As Black History Month comes to a close, we asked HSU students who they’re most inspired by during this month. From activists to athletes, students share why they look up to these public figures. Share who you’re most inspired by during Black History Month in the comments below!
A variety of Humboldt State students are registered on dating apps. Normally people who are on dating apps are single. Some residents who are within the radius of Humboldt County are actually on dating apps while simultaneously married. The most common dating apps students use are Bumble, Grindr and especially Tinder.
Second year Psychology major Andrea Wilson used the dating app Bumble, which she said she regretted using instantly after a situation she encountered.
“He was this perfect guy, he had literally everything I have ever wanted,” Wilson said. “When we first met, it was a chill first date, he was such a gentleman. I don’t think I have ever remembered the last time I was treated that well.”
Wilson hoped she would find “the one” going on dates with the guys she matches with on these dating apps.
[perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”Andrea Wilson” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=”18″]“It turns out he just forgot to take off his ring before going on this one date.”[/perfectpullquote]“I went on a fifth date with this guy, and as we were eating, I noticed he had a ring on his finger…specifically on his left-hand ring finger,” Wilson said. “I asked him about it, and of course they try justifying it. It turns out he just forgot to take off his ring before going on this one date.”
Wilson isn’t alone in her experience. There are other students who have encountered this kind of situation. Maritza Herrera, a second year HSU student, uses Tinder as her to-go dating app to find the “perfect someone.”
“I have encountered multiple times where I have seen people on Tinder just straight up put in their bio that they are married,” Herrera said.
Herrera appreciates that some men do that, so they don’t waste her time. She just doesn’t understand why people get married in the first place if they aren’t going to commit to that one person.
“I was about to go on a date with a guy and for my safety, I always let my friends know who it is and what they look like before getting in a car of a stranger,” Herrera said. “Turns out, one of my friends had already went on a date with the same guy and she found out he was married. I have never unmatched with someone so quickly.”
[perfectpullquote align=”left” bordertop=”false” cite=”Kameron Lopez” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=”17″]“After that night, I had blocked him off of everything and found his wife on Facebook to tell her what had happened…”[/perfectpullquote]Many people on dating apps lie or just over-exaggerate about themselves. Whether it be their age, being single or in general what type of person they might be. HSU English major Kameron Lopez uses the dating app Grindr to find people his age to date or to even be friends with.
“It is very limited for the LGBTQ community to find people that they can date and build connections with, since it is basically just the HSU students in the community and older men in the Humboldt county area,” Lopez said.
Lopez tries to find guys that don’t have the mindset of just wanting to hook up.
“I got this message from a random guy and his age had said 24,” Lopez said. “So I decided to meet up with him because 24 is honestly the oldest I would go to dating a guy. I never would have gone if I knew all the lies he was hiding from me.”
Lopez wants people on dating apps to just tell the truth. There is no reason to go on these apps if you’re going to act like someone you aren’t.
“It turns out this guy was 40 years old, married and had three kids with his wife,” Lopez said. “After that night, I had blocked him off of everything and found his wife on Facebook to tell her what had happened that night.”
Deema Hindawi and Oliver Winfield-Perez are critical race, gender and sexuality students who advocate for student safety and equality. They’re both from the Bay Area and are community organizers and volunteers. They look at local and campus issues and work together to resolve problems that affect students. You can usually see them at community meetings or social justice events.
What are you studying at HSU?
Hindawi: I am double majoring in criminology and justice studies, CRGS (ethnic studies) and minoring in communications student advocacy.
Winfield-Perez: Critical race gender and sexuality studies.
Why did you pick these areas of study?
Hindawi: I picked these majors because I have always been fascinated with law and ethnic studies has always tugged on me and I want to learn more.
Winfield-Perez: I was originally was a child development major when I came to HSU, but I came to CRGS after taking a community organizing class with Dr. Marisol Ruiz Gonzalez in the education department. I came to CRGS from my own experience as a trans queer person of color in the world. My experiences with homophobia and transphobia, being othered and disrespected have lead me to know that something isn’t right, that we deserve a better world, that a better world is possible. CRGS has given me that, has given me a space to analyze, critique, dismantle and create alternatives.
Where are you originally from?
Hindawi: San Francisco.
Winfield-Perez: I was born in Hayward, Calif. in the East Bay, but my family moved around a lot for work. I spent most of my childhood in Riverside, the Central Valley and Santa Barbara county, then I moved back to the East Bay for high school.
What is your role in Associated Students and why did you want to join?
Winfield-Perez: I’m the external affairs representative. I act as a link of communication with other CSUs, state and federal policy/legislation and Humboldt State. I serve as Humboldt’s representative for the California State Student Association, (Student Government for all the CSUs, with 23 representatives) and attend monthly plenary meetings where we discuss legislation, policy and advocacy for students in higher education. I currently have a resolution on the floor at CSSA for Justice for Josiah/Students of Color Safety, hopefully it’ll pass in March. I also chair, the Lobby Corps committee, which as it sounds, is a lobbying committee.
I originally joined because I see student government as an institution which holds many contradictions and faults, but holds space for potential support for meeting the immediate needs and supporting the wellbeing of students across campus.
What clubs are you involved with on campus and what do you with them?
Hindawi: WRC (Women’s Resource Center) anti-racism coordinator, MCC (MultiCultural Center), SQE (Students for Quality Education), and MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán).
How do you juggle your workload?
Winfield-Perez: Honestly I am very controlling and particular about my schedule. I work best early in the morning, so often I’ll wake up around 5 or 6 a.m. to get readings done for classes. I have a detailed planner for the semester where I schedule out what I’m going to do every waking hour. It’s quite exhausting and stifling, but it has helped me stay accountable for my commitments and keep up with classwork.
Being an outspoken and involved student, what would you like to see at HSU change that would benefit students?
Hindawi: Tuition, racism, ignorance against race, removing the mascot, stop recruiting students of color without informing them about the racism, J4J.
What’s the plan after graduating?
Hindawi: Grad School.
Winfield-Perez: I’m looking to intern at an organization in the bay which organizes around prison abolition, prisoner support, anti-policing work, such as Critical Resistance, Legal Services for Prisoners with Children, or one of the many others, so hopefully that works out. Other than that, I plan to take a year or two off before applying to some California Ph.D programs in Women and Gender studies, American Studies or Ethnic Studies. I really just want to give myself space to grow and learn, and not rush into grad school or force myself to go. I want it to be a semi-enjoyable experience if possible.
What has been your favorite experience in Humboldt?
Hindawi: Going outdoors.
Winfield-Perez: Community. I’ve met so many amazing, dedicated students, faculty, staff and community members who are so passionate about creating safe, accountable and loving communities. I see people busting their asses on the daily building campaigns for justice, holding elected officials accountable, creating networks of community solidarity and support, working to end racism, sexism, colonialism and oppression in our areas. To be a part of that has been so rewarding and I will always cherish my time here.
What are you most passionate about?
Hindawi: Justice.
Winfield-Perez: I’m extremely drawn towards critical prison studies, abolitionist work and anti-policing work. I see this effort as central in the emancipation of queer and trans people across the globe, who are specifically targeted, attacked, exploited and othered by carceral violence. As a queer and trans person of color, ending the prison industrial complex means not only can my communities be free, but I will be free as well, even as a person outside the material confines of prison walls.
I haven’t had much experience organizing around abolition, but am definitely moving towards it, and feel it is necessary for me to do.
I’m also honestly very passionate about writing. I love the feeling of starting with one subject with a piece of pen and paper, letting go and ending up in a space you didn’t even know was inside you. I’ve made amazing self-discovery through writing, processed grief, internalized racism and sexism, my own self doubt and confusion.
Who is an inspiration for you and why?
Hindawi: Marisol Ruiz because she always pushes students to be more than we have ever thought.
Winfield-Perez: All the people out there fighting for an end to white supremacy, settler colonialism, heterosexism and capitalism in their communities on a daily basis. All the people out there committing their lives to making a better world for the next generation. This is inspiring to me because I know first-hand that organizing is difficult, it is draining and you’re always coming up against people who don’t see you, who want to dehumanize you, silence you. And some of the people doing the hardest work are trans and queer women of color, who face some of the most gross and dehumanizing treatment. I have so much respect for organizers.
Who has been your favorite professor at HSU?
Hindawi: Marisol Ruiz
Winfield-Perez: The CRGS department is full of amazing, caring and intellectual professors, who will break down dense theory like Foucault to you, and who really see you, and listen to you when you share your struggles as a student, and show it in their actions. If I have to pick one though, I have to say Dr. Kim Berry. She teaches courses like Theory and Methods, Sex, Gender and Globalization and “Queer” Across Cultures. The most impactful knowledge I’ve gained from Kim is a strong critique and understanding of global capitalism, its intricacies, the big institutions which extract wealth and dehumanize people. She’s really able to take huge complex ideas and communicate them in a digestible, entertaining fashion. In her classes I can’t help but be 100 percent focused.
What volunteer work or outside organizations have you been apart of? How has it changed you?
Hindawi: Everything I mentioned earlier has changed how I view organizing and justice.
Winfield-Perez: I’ve been a part of Youth Educational Services since my freshman year. I directed and volunteered for the Queer Mentoring and Advocacy Program, which works with queer youth in the community to organize around their needs, provide support, and train educators on how they can better support queer youth in classrooms. I’ve also been a member of MEChA since my sophomore year, and recently joined Students for Quality Education in the fall of 2018.
