Measure K aims to keep families together

An elderly woman with dementia taken away from her family by U.S Immigration and Custom Enforcement and deported. A young mother in her late 30s swept away by ICE and taken to a prison in Bakersfield for nine months even in spite of being here since she was five years old, married to a U.S. citizen and raising two children born as U.S. citizens.

Stories like these, where people are arrested for no other crime than lack of citizenship, are why Erik Kirk wrote local ballot Measure K.

“Criminal law and immigration law should be separate,” Kirk said.

Kirk, a lawyer, was asked by Centro Del Pueblo, a non-profit community service agency, to write a draft of an ordinance pertaining sanctuary for Humboldt county.

A sanctuary ordinance would prohibit local law enforcement from assisting federal immigration authorities with detainment. Typically sanctuary ordinances apply to cities rather than counties.

Kirk said Centro Del Pueblo proposed to the board of directors about making Humboldt county a sanctuary county, but they felt the board was unresponsive, so they asked him to write it for them.

Measure K, on the November ballot, would make Humboldt County a sanctuary county along with 30 sanctuary jurisdictions around the nation. Kirk said the measurement would be an extension of an existing law, AB54, which is a statewide ordinance that prohibits law authorities from cooperating with ICE.

“Our current laws are outdated and we need to change that,” Kirk said.

Measure K would help law enforcement by encouraging crime reporting and cooperation from the undocumented community. Immigrants may be more likely to consistently take children to school and access health care and vital services, affecting the overall greater community.

Kirk said the measurement will limit cooperation with ICE with just suspected immigration violation. The measurement will not in anyway prevent law enforcement with proceeding criminal provisions.

The Times Standard reported the ordinance would cost hundred of thousands of dollars. Kirk said this is a number he has no idea how it was calculated.

Sheriff William Honsal claimed he would have to track ICE deputies. Estimated tracking and reporting communications between ICE with new measurement would be between $85,000-$135,000. Kirk said this is false information.

Kirk said the probation department has to do the same tracking and reporting of communication with ICE as they do with the sheriff, and their estimates were $1250-$2500.

“I think the sheriff wants to deport whoever he wants and we think that isn’t right,” Kirk said.

Kelsey Reed, a member of the Humboldt Green Party and Move to Amend coalition, said the measurement allows parents to decide where their kids go when they get deported. As the law stands now, when parents are deported they are no longer able to make decisions where their children end up. Kids usually get left at home alone or taken to foster care.

“This is an overall humanity issue and several families have been destroyed because of ICE,” Reed said.

Reed said this is the most radical sanctuary ordinance proposed in a county. Through the ordinance, ICE would be required to only make certain arrests in certain areas and that parents wouldn’t be able to get arrested in front of their children.

Reverend Bryan Jessup is the minister of the Humboldt Unitarian Universalist Fellowship which is one of the faith based organizations to support Measure K. Jessup’s congregations have been a sanctuary since June of 2017 and is a safe place for people subject to abuse from ICE.

Jessup said the congregation doesn’t want Humboldt County to be a part of what is going on around the country regarding immigration policy.

“We would like to stand up for humanity, our people are willing to shelter immigrants,” Jessup said.

Christi Molina, English senior, is a peer mentor at Scholars Without Borders who works closely with Centro Del Pueblo. Molina said the measurement would affect her personally because some of her family would be documented as immigrants.

Molina said the students in the area are supportive of the measurement and that makes her hopeful of it passing. They know the measurement is against separation of family and keeping communities intact.

“This is a way to not only keep family together but to respect human rights and culture,” Molina said.

Humboldt State University’s Undocu Week, a week of events dedicated to “deconstructing misrepresentations of communities of color,” takes place Oct. 1 – Oct. 5.

HSU students encourage voter registration

The National Voters Registration Drive was held Sept. 25 at the Humboldt State University quad to re-register voters, register students that had not be registered and to educate students on state and local measures for the upcoming Nov. 6 election.

Associated Students Board Coordinator, Casey Park, has participated in four tabling events this year to advocate students on voting. The drive was another way to get students to be more active in voting. With an influx of students predominantly not from this area, many students are unaware of having to re-register to vote when moving to Humboldt County.

“Have you moved?” Park said. “Because you then need to re-register.”

One challenge Park has during the tabling event is getting students that are moving in and out of classes to stop and listen to re-registration tips.

