The Lumberjack



Students Serving The Cal Poly Humboldt Campus and Community Since 1929

Category: News

  • Parking problems perpetuated by parking pass sales

    Parking problems perpetuated by parking pass sales

    by Nina Hufman and Cash Rion

    Every day, Cal Poly Humboldt students drive through full parking lots past rows and rows of parked cars as they desperately and often fruitlessly search for the rare and elusive open parking spot. This is the result of the university selling an excess of both general and residential parking passes in tandem with an increase in students due to the school’s new polytechnic status. There are more active passes than there are permitted parking spaces on campus, with active passes including both semester and year-long parking passes.

    “I’ve heard from a lot of students that don’t live on campus that it can be hard to find parking unless you get here really early,” said Evan Vieira, a wildlife and conservation major. “I’ve known students who have gotten here only as late as 9 or 10 am and have not found parking.”  

    A public records request revealed that, this semester, Cal Poly Humboldt oversold parking passes for both general and residential parking. As shown in the graphs, overselling parking is a growing trend across semesters, with 119 more general passes sold than there were parking spots, and 431 excess residential passes.

    “It sucks total ass,” said art education major Mikayla Nicholas. “I don’t personally drive but I have friends who do and it takes them at least 20-40 minutes [to find parking.] They sell way too many parking passes than they have spaces.” 

    The number of general parking passes sold has increased from last year. The number of active general parking passes increased by 79% from fall 2021 to spring 2022. The number of active general parking passes for fall 2022 has more than doubled since fall 2021, but the number of general parking spaces has remained the same. 

    Total active residential parking passes

    Meanwhile, sales of residential parking permits have stayed relatively consistent, being oversold each semester. In fall 2021 and fall 2022, 431 more passes were sold than there were spots for, and in spring 2021 the number rose to 579 oversold. Anyone with a residential permit that cannot find a space in resident-specific lots overflows into general parking lots. This further contributes to the lack of general parking.

    “I think it’s alright most of the time if you live on campus,” Vieira said. “I live in campus apartments so my car doesn’t move that often, so I’m typically in a parking spot.”

    While those who live on campus can generally find parking, students who drive to campus are becoming increasingly upset at the lack of available parking.

    “Horrible, absolutely horrible,” said Harrison McDonald, a wildlife management and conservation major. “Since I have an 8 am, I get pretty lucky, but when I don’t, it takes me anywhere from 10 to sometimes even 40 minutes if I can even find parking.”

    Many students are frustrated that they pay for general parking passes, only to have to pay for metered parking or to be unable to park on campus.

    “Humboldt for the year, you pay over 300 dollars for [a parking pass] and you’re not guaranteed a spot and you still have to pay for parking meters,” McDonald said. 

    Other students are frustrated by the message that they feel overselling parking passes sends. The university profits from parking pass sales, but has nowhere to put the extra vehicles. 

    “I did not know that [parking was oversold],” Vieira said. “I feel like that’s not great because then you’re kind of saying to a lot of students, ‘you can all park here,’ but then not actually having the spaces to give them parking.”

  • El Jardin Santuario faces a series of hateful attacks

    El Jardin Santuario faces a series of hateful attacks

    by Carlos Pedraza

    Editor’s note: In print El Jardin Santuario was only referred to as “Centro del Pueblo’s community garden,” and “Arcata community garden.”  This article and headline have been edited to address the garden by its name.

     A community safety meeting was held on Saturday Aug. 27, where organizers from Centro del Pueblo and Cooperation Humboldt discussed the recent attacks. The first one was hate speech written on the garden stop sign, the second a week later when anti-Semitic flyers were left in the garden. The most recent attack was when someone cut down corn stalks growing in the garden, grown from seeds brought from Mexico by Adan Cervantes, an immigrant and the head gardener.   

    The organizers have spoken to Arcata police, who told them of a person of interest with connection to neo-Nazi groups in the area. According to Centro del Pueblo organizers, the police have also promised to send an extra patrol to check the garden during the night. 

    The police offered a donation of surveillance cameras for the garden but were refused. 

    “We wanted to have control over the surveillance, not the police to have control over the surveillance,” said Jasmine Segura, the Volunteer Coordinator of Centro del Pueblo. “Also, we don’t want surveillance during the day.” 

    Segura believes the police do have good intentions but she describes working with them as a double edged sword, since the garden is considered a safe space and is used by the unhoused. 

    The majority of the meeting was discussing fundraising $5,000 to fund the cost of setting up cameras. Humboldt students and locals came together to pitch ideas: from a silent auction, to food trucks, and legal concerns like food permits. There was a general sense of cooperation with students and locals all volunteering to look into food permits and to speak to artists and businesses asking for donations. 

    Photo by Carlos Pedraza | Cal Poly Humboldt student Hannah Deshais speaks on up coming community events.

    Humboldt resident and member of the Peace and Freedom party Hannah Deshais decided to volunteer after hearing about the attacks.

    ”I feel hopeful this has started something beautiful from something hateful,” Deshais said.

    Deshais stated she would continue to support the garden through volunteering and pushing her party to be more involved.

    After the meeting, a few people, including children, stayed behind to do work in the plots, digging out weeds and attending to the vegetation. 

    “This attack, it’s like a reminder to us that our work here is not done,” said Xochitl Cabra Sanchez, the Community Outreach Coordinator with Centro del Pueblo.

    El Jardin Santuario will be holding a fundraiser on Sep. 24 and a free jiu-jitsu self-defense class on Sep. 11, with people of color being offered the class first.

  • Against campus “cop-liments”

    Against campus “cop-liments”

    by Alana Hackman

    A few weeks ago, I accompanied a friend to the University Police Department after her wallet went missing during the Durand Jones and the Indications concert.

    While in hopeful pursuit of her wallet, I was quickly reminded of the dystopian nightmare we live in when I came face to face with a neatly stacked pile of yellow “PRAISE COUPONS” prominently displayed atop the UPD information desk. “When one of our officers or staff members treats you in an exceptional way, please let us know!”, the coupons exclaim in a migraine-inducing font combination of Papyrus and Comic Sans. There are also blank lines left for comments and the name of the officer or staff you wish to praise. 

    Good to know our Cal Poly windfall went to these babies. Who would’ve thought University police would need “good job” stars to get their jobs done? Although the pile did look pretty untouched the last time I saw it. After this experience, I pondered the reason for these praise coupons’ existence. 

    I wondered why UPD officers are the only ones with access to these praise coupons. Why can’t I give one to the nice lady at the housing desk? Or the groundskeepers who wake up at 5 a.m. to beautify our campus? Why isn’t there a pretty little stack of coupons at every help desk on campus to show some love to our staff? Sure, I could make my own coupons to show my appreciation, but how come the UPD gets the fancy ones on cardstock?

    I then began to wonder what the reason would be for an officer to receive these praise coupons.  Refraining from use of excessive force? Oh, I know, maybe we actually got someone to stay in the position of police chief for longer than a year?

    Then it hit me. It was right in front of my face the whole time. Praise kink. I realized that maybe all of the UPD officers might just have a little bit of a praise kink. Hey, I’m not judging you! This is the only plausible answer to why you have “PRAISE COUPONS” strewn about your department. I mean, you even give people the opportunity to mail the coupons to you if they slap a stamp on them. At least you’ve made it easier for the sender by pre-addressing them to the Chief of Police on the back of each card. It comes off as a little desperate to me, but I’m not here to yuck your yum. 

