From left: Kayla Jameson and Prince Carter were chosen as Mr. and Ms. Bolt at the dance. Photo by Joseph McDaniel

The Student Government Association sponsored a dance at the Georgia Highlands Cartersville campus on April 5. The dance’s theme this year was “Charge to the Stars.” The student center was decorated with various space inspired items, such as stars, planets and posters of galaxies. There were students there representing all five GHC locations.

According to John Spranza, student life director, “There were over 75 attendees, which was an increase in number from last year.” The main orchestrator of the event, SGA president Danielle Griesemer, said, “We started planning in February. The main thing we did differently this year was letting students vote on the theme.”

Activities besides dancing included choosing to wear one’s favorite space themed mask, face painting and entering a raffle to see who would win Mr. and Ms. Bolt of the dance. The winners were Kayla Jameson and Prince Carter.

Students dance in a galaxy themed room on the Cartersville campus. Photo by Joseph McDaniel

Back row from left: Joseph McDaniel, Catie Sullivan, Kayley Agan and Josh Maddox and front row Olivia Fortner, Nick Whitmire and Michelle Hardin are holding the awards that were won by Six Mile Post at the Georgia Collegiate Press Association. Contributed Photo

The Six Mile Post staff won several awards at the Georgia College Press Association’s Press Institute in Athens Feb. 15.

The Six Mile Post staff won second place in feature writing. Individual award-winners included Catie Sullivan, editor-in-chief, second place in sports photography; Nick Whitmire, managing editor online, third place in investigative news; James Alewine, staff writer, third place in column writing; and Joseph McDaniel, managing editor of design, third place for editorial writing and second for entertainment feature.

Some former Six Mile Post staffers also won awards. Moises Ledesma received first place in the entertainment feature category. Michael McClain, Latonya Kilgore and Jeimy Celon-Alcantara received second place in column writing.

The seminars presented at the conference included a variety of speakers from different colleges and journalism backgrounds.

The last panel of the day was the Watchdog of the Year competition, where different schools presented investigative news stories from their campuses and competed to win the overall award.

Attending the Press Institute from Georgia Highlands were Sullivan, McDaniel, Whitmire, Chief Photographer Kayley Agan, Assistant Online Editor Olivia Fortner and staff members Michelle Hardin and Josh Maddox.

At the end of February, Six Mile Post representatives also attended the Southern Regional Press Institute at Savannah State. There they attended seminars focused on journalism and entertainment, with a running theme being diversity. The staff members that attended were Sullivan, McDaniel, and Whitmire.

The keynote speaker was Tatia Adams Fox, vice president of global partnerships for Nickelodeon, who discussed the advancements diversity has made in recent years and how far society still needs to go in order for everyone to get proper representation.

At the awards banquet, SMP sports writer Trevor Gonzales won second place for best sports writing.

Chef Egg prepares chicken for tacos at the Floyd campus. Photo by Nick Whitmire

As a continuing part of the Adulting Series sponsored by student life, Chef Egg, real name Erik Berlin, came to Georgia Highlands College Jan. 30 to demonstrate cooking on a budget.

Before he started preparing meals, he casually answered questions from students and asked them about their favorite foods. Egg then began to explain many reasons why it is important for a student to cook beyond just sustaining oneself.

Food prices in restaurants are multiplied three times, and a significant amount of money can be saved by preparing food at home, according to Chef Egg. Health is also a big benefit from learning how to cook, as individuals can see the separate ingredients going into their meals, and this keeps them from adopting poor habits.

After Egg explained this, he began to demonstrate some sample recipes that were tasty, quick and easy. The first was an avocado dressing for salads, being healthy and quick to make.  After making that by himself, he began to ask for audience volunteers. The first recipe Egg made with them was mango salsa, and finally chicken tacos.

While he prepared the food, he explained the minutia of cooking. This included telling if fruits and vegetables are fresh and safely cutting ingredients with a knife.

Egg stated, “I want students to claim their culinary freedom and independence. I want them to cook on a budget, and I want them to cook with a variety of flavors.”

Photo by Joseph McDaniel.

Georgia Highlands has a new financial aid director, Donna Childres.

She started in the current spring semester. This is actually a return for her, as she was at GHC for three years before transferring to Berry for seven.

When asked why she returned to GHC, Childres said, “I like the mission of GHC. I like that we are an all access school, giving students in this area an option.”

In term of her thoughts on what students need to remember for financial aid, Childres urged that all eligible individuals should try and apply.

