The HSU bookstore has moved! It is now located at the former Tri-counties Bank on the corner of 8th and G street in the Arcata Plaza. The store is under renovation, but plans to have a soft opening near the end of the year and a grand opening during the spring semester of 2022. The benefits of the bookstore relocating would be for the student who grew up in urban cities to feel more comfortable and to have a more thriving community, whether financially and socially. Another few great benefits will be job opportunities, local high schools, College of the Redwoods, and other vendors will be selling merchandise/gear at the new storefront.
“The new bookstore will have a small coffee and tea lounge for customers to enjoy while shopping. It will also provide easy access to parking for shoppers, especially tourists, prospective students, and families visiting from out of the area.” As stated on the Humboldt State Now page.
So what happens to the old location? It will be changed into a “lounge space, activities, and entertainment. [Upon student request ] the bookstore will maintain its current warehouse space on campus for receiving and picking up textbooks, along with handling textbook rentals, and the university is exploring delivering textbooks to students in residence halls. The College Creek Marketplace on campus will continue to sell HSU Bookstore items in the store and expand upon the current selection.” As written on the Humboldt State Now page.
Amber H., a former HSU student, said, “When I was a freshman in college, I remember every time I walked off of campus alone, I instantly was lost and felt completely out of place. Being from a really urban and diverse community, Humboldt was very foreign to me, as I would expect the new students from similar backgrounds to feel.”
HSU’s campus within its own, is its own community. As soon as you step off that campus and into the official City of Arcata you will instantly feel like a fish out of water, especially if you are a person of color. As of this year, Arcata’s population is 18,801 people, and 74.95% of that population being white Americans, 4.08% Asian, 2.62% Black or African American, and only 2.16% Native American. So just imagine the culture shock one would feel walking through the streets of Arcata with $200 dollars worth of books in your hand.
The relocation has a plus side and a negative side. One being all the great benefits listed above. Job opportunities, getting to know the community, and the community itself working together to become financially stable. The downside would be the safety of all students and racial prejudice in the community as well. There is quite sometime before the grand opening so hopefully, more information will be provided soon.
