The 18th Annual Rome International Film Festival took place Nov. 11 to 14. Figures in the film industry such as producers, writers, actors and directors were present for the duration of the event to see their films featured in one of the biggest film festivals in Georgia.

The film festival proceedings are handled by GHC’s very own Division Chair of Film and Theater, Seth Ingram. He has been the Executive Producer of RIFF since 2015 and has turned it into a high-profile event.

The film viewing locations for the festival were the DeSoto Theater and the Rome City Auditorium. Both are located on Broad Street, the downtown Rome area filled with restaurants and shops.

This year, the event was visited by the Consulate General of Israel. Filmmaker Dovi Keich met with the Consulate to showcase his short film, “Gruf & Me,” which is mixed media, featuring live action and animation.

The film festival gives filmmakers like Keich a chance to showcase their films to a wider audience and get their names out into the film industry. The festival is full of networking opportunities with directors and producers being on the lookout for possible talent and writers bouncing story ideas between each other.

Dan Mirvish brought his independent film “18 ½,” a “Watergate thriller/comedy,” to RIFF upon invitation to screen it. Mirvish is also the co-founder of the Slamdance Film Festival.

“As the filmmaker, I love going to festivals and seeing the film with an audience, which is so rare with COVID . . . ” said Mirvish, “I’ll do a long Q and A too until they drag me off the stage and I really love that.”

Mirvish’s film has had three other audience screenings at film festivals. A wider release of the film is planned for June 2022. It was awarded the RIFF 2021 Special Jury Award for Creative Vision.

The RIFF has the advantage of reaching out to an audience that would not normally engage in certain genres. The festival featured genres such as documentaries, animation, narratives and horror. It also reaches across different demographics with some of the festival’s short film block categories being LGBT, female leads and foreign films.

“The Manson Brothers Midnight Zombie Massacre,” a film sponsored by Fangoria and co-written and starred in by Chris Margetis, was able to do just that by reaching an audience that would not normally flock towards horror films.

“To get people to see a movie that they otherwise wouldn’t normally see, I think that’s one of the coolest things about festivals,” said Margetis. 

Margetis said that the audience exposure to multiple genres at the film festival can “broaden the horizons” for people that wouldn’t typically go for certain genres.

Margetis added, “One of the exciting things about going to a film festival is you’re not pigeonholed into any particular genre and you get to see very creative things that are probably never going to work their way through the Hollywood system.”

Students can take advantage of the networking and Q and A panels the RIFF offers.

“Being able to meet people and talk to people, and see how they did what they did, and what their inspiration was, and how they did this and just being able to ask a bunch of questions that you don’t often have the opportunity to ask, I think is good,” said Katie Weatherford, a film major at GHC who attends the Rome campus.

The RIFF will be returning next fall with more opportunities for filmmakers and students.

“Inside Job” is an adult animated series created by Shion Takeuchi, who is known for her writing on “Gravity Falls” and “Regular Show.” Alex Hirsch, the creator of “Gravity Falls,” is one of the executive producers of “Inside Job.”

As a fan of “Gravity Falls,” I had an idea of what “Inside Job” would entail given the names behind it: something of a cryptic and mysterious nature.

The show veers away from the traditional formula of “Family Guy” clone cartoons that adult cartoons often fall into. Beneath the surface of conspiracy references is a genuine display of childhood trauma, self-worth issues and moral dilemmas.

“Inside Job” follows main character Reagan Ridley, played by Lizzy Caplan, as she tries to claw her way to the top of Cognito Inc., the shadow government behind every conceivable conspiracy theory, monster sighting and scandal.

Reagan is incredibly intelligent, her specialty shown to be robotics and AI development. However, she is socially inept, focusing on her work at Cognito Inc. Unfortunately for Reagan, being able to work with a team is the only thing holding her back from her coveted promotion to CEO.

Enter Brett Hand, played by Clark Duke, a yes-man and frat boy from Washington D.C. who has all the social skills Reagan lacks. Charming and charismatic, Brett is completely ignorant of the work Cognito Inc. is involved in, only being hired to be an extension of Reagan to help her in social situations. However, Brett is not without his own personal issues, which are gradually revealed throughout the show.

A prominent theme throughout the show is how poor parenting can affect a child well into their adulthood. Some parents have unrealistic expectations for their children and when the children don’t meet those expectations, it can lead to feelings of inadequacy, self-hate and isolation. In contrast, it can lead a person to become an overachiever, perfectionist and glutton for positive attention.