“We understand that it’s complex and it isn’t easy. If students and families are honest about their need, we try to give what help we can,” she said.

Childres also iterated that she understood loan debt and how that effects people.

“I want students to understand that loans still should be used for education, even though lifestyles may have to change to deal with it,” she said.

Childres received a Bachelor degree of Business Administration (BBA) from Georgia Southwestern.

She oversees all financial aid processes at all of the Georgia Highlands campuses. Her office is on the Floyd campus, in the Financial/Admissions aid  office.

The first season of Netflix’s “Series of Unfortunate events,” a production of Daniel Handler’s darkly comedic children’s novels, was mostly enjoyable, but also hindered by the installments it adapted not being the best of the series.

Therefore, they over cluttered many of the stories with bonus material tying into mysteries that weren’t posed until later installments.

However, season 2 of “A Series of Unfortunate Events” doesn’t have that problem, seeing that they’re finally getting into translating to screen when the books finally hit their stride.

Therefore, season 2 is far more entertaining, especially seeing it isn’t now bogged down by reinterpreting stories already adapted in the Jim Carrey film.

It’s able to take on a fresher feel and become its own thing, with each of the two-part book adaptations feeling more distinct, almost constituting into being influenced by different genres, such as western or horror.

The added material also works much better this season, as it feels more purposefully tied into the overarching narrative. The addition of Nathan Fillion as Jacques Snicket to the cast doesn’t hurt either.

In terms of issues, the pacing could be more consistently fluid. Occasional forced humor makes this element worse, but the moody atmosphere and the enjoyably dark story make it worthwhile overall.

   Left to right, Cindy Wheeler, Nick Whitmire, Catie Sullivan, Joseph McDaniel and Josh Mabry represented the Six Mile Post newspaper staff at the Southern Regional Press Institute annual held on Savannah State University’s campus on Feb. 22 and 23. The Six Mile Post staff received five awards at the awards luncheon on Feb. 23. Contributed Photo

Representatives of Georgia Highlands College’s newspaper the “Six Mile Post” attended the 67th annual Southern Regional Press Institute, held at Savannah State University on Feb. 22 and 23.

The theme for the conference was sports journalism in the era of politics and protest.

Representatives from the SMP attending included design editor Joseph McDaniel, online editor Nick Whitmire, editor-in-chief Catie Sullivan, and sports editor Joshua Mabry.

Assistant advisor Cindy Wheeler and assistant professor of communication Allen Dutch also attended.

In the opening session of the conference, a speech was given by Gary Howard about his experiences rising through various positions working at newspapers.

The sessions were led by a number of media professionals, who were well equipped to deliver valuable skills.

Session instructors included professors from Savannah State, television news producers, freelance photographers and journalists as well as professors from other colleges.

Topics of the sessions ranged from sports journalism, to editorial cartooning, to the production of independent films.

Students who specialize in any niche of news or broadcasting were provided with specific sessions to attend.

Wheeler said, “There was a nice mix of workshops, as usual, and the students always benefit from them.”

After two days of sessions, the conference ended with an awards luncheon presided over by the men and women of the SRPI who organized and held the event.

Individual awards the Six Mile Post received in the small college division were a second place photograph by Xavier Freeman, a second place sports story by Josh Mabry and a second place editorial by Gage Walker.

The “Six Mile Post” also received awards in the general category. These awards included first place for website and then second place overall.

The Oscars have always seemed to be an overblown celebration of the same sort of films that are nominated every year. It’s either a war film, a drama or biopic intended to be a showcase for an actor’s talents, a musical or something that is socially relevant. It rarely strays from these conventions, and whenever it does, it’s a complete surprise, such as when “Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” took home eleven Oscars in 2004.

They typically never look into Horror Sci-Fi, or Fantasy categories besides the technical categories involving spectacle and ignore the meaningful elements to each of them. That’s why I am very pleased to see “Get Out,” a horror film, nominated for Best Picture, Director, Actor, and Original Screenplay, and the comic book based film “Logan” to be nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay.

