“To be truly liberated, capitalism and the patriarchy must be eradicated.”
A thunder of knocking agreement filled Founders Hall 118 on Wednesday by a crowd consisting of mostly students who were eager to hear a debate focused on the incompatibility of capitalism and feminism.
Women from HSU’s debate team presented their speeches in front of a crowded room using the British Parliamentary debate format that consists of four teams where each person is given seven minute to present.
[perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”Leslie Rossman” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=”18″]“[We] cannot fight the system if we are always fighting just to survive.”[/perfectpullquote]
Kimberly Nguyen, the prime minister, opened the debate by defining the motion and proposing a radical change by feminists, suggesting they should avoid teaching for profit, working with conglomerate media, and selling bestselling books with publishing conglomerates.
“We will not try to solve for capitalism in this debate,” Nguyen said. “Instead, we are only having a conversation about how the two are incompatible.”
After a heated discussion professor Leslie Rossman, who identifies as a socialist feminist, recapped the event reminding the audience that capitalism is an inherently exploitative system and it will continue to sell social movements like feminism for a profit. Rossman continued to describe how capitalism will constantly reproduce scarcity and leave citizens in a state of insecurity.
“[We] cannot fight the system if we are always fighting just to survive,” Rossman said.
Debate coach and professor, Aaron Donaldson was delighted by the crowd turnout and how well the women debated the topic.
“I think they did a great job of showing why our team is so respected in the circuit,” Donaldson said.
Debate coach Dr. Aaron Donaldson and Dr. Leslie Rossman pose for a picture after the Womxn’s Debate that took place in Founder’s Hall 118 on March 6. | Photo by Christina Samoy
This debate prepared the team for Nationals that will take place at Clemson University in South Carolina in mid-April, where they will compete against teams like Harvard and Yale. Sydney Verga, an environmental studies major, highlighted the struggles of competing at tournaments due to budget cuts.
“Last year we got lucky because nationals was closeby at Stanford,” Verga said. “We normally cannot fly to these tournaments because it’s too expensive.”
Many suggest bake sales to raise money for these tournaments, but the biggest struggle they face is reaching out to debate program alumni who they’ve lost contact with over the years. Recently the clubs office recognized them as a club so they are able to fundraise, although the team is finding it hard to raise money.
The Womxn’s Debate was opened by Blue Baldwin who thanked everyone for attending on March 6. | Photo by Christina Samoy
The team spent weeks preparing their arguments, making sure they were charitable to both sides, making sure none of the arguments were off topic. A goal for this debate was to demasculinize the space and make it as diverse and inclusive as possible.
“Capitalism and feminism are really dense topics,” Nguyen said. “We don’t want to mischaracterize anything.”
Typically the debate team finds themselves presenting in small rooms with an even smaller crowd, but the turnout at the event prepared them for larger spaces and skills to become better public speakers.
A crowd of students gather in Founders Hall 118 to support the Womxn’s Debate team held on March 6. | Photo by Christina Samoy
Donaldson was thankful to have the team present in front of peers, friends, and teachers because, it meant that their hard work wasn’t limited to invisible corners of campus and people are caring about the amount of work and research that goes into preparing for events like this.
“It brings a lot of excitement [for] the chance to give a speech,” Donaldson said.
Live from HSU Instagram stirred with controversial discussion
Social media can be a powerful platform where people can express their opinions and uplift others or it can be a complete abuse of power. Recently the student-run Instagram ‘Live from HSU’ posted several photos about logging practices and the negative effects on forests. A stream of user comments responded. A mix of forestry students and plenty of science majors defended the logging industry, saying that practices have drastically changed in the past 100 years.
Live from HSU brought this up as an open topic for people to bring different opinions to the table, and that’s exactly what happened. The posts got negative and defensive backlash as they were not backed up by factual evidence.
The question is where does one draw the line when it comes to freedom of speech? When it comes to controversial topics the strongest amount of evidence backs up a claim the most.
[perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”Maddy Tervet” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=”18″]”I don’t think that using the student-run Instagram was necessarily the best platform to relay his message…”[/perfectpullquote]
When emotion and opinion get dragged in the waters get muddy and people lash out angrily. What came out of one post continued to come out with several other posts. Students spoke out in a way to defend the forestry department, but the account continued to respond in an emotional way.
Maddy Tervet is an oceanography and chemistry major at HSU. Tervet said that she thinks the instagram user at the time had a valid point about these issues not being brought up enough.
“But I don’t think that using the student-run Instagram was necessarily the best platform to relay his message,” Tervet said. “I think that if he’d been a lot less hostile in responding to people’s comments and had done his research before he posted, his message would have been well received.”
The controversial topic about the logging industry is that people are clear cutting land due to historic intensive logging. The thing about the logging industry however, is that it has drastically changed over the years. What students are learning extensively now is how to restore the forests and fix what was done years ago. Sustainably managing the forests is what is being emphasized in the current forestry program.
Colleen Sloan was among many of the forestry majors that responded on their defense to the Live from HSU Instagram post.
“I see space for growth and fixing things that are broken,” Sloan said. “We’re in school to learn and go more in depth, so that what happened back in the day can be changed.”
The ‘Live from HSU Quick Start Guide’ specifically states that the purpose of the Instagram is to show what it’s like being a student on this campus and share about their clubs and activities.
[perfectpullquote align=”left” bordertop=”false” cite=”Frank Whitlatch, Associate Vice President for Marketing and Communications” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=”16″]“I think that in a lot of cases he crossed the line a bit, but we really try not to intervene. We don’t want to be controlling [the Instagram], we want it to be as authentic as possible.”[/perfectpullquote]
Students receive a guide as to what they should and should not post at the start of their week and it specifically states, “because you are representing the Humboldt State and the CSU System DO NOT post…” the list goes on to show ‘views on politics or policies’ as one of the things to strictly not post about.
Frank Whitlatch is the associate vice president for marketing and communication at HSU.
“I think that in a lot of cases he crossed the line a bit, but we really try not to intervene,” Whitlatch said. “We don’t want to be controlling [the Instagram], we want it to be as authentic as possible.”
Live from HSU took a student platform and abused its power, discrediting the school and some of its departments. Students took the platform as a way to defend the truth. Plenty, if not all, students responded in an emotional way, but did not fail to back up their comments with data or facts. It was a constant battle when the account responded and continued to make posts with negative rhetoric.
Erik Van Steinburg is a wildlife major and was one of the many students defending misconceptions of the logging industry.
“It’s just not right, a bunch of false statements were said,” Van Steinburg said. “To bash doesn’t make sense. It was emotional based and no facts were supporting [their claims].”
The individual running the account declined to make a comment about the debacle. They took to the Instagram page to call out the journalism department and said that a journalist’s objective viewpoints can be problematic. With this came a new cycle of students and alumni responding all over again.
“Misrepresentation in the media is seldom intentional, but it often happens to people whose viewpoint is radically different from the status-quo,” the individual said in a post.
When emotion fights with emotion, the argument gets nowhere. This was clear as the week went on with several posts ending up the exact same way through the exact same cycle. The posts brought up controversies that should be discussed, but the individual who ran the account lacked the credibility to back up their facts.
A platform like Live from HSU should be used to share a student’s experience here on campus, it can also be a platform where students can have open discussion about a topic they are passionate about.
Students should know full well what kind of power comes with a platform like Instagram, especially when the platform associates with a public university.
32nd annual dog expo was full of fur and excitement in the air
A flat brush ran through Tessa’s long, golden locks with her son by her side as they both got gussied up for the 32nd annual dog expo. Amid the rowdiness of the crowd in Franceschi Hall at Redwood Acres dogs of all breeds and colors were gearing up to compete for their first or hundredth ribbon.
Tessa, a pure bred golden retriever, is under the ownership of Susan Hutchinson who has been breeding and training dogs since the 90s.