    I may have judged you too soon, UPD, when you’re just trying to find some pleasure in your work—literally. I wouldn’t say incorporating others into your fantasies is the most humane choice, but you’ve gotten away with far worse human rights violations. 

    For real though, students: show some appreciation for university staff that help you with your daily dilemmas without needing a PRAISE COUPON. Cal Poly Humboldt would crumble without their behind-the-scenes work. Remember kids, validate your local cop’s praise kink, because we don’t kink shame!

  • Cal Poly Humboldt spends nearly $16,000 replacing stolen sign letters over the summer

    Cal Poly Humboldt spends nearly $16,000 replacing stolen sign letters over the summer

    by Ollie Hancock

    Over the summer break, the iconic signs brandishing the school’s name lost their letters again and again. Vandals would rip the acrylic letters from the wall over the course of a few nights before they were replaced. The sign might stay intact for a few days, then the cycle would start again. The signs had only recently been changed to read “Cal Poly Humboldt” with the new polytechnic designation.

    The signs read like a game of hangman: “C_L PO_Y HUMBO_ _ _” one week and  “_AL _OLY _UM_O_ _ _” the next. Replacing the sign letters isn’t an easy process either. It requires one member of maintenance staff to place the letters on the facade while another climbs inside the sign to tighten them. An anonymous source, one of the vandals, explained that pulling them out was much simpler. 

    “It was easy,” the anonymous individual said. “They popped right off.” 

    When asked why they pulled the letters down, the vandal explained that they were dissatisfied with the school. They faced backlash over the anonymous chat app Yik Yak, where users complained that their actions would increase surveillance and police presence in the community. This appears to have been borne out, as cameras were installed on light poles facing some of the signs over the summer. 

    “I think that the school is wrong for bringing in more cops to solve the problem,” the anonymous source said. “Why spend so much time and money fixing it when you could do something to show legitimate support for the community instead? They seem more worried about the signs than their students.” 

    There were a total of 54 acrylic letters stolen or broken over the course of the summer. UPD is actively investigating these incidents as repeated acts of vandalism.

    “Unfortunately, signage is expensive and it’s costing the University thousands–nearly $16,000–to cover the amount of stolen lettering, replacement letters, and labor,” said Cal Poly Humboldt spokesperson Grant Scott-Goforth. “If we need to change all the signs to metal letters, it will cost the University at least an additional $12,000.” 

     “[UPD has] increased patrols, and we will pursue the maximum penalty when the people responsible for the vandalism are caught,” Scott-Goforth said. 

    For the last weeks of summer, the signs sat blank. Facilities Management was able to re-letter most of the signs by the start of the semester, so families and new students could identify the campus. Two signs still remain empty on the intersections of 14th and Union St., and 14th and B St. 

    In addition to the increased patrols and surveillance, the University is considering replacing the current sign letters with harder-to-remove metal lettering.

  • Comfortable at the Comfort Inn

    Comfortable at the Comfort Inn

    by Angel Barker

    Dorm life is an important part of the college experience, but what happens when your university does not have adequate housing for its population? They turn a hotel into a residence hall. The Comfort Inn in Arcata, located in the Valley West area, is now home to almost 100 upperclassmen students.

    The housing shortage is nothing new in Arcata. For students like Gabriela Mendez, a transfer student majoring in psychology, finding off-campus housing was unsuccessful.

    “I was hoping to find last minute housing off campus,” Mendez said, “but there was nothing.” 

    Mendez has a roommate in the hotel, as all rooms are double occupancy. Each is supplied with two beds, desks, and dressers.

    When asked her opinion about what it is like living in a hotel, Mendez said, “People can say ‘you don’t get the full college experience,’ and like, the college experience might be cool because I am a transfer student, but I am just grateful to have housing.”

    Osiel Palomino, a returning sophomore majoring in environmental studies and management, had the same reaction. 

    “If it wasn’t for that room, I would have held off on going back to school for another semester,” Palomino said. 

    Palomino lived on campus his freshman year in 2019-2020 right before the COVID-19 pandemic, and moved home and took a break from school until classes were back in person.

    Sarah Neumann, a business administration exchange student from Germany, is Mendez’s roommate.

    “We made a good situation,” Neumann said. “I like it because I think we have more space and privacy, especially with our own bathroom.”

    “One thing that I really love is each room has their own shower and bathroom. You don’t have to share one bathroom with the whole halfway, you avoid those problems,” Palomino said.

    In addition to each room having their own bathroom, they also have free amenities like linens, a minifridge, a microwave, TV with cable, housekeeping services, continental breakfast everyday, Wi-Fi, and pool and gym access.

    Compared to living in a freshman dorm on campus, Palomino said that living in the hotel still feels relatively the same.

    “You still feel the college experience because everyone living there is students,” Palomino said. “You still feel like you’re on campus even though you’re not.” 

    A large banner welcoming Cal Poly Humboldt students and the friendly front desk staff also help with that feeling.

    Staying connected can be difficult, but the RAs and the Office of Housing and Residence Life are hard at work to help the students feel included in campus life.

    “The RAs have little events, to make it feel like the real dorm college experience,” Mendez said.

    Neumann and Mendez even bought a whiteboard for the outside of their door.

    “People can just write anything, so we can still communicate with others when we don’t always see them,” Mendez said.

    Overall, students are satisfied with the University and the Comfort Inn solution to the housing shortage.

  • ROSE House evicted

    ROSE House evicted

    by Carols Pedraza

    Editor’s note: In this article, Ella Moore was misquoted as saying the ROSE House needed to hire a moving company to move out over the summer. This was incorrect. A.S. requested the ROSE House hire staff to move out, not a moving company.

    The Reusable Office Supply Exchange, currently located between the Campus Apartments and Bret Harte House, accepts donations of unused office supplies and provides resources for students in need of them. The house has been ordered to move with all of its materials to Nelson Hall in an unknown room. 

    This order was sudden, Ella Moore, co-director of the ROSE House, said. 

    “Last semester, right before the summer, they told us we would need to hire staff to move out over the summer. And just two days ago, we were told we needed to be out by September 1st,” Moore said.

    While the Rose House is still accepting donations and is giving access to students, Moore continued to explain how the move will interrupt the program. 

    “This is definitely going to interrupt our programs, take hours away from real work,” Moore said.

    Some of the shelves in the ROSE House are empty now, but many of them are filled with supplies. Rows of manila folders and binders from small to large still hug the walls of the building. Textbooks and unused scantrons are found in the building.

    “The Rose house means a lot to us,” ROSE House co-director Hannah Wholsanchez said. “It’s a nice place to hang out and create opportunities for students to live sustainability.”

    Its door is remaining open to students who still come in periodically. Student Whitney Messer was visiting the House after viewing the prices at the Cal Poly Bookstore. 

    “This totally saved my bacon. I’m on loans, no support from family.” Messer said. 

    Messer gave a tour of the buildings and their supplies, expressing gratitude to the organizer. 

    “Whoever started this, bless them,” Messer said.

  • Humboldt students struggle to find housing

    Humboldt students struggle to find housing

    by Ollie Hancock

     In August of every year, a new batch of students fills the dorms, apartments, and homes in Arcata neighborhoods. Overbearing parents pilot SUVs in a line around the block on check-in day. Students scramble through Craigslist listings in search of a last-minute opportunity. It’s no secret there is a housing shortage in Arcata, but the new polytechnic designation will increase demand. Cal Poly Humboldt expects to double in enrollment in the next six years. There are plans to build infrastructure, but they won’t be available until 2025 at the earliest. During this in-between period, the school will provide “bridge” housing. Steven Onge, a representative of Housing and Residence Life, explained the plan to master-lease nearby hotels to house students in the meantime. 

