The Southern Accent is the official weekly student-run newspaper at Southern Adventist University, a church-owned university in Collegedale, Tennessee. Today, The Southern Accent published an article that both celebrated and advertised a “Fight Night” community boxing event. “Fight Night” is a term commonly used to describe worldly events featuring combat sports such as boxing, mixed martial arts (MMA), kickboxing, and others. These events usually feature a series of fights between fighters, often live-streamed on the internet. It is worth noting that combat sports, such as boxing, are typically sponsored and promoted by the big casinos in Las Vegas.
In a now-deleted online article (which can never really be deleted), The Southern Accent published the following on April 5, 2023:
After attendance exceeded expectations last year, Southern Adventist University students Jake D’Avanzo, senior marketing major, and Cole Gentry, sophomore marketing major, are hosting a second Fight Night, an off-campus boxing event open to the community.
Fight Night is not affiliated with the university, but Southern students are participating as fighters.
As of Tuesday morning, the event was postponed to Saturday, April 15, due to weather. Doors to the pre-event will open at 5:30 p.m. Updates will be posted on Fight Night’s Instagram: @fight_night_2023.
Fights will begin at 8 p.m., according to Gentry. During the pre-event, there will be carnival games, a petting zoo, food and apparel to buy, said D’Avanzo. Nick Thompson, sophomore nursing major (stage name Rapper 407 NJT) will perform at halftime. The location has not changed since last year, and the address will be announced on Instagram.
Fight Night is a cash-only event. There will be a $5 entry fee and $10 parking fee. D’Avanzo and Gentry heavily encourage carpooling. VIP tickets, which can be purchased at the event or before, cost $100 and offer multiple benefits, including priority parking and seating, entry, a meal and apparel. Ticket details were posted on instagram.
The idea of Fight Night began near the beginning of 2022, when Gentry was at D’Avanzo’s house and said he’d like to organize a boxing event.
“Everyone laughed at me in the house except for Jake,” Gentry said.
“I said, ‘Let’s do it,’” D’Avanzo added.
The two students began brainstorming and were able to secure Rocky Top Excavation as their sponsor. They created a team of organizers, videographers and graphic designers. D’Avanzo said the event came together quickly, and he predicted that 500 people would come. Gentry predicted 250.
To their surprise, nearly 1,000 individuals attended, said D’Avanzo. Gentry estimates between 50% and 75% of the attendees were Southern students.
When asked how many people they expect to attend this year, Gentry said, “I expect a few hundred to show up, and I’ll be happy with anything else.”
“I like that — humble beginnings,” D’Avanzo responded. “I like to stay humble as well, but we are … very much prepared for the possibility of hitting in the 2,000 range.”
This year, the team expanded and diversified the roster. Twelve individuals are contracted to fight, and about 75% are current Southern students, said Gentry. Last year’s Fight Night featured only male fighters, but this year, female Southern students Destini Evans, freshman public relations major, and Lexi Kaufman, freshman management major, will spar.
One of the fighters is former Southern student Jacob Sarmina. He agreed to participate because he loves boxing.
“I hope when people see me fight, they can see more of what boxing is actually about,” he wrote to the Accent. “Boxing isn’t a sport of violence or a barbaric competition of who is crazier in the ring. Boxing is a dance, a very technical sport. Boxing takes dedication and discipline, and it has brought a lot of good to my life.”
Like last year, emergency medical technicians will stand near the fighters, an experienced referee will officiate and security guards will patrol to keep the crowd safe and enforce the event’s no-alcohol policy, according to Gentry and D’Avanzo. They added that the twelve boxers, who will wear protective gear, are insured as fighters through a gym downtown, where they’ve been training. [1]
Fight nights can technically be illegal unless these events comply with local laws and regulations. But whatever the legality, it is immoral for any Bible-believing Christian to pay money to see two people punch each other out, let alone advertise these events in media that is officially associated with a Seventh-day Adventist institution. Why are they charging fees for Fight Night? Will it go to charity or to sponsor missions? Or will it pay the fighters?
There must be serious clarifications on the potential ethical and moral implications of Seventh-day Adventist students participating in and/or promoting fighting events. Violent sports are dangerous and promote aggression and harm to others, which is at odds with the values and teachings of Seventh-day Adventism.
Furthermore, supporting a fight night on media affiliated with a Seventh-day Adventist school amounts to openly condoning violence and flies in the face of Jesus and the church’s message of peace and nonviolence. It is important for the leadership at Southern Adventist University to carefully consider their values and priorities when deciding whether to take no action or to hold their students accountable and impose consequences for those who openly scorn our values and teachings.
Yes, Seventh-day Adventist universities have a code of conduct that students are expected to follow, and Fight Night and all other associated behaviors related to combat sporting events do not align with the Christian faith. There is a reason why we have biblical Christian values. Students who attend Seventh-day Adventist institutions are expected to uphold those standards. And yes, there are consequences for violating these expectations, both for students and administrators who do nothing.
First, it was dance ministries. Then we had puppet ministries. Recently, we’ve incorporated clown ministries. Now we have Fight Night ministries. What’s next? Happy Hour ministries? We urge you to contact both the President and the Senior Vice President of Southern Adventist University so that they can fulfill their pastoral responsibilities and safeguard the faith and the souls committed to their care:
KEN SHAW
President, Southern Adventist University
shawk@southern.edu
ROBERT YOUNG
Senior Vice President
ryoung@southern.edu
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Indistinguishable from the world. That’s why Israel perished in the wilderness.
The floodgate has come in, and the church is ill-prepared to do anything about it.
“I have been shown that the spirit of the world is fast leavening the church. You are following the same path as did ancient Israel. There is the same falling away from your holy calling as God’s peculiar people. You are having fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. Your concord with unbelievers has provoked the Lord’s displeasure. You know not the things that belong to your peace, and they are fast being hid from your eyes. Your neglect to follow the light will place you in a more unfavorable position than the Jews upon whom Christ pronounced a woe.” (5T 75).
This is not a over whelming surprise considering the church’s falling away at 2015 GC This fight night was only cancelled because they were exposed
It wasn’t, it was actually a two night event 😱
Never imagined this could happen. So tragic. This is the Omega on steroids.
Shocking. I wouldn’t believe it if I didn’t see it. And this is supposed to be one of our more conservative schools. We are in trouble.
Abomination after abomination,deep in apostasy God help us
“The public feeling is that manual labor is degrading, yet men may exert themselves as much as they choose at cricket, baseball, or in pugilistic contests, without being regarded as degraded. Satan is delighted when he sees human beings using their physical and mental powers in that which does not educate, which is not useful, which does not help them to be a blessing to those who need their help. While the youth are becoming expert in games that are of no real value to themselves or to others, Satan is playing the game of life for their souls, taking from them the talents that God has given them, and placing in their stead his own evil attributes. It is his effort to lead men to ignore God. He seeks to engross and absorb the mind so completely that God will find no place in the thoughts. He does not wish people to have a knowledge of their Maker, and he is well pleased if he can set in operation games and theatrical performances that will so confuse the senses of the youth that God and heaven will be forgotten.” Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, p. 274
https://southern-accent.org/2023/04/06/university-issues-statement-denouncing-fight-night/
This is not a over whelming surprise considering the church’s falling away at 2015 GC This fight night was only cancelled because they were exposed
It wasn’t canceled, it was actually a two night event 😨😱