The Lumberjack



Students Serving The Cal Poly Humboldt Campus and Community Since 1929

Category: Life & Arts

  • 5 Dystopian Films to Watch Now That You Now Live in One

    5 Dystopian Films to Watch Now That You Now Live in One

    Lock yourself indoors and pretend these films are strictly fiction

    With a deplorable excuse of a federal administration lying through their teeth about having the situation under control, it’s starting to feel like the world is descending into the plot of an apocalyptic or dystopian film. Fortunately, there are quite a few films to compare with the current state of the world.

    1. Equilibrium (2002)

    • Equilibrium (2002). | Image courtesy of Miramax

    “Equilibrium” is a brilliant 2002 futuristic thriller starring Christian Bale in a fascist police state mandates daily medication that eliminates all feelings. “Sense offenders” that refuse their medication are rounded up and disposed of in ovens, and books and other forms of media that might inspire emotion are burned. Subtlety is not this film’s forte, but that’s to be expected when it also boasts brilliantly-staged action sequences where Christian Bale uses his guns as all-purpose weapons. It’s “The Giver” meets “1984” meets “The Matrix.” The fighting style is referred to as “gun-kata,” and its efficiency and balance reflects the tightness of the film’s storytelling.

    2. Snowpiercer (2013)

    • Snowpiercer (2013). | Photo courtesy of RADiUS/TWC

    Did you like Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar-winning “Parasite” from 2019? If so, you might enjoy one of his previous masterpieces. In “Snowpiercer,” Earth is in the midst of a new ice age, leaving humanity to survive within the confines of a train that runs on a perpetual track. The train spins its wheels around the icy remains of the former metropolitan homes of the billionaires responsible for the crisis in the first place. An extreme contrast in quality of life lingers on the train, which continues to spin its wheels until a rebellion begins. “Snowpiercer” is another brilliant deconstruction of the class divide and inequity that reminds us that we all live in a capitalist country.

    3. Looper (2012)

    • Looper (2012). | Photo courtesy of Alan Markfield, Looper, LLC

    From Rian Johnson, director of the best Star Wars film, comes an exciting thriller in which time travel is possible, but outlawed. Gangsters send victims back in time to be killed by a hit man until he becomes the target. Unlike most time travel films, this one accepts and plays around with many of the potential paradoxes of time travel and stages scenes only possible in films with time travel. It takes great advantage of the strengths of its cast, as all Rian Johnson films do, and is a whole lot of fun, as all Rian Johnson films are. All of them.

    4. Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017)

    • Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017). | Photo by Giles Keyte, courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

    OK, this one takes place at the time that it was made, and isn’t particularly dystopian, but to be fair, it’s about a group of rich vigilantes, who already killed the entire Obama administration in the previous “Kingsman” film, “The Secret Service.” Thus, they are indirectly responsible for the Trump presidency, which is a major part of the plot of this film. Now investigating a foreign cartel with a monopoly on drug trade, they discover the cartel’s plan to poison cannabis users and hold the planet hostage so that drugs will be legalized. In the real world, this would just mean that Big Pharma takes a huge share of the market and kills their business. But in the Kingsman world, it means a healthy helping of flashy action helped out by an Elton John appearance.

    5. Planet of the Apes (1968)

    • Planet of the Apes (1968). | Image courtesy of 20th Century Fox

    Before the Andy Serkis trilogy and the underwhelming Tim Burton effort was the original 1968 classic, “Planet of the Apes.” It watches more as an extended “Twilight Zone” episode than a futuristic adventure film, and it is superbly well-crafted, with intricate and detailed sets. The chemistry between the humans and the apes is a wonderful tone balancing act that offers plenty of ideas on race relations. And its brilliant twist ending goes down as an all-time classic.

  • Dr. Asao Inoue Looks to Lead Academic Revolution

    Dr. Asao Inoue Looks to Lead Academic Revolution

    Inoue confronts the supremacist ideas within American academia

    From unkind flyers to nasty messages written on bathroom walls, Humboldt State University has dealt with its fair share of acts of hatred and racism.

    Asao B. Inoue, a professor and associate dean at Arizona State University, studies student writing assessment, race and racism. In a Social Justice Summit talk and an exclusive interview with The Lumberjack, Inoue pondered how a university can be anti-racist and address white supremacy.

    “I was asked to come here and give a talk at a workshop, and I love doing that—it feels like an important part of the public work that I do in the academy,” Inoue said. “I help teachers think about ways to do social justice projects in their class, particularly around literacy classrooms and the grading evaluation and feedback of student literacy projects or writing.”

    Inoue’s objective is to change the ways professors think about language and white language supremacy, and to start a revolution within the American grading system.

    “My scholarship and research is in writing assessment and racism studies and the intersection of those two things,” Inoue said. “This [workshop] is an extension of that by trying to engage with writing faculty, English faculty and the curriculum.”

    Inoue described white supremacy as a condition in which a particular group’s dialogue dominates others.

    Inoue said white supremacists are often middle to upper-class people from the East Coast that attended an elite school. Inoue said these conditions collectively make up the identities of white supremacist perpetrators.

    “It’s rarely, if ever, anybody else but that group of people from their particular material conditions in life that produce a certain language, which we tend to call standard or proper English,” Inoue said.

    Inoue called out academia for actively perpetuating racist standards. He said the American grading system reaffirms racist ideals and practices through assigned curriculum.

    Inoue said proper English can be especially problematic in academic settings.

    “There’s lots of research that shows that we don’t actually agree about what that standard looks like,” Inoue said. “But I’m talking about when the rubber meets the road and you have to grade a paper based off of this, or decide whether something is consumable for the public. That’s where we start to have a lot of disagreements.”

    Inoue called out academia for actively perpetuating racist standards. He said the American grading system reaffirms racist ideals and practices through assigned curriculum.

    “I don’t want one to confuse me calling the system racist, with me calling people racist,” Inoue said. “[Professors] are thinking about the disciplines they have to teach and they’re not always thinking about, ‘How do I teach this?’”

    One of the structural flaws within the educational system that Inoue noted was that professors fail to question the academic system and how it reaffirms practices of white language supremacy.

    “It’s difficult to be critical of a system that has really benefited you,” Inoue said. “It seems like everything is working.”

    Inoue said the façade of the education system being equally supportive can be convincing enough that people don’t see the flaws. Inoue said many professors inherit the practices that were inflicted upon them, and because those practices worked for them, they assume they work for others.

    “It’s a fairly narrow economic and social bandwidth of people, so that means that all those practices are fairly narrow and the language practices are fairly narrow,” Inoue said. “So it doesn’t really leave a lot of room for considering differences or changes or being critical about those things.”

  • Indigenous Environmentalists Connect Environment and People

    Indigenous Environmentalists Connect Environment and People

    Campus discussion touches on importance of traditional knowledge

    Students, faculty, friends and family packed the Native American Forum March 5 to listen to author Kari Norgaard and Karuk environmentalist Ron Reed discuss Norgaard’s most recent book, “Salmon and Acorns Feed our People: Colonialism, Nature, and Social Action.”

    Before the speakers began, Cutcha Risling Baldy, assistant professor of Native American studies, announced the NAS department’s 25th anniversary at Humboldt State University.

    An introduction followed, led by Reed’s son, Charlie. Charlie Reed, a recent alumni from HSU’s NAS program, has continued as an environmentalist to help battle climate change. Before the talk began, Reed said it was important to give proper acknowledgement to the lands of Indigenous peoples. HSU sits on ancestral Wiyot land, and recognizing the land’s history is of utmost importance.

    “There is a symbiotic relationship between our environment and our people.”

    Charlie Reed

    “Whether you are a faculty member or student or just a community member, it starts with a conversation,” Charlie Reed said. “You never know who is in the room who has something to offer or give back the things that have been taken from Indigenous people.”

    Growing up with his father, Reed learned about his culture and the traditional ceremonies that tied in not just physically, but spiritually with the environment.

    “There is a symbiotic relationship between our environment and our people,” Charlie Reed said.

