The Lumberjack



Students Serving The Cal Poly Humboldt Campus and Community Since 1929

Category: News

  • Cal Poly Humboldt charges non-refundable $100 deposit to apply for on-campus dorms

    Cal Poly Humboldt charges non-refundable $100 deposit to apply for on-campus dorms

    by Christina Mehr and Jasmin Shirazian 

    If you were considering living on campus next year, submitting your housing application just got expensive. The university is now charging a $100 nonrefundable application fee to apply to live in student housing. While this application fee is nonrefundable, it does not ensure housing for students who apply.

    According to Cal Poly Humboldt housing, the $100 housing application fee is not an additional cost to students. It is treated as an initial deposit and is credited towards the housing and meal plan charges. 

    “We had to reinstate the application fee because we had too many students completing housing applications and holding spaces who weren’t serious about living on campus, preventing other students who did want to live on campus,” said Bria Kupras, a representative for Humboldt Housing & Residence Life. “Currently, the application fee is nonrefundable.”

    Once admitted into student housing, that $100 deposit will go to housing and meal plans. 

    For those students who are Pell Grant eligible, with verification from financial aid, they could receive a waiver. If a student is struggling to come up with the payment, another option would be the short-term loan program through Student Financial Services.

    Skylar Rawitch is a first-year psychology major living in the Cypress dorms.

    “The fee has definitely gotten me thinking about the worth of it,” Rawitch said. “I don’t think that it is fair, especially because the payment fee does not guarantee you housing. If it was optional to pay and guaranteed you housing… I may feel differently.” 

    “Submit your online application and pay the $100 nonrefundable application fee. The $100 will be applied to the housing and meal plan charges, unless the application is canceled where the application fee will be forfeited,” the university’s official housing website states.

    The application fee seems to be an incentive for applicants to only apply if they are seriously considering living on campus.

    “How is it in the best interest of a school that’s supposed to take care of their students and keep them safe to charge them even more when people already are struggling to afford it?” Rawitch said. “They aren’t getting the money back if they do not get housing, and for some people that $100 could be gas money, grocery money, etc., and they would be losing out on that because they were applying for something that [isn’t] guaranteed.”

    Emma Sundberg is a molecular and cellular biology major in their first year at Humboldt. They currently live in Campus Apartments. 

    “I think it’s awful having us pay more to apply when we already have to pay so much,” Sundberg said. “There is no need to spend money on an application.”

    Jess Carey, a biology major in their junior year, has also faced obstacles due to the fee. The application fee has deterred them from applying despite needing it due to housing insecurity over the summer. 

    “I understand that the whole point is to allow the school to get a more accurate idea of how many students to plan for,” Carey said. “But on the other hand, creating yet another barrier to accessible housing stretches the already weak trust of the students in our administration to meet our needs and encourage a livable, desirable college experience. My trust in the administration has been damaged even more from this situation.”

    Kimberly Alexsandra, a sophomore journalism major, has experienced the dorms of varying communities on campus. 

    “I could see why the application fee is necessary, due to the chaos created by the projected overflow of students that applied for housing last spring that didn’t end up attending, which left the school with a worse rep and vacant dorms,” Aleksandra said. “$100 right out of pocket is too much for me and I’m sure others could relate, and for it to be nonrefundable is crazy. As a student who’s lived on campus for two years in different locations, I really don’t think anything about on campus housing is realistically credible enough for a nonrefundable application fee to be needed just to apply.” 

  • CFA settles and calls off strike after one day, Teamsters settle over weekend

    CFA settles and calls off strike after one day, Teamsters settle over weekend

    by Andres Felix Romero

    Across the California State University system, thousands of students expected a pause in classes, thousands of faculty expected to trade in their pens and markers for picket signs and thousands of skilled laborers were prepared to drop their tools for the week of Jan. 22-26 to strike.

    However, the Teamsters 2010 announced Friday, Jan. 19 they reached an agreement with the Chancellor’s Office. After one day of a weeklong planned strike, it was announced by the California Faculty Association (CFA) the night of Jan. 22 that they and the Chancellor’s office had settled with a tentative agreement as well. Campus operations are set to return to full swing by the end of this week. 

    Teamster’s Agreement Highlights

    The Teamsters were able to secure an immediate 5% pay increase, with back pay retroactive to July 1, 2023. They were also able to establish a step-pay system, meaning that skilled laborers within the CSU system will have a pay increase each year. Teamsters were also able to maintain their pension, medical benefits, and their emergency pay.

    With the Teamsters able to get back to work and have an agreement for a solid contract in order with better pay, skilled laborers on the Humboldt Campus such as locksmith Phillip Bradley felt a sense of relief. 

    “Obviously [having an agreement in place] just takes a lot of stress off,” Bradley said. “Uncertainty creates a lot of anxiety.”

    Librarian Carly Marino drums while crossing 14th St. | Photo by Griffin Mancuso

    CFA Agreements Highlights

    The CFA also secured a 5% increase in pay retroactive to July 1, 2023. There is planned to be another 5% increase on July 1, 2024, effectively giving faculty a roughly 10% increase in pay. However, the 2024 increase is contingent on the state not cutting CSU funding. There will also be more protections in place for faculty dealing with police, and improved access to gender-inclusive restrooms and lactation spaces. Also for faculty that are new parents, paid parental leave has increased from six to 10 weeks.

    Faculty, such as English professor Sarah Ben-Zvi, had to find ways to balance parenthood with work. Despite the support of her department to make her maternity leave as smooth as possible, she still felt some struggle. She felt that the increase in time for maternity leave was appreciated, but it may not be enough. 

    “It’s definitely a step in the right direction, but I still don’t think it’s enough time,” Ben-Zvi said. “I feel like it was not until maybe three months after my kid was born, that I started to feel almost human again… and able to give my students what they deserve, which is a great teacher who is on her game.”

    Another mother and professor with a newborn is English professor Tessa Head, who was on the picket line with her 14-month-old child. Head feels that a paid semester of parental leave would be beneficial for not just parents but the students as well. 

    “[A semester of parental leave] would give you time to bond with your babies and take care of them, to form that secure attachment,” Head said. “And for students, I think it would provide better learning conditions because they would have a faculty member who is present for the whole semester.”

    CFA faculty rights chair Loren Cannon was present on the picket line striking his drum and leading strikers. He shared his thoughts on the outcome of the tentative agreement.

    “We really did make some gains,” Cannon said. “I guess [the Chancellor’s Office] didn’t expect us to actually pull off a strike or something, because we only struck for one day [then came to a tentative agreement with the Chancellor’s Office].”

    Richard Toledo leads faculty and students across 14th St. holding signs on the picket line. | Photo by Griffin Mancuso

    Student Reactions

    With notice being given by faculty not to expect classes this week, some students made plans for work or travel. Students like Criminology and Social Justice Major Jocelyn Douglas faced some struggles when they scheduled extra shifts at work this week, only to be told that class would be back in session. The short notice has left students such as Douglas feeling disorganized.

    “I took this opportunity of thinking that I had a week off of school to work 60 hours with both jobs that I work at, to be able to catch up on bills,” Douglas said. “Being a full-time student and working full-time, sometimes conflicts with each other. And with less than a 24-hour notice that we do have to attend school, and with my classes being mandatory for attendance, I’m kind of conflicted about [choosing] between work and school. Thank God the teachers are being pretty lenient so far.”

    Scene of Strike

    As for the strike itself, dozens of faculty and their supporters were on the picket line. They danced with their signs to the passing cars that honked their support, all the while they moved to energizing music blaring over speakers. Some signs read, “5% don’t pay the rent,” “California Strike University” and “You can’t put students first if you put faculty last.”

    Students were present on the line to support their faculty. Students such as accounting major Lealu Freedom felt an obligation to support their professors due to the past support they have given to her. 

    “[If faculty have better conditions they] can devote more time to their students, and create a more enjoyable experience versus focusing so much on trying to get their needs met,” Freedom said. “It’s kind of like a student. You know, if the student’s struggling with housing, they’re not gonna be able to learn. Same thing with a teacher, if they’re struggling with basic needs, they are not gonna be able to teach.”

    What’s Next

    Language for the contracts will be rewritten based on the tentative agreement, and the CFA is expected to vote on whether or not to officially ratify the contract within the coming weeks to months.

    Although the CFA and Teamsters unions made gains in this situation, CFA President Marisol Ruiz acknowledges that there is still work to be done.

    “When we are striking, we’re striking for better working conditions for all,” Ruiz said. “For all the faculty and the students, we should all be supportive and in unison working together to fight. There’s still a 6% increase of tuition hikes, and that’s a fight that needs to continue to happen.”

  • CFA and Teamsters commit to joint strike second week of classes

    CFA and Teamsters commit to joint strike second week of classes

    by Andres Felix Romero

    Originally printed 1/17/24

    After over a year of negotiations with the California State University (CSU) Chancellor’s Office, the California Faculty Association (CFA), which represents lecturers, professors, counselors, coaches and librarians, and Teamsters Local 2010, which represents skilled laborers such as locksmiths, plumbers, painters, etc., have decided to strike during the second week of classes Jan. 22-26.

    This will be the second strike for the Teamsters following their day-long strike across the CSU system on November 14, 2023. As for the CFA, this is their second strike as well, following their series of strikes across select CSU campuses in December 2023. 

    Goals for Strike

    Teamsters such as Housing Locksmith Phillip Bradley and the CFA hope that the combined strike will bring the CSU back to the bargaining table.

    “If you don’t have classes, you’re not going to have students-and if you don’t have students, you don’t have much of a university,” Bradley said. “So honestly, we’re hoping that the threat of [a week without classes] will get us back to the negotiating table, but the ultimate goal of this is to get some fair labor contracts.”

    The CFA in particular is fighting for better aspects in their contracts, such as paid leave for parents, lactation rooms, safer bathroom options and as CFA President Marisol Ruiz highlights as the most important, a wage increase that can compete with the recent 8% increase in inflation.

    “The end goal for us is to get our 12% [wage increase] that we deserve,” Ruiz said. “[The 5% wage increase that the Chancellor’s office is offering] is behind inflation and would mean that we’re getting a pay cut. Are you seeing the gas prices? Have you seen the PG&E bill? Have you seen the food prices? [The Chancellor’s Office] is cutting our salary because it doesn’t keep up with inflation, so we’re doing the same work for less pay.”

    The CSU has previously stated that they lack the funds to accommodate the 12% pay increase. However, Ruiz questions that the CSU lacks the funds, as evidenced by the salaries of the CSU presidents and chancellors, as well as pay increases they receive.

     “If [the CSU system] didn’t have the money, why did the Board of Trustees allow [new CSU Chancellor] Mildred Garcia to [receive] almost a million dollars for her salary?” Ruiz said. “For me, [the Board of Trustees are] not making good decisions. They’re using our taxpayer dollars, our student’s money, to give the rich more, and it’s not trickling down to us, the workers – the ones on the front lines with the students.”

    Potential Impact of the CFA-Teamster Strike on Campus

    Besides classes being canceled, there are more potential and expected impacts on the campus community at large. CFA Faculty Rights Chair and member of the state-wide bargaining team for the CFA, Loren Cannon, explains the extent of the strike for faculty besides lecturers temporarily trading their markers for picket signs.

    “We cannot do any other work,” Cannon said. “There’s no halfway to strike. If somebody said, ‘Hey, I’m not going to teach my classes, but I’m going to answer my students’ emails,’ – we can’t do that. We can be reprimanded. We can be disciplined. We can lose our jobs. So, the laws about striking, it’s gotta be an all-or-nothing.”

    During the week of the strike, the Teamsters and the CFA will be picketing across campus, notably on LK Wood and 14th Street. Ruiz encourages students to support by joining the line throughout the week and hopes that the actions can be a teaching moment. 

    “[The CFA and Teamsters are] modeling,” Ruiz said. “We don’t know what industry [the students are] going to be in, but in any industry, they’re going to have to join a union to protect their wages.”

    Bradley wants to make it clear that the Teamsters’ strike isn’t to attack Humboldt but to send a message to the CSU at large.

    “This strike is not about protesting Humboldt,” Bradley said. “All this is about our collective bargaining with the Chancellor’s Office and the CSU system as a whole. We’ve got good managers and supervisors at Humboldt who have been very respectful and very supportive, and have been going above and beyond.”

    With the Teamsters on strike, there will likely be much deeper impacts on the campus. Bradley explains that the university will likely need to hire outside contractors to keep the basic functions of the campus moving.

    “We have to assume [the university is] arranging to bring in contractors or [other skilled laborers] that cover for leaks or [other repairs],” Bradley said. “But, we all have to go through extensive background checks before we’re hired because, you know, we work around students. And contractors cost more, outsourcing rarely results in long-term savings.”

    On top of the CSU Teamsters being on strike, other Teamsters belonging to other companies and groups will not be crossing the picket line out of solidarity. 

    “It’s a good strike because it’s a [Teamster] sanctioned strike,” Bradley said. “That means all of the other Teamsters won’t cross that line. Food deliveries won’t happen [such as Sysco Foods, which delivers much of the campus dining food]. UPS also won’t deliver. Any other Teamster-related service won’t cross that line. It will probably halt or delay construction on the new buildings [as those Teamsters are also affiliated with those projects.]”

    Despite Sysco Foods not delivering for the campus next week, Assistant Retail Director Carlos Castillo assures that Dining services has prepared for the strike and there will be no expected food shortages.

