Mattress storein Athens, GA

Calvin Orlando Smith has taken advantage of every avenue to higher education that UGA has to offer, from evening classes to study abroad to correspondence courses. However, his first year was cut short when, as he puts it, “show business called.”

Smith’s AB ’00 pathway to earning his UGA degree took more twists and turns than most. He was accepted to the university in 1980 and graduated 20 years later in 2000 while he was taking part in UGA’s study away program at Oxford University in England.

Smith continued his education at Cambridge University and was the first African American to be accepted to and receive a degree from the department of history of art and architecture. He graduated with a master’s degree in philosophy in 2004.

“It took what it took,” he says. “It was the most wonderful, glorious, informative, difficult thing I’ve ever undertaken. And that’s what made it worth it.”

For two years after Calvin took his first break from UGA, he answered that show business call, singing his heart out on the national tour for Gentlemen Prefer Blondes or on a plane to wherever the next showing was.

He hasn’t slowed down.

I was on the road doing Evita for a couple of years, but I kept coming back to the university because that degree was important to me. In fact, the entire UGA community has remained incredibly close to my spirit.” — Calvin Orlando Smith AB ’00

Smith made his Broadway debut as the pirate Cecco in Peter Pan before joining the show on its international tour. Since then, he has performed major roles in Music Man, My Fair Lady, and the world premiere of Pinocchio, among others.

In all, over the past 40 years, Smith has performed three shows on Broadway, seven national tours, and too many concerts to count. During the periods he wasn’t on stage, Smith would come back and take classes at UGA.

“I was on the road doing Evita for a couple of years, but I kept coming back to the university because that degree was important to me,” he says. “In fact, the entire UGA community has remained incredibly close to my spirit.”

His musical talents have taken him beyond the stage as well. From singing backup on Garth Brooks’ stadium tour to making his debut at Carnegie Hall in Brahms’ Requiem, Smith is a man of many talents.

And he has never forgotten his beginnings in Athens. He has shared the stage more than once with hometown heroes The B-52s, and in 1993, he put his travels on hold to do a one-man show that reopened the historic Morton Theatre. He remembers it as “one of my proudest moments because we all came together as a community.”

This year, his name was added to the Athens Music Walk of Fame just in time for a planned solo concert in 2024 to honor King Charles III’s coronation. Smith won’t be intimidated, though: He once sang The Star-Spangled Banner for the king’s father, the late Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.

THE FLATS – Georgia Tech swimming and diving returns to action this week at the UGA Invite in Athens, Ga. The three-day event is set begin on Thursday, Nov. 16. Each day of competition, preliminaries will start at 9:30 a.m. and finals will take place at 5:30 p.m.

Last time out, Berke Saka (200 back)and Batur Ünlü (500 free) set new school records for the men.

For the women, McKenzie Campbell broke her own record in the women’s 200 IM.

The UGA Invite schedule is listed below. To qualify for the finals, swimmers must finish in the top 24 in the preliminary round of their respective event. For diving events, participants must finish in the top 10 to qualify for finals.