    “We’ve been working with it for over a year [and] we’ve developed relationships with several hotel owners and property managers,” Onge said. “This property was nice. There’s a pool there, and laundry is included, so we think the location was good, and the amenities are good.”

    This academic year, the Comfort Inn will house almost 98 students with amenities like maid service and free continental breakfast. Residence Life is doing their best to make it a genuine college dorm experience with group dinners. Students can take the bus to campus in about 10 min. 

    “We’ve got some vending machines which will have fresh food in them, and we’ll do weekly community dinners and events to support students,” Onge said. “I’m hoping to get a food truck that we can use.” 

    Students still aren’t convinced. Kirby Marks, a nonbinary student, was made to choose between staying in male or female dorms when the gender-neutral dorms were unavailable in their building.

    “I had to call them, and I was like, ‘I have no choices. There is no housing for me to choose from. I will not be able to live on campus. What’s going to happen?” Marks said. “So I had to change my gender marker to male so that I could actually get into housing.”

    Opportunities for housing off campus are few and far between. Senior Humboldt student Zack Gamble says the high demand for housing allowed landlords to take advantage of students. 

    “It’s too easy to be a bad landlord out here,” Gamble said. “You don’t have the opportunity to turn down a place because you might not get another one for a few months.You have to take what you can get no matter how run-down decrepit it is.” 

    Since moving to Humboldt, Gamble has experienced his fair share of shakey Humboldt housing, from dry rot-ridden houses that shift with every earthquake to out-of-code heaters that require DIY maintenance. Gamble thinks the school should look critically at how the polytechnic designation will impact housing. 

    “You can’t increase your student base every year but have nowhere to put them,” Gamble said.

  • District attorney candidates debate on Cal Poly Humboldt Campus

    by Liam Gwynn

    Humboldt County district attorney candidates Stacey Eads, Micheal Acosta, and Adrian Kamada debated a variety of pressing issues on Monday in Cal Poly Humboldt’s Native American Forum.

    Students from the sociology department moderated the debate, choosing questions submitted by Cal Poly Humboldt students. Each candidate was given a two minute introduction and a two minute closing statement. After the introductions, the moderators would ask candidates a question and they would each get a two minute response followed by a round of one minute rebuttals.

    The Three Candidates

    Stacey Eads is currently the Assistant District Attorney and has 20 years of experience as a criminal prosecutor. She is the lead prosecutor for the Sexual Assault & Child Abuse Crimes prosecution team . She touts her many years of experience, connection to the current District Attorney Maggie Fleming, and love for Humboldt as leading factors in why people should vote for her.

    Micheal Acosta has been a practicing defense attorney for twenty years. Acosta moved to Eureka after being recruited by the California Indian Legal Services as a staff attorney. He’s a controversial figure and is running on the idea that he would implement major changes to face problems like policing for profit, racial inequality, and gender discrepancies in sentencing. Acosta isn’t just controversial because of his ideas, he’s also currently facing a felony drug possession charge in the Humboldt Superior Court.

    Adrian Kamada graduated from Cal Poly Humboldt with a BA in Political science and a minor in Environmental Science and Ethics. Kamada has eight years of experience. He served as Deputy District Attorney from 2014 to 2020, when he transitioned to a position as a public defender. Kamada is running on a promise to lower the crime rate, which he says has risen by 30% in the last five years. He wants to do this by implementing new methods of criminal correction for first-time offenders that focus on keeping people out of the criminal justice system with alternative help like mental and drug abuse treatment.

    Standout Questions

    Could you please explain what racial justice means to you and could you provide concrete examples of instances where you’ve helped promote racial justice in Humboldt county?

    Acosta was called to respond first and was prepared with direct instances citing cases he worked on with the California Indian Legal Services. He cited a case where he was able to reduce a black man’s sentencing that was disproportionate to the sentencing that white people had received for the same crime.

    “Where you really see it in sentencing is where dispositions are made, and people of color get harsher sentences and get treated differently by the probation department,” said Acosta.

    Eads responded to the question by denying that race played a role in prosecutions but providing instances of how she has helped minorities by prosecuting for children who had experienced child abuse but were not believed because their community didn’t think that someone in their race could commit that type of abuse.

    “I think that race, outside of a hate crime type of analysis, really doesn’t have a role in terms of how we prosecute an individual,” said Eads.

    Kamada responded by acknowledging the fact that minorities are incarcerated at a higher percentage and saying that the problem needs to be fixed.

    “Religion, race, ethnicity, those things don’t have anything to do with justice, but we can’t ignore the fact that there has been injustice for a long time towards people of color,” said Kamada.

    If you are elected DA, will you prosecute the Lawson case?

    Eads answered first saying that she wants to prosecute the case but that they need to have enough evidence before taking it to the preliminary hearing again, because if the judge doesn’t think there’s enough evidence then it will be almost impossible to prosecute in the future.

    “We can only bring it before the judge one more time, and if we don’t have enough evidence to do that we will not be able to find Justice for Josiah,” said Eads.

    Kamada gave a similar response saying that he won’t promise anything he can’t guarantee while reassuring everyone that it would be a priority and claiming that he has the support of Charmaine Lawson in his election.

    “I will do everything possible, including coming up with new investigation techniques if necessary, but I can’t make a commitment that I can prosecute that case unless I’ve seen the entire case file,” said Kamada.

    Acosta’s response was bold, saying he would prosecute the murder case and bring charges not just to the murderer but also to accomplices in an attempt to get information from a plea deal.

    “There is significant new evidence this time to bring charges back and whether you do that through the complaint process or the grand jury indictment process is open to question, but absolutely yes, probably against more than one person,” said Acosta.

    Registered Humboldt County voters will be able to vote for the Humboldt County district attorney position during the Statewide Direct Primary Election on June 7.

  • Understaffed SDRC struggles to support students with disabilities

    By Ollie Hancock

    Ash McElroy is a proudly disabled student. They came to Cal Poly Humboldt well aware of the hills and stairs the campus was built upon. McElroy informed Housing they would need an accommodating dorm for their mobility aid, Housing assigned McElroy to the notably inaccessible College Creek dorms on the hill.

    “To their credit, they put me on the first floor, but I could not get my chair through the door,” McElroy said. “I was like, hey, this is not working. Can we move me?”

    Housing took months to reply after denying the dorm was inaccessible in the first place. McElroy requested at least adding a push button to get in the door.

    “They told me that actually my building was accessible and they didn’t know what I was talking about,” McElroy said.

    In an email to McElroy, Housing said a locksmith had confirmed that the press to open button does work.

    “I had to have the SDRC go and take pictures of the building to prove that there is not one. Like how’s [Housing] straight-up gaslighting me about this?” McElroy said. It would take a few more months before housing accommodated McElroy’s needs.

    13% of Cal Poly Humboldt students have a disability, the second-highest rate of disability in any Cal State University. Humboldt is right behind Cal State Maritime Academy, which has only 600 students. At the Student Disability Resources Center, Mary Smith and one other part-time staff advisor address accessibility needs on campus. Smith believes the access to green space, small classrooms, and positive learning environment attract students with disabilities to Humboldt’s campus.