    “All units are ordering heavy this week in order to get through all of next week,” Castillo said. “So that way, there are no food shortages for the week.”
    What About Those That Can’t Afford to Strike?

    As much as some faculty members would like to strike alongside their colleagues, some simply aren’t able to, as the financial hit of losing pay while on strike would be too much for them. Child Development Professor Larisa Callaway-Cole is trying to find a balance between supporting the action and meeting the needs of her family.

    “I have spent significant time thinking about my position with the strike and have come to the following decision for myself,” Callaway-Cole wrote in an email to her students. “I cannot afford to strike. I am a new single mom, which has come with a significant increase in costs that I am learning to balance. If I were to strike for a whole week, I would not be able to pay all of my bills. That being said, I would like to show solidarity with my union, and will be striking on Friday, January 26.” 

    Why Strike Now?

    Cannon clarifies that he feels the strike could have been avoided if the Chancellor’s Office were negotiating fairly.

    “We weren’t getting anywhere at the negotiation table,” Cannon said. “From my perspective, it just seemed like they weren’t ready to negotiate with us at all. The strike could have been called off if they had brought us something that made sense that we could work with, but I think they just want to act like there’s no union here at all. We said, ‘All right, then the strike is going on.’ This may be the largest strike in the history of higher education.”

    Cannon highlights the importance of the unions standing in solidarity together and taking action towards the CSU system.

    “The CSU does not work without faculty. The CSU does not work without the Teamsters,” Cannon said. “If we don’t make a stand, it’s just going to get worse. It’s going to get worse for faculty members, and it’s going to get worse for students.”

  • Rosanna Xia brings hope for environmental reporting to Cal Poly Humboldt

    Rosanna Xia brings hope for environmental reporting to Cal Poly Humboldt

    by Emma Wilson

    Rosanna Xia, an environmental reporter from The Los Angeles Times, visited Cal Poly Humboldt on Thursday, Nov. 30 in the library.

    After the student lunch-and-learn event, Xia attended Professor Sarah Ray’s class, called Power Privilege and the Environment, as a guest speaker. She was also a guest speaker in Professor Laurie Richmond’s Coastal and Marine Planning class. 

    Later that day, she gave a thought provoking presentation in the Native American Forum from 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. on her newly published book, “California Against the Sea, Visions for our Vanishing Coastline,” discussing hope for environmental studies, science and journalism students. 

    After the presentation, Xia did a book signing for all who purchased her book. 

    “This book is dedicated to all the people who cherish and belong to the California coast–past, present, and well into the future,” she wrote in her book’s dedication. 

    Writing for the LA Times, Xia tackles stories on the California Coast and the concerns about sea level rise and the effects they have on communities up and down the coast of California.

    One takeaway from Xia’s presentation is to take an important look to the past to understand the present in the context of how we need to move into the future. 

    “You know, it’s stunning to think about how so many folks today that I run into still don’t really recognize the way we’ve built our environments today,” Xia said. “Our cities or communities are so rooted in very specific systems, from the near past on, how we chose to zone some places for industrial use, and others for residential use.” 

    According to Xia, when writing and reporting on environmental issues, it is important to verify information, and to create space with trust where you listen and absorb someone’s perspectives.

    “I have a personal rule when I’m reporting, which is trust, but verify,” Xia said. “And I think because it’s so important, to create a space where you are truly listening to someone, and absorbing their truth and absorbing their perspectives. I truly go into these conversations, trusting what someone is telling me. And then, it’s my job to verify, and to verify in a way that doesn’t disempower the person.”

  • President Jackson’s absence concerns faculty, student leaders, and media

    President Jackson’s absence concerns faculty, student leaders, and media

    by Brad Butterfield

    Since President Jackson’s first three months in office, he has not interviewed with student or community media, he has never met with the California Faculty Association, he does not attend University Senate meetings and has been unable to retain a consistent cabinet during his tenure. CFA polling from May of this year shows dismal support for Jackson by faculty at Cal Poly Humboldt.

    This story all catalyzed in the first week of the fall semester with a curiosity on who President Jackson is as a leader, and an aim to land an interview with him to hear him in his own words. Anytime Jackson’s name is brought up on campus, it is usually followed up with a sentiment regarding his absence on campus, lack of leadership or unwillingness to meet with students, faculty and even administrators. However, it would seem strange that the CSU system would increase Jackson’s pay from $336,996 (+ $50,000 for housing) to $396,150 (+ $50,000 for housing) in 2023 if he wasn’t doing at least a few things really well. So, I began to request interviews with Jackson through the normal channel on campus, News and Information. 

    Weeks of that were unfruitful, so I began visiting his office weekly. Also, I began submitting public records requests with regularity and conducting interviews both on and off the record with anyone who had knowledge of Jackson in an attempt to gain an accurate understanding of Jackson without being able to meet the man myself. It seems obligatory to say that this article is not and has never been an attempt to misrepresent Jackson. In fact, until speaking with countless administrators, faculty and students about Jackson, I remained optimistic that he may be a fantastic, albeit private, leader. However, Jackson’s team and circle became increasingly difficult to deal with and often, outright rude. If Jackson is a great leader, why is he reluctant to boast his successes to the press? If he has nothing to hide, then why does Jackson play hide and seek every semester? 

    Jackson Leadership Style:

    In an article written by Meg Godlewski, published February 22, 2022 on flyingmag.com Jackson is quoted as saying, “‘Just as you must always keep flying the airplane, you must always keep leading in the business world.’ And that’s what education is, he says, a business charged with shaping the future.” Understanding this business prism through which Jackson views education makes understanding his strange leadership much easier. Rouhollah Aghasaleh, PhD, Assistant Professor, School of Education and University Senate Executive Member points out that Jackson’s business centered view of education is in line with the larger CSU system.

    “My understanding is that the role of a president is more the external affairs of the campus and the provost mostly attends the internal issues,” Aghasaleh said. “The way CSU defines the role of president, to my understanding, is more of a CEO.”

    In some ways, Jackson is a CEO. He is leading an institution through a period of (hopeful) growth and has nearly half a billion dollars to put towards creating a world class polytechnic university. In other ways, Jackson’s style of leadership more closely resembles that of an authoritarian, according to Tony Silvaggio, speaking as CFA vice president.

    “We don’t have shared governance,” Silvaggio said. “We have governance from an authoritarian ruler, basically. He doesn’t keep us informed. He’s failed to keep us informed about very important faculty issues, because he doesn’t meet with the faculty. I think he’s failed to build relationships, positive, meaningful relationships with the community of Arcata specifically. He’s failed miserably. He’s created enemies, nobody wants to deal with this guy. He won’t even respond to city councilors requests for just consultation. It feels like again the divine right of kings, where he’s just going to do what he wants, and he’s not going to ask anybody for permission. He’s really failed at creating sustainable, positive relationships with community partners.”

    As Silvaggio points out, Jackson’s unwillingness to speak with anyone about anything is becoming a prominent component of his legacy here on campus. It appears that Jackson has attempted to create a team around himself, for which students, faculty and community members are allowed to talk to. Then the message will be relayed to our President. 

     One of my first interview requests with President Jackson, garnered this response from Marketing and Communications. 

    “At this time, the President’s Office prefers to focus on the regular meetings that the Lumberjack has scheduled with campus leaders, including the Chief of Staff and a member of the News & Information team. We’re hopeful that this will be an effective way of building trusting relationships, sharing information, and discussing potential topics for coverage.”

    This barrier of communication has created frustration within the campus community. 

    “It’s not effective at all. It isn’t because you know what? Again, it’s like telephone, right? The game of telephone,” Silvaggio said. “But you don’t get the urgency of the issue if you’re getting it second hand, or third hand, right. I mean, you need to hear what’s going on once a year for crying out loud.”

    Even if Jackson’s game of telephone worked perfectly, it’d still be less than ideal. Unfortunately, much of the time, the call gets dropped completely.

    Worth mentioning is the high turnover rate of the President’s Cabinet.

    Jenn Capps, Provost & Vice President, Academic Affairs (hired Aug. 1, 2020)

    Mark Johnson, Chief of Staff (hired Aug. 21, 2023)

    Frank Whitlatch, Vice President, University Advancement (hired — to the President’s cabinet — May, 2019) 

    Carla Ho’a, Interim Vice President, Administration & Finance and CFO (hired Oct., 2023)

    Chrissy Holliday, Vice President, Enrollment Management & Student Success (hired Jan. 1, 2023)

    Adrienne Colegrove-Raymond, Special Assistant to the President for Tribal & Community Engagement (hired — to the president’s cabinet — Spring 2022)

    Nick Pettit, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics & Recreational Sports (hired June 8, 2023)

    A continual revolving cast of characters makes playing telephone with the president much more difficult, and also speaks to his inability to form a cohesive, committed team of leaders.

    “They got to stick around for at least a couple, three years for crying out loud right?” Silvaggio said. “This is unprecedented. And that indicates lack of leadership and a lack of vision if you can’t bring in people here that want to stay here and make this place great.” 

    Both students and faculty alike are tired of Jackson’s complete absence from the campus community.

    “I believe that Jackson has refused to make himself a part of the campus community, and that he sits up in his ivory tower and does not know the situation of the people,” Ethan LeVering said, Associated Students appointee to the University Senate.

    Shockingly, many faculty at Cal Poly Humboldt have never even met Jackson.

    “It’s like, ‘Where’s Waldo?’ Right? I mean, where’s this guy? No one knows. He’s never even introduced himself to any of us in my department that I know of. He refuses to meet with us when our leadership has attempted to talk to him about labor issues,” Silvaggio said.

    Exemplifying his lack of campus engagement, Jackson does not attend the University’s senate meetings.

    “During my term as a Senator, he’s never showed up to the Senate meetings. There has been times that we invited him to come and chat with us about a few issues, he’s never accepted. He’s officially on the roster for the Senate, but he always sends a proxy,” said Aghasaleh.

    Most importantly, Jackson’s absence does not just create frustration in the campus community, it has adverse effects on his ability to effectively steer the multi-million dollar ship that he is captain of.

    “As a result of his authoritarian style, what we see is he’s making mistake after mistake, after mistake because he does not consult with the people that make this place run,” said Silvaggio before adding, “We’ve dedicated decades of our life to this institution and this guy barks orders from his ivory tower.”

    What does Jackson do? What is his vision? How has he succeeded?

    In an April 4, 2022 article written by Jackson for Higher Ed Dive, Jackson wrote, “The re-energization of our campus allows us to demonstrate how public higher education, with public support, can quickly scale to meet what the state government has asked of us and needs. At Cal Poly Humboldt, the return on the investment will impact generations to come.” 

    As Jackson played a large part in Humboldt State becoming Cal Poly Humboldt it is understandable why he feels the pressure to deliver. Without speaking to Jackson, it’s impossible to pin down a reliable ethos which he abides and leads by. However, it seems clear that Jackson’s overall goals as president lie in growth. By that metric, one may say that Jackson has already succeeded.

    The state investment brought on by the polytechnic transition is $433 million in one-time funds with $25 million in ongoing funds to support Humboldts transition to become California’s third polytechnic university.

    Additionally, during Jackson’s tenure, the university achieved a balanced budget for the first time in over a decade and doubled gift commitments from donors. Also during Jackon’s tenure, two campus stores opened in downtown Arcata and Eureka. These big money moves deserve credit, but don’t constitute success in and of themselves. 

    “Certainly, he could bring money in credit. He could find some money from some company, right? That’s the neoliberal model. But it’s not about money. Right? It’s about relationship building. And you can’t just throw a bookstore on the corner, and all of a sudden a relationship emerges,” Silvaggio said. “He doesn’t respectfully engage with faculty, staff and students.” 

    Further, it bears mentioning that just because it happened during Jackson’s tenure, doesn’t mean it is his success to take sole ownership of.

    “I think the campus achievements are ours collectively. I don’t know if we can attribute any success to one individual,” Aghasaleh said. 

    In an effort to understand where Jackson spends his time on campus, I submitted a public records request for his daily schedule from the period August 17 to September 7. The request was denied by public records assistant, Joy Finney who wrote in an email, “As an exempt employee, President Jackson’s daily work schedule on behalf of the University is not specifically defined. His duties as President require his work and attention on days, nights, and weekends.” 

    In a semester marred by budget cuts, tuition increases, and faculty pay stagnation, Jackson’s salary of $396,150 and $50,000 for housing has become increasingly concerning.

    “I don’t think anybody making over $300,000 needs to get a housing stipend,” said Marisol Ruiz, CFA Humboldt Chapter President. “They’re [CSU] all about the market rate. This market is a public university and public universities should be cared for as a public good, not as a corporate good.” said Ruiz.

    Former CFA Humboldt Chapter President and current Faculty Rights Chair Loren Cannon echoed a similar sentiment.

    “All the presidents of the 23 [CSU] campuses make similar wages, and also have a housing and a car allowance, usually that I and they’re all making about the same as President Biden. just seems to me like a mal distribution of state resources.”

    President Jackson’s failures:

    CFA Polling from May of this year shows that 72.5% of responding CFA members disagree that “President Jackson keeps me well informed about important faculty issues.” Only 12.5% are satisfied with the leadership of the President. Only 18.9% have confidence that Jackson builds sustainably positive relationships with community partners. 15% agree that Jackson suitably and respectfully engages in the life of the University.

