On Nov. 17 Green Highlands held an event that gave students the opportunity to help clean up the Paulding campus. The event was in honor of “America Recycles Day” which is a day to bring awareness to keeping the environment clean by recycling and reducing the carbon footprint. 

Assistant Professor of Communication and event organizer, Alexandra Reiter, said “America Recycles Day is an actual day that’s observed every year on November 15. I try to hold our event as close to that date as possible. It’s an annual event that I run for Green Highlands.”

Green Highlands is a student organization that was created to promote keeping GHC green through events and club meetings.

The event was coordinated with Keep Paulding Beautiful who provided attendees with gloves and large buckets to put the waste in. Green Highlands brought food for attendees to eat after they finished cleaning up.

“I’m a huge recycling person and I believe it’s everyone’s job to help keep our campus and our environment clean,” Reiter said, “I am trying to teach the students about environmental responsibility.”

Reiter said one student in particular really stood out to her and Keep Paulding Beautiful by filling two buckets.

That student was Paulding student, Angelena Gienapp, who said, “My mom said that if you’re gonna do something, do it right. That’s exactly what I did.”

Gienapp didn’t attend the event expecting to get anything in return other than a cleaner campus.

She filled two of the large buckets with trash and that warranted a response from the Keep Paulding Beautiful crew, who awarded her a shirt, a gift card and herb seeds.

Gienapp said, “The people from Keep Paulding Beautiful felt obligated to give me a gift because I impressed them so much.”

“I wasn’t there to get recognition, I was there to help,” said Gienapp, “ It wasn’t like I was trying to prove I was better than anyone because of the trash I picked up. I was there because it’s something I believe in.”

Green Highlands will hold more events in the upcoming 2022 spring semester. Students interested in getting involved can email Alexandra Reiter at amacmurd@highlands.edu for more information.

From desks being properly spaced apart to the enormous supply of hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes, our school has put in place a lot of useful safety measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

In March of 2020, every school was scrambling to relocate their in-person classes to online classes, causing students to question their future.

Signs on campus with our school mascot, Bolt, demonstrate the proper way to wear a mask. Hand sanitizer or buckets of disinfecting wipes are in every room and around every corner.

Paulding student, Emma Tuffour, said she benefits from the disinfecting wipes and hand sanitizer daily.

“I think they’re a really good idea,” said Tuffour. 

Students such as Katelyn Schooler from the Paulding campus are confident and proud of how the school has handled COVID-19.

“I think it’s (GHC has) succeeded and has handled it better than most places,” said Schooler. 

Tina Santiago, a student from the Paulding campus, said that GHC has responded well to the pandemic.

“I think GHC has excelled, especially with how we receive those emails reminding us to get vaccinated and helping us get vaccinated,” said Santiago.

Some students and staff members have continued to wear their masks while other vaccinated individuals no longer wear their masks. It’s up to the person to decide if they want to keep their mask on or not in school.

“In some ways I think we should still wear masks because things are still very unpredictable right now, and it’s a choice if you wear a mask or not,” Santiago said, “but it doesn’t bother me when people don’t wear one because it’s their choice.”

Schooler, on the other hand, said she believes students and staff should still wear masks.

“There’s still a virus around, I just think people should be safe,” said Schooler.

Similar to the choice to wear a mask or not, it is also up to people to choose if they want to attend online, in person, or hybrid classes. 

“I’ve honestly been going towards more online classes,” Schooler said. 

It can be argued that GHC has done a good job in its response to COVID-19 by providing classrooms with cleaning supplies and promoting good hygiene to campus-goers. At the same time, the college is considering the comfort of students by not requiring masks for those who are vaccinated.

Has GHC handled the pandemic with grace or could it have done better? If it could have done better, how so? Students can share their opinions on how the school has handled COVID-19 by writing to the Six Mile Post at 6mpost@student.highlands.edu.

The Douglasville campus is closing its doors spring of 2022 due to low enrollment.

Interim President, Dana Nichols, said in a press release that “We will continue our commitment to engage with future students in the Douglas County area just as we work with students in the surrounding counties around each of our locations, offering remote options and in-person learning at our nearby Paulding site.”

Dean of the School of Business and Professional Studies, Melanie Largin, is the interim site director of the Douglasville campus. She previously taught classes at Douglasville for 5 years. Largin has kept an open door policy for her office located in the Douglasville campus since the announcement of its closure.

Largin said the decision to close the location was made because of the decline in enrollment at Douglasville seen due to COVID-19 and how those enrollment numbers haven’t rebounded.

The Douglasville campus opened to students in 2010. The campus moved locations in 2020 to the former Bill Arp Elementary School.

Douglasville student, Kate Morgan, said “I loved the old campus, that was what I set my opinion of the Douglasville campus off of . . . when I heard that this (the
current location) was closing, I was upset. But now looking back I can see how it ended up this way.”

Morgan said “I’ve attended the Douglasville campus for almost three years . . . at least I got to enjoy it (the campus) while it was still here.”

Douglasville student, Johnathan Lambertis, said “I have really enjoyed the time I’ve had here.”

Many of the Douglasville students and faculty enjoyed the campus because of the short commute.

Morgan said “The main thing I like about the Douglasville campus is the commute, it’s 15 minutes from where I live.”

There are currently 135 students attending the Douglasville campus. Douglasville students will still have the option to take classes at any GHC location or to learn digitally.

Largin said students can go “to our Paulding site in Dallas and our Marietta site where a full range of classes will be available . . . Most importantly, students will have access to advising.”

Largin then said that the closing “is sad and I think we have to recognize that, but at the same time this will open new opportunities for students.”