Reagan was largely raised by her father Rand Ridley, the former CEO of Cognito Inc., played by Christian Slater. Riley “got fired for getting drunk and trying to blow up the sun,” according to Reagan.

The relationship between Reagan and Rand is very dysfunctional with Rand being perpetually drunk and often meddling in his daughter’s affairs to the point of ruining her work.

My big takeaway from the series is that children are people too. Parents often don’t realize that the way they treat their children can affect them for the rest of their lives and even inhibit how they function as adults in the future. Children can later develop mental issues from such experiences but hesitate to seek help because of the stigma towards mental health. Another reason they might not reach out is because the child may see the way they were raised as the norm so they don’t think much of it.

Reagan and Brett were never shown the love they needed from their parents when they were kids. They were both emotionally abused and neglected. This followed them into adulthood as they are both their own versions of people pleasers.

Reagan aspires to climb to the top of Cognito Inc. because her father Rand always expected the best from her. Not to mention he molded her as a pawn in a long game of chess to worm his way back into Cognito Inc. She works herself ragged to achieve perfection, often forgoing sleep and social outings.

Brett has an unhealthy need for everyone around him to like him because his parents never showed him any love as a child. He was the black sheep, not having any profound accomplishments like his siblings and never living up to his parents’ expectations. He likes being the center of attention and will sometimes hurt himself in the worst ways to get it.

One dilemma that struck me was Reagan’s violent reaction to a hug in episode three, “Blue Bloods.” It is revealed by the end of the episode that her reaction was caused by a giant bear robot built by Rand to give Reagan hugs whenever he wasn’t around. In Rand’s case, that was all the time.

This is only one example of childhood trauma. More about Reagan’s unsavory childhood is revealed deeper into the season.

I appreciate the issues tackled in the show because they are relatable to anyone that has been through similar dilemmas and introduces the idea for those that have not. While I’m not a therapist, in my experience, it is not uncommon for people’s behaviors to be traced back to something that happened to them as a child. It was nice to see this brought up a few times within the show, ultimately becoming a main plot point in the final episodes.

There is more that can be said about this show, but it is too much to be able to include in this review. The jokes are clever and the characters are relatable. The parallels to reality are so accurate they made me contemplate how society functions as a whole and why.

Interested readers with access to Netflix should take the time to watch this thought-provoking show.

With the spooky season behind us, the holidays continue with Thanksgiving and Christmas just around the corner. Here’s a list of upcoming seasonal events for those who want to indulge in local festivities.

Rome

Turkey Trot

The Turkey Trot is returning to the GHC Floyd Campus on Nov. 17 at 11 a.m. GHC students, faculty and staff are invited to the event, which will follow a course around Paris Lake. There will be food and prizes for participants.

Associate Head Men’s Basketball Coach, Greg Schiefen, is coordinating the event.

Address: 3175 Cedartown Hwy, Rome, GA 30161
Contact: gschiefe@highlands.edu

Cartersville

A Country Christmas at Pettit Creek Farms

Pettit Creek Farms will reopen for the Christmas season Thanksgiving night for their Country Christmas event.

Operating hours are 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday and Sunday, as well as 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday to Saturday.

Tickets for a drive-thru or a hayride through an over a mile long Christmas light display are available online and at the gate. Prices for the drive-thru are $30 for cars (1-8 people), $35 for vans (9-15 people) and $45 for buses (16-22 people) with an additional $3 for every person over 22 people. Hayrides are $10 per person ages 2 and up.

A variety of other attractions will be featured at this Southern-style Christmas including pictures with Santa at Santa’s Cottage, a nativity and petting zoo and a campfire with s’mores.

Address: 337 Cassville Rd, Cartersville, GA 30120
Contact: 770-386-8688

A Christmas Carol

A stage play of “A Christmas Carol” will be performed at the Legion Theatre in Cartersville from Dec. 3 to 5 and Dec. 10 to 12. The play will begin at 8 p.m. on Dec. 3, 4, 10 and 11 and then 3 p.m. on Dec. 5 and 12. Tickets are $15 to $18.

See the classic tale originally written by Charles Dickens unfold on stage. The play was adapted by Will Brooks.

Address: 114 West Main Street Cartersville, GA 30120
Contact: 770-387-2610

Dallas

Festival of Trees

The Dallas Merchants Association is hosting the annual Festival of Trees from Nov. 26 to Dec. 3. The event will take place at the water fountain near the gazebo clearing in downtown Dallas.