    Jackson still has yet to meet with the CFA in any capacity.

    “Every prior President has met with us. Prior presidents have come into our department to just introduce themselves,” said Silvaggio. “He’s continually failed in his role as a leader. Time and time again. Again, what kind of leader refuses to meet with his employees and his students?”

    Jackson’s unwillingness to meet with the CFA is representative of his complete absence of dialogue across the board. One of Jackson’s most important and sensitive considerations through the Polytechnic growth is the effect growth will have on the tight knit community of Arcata. Though, here again, apparently Jackson has decided to bury his head in the sand cut off communications.

    “He said to me that he has basically given up on working with the actual community of Arcata. There’s really no relationship between Cal Poly Humboldt and the town of Arcata,” said Sam Parker, Associated Students President. “The focus is more on other places like Eureka and stuff because he said that Arcata tends to have kind of that, ‘not in my backyard attitude,’ to the development. So he’s kind of given up on trying to form ties with them,” Parker said. “That’s somewhat of a recurring theme. Just kind of giving up on communication.

    Jackson’s unwillingness to speak extends to the media as well, and not just The Lumberjack – though this semester we have submitted more interview requests than any other local publication. The current tally of interview requests from The Lumberjack stands at 27. Jackson never responded in any capacity to my interview requests. The North Coast Journal has not interviewed Jackson since his very first days on the job. The same is true for the Lost Coast Outpost. The Times Standard provides Jackson a column every other week, but similarly does not have a reliable avenue for access to Jackson, according to Times Standard Managing Editor, Ruth Schneider.

    Among Jackson’s most glaring failures as a leader is the palpable fear that the campus community has in speaking out against him, in any capacity. In writing this story, many folks who I interviewed spoke of a fear of being reprimanded for voicing their concerns. 

    “Rather than think creatively, like a 21st century leader, he just decides to stick his head in the sand like authoritarian rulers do and just, you know, externalize the problems to the larger community. It’s frankly embarrassing,” said Silvaggio.

  • University housing contract goes to Sundt

    by Andrés Felix Romero

    As reported in the Sept. issue of The Lumberjack, Clayco was in the running for the Health, Dining, and Housing project alongside other construction companies Swinerton and Webcor. These companies ultimately lost out to Sundt Construction, for the contract. In late October, the facilities department released the winners of the construction contracts for upcoming campus projects and repairs. Sundt also won the contract for the Craftsman Mall Student Housing project.

    Clayco was the subject of a protest campaign by the Local Carpenter’s Union 751 at the beginning of the semester. For weeks, Local 751 set up signs and built a wooden speaking judge sculpture around campus while handing and posting flyers condemning Clayco. Local 751 representative Ruhama Tereda also spoke at the public forum section at the CSU Board of Trustees meeting to speak against Clayco. Although the campaign wasn’t as intense, Local 751 also wrote letters and spoke at public forums to the CSU Chancellor and Board of Trustees condemning Sundt, citing a history of malpractice by the construction company.

  • The Aquatic Center’s $412,000 facelift

    by Brad Butterfield

    To date, $412,000 has been spent on renovations at Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center (HBAC) to allow for half of the University Advancement Division to move their operations into the Eureka waterfront building. According to Marketing and Communications for the university,  this transition, which began in the Fall of 2020, led to a change in management of the building from the non-profit ‘University Center’ to Cal Poly Humboldt. 

    Marketing and Communication states that the relocation of the Advancement Division to HBAC has provided an easier landing pad for donors and Alumni to interact and opened up space on campus for the Associated Students to utilize. In effect, this move has forced many of the previous operations at HBAC to alter and many to exist as shells of their former selves. Additionally, the Advancement Division’s move to HBAC forced Center Activities employees out of their offices and workspaces without giving them a say in the matter. 

    The money spent:

    While Marketing and Communications Director, Aileen Yoo and Communications Specialist, Grant Scott Go-forth stated in separate emails that renovations and upgrades to the HBAC total $412,000 to date, public records requests submitted under the Freedom of Information Act, led to the release of only three construction contracts totalling $22,700, leaving $389,300 unaccounted for. 

    In an effort to establish a complete framework of work done at HBAC, a second public records request was submitted on Nov. 16, asking for all publicly disclosable records related to renovations/construction carried out at the Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center from 1/1/2019 – 11/16/2023. This second request was denied by Records Access Officer, Michelle Williams citing, “Balancing Test. Records where the public interest against disclosure outweighs the public interest in disclosure. Cal. Govt. Code §7922.000.” 

    The Advancement Division moves into the HBAC:

    Yoo wrote, on behalf of Marketing and Communications that, “The location improved accessibility for donors and alumni to interact with Alumni Relations, the Cal Poly Humboldt Foundation, and other areas of the Division. Having a more prominent presence in Eureka has helped improve community outreach.”

     There are now 16 University advancement employees working in the HBAC’s new cubicle spaces and pre-existing offices.

    Under its previous management, the HBAC was focused on aquatic equipment rentals, scenic tours, OLLI classes, education on local wildlife and Humboldt Bay and, critically, water safety. The moving in of the Advancement Division led to some of the HBAC’s equipment being stored off-site and a diminished ability for the Aquatic Center to continue its services to students and community as a waterfront property.

    Renovation’s cause chaos: 

    An employee with direct knowledge of the reworking of HBAC spoke under the condition of anonymity fearing repercussions for speaking out. They will be referred to as J. Doe in this article. When word came that Center Activities was expected to vacate the HBAC offices, there was confusion as to where that left them to operate from. After initially vacating their offices, Sherie Gordon, Vice President for Administration and Finance, paid a visit to the building to assess the situation.

    “Sherie Gordon came around to look at the situation on the waterfront. It was agreed that there is no reason why Alumni [Relations] would need a waterfront office when Center Activities was responsible for monitoring waterfront safety,” Doe said.

    After Gordon’s visit Center Activities was allowed to maintain use of the office for a couple of months before being kicked out again.

    Under HBAC’s new management, a creative solution was found for the employees who’d unwillingly forfeited their workspaces. 

    “They took what used to be a maintenance closet, and they turned it into an office. So, Center Activities doesn’t have a front door office anymore where people can come up to a counter and ask questions. They have this tiny, hidden little space that used to be a closet that is now an office without access to any of the other rooms or lobby. So they can’t do community services, program coordination or classes in other rooms unless it is reserved out in advance,” Doe said.

    According to Doe, Stephanie Lane, Executive Director of Alumni Relations, has the final approval on all reservation requests submitted for the building through 25Live.

    Yoo, on behalf of Marketing and Communications wrote through email that in addition to adding cubicle spaces for Alumni Relations, they would also be occupying two offices that didn’t require any updates. According to Doe, one office went to Lane who was adamant about getting it.

    “That’s one thing that never changed. She was gonna get that waterfront office.” Doe said.

    The second office went to one of the Advancement Departments VP’s. 

    Stephanie Lane declined to be interviewed for this article, deferring to statements from Marketing and Communications.

    HBAC’s waterfront safety obligations:

    Regardless of who occupies which office or what departments operate out of the HBAC, there are a few operational guidelines that HBAC must adhere to. These guidelines stem largely from who owns the land, who paid for the HBAC to be built, and who owns the building itself.

    According to Scott-Goforth, the building is on land that is leased long-term from the City of Eureka, the HBAC was built with a grant from CA Boating and Waterways and it is currently fully owned and operated by Cal Poly Humboldt. 

    Pat Hyland, who has been a member of the women’s rowing team coaching staff for 30 years as well as lecturer in Kinesiology, provided valuable context that the HBAC was originally one of three CA Boating and Waterways safety facilities. With that, came an obligation to provide waterway safety.
    “[The university] may have been a little light on that,” Hyland said.

    From the perspective of the city of Eureka, Miles Slattery, City Manager, points out that operations at HBAC have been ever-evolving and have always included ancillary conferences and classes unrelated to water safety.

    “Our whole thing was the original permit for that [HBAC] needed to make sure that they did maintain a certain aspect of the boating safety requirements,” Slattery said. “From what I can tell on the outside – I’m not working there anything – the operations don’t seem to have drastically changed,” Slattery said.

    Center Activities struggles to continue operations:

    From the outside, HBAC sure does look peachy with her extensive (and currently unsafe for use) balconies and expansive windows which reflect the bay’s glistening, choppy waters. However, the situation within the building is much more complicated. Doe said the University Center’s space is down to about an eighth of the building, and approval is required before using any other part of the HBAC.

    “Our whole department was kind of being gunned for, and we felt very threatened. So, you know, we had to focus a lot on explaining to the university over and over again, through all of the different administration changes that we’ve had, there’s a valid reason for us to be a part of this campus community,” Doe said. “A lot of time was spent just justifying what we do and how we do it and why it’s important.”

    This constant fight to validate their right to exist took away from their ability to teach waterway safety and keep eyes on the dangerous waters of Humboldt Bay.

    Though the transition has been painful for some, there are some important silver linings. Most notably, Men’s Rowing has now joined Women’s rowing at HBAC. Hyland said that with the available space at HBAC, a good job has been done to optimize it.

    “Both rowing teams use it early and late. They don’t use it in the middle of the day. Then the center of the day is primetime and advancement uses it the whole time then.”

    Additionally, from the University’s standpoint, taking over management of the building has been a major victory.

    “HBAC is available at no cost for ad hoc meetings and events put on by campus and community groups,” Yoo wrote in an email.

     Previously, under the management of the University Center, the university would be charged a nominal fee to host events in the building in order to support the work that the non-profit was doing. Naturally, losing that income and the management of the building has been a huge blow to Center Activities.

    “When the Center Activities department would ask questions regarding funding to replace lost income, they received mixed messages and unclear guidance on what they should expect from the Athletics Department, which Center Activities is now managed by,” said Doe.

    With renovations yet to be completed at HBAC, Scott-Goforth provided a look into the usage of the building thus.

    “There have typically been two or more events occurring each week in the space. Examples include: multi-day placement orientation activity by the Social Work program; program meetings by the California Center for Rural Policy; one-day retreat for areas including Intercollegiate Athletics, Enrollment Management, University Advancement, Advising Center, and Financial Aid Office; Nursing alumni gathering; CSU,” Scott-Goforth wrote in an email on behalf of Marketing and Communications.

    Apparently the upper echelon of Cal Poly Humboldt wasted no time in using the waterfront property for one-day retreats.

    Who drove for this change?

    With budget cuts widespread at Cal Poly Humboldt, it seemed an unorthodox initiative, to Doe, to spend nearly half a million dollars to renovate the HBAC for the benefit of Alumni, Donors, and the University Advancement Division.

    “We were told that the changes at HBAC were happening due to initiatives set forth by President Jackson using presidential funds,” Doe said.

    Jackson’s involvement was corroborated by Hyland, answering who he thought drove for the changes at the HBAC.

    “That was all President Jackson.”

    Further, Marketing and Communications provided extra context for HBAC’s expensive facelift.

     In answering the question of which administrators had driven for the renovations at HBAC, Goforth wrote through email, “Frank Whitlatch, VP for University Advancement, in close consultation with colleagues and with President Jackson.”

    The winners and losers:

    The renovations at HBAC benefitted many people and departments, while hurting many others. It is, of course, a very nuanced topic. What can’t be overlooked is the effect this had on those involved. Of which, feelings are mixed.

    For Slattery and the city of Eureka, all developments that increase Cal Poly Humboldt’s presence in Eureka are beneficial.

    “The presence of the university here in the city of Eureka is extremely important,” Slattery said. “I think that having that influx of not only just people in general, but the diversity of that is something that Eureka would benefit from extremely and I think that Cal Poly would benefit from it as well.”

    Hyland said that practices for Women’s Rowing have not been interrupted because of the renovations and explained that the space is being divided as best as possible.

    “The men’s team would love to have more space, just as Center Activities would. I’d love to have more space and I’m sure that Advancement would love to have more space, but we’ve got a finite thing and I think we’re playing nice as far as sharing goes,” Hyland said.

    Unfortunately, for students and faculty who grew and learned through the courses and services provided by HBAC under its previous management, the renovations and addition of the Advancement department has been quite negative. 

    “This has seriously impacted students’ abilities to learn and have viable professional careers before leaving school. They used to hire a lot of students who would come down to work at the Aquatic Center, get professional experience and do internships down there,” said Doe. “They still try to have internships but they are not the same, people aren’t getting the same out of it. They’ve kind of pulled back on doing student based programming at the same level we used to because we just can’t function with less space, less ability to manage a building. There’s less for them to do honestly.”

  • I’m proud to be a first-generation graduate

    by Monica Robinson

    Reflecting on the journey to reach this point in my life is mind-boggling. This journey started when my mother was five years old. My grandmother fearlessly guided her and her six older brothers to the basement while bombs dropped a few blocks away post-World War II in England. Shortly after, they embarked on a transatlantic voyage to Canada and settled in New Hampshire. I chose to find higher learning by moving away from the bustling East Coast to lay roots in the West. 

    As I approach graduation next month, I will be the first generation in my family to graduate from college. This idea never crossed my mind until I attended last week’s week-long event celebrating first-generation students hosted by the TRiO Upward Bound and Educational Opportunity Program(EOP).    

    Students and teachers shared various experiences and stories about what shaped their journeys through higher education, including the unique hurdles of navigating the educational system with determination and resilience. From family support to overcoming language barriers, the stories spoke of triumphs, setbacks and, ultimately, the pursuit of a better life for themselves and their loved ones.