    “We feel like we’re drowning,” Smith said. “We have nearly 800 students with registered disabilities and one and a half advisors. At California State University San Bernardino, the ratio of accessibility advisors to students is one to 65. At Cal Poly Humboldt, the ratio is one to 500.”

    “A majority of the disabilities on campus are psych disabilities. It used to be learning disabilities,” Smith said. “Learning disabilities are much more manageable. It requires some training and accommodations, but usually, you set them up, and they’re good to go. Psych disabilities are a much more revolving door. You can’t set someone up, and they’re just good to go. The level of services is way more intense.”

    In the past years, between the pandemic and Cal Poly Humboldt’s fiscal history, Smith has struggled with job security.

    Two years ago, the administration offered a retirement buy-out offer. Smith took it and retired.

    “They never replaced me, and they called me back…I have so many asks, and I also have absolutely no job security,” Smith said.

    The strain of an undersupported SDRC can go undetected by non-disabled admin, faculty, and students. It is not something that disabled students have the privilege to ignore. Alicia Martin is a Cal Poly Humboldt grad student and the founder and director of Adaptable, the campus club for students with disabilities.

    “We’re the only club that serves this population of students on campus, and there’s a lot of pressure,” Martin said. “We’re not funded by A.S. It’s all just completely our time and our energy. And we love doing it, but it’s overwhelming. Because we end up having to support students who can’t access food. Who can’t get into buildings. Who aren’t able to hear or see their lectures. Who are months behind in course work because their accommodations aren’t met.”

    Martin is working with students on campus to transition to a post-pandemic world. The pandemic forced to change and exacerbated problems that impact students with disabilities. On the other hand, with so many people adapting to the pandemic new adaptive technologies became commonplace.

    “Some of this technology is very useful,” Martin said. “We have people who don’t use sign language and rely heavily on lip-reading, and so Zoom was great. Now, they’re transitioning back to the classroom.”

    Students with disabilities continue to support each other despite the obstacles and limited bandwidth on campus. They find support from each other while advocating for universal design. Universal design centers on usability and access for all. It often makes life more convenient for everyone when design is accessibility-based. Accommodating issues on a need basis frames people with disabilities as a problem.

    “We are not the problem,” Martin said. “[Campus operates] on a medical model of disabilities. In a social model, the people who say I can’t are the problem, not me.”

  • COVID-19 cases make a comeback

    by Sophia Escudero and August Linton

    Positive COVID-19 cases are once again on the rise in Humboldt County. According to the Humboldt County Public Health Department, 137 confirmed cases were reported between April 19 and April 26, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in Humboldt County up to 17,311.

    A Humboldt Notification was sent out to the campus community in response.

    “The University encourages the campus community to continue wearing face masks,” the email reads. “We want to remind everyone that N95 masks are recommended and effective for reducing transmission for the wearer.”

    Tina deProspero is one of the COVID-19 testing staff currently working on campus. Despite the inherent risk of exposure that comes with her job, she says that she’s not that worried about being infected. She hasn’t tested positive since she started this job in August 2022

    “I make sure I’m wearing my N95, and if somebody looks like they’re going to sneeze I’ll put my goggles down,” said deProspero.

    According to deProspero, about half of the people come to the testing center are “weekly testers,” those who are mandated by the university to test weekly as a result of their vaccine exemption or other special circumstance. Visiting sports teams make up another large portion of the people they test. DeProspero says that she always sees an uptick in testing after breaks and after weekends.

    While mask restrictions have been lifted for campus, the CDC recommends wearing a mask indoors regardless of vaccination status if you are sick, have been in close contact with someone who is sick, live with someone who is at high risk, or are in a county with a high COVID-19 Community Level. The current level for Humboldt County is low.

    University testing services now require that students and staff being tested have insurance coverage. DeProspero said that in the case that a patient does not have insurance, the testing center gives them a rapid antigen test.

    “That really bugged me though, I was like, we better be able to test everybody,” said deProspero.

    Aside from wearing a mask, hand washing, avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spaces, and socially distancing are still strongly recommended.In an interview with the Washington Post, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci said that although rates of death and hospitalization have been decreasing, the pandemic is still active.

    “Right now we’re at a low enough level that I believe that we’re transitioning into endemicity. We’re not in the full-blown explosive pandemic phase,” Fauci said. “That does not mean that the pandemic is over. A pandemic means widespread infection throughout the world.… In our country we’re transitioning into more of a controlled endemicity.”

    That outcome is what deProspero is also anticipating.”I’m just hoping that it’ll work its way through,” she said.

    Free N95 and surgical masks can be found at the College Creek Mailroom, the Jolly Giant Commons mailroom, the University Police Department, the Admissions Welcome Center, the Library, and the Gutswurrak Student Activities Center.

  • FREE CLASSES

    FREE CLASSES

    Cal Poly Humboldt is offering two free classes for the summer 2022 term. These classes will be free for students for up to 8 units. Anything beyond 8 units will cost the standard $289 per unit.

    Class scheduling will be offered in person, online (synchronous and asynchronous), and with some hybrid options. Enrollment is currently open for students through the Student Center portal.

    Add/drop dates depend on which classes and schedules you choose. There are three summer session dates:

    • First 5-week session: May 23-June 24
    • Second 5-week session: June 27-July 29
    • Ten-week session: May 23-July 29

    To view the options of classes to take this summer, scan the QR code below. For more information on summer session restrictions, visit https://extended.humboldt.edu/extended-education/summer-session.

  • Back to the Cal Poly library

    by Cherish Fulcher

    The Cal Poly Humboldt Library is gearing up with lots of new additions and courses for students as we switch from online to in-person classes on campus.

    Prior to the pandemic, the library was a common place for studying and meeting with friends, as well as a hub for student support. With students now returning to campus, the library staff is excited to be adding new additions to the library.

    “There isn’t much traffic in the library since we’ve slowly begun returning to campus, but now we are, we definitely want students to know that we are still here and there is a lot for them to get involved with,” said Tim Miller, head of SkillShops in the library.

    “In addition to academic support and the available technology in the library, we really want the students to know about the upcoming skill shops and the Makerspace,” Miller said.

    The Makerspace and SkillShops are located on the third floor of the library. There is a place to study, and access tech and recording equipment. In addition, SkillShops will be offering a series of workshops ranging from learning how to code to learning how to budget starting now and the following semesters ahead.

  • Gutswurrak official naming ceremony

    Gutswurrak official naming ceremony

    by Ione Dellos

    On Wednesday, April 20th, the University officially renamed the Student Activities Center to the Gutswurrak Student Activities Center in a ceremony at the building located by the UC quad. Pronounced “guts-wuh-dock”, it is the Wiyot word for “many people gather”. The name for the student union was originally suggested by the Wiyot Tribe, led by Wiyot Tribal Chair Ted Hernandez. He was also a guest speaker at the event, and he expressed his gratitude to the University and to the students, who pushed the renaming effort.

    The event started right at noon, with opening remarks from Wendy Sotomayor, director of the SAC, and Micheal Moore Jr., associate director of the SAC, and the two read Humboldt’s new formal land acknowledgment. Working with the College of the Redwoods, Humboldt has developed the following land acknowledgment:

    “We acknowledge that the land on which Cal Poly Humboldt is located in the unceded territory of the Wiyot people who continue to live and thrive today. It is surrounded by the traditional, ancestral, and present homelands of several indigenous nations including the Hupa, Karuk, Mattole, Tolowa, Wailaki, and Yurok that make up Humboldt County.”