    With a warm thank you to the Reed family and the community, the floor was given to author Norgaard and Ron Reed. Reed introduced himself and what he learned as a child. Reed said learning the traditional ways of his people at a young age taught him how to sustain the environment.

    “That’s where it all begins, ladies and gentlemen, when you have the ability to be taught things that you don’t even know you’re being taught,” Ron Reed said. “That will stay with you the rest of your life.”

    In one of Norgaard’s chapters, she mentions an Indigenous tradition of using fire to cleanse or manage the land. Western science has given us the narrative that fire is dangerous and destructive. Thanks to “Smokey the Bear” and other forms of wildfire prevention advertisements, fire is seen as something to fear.

    Even though fire can be seen as scary, Norgaard argued it’s also a way to help manage landscapes by getting rid of invasive species and even enhancing plant growth. Indigenous peoples used fire to help the environments they lived on, not to destroy or cause damage. Reed stressed the importance of bringing that narrative to our attention.

    “We’re trying to get back to an intact world. Climate change can be a vehicle for that because of the awareness it brings to so many.”

    Kari Norgaard

    “We Native Americans—we the family—cannot let that narrative go,” Ron Reed said. “I don’t need some lone ranger to tell me the way. I know the way.”

    With Indigenous knowledge and science being pushed to the side when it comes to environmental issues, Norgaard said settler colonialism is still causing misinformation about the knowledge base of Indigenous peoples. Norgaard said this is changing.

    “Indigenous concepts and ideas have been making their way into academic spaces,” Norgaard said.

    Climate change is perhaps the most pressing modern issue, but Norgaard and Ron Reed agreed it would help bring more awareness in our communities.

    “We’re trying to get back to an intact world,” Norgaard said. “Climate change can be a vehicle for that because of the awareness it brings to so many.”

    The consensus of the talk was that combining Indigenous knowledge with western science can change the way we view the world as well as how we take care of it. Coming together and working with each other on both sides of science can also help combat climate change. From the ways of the rivers to the fires of the forests, Indigenous knowledge can teach us more about our world.

    “We need all the community on the river, but don’t forget us,” Ron Reed said. “Don’t forget the first people on this nation, on this ground that has created the environment that we’re trying to reestablish in this world today.”

  • Mia Mingus Advocates for Accountability

    Mia Mingus Advocates for Accountability

    Personal accountability paves way for future of transformative justice

    Writer, educator and community organizer for disability and transformative justice Mia Mingus attended Humboldt State University March 6 as the keynote speaker for the Social Justice Summit. As a queer, physically disabled, Korean, transracial, transnational adoptee, Mingus faces adversity in all major facets of life and advocates for dignity and the end of violence, harm and abuse.

    Mingus took the stage for an hour, discussing everyday transformative justice and how to achieve transformative justice on a societal level. Transformative justice is about finding alternative solutions to violence, harm and abuse outside of our punitive system.

    “The system that we have is so based in, ‘You’re a bad person, so bad things deserve to happen to you,’” Mingus said. “Rather than, ‘We are all human, and human beings make mistakes, and we are all flawed, and we are all living in incredibly violent conditions.’”

    “If you’re not proactively building accountable relationships in your life, you’re proactively building an unaccountable life.”

    Mia Mingus

    Instead of focusing on big picture questions, like what will replace our current system and how to end violence, Mingus insisted to focus on the ways that transformative justice can improve our own lives, and in return, impact the world.

    “We can start small, because it’s just like building a muscle,” Mingus said. “You don’t go into the gym and start bench pressing 400 pounds immediately, or if you do, you’re gonna get really hurt.”

    Mingus walked the audience through her four steps of accountability.

    “If you’re not proactively building accountable relationships in your life, you’re proactively building an unaccountable life,” Mingus said.

    “It doesn’t matter how good of an apology you gave or how well you repaired the relationship. If you keep doing the harm, what does it matter?”

    Mia Mingus

    For the first step of accountability, Mingus said we must possess self-reflection, without which you can’t achieve any transformative justice.

    Second, we must be capable of genuine apology, demonstrating our remorse and understanding of our improper actions.

    Third, we must be willing to repair and mend broken relationships and earn back trust.

    Finally, we must change our behavior.

    “It doesn’t matter how good of an apology you gave or how well you repaired the relationship,” Mingus said. “If you keep doing the harm, what does it matter?”

    Transformative justice operates under the belief that acts of violence are deeply connected to the conditions that helped create and perpetuate those incidences of violence.

    “That violence doesn’t happen in a vacuum,” Mingus said. “They are connected to the conditions that we live in, and we all participate in creating those conditions, and we all have a collective responsibility for ending violence, harm and abuse.”

    “It’s not enough just to change the systems that we’re up against. We also have to change ourselves, and I really appreciate that.”

    Mia Mingus

    As a society, Mingus said we need to practice preventative actions, rather than respond with punishment.

    “When we publicly shame people, or when we shame and blame people in general, it doesn’t actually get the violence to stop,” Mingus said. “It usually just teaches people how to hide the violence or harm better. It doesn’t actually make the kind of deep fundamental change that we actually want.”

    After her lecture, Mingus elaborated on fundamental change in an exclusive interview with The Lumberjack.

    “It’s not enough just to change the systems that we’re up against. We also have to change ourselves, and I really appreciate that,” Mingus said. “And vice versa, you know, it’s not enough just to change yourself. You have to also help change the world too because I think that’s where the magic lives.”

    Mingus said transformative justice focuses on the fundamental improvements that must be made along the way.

    “We’re working on a micro level but we’re doing it with a macro perspective because we’re actually trying to interrupt generational cycles of violence and harm,” Mingus said. “That’s the goal.”

    Mingus gave a final piece of advice for helping with world progression.

    “Learn as much as you can, give as much as you can,” Mingus said. “But like, generally, just start from where you are, with what you have, and don’t get overwhelmed by trying to change the whole world.”

  • Vegan Cannabis-Infused Brownie Recipe

    Vegan Cannabis-Infused Brownie Recipe

    Learn how to bake and get baked

    This cannabis-infused brownie recipe uses coconut oil as a butter substitution and base for a vegan cannabis butter.

    • Photo by Rachel Marty

    Coconut oil is a great replacement for butter and absorbs cannabinoids in the same manner.

    The first step is to make the “cannabutter.”

    Depending on how much marijuana you use, your brownies can have a higher or lower dosage of THC. When making cannabis-infused products, always be cautious of your dosage and measurements.

    Start by decarboxylating the marijuana.

    • Photo by Rachel Marty

    The decarboxylation process is simple: spread marijuana out on a tray and place it in an oven preheated to 245 degrees for 30 minutes.

    • Photo by Rachel Marty
    • Photo by Rachel Marty

    This is an essential step. Decarboxylation heats up the cannabis flower and allows the body to absorb the cannabinoids, essentially activating the cannabis. This process happens instantly when marijuana is smoked, but when making edibles it must happen slowly to preserve the product and not burn it.

    The next and longest step is to infuse the coconut oil with the decarboxylated marijuana.

    Throw the coconut oil and decarboxylated marijuana in a sauce pan and let it simmer on the lowest heat setting for three hours.

    • Photo by Rachel Marty
    • Photo by Rachel Marty

    Heat on the lowest heat setting ensures your oil will be fully infused and that the baked marijuana will not burn.

    Don’t leave the house or kitchen when you are infusing your oil. Three hours is a long time, but leaving your stove unattended is dangerous and could potentially start a fire.

    After three hours your coconut oil will no longer be clear and will have a deep green color to it.

    • Photo by Rachel Marty

    The next step is to separate the cannabis-infused oil from the actual cannabis. To do this, use a cheesecloth.

    • Photo by Rachel Marty

    A regular strainer’s holes are too big and will leave you with little bits of marijuana in your oil. Using cheesecloth on top of a strainer is the best course of action and will ensure your oil is as pure as possible.

    • Photo by Rachel Marty

    Next, measure out however much oil you need for your brownie recipe.

    • Photo by Rachel Marty

    It’s important that the coconut oil does not sit out for too long or the oil will become dense and harder to incorporate into the mix. No worries if your oil does set up. Just reheat it.