There were some snubs this year, as “Blade Runner 2049’s” gorgeous themes about humanity were not enough to get a best picture nomination, Patrick Stewart was ignored for his beautiful final performance as Charles Xavier in “Logan, and Edgar Wright was looked over for his immaculate artistic direction on “Baby Driver,” along with many others. However, “Wonder Woman” was not snubbed like some have been saying. Even though it was a very good film, nothing it presented was Oscar worthy in any standout area, besides it being the first decent female superhero film.
Regardless, the Oscars are still able to provide recognition for many good films that would be overlooked otherwise. Here is a brief review for each of the films nominated by the Academy for Best Picture:

DARKEST HOUR
This is basically typical Oscar fare, a Fictionalized account of Winston Churchill’s early days as prime minister. There is nothing notable about the film, besides an excellent performance by Gary Oldman. Everything else was mediocre. The director Joe Wright isn’t exactly the best, with his last film before this being universally panned. Not a high recommendation, and besides maybe Oldman as Churchill, I hope it doesn’t win anything. C+

PHANTOM THREAD
“Phantom Thread” mostly exists to be a showcase for Daniel Day Lewis’ acting, and while he is very good in this, the rest of the film is either too boring or too strange to the degree that none of it ends up coming together in an interesting whole. C+

THE POST
It’s gotten to the point where if Meryl Streep is in a film, she’s just instantly nominated for it. Not to say that she isn’t good in “The Post” or that “The Post” is a bad film, but it’s clearly not her, Tom Hanks or Steven Spielberg at their best.
It feels like a courtesy nomination. The Post tells an important story, but not exactly one that is especially entertaining. B-

CALL ME BY YOUR NAME
“Call me by Your Name” isn’t exactly a revolutionary film, besides the gay subject matter that it covers. But it still executes it in a very well made fashion. The performances by Armie Hammer and Timothee Chalamet are incredible, and hopefully films like this are able to exist more without it being considered a big deal. B+

THE SHAPE OF WATER
Guillermo del Toro is incredible. “Pan’s Labyrinth” is a masterpiece of cinema, and all the films he’s made afterwards have been really entertaining as well. However, “The Shape of Water” is like Guillermo Del Toro wanted to make a fantasy film, but he also wanted to make it noticed by the Oscars, so he shoved in every kind of prejudice known to man just so it could get attention. The problem with this is that most of it is unnecessary and is unessential to the plot. But in spite of a rather plodding second act, the rest of the film is gorgeously directed with powerful performances. Good overall, but disappointing. B

LADY BIRD
It’s cool to see that films written and directed by women are finally getting a place in the spotlight. “Lady Bird,” however, isn’t exactly Oscar worthy. If anything, it’s reminiscent of a very similar female directed film that came out in 2016 called “The Edge of Seventeen,” only that in that film, I found the protagonist to be much more likable, and the overall presentation had more heart. Still Lady bird is a pretty good film, and Laurie Metcalf deserved her nomination as the struggling mother. Everything else… not really. B

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI
“Three Billboards…” is a great film, one that takes time to ask interesting questions, and is led by a fascinating performance by Frances McDormand, who is a big favorite for best actress. Also great in the film is Woody Harrelson, and Sam Rockwell, who portrays a fascinatingly unique character with a nice arc. It’s a weird experience, and a darkly comedic tale, but an excellent movie. A

GET OUT
It’s great that a horror film has been nominated in four categories at the Oscars. Jordan Peele crafted together a well-made thriller that scares, entertains, and provides thoughtful social commentary along the way.
It gives viewers something to actively think about and is clever in the way it executes its messages. It subverts all the horror tropes in the best ways, and the entire cast is stellar. A-

DUNKIRK
Out of all the Oscar nominations, the best is Dunkirk, directed by Christopher Nolan. Even though this isn’t exactly Nolan’s greatest work, it is his first to be recognized with a Best Director nomination, presumably due to the war topic.
“Dunkirk” is an enthralling experience that inserts the viewer right into the horrors of the event recreated.
If not at least winning for Best Picture, hopefully there’s a chance for Best Director and Best Original Score, as both were phenomenal. A

Finely crafted pieces of cinema were repeatedly hitting theatre screens in 2017. There naturally isn’t room to mention all of the greats that this year has produced, especially in detail. But before going to the very best, here are all the honorable mentions in alphabetical order:

The Big Sick, Coco, The Disaster Artist, Dunkirk, Get Out, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Lady Bird, John Wick Chapter 2, Okja, Split, Thor Ragnarok, War for the Planet of the Apes, Wonder Woman

Now here are the top six best films that were released last year.

6. BRIGSBY BEAR
Even though this is possibly the most unconventional film here, “Brigsby Bear” most benefits from a viewing in which one goes in knowing basically nothing. If someone wishes to get a feel for what kind of film this is, he or she should check out the first teaser trailer and nothing else.

All that needs be said is that it has one of the most unabashedly optimistic sentimentalities that’s been seen in film in a long time. And that’s something that we need in the current climate.