    Following the land acknowledgment, Vice President Jason Meriwether spoke about coming together with the local Native tribes, and on the importance of a name.

    Ted Hernandez gave his remarks after Meriwether’s speech and welcomed students and staff members alike into his home. He offered his blessings to the building, not just to the students who came to the ceremony, but for all students in the future.

    Adrianne Colegrove-Raymond, special assistant to President Jackson, unveiled a new special feature of the building, which is a QR code on the wall that links to a recording of Wiyot youth and adults pronouncing “gutswurrak”. Anyone who visits the SAC can now scan the QR code with their phone and hear the recording of the Wiyot word.

    It was a relatively small ceremony, although, despite the small size of attendees in the SAC, the speakers definitely filled the room with their presence. The event was originally set to be held in the SAC quad, which might have increased the number of students that attended, but was moved indoors to the SAC West Lounge due to the rain. The ceremony only ran until about 12:30, as the speakers were done giving their presentations at that time. Students filtered through the small crowd like minnows, darting from space to space to grab a complimentary t-shirt and a handful of free food on their way out.

    The renaming effort is part of Humboldt’s effort to bring Native histories to the forefront of the University, which has not been the case in the past. The University is attempting to build new bridges and improve their relationship with Native communities through community activities like the SAC renaming.

  • Teamsters Union demonstrate for better wages at Cal Poly Humboldt

    Teamsters Union demonstrate for better wages at Cal Poly Humboldt

    by Carlos Pedraza

    The Teamsters union marched across campus on Thursday, April 6 demonstrating against the California State University system offer, during union contract negotiations. The Teamsters union represents the service and maintenance workers in the CSU.

    The demonstration began at the administration building at the quad. The demonstrators marched around the campus shouting slogans and demands. They ended their march in the quad where they continued to chant slogans until music was played from the stage in the quad.

    During the pandemic, the union made an agreement with the CSU administration to avoid layoffs. The union will not renegotiate its contract with the CSU. Union member and housing maintenance worker Brian Wheeler spoke out on the issue.

    “We asked for 15%, 5% for 2020, 5% for 2021, and 5% going forward,” Wheeler said. “They offered us 3%.”

    He feels that with inflation increasing and the sacrifice the workers made during the COVID years, they deserve a higher wage increase.

    There were other teamster demonstrations across other California university campuses. The Teamster Local 2010 held demonstrations on the UC Berkeley campus, San Francisco State University, and Chico state campuses demanding the same contract renegotiation that the Cal Poly Humboldt workers are demonstrating for.

    When asked about the current negotiations, CSU spokesperson Kelly Hazel made it clear that the CSU organization is currently negotiating with union representatives.

    “The CSU values its employees and is committed to providing appropriate levels of compensation. We continue to meet at the bargaining table with the teamster representative,” said Hazel. She continued, explaining that the CSU’s main goal is a balanced budget and that the CSU will work towards this in the negotiations.

    The negotiations between the CSU and Teamsters are still ongoing, with the CSU offering a 4% wage increase for 2021-2022 but no wage increase for 2020.

    Photo by Carlos Pedraza | Union demonstrators end their march at the university quad.

  • Humboldt State has officially been erased and replaced, but at what cost?

    by Ione Dellos

    From the new signs at the campus entrance to the Cal Poly header on your “Possible COVID Exposure” email from the Student Health Center, the new polytechnic status of Humboldt has been hammered home to students many times in the past few months. Despite the many open forums and countless emails the University has sent to students explaining the new polytechnic status, does anyone really know how much things cost?

    Starting in August of 2021, California Governor Gavin Newsom approved a $458 million investment in Cal Poly Humboldt. The allocation of funds is supposed to overhaul the university, with investments in updating aging infrastructure, adding several new majors by fall 2023, and several new buildings on campus. The impressive financial package also includes a yearly infusion of $25 million from the state, which Humboldt has built into its initial planning estimates.

    Graphic by Ione Dellos
    Graphic by Ione Dellos

    Initially, the $25 million will be used primarily for one-time spending initiatives, like rebranding and marketing the campus. For the 2021-2022 school year alone, $1.3 million has been set aside for rebranding/marketing efforts. Another $665,000 has been set aside for rebranding through campus signage, and if you didn’t think all of the Cal Poly Humboldt signs seen while fighting for your life up the stairs to Founder’s Hall were excessive, the University has set aside $983,000 for additional campus signage for the 2022-2023 school year. This does coincide with the school’s budgeting plans, as 2021-2022 costs are supposed to cover program start-up costs, while 2022-2023 costs will ramp up with the ongoing new projects. Additionally, the 2022-2023 school year will cover the first round of faculty hiring ahead of the 2023 program launch.

    Higher education marketing firm SimpsonScarborough is working with the University to “energize and elevate” their brand, as stated in a December email to students. They are rolling out a multiple-phase branding campaign. The campaign started last November with the announcement of Humboldt’s polytechnic status, and will continue for years to come as Humboldt aims to get their brand out to students nationwide. This is the start of a multiple-year effort that begins with extensive research with the campus community, and the full timeline is displayed below:

    PHASE 1: November 15 – January 14, 2022
    Transitional communications and marketing plan; audience research to inform the brand.

    PHASE 2: January 14 – May 6, 2022
    Brand strategy and development; creation of graphic identities; brand awareness campaign; prospective student recruitment collateral.

    PHASE 3: May 6 – August 5, 2022
    Refreshed digital presence and web templates; assessment of internal capacity and structures.

    ONGOING EFFORT: Starting August 6, 2022
    Sustained buildout and implementation of the brand through digital and traditional media, advertising strategies, media relations, and more.

  • USA TODAY investigation brings Humboldt Professor’s sexual assault allegations to light, one department chair who spoke out has experienced retaliation

    by Liam Gwynn

    Correction: The department chair who has spoken out against John Lee was not fired but was put on temporary suspension.

    USA TODAY released an investigative expose on a professor and former Dean of Professional Studies accused of sexual assault and how the school has continued to employ him for years. One dean who spoke out against the school in the article has already been fired for unstated reasons.

    Last week the USA TODAY published an extensive expose, unearthing sexual assault allegations against a former dean and current professor who is currently teaching in the College of Professional Studies at Cal Poly Humboldt. Since the release of the story, another dean has been fired and Lee continues to work, even if people aren’t showing up to class.

    In 2015, John Lee was a dean at Cal Poly Humboldt but after an investigation organized by the school found evidence of four counts of sexual harassment, Lee was given three months of paid leave and transitioned into a tenured professor position. The two women who accused Lee were forced to work in the same department as the man who allegedly assaulted them.

    One unnamed professor told the USA TODAY that Lee had groped and tried to forcibly kiss her on three occasions. Her husband corroborated the story saying that on one occasion he had to physically pull Lee off his wife. Before the sexual harassment claims were submitted, the school had already received numerous complaints about Lee, citing bullying and abusive behavior.

    Lee was able to maintain a position at the school because he evoked “retreat rights” that can be found in a majority of CSU dean contracts. “Retreat rights” give deans the right to a full-time professor position if they are ever fired from their position as a dean. These contracts did not have any stipulations regarding Title IX violations. This is how Lee was able to get a teaching job paying $154,000 a year working in the same department as the two women who accused him of sexual misconduct.