    As for eggs, almost every brownie recipe out there calls for them, but just like butter, there are some great substitutes you can use. Applesauce is a good substitute, which is what this recipe uses, but you can also use mashed-up bananas or yogurt.

    • Photo by Rachel Marty

    Finally, mix all of your ingredients together, pour it out into a pan and put it into the oven.

    • Photo by Rachel Marty

    When your brownies come out of the oven, they may look soft or even underdone, but let them rest in a cool space for 10-15 minutes and they will set. Fresh out of the oven, the coconut oil will be very apparent on the top of the brownies and make them look oily, but as they cool the oil will absorb and become denser.

    • Photo by Rachel Marty

    Again, be careful of your dosage when consuming any cannabis-infused product.

  • New Details for Animal Crossing: New Horizons

    New Details for Animal Crossing: New Horizons

    The hype is real for the new Animal Crossing game after their recent presentation

    The first console Animal Crossing game since 2015 is less than a month away from its March 20 release date. Nintendo just announced a list of new features for the upcoming Animal Crossing: New Horizons for the Nintendo Switch.

    Animal Crossing is a series that puts you in control of a small town filled with anthropomorphic animal villagers. In this edition, you have bought the Deserted Island package, which gives you an island to build your town on. Despite being put into debt immediately by Tom Nook, the owner of the company that you bought the package from, there is no need to pay back the loan. There is no time limit or interest—pay it back whenever.

    That’s one of the main draws of the series. There is no push to play it one way or the other. Whether you want to spend your days fishing or collecting fossils, or just decorating your home, the game will never push you. You’re free to play at your own pace and relax with the other villagers that populate your town.

    On Feb. 20, Nintendo aired Animal Crossing: New Horizons Direct. The press conference, given by Tom Nook, the series’ resident loan shark, was broken up into three parts. It gave a refresher of what had been shared before along with new developments that will appear in future updates to the game. It ended with a FAQ section.

    The main addition this iteration of the peaceful life simulator brings is customization.

    When you’re first put into the game, you’re told to choose from four different island layouts for your town and to choose your hemisphere. This will help accurately portray which seasons are happening in your town at their specific times. You’ll also be able to terraform your island so you aren’t limited to the exact layout you choose at the start for the whole game. You can add hills and create new rivers and waterfalls. The island will be truly yours.

    Another big addition is the ability to determine where villagers move in. In past games, villagers just moved in where they saw fit, even if it was on your flower bed or on top of your favorite apple tree. This time you get to map out exactly where villagers move in and shape your town around that.

    The game now allows eight people to live on your island at the same time—not just non-playable villagers, but your friends and family. The game even adds four-player co-op, where you and three friends can explore your island together on the same console.

    Later updates to the game will be for holidays. The first announced update, for Bunny Day in April, will be released the same time as the game, March 20.

  • Navigating the Pressures of the First-Generation Student Experience

    Navigating the Pressures of the First-Generation Student Experience

    First-generation students must look outside family for support

    Usually, students talk with parents, siblings or friends who have attended college in the past to gather information and paint a picture about college classes, professors and the overall college experience. For first-generation students like myself, that’s not an option.

    Being a first-generation student means you are the first person in your family to go to college. Your family members have no prior knowledge about college, the application and selection process, or what’s going to happen in the months prior to attending.

    First-generation students feel the pressure of learning to balance living on your own, being successful in college and working a job all at the same time. For Destiny Aguilera, a second-year theatre major, the help they needed was provided by a high school instructor.

    College is a time of self discovery.

    “My greatest struggle has definitely been finding myself,” Aguilera said. “College is a time for learning, experimenting and growing as a person. As a first-generation student, it is also a time to work multiple jobs and try to support oneself as best as possible, with as little help from family as they can provide.”

    The pressure to be successful and independent to avoid burdening parents financially heightens the expectations of the college experience.

    “Having that pressure of taking care of oneself added to the mix makes it difficult to take time to breathe and learn more about who I am and who I want to be,” Aguilera said. “That being said, it’s not impossible. Just within recent months I’ve been able to discover that I identify as nonbinary and use they/them pronouns. I have college and allies to thank for that.”

    College is a time of self discovery.

    Natyvidad Landeros, a third-year biology major, got help with applying to colleges through a high school class created to help students prepare for college.

    “I took it junior and senior year,” Landeros said. “They helped me with the process of applying. If it wasn’t for them I don’t know if I would have got into college.”

    Javier Hernandez, a political science major at HSU, also prioritized resources outside his family to pick the school that fit his needs.

    “I joined these college programs which helped other first-generation students like me to guide me through the process,” Hernandez said. “To take me to other college campuses and learn about the recruitment process and all the details that I needed to know applying to colleges.”

    College is a time of change and immense amount of pressure. This pre-college experience is only heightened for first-generation students who have to navigate blindly and on their own. High school classes or staff, friends and independent interests can be helpful guides.

  • Ross Discusses Evolution of Racism in College

    Ross Discusses Evolution of Racism in College

    Bestselling author Lawrence Ross calls for more than just black best friends

    The two-hour lecture started with Lawrence Ross giving his own rendition of a song centered on the N-word, originally sung by two University of Oklahoma students on a bus in 2015. The song served as an example for the hundreds of activities at universities that continue to perpetuate racism.

    Ross has visited several college campuses to give his lecture on campus racism and how it takes different forms. His book, “Blackballed: The Black and White Politics of Race on America’s Campuses,” is meant to address the history of racism at colleges in the United States and to educate its readers on how to best combat it.

    Ross’s book was published in 2015, when incidents of hate crimes, vandalism and enforcement of outdated values in educational institutions began rising in alarming numbers. The most infamous instance in recent years was when nooses were found in trees on the American University campus in Washington D.C. and racial slurs were found written on a dormitory door at Cabrini University.

    Ross centered his discussion on stories of blackface, nooses placed in trees and songs prominently featuring the derogatory N-word, which helped convey how widespread a problem it’s become.

    In research for his book, Ross identified the lack of proactivity on the part of college administrations as one of the ways campuses are complicit in racism.

    “Campus racism incidents are happening on a regular base. For colleges and universities before you can be healthy, the first step is to recognize that you’re sick.”

    Lawrence Ross

    “A lot of the time, it’s the institution not knowing what to do,” Ross said in an exclusive interview with The Lumberjack. “So the easiest thing to do is to deal with the PR slam, wait for the four-year cohort of students to leave and then it’ll be alright. And then you’ll have another four years, do the same thing and something else will erupt.”

    One of the major points in Ross’s lecture is how racism on college campuses isn’t limited to any specific areas of the country or to any parts of a school year. It happens everywhere.

    “Campus racism incidents are happening on a regular base,” Ross said. “For colleges and universities before you can be healthy, the first step is to recognize that you’re sick.”

    Ross explained how schools are more likely to try to minimize racist incidents and avoid bad press than they are to directly acknowledge its existence. As Ross pointed out, this procedure leads students to believe that their concerns aren’t heard and aren’t recognized. This manifests into praying for change without acting and trying to individualize systemic problems.

    Ross placed responsibility on college administration to think critically about race relations and to communicate with students to achieve progress in cultivating an environment of discussion.

    “Come onto campus and recognize everyone,” Ross said. “Then be able to think beyond your own sense of who you are. Pray on it, but at the same time, work on it.”

    In the last five years since the book was published, Ross said over 300 campus protests against racism have occurred in the U.S. Ross believes this goes beyond exercising free speech and serves as proof that students expressing racist views do not face repercussions.

  • Final Fantasy Music Rendition Fills Fulkerson

    Final Fantasy Music Rendition Fills Fulkerson

    Pianist Ryan McGaughey performs fan-favorite tunes from Final Fantasy VII

    In the intimate waiting area of Fulkerson Recital Hall, long-time fans of the Final Fantasy games and their parents or children milled around Feb. 21 waiting to hear piano renditions of the iconic music of “Final Fantasy VII” performed by pianist Ryan McGaughey. The game’s original music was written by Nobuo Uematsu, but the particular arrangements for piano were written by Shiro Hamaguchi.