5. BABY DRIVER
Edgar Wright is tied with Christopher Nolan as the best filmmaker working today, and his latest film is no exception to that. A fast paced, immaculately edited thrill ride with vibrant characters and near perfect direction, it also supports a soundtrack of songs that are deliberately synced to the visuals on screen. Talent is oozing off every frame, and it couldn’t be any more entertaining.

4. STAR WARS THE LAST JEDI
This film is the best installment in the Star Wars franchise since 1983’s “Return of the Jedi.” It takes risks and subverts expectations in a genuinely surprising fashion.

It may take several viewings, but in the end one can become enamored by what the movie did. The film also sports a career best performance by Mark Hamill, with Luke Skywalker being given a powerful continuation to his story.

3. BLADE RUNNER 2049
With “Blade Runner 2049,” Denis Villeneuve has crafted one of the finest science fiction films ever made. Incredibly rich breathtaking visuals, a well written screenplay, outstanding performances across the board and an unforgettable atmosphere are what make this film a masterwork. Much like its predecessor, 2049 is one for the ages.

2. YOUR NAME
Hand drawn animation is becoming a lost art, and it’s sad that in America we seem to put out nothing except the computer generated variety.

Thankfully, Japan still produces 2D animation, and “Your Name” is one of the best. Presenting some of the most gorgeous animation ever put to the silver screen, “Your Name” has an exquisitely clever narrative, superb direction by Makoto Shinkai and great music.

1. LOGAN
The X-men franchise has had many ups and downs, but “Logan” is the ultimate example of the series at its best, presenting a finely crafted character piece as opposed to superhero spectacle. The entire cast impresses, but the standout is Hugh Jackman, giving possibly the greatest performance of the year.

Everything comes together perfectly, delivering an emotionally resonant and satisfying closure to the character.

Bryce Wood of Jim’s Tires demonstrates to GHC students how to locate the car battery and attach jumper cables. Photo by Xavier Freeman

Floyd campus students who didn’t know how to change a tire got a first-hand demonstration from Bryce Wood of Jim’s Tires in Rome.

The demonstration was part of GHCs “Adulting” series sponsored by Student Life to help students become more independent. Roughly a dozen students showed up for the demonstration at 2 p.m., Oct. 12 in front of the Walraven Building.

Wood encouraged students attending to participate. They were first taught how to operate the jack so that the car could be lifted up. Then he showed one of them how to take off the lug nuts and put on the temporary tire.

Wood said, “Working for a tire shop, we see every day people who don’t have any knowledge of this, and we want to make sure students are prepared.”

Wood also encouraged everyone to read the owner’s manual and also recommended keeping certain equipment in the car at all times.
These items included a flashlight, bottles of water, gloves, rags and, of course, jumper cables.

Wood then opened the front of the car and showed how one can find the battery and attach the jumper cables if the car needs to be jump-started.

He also answered a question on when to replace batteries and combatting corrosion from acid.

In terms of his personal experiences related to learning car basics, Wood said, “I’ve taken it for granted because it’s simply been part of my life.” Wood gave everyone in attendance a complimentary goody bag containing a tire gauge and pamphlets giving car care tips.

A Stephen King adaptation can go either way pretty fast — either it can be a cinematic masterwork like the “Shawshank Redemption” and “The Shining” or something terrible like “Dreamcatcher,” “Sleepwalkers” or the recent “Dark Tower” movie.

The novel “IT” is a thousand page journey into the twisted mind of someone on crack in the ‘80s and is a mix of great and terrible ideas.

The mini-series features a great turn by Tim Curry as Pennywise, but everything else doesn’t really hold up at all.

This new iteration, however, is way better than the book or the mini-series. This is mainly due to the fact that the story is actually focused. It doesn’t meander about randomly, and, of course, we don’t have to be tortured by mid-90’s TV effects.

The best thing here is the kids. Each personifies his or her role exquisitely.

The particular standout here is Finn Wolfhard as Richie Tozier. The audience was cheering at his awesome one-liners.

Bill Skarsgaard stars as Pennywise, both living up to Tim Curry’s legacy while giving us something fresh and effective. Even if one doesn’t find him scary, he or she will definitely be entertained regardless.

In terms of hindrances, most general audiences won’t be bothered by the use of jump scares and loud noises, but some might hope for something more aesthetically pleasing.

Also, some might be annoyed that the only minority in the film had most of the traits the character had in the original book given to a white kid.

But overall, “IT” is by far one of the superior Stephen King adaptations out there.

This film received an A-