A new community sport for all ages, blasters included

For four hours on a Sunday morning, the Arcata Community Center was a war zone.

Sounds of blasters and Nerf darts echoed through Arcata Community Center. Players ran for cover, slid behind tables and had a showdown in the center maze.

Cloth Boxes stacked on tables with cloth lining the tables making them walls to deflect flying darts. Tables flipped onto their sides and ends acted as personal shields as courageous players pushed forward.

Players were divided up into three teams and given a starting point on the outer edge of the gym. The Red, Green and Blue teams looked in awe at the new lineup of blasters provided for each color’s home base.

Bases were stacked two tables high with 10 to 15 different blasters from Nerf pistols to heavy automatic electronic dart spitting machines. Foam darts littered the tables for easy run-back reloads.

Players had to decide lightweight and compact for agility or heavy for more dart power. There were many combinations to choose from making each round strategic.

Participant Tanner Via, a 13-year-old from Laurel Tree Charter School in Arcata, fixed a jammed dart in his blaster back by his base.

“Green team is performing okay, we only have one win so far,” Via said. “This is my first time but the middle maze is where I like to be.”

The madness was tamed with three main match styles.

The classic single elimination: One hit anywhere on their blaster or body and players are out.

Pistol blaster only match: Players run out with low ammo and a smaller blaster trying to use close range and stealth type attacks.

And crowd favorite, King of the Hill. Players had to hold the center maze for a combination of minutes. The referee only counted seconds for a team if one or more members of that team was present in the middle and alive.

Trevor Hammons, a counselor at Zane Middle School, said he brought his kids to meet up with some friends from school and jumped into the action.

“If we’re in town we always go, we look forward to king of the hill,” Hammons said.

Hammons said taking the maze, setting up and blasting everything that moves was the best strategy.

The course didn’t always have an elaborate set up. Co-creators Patrick Sullivan and James Schaeffer started from humble beginnings. They were inspired by a bachelor party trip to Reno where they rented out a house and decided to bring Nerf blasters for all their friends that weekend.

“We had a great time and when we got back we wanted to find a way to keep going,” Schaeffer said. “Started out in parks with friends but the rain came so we reached out to Mike Rice at the ACC and he was open to an event and it blew up from there.”

Sullivan and Schaeffer are still active participants at events, taking turns playing mercenary for a team while the other keeps order and referees games. They are always trying new designs, courses, obstacles, new blasters and looking to video games for extra inspiration.

“We both play strategy games, James knows how to set up interesting map designs, constantly trying to make things better,” Sullivan said. “Looking to the future we’re going to try more outdoor events, maybe even back at a local public park.”

HSU students balance love lives and school, stress communication

Long-distance relationships are a commitment students here at Humboldt State must face when leaving home, and in no way is it an easy thing to do. Having to believe in your individual future while putting time into a relationship can cause a divide in one’s heart.

School and work schedules are a few obstacles senior kinesiology major Emma Gutierrez must face within her relationship of almost six years with former HSU running back Ja’Quan Gardener.

Gardener, who in January left for an opportunity to be with the San Francisco 49ers, had to make a decision with Gutierrez to dictate their current relationship. They both knew that their conflicting schedules would be an issue, and a long-distance relationship can make it a challenge when communicating.

“Communication is something that has to be there for us, being able to hear from that person day to day allows us to know that we’re always on each other’s mind,” Gutierrez said. “With that communication, it makes it so much easier to trust that person.”

The hardest thing for two people who love each other is not being able to talk to that person. Senior cellular and molecular biology major Samantha Lee explained that you can not get mad over something that you can not control.

“Texting long paragraphs and getting mad over something which in the end we cannot control is pointless,” Lee said. “You’re wanting to hear from that person all day and then end up fighting over whatever it might be. It only causes tension. It takes two to tango at the end of the day.”

Lee is currently in a long-distance relationship with her partner Terrence Tam. She explained that finding the time to physically see each other is a challenge. The two of them trade off on a five-hour drive once a month to get that face-to-face connection.

Former HSU student Jeanette Bargas had her own take on long-distance relationships.

“Be prepared for anything, learn how to communicate,” Bargas said. “Knowing each other’s schedule can help on when it’s the best time to see each other.”

Bargas was in a long-distance relationship with someone who lived Puerto Rico and they are unfortunately no longer together. She explained that before the distance it was just Eureka to Orange County and then the distance got further once her significant other left for Puerto Rico.

“I remember just trying to keep my mind occupied and focused off the distance. Working full time at Disneyland helped me at times,” Bargas said. “Other times I would focus on my photography and becoming a better artist but like what happens to so many, the distance was causing to be too much.”

For the students that are in long-distance relationships being occupied by either school or work, interacting with friends, and finding new interests are ways to cope with the thought of missing their significant other. Gutierrez and Gardner both have busy schedules. Gardener continues to focus on his career, and Gutierrez continues her path to graduation while taking care of their German Shepard, Lia.

Lee and Tam keep their focus on their education and don’t let the distance factor become too much of a distraction.

A long-distance relationship is a test of two people’s ability to trust and communicate. Without those two qualities, even in a non-distance relationship, there is no way for that relationship to blossom and grow.

