No one was expecting a season of canceled vacations and social distancing, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do during the warmest and most enjoyable part of the year. Here is a list of local things to do this summer to check out and put down on the calendar.

ENTERTAINMENT IDEAS ANY TIME

Blended Smoothie & Juice Bar
Address: 4215 Jimmy Lee Smith Pkwy Suite 21, Hiram, GA 30141
Blended Smoothie & Juice Bar has been serving Paulding County since 2017. It is a healthy lifestyle company whose mission is to blend health, taste and community. They have smoothie bowls, smoothies, protein shakes, power juice shots, and different blends to fit your health needs. All of their detoxes and cleanses can be ordered online for pickup and curbside. They offer catering options and provide healthy drinks at events, private parties, and more.

Qualusi Vineyards
Address: 440 Blossom Trl, Acworth, GA 30101
Qualusi Vineyards are family-owned and operated by the Gilbert family. They honor the Chero- kee natives’ land with the name Qualusi which means grapes in their native language. Qualusi Vineyard is a family and pet-friendly environment with large outdoor areas set among the vines. Indoor seating is also available. On most weekends, they have live music, wine and local food trucks. Check out their calendar for a list of upcoming events.

Dallas Theatre Rental
Address: 121 E Griffin St, Dallas, GA 30132
Is there a birthday, anniversary or special event to celebrate? Think about playing a favorite movie on the big screen with family and friends. The Dallas Theater is available to rent for a private family movie night. Grab some snacks and favorite Blue-Ray or DVD to watch on the big screen! Click here for more info.

Motherhood Blessings
Address: 9453 GA-5, Douglasville, GA 30135
SIP. PAINT. RELAX. Painting with a Twist offers sip & paint parties and they have a special Mother’s Day class going on. Masks are required for this special event. It’s 18 and up after 6 p.m. and it’s BYOB. The class is $38 per person and is from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Learn more here.

SCHEDULED EVENTS LIST

May Market at Rose Lawn
Address: 224 W Cherokee Ave, Cartersville, GA 30120
The two-day festival features handmade arts & crafts and southern food and garden products. The festival highlights 200 heirloom roses blooming on the grounds of the historic home of Rev. Sam Jones. Take a Victorian House Museum tour. Enjoy two full days of musical entertainment. Shop and learn at the Bartow County Master Gardeners Spring Plant sale. Sample a variety of fresh foods and delicious treats. Admission is free and it happens on May 1-2.

Farmer’s Market at Ridge Ferry Park
Address: 363 Riverside Pkwy NE, Rome, GA 30161
Support local farmers and artisans at the Farmer’s Market at Ridge Ferry Park in Rome for fresh produce, meat, eggs, dairy, canned items, and homemade crafts. A special event is happening May 8, from 7-11 a.m. It’s also open Wednesdays and Saturdays from June 2 through October 17.

Flourish Networking for Women
Address: 1124 N Tennessee St STE 103, Cartersville, GA
The Flourish Network and Flourish Networking for Women meet-ups and events are all about helping individuals grow and be successful. They are a non-compete business network for women.
At their meet-ups and events, there will only be one business type represented per attendee. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. The event is on May 18, from 10:30-12 a.m. Get more info here.

Atlanta Funk Fest (Two Day Pass)
Location: The Home Depot Backyard, 1 AMB Drive Northwest, Atlanta, GA 30313
What was initially set for 2020 is now happening on May 29. The star-studded event lineup includes The Dream, Lil Kim, Missy Elliot, Ludacris and many more. Visit your favorite major ticketing site for details.

Sprint Extreme Car Show 2021
Address: 305 Market Place Blvd, Cartersville, GA.
Spring Extreme car show 2021 will take place on June 5, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Cartersville Mardi Gras Benefit 2021
The 10th Annual Mardi-Gras Benefit Gala, presented by Glenda Mitchell Law Firm, will be held June 11, from 7-11:30 p.m. at the Clarence Brown Conference Center. All attendees must be 21 or older, and proceeds will support the Red Door Food Pantry at the Episcopal Church of the Ascension and their charities.
Tickets include a New Orleans-style dinner and an open bar stocked with beer and wine. View details here.