Bo Burnham’s “Inside,” released on Netflix May 30, isn’t just any special — it is an unforgettable masterpiece.

The special portrays many painful yet real emotions that Burnham and millions of other people have experienced due to the quarantine and mass isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Inside” shows Burnham struggling with his own self-isolation and mental disorders.

“Welcome to the Internet” is a song that transparently advertises the internet and its many possibilities. One theme in this song is how the internet has permanently changed the world we live in.

We use the internet to receive news and information quicker than ever before. The internet has its benefits but it also provides us with many problems.

Computer science major, Holt Brewster, said “I struggled with an addiction to the internet and it stunted my social skills a decent amount.”

Everything about this song is beautifully hypnotic, from the music to the lyrical flow. The song is an intense display of many aspects of the internet. 

Brewster said “It’s [a song] I’ve actually gone back and listened to a few times.”

In the lyrics of “Welcome to the Internet,” Burnham said, “Here’s a tip for straining pasta. Here’s a nine-year-old who died. We got movies, and doctors, and fantasy sports.”

Ethan Gist, computer science major, said “Before the internet people would spend hours [in libraries] finding information you can get in seconds now.”

The internet gives its users unlimited possibilities, which can make it a very dangerous place.

Gist said “People can lose sight of their productivity just from being on social media so much. It’s a big time consumer.”

Burnham says in the song “Show us pictures of your children. Tell us every thought you think.”

Burnham is telling listeners how people carelessly overshare their lives online. However, no one’s privacy is ever protected online — even the users who don’t share their lives on social media at all.

People believe because they lack a profile picture or their name isn’t on the account, that they are anonymous. That is not the case. Your digital data is collected and sold to any company willing to pay enough. 

“All of the big companies track your information online, these companies know everything and anything about you,” Brewster said.

The internet might not be entirely good, but Bo Burnham’s “Inside” is incredible. This special is a work of art and a must-watch on Netflix.

On Sept. 28 at 10 a.m., the GHC Interim President, Dana Nichols gave a welcome speech in front of the Winn building at the Paulding campus to a crowd of GHC faculty, students and other community members. After the speech, Nichols proceeded to cut the ribbon, symbolizing the opening of Paulding campus’ newest building.

The ribbon cutting was then followed by tours of the Winn building along with complimentary food and refreshments. The event gave attendees the chance to see the building.

“This project was made possible with a total of $4.1 million in state funding,” Nichols said.

The building was a former bank which was gifted to GHC in 2010 from the city of Dallas.

“It’s been several years now … but it was definitely worth the wait,” assistant professor of communications, Alex Reiter said.

The Winn building is named after Henry Winn, a prominent Paulding citizen and former Paulding County Commission Chairman. It was initially going to be called the Henry A. Winn Community Development Center.

“I like the building’s prominence, it really showcases our presence with the beautiful signage,” Reiter said.

“I enjoy looking outside when I work, so I really love the windows,” said Adama Darboe, biology major.

The Winn building has many windows that view the road and sidewalks and give natural light.

“It’s gorgeous,” Reiter said.

The building has given the campus new resources and space to expand. It is equipped with a fitness center, new study rooms, social areas and a wet lab.

“We have a state of the art [science lab] now at the Winn building.” Nichols said.

The wet lab allows a wider selection of courses at the Paulding campus. These include biology, chemistry and other science courses.

“It’s really going to help our community tremendously. Students can now take science classes that require labs here without going to Cartersville or Floyd,” Reiter said.

Darboe said the new building is “really inclusive and convenient for students. You don’t have to go off campus or go far to find everything you need.“

The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted a lot of people’s self worth, including mine. If you have low self-esteem, consider being neutral about yourself instead.

Body neutrality means I am accepting of my body and I cherish everything it does for me instead of focusing on what my body is not.

“Body neutrality is minimizing body negativity,” according to Dr. Elizabeth Wassenaar MD, of the Eating Recovery Center.

“Body neutrality has its foundations in what your body does, not how it looks. That shifts the focus from controlling it to finding gratitude for it,” according to Maria Sorbara Mora, founder of Integrated Eating.

To practice body neutrality, you have to stop focusing on your looks and instead focus on how you woke up this morning thanks to your body. Loving yourself is a strenuous task that not everyone can do. Thinking twice before you say something negative about yourself is something anyone can learn to do with time and practice.

I shouldn’t let the number on the scale or my clothing size dictate my feelings towards myself as a whole. I am alive and life is a priceless thing, which I won’t waste by wishing I could be a few inches taller and get rid of my scars or stretch marks.

Body positivity is a good thing, however not everyone can think about their appearance positively.

According to Wassenaar, “Sometimes body positivity can feel ‘fake’ and body neutrality feels more authentic, which is so important when you are working on living authentically and joyfully in the body you have.”

Body neutrality also means you should eat when you are hungry and to not deny your body food because you don’t feel deserving of it.

According to Kristen Fuller, mental health and eating disorder expert, “When you eat an extra donut or add that extra splash of heavy cream to your coffee in the morning, you satisfy your body by eating intuitively and practicing body neutrality.”

Body neutrality is for anyone, including those who struggle with eating disorders and disordered eating. My body is the only one I get, so I should stop bullying it for simply existing and denying it food. Living a life full of self-hatred is not a good life.

Everyone deserves to adopt self-acceptance and practice body neutrality. You are so much more than your appearance. Your potential is unlimited and your looks don’t affect that potential. Beauty is subjective.

What most people view as attractive, others find unattractive.

Not one body is perfect, and that is okay. Your body is not the most interesting thing about you. Instead of hating it, accept it and take a neutral stance on it.