    Unraveling the influences

    Growing up in poverty alongside my father and older brother, our family faced numerous challenges. However, my mother was determined to instill in us the value of education. Despite working long hours, our parents ensured that my brother and I had access to opportunities. In pursuit of his dream to become a doctor, my brother went to a prep school, which came with a considerable financial burden for my mother.

    However, my brother veered off course after high school. Instead, he traveled the country on the quest for a different type of education. While his enticing lifestyle was tempting, I couldn’t let my mother down the same way.

    Charlie Perez, an engineering major, talked about his self-discovery and resilience between frequent moving and language barriers within his family. Growing up in a Spanish-speaking household while attending English-speaking schools presented unique challenges for Charlie. The resulting sense of isolation and disconnection affected his academic performance and harbored a dislike for English literature.

    Assistant Professor and Public Relations professor Jessie Cretser-Hartenstein’s father played a pivotal role by instilling two fundamental values: honesty and higher education. 

    Her brothers also served as inspirations, each following their unique paths towards college, creating an environment where educational aspirations thrived. With her family’s support, Hartenstein met a mentor who offered invaluable guidance, contributing to her academic success and personal growth. 

    Pressure to Succeed

    Spanning the past 19 years, I have navigated higher education, transferring from College of the Redwoods and eventually to Cal Poly Humboldt. 

    However, it is notable that I only recently took the step to register with the student disability center a year ago. Driven by a determination to reach the academic finish line alone, I hindered my completion. 

    I could have also capitalized on the resources offered to seek out grants and lightened my debt if I had been more proactive in seizing those chances. With these realizations, I see how important seeking assistance and support is.

    During an art workshop, students sketched their educational journey. To illustrate this, the Administrative Support Assistant of the EOP, Xelha Puc, incorporated wind next to a tree to symbolize burnout, imposter syndrome (fake it till you make it) and isolation. 

    “I feel like for me being first gen, you feel a lot of pressure, being the like first, and sometimes you don’t know how to navigate certain things within the education system,” Puc said. 

    Hartenstein reflected on her challenges during her educational pursuits, including imposter syndrome and the lack of guidance. Although these obstacles threatened to derail her college journey, she prevailed.

    Keys to Success

    On the road toward my personal and academic goals, I am fortunate to have an exceptional community that consistently shows me persistent love and support. Their presence in my life has been essential and the driving force behind my achievements. Reaching the finish line has only been possible with their encouragement. 

    “So, the first thing I learned was [to surround] myself around people who actually care about me, and how to identify people who are temporary and just want to take from you,” Perez said. “This helps me out with determining my learning group.”

    Additionally, Perez highlighted how the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the importance of self-reliance and individual strength. He realized that having a clear sense of purpose, or a compelling “why?” helped him overcome challenges and pursue his passions.

    Perez noted taking fun courses and engaging in community-building activities builds a sense of companionship, and students can connect with their peers and discover shared interests.

    Hartenstein highlighted the importance of mentors, including professors, advisors, and professionals in the industry who provide crucial guidance and support. 

    “… if you don’t have self-confidence, and you have impostor syndrome, just work on building confidence,” Hartenstein said. “I started this sort of game with myself many years ago, where I have to have three things on my gratitude list every day, at least once a day. And those three things are one thing about myself, one thing about the world outside of me, and nowadays, it’s one thing about my partner or my family, or whoever I’m with.”

    Untapped Potential

    The experiences of first-generation college students are a testament to determination, resilience and perseverance in pursuing a brighter future. 

    “My family went through all of this, to transfer from Mexico to California, for me just to stop here?” Perez said. ‘No – the story continues.” 

    Each story draws inspiration, encouraging others to embrace their identities, seek support and conquer the barriers in their way. They embody the untapped potential for growth and success in every individual. 

    “Most of us have impostor syndrome, and we’re just faking it,” Hartenstein said. “Don’t tell anyone, but it’s true.”

    Their stories are a powerful reminder of the transformative power of educational aspirations, shaping a better tomorrow for themselves and others.

    “Address your deep wounds. They’re the cause of a lot of suffering that may keep on relapsing in your life, but they also are the things that hold the biggest treasure,” Perez said.

  • Cal Poly Humboldt cancels special services contract with Arcata Fire Department

    Cal Poly Humboldt cancels special services contract with Arcata Fire Department

    by Dezmond Remington

    Once a year for about 15 years, the dorms would crawl with firefighters. It was a summer ritual. Dozens of firefighters, housing staff and paramedics would come to campus and practice the techniques they would use to save countless lives in the event of a fire. That’s not happening anymore.

    The university canceled a “special services” contract with the Arcata Fire Department (AFD) that covered everything from those trainings, to campus outreach with students, to having a fire engine on standby at College Colors Day. Everything that wasn’t an emergency call was covered under the label of “special services,” and was paid for by a yearly $37,000 contract. The special services provided will cease Nov. 18, and the university was refunded $23,000.

    The cancellation occurred after a false fire alarm at Founder’s Hall in August. AFD billed the university $100 after the false alarm caused them to send a fire truck. Arcata Fire Chief Justin McDonald said the false alarm billing was a new practice that applies to everywhere in Arcata, not just the university.

    “It is district wide,” McDonald said. “[We’re] trying to cut down on calls that don’t need to happen. A false alarm takes away a fire engine from being available to respond to an actual emergency or a public assistance-type call. Because the alarm comes in, we have to treat it like a real event, like there’s smoke in the building. You can’t go ‘oh, that could be a false alarm’ and then wait for someone to call it in. That’s not how we do it. We have to treat it like it is.”

    In a comment from the Marketing and Communications department, the main cause stated is the risk of running up tens of thousands of dollars in false alarm fees. McDonald thinks that’s unrealistic for several reasons. Every building on campus is treated as its own separate system, with its own alarms and quirks. Although the false alarm fee gradually rises to $500 after enough false alarms, McDonald said he calculated it would take 28 false alarms on the same building for that to happen. McDonald said it only counts as a false alarm if there’s no reason for the alarm to go off. If it senses smoke when there is indeed smoke (albeit no fire), that doesn’t count as a false alarm.

    Tawny Fleming, the director of the Contracts and Procurements department, declined to comment. Vice President for Administration and Finance Sherie Gordon did not return requests for comment.

    “If we hit $500 in a false alarm fee, you’re not fixing your alarm system,” McDonald said. “It’s having a problem. We’re trying to cut down on malfunction… if we have five alarms in a building, something’s going on. We would work with the Facilities Management and the State Fire Marshal’s office to get the alarm system fixed well before we’ve hit tens of thousands of dollars in false alarm fees… we’ve tried to make sure we’re treating them fairly.”

    Another reason the university decided to cancel the contract according to their statement was because they felt that many of the services paid for had not been provided to campus for years. McDonald agrees, though he blames the pandemic for that.

     “Campus was shut down, so they’re not wrong,” McDonald said. “We still provided the service we could, but for a while, there was nobody on campus and buildings were locked because they were sterilized and we honored their wishes of not being on campus.”

    McDonald said it was too early to properly predict the effects the special services cancellation will have on students, though he does worry about fire readiness among students and how people might respond in an emergency.

    “Where things could potentially go awry… it would be when the university says, ‘Hey, we need to do this training for the residence halls’, or ‘law enforcement needs to do their annual active shooter training,’” McDonald said. “Well, now that’s something we’re going to have to look at, in my mind. That’s something they would now have to pay a fee for instead of having it under the services contract. I don’t see it having an adverse effect immediately. But, if we don’t do interagency training with Housing and the UPD and Facilities Management, that’s going to have a long-term effect on how all the players interact in an emergency.”

    Though the end of the special services contract will make connecting with students harder, McDonald said AFD was committed to trying to keep students as safe as possible. 

    “Fire prevention doesn’t rest,” McDonald said. “Especially when you have college students in residence halls or apartment buildings… we’ll do our best to continue to reach out to students, because there’s a lot of them out here between Humboldt and College of the Redwoods.”

  • Teamsters union strikes against unfair labor practices and bad faith bargaining

    Teamsters union strikes against unfair labor practices and bad faith bargaining

    by Andrés Felix Romero

    Beginning at 5:30 a.m. in the cold rain on Nov. 14, members of Teamsters 2010 began their one day strike picketing outside of the College Creek Marketplace, the Library Circle and the parking lot of the J. It was the first official strike by any California State University union for the first time in 28 years, and the one day demonstration was performed by the other Teamster 2010 chapters across all 23 CSU campuses. The union members adapted to the weather by bundling up, sporting Teamster 2010 rain ponchos and covering their picket signs with plastic coverings. 

    The union’s picket line had two main goals. One, to establish that the unions are ready and willing to strike. Locksmith for Housing and Teamster member, Phil Bradley, said that the Teamsters are ready for more strikes.

    “The one day strike today is to show the CSU we are serious about this, and to come to the table and bargain with us,” Bradley said. “It’s to show that we have the resolve to do this if that’s what it comes down to. If they don’t show up and start working with us, we’re gonna have to do a longer strike.” 

    Teamsters 2010 represent skilled trade laborers across the CSU system such as plumbers, painters, mechanics and electricians. Campus painter Jeff Robinson shared his thoughts on how campus will be impacted if the Teamsters decide to strike for a longer period of time in the future.

    “Say you have a rainy day,” Robinson said. “You have old buildings on campus, so you’re getting leaky calls that aren’t getting attended to. [You’ll get] clogged toilets, lights that are out, or the heat’s not working.”

    The second goal is for the Teamsters to draw attention to unfair labor practices.

    “[We want] to bring awareness that the CSU has been conducting unfair labor practices,” Bradley said. “There’s rules on what the [CSU] can and can’t do such as, retaliation, delaying, and bargaining in bad faith.”

    Maintenance lead Daniel Bouchard crosses the street in the rain in front of the Jolly Giant Commons parking lot. Photo by Griffin Mancuso.

    The Teamsters have expressed frustration at what they feel are continued practices of bad-faith bargaining by the CSU Chancellor’s office.

    “[The bargaining team for the Chancellor’s office] show up to meetings completely unprepared, and they keep canceling negotiating sessions,” Bradley said. “They’re basically just doing whatever they can to delay and obstruct.”

    Although the primary focus of the strike wasn’t financial, some on the picket line highlighted their grievances with a lack of an adequate wage-increase structure. Campus Building Service Engineer Steve Brands felt lucky that he was able to receive some increase in wages during his time employed with the CSU, but he feels frustrated that his colleagues haven’t had the same opportunity.

    “We used to have a very defined step-structure,” Brands said. “As long as you were getting good evaluations and things were going well, you got the raises until you moved to the top of the range. And now, nobody really moves through the range.”

    Teamsters such as campus automotive mechanic Ryan Moore explained how they have struggled with a lack of increase in wages, especially as inflation continues to rise

    “I live out towards Willow Creek and I have kids to commute to school and sports,” Moore said. “Fuel and [groceries] goes through the roof just trying to raise a family. I never thought I’d actually be out on the picket line here at the college.”

    On Nov. 9, Cal Poly Humboldt released a statement addressing the Nov. 14 strike. The message clarified to the campus community that the Humboldt and other CSU campuses have contingencies in case of an event such as a strike. As promised in the email, the Humboldt campus remained open and operational on the day of the strike. The email also promised to not pay any of the employees who participate in the strike. The email also asks the campus community to remain patient as the Chancellor’s office continues the bargaining process with the Teamsters 2010 and the other CSU unions.

    The Teamsters weren’t the only union on the picket line that day. Members of California State University Employees Union (CSUEU) were there with picket signs and chanting alongside the Teamsters. The California Faculty Association (CFA) also showed solidarity that day. Some members joined the picket line and some faculty even refused to host class. CFA Faculty Rights Chair and philosophy lecturer Loren Cannon is excited to work alongside other lecturers.

    “CFA is fully in solidarity with the teamsters right now, and with our other sister unions,” Cannon said. “We’re all in this together. Without the teamsters doing their work, without teachers doing their work, without staff doing their work, this place can’t run. And so we are together, supporting each other’s rights to a fair contract to make sure that we don’t have unfair labor practices.”

  • Cal Poly Humboldt issues parking citations to students living in vehicles

    Cal Poly Humboldt issues parking citations to students living in vehicles

    by Jillian Wells

    On the morning of Nov. 13, students living in alternative housing such as vans, RVs, campers and motorhomes on campus awoke to parking tickets on their vehicles. The parking tickets each cost between $40-$53, with some students receiving multiple citations. 

    The enforcement of parking regulations came 19 days after the university sent out an initial email, notifying students that they would be enforcing a previously overlooked policy that prohibits overnight camping.

     This decision to enforce this policy sparked community backlash and has gained national attention, as there was a Los Angeles Times reporter interviewing students this week. 

    The citations issued to students outlined various violations, including “No Use of Vehicle for Living/Overnight” and “Beyond Designated Lanes.” Additionally, comments on the tickets highlighted specific infractions such as “windows being covered.”

    Cris Koczera, the Interim Director of Risk Management & Safety, did not respond to requests about further clarification about the criteria for determining if a student is sleeping in a vehicle by press time.

    Student Derek Batty lived in a vehicle on campus, but made the decision to move into temporary housing to avoid receiving a citation.

    “I feel more homeless in this place [temporary housing] than I did before,” Batty said. “I’m grateful for it for sure, but I wish we just didn’t get kicked out.”