I’ve also worked with organizing groups off campus intermittently, such as with Justice for Josiah and the campaign to remove the statue of William McKinley.
What advice do you have for incoming students?
Hindawi: Keep your eyes open and if you are a person of color please keep your eyes open a bit wider because Humboldt is not as safe as we are made to believe.
Winfield-Perez: I really hope incoming students are able to just give themself space to be and take care of their own needs. If you’re struggling with motivation and mental health, don’t be afraid to take some time off, don’t be afraid to listen to what you need and act on it. The university is always talking about four year graduation rates, which I do think can be important financially. But the reality is that college is difficult as hell and sometimes you just can’t keep pushing, you can’t suck it up and keep going, and that’s okay. I wish I would have given myself that space in times when I was really struggling. I feel like I would have had time to heal, grow and accept myself.
Ben Bouchard’s love of badminton drove him to start the badminton club last semester. This past Sunday nearly 20 members of his club showed up to smack birdies from one side of the net to the other.
Bouchard said he hopes to compete with other schools one day, but acknowledged HSU’s rural location. He mentioned reaching out to other schools, but for now wants to focus on the fundamentals.
[perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”Olivia Chang” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=”16″]“I like how casual it is and relaxed, it is not super competitive… Everyone, no matter their skill level, can drop in and play.”[/perfectpullquote]“I just want to hone our skills and get better,” Bouchard said. “I know the Bay Area has a lot of tournaments so we’ll see.”
Bouchard said he originally started the club to meet other players and to allow people to better their skills. He said that what draws him to badminton are the strategic and mental aspects of the game. It is something that he found more passion in than other traditional sports.
“I was training to be on the track team, but I always ended up coming back to badminton,” Bouchard said. “It is more fun and it’s a nice break from school.”
Zoology senior Olivia Chang went to the gym to get a break from her studies and to play a few games with friends.
“I really need the exercise,” Chang said. “I usually sit around and study, so it is great to get a good workout.”
Chang is a member of the club and has been going to the meetups every Sunday since October. Chang also takes dance lessons at Redwood Raks in Arcata, but particularly looks forward to badminton every week.
“I like how casual it is and relaxed, it is not super competitive,” Chang said. “Everyone, no matter their skill level, can drop in and play.”
Psychology senior Giselle Velasquez also played this past Sunday. Velasquez said she likes to compete and enjoys playing people who are better than her.
“There are so many people that are good and they teach you all sorts of skills,” Velasquez said.
[perfectpullquote align=”left” bordertop=”false” cite=”Ben Bouchard” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=”18″]“It allows me to disengage… When I’m playing badminton, that’s all I’m doing.”[/perfectpullquote]The pickleball club was also at the gym. Karen Soiker is an avid pickleball player, as well as an HSU alumnus who grew up in Sunny Brae. Soiker is retired and in her free time travels the world with her paddle, always ready for a game. Next month she is headed to Amsterdam with six local pickleballers for a clinic hosted by a professional.
“It keeps me active,” Soiker said. “I like to compete, but for some folks who don’t it is a very social sport. You meet, you play, you go out to lunch. It is pretty fun.”
Soiker said that the pickleball meetups have been happening for about six years at HSU. Soiker also said the sport is growing.
“There is also a meet-up at the Adorni Center in Eureka,” Soiker said “We are bursting at the seams.”
Soiker and Bouchard’s passion for their pastimes show. For Bouchard, his love of the sport stems from summer times with his family and the state of mind he enters when playing.
“It allows me to disengage, when I play it just fully takes over,” Bouchard said. “When I’m playing badminton, that’s all I’m doing.”
Ever since high school, biochemistry graduate Beersheba Kirksey has had a knack for the sciences. With multiple obstacles, and an outstanding sense of determination and hard work Kirksey is now on her way to pharmacy school after graduating from HSU this year. As a woman of color she hopes to go against the odds and follow her dreams by staying true to herself.
Kirksey chose to follow the pharmaceutical route when she was picking up her older sister’s medication. As she bought the medication she noticed a young black female technician at the pharmacy. This was a bit unusual for Kirksey. She had never seen a woman of color working at a pharmacy, especially a black woman.
“She was really pretty and young, she had a white coat,” Kirksey said. “And I was like, ‘How did you get this job?’ It was different. I’ve never seen any women of color work in the pharmacy before.”
Kirksey decided to approach the pharmacist to ask her how she got her job, and how she herself could get in the same position. The young pharmacist gave Kirksey helpful advice on how to plan out her future. However, Kirksey was warned about the hard work and challenges that would soon face her.
“She was like, ‘Well when you go to school you want to major in either biology or chemistry and it’s going to be hard. It’s going to be a lot of work, once you do that you apply to pharmacy school, get experience you know the whole shabang,’” Kirksey said.
[perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”Beersheba Kirksey” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=”19″]”[The] biology department is a little more diverse but chemistry… It’s not diverse.”[/perfectpullquote]Kirksey has been determined to achieve her goal since 2010, after receiving her acceptance to HSU. She majored in chemistry with a focus in biochemistry during her freshman year.
“It’s been a long, hard, tough journey,” Kirksey said.
Although she was gaining experience with her job and labs, Kirksey noticed the lack of diversity in the chemistry department and all around Humboldt county.
“It was a culture shock,” Kirksey said. “Not having anybody to reach out to, it just really felt like you’re out of place, like you don’t belong. Especially in the chemistry department, it’s really not diverse. Biology department is a little more diverse but chemistry, it’s not diverse.”
Kirksey is used to the SoCal environment. Moving to Humboldt was a drastic change, and she knew that the process was not going to be easy. Against all odds Kirksey managed to stay strong and continued to be true to herself. She found support in herself, and Kirksey said that it benefited her in becoming stronger.
Kirksey glowing outside in the sun. Feb. 21. | Photo by Skylar Gaven“I’m from SoCal. Just because I’m in the sciences, I still like to dress, I still like do the things that I grew up on,” Kirksey said. “I like to wear lipsticks, change my hair and things like that. It sucks sometimes because it makes you stand out and it brings pressure but at the same time that’s me, if I were to go to school in SoCal it wouldn’t be a problem so why should I change up here?”
Even though the department is not as diverse as one would hope, HSU still provided Kirksey with a variety of hands-on experience in the labs on campus.
“One thing that I do appreciate about Humboldt is that it’s a lot of hands on experience that you don’t find on a lot of campuses especially CSUs,” Kirksey said. “We did a lot of hands on things in the lab that I feel really strengthened me. The amount of work and that we do in the labs really prepares, so I give them that.”
Kimberly White, a biochemistry professor who has been teaching for two years at HSU, has witnessed Kirksey’s strong determination to succeed. Because biochemistry is not the easiest subject for most, White takes into consideration that students have different education methods and tries to incorporate different delivery methods. She does this through detailed lectures that are easy to follow and fun extra credit projects that are the students favorite.
Beersheba Kirksey prepares to dilute a 50x solution TAE buffer to a 1x solution for an electrophoresis agarose gel. | Photo by Dajonea RobinsonWhite said the Kirksey’s extra credit assignment was “mind blowing”. Kirksey went to White’s office hours more than any student of hers, she had “meticulous” notes and she was prepared for every lab.
White said that Kirksey’s motivation and attitude were always something that stood out and despite all the many things that were going on in Kirksey’s life she was always cheerful and ready to learn. White wrote Kirksey a letter of recommendation because she believes she can accomplish her goal.
“She is ready to go, I know that she is,” White said. “Not everybody has had an equal amount of opportunities, she has worked hard. Her success makes it that more sweet.”
Kirksey has already gotten her degree in biochemistry and is now working on the requirements needed for pharmacy school. She has applied to multiple schools and is looking forward for what the future has in store.
“I’m looking at Washington, Oregon State, and Midwestern in Arizona. I also had in interest in Roseman (University of Health Sciences) and I also applied to Howard, so we’ll see,” Kirksey said.
As she continues with her path into pharmacy school, Kirksey is working to use alternative medicines to give to others.
“I really see a problem when it comes to the pharmaceutical business in general,” Kirksey said. “I think it’s ridiculous. I feel like there are alternative ways to heal and treat people, not just based on harsh chemicals.”
Beersheba Kirksey dilutes a 50x solution TAE buffer to a 1x solution for an electrophoresis agarose gel. | Photo by Dajonea RobinsonKirksey has many plans set up for herself. Her ultimate goal is to provide healthy, natural-based medicines that can help benefit a person’s health, instead of giving them a prescription that will make them worse.
“My ultimate goal is to become a pharmacist, get into business, learn everything there is about the body and how it reacts to medication,” Kirksey said. “I eventually want to open my own pharmacy and practice alternative medicine, just to give patients that option to lean off of strong chemicals.”
Kirksey has an amazing outlook on life and is a hard worker determined to pursue her goals. She now has to wait for an acceptance letter which is sure to be soon. Until then she will walk the HSU campus with radiant confidence and strength that she has built for herself for so long. She believes that every student of color should embrace themselves and not let anything get in the way of following their dreams.
“I stay true to myself and that’s my advice to anyone here of color, whatever major you’re in just stay true to yourself,” Kirksey said.”Don’t feel like you have to change or dumb down who you are, your culture, or where you’re from.”
More than 300 HSU students crowded into the Kate Buchanan room to celebrate the fifth anniversary of Check It. For three hours, the Check It party raged on, filled with good food, karaoke fun and positive protecting vibes.