Lost Art Music Festival
Address: 8000 Capps Ferry Rd, Douglasville, GA 30135
The Lost Art Music Festival presented by Cathead Distillery will be on June 12, from 12-10 p.m. The festival takes place at the Foxhall Resort in Douglasville with a lineup featuring St. Paul & the Broken Bones, Shovels & Rope, The War and Treaty, Ben Nichols of Lucero and The Pink Stones, plus a Friday Night Kickoff Show with Aaron Lee Tasjan. Find ticket info here.

The Weekend
Abel is coming to town! The Weekend is performing in Atlanta on July 13, at the State Farm Arena. He is set to perform songs off of his hit 2020 release “After Hours.” Tickets are available now at all major retail sites.

Def Leppard/Mötley Crüe/Poison/Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
Location: Truist Park, Atlanta, GA.
Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe, Poison and Joan Jett, and the Blackhearts are back for the Joint Stadium Tour on August 15. Tickets are now available at all major ticketing sites.

It’s official! Mariah Carey is teaming up with Ariana Grande and Jennifer Hudson to remake her Christmas song “Oh Santa!”

The Queen of Christmas, Mariah Carey, has brought the ultimate Christmas cheer by confirming her duet with fellow vocal powerhouses Ariana Grande and Jennifer Hudson.

Fans could not contain their excitement after Carey shared a poster of her upcoming Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special, premiering on Apple TV+. The photo is of her alongside Ariana and Jennifer belting out their new song, “Oh Santa!,” into microphones.

‘MC x AG x JH,’ Carey captioned the photo. Simultaneously, her Instagram stories included a countdown, appearing to confirm the track will be released on Friday morning.

Reacting to the good news, music producer and longtime collaborator Jermaine Dupri commented: “Colossal!”

Former Fifth Harmony singer Lauren Jauregui also commented: “Um did somebody say VOCALZ?!? A blessing.”

It comes weeks after Mariah first teased the surprise collaboration with a mysterious photo of three chairs with the initials MC, AG, and JH on the back of each one in a studio.

It’s an incredibly huge deal for Ariana Grande, whose vocal ability has long been compared to Mariah’s. For years people have tried to pit Mariah Carey and Ariana Grande against each other. Even though Grande has previously cited Carey as one of her inspirations.

The collaboration will be featured in Mariah’s anticipated special, which includes many other celebrities. A-list guests such as Tiffany Haddish, Snoop Dogg, Jermaine Dupri, Misty Copeland and Mariah Carey’s twins, Moroccan and Monroe Cannon, will appear.

The old-fashioned variety show spectacular is set to air on December 4 on Apple TV+, complete with a soundtrack released on Apple Music the same day. The album will be available on all other streaming platforms on December 11.

If you have an Apple Music student subscription, you can enjoy free access to Apple TV+ for a limited time. Just open the Apple TV app and start watching Apple originals.

Stacey Abrams did not hide her disappointment when Republican Brian Kemp was declared the winner of the Georgia governor’s race two years ago, after a bitter contest plagued by widespread irregularities and allegations of voter suppression.

She channeled her outrage into organizing and mobilizing an army of voters to break the Republican Party’s hold on politics in Georgia.

In the wake of her loss, Abrams started Fair Fight Action, taking the battle against voter suppression to 18 states. The group launched a massive voter education campaign, promoting voting by mail and encouraging voters to plan to cast their ballots.

In the final months of the 2020 election, volunteers texted millions of voters and made thousands of phone calls.
Current and former lawmakers and officials took to Twitter on Friday to thank the former Georgia gubernatorial candidate for helping people in Georgia register to vote and make their ballots count.