    Batty also said that despite moving into temporary housing, he received a parking ticket on the morning of Nov. 13 because his windows were covered up. 

    “They can’t prove that we’re sleeping in the vehicle based on having [the windows] covered,” said Brad Butterfield, vice president of the Alternative Living Club, in an impromptu meeting on Nov. 13.

     They expressed frustration and asserted that just because their windows are covered up isn’t evidence that they are sleeping in their vehicles. 

    Ethan LeVering, an Associated Students (A.S.) delegate for the University Senate, pointed out a lack of consideration in the enforcement process.

    “They did not knock on the vehicles, they did nothing to check if anyone was in there,” LeVering said. “They simply left the little ticket and ran off.”

    The University Police Department (UPD) declined to comment. LeVering also criticized the university’s approach.  

    “These students have not been given a presumption of innocence, which is outright un-American,” LeVering said.

    Carrie White, a student who lives in their vehicle, emphasized the economic ramifications of the parking citations.

    “That’s what they’re [Cal Poly Humboldt] working on, the economic punishment,” White said. “They know we don’t have any money, so they’re going to ticket us until we have no choice. They’ll break the bank before they break our will.”

    Caleb Chen, another impacted student, expressed his concerns about the timing of the ticketing. He believes that the university is starting the citation process just before fall break to limit potential media coverage and keep the ticketing discreet.

    “They could tow us at the beginning of fall break… to remove the vehicles silently while all the students were gone,” Chen said.

    Chen added that while he appreciates the option of temporary housing, he’s not interested.

    “At this point, it’s about making sure there’s a solution for future students and all their [Cal Poly Humboldt’s] solutions only go until December 18.”

    Brad Butterfield is a member of The Lumberjack. He did not help write or edit this article.

  • Pool budget drained by Associated Students

    Pool budget drained by Associated Students

    by Valen Lambert

    Since the Associated Students cut nearly $500,000 from student programs in September because of the administration’s faulty admission estimate, students and faculty are enduring the collateral damage. The cut of the campus pool’s budget from $25,000 to $7,500 means a big shift for its 15 employees and the hundreds of students and faculty that recreate in it, and pool staff claim that the AS correspondence has been less than professional.

    The budget cut isn’t anything new to the pool’s programs, which are a part of the School of Applied Health. Lawre Maple, who has been the pool’s program director for nine years, notes that the pool hasn’t had full budgeting since COVID. Every year the program struggles to stay open, and every year staff have to fight to get the funding they need.

    “We’re only open right now because the [Dean of Professional Studies] came in and found us some funding and gave us $10,000,” said Maple. 

    This year, however, according to Maple and student lifeguards, A.S. confused the pool program with an entirely different department. Initially, A.S. reached out to the pool program that sent over the necessary paperwork about what the budget will be used for. When A.S. came back to clarify the budget, they reached out to Paul Wells, who is the Recreational Sports Coordinator and totally unaffiliated with the pool programs that got their budget reduced. 

    “A.S. had accidentally included drop-in pool hours with the same funding as drop-in sports when we first applied for funding,” said Wells. “I believe the similar naming convention caused the confusion when I first applied for funding earlier this year, during the spring semester.”

    “To verify the information or to gain more information about the pool, we were not told that they reached out to a faculty member [Paul Wells] in [Rec Sports],” said student lifeguard Kaden Tobin. “A.S. claimed they were a part of our staff, but they are not and in no way connected to the staff that works at the pool. A.S. claimed at the board meeting on Oct. 13 to have contacted the pool staff directly, but only through email. Only one member [Andres Olmos] of the A.S. board ever came to the pool in person to talk, which was on Oct. 12. All it takes is a simple search on Google or the school website to figure out who to talk to.”

    This miscommunication resulted in Maple not hearing about the budget cut until Oct. 4, five days after they passed the cut. At an A.S. meeting on Oct. 13, The Marching Lumberjacks also claimed A.S. failed to notify them of the Sep. 20 budget meeting where they would have had an opportunity to fight for their funding. Student lifeguard Sam McLane attended the Oct. 13 meeting where he asked the A.S. board if they even knew where the pool was.

    “I asked the Board of Associated Students ‘How many of you know where the pool is?’” said McLane. “I think two out of nine of them knew.”

    “There were some mistakes made,” said A.S. President Samuel Parker. “We had to make the budget in such a short time frame. We could have done better. We went with the allocation that the previous board had suggested.”  

    Interim executive director of AS Kendra Higgins commented on the budget discrepancy.

    “Last year, the Board of Directors collected budget applications for A.S. funding for the 23-24 school year,” said Higgins. The application had incorrect contact information for the swim program that had been copied from previous years,” Higgins said in an email statement. “Upon realizing this discrepancy, our Administrative Vice President, Andres Olmos, personally visited the pool for further clarification, apologized for any confusion, and invited representatives from the pool to participate in our board of directors meetings and the finance sub-committee, where the recommended budget for the next year is discussed.” 

    The budget cuts are not affecting the classes that take place in the pool, but the hours of its open lap time are affected. Decreasing from 25 hours to about 12 hours of open lap swim each week means that its 15 employed lifeguards have significantly reduced hours. Grace Kasberger, a student lifeguard, is seeing her hours diminish from around 15 hours a week to just four, and is scrambling to make up for the loss.

    “This is one of my only jobs, and the only job that can work because I’m also a student athlete,” said Kasberger. “Most other places on campus aren’t very lenient with an athletic schedule as well as my school schedule. This all happened in the middle of the semester. I had the security and now I don’t, and so it’s kind of a little bit of a panic.” 

    Student staff aren’t the only ones affected by the significant cut. Students of the nationally acclaimed scientific diving minor rely on the open hours of the pool to practice their diving in a safe space instead of in Humboldt’s dangerous and unpredictable ocean. Student athletes utilize the pool for cross training or training with their PT’s if they have an injury. According to Tobin, they’ve already had at least 950 people recreate during lap time in the first eight weeks, when usually they’ll get that many in a whole semester, and the amount of faculty passes sold this semester is already above average. All of these people will be affected by the diminishing open hours.

    “You have people that swim for wellbeing, mental and physical,” said Maple. “People that can’t do traditional workouts. They have different needs. They have different bodies. Swimming is one of the only sports that everybody can do.”

  • New Yurok office will support South District

    New Yurok office will support South District

    by Andrés Felix Romero

    On the first day of November on a pleasantly warm sunny afternoon at the edges of Old Town in Eureka, members of the Yurok Tribal Council gathered in front of their office building at 930 Third Street, Eureka. The council smiled as they cut the big red ribbon to signify the grand opening of their new office space for the Yurok’s court services. The new building houses a meeting place for the council within the South District. Eureka is located in what is known as the South District for the Yurok tribe.

    Among other duties, the council is responsible for managing the ancestral lands of the Yurok that they are in direct control of, as well as managing the salaries of tribal personnel.

    Lana McCovey is the council member of ten years who oversees the South District (and held the large scissors to cut the ribbon). McCovey was ecstatic about the opening of the space as now employees and residents can be closer to court services.

    “What we found is that there’s a large amount of employees and members down in this area,” McCovey said. “We found it necessary to accommodate them. People from [the South District], to do normal, everyday business, would have to drive to [Klamath] to get that done. So we want to be able to offer [tribal court services in Eureka] also.”

    This is the second office that the Yurok holds in Eureka; however, the 930 Third Street address focuses on court services. One service that the office will provide are diversion programs Court services that the Yurok offer in the space focus on supporting at-risk youth and elders, supporting victims of crimes such as domestic violence, probationary services, visitation services, foster services, and more. Space for council operations and an office for the tribal prosecutor also reside at the new address.

    The Yurok staff that occupy the new building have found the space to increase their productivity in a number of ways. Besides the new office being able to support individuals in Yurok’s South District, Court Director at the Yurok Tribe Jessica Carter notes the building is only blocks away from Humboldt County’s courthouse.

    “We can walk and get coffee and food,” said Carter, “And we can go to the jail if we have to file something or go visit our clients. Definitely accessible.”

    COVID-19 played an important role in the development of the office building, as it was paid for thanks to the CARES Act during the pandemic. The tribe acquired the building in 2020. After renovations, the court services began to steadily move their court services away from their previous location, the Aawok Bonnie Green Site. The former site was located at Worthington Elementary School, and the office there was a portable classroom. The Yurok are now able to house many of the employees hired during COVID, who now need an in-person desk to work at.

    “You can hire all the people you want for the job,” said McCovey, “but if you don’t have the space for them, then what’s the point?”

    The new office space is much larger than the previous location. Now that many of the court services within the Yurok court system have their own suite within the office space, communication has become more efficient. The Yurok Tribal Child Support Services (YTCSS) staff enjoy the opportunities for more efficient and safe communication with each other now that each program has its own suite to chat amongst themselves.

    The YTCSS staff is happier now that each court program has their own defined space within the new building. Each department has increased confidentiality thanks to the privacy and are able to speak to each other about cases rather than needing to communicate through emails.

  • Policy, protest, and pirates: students protest against campus evictions

    Policy, protest, and pirates: students protest against campus evictions

    by Jillian Wells

    Other contributors: Alex Anderson and Dezmond Remington

    In a powerful show of unity, students and faculty members gathered in the rain at Cal Poly Humboldt to protest the recent decision to evict students living in vehicles on campus. The protest, which took place on Thursday, Nov. 2, highlighted the larger problem of homelessness in Humboldt County. 

    The protest started at 11 a.m. in the G11 parking lot and lasted throughout the night. At 12 p.m., protestors marched to the quad in the rain chanting, “Hey, ho, hey, ho student eviction has got to go!”

    Photo by Cedrik Vonbriel. A sign at the protest.

    The protest was led by Maddy Montiel and Brad Butterfield, the president and vice president of the Alternative Living Club, who were dressed as pirates because of a long-running joke of them being “land pirates” and their RV’s being ships on wheels. Furthermore, the initial eviction email occurred during Halloween week, and since then Montiel and Butterfield have been solely focused on securing safe housing, but didn’t want the situation to take celebrating Halloween from them. 

    “The university took a lot from us last week,” Montiel said. “We decided we wanted to keep one thing for ourselves and still dress as pirates and give our outfits a chance to see the light of day.”

    Photo by Cedrik Vonbriel. A sign at the protest.

    The protest also featured an open discussion, where Montiel and Butterfield stated their list of demands from the university. 

    Their demands included the university allowing overnight camping or sleeping in vehicles through the end of the fall semester, at least, a formal apology for the dehumanizing language in the initial eviction email, the establishment of a committee for long-term solutions, more transparency in defining camping and its implementation, and evidence of the “unsafe and unsanitary conditions” that was stated in the email.

    At the protest, Butterfield stated students living in their vehicles are open to finding a solution that works for them and the university, but that the university hasn’t been willing to negotiate. For the students living in their vehicles, protesting was a last resort. 

    “For the school to assume that they can just get rid of us and push us out onto the streets and we’re going to go away quietly, is wrong,” Butterfield said.

    On Tuesday, Nov. 7, the University Senate passed a resolution that would pause the enforcement until the end of the 2023-2024 academic year; this resolution was sent to President Jackson’s office. It awaits a decision. Mark Johnson, the President’s Chief of Staff, who attended the meeting on behalf of Jackson, declined to answer any of The Lumberjack’s questions, as did Dean of Students Mitch Mitchell.

    During the protest, various speakers articulated their concerns, frustrations, and demands, emphasizing the need for understanding and fair solutions. The protest featured many voices and perspectives within the community, stressing the importance of addressing the issue with attainable solutions and compassion.

    Photo by Cedrik Vonbriel. A sign at the protest.

    Rouhollah Aghasaleh, an assistant professor in the School of Education, attended the protest and said that he sympathizes with the students who are being evicted.

    “Living in a [vehicle] doesn’t make you less human.” Aghasaleh said.

    Meheret Vasquez-Suomala, a religious studies major, expressed disappointment in the administration and hopes that they will listen and work with students, not evict them. 

    “You [Cal Poly Humboldt] are deliberately misplacing lower-income students and that’s what’s frustrating.” 

    Raymond Haeckel, another one of the speakers at the protest, questioned the accusations made by the university and stated that without proof of the unsafe and unsanitary conditions. Haeckel will continue to believe this is an effort to force these students into on-campus housing and collect housing fees.

    “This is motivated by money and money alone,” Haeckel said.

    Jules Tatum, another student at the protest, condemned the university’s decision to evict students.

    “To say that these people are unsanitary, unsafe, dangerous individuals is just a slap in the face. The only dangerous conditions are being created by the institution,” Tatum stated.

    Ultimately, the protest highlighted the need for realistic and attainable solutions that work with students, not evicting one of the most vulnerable student populations. 

    If you’re interested in learning more about this on-going issue, the Alternative Living Club is meeting on Friday, Nov. 10, at 3:30 in front of the library. 

    Disclaimer: Brad Butterfield is a member of the Lumberjack. He did not help write or edit this article.

  • Cemetery Boys: emo meets hyperpop

    by Savana Robinson

    The Miniplex, located in the back of Richards’ Goat, was dark with only a purple light emitting from the stage. People slowly shuffled in, some donning costumes in the Halloween spirit. The crowd was bustling with excitement, many concert goers with a drink in their hand. The show began around 9:45 p.m. and lasted about an hour and a half. Collectively, the boys put on a show that had a modern emo, hyperpop feel. The crowd danced and a small moshpit opened up in the center. With smiles on their faces, it was obvious that the crowd was happy to be there.