Check It’s head coordinator Mary Sue Savage took the stage early to congratulate the progress made by the organization in its five years of activity. As a HSU alumna herself, Savage has followed not only Check It’s progression, but HSU’s and the community’s as a whole.
“When I was a student, a very small percentage of folks were involved in violence prevention work, it was really just a solid group of social justice activists,” Savage said. “But we weren’t reaching the people we needed to reach or engaging them. But with Check It, I can see how possible it is to engage everyone on campus in violence prevention work.”
As co-founder to Check It, tonight’s celebration meant many things to Savage, as she stood in front of more than 300 supporters of the Check It movement.
“Tonight celebrates the incredible community support and compassion that makes up this movement,” Savage said. “It’s honoring the amazing consent centered activities students have been doing on campus and just celebrating how much progress has been made over the past five years!”
With two hours of karaoke, the room filled with performances from student and staff hand-picked classics. Shelby Gilfuss, a second year psychology major, was one among the 300 plus who attended the Check It’s party in support.
“I came to support my friend on the Check It team,” Gilfuss said. “I also enjoy the idea of a safe community and have met so many new people, people I would never have had a conversation with before.”
With free food, hilarious entertainment, and Check It merch, it wasn’t just the guests having a great time. Shelley Magallanesa, a third year psychology major and Check It team member shared her personal relationship to Check It.
“It’s the best,” Magallanesa said. “I spend all my time here and have a lot of fun. People are so devoted to growing the cause and working hard every day. We’ve had so much success and that makes me feel so good!”
Back in October, Check It gained the attention of the U.S. Justice Department, which resulted in a $300,000 grant. With new funding, the future of Check It looks bright and promising. Plans to expand and spread the movement, along with upgrade the organizational outreach, displays a promising future for violence prevention.
“This semester we are working with Arcata High School to launch Check It,” Savage said. “We’re also getting ready to launch our “Love Knows Boundaries” campaign later on this semester with specialized access cards. We really just want to continue to embed Check It within our campus culture.”
The first 5 years of Check It can be summarized into a success, with an established office space, tons of students activist volunteers, and a new grant allowing upgraded target outreach. The next 5 years show signs of a promising future to the prevention of violence and the Check It organization as a whole.
Most people think that yoga comes from Asia. Kemetic yoga, however, is one of the original practices of yoga. It originates from ancient Egypt, the proper name being Kemet. What differentiates Kemetic yoga from other types is that it’s a series of geometric postures, almost like there’s math in every movement.
Humboldt State had a Kemetic yoga class taught by Dionna Fletcher as part of Black History Month. This was Fletcher’s first time directing a Kemetic yoga class after completing her training in Jamaica last month.
We sat in a circle as she directed us through each posture. All were welcome, and students trickled in and joined the circle. Kemetic yoga has a breathing pattern to implement purposeful breathing: inhale, pause, exhale, pause. Each of the movements were done three times, following the geometric theme of the activity. Many of the names of the poses were slightly different from what we’re used to hearing. For example, the normal sitting pose is called ‘sesh.’
“It’s a black practice that needs to be spread,” Fletcher said. “It offers something to the POC community that Asian or Indian yoga does not.”
Fletcher has been part of a series of fitness sessions going on around campus and town. The series was compiled by Chryste Johnson, interim coordinator for the African American Center of Excellence (AACE). Johnson named the series Soul Fitness as a way of representing people of color during Black History month, and intended to bring in new forms of movement that people haven’t heard of.
[perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”Dionna Fletcher” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=”17″]“It’s a black practice that needs to be spread. It offers something to the POC community that Asian or Indian yoga does not.”[/perfectpullquote]It is a three-week compilation of different forms of movement. Johnson explained that there’s been hip-hop cardio, there will be a steppin’ class and it’s the same series that made Love Ya’ Self Queen.
HSU student DiOria Woods was one of the students who attended the series.
“I’m a dancer, I’ve never heard of this kind of yoga and I like to try new things,” Woods said. “I’m part of the culture center and I wanted to actually interact with these kinds of events.”
Though it was a small class, it was a relaxing thing to get into after the stress of the day. Fletcher made everyone feel welcomed and comfortable. Even at the intermediate level the people in the class felt comfortable to do the poses no matter how hard it seemed.
Nicole Lamperti was another student that joined in on the Kemetic yoga class.
“I’m in a world cultures class and was curious about this kind of yoga,”Lamperti said.
The lights were off, letting the natural light come in from the sun setting through the windows. This created a more relaxed feel to the class. In the background, Fletcher played music by people of color, supporting the idea of loving yourself and putting yourself first.
Kemetic yoga brings a new form of movement to a common type of activity. Yoga is done all over the world but can be done in different forms. Kemetic yoga reminds us to be purposeful in our movements and reminds us about the different places we come from.
This past week had some serious crime. Someone was caught with a “weapon” while selling weed and a “casing” was found on the soccer field Sunday morning. Someone tried to fight somebody in the library and there may or may not be meth in the water. This week saw some contraband confiscations in the Jolly Giant Commons and a suspicious baby. Check it out!
The Rolling Count:
Possession charges = 5
Contraband/paraphernalia seizures = 4
Blotter bytes
Monday Feb. 18
· BIKERS, YA GOTTA STOP —Five bicyclists were stopped and warned for blowing through stop signs.
· Good guy alert x5—UPD helped five people with jumpstarts. They are here to serve and protect, that’s for sure.
· Suspicious baby—There was a report of a man “[wandering] aimlessly, perhaps lost” with a small child. Must have been a sketchy looking baby.
· A problem worth addressing—UPD warned a “male non-student” for camping on campus. The housing problem here is ridiculous and needs to be addressed. City council meetings are every first and third Wednesday at 6 p.m. Show up and demand change.
Tuesday Feb. 19
· DRUG ACTIVITY—Someone in the Jolly Giant mailroom got their piece seized. Bummer bruh, keep that shish on the D.L. next time.
· GUNS AND DRUGS—Someone was arrested for “possession of a weapon on campus,” and for selling weed around the Rossow and Harpst Street area. That’s some real crime.
· Smokin’ ciggies—Someone was busted smoking in the art quad. Smoking on campus anywhere is against the university tobacco policy. Head off campus or just start chewin’ ‘tabacka’. Dip spit is sexy in some parts of America.
· Good guy alert x4—UPD helped with two jumpstarts, locked car doors and a late-night escort. Thanks fellas!
Wednesday Feb. 20
· I hope you’re alright—“The welfare of a student was checked at the request of faculty.” It is that time of the year when the sun leaves and the clouds drop their emotions upon us in the form of rain. If you’re experiencing tough times and need someone to talk to, check out the mental health services at the Student Health Center.
· That’s gonna hurt—Someone twisted their ankle near the Campus Apartments and requested medical aid. Best wishes for a speedy recovery pal.
· Good guy alert x5—Man UPD has been crushing it this week with helping people out. Two jumpstarts and three late-night escorts!
Thursday Feb. 21
· Fight club—“Second hand information of a fight on the third floor” of the library. This weather is really getting to people. The library is for studying, not fighting.
· That is NOT your spot—Someone parked in a handicap spot without a placard near Redwood Hall. The driver was warned and let go without a ticket. I know parking is tight on campus but you should not park in a handicap spot!!
· “Any type of contraband”—This just sounds cool. Talk about a cool band name, right?!?! Actually, what happened was some RA requested a pick up of “confiscated marijuana” and UPD collected it “for destruction.” I wonder if the cops smoke weed? Hmm, maybe I should follow this up for a story…
Friday Feb. 22
· Grand theft bicycle—There was a report of a stolen bike near B Street. It is a bummer that it was stolen, but at least it is one less person blowing through stop signs, right?
· “Vehicle investigation”—“Subjects parked and walked down to the duck pond.” That’s literally word for word what the report says. WTF happened? Did they kill a duck? Smoke some weed? Partake in some deviant acts? You’re leaving us hanging here UPD!!
· There’s meth in the water!!—Someone called 911 and reported that they were having a heart attack because “someone put meth in his water.” I’ve never done meth before, but I don’t think that is how it works. I could be wrong. The guy survived the night and doctors told him that there was no meth in his water.
Saturday Feb. 23
· It’s two in the morning… go home—At 2:38 a.m., two people went into a room in Nelson Hall East, “closed the doors and shut off the lights.” “They lit candles and started summoning demons,” officer Joe Schmoe said. “It was dope as hell.”
Sunday Feb. 24
· Suspicious circumstances—A casing was found on the soccer field by a coach around 11 in the morning. What the eff?
· They can track you—Someone called 911 and when the operators called back they just hung up, multiple times. So, they used the cell towers to locate the phone. Creepyyyy.
Plants and herbs have been used for centuries to treat different ailments. With big pharmaceutical companies handing opioids out like candy, many are turning to alternative treatments for different problems.
Sophia Laverdiere is a local herbologist at Moonrise Herbs in Arcata. Laverdiere received her education at The Southwest institute of Healing Art in Phoenix, Arizona, she has extensive knowledge of over 140 plants.
“Before pharmaceuticals how did humans survive?” Laverdiere said. “We have all these plants that do everything we need.”
She described what the term ‘disease’ means in her line of work.
“Disease literally is dis-ease in your body,” Laverdiere said.
When you have health problems, that means your body is not in balance with the environment around you.
Pharmaceutical drugs and medicine are often derived from plants. Scientists isolate the chemicals in plants that help treat ailments in humans, so going to plants to treat illness is not so far off. Using the whole plant, instead of part, can provide benefits for illness and disease. Before going to a pill, try some of these herbal alternatives.