“I got my first golden back in 1990,” Hutchinson said. “I’m on my fifth generation of golden retrievers.”
This is five generations worth of awards and photos, Susan Hutchinson’s life work displayed proudly on this table. | Photo by Cassaundra Caudillo
Having worked with this breed she has learned a thing or two about how she thinks is best to go about training your dog. Hutchinson has formed a close bond with each of her dogs and that was mainly through training them.
“I’m a firm believer in creating team work,” Hutchinson said. “The more you put in with your dog and create a team, the more you’re going to get out and more of an enjoyment you’re going to have.”
4-year old Samoyed, Lala was having a rough day at the expo, no pun intended. She often gets anxious around crowds but this year she handled herself a bit better. | Photo by Cassaundra Caudillo
She’s not the only one who’s been in this game for a while. Bayard Smith has been participating in dog shows and competitions since 1960 strictly with Scottish Deerhounds. Both Smith and his wife Kris work together with these dogs to train them to compete for agility mainly. Being a dog trainer and handler is no small feat, the Smiths have travelled far and wide for some competitions.
“We’ve travelled all over the country, we’ve been to Ohio, St. Louis, Albuquerque,” Smith said. “It’s usually a four to five day road trip.”
This deerhound had quite the winning history. Owned by Kris and Bayard Smith, members of the North Coast Kennel Club. | Photo by Cassaundra Caudillo
Jamye Weseloh has a smooth collie, Cider, who is just eight months old. With her dog being so young she trains him frequently. Cider’s schedule is jam packed with different areas of training to do, especially since his mind is so elastic due to his young age.
“He’s learning nose work, he’s going to start herding lessons, he does obedience and he does show confirmation,” Weseloh said. “Every day we pick one of those and work on it and then later in the day we do another.”
Australian shepherd, Josie just shy of 11 months was a bit skeptical of photos being taken but finally warmed up to the camera. | Photo by Cassaundra Caudillo
Cider isn’t the only one with a tight training schedule. All of these dogs are expected to be at their utmost tip top shape. Hutchinson and Smith train their dogs every day as well and the weeks leading up to a competition it starts to amp up and become stricter.
“We have them in agility, obedience training, barn hunt and our youngest is in scent work,” Hutchinson said.
Not many owners shared that their dog had been involved in barn hunt so when Hutchinson brought it up she explained what it was for those of us who aren’t regular show goers.
“Rats are encapsulated in heavy casing and they have to find the rat underneath hay bails and then it’s up to the handler to recognize their signal if it’s an empty tube or if there’s bedding or a rat in it,” Hutchinson said.
One can’t expect there to be a dog expo without any dog treats. All naturally sourced were these small to large sized knuckles for dogs to gnaw on. | Photo by Cassaundra Caudillo
Walking around the show grounds there were various dogs who were sleeping on plush beds with blankets and pillows. Well deserved rest after a long days work. Congratulations to all of the dogs who took home ribbons this past weekend.
So, this week did not have any marijuana-related incidents. Good job guys! However, there was a stuck raccoon in a sewer grate, some ghosts and a few incidents of actual crime on campus, one involving a man trying to break into a vehicle while someone was in it. Make sure to avoid traveling alone at night and if you have to, call UPD for a late-night escort. They can be reached at (707) 826-5555.
The Rolling Count:
Possession charges = 4
Contraband/paraphernalia seizures = 2
Holler hootie hoo!
Monday Feb. 25
· HELP I’m stuck!—“Solo female stuck inside the elevator” in the Jolly Giant commons. Guys, take the stairs.
· HELP that thing is stuck!—Someone around 17 and B streets called UPD to report “a raccoon that appears to be stuck in a sewer grate.” Must have been a chubby bubby.
· Good guy alert—Someone locked their keys in their car and UPD helped them out. Thanks fellas!
Tuesday Feb. 26
· Good guy alert x2—UPD helped with a late-night escort and locked car doors. And that was all that really happened this day…pretty chill really.