Sponsors that sign-up for the event will decorate their trees to fit a theme. The trees will be on display in the gazebo clearing.

Address: 401 Main St, Dallas, GA 30132
Contact: Dallas Merchants Association on Facebook

Dallas Theatre

The Dallas Theatre will be hosting a number of Christmas events throughout December.

The Atlanta Christmas Extravaganza features the Brett McDonald Band that will be performing widely known Christmas music. It will be on Saturday, Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25 regular and $23 discounted.

The Nutcracker play will be showing Friday, Dec. 10 at 7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 11 at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 12 at 3 p.m. Tickets are $14 regularly and $12 discounted.

There will be a free showing of the classic Christmas film “It’s a Wonderful Life” on Friday, Dec. 17 at 7 p.m. It is first come, first serve.

Address: 121 E Griffin St, Dallas, GA 30132
Contact: 770-445-5180

Marietta

Lights of Life

A Christmas light ensemble will be on display at Life University in Marietta from Nov. 25 to Dec. 31.

Open hours are dawn to 9 p.m. from Sunday through Thursday and dawn to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Entry is $10 per car and $20 per bus. Other attractions include a petting zoo, pony rides and train rides.

Address: 1269 Barclay Cir., Marietta, GA 30060
Contact: 800-543-3202

Atlanta Area

Momocon Winterfest

The Atlanta video game and anime convention will be returning with their two-day Winterfest event at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. Hours are Sat. Dec. 18 at 10 a.m. to Sun. Dec. 19 at 6 p.m. Registration prices are $30 for Saturday, $25 for Sunday and $40 for both days.

This holiday-themed convention will feature special guests and speakers such as voice actors, comic artists and online personalities including Steve Blum and Anairis Quinones. Art and merchandise vendors will be available to visitors. Vendors can register to sell their merchandise at the convention.

Arcades, tabletop games, panels, tournaments and a cosplay contest will also be featured.

Address: 285 Andrew Young International Blvd NW,
Atlanta, GA 30313
Contact: www.momocon.com

Six Flags Holiday in the Park

Six Flags Over Georgia is being decorated with tinsel and candy canes from Nov. 20 to Jan. 6 for Holiday in the Park.

One-day tickets are $39.99 per person and 2022 Season Passes are currently available for $54.99 per person. Parking is $25.

Hot chocolate will be available from food stands throughout the park with the option to purchase a Holiday in the Park souvenir cup for discounted refills.

A train ride hosted by Mrs. Claus will carry visitors around the park through a Christmas light display.

Address: 275 Riverside Pkwy, Austell, GA 30168
Contact: 770-739-3400

“Nightbooks,” a novel written by J.A White, is a fairy tale thriller released in 2018 that is targeted towards children ages 8 to 12. The story has its fair share of suspense, mystery and themes that scarily reflect reality through believable characters.

“Nightbooks” follows 12-year-old Alex Mosher, a boy with a creative mind and an affinity for everything that goes bump in the night. Unfortunately, Alex is ashamed of these two virtues, going so far as to attempt to destroy his own scary stories that he houses in simple composition notebooks. He calls these his nightbooks.

The set-up of the story is fast-paced, the writing seemingly trying to get readers to the meat of the story as fast as possible. As a result, the reading can be a bit jarring as the readers are thrown into the plot. However, this is reflective of how Alex found himself pulled into the magical apartment of the sadistic witch, Natacha.

After his imprisonment, Alex learns something that becomes integral to his survival only three chapters into the 22 chapter novel: Natacha likes scary stories.

Despite Alex being held captive by a literal witch with seemingly unlimited power, the fear of being one’s self turned out to be the scariest thing in the book.

Alex didn’t want to be the boy that loved zombies and ghosts, he wanted to be normal like the other kids. This meant throwing away his nightbooks full of his scary stories and vowing not to write anymore.

It is only through his trials trapped in Natacha’s apartment, alongside fellow prisoner Yasmin, that Alex realizes he has no reason to be ashamed of who he is. In the end, his stories are what save his life and the lives of others.

Self-acceptance is an issue that hits close to home for an abundance of kids that grew up being called the weird ones–the outcasts. I was one of those kids and embracing myself was something that took time to accomplish.

Speaking from experience, I think this is an excellent theme to include in the story because it’s something that needs to be told to children early in their lives. No one should ever try to turn themselves into someone they’re not just to please other people.

“’Maybe it’s not just me who’s weird,’ Alex thought. ‘Maybe we’re all weird in different ways,’” said White in the book.