    Mark Castro, an archaeologist for the Cultural Research Center at Humboldt State University, made a habit of attending orchestral concerts at Sonoma State University while he was working on his master’s degree. Castro said he hadn’t played Final Fantasy VII since high school, but he was excited to go to the concert and reminisce on forgotten songs.

    “Those are always the ones I gravitate towards,” Castro said. “The ones with a story.”

    Ushers collected raffle tickets for a giveaway of the new Final Fantasy VII remake set to come out in April. As everyone found their seats, the lights dimmed and silence fell upon the room like a blanket.

    “It’s like watching a really good film or reading a really good book, but you’re actually able to interact in it.”

    Ryan McGaughey

    McGaughey took the stage and dove into the familiar runs of “Prelude,” a song that begins almost every Final Fantasy game. A projector screen beside his piano ran through a compilation of footage from the Final Fantasy games as well as the 2005 animated movie.

    The projector depicted a depressing, industrialized world with pollution and machinery as the piano fluttered along with the hopeful brightness of “Prelude.” “Main Theme” was a more intense, swelling piece accented by intense battle sequences between vigilantes and armed guards of this alternative future city.

    In between songs, McGaughey took to the microphone with a charming, slight stutter, thanking everyone for coming out to see him perform. Using an online survey he created and his own powerpoint slides, he had audience members participate in a contest that mirrored the game’s turn-based combat system.

    McGaughey brought the event to a close with a fan-favorite, “One Winged Angel,” a song accompanied by a battle with the main antagonist played at the end of Final Fantasy VII. It is a technical, epic and anxiety-inducing battle march with twinkling runs interspersed throughout.

    In an exclusive interview with The Lumberjack, McGaughey talked about why he enjoys playing video games and their music.

    “It’s like watching a really good film or reading a really good book, but you’re actually able to interact in it,” McGaughey said.

    Before he left the stage, McGaughey picked out a winner of the raffle for the Final Fantasy VII remake.

    Psalms Palmer, a music major at HSU and longtime fan of the Final Fantasy games, won. She remembered loving the music from the moment she heard it. Throughout the performance, Palmer reflected on playing the game with her sisters when she was a kid.

    “If you can tell the story through music,” Palmer said, “you don’t have to do anything else.”

  • Polish Professor Melds Magic and Music

    Polish Professor Melds Magic and Music

    A dream of illusions and piano prowess with Igor Lapinski

    I know a little about magic. And by the end of Polish pianist and magician Igor Lapinski’s Feb. 22 show, I knew I had witnessed something good.

    “Your free will,” Lapinski said in an almost-cliché line that sounded much more convincing with his Polish accent and navy suit, “is just an illusion. A dream.”

    He then pulled a signed dollar bill out of an unopened kiwi.

    Lapinski interlaced illusions with piano pieces by Frédéric François Chopin, the Polish composer. Lapinski, originally from Poland, teaches as an assistant music professor at the University of Oklahoma.

    “He’s going to do something I think we haven’t seen in Humboldt,” music Professor Daniela Mineva and former teacher of Lapinski said before he took the stage. “I’ve been waiting 18 years to bring him here.”

    Hands, he said, are capable of both the sublime and the violent.

    The crowd of mostly older locals sat in a semicircle on the Fulkerson Recital Hall stage around Lapinski and his piano. Rather than have the crowd sit in the hall seats, Lapinski had chairs arranged around him for an intimate experience.

    Lapinski fluctuated between musical pieces of chaos and pieces of order. He rapped on “a haunting desire to belong.” In a three card monte-style routine with red solo cups and a single metal spike, he noted the opposing potentials within people.

    Hands, he said, are capable of both the sublime and the violent.

    He then shrugged off the thought and smashed his and an audience member’s hands down onto the cups in a game of Russian roulette.

    Multiple effects relied on the appearance and disappearance of letters—mostly written by Lapinski, with one supposedly written by his mother. The letters framed the performance in the idea of belonging, as Lapinski brought the audience along on an imaginary plane ride and read letters from home.

    I have to confess, because I know a bit about magic, I’m not a good judge of it. I spent about two of my teenage years learning magic tricks. I know the basics, and I can recognize standard sleight-of-hand moves.

    I’m no longer what magicians call a layperson. Even when I don’t know exactly how a trick is performed, it’s conceivable. It’s rare for me to see something inexplicable. But it does happen.

    • Piano-playing magician Igor Lapinski performing his routine in the Fulkerson Recital Hall at Humboldt State University Feb. 22. Lapinski combined sporadic piano playing with audience-involved illusions. | Photo by James Wilde

    Any attendee of Lapinski’s show can expect to exit with a smile on their face, or at least, a warm feeling in their mind. I can deduce how Lapinski performed his effects—but several of them I can only grasp loosely. For a layperson, his performance may be miraculous, not just puzzling.

    Magicians ultimately seek to produce miracles. The central argument of “Designing Miracles,” a well-regarded book by magician Darwin Ortiz, is that a magician should seek to produce an effect that doesn’t make the audience ask, “How do they do it?” Instead, the goal is, “How is that possible?”

    It’s slight, but this marks the difference between a trick and a miracle. A trick is a matter of deception that can be explained by a magician’s actions. A miracle is just that: pure magic that a magician merely facilitated. In the ideal, the performance transcends trickery and becomes magic.

    In the moments after Lapinski’s show, the audience agreed on his excellence.

    “He’s totally amazing,” a woman behind me said.

    “He’s a delight,” Mineva, the professor, said.

    “He’s hilarious,” a man beside me said. “He’s great.”

    At the very least, you can escape into a dream for just over 60 minutes. Lapinski finished with one last letter and one last piece by Chopin.

    “And so with this piece,” he said, “I wish you all a good night.”

    The night, indeed, was good.

  • “My Neighbor Totoro” at The Minor Theatre

    “My Neighbor Totoro” at The Minor Theatre

    View the magical world of Studio Ghibli animation with special showtimes at The Minor Theatre

    Jump back into the animated world of “My Neighbor Totoro” at The Minor Theatre from Feb. 28 to March 5.

    Hayao Miyazaki is a creator, animator, screenwriter, director and co-founder of Studio Ghibli. He is considered one of the most accomplished filmmakers in anime film and is an acclaimed storyteller through his films. Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli have given us classics such as “Spirited Away,” “Princess Mononoke,” “Kiki’s Delivery Service” and of course, “My Neighbor Totoro.”

    This 1988 masterpiece follows two young girls, Satsuki and her younger sister, Mei. The two arrive at a new house with their father as they wait for their mother’s recovery from an illness at a nearby hospital. Upon their arrival, the two girls find themselves befriending some unusual creatures from the forest, one being a huge, cuddly beast named Totoro.

    The Minor has select showtimes to watch in Japanese with English subtitles from March 2 to March 4 at 8:45 p.m. The rest of the showings will be in English. Ticket prices are $8 before 5 p.m. and $9.50 after 5 p.m. Those with a valid student I.D. can also purchase tickets for $8 for any show after 5 p.m.

  • Kirby Moss Illustrates the Significance of Black Joy

    Kirby Moss Illustrates the Significance of Black Joy

    Journalist and Professor Kirby Moss, Ph.D, presents new book on Black joy

    Editor’s note: Kirby Moss is a professor in the journalism and mass communication department. Moss has taught and currently teaches members of the editorial staff of The Lumberjack. The author of this article is a journalism student, but has not had any classes with Moss.

    Kirby Moss, a mass communication professor at Humboldt State University, held a talk on campus about black joy Feb. 20, a topic he is currently researching for his new book, “Black Joy.”

    Moss’s first book, “The Color of Class,” discussed the paradox of privilege and talked about race and class in ways that aren’t often discussed. The assumption that white privilege comes along with the absence of poverty is a significant topic in his book.

    “It’s so much more than overcoming a group of oppressors or getting past what they’ve categorized us as. It’s overcoming stuff within ourselves and being able to appreciate moments of joy and share those moments of joy.”

    Toni Maggi-Brown

    “We don’t normally associate poverty with whiteness,” Moss said. “We don’t normally associate joy with Blackness.”

    In his new book, Moss rejects the assumption that Blackness consists of unhappiness and tragedy.