Former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, tweeted, “And thank YOU, Stacey. Thank you,” quote tweeting a post from Abrams thanking various organizations for their work, helping them get the job done.

Former Obama administration advisor, Valerie Jarrett, quoted the same tweet as Clinton, stating that Abrams had forgotten to thank one person, herself.

Representative, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), tweeted that the work Abrams has done in Georgia is “nothing short of remarkable.”

Biden’s run for the presidency was never riding on Georgia; the state became an essential part of the campaign’s strategy because of Abrams’ determination.

Neither Barack Obama nor Hillary Clinton had made a severe play for Georgia in recent years. Still, after Abrams’ narrowly lost her race to become Georgia’s next governor, she doubled down on her efforts to expand the electorate and push back against voter suppression.

The payoff finally came as the election unfolded this week. Both Senate races are headed to a January 5 runoff election that could give Georgia its first Democratic U.S. senator since Zell Miller retired in 2005.
And Biden is on track to become the first Democratic presidential nominee to win the state since Bill Clinton in 1992.

A senator from California and former prosecutor, Kamala Harris, has a track record in breaking new ground. Now, she is the first woman, first black person and the first person of Asian descent elected to the country’s second-highest office.

Born to an Indian mother and Jamaican father, Harris has risen higher in the country’s leadership than any woman before her.

She often spoke on the campaign trail of those who had come before her, specifically of her parents, who were immigrants drawn to the civil rights struggle in the United States — and of the ancestors who’ve paved the way.

During her first address to the nation, the Vice-President-Elect declared her victory as the beginning for women.

“While I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last,” Harris said in her acceptance speech at a drive-in rally in Delaware.

“Every little girl watching tonight sees that this is a country of possibility,” she said.

There’s no doubt that her win means a lot to women of color everywhere.

Even after the election had been called because of President-elect Joe Biden’s overwhelming lead in Electoral votes, Harris’ hard-fought win was met with some challenges.

There are several allegations of what President Trump calls “voter fraud.” Currently, there are five remaining lawsuits that President Trump’s campaign has in Georgia aiming to dispute the results of the 2020 election. The Trump administration’s claims have yet to be proven.

Nonetheless, Harris has broken a glass ceiling for women in the United States.

“Yes, I totally agree, because it’s the first time we’ve ever seen a black woman Vice President. This gives black little girls hope, and it shows that they too can be in the White House,” said GHC student, Abrianna Betts.

Kamala Harris has managed to do the seemingly impossible for some. Although, she is not the only woman who made history in the recent election season.

Mauree Turner, a black, queer, progressive newcomer, has made history in Oklahoma.

At just 27-years-old, Turner won her election for state House in Oklahoma’s 88th district, making history as the first non-binary and black Muslim elected to the state’s legislature.

The political freshman won the seat over Republican Kelly Barlean. In the heavily Republican state, Turner’s district is mostly Democratic.

Michele Rayner-Goolsby has made history by becoming the first, out LGBTQ black woman elected to Florida’s House of Representatives.

Rayner-Goolsby, who describes herself as an “unapologetic black woman,” won in Florida’s District 70. Her victory was a certainty after winning the Democratic primary, as she was unopposed in the general election.

A black Lives Matter activist, Cori Bush, in Missouri slid into an election night victory to become the state’s first black congresswoman.

Cori Bush, who may become the fifth member of “The Squad,” gained 84 percent of Missouri’s first Congressional District’s vote.

“The Squad,” a group of women of color that have been heavily opposed by President Trump and other republicans countless times have also paved the way for women. Despite the negative attention they frequently receive, Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) are all back in the House of Representatives.

Like so much of American history, the traditional telling of Thanksgiving was created to mask a dark past.

Growing up, we learned the first Thanksgiving was a joyous feast between the Mayflower pilgrims and friendly, local Native Americans. As kids, we blindly celebrated the holiday with classroom feasts and paper turkeys, only to later learn that the story of cultural acceptance we were fed was a lie.