Thursday, Nov. 16 Events

200 YARD FREESTYLE RELAY

500 YARD FREESTYLE

200 YARD IM

50 YARD FREE

WOMEN’S 1- Meter DIVING

MEN’S 3- Meter DIVING

400 YARD MEDLEY RELAY

PRELIMS 7:00 am – 9:20 am 9:30 am

FINALS 3:30 pm – 5:20 pm 5:30 pm

Friday, Nov. 17 Events

200 YARD MEDLEY RELAY

400 YARD IM

100 YARD BUTTERFLY

200 YARD FREE

100 YARD BREAST

100 YARD BACK

WOMEN’S 3-Meter DIVING

MEN’S 1-Meter DIVING

800 YARD FREE RELAY

PRELIMS 7:00 am – 9:20 am 9:30 am

FINALS 3:30 pm – 5:20 pm 5:30 pm

Saturday, Nov. 18 Events

1650 FREE (Swum immediately after prelims)

200 YARD BACK

100 YARD FREE

200 YARD BREAST

200 YARD BUTTERFLY

M & W PLATFORM DIVING

1 400 YARD FREE RELAY

PRELIMS 7:00 am – 9:20 am 9:30 am

FINALS 3:30 pm – 5:20 pm 5:30 pm

Competitive Drive Initiative Turn 2

Looking to build on the success of last year’s Competitive Drive Initiative, Georgia Tech, the Georgia Tech Foundation and Georgia Tech athletics are partnering once again to launch Competitive Drive Initiative Turn 2. CDI Turn 2 has a goal of raising $2.5 million in new gifts to the Alexander-Tharpe Fund’s Athletic Scholarship Fund by Dec. 31, and Georgia Tech and the Georgia Tech Foundation will match eligible gifts to accelerate the impact for Tech athletics. Like last year, not only will gifts to CDI Turn 2 be matched, but so will the contributor’s benefits in the way of A-T Fund giving levels and priority points. To learn more and contribute online, visit atfund.org/turn2.

What is the best internet provider in Athens?

AT&T Fiber is the best internet provider in Athens, with the fastest speeds in the city, simple service terms and high customer satisfaction scores. It’s slightly more expensive than other internet service providers in Athens, but prices don’t automatically increase after a year or two, and you get significantly faster speeds.

If you want to pay the lowest price possible, Spectrum offers the cheapest internet in Athens, starting at just $30 per month. That said, prices increase significantly after a year or two, and renting a Wi-Fi router will add an extra $5 to your monthly bill. If you don’t want to worry about caveats like that, T-Mobile Home Internet offers a transparent alternative. Everything is included in its $50 monthly bill, and your price is locked in for as long as you stay a customer.

Our methodology

CNET considers speeds, pricing, customer service and overall value to recommend the best internet service in Athens across several categories. Our evaluation includes referencing a proprietary database built over years of reviewing internet services. We validate that against provider information by spot-checking local addresses for service availability. We also do a close read of providers' terms and conditions and, when needed, will call ISPs to verify the details.

Despite our efforts to find the most recent and accurate information, our process has some limitations you should know about. Pricing and speed data are variable: certain addresses may qualify for different service tiers and monthly costs may vary, even within a city. The best way to identify your options is to plug your address into a provider's website.

Also, the prices, speed and other information listed above and in the provider cards below may differ from what we found in our research. The cards display the full range of a provider's pricing and speed across the US, according to our database of plan information provided directly by ISPs. At the same time, the text is specific to what's available in Athens. The prices referenced within this article's text come from our research and include applicable discounts for setting up automatic payments each month -- a standard industry offering. Other discounts and promotions might also be available for things like signing a term contract or bundling with multiple services.

To learn more about how we review internet providers, visit our full methodology page.

Best internet in Athens, Georgia

Best internet provider in Athens, GA

Our take - AT&T Fiber is almost always your best option when it's available at your address. Its fiber internet service offers symmetrical upload and download speeds, no built-in rate increases, and reasonable and straightforward pricing. That's why AT&T Fiber earned the highest score of any ISP in the American Customer Satisfaction Index's annual survey.

Read full review

Or call to learn more: (866) 431-6052

Check with AT&T

Connection

Fiber

Speed range

300 - 5,000 Mbps

Price range

$55 - $250 per month

Show more details

Cheapest internet in Athens, GA

Our take - If you can’t get AT&T Fiber at your address, Spectrum is a solid backup option. It’s available nearly everywhere in the city and generally delivers on the speeds it advertises -- Ookla speed test results named Spectrum the fastest US provider with median download speeds of 243Mbps. The main downsides are Spectrum’s low upload speeds and price increases in the second or third year.

Read full review

Or call to learn more: (877) 361-3842

Check with Spectrum

Connection

Cable

Speed range

100 - 1,000 Mbps

Price range

$30- $90 per month

Show more details

Best fixed wireless internet in Athens, GA

Our take - If you don’t want to worry about price increases or hidden fees, T-Mobile Home Internet offers a refreshingly simple version of home internet. The fixed wireless provider only has one plan for $50 a month; everything you need is included in that price. It doesn’t have the same fast speeds as AT&T Fiber or Spectrum, but it provides enough bandwidth for most people. T-Mobile earned the highest rating of any non-fiber provider in the country from the ACSI.