Local trumpeter summons the spirit of Miles Davis

73 years since dropping out of Julliard School of Music and 17 years since his death, Miles Davis comes back to life from the lungs of Arcata local, Nicholas Dominic Talvola.

On Sept. 9 on stage at Arcata Playhouse, local players Tim Randles (keyboard), Ken Lawrence (bass), Tommy Fitzmaurice (drums), Russ Thallheimer (sax), and Brian White (trombone) were lead by Nicholas Dominic Talvola on the trumpet to pay tribute to one of the most influential figures in the history of Jazz and 20th century music.

“Miles Davis is a big inspiration for me,” Talvola said.

Born and raised in Arcata, Talvola has recently returned home from performing internationally with his band The Johnny Freelance Experience. For any resident in Arcata the timing couldn’t be more perfect.

A quarter after 8 p.m. the band is on stage beneath dimly lit blue and red lights. The playhouse is packed and nearly every seat filled. Talvola walks on stage looking like a mix between Bob Dylan, era ’65, and Wayne Coyne, lead singer of The Flaming Lips. Black dress coat over white button up and bow tie, black jeans cuffed at the ankles and shiny black loafers. His hair is a salt and peppered bird nest and a beard to match, and of course he wore signature jazz Ray Ban sunglasses.

“I know you’re wondering about the playlist. There’s nothing classic,” Talvola said to the audience in between songs.

The first half of the first set Talvola is right, there isn’t a single song off “Kind Of Blue”, arguably the most well known album of Miles Davis, but the songs are hand picked from Talvola as being especially inspirational in his musical career. One could argue every Davis song is a classic and the band made it seem so.

“The Theme” is the first song to warm up the audience, the bass takes the first solo and soon quiets down as Talvola hammers the melody faster. Next songs are “If I Were a Bell” , “I Fall In Love Too Easily” and “Well You Needn’t”, not original Davis compositions but all songs played the way he performed them.

By this time the audience is fully submerged in the mood and so is the band, who since the beginning have played on the same wavelength. One can feel the friendship and comfortableness each player has with one another, setting a tone that invokes relaxation with fierceness.

As a surprise the second to last song before intermission is off “Kind Of Blue”, a tactic Talvola uses to keep the audience on their toes and keep the set unpredictable. An energetically charged solo by Thallheimer, the saxophone player, in “Stella By Starlight” is then followed by a fast and ferocious “Mile Stones”,the title track off the album with the same name. That offers Talvola a solo that leaves the audience stunned, his style of trumpet playing takes the listener back to the Beep Bop era of smoke filled speakeasies pouring out musical giants.

After intermission songs are played back to back until the dark and luminescent “Nefferti”, off Talvola’s favorite Davis album, which bares the same name, and his playing shows his gratitude and influence.

“I think I’ve listened to that album every day for 12 years,” Talvola said.

Next the night becomes strange and funky. The sextet becomes a septet and a guitarist is added to the bandstand. Pedals and distortion join the show as well. It’s time for Davis’ experimental sound, unconventional style and rejection of traditional jazz rhythms.

Songs of “Bitches Brew” era, which is Davis’ electronic instrument experimental album in the 70’s, are wildly played and thrown out like gas to fire, all with eloquence and careful measure. Between Thalleimer and Talvola’s solo’s feeding off the guitar reverb and electric keyboard the entire stage is moving.

The song with the title track off “Bitches Brew” starts at 10:48 and doesn’t end until 11:03 p.m. The song was said to be the last but Talvola in the last minute shocks the audience by shouting they may not have classics but they have “So What”, which is the title track of “Kind of Blue” .

The night ends with the classic that everyone knows, “So What”, and every instrument is played magically. The tapping of everyone’s foot is matched and the blowing of brass is completely in sync.

The lights come on and a standing ovation is performed. The diversity of age in the crowd proves the music of Miles Davis is timeless and Talvola and fellow band mates continue that legacy.

Residents and students alike came together on the 4th annual Arcata “Out of the Darkness” community walk on Sept. 9 to raise awareness for mental health and suicide and to reduce stigma in the local community through connection. The event was also to fundraise for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP).

Heather Freitas is the lead organizer for the AFSP Out of the Darkness community walk in Arcata. Freitas said the walks are a way for the community to come together and create awareness as well as fight negative stigma against mental health.

“It is not possible without the community,” Freitas said.

The walk starts in Arcata Square where participants checked in, looked at mental illness informative booths and engaged in activities that share a connection with suicide.

Participant Sarah Zerkel writes a personal message for a posting board during the Arcata Out of the Darkeness event on Sept. 9, 2018. The board is made of memorials, pictures and tributes that other participants put up. | Photo by Michael Weber

Before the walk, community members were able to show support and learn about mental illness by wearing self identifying beads, sharing stories, and listening to speakers talk about mental health.

The walk itself was an estimated three miles long and took an hour and a half for all participants to complete the walk.

A major landmark of the walk was passing through a “bridge of support,” where motivational and inspirational posters made by former volunteers were put up for display.