Netflix released a film adaptation of the book on Sept. 15, and I for one can’t wait to see how the world of “Nightbooks” is brought to life. A sequel called “Gravebooks” is set to release Aug. 16, 2022. This is something to look forward to when Halloween rolls around again next year.

The Film Society Club has been officially approved for the spring semester of 2022. The club will serve as the creative meeting place for all students — not just film majors — to congregate and share in their love of everything cinema. 

The club is still in its planning stages and has not yet had its first meeting. Ingram expects the first meeting to take place on Tuesday, Oct. 19, when they will formally establish the club and elect officers. Officer positions include president, vice president, secretary and treasurer.

Floyd campus student and film production major, Damon Self, is the current acting president of the club and expects to officially hold the position once the club is fully formed. 

The idea was initially proposed by Tristen Tolbert, former president of the Student Government Association and current Floyd campus gaming club president.

The faculty adviser for the club will be Seth Ingram, Division Chair of Film and Theater, as well as the Executive Director of the Rome International Film Festival. Ingram hopes to put the approved SGA budget to good use by funding student film projects and hosting a film festival for GHC.

“[Film studies is] very new to this school, and I know there are a lot of creatives,” said Self, “There are a lot of hidden talents out there that people don’t even know that they have yet.”

“[The Film Society Club] would be a hub for students who either love just watching film or students who want to produce film… to come together and network and figure out if they want to work on student projects together or get their own projects going,” Ingram said.

“We’ll let the students run the show,” said Ingram, “so I want to just throw out the ideas to them and let them pick and form what the projects that we focus on are.” 

Possible activities for the club include hosting film screenings, bringing in special guest speakers from the film industry and having students create their own short films.

“Another option,” Ingram said, “will be for students to attend film festival screenings or maybe go to some conferences that are focused on the film industry.”

The club is expected to be involved closely with the Rome International Film Festival.

“For novice filmmakers,” said Tolbert, “the festival is the place to go.”

The RIFF affords many opportunities for networking and showcasing for up-and-coming film industry workers.

Self and Tolbert said the film industry has a plethora of skills that can be applied outside of the industry. Networking, equipment training, video and audio editing, creative writing and teambuilding. According to Tolbert, now is the right time for interested individuals to get involved.

“Even if you’re not interested in going into film production as a career, there’s still a love of cinema and I think that’s shared across any discipline… We really don’t want this to be exclusively for film students,” said Ingram.

Students who are interested can contact Seth Ingram at singram@highlands.edu.

The weather is getting cooler and the days are getting shorter, but it’s not quite time to huddle around a fireplace with a mug of hot cocoa. Peek at this list of upcoming fall events to enjoy. 

Scheduled Events

Rome

Ninth Annual Wings Over North Georgia

The Ninth Annual Wings Over North Georgia airshow is Oct. 30 and Oct. 31. 

The air stunt show is back with drive-in style seating at the Richard B. Russell Airport in Rome, GA.

Tickets are $150 per car full in general airfield parking lots A, B, C and D, and $99 in lot E. Online pre-purchase is required, and there are no refunds. 

Airport entry gates will open at 9 a.m. on event days. The event starts at approximately noon.

Guests will be able to walk around the airport to visit food vendors, military vehicle displays,
helicopter rides and the Kids Zone. Performers include the USAF A-10 Demo Team, Greg Koontz Aviation and the USN Blue Angels. 

Address: 304 Russell Field Rd. NE, Rome, GA, 30165

Phone: 706-291-0030

Website, Email

Rome International Film Festival

The Rome International Film Festival is Nov. 11 to 14.

RIFF showcases high-quality filmmaking from around the world. The event is also an opportunity for filmmakers to network.

Passes are $50 for single day, $100 for the film and workshop pass and $150 for the all-access pass. Badges are non-refundable but can be transferred to someone else.

Address: 3 Central Plaza, # 367 Rome, GA, 30161

Phone: 706-204-2295      

Website, Facebook, Email

Cartersville

Downtown Cartersville Ghost Tour

The Downtown Cartersville Ghost Tour is a two-and-a-half mile walking tour of historical downtown Cartersville from Oct. 22-23 and Oct. 29-30. 

The tour starts and ends at the Legion Theater. It starts at 6 p.m. and lasts approximately two hours. Tickets are $18 and pre-registration is required.

The tour will take guests on a journey through the haunted history of downtown Cartersville. Storytellers will tell chilling tales of alleged ghost activity.