Wednesday Feb. 27
· Car troubles—Someone backed into a parked car around Laurel Drive and B Street and that’s all that really happened this day.
Thursday Feb. 28
· Whose dog is that?—A dog was “running loose” near Founder’s Hall. Parking officers caught the lil’ buddy and it was returned to the owner.
· Ghosts again—UPD responded to an emergency call from the elevator at University Plaza. No one was there when they showed up so it has to be ghosts.
· Danger bike—You know that bike that someone puts in the top rack of the skateboard rack outside the library? Yeah someone called the cops on it. Someone called the cops on a bike…locked in a rack…
Friday March 1
· I’m not leaving—Someone refused to leave the Kinesiology and Athletics building at 11:49 p.m., so the custodian called UPD. Late-night swole sessions have to end at some time guys.
· Fun police!—UPD assisted the Arcata Police in breaking up three parties. Freakin’ buzzkill guys. Let us rage in peace.
· Actual crime—Someone was caught trying to steal bikes near the Madrone Residence Hall. The person was arrested and had outstanding warrents.
· Actual crime part deux—Someone stole a bike an hour after the other guy was arrested.
· That is not my post—Someone called UPD because they noticed that there was a Facebook post that they did not make. I’m not a lawyer but I don’t think this is a crime and the person probably didn’t log out of their account or their friend is messing with them. Lighten up!
Saturday March 2
· Fun police x2—UPD helped break up more parties! This one was on 12th Street. Lame!!!!!
Sunday March 3
· Actual crime—Someone was “inside of his vehicle when a male attempted to break [in].” The person fled the scene but was later arrested and had an outstanding warrant. Be careful out there everyone, it seems like crime is on the rise lately. I wonder if it has to do with the lack of sunshine?
· Graffiti—Someone called the cops because “a large piece of plastic… was spray painted” in the forest near Creekview. Really? The graffiti probably made that “large piece of plastic” look better.
· “Suspicious circumstances”—Someone knocked over some bikes at the Tan Oak Residence Hall and someone may or may not have stolen a tire.
Food and Drink gives voice to local talent at weekly open mic
Blondies Food and Drink echoed with chatter on Feb. 28 as guitarist Shaun Juan-Rich Merchant took the stage and lightly strummed his instrument.
The crowd grew quiet as he bursted into his first self-written song. This is Merchant’s second time playing at the open mic night at Blondies Food and Drink, located north of HSU on LK Wood Blvd in Arcata.
Shaun Juan-Rich Merchant sings at the Blondies Food and Drink open mic night on Thursday, Feb. 28. | Photo by Benji Goodale
Merchant, originally from Missouri, is an avid artist and musician with a deep passion for his craft. He sees his music as a deep expression of the self that is more than just singing combined with a series of well put together chords.
“The true meaning of life is enjoying the experience,” Merchant said. “My music is channeling these experiences that I have had.”
Jimmy Kennedy, an HSU alumni that now lives in Willow Creek, took to the stage later in the night to perform a refreshing style of guitar known as American primitive. He utilizes metal fingerpicks on all of the fingers of his right hand to play this interesting style of acoustic music.
“I’m drawn to this style of music because of the impression that it leaves afterwards,” Kennedy said.
Kennedy said that after 10 years of experience with acoustic guitar he is still learning all the time, and enjoys playing music that requires a lot of particular strumming with his right hand. This style of guitar is much different than the popular style for acoustic that instead relies mostly on the left hand.
The open room of Blondies Food and Drink bustled with members of the community as local guitarist Ian Roberts sets up on stage later into the night. The energy in the air was increasingly jolly as more drinks were poured. Roberts secured a tambourine to his right foot with duct tape and made sure his guitar was in tune before bursting into his three song routine.
“I got into guitar playing and music after ‘stealing’ my first guitar from a dog named Oliver,” Roberts said. “It was basically just Oliver’s chew toy in the living room, so my roommate let me have it after I started to play it one day.”