Thanksgiving has a long-disputed history. The most prevalent version tells of the 1621 feast where Plymouth pilgrims thanked the Wampanoag tribe for helping them survive in the New World. According to TIME, the celebration lasted three days with deer, fowl and corn on the menu.

However, the pilgrims probably wouldn’t have considered the 1621 Plymouth feast as the first Thanksgiving. The pilgrims actually felt a sober day of prayer in 1623 was the first Thanksgiving.

Others viewed 1637 as the true origin of Thanksgiving when Massachusetts colony governor, John Winthrop, declared a day of Thanksgiving to celebrate colonial soldiers. However, this story doesn’t sit quite the same, knowing that the same soldiers had previously slaughtered 700 Pequot men, women and children in what is now Mystic, Connecticut.

Of the three versions, the first is the one we hear the most and makes for the best celebration. But given a broader context, the story isn’t so blissful.

“According to “Historic Contact: Indian People and Colonists in Today’s Northeastern United States,” authorities in Plymouth began asserting control over “most aspects of Wampanoag life,” as settlers increasingly ate up more land,” writes Aine Cain for Business Insider.
Settlers increasingly took up more land and disease had already reduced the Native American population in New England by as much as 90 percent from 1616 to 1619. No matter how welcoming the pilgrims were, there’s no denying they caused the deaths of thousands of indigenous people.

Massasoit, the Wampanoag’s paramount chief called the sachem, proved to be an essential ally to the English settlers in the years following Plymouth’s establishment. He set up an exclusive trade pact with the newcomers and aligned with them against the
French and other local tribes like the Narragansetts and Massachusetts.

Just one generation later, that alliance was weakened beyond repair.

By the time Massasoit’s son Metacomet, known to the English as “King Philip,” inherited leadership, relations had dissolved. King Phillip’s War was sparked when several of Metacomet’s men were executed for the murder of John Sassamon.

Wampanoag warriors responded by embarking on a series of raids, and the New England Confederation of Colonies declared war in 1675. The neutral Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations were eventually dragged into the fighting, as were other tribes nearby.

The war was bloody and devastating.

Springfield, Massachusetts, went down in flames. The Wampanoag abducted colonists for ransom. English forces attacked the Narragansetts on a bitter, frozen swamp for harboring fleeing Wampanoag. Six hundred Narragansetts were killed, and the tribe’s winter stores were ruined. Colonists in far-flung settlements relocated to more fortified areas. Simultaneously, the Wampanoag and allied tribes were forced off their land and fled their villages.

The colonists ultimately aligned with several tribes like the Mohigans and Pequots, despite initial reluctance from the Plymouth leadership.

Meanwhile, Metacomet was dealt a harsh blow when he went to New York seeking allies. Instead, he was rejected and attacked by the Mohawks. Upon returning to his ancestral home at Mount Hope, he was shot and killed in a final battle.

The son of the man who had sustained and celebrated with the Plymouth Colony was then beheaded and dismembered. His remaining allies were either killed or sold into slavery in the West Indies. The colonists had “King Phillip’s” head on a spike and displayed it in Plymouth for 25 years.

The war’s ultimate death toll could have been as high as 30 percent of the English population and half of the Native Americans in New England.

This war was just one of the brutal but faintly remembered early colonial conflicts between Native Americans and colonists in New England, New York and Virginia.

The popular image of Thanksgiving is a diluted and altered version of the violent truth. By perpetuating a story of cultures coming together, we erase the struggles of indigenous people.

For some, modern-day Thanksgiving may be a celebration of people coming together. But to others, it is a painful rewrite of their history.

There are so many perks to being enrolled—connecting with professors and classmates, learning new things, exploring career paths and of course getting deals and discounts all over the place!

Entertainment and Electronics

Office 365: Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Microsoft Teams are free to students with their GHC email, along with discounts on other Microsoft Office features.

Adobe: Log in with a GHC student email on Creative Cloud to get 20+ apps, including Photoshop, Illustrator, and Acrobat Pro.