Mullin:
· Description: “Leaves look like lungs”
· Use: Soothes the bronchioles
· Origination: Used by the Native Americans
· How to Consume: Tincture
Local Organic Honey and Pollen:
· Use/ Benefits: For asthma and allergies
· Builds immune system by exposing you to local allergens
· How to Consume: Eat a spoonful
Ashwaghanda:
· Use/ Benefits: Sleep and pain
· Origination: Chinese herb, means “strength of a horse.” The medicine comes from the root of the plant.
· Lowers your cortisol levels, which get overloaded during stress.
· How to Consume: Tincture
Holy Basil:
· Use/Benefits: For extreme and severe anxiety and panic attacks.
· Origination: India, used in almost every home in India. Considered to be a sacred plant. The whole plant is used for medicine.
· Lowers your blood pressure and eases your heart muscles.
· How to Consume: Tea and tincture. You can just pick the leaves of the plant to consume.
Oats/Oatmeal:
· Use/ Benefits: Natural nervous system relaxant because there are some many vitamins and nutrients in oatmeal. These factors come together to create a natural calming effect in your body.
· Cheap and accessible at most grocery stores.
· “Food Medicine”
Rubious (Rhobilea, Rosea) In the Rose family:
· Uses/Benefits: This herb gives you a natural boost of energy and vitality.
· Calms down the central nervous system. Helps increase the moods in your brain
· How to Consume: Tea or tincture. A little goes a long way.
Passion Flower/ Passion Fruit:
· Uses/Benefits: When you wake up at any time at night
· Works to help reset the brain cycles
· How to Consume: Eat before bed
California Poppy:
· Uses/ Benefits: For deep sleep and to stay asleep
· Hypnotic herb which means to induce sleep
· How to Consume: Tea or tincture
· Uses the whole plant for medicine
Next time, before you reach for something in your medicine cabinet, pick up a whole plant or herb instead.
“Plants are here to help us, instead of just taking a pill derived from plants. Go the source and use the whole plant,” Laviedere said.
News editor, T. William Wallin sat down with Ashleigh DeFraga and Belen Gutierrez during separate interviews for a Q&A.
DeFraga and Gutierrez are seniors in the criminology and justice studies program at HSU. They are peer mentors for the sociology department and can usually be seen helping out a student in the business of social sciences building. They volunteer with YES and are very involved with the community. They both are pursuing law degrees and want to become lawyers after graduation.
WHAT ARE YOU STUDYING AT HSU?
DeFraga: I am studying Criminology and Justice studies major, with a double minor in psychology and Philosophy
Gutierrez: Criminology and Justice studies with the minor in comparative ethnic studies
WHY DID YOU PICK THE MAJOR AND DOUBLE MINORS?
DeFraga: I love all aspects of the criminal justice system. Our school has a unique program and since day one I knew I wanted to be a lawyer. I chose psychology because I am interested in how the brain works. I am minoring in the philosophy of ethics, which we talk a lot about ethical dilemmas that get brought up in criminal justice such as rape, or voluntary suicide. Taking philosophy will help me with questions that will be on the bar exam and the LSAT.
Gutierrez: I interned at a law firm in high school and I knew I wanted to do law when I graduated but I didn’t want to do the traditional political science. Not that there’s anything wrong with that but I was more interested in the criminal justice aspect of it. I started learning about intersexuality in high school and that drew me in having a minor in comparative ethnic studies.
WHERE DID YOU MOVE FROM?
DeFraga: I came from Sacramento. I came straight from high school and enrolled at HSU in August of 2016. I have been taking 20-22 units each semester to graduate sooner because I don’t get financial aid. I did get some scholarships but I wanted to get done as fast as possible.
Gutierrez: Orange County, Santa Ana, in particular, Southern California. I came straight from high school. I graduated in 2015.
HOW DO YOU JUGGLE THE WORKLOAD AND VOLUNTEER WORK YOU DO?
DeFraga: I go day by day. You can’t go each day and think past that because then it’ll be overwhelming. I have a google calendar, a wall calendar and a million sticky notes everywhere. I’m really organized.
Gutierrez: My mom is really good with time-management and I really just inherited her skills a little bit. I really try to think about what I’m taking on and how that is going to fit in with my schedule. I know my limits and I try to stick to them. But google calendar and a planner is your friend.
WHAT’S THE PLAN AFTER YOU GRADUATE?
DeFraga: Straight to Law School. I’m going to go to Pepperdine in LA. It’s a private school with lots of scholarships and I love the area its in. It’s smaller than Harvard and I think it’s best for me to thrive.
Gutierrez: I’m taking a year off and then going to law school. My top schools right now are Berkeley and I got a full-time offer for Chapman Law. I’m debating that because I want to go to the bay so I’m not sure if I’m willing to relocate to So-Cal but we’ll see. Berkeley is number 1. They have a Ph.D. program on social well-being so you can do a program to get your Ph.D. in social justice and also your law degree which is what I’m really interested in doing.
WHAT ARE YOU MOST PASSIONATE ABOUT?
DeFraga: I am most passionate about juvenile kids. They need help, it’s not their fault when they get in trouble. I want to make a difference in the juvenile justice system. Kids are important and not enough people are making an effort with them.
Gutierrez: I think definitely collaborating with communities that are oppressed and striving for social justice.
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVORITE EXPERIENCE IN HUMBOLDT?
DeFraga: My favorite experience is all in all the environment. I think the environment has shaped every aspect of my experience. Everyone is super genuine. The JRVP program has been one of my favorite experience up here.
Gutierrez: Definitely volunteering with YES. I started volunteering as a freshman through the step-up program which is HSU’s alternative spring break. That’s where we went to San Francisco to volunteer for spring break, and then when I was a sophomore I directed the program myself and planned the Sacramento trip. My junior trip I applied to be one of the five paid staff positions and I got it. This year I applied to be the lead program consultant and I love it. I love YES and I think if it weren’t for YES I would have transferred out of HSU because it’s so isolated. I think finding a community is really important and I found it at YES. That has definitely been my favorite part so far at HSU.
WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR INCOMING STUDENTS?
DeFraga: Be brave. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be scared to not know something, just ask and be comfortable in your own skin.
Gutierrez: Definitely, get involved. Maybe not your first semester if you want to get a taste of college and what classes are like as a full-time student and how you fit in because that’s the time to dip in your toes and see what you want to be involved with.
WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE PROFESSOR AT HSU?
DeFraga: Michihiro Clark Sugata.
Gutierrez: Wow, I’ve had so many. I think so far it’s been Nancy Perez. She just got hired through the CRGS department and I took Chicana/Latinx with her last semester. I really like the structure of the class and how she gave us assignments I never had before and so she was really relaxed with what we could do. One of the assignments was to write a children’s book and what stood out for me was to write a children’s book that you wish you had when growing up. I really liked it and I wrote a book about my experiences growing with a message I would have liked to see growing up. That really stood out for me and that has made her one of my favorite professors. She really thinks outside the box and giving us assignments that were challenging because you think you can write a children’s book no problem but really it’s a lot more than that. It’s a lot deeper than that and there’s a lot of thinking that goes into it like ‘how can I put a message into it in a way that a 5-year-old or whoever is reading it will understand it.’ That’s why she’s my favorite professor.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED WITH THE JUVENILE CENTER AND WHAT IS IT LIKE? WHAT HAVE YOU GAINED MOST WITH WORKING THERE?
DeFraga: It’s pretty awesome getting to go into the Juvenile hall and work with the kids there. They are honestly just normal kids we have just labeled them as bad or delinquent! I think that the best part is being able to see that they are just kids, not criminals! To be able to just hang out with them and show them a positive example is a small way in which each and every one of us can help them. I’ve been working with them since my freshman year! It also makes you feel like your life isn’t so bad in retrospective to theirs. Putting yourself in their shoes and looking at the intersectionality that goes along with it!
WHAT IS WORKING AT YES LIKE?
Gutierrez: It’s really rewarding in several aspects. It’s not just going out into the community that’s rewarding, it’s also all the skills I have learned that I didn’t even know I had, such as facilitating meetings and learning people’s first language and how there’s a savior complex when volunteering and how YES is striving more towards collaborating with communities instead of really just going in and serving them. It’s more like we’re here if you need us and what is it you would like from us instead of going in and being like we’re here to do this for you. So I think that’s what I really fell in love with YES, there really striving to make those changes.
As a starting sprinter for HSU’s track team, and recipient to over a hundred awarded medals, Romel Robinson, is familiar with identifying himself as a runner. However, beyond the many medals, is a self-taught gymnast and break-dancer.
“I taught myself [to tumble] in middle school,” Robinson said. “My friend knew how to back flip and tried to teach me, we were just messing around.”
Finding a new interest in the gymnastics world, Robinson continued to teach himself new tumbling tricks.
“My favorite is a double back flip,” Robinson said. “It’s a work in progress, I don’t have the right equipment to perform it without hurting myself.”
Robinson is extremely careful when practicing tumbling, as he’s already out for the season with two pulled hamstrings.
“It’s a lot of strain, very similar to running,” Robinson said. “You tumble until your body can’t, which is about an hour, to an hour and a half in. After that, you’re sloppy and too weak.”
While finding a commonality between the physical excursions of tumbling and track, Robinson views the two sports very differently.
“Tumbling is just for fun,” Robinson said. “I got pushed into track, it’s more competitive, and I take it seriously. It’s a lifestyle.”
Fellow teammate, roommate, and competitor, Stefan John, supports Robinson both on and off the track.