“The challenge is figuring out the flow of students, and which one phrase in a day will get people’s attention to stop and listen,” Park said.

The League of Women Voters and the Party of Socialism and Liberation collaborated on the drive to register students. They helped students who needed to re-register for Humboldt County and to emphasized the importance of voting.

Students that are not originally registered to vote in Humboldt County can still vote through mail and will be able to vote on state and local measures.

Associated student member and environmental science major, Roxana Mostafavi, had just moved to Humboldt County from Los Angeles County this semester. Hearing Park speak about re-registering got her attention so she stopped to re-register.

“We’re the younger generation, it’s our world, it’s our planet,” Mostafavi said. “I think we need to be more active.”

Being active in events like the National Voter Registration day gives a push to those who tend to believe that their vote does not actually count.

According to the League of Women Voters voter service director, Anne Hartline, the following months leading up to the upcoming ballot is of the most important times of the year.

“When it comes time to vote, and your not registered, how can you make a difference?” Hartline said. “Our goal is to get at least one student that didn’t plan to vote, to go and make a difference by voting. I feel today we got many more than one.”

There are two local measures that will be on the Nov. 6 ballot. The first, Measure K, would make Humboldt County a sanctuary county. Yes on K would prohibit local law enforcement agencies from cooperating with federal immigration officials. No on K is deciding against prohibiting local law enforcement agencies from cooperating with federal immigration officials.

The other is Measure M, which regards the removal of the statue of William McKinley in Arcata plaza. No on M would grant the removal of the statue and yes on M would allow the statue to remain in the plaza.

For more information on registration, voters rights, and measures call League of Women Voters of Humboldt County (707) 444-9252 or contact the Associated Students at HSU.

KHSU CAB members requested to halt further meetings

Humboldt State University president, Lisa Rossbacher, has recently requested KHSU’s community advisory board cease further meetings until individual and private communication takes place.

A community advisory board letter sent to Rossbacher on June 29 left her confused on the decisions made during their June meeting. The letter addressed to HSU administration states that the community advisory board voted a ‘no confidence’ towards general manager Peter Fretwell and have requested his termination.

“I have become aware of confusion and disagreement about whether the advisory board’s action last June was intended to communicate feedback that the CAB had received from some members of the public or to reflect a formal vote of no confidence by the CAB itself in KHSU general manager Peter Fretwell,” Rossbacher wrote in a letter on Sep. 17.

The minutes report, which is the written record of the meeting that took place, states under ‘New Business’: “Discussion of the CAB response to the community’s call for a vote of no confidence.”

Frank Whitlatch, assistant vice president of marketing and communications at HSU, said Rossbacher is asking for clarity involving who made the decision at the meeting.

Whitlatch said the initial reporting of the advisory group made a ‘no confidence’ vote on general manger, Peter Fretwell, but later on in the meeting the minutes said it was a community decision.

“Did the board make the vote or the community?” Whitlatch said.

Whitlatch said the story was incorrectly reported by Mad River Union and the Lost Coast Journal but since has been revised and that has furthered rumors suggesting Rossbacher has banned the community advisory board from meeting together.

“They can meet if they want, they’re grown ups,” Whitlatch said. ‘The president just wants to speak individually to clear up confusion on the decision.

To further tension between HSU administration and KHSU, the program, Thursday Night Talk, was recently cancelled by Fretwell when four community advisory board members were supposed to be guests.

Whitlatch said Fretwell has the final say of all editorial content at KHSU, and it was his decision alone.

There is a firewall blocking editorial content between KHSU and HSU management. Fretwell didn’t believe KHSU could be objective and report on itself.

“I do not have the ability to call KHSU and tell them what to produce on the air,” Whitlatch said. “No administrator does.”

KHSU development director David Reed was one of three staff members who attended the community advisory board June meeting. Reed said the last few months 25 to 100 people have showed up and 100 to 160 people in May, June, and July, a higher number than in the past.

The meetings have been getting more community involvement since the firing of Katie Whiteside. Reed said three percent, about 120 out of the 3000 station’s donors have left along with four supporting brand or organization underwriters.

“There was a lot of public comment at the meeting, it was an unusual one,” Reed said of the June meeting.

Reed said he did not know about the vote confusion and it never occurred to him at the meeting. Ultimately it would have to be to the community advisory board to answer that question.