Address: 114 West Main St., Cartersville, GA, 30120

Phone: 770-387-2610

Website

Fifth Annual Christmas Village

A Christmas arts and crafts event being held at the Clarence Brown Conference Center in Cartersville. 

Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday Nov. 5, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday Nov. 6. Tickets are $5 and ticket stubs are valid for both days. 

Owner and Event Coordinator, Karon Mauney, said there will be 70 local vendors. On Saturday, there is a bring-your-own-camera pictures with Santa from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m, and door prize drawings at 4 p.m. Participants do not need to be present to win.

Address: 5450 Highway 20, Cartersville, GA, 30121

Phone: 770-606-5763

Facebook

Native American Heritage Day

Celebrate Native American History Month at the Etowah Indian Mounds Historic Site in Cartersville on Nov. 6 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Learn about the history of Native Americans and their lasting effects on modern times.

Entry is $2 to $6. 

Museum Curator, Keith Bailey, said there will be a 10 a.m. genealogy program and a 1 p.m. lecture on Native American agricultural techniques with speaker Max White, Professor of Anthropology at Piedmont College.

Address: 813 Indian Mound Rd. SE, Cartersville, GA, 30120

Phone: 770-387-3747

Website

Dallas

Shows at the Dallas Theater

The historic Dallas Theater will be hosting multiple movie screenings in the coming weeks. 

“Creepy Classics” is a free double feature of Matilda, rated PG, and Psycho, rated R, on Oct. 30. The shows start at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. respectively. 

A full schedule of all shows is available on the Dallas Theater website. 

Rental Coordinator, Alana Jefferson, said the Dallas Theater is a fully renovated art-deco styled theater built in the 1940s adjacent to the Dallas Civic Center.

Address: 121 E Griffin St., Dallas, GA, 30132

Phone: 770-445-5180

Website

Tales by Lantern Light

Take one of the five scheduled tours down the hiking trails of Pickett’s Mill Battlefield State Historic Site on Oct. 30 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Entry is $5, with a maximum of 20 people per tour group.

Park Manager, Bobby James, said that park rangers will guide guests down the trails to meet with a storyteller that will share tales of history and lore.

Address: 4432 Mt Tabor Church Rd., Dallas, GA, 30157

Phone: 770-443-7850

Website

Mistletoe Market

A Christmas themed craft fair will be open at the First United Methodist Church on Nov. 13 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 30 arts and crafts vendors will be selling their goods.

The Children’s Learning Center is sponsoring the event, along with a baked goods table and a silent auction.

Address: 141 East Memorial Dr., Dallas, GA.

Phone: 770-445-2509

Douglasville

Fifth Annual Hunters Fall Festival & Craft Fair

Over 40 craft and food vendors will be set-up at Hunter Memorial Park from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m on Oct. 16.

Everyone is encouraged to dress in costume. Entry is free. 

A children’s play zone with inflatables and other activities has $5 entry, and free for children 3-years-old and under. 

Address: 8830 Gurley Rd., Douglasville, GA, 30134

Phone: 770-920-3007

Website

Midway United Methodist Church Pumpkin Patch

The Midway United Methodist Church Pumpkin Patch will be open with free entry from now until Oct. 31. Operating hours are Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to dark and Sunday from 12:30 p.m. to dark. 

Pumpkins and gourds are available to purchase with prices ranging from $2 to $30 depending on size. 

After School Director and Outreach Coordinator, Teresa Morris, said marshmallow roasting will be available every Saturday in October starting at 6 p.m. 

Additionally, the church will host a Fall Bazaar and Fun Run on Oct. 16.

Address: 1950 Midway Rd., Douglasville, GA, 30135

Phone: 678-755-1772

Facebook

Always Available

Tellus Museum, Cartersville

The Tellus Science Museum houses exhibits such as a fossil gallery, a mineral gallery and an observatory. 

Guests can try their hand at digging up their own fossils and gems and gazing at the stars at a scheduled Planetarium show.

Guests can satisfy their hunger at the Tellus Café with offerings such as made-to-order salads and hamburgers, quick snacks, sodas and coffee. 

Scheduled events are available on the Tellus Science Museum website.

Address: 100 Tellus Dr., Cartersville, GA, 30120

Phone: 770-606-5700

Website

Three Strands Winery, Dallas

Three Strands Winery is a local vineyard and winery in the downtown Dallas area. 

Plan a day to stop in and try a wine-tasting flight, finely paired with a charcuterie board. Choose to relax inside the tasting room with a sweet dessert or outside with a wine slushie. 