“We’re straight up family, we gel,” John said. “We have a lot in common, and run the same events. He wants my stride and I want his quickness! We’re great friends and competitors.”
With athletic support, Robinson pursues an environmental engineering major as a first generation college student. Idolizing his first engineering professor, Sintana Vergara, Robinson refers to her as his “Humboldt Mom”.
“She’s always been there to help,” Robinson said. “She helped me through starvation freshman year, buying me groceries. She’s constantly encouraging me in and out of the classroom.”
Sintana Vergara shares a very similar attitude toward Robinson. Vergara said that Robinson was the first student she met at HSU.
“It was a very friendly start,” Vergara said. “I remember he casually mentioned eating one meal a day, it broke my heart, I wanted to advocate for him. It was crazy and exceptionally frustrating. He’s such an amazing athlete and student, full of potential.”
Robinson pursues a masters and doctorate degree, with a goal of becoming the first doctor in his family. Vergara fully supports and believes in Robinson’s dream.
[perfectpullquote align=”left” bordertop=”false” cite=”Romel Robinson” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=”17″]“I grew up in a difficult area. I remember we didn’t always have food and my mom was working multiple jobs. She’s my biggest inspiration and is totally killing it now…”[/perfectpullquote]“There’s no doubt he can do it,” Vergara said. “Everyone struggles regardless, no matter who you are. It’s a tough major, but, he will be successful.”
Focused on following a strict plan for the next ten years of his life, Robinson has an interesting goal for his more distant future.
“After getting my masters and doctorate degree, I want to change my name,” Robinson said. “Romel Fresh Robinson, so when I’m a professor, I can be called Dr. Fresh or Professor Fresh.”
Coming from the tough area of Visalia, California Robinson emphasizes opportunity and dedication.
“I grew up in a difficult area,” Robinson said. “I remember we didn’t always have food and my mom was working multiple jobs. She’s my biggest inspiration and is totally killing it now, doing accounting at a firm.”
Watching a powerful and successful transition in his family, encourages Robinson to achieve and accomplish more.
“My mom taught me everything I know,” Robison said. “She helps me with whatever I need, even if she doesn’t know how, she’s my favorite.”
With serious goals and aspirations for the future, track becomes nearly invisible on the long list of objectives. However, it gave Robinson an opportunity in the first place, and will remain his life indefinitely.
“I like running, it’s something I will always do, until I die!” Robinson said. “I mean, it got me here.”
Black Humboldt founders Dionna Fletcher and Mo Desir provided a safe space for women of color to join and have fun with each other. “Love Ya’ Self Queen” was an event that allowed guests to enjoy themselves as they took part in yoga practices, dancing lessons, hair care tips, essential oils, music and laughs Saturday night, Feb. 16.
The night started off with a short yoga practice instructed by Fletcher. Yoga mats were placed in a small circle, inviting all the guests to come together and share the space. Fletcher is an instructor-in-training, with a focus in teaching Afrocentric-based yoga. She led the session beautifully; taking deep breaths and loosening up the muscles proved to be an excellent way to begin the event.
After relaxed guests finished one more deep breath, a workshop with essential oils was next on the list. The air quickly smelled of citrus and peppermint as Rosemary Grady, longtime friend of both Fletcher and Desir, shared the benefits of natural medicines and oils in a short workshop. Grady has had an interest in essential oils for a while. After discovering what different smells can do to a person’s sensory memory, she dove in deeper with her research.
Grady said citrus reminds her of the times she would visit the orange trees with her family in Riverside. She also mentioned that lavender has helped her many times with anxiety and stress. Natural resources also help benefit your health, instead of using products that contain harmful chemicals that can affect your body.
Later, after a choreographed dance lesson uplifted the room with many smiles, Desir and Fletcher shared helpful tips for those struggling with different hair types such as thick, curly hair. As participants created hair masks, they suggested using coconut oil in your hair last rather than first, because it blocks out other products from entering your hair, and, for curls, it’s best to wash it once a week to prevent it from getting dry and brittle.
Desir presented an easy recipe for a hair mask consisting of Mayonnaise (vegan mayonnaise is an option), honey, extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil. An avocado or banana can be added to make it thicker. Everybody was given a sample to use at home along with a homemade sugar scrub.
After that, the circle opened up about their experiences with their hair and other difficulties that they’ve gone through being women of color.
“I straightened my hair for a really long time throughout middle school and high school,” Grady said. “It wasn’t until I went to college… it was actually black women telling me what to use for my hair; it wasn’t until I lived in that environment where I was supported by women of color, I started to embrace myself and love myself a lot more.”
With an entire county that lacks in diversity, Fletcher and Desir wanted to establish reliable and entertaining spaces for people of color to express themselves without having to feel restricted because of an uncomfortable or unfamiliar environment.
“Every month we try to find new themes and innovative ways to be together,” Fletcher said.
Black Humboldt normally holds events in black-owned businesses, to promote and give the black community a variety of places to visit and so people of color can explore new spaces and find more diversity in this county. “Love Ya’ Self Queen” was held at the Body High Pole Dance Studio, owned by Naomi Leitu and Natalie Abeja, both women of color.
“We specifically chose this space because it is black-owned,” Fletcher said.
Desir said that they hold events in black-owned businesses to support and display a positive place for people of color to attend.
“This is a POC owned facility,” Desir said. “I think a big emphasis we are trying to do is to create that safe space.”
Fletcher and Desir both knew that having a group that works toward building a strong black community in a largely white population would be great for Humboldt. They want to share inviting environments as well as values and support for local people of color.
“We are hoping to create a strong black community, create black economic empowerment for black businesses the most that we can,” Desir said.
Look for more events from Black Humboldt by checking out their official website.
Sacramento California native, Tanae Nichols has a plan to prove to other black girls, anything is possible. Nichols is a third year at Humboldt State and is studying cellular molecular biology.
“Dealing with genetics on a molecular level, I’m able to break down how things work and function on the most basic level,” Nichols said.
Nichols takes this goal and brings it to life with her hands-on work as a caregiver. Growing up she had many family members with disabilities and was inspired to find out how she could help. Her love for knowledge and caring for others is what drew her to work in the field. She was also interested in internal medicine dealing with black people.
“I wanted to learn more on a developmental level, I can fix things in the body,” Nichols said.
When a Humboldt State recruiter came to her advanced placement class in high school, she became drawn to the beautiful location and the sense of community. These factors are what pushed her to attend school here.
“I’ve always been into hiking, camping and just being an outdoors girl,” Nichols said. “I am an adventurer.”
Nichols moved to Humboldt straight out of high school. She came with intentions to join the pre-med program. She also enjoyed how the school pushed a biology centered curriculum. She tried many different majors before finding a fit.
“I changed my major from general biology to environmental biology to psychology and then back to pre-med,” Nichols said.
[perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”Tanae Nichols” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]”Continue your studies and trust in your dreams.”[/perfectpullquote]Being the first person to go to college in her family, and a black woman in science, she has felt the pressure to succeed.
“I have professors that really believe in me and tell me ‘Don’t let anyone tell you, you can’t do it,’” Nichols said.
She takes this advice and strives forward to be a positive role model for her family back home.
With three brothers and four sisters, Nichols finds herself in the middle. Raised by two hard working parents who did not go to college, education was always important.
“My parents made sure I was put into schools that were college oriented,” Nichols said.
The charter school she attended really promoted children of color to go to college.
She is involved with the Humboldt State’s club/sisterhood, The Legacy. This group of women aim to be a home away from home for all women and a platform to connect with the Humboldt community. They do different community service events like canned food drives, beach clean-ups and mentoring girls. Nichols believes it is important to be involved with the community to be an effective doctor.
“When going into medicine, you have to learn the community you are serving,” Nichols said.
Nichols has about two more years to go until graduation. Her next steps after college are to go to medical school, do a two-year residency and eventually become a doctor. Nichols encourages other young black girls who aspire to go into the science field.
“Continue your studies and trust in your dreams,” Nichols said.
The Rolling Count:
Alright, alright, this week had some activity! No one was charged—which is dope. However, some folks got in trouble…metaphorically speaking. Or maybe not; the report is ambiguous. Hemlock, Alder, Tan Oak and even the parking lot at Forbes Gym all saw some action.
Possession charges = 4
Contraband/paraphernalia seizures = 2
Monday Feb. 11
· Mental health awareness—The past week had a number of welfare checks, which are enacted if someone is concerned about another’s wellbeing. With that said, if you are experiencing a tough time and need someone to talk to, you can access counseling and other mental health services at the Student Health Center. Check out their website.
· Good guy alert—Someone got an escort to their vehicle late at night from UPD. Give a cop a high-five next time you see one!
· Three Butt dials!—UPD was called three times with no one answering from the other end. Guys, airplane mode is a thing. So is not calling 911 on accident. Come on, you’re better than that.
· A problem worth addressing—Someone was warned for camping on HSU property near the Kinesiology and Athletics buildings. Those in power need to help our more vulnerable counterparts…not everyone has the luxury of a home.
Tuesday Feb. 12
· Art Heist—It looks like we have an art burglar in the Pepperwood Residence Hall. Stealing art in the movies looks cool, but in real life it’s not. So, don’t do it. M’kay?
· Petty Theft x2—A backpack and other items were stolen from the Kinesiology building. Please don’t steal.
· Smokin’ in the boys’ room—Drug activity at Hemlock Residence Hall! Two people were caught with marijuana. They only received an “incident memo,” so that’s cool.