Read full review

Or call to learn more: (877) 687-6988

Check with T-Mobile

Connection

Fixed wireless

Speed range

72 - 245 Mbps

Show more details

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Other available internet providers in Athens

Cheap internet options in Athens

Athens residents have several good options for cheap internet. Spectrum offers the cheapest plan in the area by far at $30 a month, but the price jumps to $60 after two years. If you don’t want to worry about your bill going up, T-Mobile Home Internet locks in your price for as long as you remain a customer.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Athens

The best internet deals and the top promotions in Athens depend on what discounts are available then. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.

Athens internet providers, such as Spectrum, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Others, however, including T-Mobile Home Internet, run the same standard pricing year-round.

For a more extensive list of promotions, check out our guide to the best internet deals.

How fast is Athens broadband?

Five internet plans in Athens offer gig speeds (download speeds above 1,000Mbps). That’s fewer than Atlanta (10 gig-speed plans) but the same as Augusta and Greenville.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

What’s a good internet speed?

Most internet connection plans can now handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you're looking for an internet plan that can accommodate videoconferencing, streaming video or gaming, you'll have a better experience with a more robust connection. Here's an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for various applications, according to the FCC. Note that these are only guidelines -- and that internet speed, service and performance vary by connection type, provider and address.

For more information, refer to our guide on how much internet speed you really need.

How CNET chose the best internet providers in Athens

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it's impractical to personally test every internet service provider in a given city. So what's our approach? For starters, we tap into a proprietary pricing, availability and speed database that draws from our own historical ISP data, partner data and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.

This guide leverages an in-house artificial intelligence tool called RAMP, which is trained on our own writing and uses our database to generate content about specific internet service providers that our writers can use in determining and presenting our picks for a given guide. Check CNET’s AI policy for more information about how our teams use (and don’t use) AI tools.

Because our database is not exhaustive, we go to the FCC's website to check the primary data for ourselves and make sure we're considering every ISP that provides service in an area. Plans and prices also vary by location, so we input local addresses on provider websites to find the specific options available to residents. We look at sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power, to evaluate how happy customers are with an ISP's service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate as of our pre-publication fact-check.

Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions:

While the answer to those questions is often layered and complex, the providers who come closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend. When selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, though we also factor in things like price increases, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively straightforward. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports.

To explore our process in more depth, you can visit our how we test ISPs page.

What’s the final word on internet providers in Athens?

No matter where you live in Athens, you should have access to a few good internet providers. AT&T Fiber is the best of the bunch, and it’s not particularly close. It has the fastest speeds and the highest customer satisfaction scores of any provider in the area, and you won’t have to worry about price increases, data caps or equipment fees. Spectrum is a solid backup option, but its upload speeds are much lower, and prices increase dramatically in the second or third year. If you don’t want to worry about your bill going up, T-Mobile Home Internet’s main selling point is its simplicity: it costs $50 a month, comes with a price-lock guarantee and includes all equipment.

Internet providers in Athens FAQs

Starting on Oct. 10, 120,000 high school seniors across Georgia received a letter informing them which public institutions of higher education in the state are likely to admit them. The mailed letters were part of the inaugural Georgia Match direct admissions program.

Georgia Match is a collaboration between state government agencies designed to encourage more students to pursue higher education. According to Gov. Brian Kemp’s office, all high school seniors received an eligibility letter of admission to the 22 Technical College System of Georgia institutions.

Based on their 11th grade HOPE GPA and freshman index score, which is calculated from a student’s HOPE GPA and SAT/ACT score, some students also saw up to 23 University System of Georgia institutions on their letter. These letters do not guarantee admission — students still have to apply before being accepted.

The University of Georgia, the Georgia Institute of Technology and Georgia College and State University were not included in the letters because these three institutions use a more holistic admissions process, which takes into account more factors than grades and test scores.

Cedar Shoals High School senior Aissatou Sarr said receiving her Georgia Match letter relieved her anxiety about applying to college. Sarr said her goal is to go to Spelman College or Augusta University and pursue dentistry, and that Georgia Match gave her more confidence to apply to more schools.

Another senior at Cedar Shoals, Haydee Vilchiz, said that Georgia Match did not change her plans for applying to college because she already knew she wanted to apply to Augusta University or Berry College to study to become a physical therapist. But seeing so many colleges on her letter, including Augusta University, reassured her.