    School representative Grant Scott-Goforth told USA TODAY that Cal Poly Humboldt changed the contracts after John Lee’s case so that retreat rights wouldn’t apply to faculty that violate campus policies. However, USA TODAY reporter Kenny Jacoby found two contracts from administrator’s currently working at Cal Poly Humboldt, neither of which had any changes that the school claimed they made.

    In a conversation with the Lumberjack, Jacoby says that he contacted the school asking about the two aforementioned contracts. The representative simply asked who gave the contracts to him and when he told them, they never responded. The Lumberjack also reached out for a response regarding the John Lee situation, but after asking about the changes in the contracts, they stopped responding.

    The school’s official response to the situation has been very limited so far. They sent out an email three days before the USA TODAY story was released, attempting to reassure students and faculty that the school has resources for sexual assault survivors followed by instructions on what to do if contacted by the media.

    “For media inquiries about campus policy, decisions, and similar, spokespeople are designated by News & Information. You should not speak to the media on behalf of the campus unless you have been designated to,” states the email. “This is important to maintain consistency and to ensure that questions are answered as completely as possible.”

    That email is important because three days after the USA TODAY article was published, a dean who was quoted in the article speaking out against the school, was quietly relieved of his position as dean. The now-former dean, who wishes to remain anonymous, told the Lumberjack that he had already spoken to the reporter weeks prior to them sending out the notification not to talk to the media. That didn’t stop him from being demoted to a professor position, although officially, he was given no reasoning for the termination of his position.

    The school has yet to address whether or not they plan on reconsidering Lee’s position. Lee still vehemently maintains his innocence and although he originally would not speak to the press, he recently issued a statement to the Lumberjack which is linked below. In this statement, Lee denies all accusations and claims the investigation conducted by the school was biased against him and didn’t provide the proper due process. Lee also claims he had evidence that was dismissed and believes the school treated him unfairly. He goes on to detail all the work he’s done for women and minorities on campus and how the pushback he received was really just because people disagree with his decisions supporting BIPOC and women.

    Although the statement gets a little off-topic, he makes his stance clear, he is owning up to nothing. With the school making it so difficult for people to speak out, it’s unclear if we will ever see any change with the contracts here. However, the Lumberjack will continue to investigate this story as the situation unfolds and if anyone has any information regarding John Lee you can reach out to us at contactthelumberjack@gmail.com as well as the Campus Advocate Team’s 24/7 confidential line (707) 445-2881.

    Official Statement give to The Lumberjack by John Lee

    The allegations brought against me in 2015 are false. Like you, I condemn sexual harassment in any form. As I said back then and continue to maintain today, I did not sexually harass anyone. The allegation is simply untrue. The investigation conducted by the campus at the time was biased and flawed from the very beginning and in no way provided me due process. Evidence provided by me as well as testimony provided by others was ignored and dismissed. A few months after my appeal was denied, I was notified that my contract as dean was non-renewed. There was no cause mentioned for the non-renewal. My position was at will, so there were no legal avenues for me at the time. I had done nothing wrong, yet was told I was not to discuss the case, making it impossible for me to defend myself against the rumors I knew were spreading like wildfire.


    My life’s work has been about fighting for justice and creating a better and safer world for all, but especially women and children and those who face adverse experiences or discrimination of any kind. I was hired in 2010, because my mission aligned with the changes the university under then President Rollin Richmond and Provost Bob Snyder wanted to make. One of the goals was to provide better support for our increasingly diverse student body, which included creating paid internships and increasing our recruitment of faculty of color. During my tenure, we increased student enrollment, continued to diversify our student body, and significantly increased our hiring of BIPOC and female faculty.

    Most of my conflicts as dean stemmed from the push back I received from some who did not embrace these changes. I was also an outspoken critic of the well-publicized dismissal of an administrator who held to account the new administration for recruiting but not providing the supports Native American students needed to feel welcomed and thrive at Humboldt. The period before and after the non-renewal of my contract saw the dismissal and non-renewal of numerous administrators. Although there were few administrators of color at the time, most of them were either non-renewed, pushed out,
    or encouraged to move on. We have seen similar trends on the faculty side and student body since.


    So I have had conflicts for sure and I would be the first to admit that I have also made my share of mistakes. People who know me know I am not the person described in the USA Today article. Had other people been interviewed who were present during the time of the alleged events, a story closer to the truth could have emerged. But that was clearly not the author’s purpose. I strive to learn from my mistakes and experiences, but none have involved sexual harassment or other repugnant violations. While I do not seek conflict, I will continue to be vocal, combat injustices and work to improve the lives of those who have not been given fair access to education and life opportunities.

    DISCLAIMER: We at The Lumberjack post John Lee’s statement for the benefit of the public and the community’s right to all information regarding this subject, not in agreement or support.

    Extra Note: While in Lee’s statement he says “Had other people been interviewed who were present during the time of the alleged events, a story closer to the truth could have emerged. But that was clearly not the author’s purpose,” we were told by the original author Kenneth Jacoby that he had reach out to John Lee for an interview but was ultimately turned down.

  • Cal Poly Humboldt admin can’t be fired, even after investigations conclude he sexually harassed colleagues

    by Angel Barker

    USA Today published an article on Monday, April 18 describing how a current Cal Poly Humboldt professor is still employed with the university, even after investigations concluded that he “groped two colleagues.” 

    John Lee, current professor in the School of Education and former dean in the College of Professional Studies, is still working at the university because of a loophole in his contract, called “retreat rights.” Retreat rights mean that even though he was fired as an administrator, through his contract he has the right to remain employed as faculty.

    The full story published by USA Today can be found at https://archive.ph/iifTo and a followup story will be published in The Lumberjack on April 27.

  • Students show out in solidarity for El Salvador

    Students show out in solidarity for El Salvador

    by Alana Hackman and Carlos Pedraza

    Cal Poly Humboldt students and Arcata residents gathered around the plaza Thursday, April 7 in solidarity with El Salvador. The event was led by Klara Hernandez, a senior environmental studies student at Cal Poly Humboldt. Hernandez organized the event through her senior project and organization Eko Social Justice. Hernandez was also joined by Centro de Pueblo, an immigrant rights organization for Southern Indigenous communities also joined the event.

    Photo by Carlos Pedraza | Gathered crowd looks on during the speech at the Arcata Plaza on April 7.
    Photo by Carlos Pedraza | Gathered crowd looks on during the speech at the Arcata Plaza on April 7.

    The protest began at 4 p.m. and carried on into the evening around 6 p.m. Hernandez walked to the center of the plaza megaphone in hand and began her speech with a land acknowledgment and thoughtful address to her family who fled to the U.S. from El Salvador. Hernandez called for solidarity with the people of El Salvador and pointed out problems of racial discrimination against Indigenous and Afro-Salvadorian citizens as they are forced to adopt Spanish culture.

    Hernandez also addressed abortion laws in El Salvador and the rising violence and femicide rates in the country.

    “They imprison [women] even if it’s not your fault the baby didn’t make it,” Hernandez said.

    She continued to speak against many problems, including corporations privatizing and contaminating water, Bitcoin being adopted as their main currency is hurting those who don’t have access to it, and the LGBTQ+ community facing discrimination and violence in the country.

    An attendee of the protest was Alice Turk who heard of the protest from social media. The women’s rights issues spoke to her most and she feels people need to stand in solidarity with women everywhere.

    “I think the fact it’s a crime to have [an] abortion is something that needs to change, it’s a problem that is happening all over the place,” Turk said.