Wednesday Feb. 13
· Buzzkill—“A campus parking officer found three rolled marijuana joints on the ground and turned them in for destruction.” Destruction? I bet the guy in the evidence room smoked them.
· Good guy alert—UPD helped someone get into a locked car. Now, that’s pretty cool.
· Let’s Mötley Crüe this place—Someone punched a whole bunch of holes in their walls in Laurel Residence Hall. Don’t worry though, “he is code four, negative crime.” Whatever that means.
· Buzzkill part deux—“Housing out with a resident in the kitchen in possession of marijuana.” The wording of that sentence sounds like a bad Bob Dylan song.
· Stop! (in the name of love) x4—The cops were on a mission this day. Four people were stopped for blowing through stop signs on a bike. Bikers, ya gotta stop. Sometimes it’s in the name of love. Other times it’s in the name of the law.
Thursday Feb. 14
· Good guy alert x3—UPD helped with a jumpstart, locked car doors and a late-night escort…on valentine’s day. Aren’t they sweethearts?
· Trespass—A “transient female has been in the restroom for at least 30 minutes.” It breaks my heart that our homeless counterparts routinely have the police called on them for pejorative actions. The woman was warned about her “recent trespass.” On public property…
· Smokin’ ciggies—“Several subjects [were] smoking in the stairwell area” at the Hagopian House. Although UPD didn’t see them smoking, they admitted to it…amateurs.
Friday Feb. 15
· “Making a scene”—Someone refused to take their backpack off when entering the College Creek Marketplace and threw a fit. Not gonna lie, this backpack policy is the stupidest effing policy on campus. Those who enacted it assume that students are thieves. A former LJ editorial team wrote a piece about this and the ridiculous prices.
Saturday Feb. 16
· Momma’s boy—A Lyft driver called someone’s mom after he left his cell phone in the car. Like a good mother, she called the police to check in on the situation. The phone was returned and the owner was “advised to contact his mother.” Aww, that’s sweet.
· Fallen soldier—An RA in the Alder Residence Hall seized someone’s pipe and turned it into UPD. Now I’m not one to glorify military stuff, but let’s salute this fallen soldier. Cue “Taps.”
Sunday Feb. 17
· Someone barfed—“Someone vomited in the Fieldhouse and the game is unable to resume until it is cleaned up…” Oh man, that is something there, imagine the smell. Seriously think about…taste it… smell it….Okay see ya next week!
Nearly 100 organizations made the journey through sideways rain for the Humboldt State Career and Volunteer Expo. The event was held in the west gym on Feb. 14 from 12 p.m. to 4p.m. and included prospecting volunteers and job recruiters that ranged from California Conservation Corps to Companion Animal Foundation.
HSU’s career advisor Joy Soll, said that 70 percent are received because of networking.
“This gives students an opportunity to actually meet employees and to actually talk to people,” Soll said.
This year Soll said they wanted students to look as professional as possible. Professors, faculty and chamber of commerce members donated clothing for the event so students could grab a blazer or a button up shirt before introducing themselves. Because of the government shutdown Soll said there were a few less organizations but they still expected a similar turn out at last year, around 800 students.
“Because of the government shutdown we had to actually extend our deadline,” Soll said. “We work with a lot of professors to encourage their students to attend the event since they don’t always know the opportunities that are here for them.”
Kyle Barney, senior in environmental studies, was one of those students. He said his professor made him come for his Capstone class but was taking the opportunity to get more knowledge on the jobs that are available. Barney, along with every other student attending, was even able to get free professional portraits from Kellie Jo Brown of MarCom.
“Today will just to be figuring out what I might want to do,” Barney said. “I’m sticking around till next summer so I’m just going to see what comes up.”
Trena Neel, general biology junior, was at the event with Companion Animal Foundation. Neel has been volunteering with the organization since May of 2018.
“I walked into Companion Animal Foundation’s thrift store looking for a job but they didn’t have any openings,” Need said. “I applied as a volunteer instead because I want to be a vet tech.”
Neel said she grew up with animals all her life and so volunteering with Companion Animal Foundation fulfills that.
“I just want to be around animals and help them when their sick,” Neel said. “If you love your job then it’s not really work.”
Shanna Gunn, lead animal technician for Companion Animal Foundation, said they use their thrift store to support their animal adoptions and they take part community outreach in Arcata. They also help those with financial difficulty to spray and neuter their animals.
“We’re here because we want to get more people volunteering and involved,” Gunn said. “There has been a lot of people coming and showing interest. That’s why we are here.”
At a young age James Floss had an incredible journey, following his courageous instinct and natural talent for the performing arts. After failing his pre-med class at the University of Buffalo, Floss decided to drop out and journey on to a new path.
“I had failed the class and I have never failed anything in my life, it just rocked my world,” Floss said.
With the help of a friend from Stanford and a couch to crash on; Floss was already on the path to what would soon become his career. When he heard that his friend’s girlfriend was attending Humboldt State at the time, Floss decided to visit and immediately was mesmerized with the school.
“I just fell in love with it; the natural beauty of it,” Floss said.
A new beginning formed for Floss, and even though he transitioned to a town he wasn’t familiar with, it didn’t seem like he had trouble adjusting to the new environment. He eventually had to find a place of his own, but because he was by himself, he thought of something clever.
“After dropping out of ‘pre med’ I was on my own, I learned how to live cheap,” Floss said.
Living cheap meant living in a treehouse behind the school. Some may say that living in a treehouse is bizarre, and they might as well be right, but Floss made it work. He built it with another close friend of his and lived in it for quite some time. It seemed to be a comfortable way to live, and most importantly he saved money without having to worry about other living expenses.
“I didn’t consider myself homeless, I was trying to live cheap,” Floss said.
Floss adapted to the HSU community quickly; he found himself participating in many theatrical activities and became a part of a few performative groups. One group in particular was the Humboldt “Chamber Readers.” They are an organization that tours around the schools of Humboldt, delivering creative performances to students ranging from kindergarten to high school. This also happened to be his main source of income that helped him pay through college.
Another group that Floss joined back in the day were the “Sweet Georgia Brown Clowns.” The group of clowns were introduced to each other by performing arts professor, Gale Mcneeley. Mcneeley taught “clowning” and “advanced clowning” while Floss attended HSU. Floss juggled, mimed and occasionally dressed as a clown with other members. They were active for only six years but Floss became wonderful friends with the group and is still in contact.
“He (Mcneeley) got us our first tour going and we stayed together as a clown troupe,” Floss said.
With a wide variety of organizations and clubs that he took part of, Floss truly found his inspiration for the performing arts here at Humboldt State. At the time, guest artists from Dell’Arte which is the International School of Physical Theatre, located in Blue Lake, would come to HSU and teach special skills to students such as clowning, stage combat, and mime. He received an education basically equivalent to those who attended Dell’Arte.
[perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”James Floss” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=”18″]”It was an accidental career, it was not what I intended to set out to do.”[/perfectpullquote]Floss had an outstanding time in college with the theatre department. He kept falling towards more roles, more concepts and more projects; it all came to him naturally.
“I call them my golden years, I was just having fun, I was really enjoying my experience as an undergrad at Humboldt State University,” Floss said. “I got the letter six years in that said ‘you must graduate,’ they kicked me out. I was just enjoying taking classes.”
After graduating HSU in 1985, Floss was hoping to become a professional actor, but Humboldt had other plans for him. Later he developed an interest in directing, but as he continued to be an active member in the “Chamber Readers,” Floss realized that he also enjoyed teaching. A job opening for a teaching position back at HSU was brought to his attention, accidentally landing him the role of a full-time professor.
“They needed somebody to teach a one unit class in oral interpretation as part of the ‘Teacher Preparation Program,’ so that was my foot in the door,” Floss said. “It was an accidental career, it was not what I intended to set out to do.”
Although it was not the career Floss anticipated; he didn’t regret teaching at all. Floss has absolutely loved his time working here as a professor and sharing different experiences with students throughout the 34 years that he has been teaching. He is known for his vivid ways of teaching, making each class fun and exciting.
“For me it’s a performance thrill; I’m using my theatre skills everyday in the classroom,” Floss said. “My lectures are my performances.”
Students who have already taken a communications class with professor Floss, like Bryan Taylor and Jesse Morales, find Floss’ methods of teaching to be very engaging.
Morales said that having Floss as his professor is always entering and super fun.
[perfectpullquote align=”left” bordertop=”false” cite=”Bryan Taylor” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=”18″]”I’m sad to see him go…I’ve never had somebody who brings so much of theatrics to communications.”[/perfectpullquote]“I like it, compared to other teachers it keeps me awake, cause a lot of teachers just kind of sit there and lecture, it’s very difficult to stay focused,” Morales said.
Taylor said that Floss is the more interesting professor he’s ever experienced.
“He’s theatrical than any teacher that I’ve had in the communications kind of world,” Taylor said.
Floss brings creativity and individuality into his classes. He is a wonderful professor that encourages students to be more active in class, building a positive environment for all who enter his space. Seeing him leave the HSU community for retirement at the end of the school year will surely be bitter.
“I’m sad to see him go, you know? He’s just a very different teacher, I’ve never had somebody who brings so much of theatrics to communications,” Taylor said.
As for plans after retirement, Floss is wanting to travel with his wife. He will be exploring more cultures as he is in the process of adapting a new project called “Immigrant Voices” into a stage show, this show will include real stories of real people and their take on immigration.
“These are the real words of real people, I just want to make a theatrical show out of it,” Floss said.