A CSU revisory team has been looking at the operations of KHSU. Rossbacher requested in a July 19 letter to vice chancellor of California State University system Larry Mandel, asking advisory services to evaluate “operations, administration, oversight, review of accounts payable processes, communications among staff between KHSU and HSU, oversight FCCC broadcast station licenses, volunteer engagement and training processes and suggestions on whether voluntary compliance audits should be requested from the California Broadcasters Association,” at KHSU.

“It’s hard to manage opinions at KHSU,” Whitlatch said. “Disagreements and opinions have been stifled.”

Peer to Peer addresses nationwide increase of STD rates 

Helping to fight the cultural stigmas that surround the rise of sexually transmitted diseases and testing is the new program at Humboldt State University, Peer to Peer.

Mira Friedman, lead of health education and medical clinic support services, started Peer to Peer as her Master’s program at HSU. Friedman said she started the program because she wanted to fulfill students’ needs and offer access to reproductive services.

“There isn’t a lack of education in college but an inaccuracy in sex education,” Friedman said.

The program is unique in that students get help provided by other students. There are four medically trained students who run Peer to Peer giving consultations as well as no hassle access to STD testing and birth control. The idea is, it is easier for students to seek help from their peers.

According to St. Joseph Health, the United States hit an all-time high in sexually transmitted diseases and Humboldt County is no different. Over 2 million cases throughout the country according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Public health nurse of the communicable disease program at the Department of Human and Health Services (DHHS), Hava Phillips, said Humboldt county is following both the national and statewide trend of increase in STD’s. The numbers across the board are all the same and differences between populated and rural makes no difference.

“It’s something we are worried about,” Phillips said.

The most common STD is Chlamydia. Not far behind is Gonorrhea and at a far distant third is Syphilis, which can pose the greatest health risk if left untreated because it has more potential to cause damage.

According to Humboldt County Public Health syphilis in Humboldt county is up 172 percent. There have also been 665 reported cases of Chlamydia in Humboldt in 2017.

According to the California Department of Public Health 218,728 cases of Chlamydia cases were reported in 2017 statewide. Over half of them were younger than the age of 25. Gonorrhea amounted to 75,372 cases with 33 percent younger than 25. Both diseases were the highest since the numbers began to get reported. Syphilis cases reached 13,719. This has been the highest since 1987.

“Stigmas contribute discomfort for people to get tested,” Phillips said.

The cultural stigmas surrounding STD’s and getting tested create extra dilemmas for people seeking services. Phillips said there is a huge need for educating people to get tested for STD’s and to treat it like anything else. Anyone sexually active is at risk of getting an STD just like someone breathing is at risk of getting the flu.

“They need to be just another normal thing you get tested for,” Phillips said.

There are lots of theories as to why there is an increase, but nothing concrete. The highest risks are unprotected sexual activity, individual anonymous sex and sex with multiple partners.

Celene Lopez worked as a peer educator as an undergrad with Planned Parenthood before returning to HSU to earn her masters in counseling psychology. She knows the challenges posed on people who aren’t seeking help. On college campuses information is everywhere but in the general public it’s harder to be reminded.

“Lots of people think they’ll just know if they have contracted an STD or not, and really they don’t know,” Lopez said, “the most common symptom is no symptom.”

Both Chlamydia and Gonorrhea usually have no symptoms. People who have contracted these diseases go untreated and in turn spread them to more people. Lopez believes the increase of STD’s is because of services lacking education as well as lacking health care.

“People don’t know where to go, they don’t know where to get help,” Lopez said.

Lopez is also well aware of the cultural stigmas that surround STD’s which makes it difficult for people to feel comfortable enough to get tested. To combat these stigmas Lopez suggests creating safe environments for people to get confidential health care, like what Peer to Peer is doing.

“We need to change the culture of sexual health,” Lopez said.

This includes the demonizing of people for having sex and to show people there is no judgments. Easy access to resources, like Peer to Peer, helps minimize long waiting periods of being seen by health services and allows doctors to see patients who have symptoms.

Lopez compares STD’s to the flu, we don’t shame people for getting the flu yet when it comes to STD’s people are shamed all the time.

“People don’t know what to expect. They feel the stigma, they feel dirty, but we’re here because we care. No one is here to judge,” Lopez said.

For questions or to book an appointment Peer Health Educators can be reached at 707-826-3146 or hsuphe@humboldt.edu.