    Louie Lingard, Osha Fiuty and Benny Pavloff make up the local trio Cemetery Boys. Respectively, the boys go by NotLewy, MESpirit and beninpayne. The collective played a show on Saturday, Oct. 14. The show had a turnout of about 20 people, which was perfect for the tiny showroom in the back of the tavern.

    Playing more as a collective than a band, the boys took turns taking the stage, each playing a set of about ten songs. Pavloff went first, then Fiuty and Lingard last. Although they each had their own sound, they complemented each other at the same time.

    Pavloff dedicated a song to his girlfriend, Shannon. It was a heartfelt song where he stated he doesn’t know how she got him and falling in love isn’t like him.

    “Girl, you got me floatin’/ I be swimmin’ through your oceans,” sang Pavloff.

    Pavloff’s sound could be described as emo y2k electronic. His soft yet bold vocals mixed with the autotune and hyperpop backtrack blended well.

    Pavloff described his sound as influenced by Midwest emo with math rock samples and a mix of different types of vocals.

    “I have a lot of different things that I do. Sometimes it’s really harsh autotune, and very glitchcore-hyperpop stuff,” Pavloff said. “I’ve recently been branching out and trying to get my real voice more out there and just singing.”

    Fiuty’s sound was also drenched in hyperpop with an emo overtone. Bassy lines and quick lyrics made his music sound polished.

    “Real cemetery shit, yeah I’m in for life,” sang Fiuty, referring to his dedication to the group as a whole.

    Fiuty said that the group’s music has changed throughout the years.

    “It started with the emo rap wave that was happening in 2016, 2017,” Fiuty said. “We’ve all kind of developed and gone off into different directions with it.”

    Lingard played several songs off his mixtape “2k13” released Oct. 13. The mixtape has heavy overtones of trap.

    “Now we in a different league,” sang Lingard.

    Lingard has a sound influenced by a blend of genres including rap and witchhouse.

    “I’m really influenced by 2010s trap music. Chief Keef, Gucci Mane, Young Thug, Rich Homie Quan, stuff like that,” Lingard said.

    The group has been together since 2019, but took a break during the pandemic. They have played a total of nine shows together. Lingard and Pavloff are both College of the Redwoods students who plan to transfer to Cal Poly Humboldt.

    “We all fucking killed that,” Pavloff said.

  • Green solution to Humboldt’s parking issue

    Green solution to Humboldt’s parking issue

    by Jake Hyslop

    It’s no secret that transportation is a big issue here at Cal Poly Humboldt. With almost 6,000 students currently enrolled and only 2,137 parking spaces, parking is the least fun game of musical chairs played daily by students. Despite past assurances of more parking spaces in the future, students are left to maneuver the measly parking available until then. Some students will graduate long before additional parking is finalized. 

    Morgan King, chair of the Sustainable Transportation Committee and a Climate Action Analyst in the Office of Sustainability, has been working on programs and initiatives to provide a variety of transportation options to, from and around campus. At a time when parking is a limited commodity, King is striving to offer students equitable options. 

    “Our focus is on transportation equity,” King said. “We really need to look at how we can ensure that everyone has access to the same levels of service, regardless if they’re taking a bus, walking or riding a bike.” 

    Not only does sustainable transportation operate to provide non-single occupancy vehicle (SOV) alternatives, they also focus on making these methods of transportation as sustainable as possible. Cal Poly Humboldt has established a reputation as an eco-friendly university, releasing two Climate Action Plans (CAP) since 2017. These plans are drafted with the intent of reducing emissions across campus and achieving carbon neutrality by 2045, essentially rendering the school free of fossil fuel use and conceivably running on sustainable, clean energy. 

    Vehicle commuting accounts for 16.9% of greenhouse gas emissions at Cal Poly Humboldt, measuring at 2,323 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions. According to the most recent CAP, SOV trips account for the largest part of commuter emissions. 

    “[Administrators] are saying that they want to be a green campus,” said Zachary Meyer, student Transportation Specialist in the Office of Sustainability. “Well, one of the biggest sources of emissions is transportation emissions.” 

    Ranging from a Ride Share program that matches up students to carpool with guaranteed preferential parking to the simple but effective Jack Pass that provides unlimited free bus rides during the semester, there are a myriad of options available to students. King urged students to take advantage of the Jack Pass in particular, as the pricing is already built into the tuition students are paying. One service to take note of is the Lumberjack Express, which launched in early October. The new bus system offers free rides to students and is designed specifically to get around campus, only stopping at campus and campus-adjacent locations. 

    A large portion of sustainable transportation focuses on biking. Options offered to students include the Bike Share program, which provides low-cost bicycle rentals for conveniently getting around campus, as well as the Bicycle Learning Center (BLC), a student-run bicycle shop located under the West Gym stairwell by the Recreation and Wellness Center. The BLC offers free bicycle maintenance and bike parts, plus it raffles away free bikes on its Instagram. Unfortunately, bike theft remains a persistent problem for cyclists on campus. 

    “The immediate thing I’d suggest is registering your bike with the UPD because they can get you a free new lock,” said Adam Wood, student co-director for the BLC. “The free lock is a much better option than the more common braided steel cable lock, which can be cut through real quick.” 

    Luckily, through a student proposal approved by the Humboldt Energy Independence Fund (HEIF) and awarded $120K in 2021, there is a secure, weatherproof bike structure currently being designed for on-campus use in the near future. 

    Some issues impeding progress include funding and outreach for visibility to students. King mentioned that students often aren’t aware of the options available to them. Often, news and events are relegated to the end of department newsletters. The annual transportation fair used to be mandatory for new students as part of orientation, but King said they’ve lost administrative support for that. 

    “It needs to be constantly communicated,” King said. “It can’t only come out of my office. We’re trying to work on that, but there’s a lot of work to be done.” 

    “I think there could definitely be more funding towards [sustainable transportation],” Meyer said. “I personally don’t know what my budget is, what I can do fiscally. I’ve switched my approach this semester to do more education and event organizing to increase awareness and outreach.” 

    Meyer and King both also noted how hard it can be to push sustainable means of transportation when cars are so central to society. 

    “We live in a car-centric paradigm where people have grown up always respecting the car,” Meyer said. “The thing in your pocket to identify yourself is your driver’s license. That’s how ingrained driving is in our culture.” 

    Because of the need for the campus to become more sustainable, King said additional parking structures are not the priority. 

    There’s no telling whether the university would be able to substantially ease parking difficulties, including the pricey permits, at any point in the future, as the school aims to reach an estimated enrollment of 11,000 students by 2028. This sentiment was echoed at a mid-October meeting for the Sustainable Transportation Committee. 

    “Building more parking is just going to make parking cost more,” said Hank Kaplan, Transportation Analyst for the CSU system.

    Major changes are being proposed for the university. One proposal considered is for a shuttle system designed to transport students from school to offsite parking located away from the campus. Another such change is to “pedestrianize” the streets, closing the core of the campus off to cars, thereby making it safer for pedestrians and more encouraging for non-SOV transportation. 

    “I’d like to see no cars in the center of campus,” Meyer said. “We have people getting hit by cars, and it’s pretty unsafe to walk and bike around that.”

    Most of these radical changes are some years off, so in the meantime, King encourages students to make use of the alternative means of transportation available to them. 

    “It costs a lot of money to own, gas up and park a car – money that many of our students do not have,” King said. “And the single occupant vehicle is a major contributor to the global climate crisis affecting us all. But riding the bus with JackPass is free! Walking is free! Riding a bike is healthy and non-polluting! Carpooling is a great way to meet new people and save on gas and parking! So, if you are only driving alone to campus, try to walk, roll or bus one day a week.”

  • CDOR hosts drag show and dialogue

    by Monica Robinson

    Individuals from diverse backgrounds and viewpoints participated in programs centered around racial, social and environmental justice during the Campus and Community Dialogue on Race. The goal is to provide spaces for reflection, examination and dialogue to promote change.

    “Brown, Bearded, and Beautiful” was the last presentation held by Production Manager and Show Host Jorge Luis, aka Val De Flores, of the Vibe Queer Bar on Friday, Oct. 27.

    The discussion entailed the creation of an LGBTQIA+ supportive community environment through drag performances and open dialogue to promote education in a predominantly white and heteronormative Humboldt.

    When Luis moved to Humboldt, it was the first time he felt a feeling of safety and belonging in a queer community.

    Luis reflected upon his “machismo” upbringing near San Diego. 

    “You know, I’ve always been a weird kid, like, that’s why I didn’t play soccer,” Luis said. “Because I wanted to wear my mom’s heels.”

    Luis’s mission is to provide a stage for people to reveal their talents, creating an environment where everyone feels significant and acknowledged. He explains how drag shows go beyond entertainment and are an opportunity to build connections in a safe space. 

    The joy Luis said he experiences when seeing the audience sing and dance during performances highlights the heartfelt solidarity within the drag culture in Humboldt County. 

    “I’m married, so it’s my way to let loose and not kill my husband,” Pearl Anderson said, an occasional attendee of the Vibe Queer Pop-Up Bar.

    The shared passion for self-expression and acceptance creates a bond that surpasses societal boundaries.

    “Drag is something that you put on to make yourself feel a little bit more competent each day,” said Luis. “Sometimes that means a wig, and sometimes it’s your dad’s cowboy hat, you know. It’s like, whatever you want to put on that day to kind of just give yourself that little push.”

  • Students honor Palestinian lives lost

    Students honor Palestinian lives lost

    by Jasmin Shirazian

    Students gathered in the University Center quad on Oct. 27 for a vigil to honor the lives that have been lost due to the war in Palestine. 

    Student and organizer of the vigil, Jamilla, who has declined to share her last name, began by thanking the crowd for joining her to remember and honor the Palestinian people. She continued speaking about the attacks that had been launched onto civilians, mentioning the resilience of the Palestinian people and expressing thankfulness for the safety of her family members that are still in Palestine. 

    Jamilla passed the microphone to her friend and colleague, who told a personal story of growing up in New Jersey as a young Jewish girl, being told to collect donations for causes that funded tree planting in Israel and feeling responsible for the loss of lives after being informed on the history of the State of Israel. The microphone was passed to various students and faculty members who had prepared speeches entailing their experiences and calling for an end to the occupation of Palestine.

    Throughout the speeches, a few were able to form a volunteer group, with students and community members offering to be involved in gathering press, spreading awareness, helping with city council matters and more. Jamilla ended the vigil with chants for peace in Palestine as classes were being let out at 1 p.m. 

    Students and community members alike attended the vigil. Kiara Farias, a Critical Race and Gender Sexualities (CRGS) major, attended the vigil to become more educated on what’s happening in Gaza and the West Bank and to show their support for Palestinians. 

    “This is a humanitarian crisis,” Farias said. “[I am] forever and always going to be against genocide and going to [support] liberation for those like Palestinian people.” 

    Michael Steeleman, also a CRGS major, attended the vigil for the same reasons as Farais. 

    “I come from a population who was forcibly removed from their land and is still continuing to deal with that trauma,” Steeleman said. “I think it’s ridiculous to still view that and have that happen in the present day.” 

    Steeleman and Farias both believe that through unity, petitions, protest and creating opportunities to show community support, vital steps can be taken to make a difference individually and collectively. 

    One of the students who volunteered to help with organizing future vigils and protests is Margarita Fedorova.

    “I’m here because I feel pain – I heard the cries of Palestinians in Gaza, for people to draw awareness and support,” Fedorova said. “I’m Ukrainian, and we have a lot more in common than people may think. As long as we keep talking about it, things can get better.” 

    Jamilla, the organizer of this vigil, has been taking several initiatives to educate the community on what is happening, such as the history of resistance through embroidery. 

    “The level of violence that we are seeing happen right now is just the most horrific, egregious thing I’ve seen broadcast on TV,” Jamilla said. “I’m grieving. I have family and friends in Gaza that have lost their homes at this point. This is the least I can do to be speaking out against that, and organizing a collective response to end this horrible violence.”

    Jamilla believes that the university needs to have a stronger stance in response to what is happening to Palestinians. 

    “A neutral stance on this is unacceptable. The university really should be… acknowledging the level of violence of what this actually is, and not just taking a neutral stance because they’re worried about creating riffs or waves,” Jamilla said. “It’s about being against genocide, and our voices matter in bringing an end to that.”

  • Many questions, few answers: Cal Poly Humboldt evicts students living in vehicles

    Many questions, few answers: Cal Poly Humboldt evicts students living in vehicles

    by Jillian Wells and Alex Anderson

    Cal Poly Humboldt served what is essentially an eviction letter to students experiencing homelessness and residing in vehicles such as vans, campers, RVs and motorhomes on-campus. To provide a comprehensive understanding of this evolving situation, we’ve compiled a timeline of key events in this ongoing story.

    Wednesday, Oct. 25 – Initial Notice

    Cal Poly Humboldt sent out a campus-wide announcement on Wednesday, Oct. 25, that sent shockwaves through the campus community. In the announcement, the university said that they have decided to enforce a previously overlooked policy, stating that students living in their vehicles on campus would have to find housing elsewhere due to “unsanitary and unsafe conditions.”

    This abrupt announcement took the community of students living in alternative housing by surprise as many of them have been living in alternative housing for multiple semesters without incident.  

