respected man. Dave will be truly missed. His smile, friendship, and warmth will live forever in all the hearts that knew him."

Senior mass-communication/public relations major Heidi Martella didn't personally know those who were killed, but she still attended a Friday evening service held on SAU's campus on December 3 to honor and remember those who died. "Our emotions permeated our actions," says Martella. "Whether we knew the individuals who were killed or not, we had a sense of community grieving and bonding together. I found a measure of peace from singing, listening, praying, and remembering."

Ruthie Gray, director of Marketing and University Relations for SAU, graduated from Mount Pisgah Academy in Candler, North Carolina, and SAU with Jamie Arnall, communication director for the Georgia-Cumberland Conference. Gray had just recently reconnected with Arnall and met his wife, Erin, in mid-November. "Jamie was a person passionate about his work and his ministry for our church in the communication field," says Gray. "He was always laughing about something. Jamie had fun while he worked and did everything the best that he could while thinking about new ideas along the way."

In an effort to show support to the families and loved ones of those killed in the tragedy, the SAU Student Association is providing ribbons for students and faculty to wear. SA president Melvin Taylor has also organized group services to pray for the families and friends of the victims.

Those killed in the plane crash were David Cress, Georgia-Cumberland Conference president; Jim Frost, executive secretary and vice president for administration; Clayton Farwell, assistant to the president; Jamie Arnall, director of communication; and hired pilot and Adventist church member John Laswell.                                                     --AR