Ian Roberts performs at the Blondies Food and Drink open mic night on Thursday, Feb. 28. | Photo by Benji Goodale
Roberts said that for him performing music is an experience of catharsis. Performing music allows him to get into the moment enough to open up deep parts of himself and allow for the purging of emotions that have built up inside.
Ben Stoeck, another guitarist that performed earlier in the evening, said that these open mic nights are an opportunity for expression and getting over the fear of performing.
“No matter how excited I feel in the days leading up to the open mic night, there’s always a little voice in my head right before it starts that says ‘I don’t want to go,’” Stoeck said. “It feels great pushing through that feeling and getting up on stage.”
Blondies Food and Drink holds a space for local artists at their open mic nights every Thursday night, starting at 7 p.m. and continuing until closing at 10 p.m.
Radio station KRFH hosted a 70s themed skate night on March 1
Bell bottom pants, tube tops and knee high socks were seen everywhere. The 70s definitely made a comeback Friday night on March 1. The Blue Lake Roller Rink was packed with students, children and other locals who wanted to join in on the lively disco party.
KRFH student DJs played classic hits from the 70s creating an uplifting atmosphere for roller skaters to dance to. Hits like “The Hustle” by Van McCoy, “Get Down Tonight” by KC & the Sunshine band, “Kung Fu Fighting” by Carl Douglas and of course the crowd pleasing “Dancing Queen” by ABBA came on for more laps around the rink.
Students like second year HSU student Cita Hunter came to support the small KRFH hosted event and to relax with her friends after a stressful week at school.
“I heard about this from one of my good friends, they told me to come down here because they were going to DJ,” Hunter said. “I came here to have a good time with my friends and to have a night out.”
Along with Hunter’s friend, second year student Shelley Magallanes also showed support for her fellow KRFH DJs.
“I belong to KRFH and I wanted to support an event that our group was sponsoring plus some of my friends were the DJs so I wanted to support them,” Magallanes said.
Shelley Magallanes showing off some moves. March 1. | Photo by Skylar Gaven
After a few laps skaters were feeling the burning sensation in their legs. Some skated the whole night, determined to dance until it was over like Magallanes but others had to step away at times to rest their tired feet.
Gliding against a hardwood floor around in a circle served to be a definite workout for second year student Ellena Negrete.
“Roller skating is a lot of fun and great cardio. This was an awesome Friday night,” Negrete said.
It had been a while since some people last put on a pair of skates. Though multiple fell trying to balance themselves on the rolling wheels attached to their feet, skaters still managed to get back up and continued to have fun with those who surrounded them.
Smiles were expressed on every face Friday night, from parents trying to keep a close eye on their energetic kids to college students finally getting a break to chill out with each other in a creative way.
Children and older students sharing the rink as the party goes on. March 1. | Photo by Skylar Gaven
Everyone no matter how old had a delightful time skating around showing off their groovy moves. Magallanes especially had a great time and enjoyed every moment spent at the roller rink. The 70s theme was a perfect idea to get people moving, laughing and experiencing something far out.
“I like the disco era a lot,” Magallanes said. “I like the 70s a lot and I like roller skating a lot so it’s pretty much the perfect combination of different experiences all at once for me.”
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!
HSU students reveal their experiences on dating apps
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.”
Andrea Wilson, an HSU student, majoring in psychology, looking at her options. | Photo by Delaney Duarte
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.
Martiza Herrera, an HSU student, majoring in psychology, swiping left and right on her phone. | Photo by Delaney Duarte
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.
Kameron Lopez, an HSU student, majoring in English, on his phone. | Photo by Delaney Duarte
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.”
This week’s student spotlight shines on Deema Hindawi and Oliver Winfield-Perez
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.
Deema Hindawi, Criminal Justice Studies and CRGS major, was co-coordinater for HSU’s 25th annual social justice summit as well as participant in local social justice issues. | Photo by T. WIlliam Wallin
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.
Badminton and pickleball clubs meet on Sundays for exercise and conversation
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.”