    Toni Maggi-Brown, an HSU student who attended the discussion, supported Moss’s emphasis in liberating the narrative that surrounds Black culture.

    “It’s so much more than overcoming a group of oppressors or getting past what they’ve categorized us as,” Maggi-Brown said. “It’s overcoming stuff within ourselves and being able to appreciate moments of joy and share those moments of joy.”

    Moss acknowledged the struggles in his life, but argued that ultimately it’s been full of joy.

    “I’ve had a lot of fun times, joyful times, right in the midst of the hood,” Moss said.

    Moss’ focus is the unacknowledged pleasures of being Black, but he also talked about how his joy is sometimes seen as weakness or is unacceptable by his culture.

    “I ain’t Black enough because I’m talking about joy,” Moss said.

    Moss questioned the way we measure Blackness. With his new book, Moss is attempting to shed light on the joys of Blackness while emphasizing that embracing joy doesn’t make you any less Black.

  • Travel Back in Time in ARCADA

    Travel Back in Time in ARCADA

    ARCADA opens soon for lovers of video games and drinks

    Correction: this story previously implied ARCADA serves liquor. ARCADA only serves beer, cider and wine.

    If you thought Humboldt State University’s parking meters had a strong appetite for your coins, it’s time to put your pocket change to better use, because Humboldt’s first bar arcade is set to open soon.

    The team work of Kristen “P-Nut” Thompson and Amber Saba went above and beyond to create an establishment for arcade fans. Thompson and Saba are well renowned for running local restaurant A Slice of Humboldt Pie, and the next step was to introduce Humboldt’s bar arcade.

    Thompson and Saba have been working on the ARCADA project for some time. They chose 6th and K Street in Arcata for their location.

    “In our minds this project has been in development for five years, but physically we have been working on that building for a year,” Saba said.

    The arcade machines are budget friendly, so there is no need to break the bank trying to finish a level. An urge to break a machine might arise, but that’s the joy of vintage games.

    Arcada held a preview opening Feb. 23 and invited a limited number of people to check out the establishment. Thompson said even though their credit card machines weren’t set up, it helped give off an old school arcade vibe.

    “Due to our credit card processing company we get to pretend that it’s the 80s,” Thompson said. “So we are only accepting cash transactions.”

    The arcade machines are budget friendly, so there is no need to break the bank trying to finish a level. An urge to break a machine might arise, but that’s the joy of vintage games.

    • Kristen Thompson and Amber Saba presenting a welcoming environment for their preview opening of ARCADA Feb 23. | Photo by Alberto Muro
    • A Jurassic Park-themed pinball machine to match the vintage theme of ARCADA. | Photo by Alberto Muro

    When it comes to playing video games, people tend to enjoy the experience by themselves. Saba had those people in mind while developing ARCADA.

    “We have some introverted gaming people in the community who are very excited to have a public hangout space,” Saba said. “Where they don’t necessarily have to talk to someone, or if you go alone you don’t have to sit and be awkward.”

    ARCADA will be open for business Feb. 26 from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m., so don’t be alarmed if you come across heavy traffic from people waiting to get in.

  • Sovereign Bodies Brings Awareness

    Sovereign Bodies Brings Awareness

    Activist creates new database to track violence against Indigenous women

    Accounts of violence and murder toward Indigenous people are lost in history or left unrecorded. This became an even bigger problem for Indigenous women in places occupied by white men, such as mining or gold rush communities.

    The Sovereign Bodies Institute was founded about a year ago by Annita Lucchesi, a Native American and activist. Lucchesi realized the need for a database of violence and murder against Indigenous women after needing one, and it not existing.

    “It really bothered me because at that time in my life, I had just escaped a really abusive relationship that almost killed me,” Lucchesi said. “I also was being trafficked through that relationship, so I had a number of experiences where I almost was one of these missing and murdered Native women, so for me it was really personal and it really bothered me that if that had happened to me there was no guarantee that my story would be used to make sure that doesn’t happen to other women or girls.”

    Four years ago, Lucchesi created her own database for missing and murdered Indigenous women, which eventually became the kickstarter idea for the Sovereign Bodies Institute.

    “Humboldt County is amongst one of the highest counties of missing and murdered Indigenous peoples.”

    Chelsea Miraflor Trillo

    Sovereign Bodies Institute’s website says SBI is a home for generating knowledge of how Indigenous communities are impacted by gender and sexual violence and looking into how they can continue to heal and find freedom from such violence.

    Lucchesi has acquired around 4,000 missing and murdered Indigenous women cases in her database. Lucchesi founded SBI with the help of the Seventh Generation fund, an international organization for Indigenous peoples.

    Chelsea Miraflor Trillo, an Indigenous woman and participant of SBI, received her masters from Humboldt State. Trillo continues to work with SBI and families of missing and murdered Indigenous women to advocate awareness towards these issues.

    “Humboldt County is amongst one of the highest counties of missing and murdered Indigenous peoples,” Trillo said. “Students are usually in the area where community awareness and political action happen.”

    According to Lucchesi, Humboldt and Del Norte County hold a third of missing and murdered Indigenous women in California. Lucchesi said the justice system contributes to missing and murdered Indigenous women and the lack of action taken. Lucchesi said Indigenous women are considered non-human, and the justice system refuses to hold non-Native perpetrators responsible.

    Tammy Carpenter is a member of the SBI organization and an HSU alumna. Carpenter was subjected to the mistreatment of Indigenous people personally.

    “I, myself, am a mother of a victim that was murdered,” Carpenter said. “It’s still unsolved as of today, so I like to support the organization for the awareness for all women. Not just Indigenous women. All women.”

  • Student-Run Radio Programs are Back on Air

    Student-Run Radio Programs are Back on Air

    Jam out to your local, community neighbors

    Editor’s note: members of the editorial staff of The Lumberjack are part of and have been part of KRFH. The author of this article had no previous affiliation with KRFH.

    Following winter break, KRFH has returned with its entirely student-staffed programs, TALX, MIXX and Local LIXX. Each of the programs bring on guests to participate in their show, providing a platform for community members to show off their skills and speak their mind.

    Local LIXX, the longest running program at KRFH, invites local artists to display their talent live on the radio.

    Co-Manager of LIXX, Michael Freire first became part of the program in 2017.

    “It’s like a really, really cool special thing to have a fully student-run radio station that is promoting a local music scene in a town that has a surprising number of good musicians per capita,” Freire said.

    One of the main focuses at LIXX is to create a diverse program that speaks to all music genres and tastes.

    “One of the few limitations is that I obviously only have a view on the part of the music scene that I’m familiar with,” Freire said. “So I also try to like reach out to as many friends as possible for suggestions of places I can go, ’cause I don’t want to just put one genre of music or one group of friends on the radio.”

    To scout talent for LIXX, Freire attends as many shows as he can, searching for sounds that he feels are a proper fit for the program.

    • LIXX Co-Manager Michael Freire preps the board for the big show. Photo by Dakota Cox
    • Konner Bouyette and Quentin Wall of Quentin Wall of Sound rockin’ out on air.

    Quentin Wall and his band, Quentin Wall of Sound, were the first guests of the spring semester. This was Wall’s second appearance on the program, but his first with the new band.

    “Playing on air is fun,” Wall said. “It’s scary because anything you do, there’s no take-backs. But it’s fun because anyone can listen, and it’s a lot of people that I would never meet.”

    Not to be mistaken for LIXX, the MIXX program currently abides by a first come, first serve policy. This allows the platform to seek out the hungriest, most enthusiastic artists first.

    • Manager of MIXX Alejandro Zepeda does a final for ChopsJunkie before showtime. Photo by Dakota Cox
    • ChopsJunkie hard at work spinning records on the KRFH MIXX program. Photo by Dakota Cox

    MIXX Manager Alejandro Zepeda is currently in his sixth semester with the radio program.

    “It’s really fun to watch the different DJs and their different techniques and how they’re doing it,” Zepeda said. “It’s a really great learning opportunity for myself and anyone else on the MIXX crew if they’re interested in DJing, just because you don’t really get to be this close to the performer usually when you’re out at an event, and you know there’s all sorts of other stuff going on.”