Aside from that, he is looking forward to what his retirement has in store for him. The renowned actor and proud “Excellence in Teaching” award recipient will soon bid farewell to HSU, a school that has treated James Floss to a great deal of fantastic experiences that he can hold on to as lasting memories.
“I have loved it, it was wonderful,” Floss said.
Dr. Gina Belton has been working for years as an end of life educator and consultant; the idea of a “death cafe” came to her because she felt that it could offer something different to the small town of Arcata, and also provide people a space where they can further understand this taboo subject in a creative way.
“It wasn’t being talked about,” Belton said. “Nobody was talking about it in the way I wanted to…with heart.”
Belton was inspired by the death cafes that originated in the UK. The first cafe event was held in 2011 in the home of former council worker Jon Underwood. Underwood came across an article one day about Swiss sociologist Bernard Crettaz, who created the concept of “cafe mortels” or death cafes.
[perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”Dr. Gina Belton” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=”19″]“Nobody was talking about [death] in the way I wanted to- with heart.”[/perfectpullquote]Crettaz thought that death was being pushed to the side, it needed to be recognized rather than being hidden, and Underwood agreed. He was fascinated by the idea of bringing people together to receive a deeper meaning of death. When he opened up his home to a few strangers, he didn’t realize that it was going to be such a huge success. A small get together soon spread out around the world, with at least 4800 death cafes held in 51 countries since the first meeting.
Death cafes are often hosted at a home or other temporary settings. The main goal of these unique cafes is to raise awareness of death and to help show others a different outlook on death so that they can make the most out of their lives.
In order to host a death cafe, some agreements must be made; cafes should always be nonprofit, they cannot have any agenda hidden behind them and, most importantly, they must serve a nice cup of tea, cake or other treats for guests to enjoy.
Belton’s cafe takes place on the second week of every month. Many showed their interest on Thursday Feb. 7, as ten locals expressed their take on the strange matter, making it Beltons’ biggest turn out that she has had in a while.
Death can be seen as a compelling topic to talk about for some, but it can obviously prove to be a touchy subject for others. Belton knows that this topic will lead to vulnerability as people share their thoughts and experiences, which is why she makes sure that the environment is supportive and each individual is respected.
“It feels supportive, but it is not a support group, you can just be here,” Belton said. “If anything you can cry buckets of tears here.”
Even though death is the main focus for this event, Belton also tries to highlight the beauty of life. To be clear, a death cafe does not encourage acts toward death itself, instead it simply explains to others what death is to better understand the mystery of death.
“That is why we come here, because we don’t know,” Belton said.
Belton has witnessed many forms of both loss and the grieving of others; being a nurse and educator for over 20 years influenced her to continue working with the concepts of life and death. Belton finds joy in preparing her room for events such as these because she also finds joy in hearing what others have to say about this unpopular topic.
HSU has received lectures from her before, and Belton is more than happy with an idea to facilitate a cafe like this just for college students. Students are out on their own, and with unfortunate incidents regarding other students, Belton believes that having an open space to discuss confusing and/or deep subjects with students is a great way for them to learn and accept loss and life.
Having a group of students that share the same confusion about death could serve as a dependable resource during difficult times. Students like Shelby Geilfuss and Cita Hunter express their thoughts about having a death cafe for students; although they believe it would be a good idea to have, they still have mixed feelings because of the sensitive topic.
“Honestly, I have really bad anxiety when it comes to death,” Hunter said. “It’s important to know that people die everyday, you have to understand that things happen although it’s sad you have to accept that type of stuff.”
Geilfuss said that she thinks grief is a personal thing and it should be handled on the individuals own time and in their own way.
“I probably wouldn’t go,” Geilfuss said. “But I do think it’s a good resource for other people to have because many people deal with grief in different ways.”
Belton further explained that death is a part of life, and though at times it seems like an impossible thing to accept, it also helps us value life itself. Belton has acknowledged that “death” is unpredictable, and because of that, life is something to look forward to. She hopes that all who enter her space can realize that as well.
“I’m tasting the world, I’m tasting every bit of it before I go,” Belton said.
The Arcata plaza is a quirky place. The stores that surround it each have their own flare, and no two are alike. Of those stores on the plaza, that definitely screams the image of Humboldt is “Solutions.” Solutions is an eco-store that has been there since 1990 and is owned and operated by Kevin Johnson.
“Everything we have here is the more eco version of a toxic version [of a product],” Johnson said. “Whatever can be made with CBD, we’re trying to have.”
Cannabis has been the talk of the town, especially after legalization, more specifically is cannabidiol, also known as CBD. CBD oils have been proven to be a natural remedy that has started to become more popular. To put it simply, CBD and tetrahydrocannabinol or THC are different from each other but come from the same plant. THC is the psychoactive, mind-altering compound of cannabis, but CBD is an extraction from hemp and is anti-inflammatory. According to healthline.com, CBD has been proven to help with inflammation (especially in seniors), controlling pain, nausea and mental disorders.
“What people are doing now is they are taking hemp plant varieties, crossing it with the cannabis and breeding the CBD up and the THC down,” Johnson said.
Because CBD is gaining popularity, the people that grow to make these different products have altered the way they grow the marijuana plant, knowing that many people prefer the non-psychoactive part of the plant.
HSU art history major Sam Oetinger, said he has never personally bought CBD oil but has used it in the past with his lacrosse teammates after games.
“We felt that it helped with muscle soreness and recovery,” Oetinger said.
However, the repeating argument that goes into CBD is that the success stories outnumber the actual scientific evidence. There are many people that swear by CBD and cannabis as a whole, but because it is still so unknown there are yet to be studies done that weigh out the benefits and the drawbacks.
Miles Kinman is an environmental studies major at HSU. Kinman said that his family uses CBD oil as a less expensive alternative medication to help with his sister’s arthritis.
“My sister had side effects from arthritis medication combined with other meds which she doesn’t have to deal with when using CBD,” Kinman said.
CBD comes in many variations; Kevin Johnson explained that Solutions carries lotions, cosmetics, chocolates and some fabrics made from hemp. Despite CBD being a controversy, the plant itself is a more sustainable form of creating these products as opposed to unsustainable factories.
David Gwenzi is an assistant professor of environmental science and management at Humboldt State University. He teaches remote sensing classes and geospatial science classes.Gwenzi is the content committee chairman for the geospatial science program, a program that floats between three departments and two colleges. Born and raised in Mutare, Zimbabwe, his values encourage him to be a role model for younger generations and to inspire success.
[perfectpullquote align=”left” bordertop=”false” cite=”David Gwenzi” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]“Whatever you do as an adult, think of how it reflects on younger generations.”[/perfectpullquote]“Whatever you do as an adult, think of how it reflects on younger generations,” Gwenzi said.
Gwenzi was raised in the Bantu culture, a culture made up of several hundred indigenous ethnic groups in sub-Saharan Africa, spread over a vast area from Central Africa across the African Great Lakes to Southern Africa. The culture encourages responsibility to the society rather than just the individual. Gwenzi became an educated man to prove to the people in his community that if they put in similar effort, they would be able to meet their goals and gain achievements as well.
Gwenzi began his college education at Bindura State University in Zimbabwe, where he researched environmental sciences to help the people of his home country better understand their landscape.
After two years of classroom education, Gwenzi spent a year researching local pine plantations. This was Gwenzi’s first opportunity to use spatial data for his plantation baboon bark stripping research project in July 2006.
“I researched baboons on pine plantations in Zimbabwe,”Gwenzi said. “The baboons stripped pine trees of their cambium layer and they chewed on it. There was sugar or sweet in that layer. It was a treat, but it would girdle the trees.”
The nature of the project had Gwenzi surveying the movements of baboon troops on plantations in the eastern highlands using spotting scopes and topographic maps. Gwenzi would record the locations of stripped pine trees in pencil on topographic maps. He compiled the data by hand. His data gave him some idea of the range of each baboon troop on the plantation. It was a tedious process.
“When I was done with that, that was when I talked with the guy who was a GIS technician,” Gwenzi said. “He showed me you could make cool maps out of all these topo maps. Then the guy told me about how easy it could be digitize. I didn’t have to do it with pen and paper in the end.”
Gwenzi fell in love with the GIS process. He became familiar with the tools of the trade and focused his education around Geospatial Sciences. After receiving his bachelor’s in environmental sciences with a focus in forestry, Gwenzi moved to the Netherlands to receive his master’s in geoinformation science and earth observation from the University of Twente. He finally completed his education with a doctorate in spatial ecology from the University of Colorado.
At HSU, Gwenzi shares his passion with many students in the environmental sciences and management department, the forestry department and the geography department. He is renowned through the student body as a high quality professor.
Bente Jansen is a HSU junior ESM policy and planning major. He said that Gwenzi is a good teacher.
“He was always willing to work with me,” Jansen said.
Melanie Stephenson is a senior geospatial science and geology major who has taken some of Gwenzi’s classes.
“Gwenzi is such a ‘G.’ ‘G’ for Gwenzi,” Stephenson said.
Sam Wood is a HSU alumni of the geography program.
“Gwenzi is the best,” Wood said. “He is a genius. I wish he was here now hanging out with us.”
Born into a family of musical influence, Job René, grew up touring the country with his dad’s reggae band, Phase 2. Continuing the family’s musical legacy, René plays both the piano, and cello skillfully as well as pursuing a music major at HSU.
“Music has been a part of me since childhood,” René said. “I started piano when I was six or seven and my dad’s a musician. He kind of said you’re playing music, I don’t care what you say, you’re playing.”
