Faculty and staff from various departments and divisions come together every year to decorate their offices for the holidays in honor of Carol Callahan, the former chair of Academic Support who passed away July 15, 2000.

The date for the Rome campus is Nov. 29, and the Cartersville campus is Dec. 1. The Paulding Jingle Mingle will be Dec. 7 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The date for the Marietta campus is on Dec. 21.

Students are invited to drop into faculty and staff offices for a chance to mingle and share refreshments with peers before leaving for Christmas break. Sherri Beideck, assistant director registrar at GHC, said this event is a great way to reconnect with old friends and make new ones.

Each campus has a different way of hosting the Jingle Mingle. At the Floyd campus, “we normally have everything spread over all buildings, but with Walraven going under construction, as well as McCorkle, it is going to look very different,” Beideck said. 

Food will be available across various departments. There will be refreshments and homemade snacks for people to share, and festivities including an Ugly Sweater contest and Door Decorating contest.

The Floyd campus normally has virtual voting for the Ugly Sweater contest where pictures are posted on a GHC webpage, while the Door Decorating contest winner is determined by judges who walk around the school to view all submitted doors. Winners will receive prizes.

The Jingle Mingle at the Cartersville campus will be held in one area of the A building in the second-floor lounge by the balcony. Faculty and staff will bring a potluck dish to eat together while playing holiday-themed games with prizes. There will also be a treat table where students are able to enjoy coffee and desserts. Employees may decorate doors or wear holiday attire, but there are no contests for either.

The Paulding campus will gather in the Cellar Lounge in Bagby Building B-110. There will be a potluck lunch, a festive attire contest with prizes, a Dirty Santa gift exchange with a $5 gift limit, a Door Decorating contest, bingo with prizes and holiday music. Students and faculty/staff can send playlist requests to [email protected].

“Please join us in our holiday celebration if you are on site that day,” Christina Henggeler, Paulding campus manager, said.

This will be the first year the Jingle Mingle is celebrated at the new Marietta campus.

“We will try to begin decorating doors in Marietta after the Thanksgiving Break,” Ken Reaves, the Marietta campus dean, said. Other specifics for Marietta campus festivities are still being decided. 

Retired Secretary of Academic Support, Olivia Chandler, organized the first Jingle Mingle to honor Callahan’s memory and to spread joy for the holidays among coworkers. 

“Each office was to have to pick their theme and have refreshments. Then all offices would be judged. It was the best of times ever,” Chandler said. “We lost Carol that next year before we could have our next one. She was our inspiration and guiding force.”

Beideck has heard stories about Callahan and how the tradition started.

“She and her admin Olivia Chandler always decorated the academic support area during Christmas,” Beideck said. “When we lost Carol suddenly, many at the college wanted a way to celebrate her and the work she did for the students and college.” 

Students, faculty and staff can view the decorations and join other Jingle Mingle activities on the date for each respective campus.