“I am thrilled that we were able to recruit 18 students from four of our student clubs for this fantastic event. All GHC campuses had representation except for Marietta. There was something at Fernbank for everyone, regardless of the club represented. I hope to do this type of joint field trip again in the future,” said Alexandra MacMurdo, lecturer of communication.

(From left) Jasmine Olander, instructor of biology; Camille Pace, instructor of mathematics; Alexandra MacMurdo, lecturer of communication; Jayme Feagin, assistant professor of history; Allen Easton, assistant professor of chemistry and Bronson Long, assistant professor of history, took several GHC students on a trip to the Fernbank Museum of Natural History. Photo taken by Gayle Golden.

Ken Weatherman in 2013. File photo.

Ken Weatherman, professor of physical education, knows a thing or two about Georgia Highlands College. He has been a faculty member since 1974, making him the longest-employed staff member at Highlands.

Currently, Weatherman teaches classes like Health and Wellness and Fitness Walking and Jogging, but many students do not know that Weatherman used to be the director of student activities (now called student life coordinator) for GHC back when it was Floyd College. Weatherman took the job in 1980 to work on getting his doctorate from Georgia State University which he received in 1991.

Ken Weatherman at Tower Hour on May 12, 1987. File photo.

One of the things Weatherman did as director of student activities was plan the annual spring-fun-day called Tower Hour, which is now called Spring Fling.

“I kind of hated to see them change the name of it, because the name was unique to our campus. Everybody has a Spring Fling, but not many people have a Tower Hour,” said Weatherman.

According to Weatherman, it was given the name “Tower Hour” because it was usually held outside near the unique tower, located in between the Walraven Building and the F-Wing on the Floyd campus.

Midday classes were cancelled during Tower Hour so all students could participate in the games and activities.

Tower Hour was not as tame as the current Spring Fling. “I’ve been thrown into the lake on more than one occasion during Tower Hour. We have had mud wrestling and tug-of-war over mud. It could get a little rowdy.”

Jon Hershey, dean of humanities, remembers working at Highlands during Weatherman’s time as director of student activities,

“I remember how dedicated he was to the students and how he created a positive environment for the students,” Hershey said.

Weatherman is about to complete his 39th year at GHC and has created a legacy of great student activities.

Ken Weatherman at Tower Hour on May 12, 1987. File photo.

Ken Weatherman at Tower Hour on May 12, 1987. File photo.

Previous games in the series are some of the most beloved and acclaimed games of this generation, so expectations for the game were unbelievably high. Fans of the series will be happy to know however, that “BioShock Infinite” should not only meet their expectations, but exceed them.

Those who are new to the series should have no worries of feeling left out as the game requires no prior knowledge of the series in order to be enjoyed to its fullest.

“BioShock Infinite” takes place in the fictional city of Columbia, a floating city in the sky where the founding fathers of America are worshipped like gods. The player plays the role of Booker DeWitt, who is tasked with rescuing a girl by the name of Elizabeth from the island.

The characters who inhabit the world of “BioShock Infinite” are vibrant and bring us into their world completely, which makes the delivery of its complex philosophical questions that much more powerful.

Much of the game will be spent protecting Elizabeth. However, the game manages to avoid the trappings of the typical “escort mission” by allowing to Elizabeth to fend for herself and actually making her helpful.

Players will have the ability to engage in combat with either guns or special powers known as vigors to dispatch their enemies. Resources can become scarce in the middle of battle however, so players must be careful to use their resources effectively. This is made worse by the fact that players can only hold two weapons at a time, unlike previous installments of the series, which may irk series faithfuls.

An occasional issue is that the game does not allow the player to save wherever they choose, which can render areas inaccessible when players realize they’ve missed something. Players can later choose to replay the chapter, but this requires overwriting the current save data.

Minor grievances aside, “BioShock Infinite” succeeds far more often than it fails.

Few games in recent memory have succeeded in immersing the player into their world as completely as “BioShock Infinite” does. It dares to ask challenging questions and rewards the player for constantly paying attention. The result is a game that feels truly unique and extraordinary.

Erica Simpson, assistant professor of communication at GHC, got involved with RACA as a volunteer and was later asked to join the RACA Board of Directors.

After serving on the board for three months, she was hired as the RACA program director and immediately began creating what eventually became the AllRoads Music Festival.

Simpson also works full time at GHC. She said, “When it comes to the arts, I appreciate all forms and styles, but music is my passion. I like to say that I have no musical talent, so I use my event-planning expertise to help local musicians as much as I can.”

This year’s festival will feature 26 bands from all over northwest Georgia, Atlanta, Chattanooga and Nashville. The bands perform music from different genres like rock, country, punk, Christian rock, hip-hop, world and classical.