One of the numerous posters filled with messages for participants of the Arcata Out of the Darkness Walk in Arcata, CA on Sept. 9, 2018. | Photo by Michael Weber

Participants of the Out of the Darkness community walk in Arcata, CA cross the St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetary on Sept. 9, 2018. | Photo by Michael Weber

In the end, participants walked through the finish line and were congratulated for completing the walk.

For the closing ceremony, Friedas shared her personal experience to the crowd.

“On this day in 2011,” Friedas said her first loss to suicide was her dad. She said he hid it well, and passed away when there was no one to check up on him.

“We don’t grieve just the loss of a life, we grieve with how our relationships change as well,” Friedas said in her speech.

Sept. 9 is also the start of suicide prevention week. As national suicide rates are rising, according to the CDC, support for mental health will continue in the community of Arcata.

As the second month of the school year is well under way, first year students start to settle in to their new living situations on campus.

Moving out of a family home to a university can be a daunting experience. The idea of leaving the safety and stability that parents have provided their whole life is something a lot of young adults have to deal with.

While nerve-wracking, this experience can also be something extremely exciting. Students get to meet new people and make friends from all around the country and the world.

Michael Dunn, who moved from Oakdale, California, describes it as a very new and interesting experience that he’s not used to.

“I come from a small town, so it’s been real different meeting so many new people at once. It’s been real diverse,” Dunn said.

While the idea of meeting new people from around the world can be a lot of fun, leaving the safety of your family and your home is a very different thing. There’s a lot to enjoy with the freedom, but it’s not always easy abruptly leaving your parents.

Baciro Jalo who moved here from Washington, D.C. enjoys his independence.

“I definitely enjoy my total freedom and being away from home. Nobody is telling me what to do and when to do it. It’s still hard because I also miss them,” Jalo said. “We are young and away from our parents, away from people who control us. Here we have total freedom. This is where we choose the way we want our life to be. This is where you can do bad things, and good things, whatever you choose to do.”

Roy Licona-Tamiriz who moved here from Madera, California, describes it almost as a ritual.

“It’s kind of like a bird leaving it’s birds nest. You have to learn on your own and adjust to it all, to the outside environment.”

As the first weeks can be crucial for these young adults to settle in to their new lifestyle, it’s important to reflect on what can be done to make things even easier for them. While setting up freshmen groups and events is a great start, working to make it easier in other ways might help these new students even more.

When asked about if there are things the University could do to help make the process of moving in and settling into the new life on Campus easier Licona-Tamiriz said, “I would say having more freshmen oriented programs, having the freshmen more involved, introduce them to study groups early on in their first classes and get them to interact with each other.”

At home tattooing is often cheaper and more accessible for artists and customers

Emi bought a tattoo gun a couple of months ago and did her first one on herself.

Since then the Humboldt State alumna and artist has been tattooing friends for a much smaller fee than a professional parlor.

“People have been asking me for tattoos for years,” Emi said. “I didn’t want to give people shitty tattoos.”

While studying art at HSU, Emi lived with another tattoo artist who taught her most of what she knows. Though she has only been tattooing for a short time, you wouldn’t be able to tell from her work.

Though it is easy to get a cheap tattoo gun online, Emi knows that getting a tattoo is a big commitment and doesn’t want to use cheap supplies. Just one basic component of her machine cost her $250. She also takes very careful steps to ensure everything is clean and sanitized to prevent infections.

Tattoos used to be reserved for sideshows, sailors and punks, but now it seems like everybody has one. Modern tattoo shops have been around since the 1960s.

In recent years, it has become much easier for an unlicensed person to buy a tattoo gun. You can buy a kit on Amazon for as low as $20. Because of this, there are many people buying kits and setting up impromptu tattooing stations in their home.

Madison has around 13 tattoos and has no issue with getting them from her friends because she knows that even though they are unlicensed, she is familiar with their work and is confident knowing what they are doing. In fact, she prefers getting them from her friends because it strengthens their friendship.

“Pretty much every single one of them was done by a friend except for the ones done by me,” Madison said.

The biggest concern with tattoos done in the home is safety and precision. Professional tattoo artists need to have a license in California to legally tattoo someone. This is because of the health risks that come with repeatedly puncturing somebody’s skin with a needle.

Some of these risks include infection, allergic reaction to the ink, or the spread of blood borne diseases such as HIV or hepatitis. That is why it is important for everything to be cleaned and sanitized.

Brian Kaneko is the owner of True Nature Tattoo in Arcata and has been a professional tattoo artist for 20 years. All of the tattoos he has he got in a shop, and he has never tattooed anyone outside of one. However, Kaneko does understand the appeal. Tattoos are rooted in counterculture, and getting them done in the home by a friend feeds into that idea.

“In general, young people are less concerned with repercussions” Kaneko said.

Kaneko also compared getting a tattoo in someone’s house to unprotected sex. It’s more fun and often times you’ll be fine, but the possible repercussions if something goes wrong are not worth it.

“You don’t have to be a carpenter to build furniture in your garage,” Kaneko said “but if you don’t know what you’re doing, you can really mess someone up.”

Update 9/13: The last name of Madison has been removed upon request. Contact us for more information.