    “University policy will soon be enforced without exception,” the email stated.

    The announcement didn’t highlight any specifics in regards to what the unsanitary conditions were, or how this policy would be enforced. The Marketing and Communications department for the university declined to comment on these questions.

    For many students living in alternative housing, being on campus is crucial, because it’s the only viable way they can afford to get an education. With the increasing prices of tuition and everyday living, several students stated that if they’re forced to move off campus, that will cause them to leave permanently. 

    “It’s really hard for me to be able to live any other way,” said Carrie White, a senior biology major. “If I was forced to move, I would probably have to drop out of school.”

    Students also prefer to live in their vehicles on campus because with the community they’ve built, it adds another layer of safety. 

     “We park close together because we look after each other … it feels a lot safer,” White said.

    Friday, Oct. 27 – Alternative Living Club 

    The Alternative Living Club held its first official club meeting, which was originally meant to inform others who are interested in living in alternative housing. Instead, due to the recent announcement, they had an open discussion about the RV sized elephant in the room: the university evicting them.

    The meeting was packed with students and faculty alike, who were concerned about the recent policy enforcement. The club meeting, which was led by President Maddy Montiel and Vice President Brad Butterfield, asked club goers to help support their cause by signing their petition to stop the eviction, and continuing to share their mass emails. 

    “We are now going to push for the campus to offer us resources and amenities in a way that would actually help us,” Montiel said.  

     Samuel Parker, President of Associated Students (AS), stated that AS would continue to pressure administration and figure out the root of the issue. 

    “It just came out of nowhere,” Parker said. 

    Many of the students at the meeting stated that the solutions the university provided in the email such as temporary housing were just that— temporary, and not a real solution for them. They say being on campus is the only concrete solution. 

    Tuesday, Oct. 31 – Official eviction letters have been served 

    On the afternoon of Tuesday Oct. 31, in parking lot G11, a heated meeting erupted between students and administrators after eviction letters were handed to students who have been living on campus in their vehicles. 

    Students pushed back against the decision and stated that there was no communication beforehand and that the enforcement and timing of this policy is extremely problematic for their safety and well-being. The unsigned letter of eviction stated:

    “If this vehicle remains parked on campus after noon on November 12, it may be towed at your expense. Additionally, the owners of those vehicles that require towing may be referred to the Dean of Students for disciplinary action.” 

    At the tense Tuesday meeting, students waited for Cris Koczera, Interim Director of Risk Management & Safety, Stephen St. Onge, the Executive Director for Student Engagement & Enterprise Services, and Dr. Mitch Mitchell, the Dean of Students, who presented the letters of eviction.

    At the meeting, Koczera stated that the sanitary issues are what brought the conversation up, but that ultimately they are going through with the eviction due to the violation of campus policy that has been long overlooked. Koczera added that the camping on campus was getting out of control.

     “It’s not camping, it’s homelessness,” White said, adding that this is a reflection of the administration, and instead of pushing them off campus into county resources that are already full, they should do something about it and work with the students. 

    Students also raised concerns over the technicalities of what enforcement would look like. For instance, according to Koczera, students would be able to park their vehicles all day and overnight, but sleeping in the vehicle overnight is what violates policy and could lead to citation. 

    When asked how they would determine if students were sleeping in their vehicles, Koczera said that it would be both the Parking and Transportation Services and the University Police Department observing the vehicles. If they see behavior that leads them to believe there are people occupying them, a citation could be issued.

    Students continued to press the administrators about the evidence there was of them being unsanitary. Students argued that this evidence was not proof of them being unsanitary.  Koczera stated that there had been several complaints about the students living in their vehicles on-campus, including that photos were taken of buckets with human waste, and a photo of feces on the pavement. Koczera would not say who took the photos.

    Caleb Chen, a graduate sociology student who lives in alternative housing on campus, stated that he does in fact have a bucket outside of his vehicle that’s been there since mid-August. However, it’s used for foraging and collecting rain water. 

     “There has never been human waste in this bucket,” Chen said. “I use it to transport foraged goods that I eat. It’s a before bucket for human food not an after bucket for human waste. For the school administration to send an email to the entire campus accusing a handful of students of spreading human waste around campus is straight up slanderous.” 

    Photo by Alex Anderson | Associate Vice President for Student Success Mitch Mitchell (left) and Chris Koczera (dressed in blue next to right of Mitchell) the director for risk management & safety services at Cal Poly Humboldt serve a perceived eviction letter and campus resource flyers to those living in their vehicles on campus on Oct. 31. Maddy Montiel (dressed in white) expresses concerns for the students who will be effected by the decision.

    Tuesday, Oct. 31 – Senate Meeting

    Alternatively housed student eviction notices was a topic of discussion at the university senate meeting on Oct. 31 in Nelson Hall. Faculty raised concern over the new policy and the negative effects that would be placed on students. The wording of the schoolwide email regarding the new enforcement of the university’s parking policy alarmed several faculty members who were in attendance.

    Associate Professor in the Sociology department Michihiro Clark Sugata raised concerns over the new parking enforcement policy and the school wide email that was sent out on Oct. 25. Sugata worried about the new enforcement policies and the effects that would have on the well being of the students involved. Sugata felt the students were being wrongly characterized as unsafe and unsanitary. 

    “Regardless of the fact, if it is a policy issue, policy could be changed and the central fact should fall onto what is the best interest of our students and protection of their well being,” Sugata said. “And this is where the other two rationals become incredibly problematic…the language was that this was creating unsafe and unsanitary conditions for the community as a whole. Thus, our students were being framed as dangerous and dirty. And these are classic tropes that are used to criminalize certain populations.” 

    There are several campuses in California that have taken action to help students who are living alternatively. Long Beach Community College and UC Santa Cruz have set up alternative housing options and have provided services to students living alternatively. Specifically, LBCC set up a safe parking program that connects students who shelter in automobiles to a designated location for overnight parking. 

    Cal Poly Humboldt Sociology Professor Josh Meisel referenced LBCC’s safe parking program as a potential model that Cal Poly Humboldt could explore in order to look out for the well-being of students. Meisel proposed to the senate that the issue should be agendized, and that senate members should open a dialogue to discuss what is needed to help students. 

    “These are our students, they are not to be feared and there are models out there that we could potentially explore,” Meisel said. “There’s a model program at Long Beach community college that provides a safe place for students to park and have access to facilities on campus overnight.”  

    The meeting concluded with the senate agreeing to set a time during next week’s meeting to discuss the eviction matter in depth and review what further actions will be taken. 

    Thursday, Nov. 2 – Protest 

     Citing the university’s lack of compromise and inability to reach an agreement with students, students are organizing a protest on Thursday, Nov. 2 in the G11 parking lot at 11:00 am and will run all day into the night. The homeless students living in vehicles encourage those who wish to show their support, to bring signs, set up tents if you have one, park your cars and occupy the space.

    Disclaimer: Brad Butterfield is an editor for The Lumberjack, however he did not help write or edit this article.

  • Skate park opens after 23 years of activism

    by Brad Butterfield

    Buttery coping, tight transitions, steep mini-bowl, rad manny pad – they may sound like code names for undercover pornstars, but they are in fact fitting descriptions of a project 23 years in the making. An impressive 5,000 square foot concrete wonderland of ramps, rails and ledges, now stands at 1621 Gwin Road in Mckinleyville thanks to the dedicated efforts of a handful of Humboldt county residents – and there is much more to come.

    The Mckinleyville skatepark’s initial spark came in 2000, when Humboldt resident Pat Hanson’s grandsons had the police hassle them for skating in a Safeway parking lot. 

    “My grandma got really upset because she was like, ‘where were they supposed to skate?,’” said Ciara Torres, Pat Hanson’s granddaughter. “That kind of inspired her to get a skatepark going for her grandsons.” 

    Those police ignited what would become a decades-long effort for a local skatepark that began with home baked treats.

    “She started hosting fundraising out of her house with baked cookies and we started selling shirts and stickers at local events like Pony Express, and even the kinetic sculpture race,” said Torres, who used to help her grandma in fundraising for the skatepark. 

    In 2011, Hanson passed on, but the cause that she spearheaded had gained traction and blossomed into a full-fledged community initiative. If all goes as planned, another 15,000 square feet of concrete will be poured next summer. On Oct. 7, the celebration was squarely focused on enjoying the immense achievement that was getting the first 25% of the park built, thanks to the dogged efforts of many locals who pushed through roadblocks for decades. 

    “This is huge because people in the community have been trying to get this statepark built for over 20 years,” said Lesley Frisbee Parks & Recreation Director for the Mckinleyville Community Services District (MCSD). “I’ve worked in the district and the Parks and Rec Department for 20 years, so I’ve been aware of this project for a long time.” 

    Among the many involved, and first to take the mic during the long-awaited ribbon cutting, was Charlie Caldwell, a lifelong skateboarder and director of the Humboldt Skatepark Collective. Caldwell spoke candidly about the multi-pronged effort to raise funds for the skatepark.

    “We got a quarter of our skatepark built with the money that’s all been reissued community grants,” Caldwell said. “Community grants, community fundraising, like we’re doing over there at the table right now. It’s about years of selling shirts and being out in the public and trying to raise funds.” 

    The price tag to build the planned 15,000 square foot addition to the skatepark is pegged around $1 million. Just as with the first 5,000 square feet of concrete, the completion date for the addition is dependent upon funding. Currently, the collective is hoping a grant will be awarded and the addition will be complete late next year. 

    “I have written [to] three different grants and we’re waiting to hear if the latest grant application gets awarded to complete the project, so it’s a really big deal,” said Frisbee. “It’s very exciting to have opportunities to create in our community.” 

    In the event that the grant is not awarded, fundraising will return to the grassroots precedent that Hanson started 23 years ago.

    “We’ll be doing events like this on a regular basis if we don’t get the state grant,”  said Caldwell. “You’ll see us out here probably every month all summer long doing fundraisers.”

    The difficulty in raising funds for the skatepark essentially forced the collective’s hand. Decades of fundraising meant the collective had about $200,000 in the bank. A substantial chunk of change, but not enough to complete the planned 20,000 square foot skatepark in one go. 

    “One of the things that we decided to do is figure out what we could do with the money we already had,” said Torres. “And we decided that doing it in phases would be the best approach because the community had really lost faith in supporting us and donating money because they hadn’t seen anything in 20 years. This is basically our way of showing the community that we are doing something and we need to continue to raise money for the rest of the park.” 

    If the state grant is awarded, building will commence next summer. No matter the timeline for the addition, Saturday, Oct. 7, was reserved for enjoyment of the long awaited concrete, an emotional achievement for those most closely involved. 

    “It’s definitely emotional for me because my grandmother was my best friend,” Torres said. “It’s very emotional for me to feel like this is actually real. It’s almost hard for me to even think about, because I just get too emotional.”

    The skatepark, having been made possible through donations small and big, grants and volunteers, needed to provide a tangible service to the community at large – a fact not lost on Frisbee.

    “We are in service to this community. So we have to be really responsible for how we spend the money that people give us through tax dollars,” said Frisbee. “Not just funding for these projects to be developed, but also being mindful of what it’s going to cost us to maintain perpetuity.”

    One of the many benefits to a skatepark is the eclectic and uncategorizable cast of characters it draws in. It provides a safe space for creation, growth, and adrenaline.

     “We want our community to be a place that everyone feels welcome, that businesses can thrive in. Something like a skate park brings people to the area,” said Jesse Miles, executive director for the Mckinleyville Chamber of Commerce.

    Where some activities and sports attract a narrow segment of the population, skateboarding, by its very nature, tends to attract just about every type of person at all stages of life.

    “You see all ages, and I mean all ages – guys in their 60s, like me, out here skating with little kids on their scooters. There’s skateboards, there’s bikes, there’s rollerblades or quad skates… they are all out here riding,” said Caldwell.

    Importantly, for Mckinelyville, the skatepark will be a springboard for the local economy.

    “While they’re here, they’re going to our businesses, they’re going to our restaurants, getting coffee,” said Miles. “And for the residents, it just makes it more of a reason to want to stay here because there’s opportunities for all ages.” 

    In addition to boosting the economy, providing an enriching environment for kids, adults, and seniors alike, the word on the street is that the skatepark park may also have anti-aging qualities. 

    “It keeps us young. You know, I will always be young at heart.” said Caldwell, who has been skating for over 50 years.

    The ribbon ceremony occurred at 11 am, then, the day’s festivities kicked into gear. In addition to live music, beer on tap, and food trucks, there were several contests being held throughout the afternoon. Quad-blader Noelani Araujo praised the inclusion of a quad-skate contest alongside the many skateboarding contest categories. 

    “We love this skatepark and I love the community and I think it’s nice for us all to be a part – like one with each other,”  said Araujo. “I think it’s really cool that we’re included. We’re not usually super on the front lines for this, so it’s really nice to be included.”

    In an effort to build a skatepark that the community would be proud of, the planners spoke with local skaters and canvassed local DIY parks to ensure that the money was spent wisely. These efforts did not go unnoticed by the skating community.

    “This is like a southern California park. This is a professional park. The concrete is nice and slippery, the transition is super proper, the coping is really mellow. I think everything is built really well,” said Cal Poly Humboldt student and dank skateboarder Jaikyn Russell.

    Perhaps most critically, not only was the skatepark well-built, it has also been well waxed, as confirmed by Araujo.