Amazon: Get a free six-month Amazon Prime trial. After the trial, membership is $6.49/month, with cancellation any time.

Apple: Apple has education pricing for teachers and students of all grade levels.

Spotify/Hulu/Showtime: Get 50% off a Spotify Student Premium account, which includes a Hulu and SHOWTIME subscription! That’s only $4.99 a month for limited ads during music or TV.

Six Flags & Whitewater: There are discounted Six Flags and Whitewater tickets for GHC students. Username – ghcog, Password – SixFlags10 (Password is numeric and case sensitive)

Food Services

Charger Food Pantry: Food and toiletry items are available at all Georgia Highlands College Food Pantry locations to members of the GHC community.

Arby’s: Get 10% off meals with a college student ID at participating locations.

Buffalo Wild Wings: It’s time to get saucy. At many locations, students can slash 10% off their meal. Just ask!

Chick-fil-A: Students can get a free small drink with their purchase, and some locations also offer 10% off.

Chipotle: The next time they get a burrito the size of a log, students can flash their GHC ID to score a free small drink.

Grubhub: Get $5 off for orders of $12 or more!

Beauty and Health Products

MAC Makeup: Students can join UNiDAYS for a promo code for 10% off all their favorite MAC products.

Sigma: Students can get 10% off Sigma’s cult-favorite brushes, brush cleaners and makeup with their student code.

BOBBI BROWN: Students get 20% off all BOBBI BROWN beauty products with their student discount code.

Commentary:

To mask or not to mask? That is the question so many Americans want to know the answer to. Why is the use of face masks by the general public for limiting the spread of COVID-19 so controversial, yet highly recommended?

As states reopen from quarantine, many are requiring people to wear face coverings in most public spaces. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now recommend cloth masks for the general public.

Half of all U.S. currently has statewide mask mandates in place. However, in Georgia, Republican Gov. Brian Kemp signed an executive order banning cities from enforcing mask mandates.

In response, Savannah’s democratic mayor, Van Johnson, tweeted, “It is officially official. Governor Kemp does not give a damn about us.”

According to the CDC, an increasing amount of evidence proves cloth face coverings help prevent people who have COVID-19 from spreading the virus to others.

Despite CDC’s recommendation, some people say they’re exempt from mandates requiring facial coverings in public. Because of their medical condition, it is not safe for them to wear a mask. Thanks to privacy laws like HIPAA, the “anti-maskers” say they’re not required to disclose their secret medical condition.

The mask debate has turned into a significant political issue where most democrats are for masks and republicans generally are against them. Anti-maskers with pre-existing conditions like asthma have deemed wearing a mask dangerous for their breathing even though masks are still recommended.

According to the CDC, people with moderate to severe asthma may be at higher risk of getting very sick from COVID-19. The coronavirus may affect the, throat, lungs, cause an asthma attack and possibly lead to pneumonia and acute respiratory disease.

Others claim that the Americans With Disabilities Act protects them from disclosing their private “medical condition.” Could this just be a way to avoid minor inconvenience? Perhaps.

Masks can come with uncomfortable side effects, but are still necessary

Wearing a mask can be annoying, uncomfortable and the experience is unbearable for some. Many fail to properly cover their face, only covering their mouth or by cutting holes in their masks to better breathe or drink. This defeats the mask’s purpose to prevent airborne spread of the virus.

There have been reports of medical professionals suffering severe skin damage after wearing masks for long periods. Wearing a mask for an excess amount of time causes sweat and friction to damage the skin. This creates an opportunity for infection.

If you have a condition that makes mask-wearing difficult, there are ways to deal

The solution isn’t doing away with masks altogether but to wear one that is better suited for the individual.

For example, for people with asthma or COPD (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), the CDC recommends staying home as much as possible and picking times when it’s least hot and humid to go out. They also advise choosing face-coverings that are comfortable, like a cloth mask made with moisture-wicking and breathable fabric.