    TALX is the odd man out of the programs. Instead of placing the focus of an entire show on a single guest act, TALX incorporates their guests as part of a larger conversation. Unlike MIXX and LIXX, TALX doesn’t require a guest in order for the show to go on. Instead, students are given direct control of the content they create.

    • Members of TALX discuss the days trending topics. Left to right, Manager Delaney Duarte, & Deserie Carias. Photo by Dakota Cox
    • Members of TALX discuss the days trending topics. Left to right, Paul Hilton & Ayrton Flaherty. Photo by Dakota Cox

    Delaney Duarte is currently in her second semester as manager of the TALX program.

    “When you’re in there you’re gonna meet a bunch of other people, and then you kinda create like this bond with everyone,” Duarte said. “Everyone knows you and it’s like a really good community. I love the radio community a lot here on campus.”

    KRFH is one of the last student-run free-from radio stations. Students are given complete creative control over their content, so long as they conform to Federal Communications Commission regulations. KRFH programs provide an opportunity, not only for community members to showcase their talents, but for students to express, explore and share their identities.

    “There’s just something about being in the booth, something about being in this radio station,” Zepeda said. “It’s calming for me despite all the crazy things that happen, and there’s always something ridiculous happening. It’s my happy place, and I’d like to continue that for other people that need to find something like this in their lives.”

  • Growing Up in the Shadow of Malcolm X

    Growing Up in the Shadow of Malcolm X

    Ilyasah Shabazz discussed her background with loving energy on Feb. 12

    Ilyasah Shabazz, one of six daughters of Betty Shabazz and Malcolm X, came to Humboldt State University Feb. 12 to discuss her book, “Growing Up X.”

    Despite the title, the book is not about Malcolm X. Rather, it surrounds the lessons and experiences that of Shabazz as she grew up living in her father’s radical legacy.

    “One of the benefits of being my parents’ child is that I grew up with a lot of love,” Shabazz said. “It’s really what drives my work because I realized there are a lot of young people who realize they are not worthy of love, or worthy of a quality education, or worthy of all of these things that life is supposed to provide us.”

    Shabazz dedicated her career to sharing the importance behind love and support being provided at a young age.

    In an exclusive interview with The Lumberjack, Shabazz emphasized the importance of love and humanity and the awareness that people are a reflection of one another.

    “In high school, I was at a prep school and not too far down the street was a group home, so we would go and tutor these young people,” Shabazz said. “I was tutoring them in math and then I started realizing that they didn’t have love—that there was no self love.”

    Shabazz dedicated her career to sharing the importance behind love and support being provided at a young age. She began advocating for the younger generation and their educational opportunities.

    “As I got older, I started realizing that it was really important for me that young people understood that they were worthy of love—that they were worthy of a quality education,” Shabazz said. “Because our education curriculum is not inclusive of historical facts, it makes young people feel that they are not worthy.”

    Shabazz felt inspired to write books because she wanted to change how children saw themselves portrayed in history. She specifically wanted to change the narrative of Black history and liberation for children.

    “That’s why I write my books,” Shabazz said. “So that children could open up a book, learn some history—learn good history—and then see a reflection of themselves in the story.”

    Her family’s legacy and the lessons shaped Shabazz into the person she has become today. An activist who has dedicated her life to working and representing the younger generations.

    “It’s about recognizing the humanity in everyone,” Shabazz said. “That we’re all brothers and sisters in the fatherhood or family of God or the creator. That we’re interconnected just because we’re human beings. Just imagine how much better life could be if we didn’t have to fight for someone to stop pressing us or, you know, committing these criminal acts on us and seeing them for as they are.”

  • Hoppin’ Around Humboldt

    Hoppin’ Around Humboldt

    Multiple stops for Humboldt hops

    Craft beer breweries around Humboldt County are on the rise, offering a variety of flavors and experiences from their establishments.

    Here is a brief rundown of the up-and-coming Humboldt Breweries:

    Lost Coast Brewery – Throughout the state, Lost Coast Brewery’s products are on shelves or tapped into kegs at other breweries. Kinetic artist Duane Flatmo is the mastermind behind the unique designs on most of the Lost Coast beverage containers. Flatmo transformed one of his popular works of art, “The Great White,” into a statue which can be seen hanging out and greeting people at the main brewery in Eureka.

    Six Rivers Brewery – Their slogan, “the brew with the view,” speaks volumes to the brewery that sits atop a hill overlooking farmlands and the ocean. Founded in 2008, Talia Machshon Clare and Meredith Maier are leading the operations in what is considered California’s second all-woman-owned brewery. You can catch them and their vibrant attitudes informing the public about their daily deals and upcoming events.

    Mad River Brewery – Tucked away in scenic Blue Lake, Mad River Brewery welcomes all walks of life. On the weekends, the brewery is a popular spot and seating is packed. Parking is a challenge unless you’re a cyclist—many of whom cruise through the area. Mad River Brewery and Eel River Brewing Co. have unique outdoor corridors to enjoy beverages under the Humboldt sky.

    Redwood Curtain Brewery – Redwood Curtain Brewery has two locations in Humboldt. Their first location resides in Arcata, and their second location opened up during the fall of 2018 in Myrtletown. Redwood Curtain has gained a reputation for providing new beverages weekly and challenging patrons to games of shuffleboard.

    They may not have a kitchen, but they have partnered with LoCo Fish Co. to offer plenty of delicious options to pair with your beverage of choice. While their beverages are found only at brewery sites, anyone with a compatible glass growler can take a glass of Redwood Curtain home. They also press a 32-ounce can for convenient enjoyment.

    Eel River Brewing Co. – Eel River Brewing Company throws upcoming beverage releases a week of dedicated events and specials. Located in Fortuna, this brewery was first to introduce Humboldt’s organic beer. During the summer of 2019, Arcata Main Street announced they would not allow the distribution of local craft beers for their annual Oyster Fest. Eel River Brewery partnered up with other Humboldt breweries and threw their own oyster festival. This not only gained support from the community, but drew such a massive crowd that the festival will be thrown again. Eel River Brewing Co. proves that servicing the community is a main priority for craft beer lovers.

    At all of these breweries, charity events known as pints for nonprofits are a weekly occurrence that work with local organizations to raise money for their cause. Pub crawls are usually the talk of the town when it comes to bringing people together to raise money, and when it comes to pints for nonprofit you get to communicate directly with the organization.

    • The Great White at Lost Coast Brewing on Jan. 30. | Photo by Alberto Muro
    • German-style dunkel beer at Redwood Curtain Brewery on Feb. 1. | Photo by Alberto Muro
  • Feelin’ the Funk at International Education Week

    Feelin’ the Funk at International Education Week

    Breaking down the power and importance of global funk music

    A few minutes into his talk on global funk music, local DJ and Humboldt State University Communication Department Chair Maxwell Schnurer stumbled into a definition of funk.

    “If you want my definition of funk, that might be it: revolutionary praxis with a desire to get down,” he said.

    Schnurer’s talk on Feb. 10 flowed quickly. His enthusiasm for the tracks he played trickled into the audience of about 20 students, who nodded and laughed along. But Schnurer later gave a more serious definition.

    “I find global funk to be ethical, significant and real,” he said.

    Alison Holmes, associate professor and the lead of the international studies program at HSU, facilitated the event. Holmes eagerly offered context to the presentation as part of HSU’s 20th Annual International Education Week. Schnurer’s talk was just one of 45 scheduled hours of material that over 1,000 students and staff were expected to attend.

    “It’s a showcase for all the global things we do in the community,” Holmes said.

    “I think that funk has a certain feeling. It makes you move and it makes you dance and it makes you feel all of these different things, but if you actually listen to it, the things that are being said are of importance.”

    Skye Freitas, communication major and film minor

    Near the end of Schnurer’s talk, he gave the audience a take-home message. Most music artists, he said, have been historically ripped off—especially artists of color. He urged students to pay artists for their work.

    “Does that make sense? That ethically, as we move forward, we try to be aware of the politics of power,” Schnurer said. “And that often times means that we are going to have to pay up for information.”