    Cal Poly Humboldt students Ben Cross and Evina Romero came out to the event also after being sent the social media post by friend and Cal Poly Humboldt psychology major Cheyanne Elam. Elam found out about the event through a class and was attending to learn more about what she can do for the people of El Salvador. All agreed it was important to use their privilege to be at this event and show their support for the citizens of El Salvador.

    “Immigrants from El Salvador and all over South America are being turned away at our borders, and the U.S. really has the ability to rectify these things,” said Cross.

    Photo by Carlos Pedraza | Klara Hernandez gives her speech to crowd while standing in the center of the plaza at the Arcata Plaza on April 7.

    Hernandez ended her initial speech with a call to action toward environmental justice and immigration rights for all. The crowd wavered cheers and screams from around the plaza flashing cardboard signs reading, “U.S. out of El Salvador,” “Women’s rights in El Salvador,” and “Indigenous sovereignty in El Salvador.” The signs were written in both English and Spanish. Hernandez mentioned her organization, Eko Social Justice, and that this event is an effort to use her voice for good and represent her home country of El Salvador in Humboldt County before her graduation and departure to Los Angeles this May.

    “The [Salvadorian] community is so tiny here that these things don’t get addressed. It’s like we’re invisible in this area so I wanna speak it out,” Hernandez said.

    Hernandez will be holding an art show at Brainwash Thrift Thursday, April 21 in solidarity with El Salvador. The event will be held from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and will include Hernandez’s own photography and art.

  • Voting virtually for your student representatives

    by Matthew Taylor

    Associated Students’ elections are coming fast, yet empty seats and uncontested positions stay plentiful. Fifteen positions stand open for election with only nine candidates on the ballot and write-up so far. Current A.S. members Chase Marcum and Giovanni Guerrero are running for the only contested seat, the presidency. Students have until April 14 to run as a write-in candidate, however.

    Four particular candidates bring unique attention from outside the rotation of previous A.S. board members. One such candidate is Sawyer Chrisman, a communications major, seeking out the position of Administrative Vice President. Similar to most eventual members of the A.S, Chrisman was encouraged by a current member to run.

    “I’m good friends with Chase,” Chrisman said. “We were talking about A.S because beforehand when I got to Humboldt, I was president of my student government community college.”

    Other first-time A.S. members running for positions include Payton Belle, Gerardo Hernandez, and Sebastian Taylor.

    Elections will take place between April 18 to April 22 via emails sent to each Cal Poly Humboldt students’ official school email. The election will be done by choice voting, in which students choose candidates from most preferred to least preferred. The candidate who receives the most preferred votes in an amount of 50% plus one wins. Certain positions which represent the university’s specific colleges, such as the College of Natural Resources & Sciences Representative, may only be voted on by students majoring in that particular college. Before elections take place, however, candidates will be expected to participate in a public debate and campaign speech on April 14.

    “Candidates will debate against those candidates that are running under the same position,” current A.S. President Lizbeth Cano Sanchez said. “It will be a 20-minute debate [for each position]. These debates will take place via a Zoom webinar and in-person in Nelson Hall East 106.”

    Candidates who run uncontested are only expected to give a speech. Prior to and after the debates, candidates are highly encouraged to campaign all across campus after seeking approval at the Office of Student Life located within the SAC. This is especially imperative to late write-in candidates whose names will not explicitly be found on the ballot.

    “Do not pressure anyone, do not make anyone feel like they need to vote for you,” Cano Sanchez said. “We do not want to make our students uncomfortable, especially if you’re about to be one of their leaders.”

    Final results will be first published on April 25 and the transitional A.S. Board meeting on May 6.

    Only 5.6% of students eligible to vote did in last year’s A.S. election cycle. In order for a true majority of student participation, the A.S. must encourage a little under 3,000 students to vote. A lack of time and contesting candidates only serve to prove the difficulty that the association has ahead of itself. For more specific information about the elections, you can email as-staff@humboldt.edu or call (707) 826-5410.

  • Local manhunt for homicide suspect ends with arrest

    by Sophia Escudero

    After one week at large, the suspect in a Kneeland homicide was taken into custody on April 10. Austin Michael Medeiros, 27, of Rhode Island, had been the subject of a search involving the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, California Highway Patrol, Arcata Police, and University Police following the suspicious death of a Kneeland woman, 28-year-old Emily Rose May Lobba, on April 3. Medeiros was apprehended in Santa Cruz attempting to steal a boat and was transferred to the Santa Cruz Police Department. SCPD officers found a stolen loaded gun and psychedelic mushrooms in Medeiros’ possession during a search.

    Official mugshot of Austin Michael Medeiros take April 10.

    On April 3, a caretaker arrived at Lobba’s residence and was denied entrance by Medeiros, leading to an argument. According to the caretaker, Medeiros and Lobba knew each other and had been spending time together the time prior to the incident. Medeiros assaulted the caretaker and fled the scene in Lobba’s vehicle, and the caretaker found Lobba deceased inside the home and contacted the authorities. A car chase between Medeiros and law enforcement ensued, ultimately resulting in Medeiros fleeing on foot into the Arcata Community Forest.

    Poppy Cartledge, a journalism student, witnessed the chase, driving to a sporting event with her partner when she heard police sirens and pulled over.

    “This van came right at us and swerved into our lane, and at first I thought it was a civilian driving, like, ‘ah, I gotta get out of the way real fast,’ but I realized they weren’t gonna stop, and then they ran the stop sign, and at that point I realized, this was a chase,” Cartledge said. “At that time, I thought it was just something with drugs, but it was crazy to find out it was a murder.”

    This case is particularly close to the campus community after an alert to the student body informing them of a search in the Arcata Community Forest, followed by an update just two hours later saying that the search had ceased. Still, the suspect had not been found.

    According to interim chief of University Police Peter Cress, the Sheriff’s Office had handled the majority of the search.

    “We had one unit on duty that day, one officer, and when the pursuit finished up on Fickle Hill Road and it was reported that the subject had fled into the woods, our officer on duty, Sergeant Carpenter, went up to Redwood Park and asked folks to stay out of the park,” Cress said. “Obviously, if the suspect had run through the park, he would have detained him or gone after him, but he was mostly there just to keep people out of the park at that time.”

    The search was conducted from about 11 a.m. to 3 p.m and involved multiple ground crews, ATVs, and K-9 units. Officials called off the search when the suspect could not be found. According to Sheriff’s Office public information specialist Samantha Karges, it is believed that the suspect had fled the area soon after escaping the chase.

    “It’s my impression that he got out pretty quickly,” Karges said. “A lot of the time people won’t hang around where they escaped. They know it’s a hot area, people are going to be looking for them, and they want to get out of town.”

    It’s believed that Medeiros escaped to Santa Cruz by hitchhiking. No related violent incidents or injuries were reported during Medeiros’ time as a fugitive. Still, Karges urges members of the campus community always to be careful.

    “You could be a victim of a crime at any time,” Karges said. “It’s really important that we are aware of our surroundings, who we’re hanging out with, where we’re going, what we’re doing, those sorts of things. I know in university, we meet a lot of people, we make risky decisions when we’re young, so really think through who you’re getting in a car with, whose house or room you’re going to. Be cautious of new people, and get to know them before you invite them where you live or get into a car with them. Just use an abundance of caution.”