René continued playing the piano up until high school, deciding a break was best for himself.
“That’s when I said, I’m done with the piano for now,” René said. “I want to play sports, I want to do high school things.”
After quitting music, René played basketball and a year of football. With a lack of funding, the football program closed and René was pulled back into the world of music, where he decided this time he would learn a new instrument.
“I always wanted to continue to play music, that never went away,” René said. “What jump started it was in high school, around 10th grade I started playing the cello. A music program came to the school and I thought, I have to get back on this, this is a calling. I told myself I’m doing this and I’m learning a new instrument.”
Even though René went back to music and started learning a new instrument, he felt discouraged to pursue music as a major.
“There’s no money in music, I was set on broadening my horizons,” René said. “I did settle for a minor in piano because I knew I had to do something with music.”
René explored departments and opportunities outside of music to see what else he was interested in.
“I was undeclared for a good two and a half years,” René said. “At the end of that semester I changed my major to music and started that spring.”
René decided to embrace the musical aspect of his life and pursue it as a career.
“I am very happy with my music major,” René said. “I mainly play classical music, it’s what I was brought up on since I was seven. It’s really what I lean towards and I actually like it!”
René takes pride in his passion for romantic classical music, having dealt with judgements and push back over his preferred music choice in the past.
[perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”Job René” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=”16″]“My mom is my biggest supporter. She was really proud I was learning piano… It was the fact that she could see a future in it.”[/perfectpullquote]“Me being a black person, I get it all the time,” René said. “Like, bruh, why are you listening to classical music? “I connect with it, it was destined for me to like [classical music].”
Regardless of the judgement, René continues. He said his biggest supporter keeps him motivated.
“My mom is my biggest supporter,” René said. “She was really proud I was learning piano. I was doing something that a lot of other kids weren’t really doing. It was the fact that she could see a future in it.”
Mae René, lives 13 hours south of her son in Los Angeles, but still takes time off work and drives to see every recital.
“I try to be a supportive parent in the audience,” Mae René said. “To me, it’s not a 13 hour drive, it’s me seeing my child.”
Mae René has trusted her son’s music abilities since a young age and saw a future for him in it early.
“He picked up music right away,” Mae René said. “To be honest, I wanted him to be a music major from the beginning but I allowed him to step out, and now he knows, mom knows best!”
Mae René isn’t the only supporter in the audience, fellow Brothers United members also strive to support René.
Ronald Taylor, a third year kinesiology major, and fellow member of BU, described his first experience watching René perform.
“I went to one recital at the end of last year,” Taylor said. “It was really nice, he did well, no mess ups.”
Bradin Thomas, a fourth year kinesiology major and member of BU, is a fan of René’s romantic classical music interest.
“It’s nice,” Thomas said. “I like his music, it soothes you.”
With support from friends and family, René embraces his musical interest more seriously, and is considering sharing his interest with young kids.
[perfectpullquote align=”left” bordertop=”false” cite=”Job René” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=”19″]”If I have to stop music, it’d be like taking a piece of my soul.”[/perfectpullquote]“Right now, I’m taking a pedagogy class that teaches you how to start your own business,” René said. “Like how to start your piano studio and teach students how to play piano.”
Wanting to share his musical interest, René emphasizes the impact music has had on his life.
“If I have to stop music, it’d be like taking a piece of my soul,” René said.
The Rolling Count:
This week in drug-related activity was pretty chill. Nobody was charged with possession and nobody was caught in the act of smoking weed. However, we do have to salute a fallen soldier. On Wednesday Feb. 6 in the Alder residence hall, “marijuana related contraband located during a fire drill was seized for destruction,” according to a police report. It is unfortunate that the individual lost their bong, bowl, pipe, vape or whatever; but let’s look on the brightside—nobody caught a charge! And that my friend is dope a.f.
Possession charges = 4
Contraband/Paraphernalia= 1 (no one was charged but someone did lose a piece, so I’m counting it)
Hootie Hoo!—what the cops are up to:
Monday Feb. 4
Tuesday Feb. 5
Wednesday Feb. 6
Thursday Feb. 7
Friday Feb. 8
Saturday Feb. 9
Sunday Feb. 10
It was a crisp, clear night. The Arcata square was full of hustle and bustle as it would be on a Saturday night. At the Arcata Theater Lounge, a crowd lined up with enough people to wrap around the corner of G and 11th St. The crowd was filled with people ranging from young college women to middle-aged men, all anticipating the Mr. Humboldt beauty pageant.
“It’s glorious,” Nad Molloy said, otherwise known as Mr. Who Now. “I’m more than happy to be here.”
Molloy was a contestant in the 2014 pageant and was sporting the same tux that he wore during his run for Mr. Humboldt. The crowd was dotted with crowned men of past years; among them was Jeff Mason, the Mr. Humboldt winner of 2015.
“I expect partial male nudity and lots of enthusiasm,” Mason said, as a group of young women waiting to talk to him hollered at his comment.
The contest consisted of four main events: question and answer, swimwear, talent, and formal wear. In the mix, there were two award sections as well, the Mr. Congeniality Award and the Cougar award. As for the seven contestants themselves, there was Mr. Boujee, Mr. Heavy D, Mr. Buck 25, Mr. Queer, Mr. Lumberjack, Mr. Dig and Mr. Bigfoot.
The whole function of the Mr. Humboldt pageant to raise money for a charity that is chosen by the winner every year. This year, the charities that were chosen were Food for People, Planned Parenthood, Family Resource Center for ACE Prevention and the North Coast Rape Crisis Team. This year the total amount that was raised was six thousand dollars.
Throughout the event, people were encouraged to donate anytime they could. Undergarments could be purchased to throw onstage and there was a popularity contest at intermission where the eliminated contestants could be voted back in.
Audience member Marisa Parish said that this was her first year attending a Mr. Humboldt pageant.
“Just good, relaxed fun, and freedom to explore your comfort and sexuality is a good experience to have for everyone,” Parish said.
Parish came with a group of women wearing clips in their hair designed to look like vaginas and breasts in support of Planned Parenthood. The entirety of the pageant was to come out, have fun and support each other, making the event all the more enjoyable.
“As long as the charity gets the money, and the people in the audience have a good time, that’s all that matters, that’s what tonight’s about,” contestant Mr. Heavy D said.
The night was full of plenty of sexual innuendos and enough wood jokes to last a lifetime. Ladies in the audience whooped and hollered as the men danced around onstage wearing minimal clothing. The crowd favorite was definitely Mr. Lumberjack, who is also an HSU student. Mr. Lumberjack was the one to take the win at the end of the night.
“You know, we played really hard, we had a good game,” Mr. Lumberjack said, sporting his new crown. “You gotta just hang it out there, whether it’s all you got or literally all you got in your skivvies. You’ve gotta just put it out there on the line.”
Tattoo guns were whirring and the Blue Lake Casino was jam packed with tattoo artists from around the country attending the 10th annual Inked Hearts tattoo expo. This past weekend they opened up their doors to roughly 50 artists who all specialize in various styles and techniques of their art.
Riley Smith is the owner of two tattoo shops, Lifetime Tattoo and Queen Bee, both located in Oregon. He is no stranger to expos, attending an average of 20 expos per year as well as being the founder of three expos himself. These expos are the Evergreen Tattoo Invitational, Evergreen Tattoo Champions and the 208 Boise Tattoo Fest.
“Actually it was a bit of a fluke, me and my business partner Josh McCarlton, he’s the master of realism tattoos, got together and decided we wanted to make tattoo shows better,” Smith said.
Being tattooed by Jared Glassburn from Vancouver, WA. | Photo by Cassaundra CaudilloHaving a long history with expos, he said that the best part of these expos is being able to see artists do what they’re best at, but did mention that expos aren’t the most ideal place to tattoo a person. However, he does have a high appreciation for Inked Hearts.
“I’m honored to be here,” Smith said. “Of all the shows I do around the world this is my favorite show.”
Nico Herring, an artist at Inkfatuation located in Port Hueneme, California, shared a lengthy list of both pros and cons, in which he agrees with Smith on some. Having attended expos in the past and specifically Inked Hearts twice, he had a few things to share.
“You get new clientele, you get to meet new artists from around the world, you get to see artists tattoo that you’ve been wanting to see,” Herring said. “Cons…traveling and having to fish for appointments, but normally there’s a lot of people that come so it’s not too big of a deal.”
Michael Bales, artist from Texas, is tattooing a large quail and flowers in his original style. | Photo by Cassaundra CaudilloArtists who attend these shows can make anywhere from $1,000 to $12,000 per expo weekend. There are some artists who find that despite making those few thousand it is difficult to break even when you take into consideration the traveling costs. These artists do agree that coming to these expos is worth the hours long drive or various flights.
First timer Ceka Kitami, from Faces in the Dark tattoo shop in Kyle, Texas, said that for her the most grueling part of an expo is the traveling. Her team and her had to fly to Humboldt with all of their supplies and then haul it to Blue Lake via car.
“I always learn something new every expo I go to, but the traveling and having to lug all of your stuff all around the world isn’t very fun,” Kitami said.
Woman gets artwork done on her arm at the expo.Joe Elliott, who owns Tattoo Joe’s out of Vacaville, California, mentions that he has been coming to Inked Hearts for nine straight years. He only does three shows a year and Inked Hearts is always one of them. He enjoys being able to catch up with old artist friends and see new talent.
“It’s like a working vacation,” Elliott said.