    After the presentation, Skye Freitas, a communication major and film minor, said she loved Schnurer’s presentation—Schnurer is her adviser—and gave a surprisingly passionate explanation of the importance of music.

    “I think that funk has a certain feeling,” Freitas said. “It makes you move and it makes you dance and it makes you feel all of these different things, but if you actually listen to it, the things that are being said are of importance.”

    Schnurer skipped across the globe with audio clips to give the audience a taste of different funk styles. The first stop: Nigeria and Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti’s song, “Pansa Pansa.”

    “He hexes and challenges the Nigerian government at this level while being—literally at various points—a revolutionary and also a candidate for president of Nigeria,” Schnurer said.

    “Honestly, this could be like an hour-long, three-unit course.”

    Maxwell Schnurer, local DJ and communication department chair

    The next stop on the funky foray was Brazil and the music of Tim Maia. In describing the Brazilian funk scene, Schnurer explained the underground spiritual game—or the use of funk music by artists to express their spiritual selves.

    Schnurer called Maia’s album perhaps the greatest Brazilian funk album ever, but only after noting its joint inspirations of a heavy dose of LSD and a cult pamphlet.

    “You know, those things I would maybe not be inspired by or take away from the Tim Maia story,” he said.

    Schnurer flew the room to Japan to meet Haruko Kuwana, and then to India with a soundtrack from a compilation album, Pysch Funk Sa-Re-Ga! Schnurer said many funk tracks remain hidden as instrumental movie soundtracks. He finished with a short profile video on El Rego, a funk artist from Benin in West Africa.

    Schnurer paused midway through the talk.

    “Honestly, this could be like an hour-long, three-unit course,” he said. “If I were to criticize my own lecture I would say that there is something kind of disrespectful about name-dropping dozens of interesting global musicians without giving them all musical space.”

    Rachael Thacker, another communication major, hadn’t taken any classes with Schnurer, but admitted she would attend just about anything he does for his interesting takes. Thacker knew little about funk.

    “Just my first impression was that you can groove to it, you can dance to it and you can relax to it,” she said.

    Thacker planned to ask Amazon’s Alexa to play some funk later.

    A hand sprang up when the talk ended.

    “Will you teach a class on this?” a student asked.

    The group chuckled and Schnurer hemmed and hawed. He wasn’t sure.

    While he pondered making a class out of the talk, Schnurer left the audience with an appropriately funky anecdote.

    “Let me encourage that maybe it’s time to buy the like Thai funk box set for your brother for Christmas from Mike in the attic,” he said.

  • Dr. Cornel West Talks Truth

    Dr. Cornel West Talks Truth

    Selling out in less than a week, Dr. Cornel West commanded the stage with emotion and power

    Around 800 people formed a line wrapping around campus, anxiously awaiting Dr. Cornel West’s lecture. In high demand, tickets sold out in less than a week. Community members desperate for tickets resorted to bribery.

    Brothers United took the John Van Duzer Theatre stage first with the introduction of Humboldt State University Vice President of Enrollment Management Jason Meriwether. After a quick selfie snap and a booming introduction, Meriwether invited West to the stage where a standing ovation followed.

    West was the powerhouse speaker of Black Liberation Month and began his lecture with the recognition of the meaning of the month of February to reflect on the history of our ancestors and to recognize and pay respect to their sacrifices.

    “When you’re talking black history, you’re talking the best of history,” West said. “February is for the brown, red, yellow and black peoples to dig deep into their r-o-o-t-s so their r-o-u-t-e-s can become international.”

    • HSU Vice President of Enrollment Management Jason Meriwether and Dr. Cornel West on stage together on Feb 7. | Photo by Benjamin Zawilski

    The lecture surrounded West’s book, “Race Matters.” Originally published in 1993 during a time of tense racial turmoil following the trial of Rodney King—a survivor-turned-activist of Los Angeles Police Department police brutality—and the Los Angeles riots—which broke out in response to the trial and heightened racial tensions—the book brings morality into question when analyzing racial disputes. Resurfacing in the modern day, West believes the same issues that arose 27 years ago remain today.

    “We live in a highly polarized society,” West said. “It’s polarized by race, it’s polarized by class, it’s polarized by preaching, it’s polarized by politics and I think I was trying to get at some of the ways in which we can understand the polarization and try to create a higher moral, spiritual ground to keep alight the best of our democracy. That’s what I was doing then and it becomes relevant now, all over again.”

    Highlighting the best of our democracy and of any situation was a recurring message from West. When asked about polarized education systems, West attacked it with the same approach.

    “All institutions are ambiguous and ambivalent in having the best and the worst,” West said. “It depends on the particular features being highlighted. Must be very candid about the ups and the downs, the bests and the worsts.”

    “Disabilities aren’t necessarily sad or scary, but just another way to live life.”

    Crystal Pasztor

    A Q&A session followed his lecture where members of the audience had the opportunity to grab the mic and connect with West. As hands shot up, West emphasized the importance of selecting participants of diversity within the crowd and hearing those voices.

    Crystal Pasztor is a sociology major at HSU. She asked West for a favor of recognition, rather than a question.

    “My favor was to talk about disability and people as a group because you can’t ignore that every group has a disability,” Pasztor said. “Disabilities aren’t necessarily sad or scary, but just another way to live life.”

    Pasztor brought HSU’s own lack of disability recognition into question, describing feeling abandoned by the school and its services.

    “When you’re fighting for something as precious, you never give up because the love too deeply and the commitment too real.”

    Dr. Cornel west

    West ordered the entire theatre to applaud Pasztor in recognition of her feeling of campus abandonment.

    “I felt so much better,” Pasztor said. “I was very nervous to say anything because the president is here.”

    After a standing ovation for West, the audience flooded to the stage for an opportunity to interact and shake West’s hand. One student handed West their cell phone with Charmaine Lawson on the line. An emotional conversation led to West commending Lawson’s love and fight for her son, Josiah Lawson.

    “When you’re fighting for something as precious, you never give up because the love too deeply and the commitment too real,” West said. “So when I was talking to sister Lawson I could just see in her eyes and feel in her heart oh so much love for her precious son and she’ll never give up. That’s what love is—it’s never giving up.”

    Justice remains lacking for the Josiah Lawson case. For community healing, West emphasized morality and spirituality as a light in the search for truth and justice.

    “You got to re-energize people in a moral and spiritual way,” West said. “So that you can create the kind of awakening that brings people together. That want to fight for truth and justice. But, every generation is re-energized in some way.”

    West placed extreme importance on the new generation and their ability to model, lead and revitalize the ongoing dispute over conflicting dialogues and conversations that divide our country. In an exclusive interview with The Lumberjack following West’s lecture, he commended HSU and its administration for their role in developing the new generation by leading by example.

    “By example,” West said. “That’s why I salute what president here doing and dear brother Jason Meriwether. Leadership makes a difference in an institution of higher learning.”

    West remained humble and credited much of his character and success to the leaders, activists and icons of the past. He spoke highly of notable black leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, but more importantly, he credited an intangible spirit of truth and justice.

    “I tell them don’t look up to me, look up to truth and justice,” West said. “Truth and justice bigger than all of us, bigger than all of us. We all want to try and be exemplars of living truly and fighting for justice in a moral and spiritual way.”

  • One More Reason to Ride a Bike

    One More Reason to Ride a Bike

    Saving money and the planet at the HSU Bicycle Learning Center

    Humboldt State University’s Bicycle Learning Center made the transition in September 2018 from a student club to an Associated Students program umbrellaed under HSU’s Waste Reduction and Resource Awareness Program.

    Steven Sperling volunteers at the BLC while pursuing his master’s in business administration.

    “Bicycles are the most efficient form of transportation there is for human beings,” Sperling said. “Bicycles can and should save the world, period.”

    Originally founded in 1992, HSU’s entirely student-staffed Bicycle Learning Center is a free resource available to all HSU students in need of bike repairs. The transition opened up two part-time instructor positions, paid for with student fees, that are currently split between three students.