    “The coping is so buttery,” said Araujo.

  • Weeding out the OG’s

    by Monica Robinson

    Authentic champagne is created in France, highly acclaimed wine comes from Napa and Humboldt County stands as the central hub for premium cannabis. 

    Measure A, also known as the Humboldt Cannabis Reform Initiative (HCRI), is a voter initiative scheduled to appear on the March 5, 2024 ballot in Humboldt County. If approved by voters, this measure would introduce 38 pages of new rules and restrictions to all existing cannabis farmers operating legally in Humboldt.

    Origins of HCRI

    The HCRI spawned from a conflict between Kneeland residents and a neighboring cannabis farm concerning water resources and traffic. Mark Thurmond and Cal Poly Professor Emerita Betsy Watson took charge as proponents, collaborating with people in other areas of the county. 

    A petition circulated, highlighting the protection of the environment and small cannabis farmers, along with preventing large scale cannabis farms. After reaching 7,000 signatures, the measure qualified for the ballot. 

    Notably, the 38-page initiative was drafted by a San Francisco law firm, Shute Mihaly & Weinberger, which was submitted on March 4, 2022, and did not undergo public review or receive public input. If passed, Measure A cannot be altered or amended from its original form, requiring a ballot initiative for the next elections. 

    Current legislation

    Due to the impact of changing market dynamics and statewide legalization of cannabis, Humboldt County revamped its legal framework. The Humboldt Board of Supervisors (BOS) enacted two land use ordinances, starting with the Commercial Medical Marijuana Land Use Ordinance in 2016 and the Commercial Cannabis Land Use Ordinance in 2018. 

    Both followed public scrutiny with many stakeholders including cannabis cultivators, environmental groups, neighborhood organizations, as well as county and state officials for implementation. Further refinements were made in 2020 to enhance the framework’s efficacy. 

    “These changes have successfully reduced the overall environmental footprint of the industry and strategically relocated many [cannabis] farms to agricultural land,” said Executive Director of the Humboldt County Growers Alliance (HCGA), Natalynne Delapp. 

    Delapp explained how the county has experienced an 89% decline in cannabis farms since 2015, decreasing from 15,000 illegal grows to 775 legal permitted farms, with an estimated 1,000 illegally still operating.To obtain cultivation permits, applicants must display the serviceability of their farms’ access roads, reduce neighborhood impacts and ensure water sourcing methods are environmentally sustainable. 

    At a BOS meeting on June 27, 2023, the Director of Planning, John Ford, explained the agencies subject to review include the county Department of Public Works, Department of Environmental Health, along with state and federal agencies owning public land, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Regional Water Quality Control Board and often surrounding tribes.

    Foggy fine print

    The initiative would modify the county’s General Plan, which serves as the primary guide for land use planning in Humboldt. Delapp said this revision would replace a significant portion of the existing county cannabis regulations, which took eight years of robust public process.

    The initiative is “unworkable and would be devastating to the [local] cannabis industry,” said Attorney Paul Hagen from the North Coast Environmental Law Office.

    A restriction of one active permit per cultivator could leave additional permits for activities void. 

    “If Measure A passes, the seed of [Humboldt] cannabis tourism will die before it has a chance to root,” said Founder of Humboldt Cannabis Tours, Matt Kurth. 

    Annual expiration of cultivation permits would make reapplication necessary. The vagueness of the renewal process creates ambiguity regarding public hearings for renewal applications. Ford explains in the Amended Analysis that conducting public hearings annually for permit renewals is inconceivable. Furthermore, renewal on any outstanding complaints would be prohibited regardless of validation. 

      The HCRI broadly defines expansion as “any increase in the number or size of structures connected to cultivation,” including environmental improvements. In relation, farms must be located on two-lane paved roads, challenging the hundreds of farms currently operating on dirt roads. According to a technical memorandum provided by LACO Technologies engineering department for the county in 2020, upgrades would range from $170,000 to $280,000 per mile.

    Cultivation of cannabis includes drying, curing, grading and trimming, requiring a ‘processing’ license which would also be prohibited. 

    Additionally, farms would be capped at 10,000 square feet, including a discretionary review for  any expansion over 3,000 square feet. 

    Out of sight, out of mind

    In an effort to explain why class II whitewater rapids rivers are being de-watered, Watson provided a map of permitted cannabis farms. She said there were 1200 active cannabis permits with an estimated 300 non-operational due to the overproduction of cannabis statewide from price drops. 

    “In 2022, the south fork of the Eel [river] ran dry, and Freshwater Creek did not have enough water for the park to have its annual swimming hole,”said Watson.“The ordinance in place now calls for 2400 more [permits], for a total of 3600.” 

    Watson added that the initiative would cap the number of permits at 1200. 

    According to the HCRI Amended Analysis by the Humboldt County Planning and Building Department on June 27, 2023, there are 1,027 active permits, with 210 of them being newly approved. Areas with prime agricultural land are concentrated with retirement, remediation and relocation permits, which were redirected from environmentally sensitive areas.

    “This is prohibition masquerading as environmentalism,” Delapp said. 

    A controversial summary, due to letters filed back and forth between HCRI’s attorney and the county’s Planning Department of the HCRI analysis, refers to geological studies, stating “the initiative’s groundwater protection measures are unnecessary because average per-acre groundwater recharge in Humboldt County is high, even during drought years.”  

    Currently, there are no environmental groups in the county endorsing the initiative or taking sides. 

    “The current ordinance is the best in the country, maybe even the world,” a confidential source from a local environmental group said.

    Lawsuit

    As of  Oct. 11, 2023, the HCGA and seven cannabis farmers filed a lawsuit at the Humboldt County Court, alleging the petition of the HCRI did not include the complete initiative text, as required by law. It also contests false and misleading information in the petition. As a result, the lawsuit seeks the removal of the initiative from the ballot to protect the integrity of the election process.

    If you are not a registered voter and want to participate, go to http://registertovote.ca.gov. The last day to register is Oct. 23, 2023.

  • Students and faculty rally against tuition hike 

    Students and faculty rally against tuition hike 

    by Jake Hyslop

    On an otherwise unremarkable foggy Thursday morning, students and faculty alike met on the main Quad at Cal Poly Humboldt in order to protest the vote to raise tuition by the CSU Board of Trustees. Signs adorned with, “don’t make students your ATM” and “stop targeting education,” were taped to walls and held by protesters. 

    As the weather began to heat up, so too did the rally. Cries of, “chop from the top” and “education is a right,” rang out across the campus. 

    The event was organized by the Students for Quality Education (SQE) and the California Faculty Association (CFA), as well as by the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). Other groups showed up to speak, including the Critical Race, Gender, and Sexuality (CRGS) Club and the CSU Employees Union (CSUEU). 

    The rally was held in response to the Sept. 13 vote by the Board of Trustees to raise tuition 6% every year for the next five years. CSU defended the vote by pointing to inflation increases and a relative lack of tuition rate increases; the Board of Trustees deemed it a necessity. 

    “We know [administration] can pull from their own salaries and they have reserves they can pull from,” Zoe Reed, a third-year CRGS student and intern for SQE said. “But instead, they’re putting that on us, the people who work here and are learning here, who can’t afford that.” 

    Many speakers at the protest, including Mary Mangubat, a third-year environmental studies student and SQE intern, called for the CSU to rely on the reserve money they have to account for inflation and rising costs rather than taking it out of the students’ pockets. 

    “The CSU has $8.8 billion in reserves that they do not want to touch because they said that they only pull out that money when there’s financial uncertainty in time,” Mangubat said. “What the hell are we in right now?” 

    Mangubat cited the pandemic and the student organizations struggling under the recent Associated Students budget cuts due to low enrollment numbers as criteria befitting a time of uncertainty. 

    Another common complaint was the amount of money CSU administrators were paid relative to the income and costs suffered by students and faculty. President of the CFA Humboldt Chapter Marisol Ruiz weighed in and called for the current Board of Trustees to be fired. 

    “I think it’s just terrible that we have faculty here that make as much as someone’s housing and car allowances,” Ruiz said. “We need equity, and we need people that are responsible to the people to be part of the Board of Trustees.”

    Rick Toledo, an environmental science major and one of the main organizers of the event as a representative of SDS, led many of the chants at the rally before providing a speech of his own. 

    “Think about the weight of a billion dollars,” Toledo said. “They have over 12 of those in their budget. Yet they can’t pay faculty and staff? Yet they have to use students as their ATM? I call BS.” 

    Toledo explained how the administration has sewn a narrative of discord between faculty and students, pitting them against each other to cover for themselves. He went on to say that the CSU is lying in their reasoning for not using the reserves available to them. 

    “In reality, the reserves have been built up to boost their credit so they can borrow more money for more capital investments on projects,” Toledo said. “They’re basically turning the entire thing into a hedge fund with education as the front.” 

    Some students expressed skepticism over the success of holding a rally. Gavin Martin, a theater arts student, questioned how successful a protest against administration sanctioned by administration can be. He likened it to the housing protests during the Spring 2023 semester. 

    “After the protest, we all went to look for homes individually,” Martin said. “We were supposed to be in this together.”

    Mangubat announced the rally’s list of demands for the CSU through a megaphone. The first was to end the tuition hike and take money from the reserves. The second was for the administration to stop relying on students to fund student programs. The third demand called for higher wages for faculty, staff and student workers. The fourth demand called for funding for programs that provide resources for basic needs such as housing, food and mental health resources. Sufficient funding for cultural centers for marginalized communities was the final demand. 

    ‘If we are not heard, we will continue making noise,” Toledo said. “We will continue to be loud until we are heard.”

  • Finalized census shows only 2% growth this fall, yet administration remains confident

    by Brad Butterfield

    Cal Poly Humboldt’s official census has been finalized and shows a one year increase of 118 students, or a 2% growth compared to last fall. The increase is important for the new polytechnic, which hasn’t seen consecutive growth in over seven years. The university is far below the projected 2,000 more students that were expected this fall semester. Because of the far-off prediction, over half a million dollars in Associated Student funded programs has been cut and millions dollars of funding may be withheld by the CSU for the next school year. What caused this gross over-prediction? What is the administration planning to do about it? And, maybe most critically, why does the school need to grow anyway?

    The projection for 2,000 additional students this fall arose primarily due to a record 86% surge in freshman applications. 

    “It really did look like it could be possible,” said Chrissy Holliday, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Success, regarding the expected inflow of students this fall. “What’s less known is how serious students are in the very beginning about an institution that’s just changed its identity,” Holliday added. 

    Cal Poly’s Humbodt’s recent transformation to become California’s third polytechnic has rendered the historical data typically used to predict enrollment, unuseful. As the school is changing, so are students’ behavior in response to it. In understanding how the university operates, it is useful to compare it to the way businesses function.

    “Think about companies that shift their identity or create something completely different that they’re putting into the marketplace, whether it’s a new brand or a new product,” said Holliday. “You never know right in the beginning exactly what reaction is going to be and then you start setting new baselines and adjusting to that.” 

    2,000 new students was both a worst and best case scenario for the university, which has promised to grow, but has not yet completed the planned infrastructure projects to support such an influx of new students. 

    “We planned for everything on the continuum. The worst possible thing would be to have growth like that and not be prepared for it right. You can imagine the chaos that would have ensued,” said Holliday.

    Cal Poly Humboldt is 2,473 students under their target for this fall, which could lead to 3.4 million dollars in funding being withheld by the CSU.

    “It’s a budget challenge we’re planning for. We knew that that was a possibility,” said Holliday.

    Additionally, the school spent over a million dollars on a contract with the Comfort Inn to house students, with hundreds of bed spaces on campus vacant. Further, the inaccurate enrollment estimation means that Associated Student funded programs have been cut by $528,717. This includes major cuts to the children’s center, government and even the university’s pool. 

    Still Cal Poly Humboldt is faring much better than most other schools in the CSU system.

    “If you look at all the CSU for this fall, headcount is actually down across the CSU and their full time enrollment, the resident ‘FTES,’ grew by about 1%, where for us that was 3.4%,” said Holliday. 

    In an effort to spread the word about the new polytechnic in northern California, the university has ramped up its advertising efforts. This includes the deployment of recruiting staff across California, digital advertising, improving communications and increasing engagement with prospective students, allowing ‘instant admissions’ for eligible students, enhancing the community college to Cal Poly Humboldt pipeline, increased presence at college fairs and streamlining the admission process.

    It appears that two statements are congruently accurate. The university will grow because it is now a polytechnic, and the school must grow because it is now a polytechnic. In fact, Governor Gavin Newsom and the state legislature approved $433 million in initial funding for polytechnic transition and $25 million per year thereafter. The pressure to grow is evident.

    “There’s definitely pressure because we put forth this polytechnic transformation, right, and said, ‘This is what we’re going to do,’” said Holliday. “There’s definitely a responsibility to follow through on what we promised.” 

    In spite of the low enrollment numbers this fall, Holliday remains confident that the school will achieve their overarching goal of 11,000 students by 2028.

    “I have zero doubt that we’re going to meet the targets that we have in the out years,” said Holliday.

    Holliday went on to explain that gradual growth will allow for changes to be done in a way that doesn’t take away the aspects of Humboldt county and campus life that separate the Lumberjack’s campus from any other. 

    “The more steady growth that we’re seeing currently gives us that time to make sure we don’t lose those things that helped make us special,” said Holliday.