Vilchiz said that Georgia Match could help people decide whether they’re going to college, but it could be more useful if it got sent out earlier in a student’s career, when they’re still planning on what colleges to apply to.

According to Kemp’s office, Georgia Match is intended to help students who don’t typically consider postsecondary education apply to college.

Although only students with a Social Security number will receive a Georgia Match letter, North Oconee High School counselor Christina Harris said that Georgia Match can still help undocumented students who are motivated by seeing their peers receive their letters.

Harris works with the nonprofit U-Lead Athens, which helps students who are immigrants and from immigrant families access higher education.

“The letter, again, is very exciting and can give lots of hope, especially when you’re working with a population that is historically underserved,” Harris said.

Harris said that students will be able to see their “matches” on the GAFutures website and select their top three matches. Doing so will indicate that the student is interested, which lets colleges know to reach out to the student.

Clarke Central High School senior Ziyon Smalls said that he already planned on attending UGA, which is one of the three USG schools not participating in Georgia Match, but that receiving the Georgia Match letter made him feel more secure about attending college.

“I felt very confident, being that I’ve seen a few colleges that I’ve admired,” Smalls said. “I actually saw another good list of colleges that actually I didn’t know anything about.”

Smalls added that he thinks Georgia Match could be disappointing for some students if they don’t see the colleges they thought they could get into on their letter. Vilchiz agreed, saying that students who don’t see many colleges on their letters could be discouraged.

Harris said that 77% of students at North Oconee already plan on attending a four-year institution, and 14% plan on attending a two-year institution. She thinks Georgia Match will still make a difference for those students who haven’t considered college and will increase the options for students who already want to go to college.

“We have 26 USG … schools in this state, and students sometimes know about five of them and maybe won’t consider some of the ones they just haven’t heard of before,” Harris said.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, encouraging enrollment in colleges and universities became a top priority across the nation. Enrollment in USG colleges and universities decreased slightly in 2021 and 2022, after steady increases from 2013 to 2020.

Sarr agreed that COVID-19 harmed many students’ school careers, including her own. She said that the pandemic created a lot of uncertainty about grading standards and made it more difficult to get involved in clubs, volunteering and social activities.

In 2015, Idaho became the first state to adopt a direct admissions program. Since then, a 2022 study published in Higher Ed Dive showed that first-time undergraduate enrollment increased by 4-8% and in-state student enrollment by 8-15%, although the impact was mostly on community colleges rather than four-year institutions.

One report from the U.S. Department of Education suggested that direct admissions are likely to increase college enrollment. In one study the DOE cited, students who received an offer of direct admission were 12% more likely to apply to college, and this effect was higher for first generation students, low-income students and students of color.

While students agree that Georgia Match is overall helpful in the college application process, Sarr and Vilchiz said that more needs to be done to encourage high schoolers to go to college.

Vilchiz said that, as a first generation student, it can be difficult to ask for help. She suggested that colleges could be more proactive in reaching out to students through email, and that creating spaces for minority students would make her more interested in attending a specific college.

Sarr said that Georgia Match was beneficial to her and her peers, and she thinks other states should implement similar programs to help seniors overcome the doubt and confusion of the college application process.

“Georgia Match [shows students that] college is an option for you, college is an option for everybody,” Sarr said. “No one ever should feel like just because they’re living in a certain situation or they’re having certain struggles that they can’t go to college, and they can’t get their education and live a good life.”

The Georgia Bulldogs concluded their 2023 season in the Orange Bowl, routing No. 5 Florida State by 60 points.

The two-time defending champion lost to Alabama in the SEC Championship on Dec. 2, 27-24, to miss out on another trip to the College Football Playoff. The Bulldogs won 29 straight games before the loss to the Crimson Tide.

Here is the complete 2023 Georgia football schedule, updated each week with results, TV networks and times:

2023 Georgia football schedule: Dates, times, TV channels, scores

*SEC Championship Game

Click or tap here to see the latest SEC football standings.

Keep track of where the Bulldogs fall in the national rankings rankings here.

The Bulldogs were nothing but dominant during the 2022 season — here's what went into their unblemished run:

The 2023-24 season marks the 10-year anniversary of the College Football Playoff era.

The CFP national championship will air on ESPN during primetime.