    “Probably the biggest thing that I’m working on here is how to share my bicycle knowledge efficiently,” Sperling said. “Learning how to teach is one of the things that I’m most excited about learning while I’m here.”

    • BLC Director Julian Palmisano scours the donated pins bin on Jan. 29. | Photo by Dakota Cox
    • Colton Trent hard at work at the BLC on Jan. 29. | Photo by Dakota Cox

    Current Director Julian Palmisano has been a member of the BLC since he transferred to HSU from Santa Barbara City College in 2017.

    “We all started as volunteers at the shop to serve and build community, utilize the resources and gain experience,” Palmisano said.

    The BLC does its best to provide all of the tools necessary for maintaining a well-conditioned bicycle, along with as many consumable parts that they can get their hands on. With a budget of only $800 provided by WRRAP, the majority of parts that cycle through the BLC are donations.

    “Sometimes we just don’t have stuff and we have to tell people like, sorry we can’t help. Which is a real bummer.”

    Colton trent

    Colton Trent is an instructor entering his third semester volunteering for the BLC.

    “The budget provides a buffer in case we run out of stuff,” Trent said. “But for the most part we can function pretty well trying to up-cycle and recycle things.”

    As a result of their small budget, the BLC can only provide a finite number of students with bicycle maintenance.

    “Sometimes we just don’t have stuff and we have to tell people like, sorry we can’t help,” Trent said. “Which is a real bummer.”

    The BLC encourages donations in the form of tools, bicycle parts and old bikes that will be refurbished and donated to a student-rider in need. All cash donations that the BLC receives go directly into the shop’s spare parts fund.

    In the fall semester of 2019, the BLC saw over 180 documented student visits, totaling over 100 hours of bicycle maintenance. By spreading the trend of using bicycles as a primary-method of transportation, the BLC is promoting a healthier lifestyle with a significantly smaller carbon footprint.

    Located in the eastern tunnel by the Redwood Bowl, the BLC is open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, with instructors and volunteers standing by to assist and educate students in bicycle repair.

  • Stuck Swimming in Circles

    Stuck Swimming in Circles

    Completing and contemplating Mac Miller’s final album

    Mac Miller‘s family and record producer, Jon Brion, released his final album, “Circles,” on Jan. 17. “Circles” completes his previous album, which was under works during his accidental overdose a month after “Swimming” was released in 2018.

    “Circles” goes deeper into his personal life and the struggles he was dealing with. Songs such as the last song, “Once a Day,” hit home. Miller had posted a snippet of the song on his Instagram story the day before his death.

    Jena Schuh, a zoology student at Humboldt State University, said she knew this album was going to be one of, if not the greatest, album Miller worked on when she first started listening.

    Miller’s album goes deeper into the idea that although he was rich and famous, he still dealt with struggles.

    “The style of ‘Circles’ truly portrays who Mac as a person was,” Schuh said. “Even though he had a lot of money and fame, he still went through the daily struggles that a lot of normal people have too.”

    Throughout the album, Miller openly talks about how he was feeling and some of his darker thoughts about the world and himself. He displays vulnerability to himself and is more transparent in “Circles” than any other album he made.

    Miller’s album goes deeper into the idea that although he was rich and famous, he still dealt with struggles. In the song “Circles,” Miller talks about how he’s tried to change, but can’t.

    “He’s just so creative and so unique. I feel like no one could ever guess what Mac would want, you know?”

    Hazel Belair

    This album in particular has a lot of things that people can relate to, such as going around and around in circles in life. In his song, “Blue World,” Miller describes the craziness of the world and the devil being on his doorstep, but carrying on and shining. It’s an album of pain and tribulations, but also triumph. He continues to talk about himself rising up, shining or continuing on.

    This album gave Mac Miller fans mixed emotions. Hazel Belair, a 21-year-old Arcata resident, said she chose to avoid listening to the album because it wasn’t finished by Miller himself.

    “He’s just so creative and so unique,” Belair said. “I feel like no one could ever guess what Mac would want, you know?”

    The family asking Brion to complete the album was an important part of keeping the authenticity. Brion had been working with Miller on not just “Circles,” but also on his last album, “Swimming.” They had been experimenting with different sounds, instruments and lyrics.

    With the amount of time the two spent together, Brion learned a lot about Miller, but particularly about his music style and preferences. After countless hours in the studio with him, Brion picked up on what Miller was looking for in the album and how he wanted it to sound. There isn’t anyone else who could have made this into a more pure Mac Miller album than Brion did.

    HSU geography student Olivia Dorenkamp thought Brion did a great job on the album and brought out new sounds.

    “‘Good News‘ and ‘Woods‘ put me in a state of bliss and remembrance of his past music,” Dorenkamp said. “Overall into a groovy state of mind.”

    Although “Circles” was Mac Miller’s final contribution to the music world, it was one of his most beautiful. He died over a year ago, but his memory continues to live on through his lyrics and the musical creativity that’s portrayed in “Circles” and his other albums.

  • 5 Apps to Help You Survive the Semester

    5 Apps to Help You Survive the Semester

    Survive the spring semester with these essential school apps

    There are five apps you should download this semester to help with organizing your school life and keeping your mind at ease. While not all of these apps are accessible on all types of phones, they’re typically compatible with phones that host Google Play or the Apple App Store.

    1) Google Drive

    The Google Drive app is one of the best apps you can use as a student. It hosts all of the accompanying Google Drive features like Google Sheets, Slides and Docs. You can download each app individually for more convenience, but thankfully they’re still accessible through the Drive.

    2) Canvas

    The Canvas app is helpful for doing assignments on the fly or for getting in touch with classmates for projects. Don’t turn off the notifications for this app because you could miss important class reminders from your professors. This app allows you to submit assignments from wherever you have a WiFi or data connection. It’s also compatible with Google Drive, which makes submitting assignments simple. You can check the to-do list to stay on top of your work and review the app calendar to see upcoming deadlines.

    3) The Transit App

    The Transit app is essential for any student who commutes to campus. This free app will save you time and stress by showing you local transit routes, schedules and live updates. A helpful feature on this app is the ability to locate the closest route from wherever you are, as long as your GPS is on and active. Not only does the app display bus routes, but it also shows rideshares in the area like Lyft.

    4) Humboldt State Mobile:

    The Humboldt State Mobile app is a useful tool for checking the school directory, campus life events and other school-related information. You can register or drop classes, check your student center and browse semester class schedules. There’s even a campus map with marked locations for print kiosks and dining services. Although the app can be glitchy, it’s still a valuable and free resource that the school offers.

    5) Music streaming apps:

    According to a report on the neuroscience of music published by the United States National Library of Medicine, several studies found that listening to music can be therapeutic and may provide stress relief and improvements to cognitive function. Throwing on a study playlist might help you decompress while you review material. Check out Spotify, Pandora or SoundCloud for free music streaming services. Premium versions for music apps are also available if you wish to upgrade your music accessibility. The next time you sit down to study, turn on some tunes to help your cognitive functioning.

  • Dr. Cornel West Headlines Black Liberation Month at HSU

    Dr. Cornel West Headlines Black Liberation Month at HSU

    Philosopher, activist and intellectual Dr. Cornel West visiting Humboldt State University

    Dr. Cornel West will be at Humboldt State University Friday, Feb. 7 to celebrate Black Liberation Month as the keynote speaker of a series of events.

    West advocates for race, gender and class equality. West’s social and political activism goes back to his days at John F. Kennedy high school where he marched for civil rights and protested against the lack of diversity and black studies classes offered at the school.

    West went on to become class president of his high school before attending both Harvard and Princeton Universities. He is known for infusing the world with academic inference, intelligence and philosophical reflection.

    The event is hosted by HSU’s African American Center for Academic Excellence and HSU Brothers United.

    West’s lecture will focus on topics from his 1993 book, “Race Matters.” Doors open at 6:00 p.m. and the lecture begins at 7:00 p.m. in the Kate Buchanan Room.

    The first 100 students through the door with an ID will receive a free copy of “Race Matters.” Additional copies can be found at Northtown Books at 947 H St. in Arcata.

    Tickets are free and available at the University Center Ticket Office at HSU, which can be reached at (707) 826-3928.