Ben Bouchard hits the birdie back to Olivia Chang during a game of badminton on Sunday Feb. 24 in the West Gymnasium. | Photo by Freddy Brewster
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.”
Beersheba Kirksey shares how her lifelong dream is becoming a reality
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 Robinson
White 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 Robinson
Kirksey 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.
Photo courtesy from Check It
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.”
Photo courtesy from Check It
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!”
Volunteer students participate in the Karaoke showdown. Singing to Bruno Mars's song "Count on Me". Feb. 23. Photo by: Grace Caswell
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!”
Photo courtesy Check It
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.”
Members of the Check Item posing for their fifth anniversary. | Photo courtsey of Check It
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.
Afrocentric yoga that teaches that movements have purpose
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.”
Dionna Fletcher directed the class through movement and breathing techniques. | Photo by Silvia Alfonso
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.
Students sat back on their heels, ready for the next movement. | Photo by Silvia Alfonso
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 youshould 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.
Everyday ailments and problems often have herbal alternatives
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.”
Sophia Laverdiere is a local herbologist at Moonrise Herbs in Arcata. | Photo by Maia Wood
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.
Asthma
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
Anxiety & Stress
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”
Insomnia
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.
Sociology peer mentors shine with Youth Educational Services and help students
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.
Accomplished track star, Romel Robinson, is a triple-threat
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.”
The right side of the Dream Athletics gym is painted with bright, neon colors and lines of championship banners. Feb. 18. | Photo by Grace Caswell
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.”
Stefan John, HSU track athlete poses in the library post interview. Feb. 19. | Photo by Grace Caswell
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 hosted a self love workshop on Feb. 16
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.
Sangria, chocolate and other treats displayed on a table for guests to have. Feb.16. | Photo by Skylar Gaven.
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.
Essential oils scattered around the room for all guests to see and smell the different scents. Feb. 16. | Photo by Skylar Gaven.
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.
Rosemary Grady leading a workshop with essential oils and other natural medicines. Feb. 16. | Photo by Skylar Gaven.
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.
Ingredients being used to create a homemade hair mask. Feb. 16. | Photo by Skylar Gaven.
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.
Body High Pole Dance studio sign. “Love Ya’ Self Queen” was held at a POC local owned business. Feb. 16. | Photo by Skylar Gaven.
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.”
Mo Desir and other women taking a break in between workshops. Feb. 16. | Photo by Skylar Gaven.
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.
Cellular and molecular biology major, Tanae Nichols, shows other black girls, anything is possible
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.
Cellular molecular biology major, Tanae Nichols sits behind Bret Hart house on Feb. 19. | Photo by Dajonea Robinson
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.”
HSU student Tanae Nichols | Photo by Dajonea Robinson
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.
HSU student Tanae Nichols | Photo by Dajonea Robinson
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.
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!
Humboldt State Career and Volunteer Expo hosts 95 organizations
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 professors and chamber of commerce members donated professional clothing for students during The Career and Volunteer Expo on February 14, 2019. | Photo by T.William Wallin
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 enironmental studies, gets a free professional portrait from Kelli Jo Brown, photographer for MarComm at HSU, during The Career and Volunteer Expo on Feb. 14. | Photo by T.William Wallin
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.”
Jacks, of Companion Animal Foundation, which supports animal adoptions and community outreach services during The Career and Volunteer Expo on Feb. 14. | Photo by T.William Wallin
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.”
Professor James Floss shares his long theatrical history here at HSU as he gets ready retire
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.
Floss (right) pictured in the Lumberjack Newspaper back in 1982. Demonstrating a duel during a “combat” class. | Photo courtesy James Floss
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.
Arcata provides a safe space for people to comprehend the concept of death
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.
Tea provided for all guests who enter the room at the Death Cafe in Arcata. | Feb. 7. | Photo by Skylar Gaven
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.
Dr. Gina Belton talking to guests in her office before they left to express their thoughts on how the meeting went, Feb. 7. | Photo by Skylar Gaven
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.
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