Food trucks visit the site every Friday through Sunday. Tours of the winery are available on Saturday and Sunday. Space can also be rented for private events.

Address: 1505 Willow Springs Rd., Dallas, GA, 30132

Phone: 470-296-1040

Website

Marietta Farmer’s Market

From 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. every Saturday, Church Street Northwest on the Marietta Square is lined with local vendors offering fresh produce, baked goods, and even homemade kombucha.

Local restaurants and bakeries join in to offer market goers a taste of their full offerings. The variety of vendors goes beyond food.

Address: 65 Church St. NW, Marietta, GA, 30060

Phone: 770-499-9393

Website

Pack a fold-out chair and comfy throw blanket, Chargers! Outdoor movie night is returning with four screenings of Disney’s and Pixar’s “Coco,” presented by GHC and FunFlicks.

Each showing will begin at 8 p.m. Non-GHC affiliated attendees are welcome to join.

There will be a combination of drive-in style viewing and lawn chair lounging. Popcorn and drinks will be provided.

The schedule is as follows:
Oct. 11 – Floyd campus – PE building front lawn
Oct. 12 – Paulding campus – Winn Building parking lot
Oct. 14 – Douglasville campus – Parking lot next to the Student Hub building
Oct. 14 – Cartersville campus – Intramural Field

The movie was chosen by Clifton Puckett, Co-Curricular and Transition Program Coordinator.

“[Georgia Highlands is] already trying to make Hispanic Heritage bigger than we have in the past,” said Puckett, “so we figured why not take something that celebrates the Mexican culture like ‘Coco’ does?”

The Student Spin podcast is expanding its platform by adding new programs. Listeners will be able to enjoy shorter, more focused podcasts on sports and pop culture in addition to the regular content.

The podcast started with biweekly sessions with only two to three members delivering and discussing college news, events, and other topics. It has since increased in popularity and participation.
Going forward, the Student Spin Podcast will be the umbrella term for all the programs of the podcast. There are six programs announced so far, with two more in the works.

The new programs being added to Student Spin include:

On the Record: Host Kimberly Lyons will interview faculty and students, discuss leadership, explore career paths, etc. It will have the same format as the original Student Spin.

Campus Corner: Rotating hosts will cover GHC specific news topics such as upcoming events and club information.

Civil Discourse: Host Cal Silvers and co-host Austin Williams hold political debates over local and world news.

Sights and Sounds: Host Ammad Caesar and co-host Cal Silvers speak on entertainment topics such as music, art and pop culture.

The Post Buzzer: Host Austin Williams and “supporting role” Brandon Dyer speak on GHC sports, collegiate sports and national sports.

An advice podcast is being developed by Senior Producer Kimberly Lyons. Students and faculty would be able to email the Student Spin and get advice on their situations.

Lyons introduced the idea of separating the podcast into smaller sections. “This is a program we want to grow… in order to accommodate [more members] I had the idea to take that one podcast… and what we’ve done is kind of taken that apart and made them into separate podcasts,” said Lyons.

“It’s going to be more streamlined,” said Ammad Caesar, Junior Post-Production Assistant and host of the “Sights and Sounds” entertainment podcast.

“I know for a lot of them we said we were going to do like five to seven minute chunks,” said Caesar. The shorter sessions will be more digestible and less intimidating than a full-length session.
Before this new expansion, the format of the podcast was full-length 25–30 minute episodes that included everything from college to world news, entertainment and events. The new format will allow listeners to choose which topics to tune into instead of searching through a longer podcast.

In addition to the new programs, The Student Spin will be expanding its social media. “So we plan to be on TikTok, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook,” Lyons said.

Cal Silvers, Junior Pre-Production Assistant, will oversee social media management. Silvers plans to organize the podcasts using hashtags. This will allow listeners to pin down topics of interest with ease.

“[The podcast is] a great way for us as students to learn what to do and how to use programs in the real world that we wouldn’t get the experience for otherwise and be scrambling to learn on our own,” said Silvers.

Lyons hopes that the podcast program expansion will increase listenership and attract more students interested in podcasting.

“Whatever topic that you’re super interested in, if you wanted to do a five to seven minute podcast, we welcome you.”

Students or faculty members interested in learning about the Student Spin podcast should contact Senior Producer Kimberly Lyons.

“If we’re going to have more podcasts covering more expansive topics, I can manage them all! I just need the people,” said Lyons.

The Student Spin and its new programs are currently available to listen to on Spotify, SoundCloud and sixmilepost.com.