The Clinical Peer Health Educators office is located in RWC 127.

University Police Department just released a campus-wide alert about 22-year-old Jesus Alonso. Alonso is suspected of being involved in an armed robbery in an illegal drug sale on campus.

UPD also reported Alonso may be armed. Alonso was last seen on campus Saturday night, Sep. 22, and asked to leave, according to the alert.

The alert is below:

The University Police Department is advising the Humboldt State University community to be on the alert for a suspicious individual.

In May 2018, 22-year-old Jesus Alonso, who is not an HSU student, is suspected of being involved in an armed robbery during an illegal drug sale on campus. A criminal investigation by University Police was conducted and forwarded to the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office for review. However, criminal charges against Alonso were not filed, based primarily on a lack of admissible evidence.

Last seen on campus Saturday night, he was asked to leave and has been warned that he is not allowed on campus.

Alonso may also be armed and is known to carry a rifle underneath an outer garment, or in a bag.

He is described as 6 feet, 2 inches, 180 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen driving a white 2016 Honda Accord with a California license plate of 7SFF594.

If you see or encounter Alonso on campus, please contact University Police immediately by dialing 911, calling (707) 826-5555 or extension 5555 from any campus phone.

Safety tips from University Police:

• Keep a safe distance from vehicles with occupants unknown to you.
• If an unknown individual talks to you, do not hesitate to walk away or call for assistance.
• Be aware of your surroundings at all times, on and off campus.
• Immediately report any suspicious persons or activities to University Police.

You may contact University Police at (707) 826-5555 or extension 5555 from any campus phone. In case of emergency, dial 911.

This is a close up of the provided photo.

The marketplace forces students to leave their backpacks at the door so they don’t steal. Meanwhile, they’re stealing your money by overpricing their merchandise.

In addition to abolishing this stupid rule, it’s time this university lowers their prices on food and beverages and provides a convenient, healthy and cheaper option for students that struggle to pay the bills.

“I just think it’s more convenient for the store rather than the students,” HSU psychology major Natalia Ruiz said. “They don’t want us stealing but they have our backpacks right next to the door. They don’t care. They just care what’s easy to them.”

Racing right past the notion that they’re calling out students to be thieves with the backpack tactic, one has to wonder why the pricing is so high in the first place?

Taking a look at the prices of some fairly common student favorites, there definitely seems to be a correlation with price gouging products that are useful to students.

The very popular Guayakí Yerba Mate sells at the Marketplace for about $3.70 per bottle or can if you’re paying with your hard-earned cash. If you load money onto your C-point account you get a whopping five percent off that price which comes to a huge discount of $0.19 coming to just about $3.51 each. Wow. What a deal. (sarcasm)

“There’s not many places for students to buy food on campus,” Ruiz said. “This is the only thing we got and they’re not really giving us an option to go somewhere cheaper.”

That same bottle of Yerba Mate sells at Target for just $3. That’s 19 percent off of the Marketplace’s regular price, or 14 percent more of a discount than your C-card. Yerba Mate goes for only $2.50 at Texaco. That is a huge discount of about 32 percent from the Market’s regular price.

The C-point price for Yerba Mate is obviously five percent better in price than the regular pricing. It’s not enough and the prices need to come down. Some naysayers may try to push meal plans into the discussion but not everyone can afford a meal plan.

If you’re really down on your luck and a Kraft Easy Mac is the only warm meal you can afford, you better have at least $2.19 for it. The same Easy Mac sells in bulk at Costco for $0.82 per bowl. Walmart has them for around a buck each and surprisingly, target is the cheapest, at just $0.53 per bowl.

If cereal is something you want, you better be prepared to fork up $7.09. Even with the highly touted J-card, you’re still spending $5.17 plus tax on a box of Cheerios. The same box goes for about $3 everywhere else.

The backpack plan was instituted poorly by administration further showcasing their ineptitude in matters of decision making for student’s lives.

According to an article in Fortune magazine, employees in the U.S are responsible for 43 percent of lost revenue. The $18 billion total loss is $2 billion more than what is shoplifted by the customers.

So, instead of hiring a loss prevention employee, the Market now employs a person to stand at each doorway to tell students to leave their backpacks behind. They also managed to pay construction workers to build the useless backpack racks. Where else can the administration waste our money?