The event is family-friendly, and the ticket prices reflect that. Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 on the day of the event, $5 for children ages six through 12 and children five and under are admitted for free.

All attendees will receive a wristband that will allow them to come and go as they please throughout the day. While at the festival, students should stop by the GHC intercultural booth to learn how music plays an important role in different cultures.

Amanda Brendel speaking about being bullied in school and being a straight ally. Taken by Jacob Perry.

A Courageous Conversations event was held in the Solarium on the Floyd campus on April 2 at 12:30 p.m. It involved seven students from the Equality Alliance club: Amanda Brendel, Ryan Jones, Kelli Arthur, Hannah Kent, Jordan Collins, Marcus Lee and Justin Deal.

The purpose of the event was to inform guests about the way LGBT students feel and deal with sexual orientation in and outside of the classroom.

Joan Ledbetter, adviser for the Equality Alliance club, started off the event by reading a student’s essay about the experiences she had encountered as a lesbian.

Deal, president of Equality Alliance, talked for a brief moment about the club before questions were asked of the seven panelists.

Ledbetter started the conversation by asking the panelists to cover the subject of bullying.

Deal said there is a problem with people bullying on social media websites.

Marcus Lee speaking about being gay in the military. Photo taken by Jacob Perry.

His encounter with bullying in high school involved the silent type, such as people pointing and talking behind his back.

Since attending Georgia Highlands, he has had positive experiences.

Jones noted that he and his LGBT friends stood up for themselves in high school. They were able to block people out and stick together.

Lee talked about the abuse and disrespect he had experienced as a gay male in the military.

When asked about the positive aspects of being a LGBT, there were a variety of answers from the panel that included a sense of community, close friends that are always there and how other relationships improve because of the honesty of coming out.

Dana Davis, director of college relations, asked the panel about their feelings on the same-sex marriage case with which the Supreme Court is currently dealing.

Jones made a point about the legal benefits that are being denied to same-sex couples. He believes marriage should be open to everybody.

When Ledbetter asked what equality meant to the panel, Deal responded that to him it meant waking up and living comfortably without worrying about being gay or straight.

After the event was over, Jones said, “I think it went really well.”

Becky Crooks, sports editor for the Six Mile Post said, “I think it’s great Georgia Highlands supports the Equality Alliance, and so many people showed their support for the LGBT community.”

Jesse Bishop speaking at the writer's workshop. Photo taken by Becky Crooks.

Leverett Butts was the keynote speaker at the inaugural “Charge into Writing” writers’ conference sponsored by the GHC Writers’ Collaborative. The event took place on Friday, March 22, in the Lakeview Auditorium.

Twenty-one people attended the conference. There were five speakers, many of whom work at Georgia Highlands. After each speaker, there was time allotted for questions from the attendees.

Butts, an assistant professor of English at North Georgia State College and University in Gainesville Ga. and is a nominee for Georgia Author of the Year.

He read a short story from his collection, “Emily’s Stitches: The Confessions of Thomas Calloway and Other Stories.”

Butts suggested people-watching for plot and character inspiration and tinkering with any good ideas.

“When you’re alone with your keyboard, you’re only writing for yourself,” Butts said.

Jessica Lindberg, English lecturer on the Cartersville Campus of GHC, spoke about poetry. She read several of her own poems with topics ranging from hating mushrooms to playing Minecraft.

She spoke very fondly of writing and poetry and encouraged the audience to “treat writing like work” in order to get their best results.

Jake Sullins, assistant professor of English on GHC’s Marietta and Cartersville campuses, shared a short story he had written. During the Q&A time, Sullins emphasized the importance of writing from experience.

Raymond Atkins speaking at the writer's workshop. Photo taken by Becky Crooks.

Larry Stephens, an assistant librarian for public service on the Rome campus, was the only non-fiction writer at the conference.

Stephens spoke about the pros and cons of self-publishing, which would be useful if “writing for yourself.”

Raymond Atkins, an associate professor of English at Georgia Northwestern Technical College, read from his book “Camp Redemption,” winner of the 2011 Ferrol Sams Award for Fiction.

Atkins spoke to the audience about the difficulty of getting published. He stressed not giving up, because “no one wants to see you in print more than you.”

The event was well-received by many. Annie Spurlock, a sophomore at the Floyd campus, said, “I found it very interesting, and it had great advice for anyone looking to further their writing career.”

I wish to extend my personal congrats to the Six Mile Post staff on your recent awards and recognition. You have helped maintain a legacy of excellence with the campus newspaper and I am thankful to your long hours, dedication, and the ability to balance the demands of school and life.

Thank you all for excellent work,

Todd Jones