    Medeiros is currently being held in the Santa Cruz County Jail on charges of grand theft, carrying a loaded stolen firearm, and possession of a controlled substance. He ispending extradition to Humboldt County on charges of murder, evading an officer, assault and battery, and possession of a controlled substance. The bail is at $1 million.

  • A University Center hidden on campus

    A University Center hidden on campus

    by Matthew Taylor

    The University Center (UC) is a husk of what it used to be since its contract was terminated by Cal Poly Humboldt’s administration back in December of 2020. Before then it was an auxiliary organization to the university in charge of many student events and activities. Many members had been left hurt, with most refusing to speak on the record due to a fear of legal or social reprimand by the university. A majority of the UC’s responsibilities have been transferred to the Student Activity Center. In its current state, the UC exists to provide pensions to its retirees and use reserve funds for various student programs. There are some members, however, who see its end as a bittersweet conclusion.

    “In my position, I see both sides,” said Wendy Sotomayor, UC Executive Director and Student Activity Center Director, the bittersweet sadness in her voice apparent throughout the interview. “I’m excited but I’m also sad. The UC was very valuable and did a lot of good for the students here. In the end, though, I think the students are getting a better package.”

    She expressed, along with many of her colleagues, that she still saw the letter of termination as the administrations ‘means to an end’, but also saw the validity in the problems stated within it. In some ways, the UC’s own response to the administration may have further solidified its decision to end the contract.

    “Our response didn’t really include any [tangible] changes to the actual administration’s complaints,” Sotomayor said.

    Much of the mistakes made by the UC at the time, referenced in the letter of termination, were based simply on miscommunication and misunderstanding. Certain allegations, such as that of fraud, were later confirmed to be completely unfounded. Still, legitimate mistakes existed and deserved to be fixed. The financial risk of loaning the Arcata Community Pool $300,000 was huge in hindsight of the COVID-19 pandemic, and due to its distant relationship to the university didn’t qualify well under “its mission”. Steps were made to fix these problems before termination, but in the eyes of the university’s administration that wasn’t enough.

    “We couldn’t fix it after the fact,” Sotomayor said.

    The introduction of lawyers to the mix didn’t make the situation any better in her eyes either. Instead of coming to the table it became only lawyers talking to lawyers. In the end, lawyers on each side may have convinced them that each was totally in the right.

    “[Many UC members] wholeheartedly believed they did nothing wrong,” Sotomayor said, expressing that at the time even she felt similarly.

    Since the termination, the administration has given most of UC’s previous tasks to the Student Activity Center. The program controls Center Arts, General Operations as well as a new program called Conference and Event Services (CES). Center Activities is now under Athletics and is located at the Student Recreation Center (SRC).

    “So much personal feelings got involved,” Sotomayor said. “And [I’m] not sure we could have gotten [to where the SAC currently is ourselves].”

  • Hustle and bustle at the Associated Students

    Hustle and bustle at the Associated Students

    by Matthew Taylor

    In the wake of reimagining the Associated Students, all hands are on deck. More staff and members have resigned over time as the major deadlines of AS’ yearly budget and the next election cycle fast approach. The Board of Directors has played musical chairs with itself after Finley’s impeachment in a scramble to fill the most critical positions. The AS is quickly becoming a phoenix out of its ashes. Reinvigoration among its most loyal members has been felt across the organization, and student participation and interest have been at an all-time high since the pandemic first hit.

    “[We’re] tapping into the core program,” Chase Marcum, the current Administrative Vice President, said. “Teamwork makes the dream work.”

    Since refocusing on the budget, Marcum and the Finance Committee have utilized all the help they can get from resources such as the Student Legal Lounge, CCAT, and the work of their predecessors.

    “We forget that a lot of passionate previous leadership had the foresight to give students templates and guidance,” Marcum said. “[We have] the ability to look back.”

    The yearly budget plans to increase funds for the Asian, Desi, Pacific Islander Collective (APIC) and various other cultural centers on campus. Funding is also being put into Scholars without Borders and expanding the list of study-abroad countries provided at Cal Poly Humboldt. The Student Legal Lounge may also receive higher funds to put into aid for Dreamer students.

    Discussions around previous legislation, bylaws, and organizational structures continue. Plans to review and update the AS Personnel Code along with many of Finley’s previous legislation are in the works. Reviews will ensure that all legislation and bylaws protect student representation and autonomy within the organization. The Bylaws Committee, alongside Legislative Vice President Gio Guerrero, has also begun negotiations with the Dean of Students to utilize the resources from HR to avoid future internal conflicts.

    Above all, the AS is hopeful for the new election cycle. Voting will commence between April 18-22, and students will be emailed the ballot. Guerrero said that last year only 3-4 people ran for mostly uncontested positions, but this semester almost all the positions have at least one person running for so far. The signature process to get on the ballot has also been waived, making it easier to apply. The results of the elections will be posted on May 6.

    “There’s some work ahead of us, but we’ll make it through and persist,” Guerrero said. “We’re going to be okay as an organization.”

    The next Board of Directors meeting will be held this Friday, April 8, at Nelson Hall East 106 from 3 to 6 p.m. As always, these meetings will be open to the public and are now entirely accessed via Zoom. For access to meetings or further inquiries, the AS can be contacted at (707) 826-5410 and through its email at as-staff@humboldt.edu.

  • Nimby threatens Cal Poly Humboldt student housing

    By Gabriel Zucker

    The California housing crisis can be summed up with one question: to build or not to build? The status quo has always favored single-family homeowners. The recent win for NIMBY (Not in My Back Yard) over UC Berkeley has brought light to the biggest problem California college students are going to face for the foreseeable future: the lack of affordable housing.

    California Governor Gavin Newsom passed a stack of bills focused on fixing the California housing crisis. The biggest bill was Senate Bill Number 9, which allows a four housing unit on a single-family lot. This prioritizes affordable housing for future generations and moves away from the outdated practice of single-family zoning.

    NIMBYs are local homeowners against affordable housing in their neighborhoods. They argue that their home values will drop and they will lose the peacefulness of single-family-owned housing communities if affordable housing structures were built in the area.

    The California Supreme Court sided with NIMBY in a court case against UC Berkeley, going against California’s push towards affordable housing. This forced the school to cut admissions by 2,500 students for the 2022 fall semester. NIMBY won because they argued that UC Berkeley was accepting more students than they could house.

    College students all over California are beginning to feel the effects of the housing crisis. Demand is rising while the options are dwindling. There is a lack of options and if this does not change other colleges will soon be forced to cut their enrollment.

    NIMBYs recent win highlights the division between single-family housing communities and the growing need for affordable housing. College towns are at the epicenter of this issue. College campuses will never be able to house their entire student population. Students rely on the surrounding community to find housing.

    The NIMBY movement is fighting against this change, wanting to preserve a way of life that does not exist anymore. The single-family home is not possible anymore in a changing climate and ever-growing homeless population. NIMBYs are clinging to their current comfortability instead of adapting to the needs of the next generation.

    Cal Poly Humboldt Students will soon feel the effects of this landmark decision. The influx of new students is a great thing for the university’s status but the campus will soon face tough decisions if they do not adapt to the changing times and work with the community to build more affordable housing in the surrounding area.

    A giant problem this semester has been the lack of parking on campus. Students must park farther and farther away from their housing because of the increase of students and stagnation of parking spaces. I had to spend months trying to find an apartment off-campus this past semester. There are already tell-tale signs of the strain the student body is putting on the schools’ resources. If UC Berkeley is a sign of things to come we must adapt before it is too late.