Other reasons people refuse to wear masks include racial profiling to the political stance that the government should not dictate what citizens choose to wear. I spoke to a retired Paulding County School District (PCSD) educator, Teresa Britton, about the need for masks and mandates in our community. She currently works at an elementary school in Paulding County.

“I just don’t think they protect you that much,” said retired PCSD educator Britton. “I think it’s a really big scare tactic used to scare people. I don’t have to go into the store that demands it. As far as them demanding you wear it at all times, no. That’s completely infringing on your personal rights and your beliefs.”

Private businesses like Target, Walmart and CVS have policies in place stating that you must be six feet apart and masks are required to be in the store. It is also legal for businesses to enforce those policies and ask a person to leave if they refuse to abide by these set rules.

Wearing a mask is about protecting others, not only yourself. Anti-maskers are not only putting themselves in danger, but also people like essential workers who have to be in public during the pandemic. Their non-belief in science and healthcare professionals is both alarming and irresponsible.

Wearing a mask should be mandatory everywhere as well as social distancing to ensure we get rid of this virus as quickly as possible. It shows good citizenship by making a commitment to keeping fellow Americans safe. Wear a mask!

Fans of thrillers and audiences seeking a new streaming experience now have access to a new series on Netflix called “Ratched” that is worth the watch.

The character, Mildred Ratched, was first brought to life by Louise Fletcher in Milos Forman’s classic film, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” Nurse Ratched was a brutal, calculating woman, overseeing the male psychiatric ward. She was a symbol of entrenched power; to others, she was a cold antagonist. Mildred was an embodiment of what the patriarchy feared women would become if given the liberation they wanted badly. Those in between will enjoy “Ratched” because it shows how Mildred came to be a sociopath. It is her origin story.

Show producer Ryan Murphy often recycles the same actors and casts them for different roles at his leisure. One of his most reliable performers, Sarah Paulson, plays Mildred – before becoming the heartless woman we love to hate, she pops up in Lucia, California, set in the 1940s, to offer her services as a night nurse at a psychiatric hospital.

A new patient has been admitted into the hospital’s care – Edmund Tolleson, played by Finn Wittrock, who is fresh from murdering four priests – and she has a particular interest in getting close to him. There are no positions open at the hospital, and the interview invitation she has from the head of the hospital, Dr. Hanover (Jon Jon Briones), is forged. Mildred eventually manipulates her way into receiving an apology for the fraudulent mishap and is offered a job.

Spoiler Alert:
As the season progressed, viewers had hoped Mildred would surrender to her darkest self and gradually turn into the monster within. Unfortunately, that did not happen. There are similarities between this adaptation and the “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” version of Nurse Ratched. She is calm, creepy and does crazy things to protect a person she loves. In one of the show’s most blatant homage to the original, Mildred intently watches Dr. Hanover as he performs his new miracle procedure, called the lobotomy (not a scene for those with weak stomachs). Although, as the series unfolds, she surprisingly softens.

The antagonist is named Gwendolyn. Dr. Hanover and Mildred’s apparent rival, the submissive Nurse Betsy Bucket (Judy Davis), is thrilling and affecting. Paulson is tremendous, being one of the very few actors capable of navigating a massive character arc.

Murphy may want to educate himself and possibly review his way of depicting mental illness. The man behind “Glee” and “American Horror Story” is known for the dramatization of his characters. Still, there is something a little off about his stereotypical representation of the hospital’s patients. By the end, just about every patient who is genuinely mentally ill has inflicted violence on themselves or someone else.

There are screen wipes, split screens; an old-fashioned thriller score and disorienting camera angles. At times, the characters will suddenly plunge into green or red light – it makes sense in a world as amplified and theatrical as this one.

Overall this is a thoughtful, moving depiction of the effects of trauma and owning one’s queerness and femininity. Fans are already demanding season two. For now, all eight thrilling episodes of season one are currently streaming on Netflix.