Humboldt State demands double masking on campus, does more layers equal more protection?
You’ve probably read the headlines: Wearing a Mask Prevents the Spread of COVID-19. But which mask you choose could affect how protected you and others really are.
Masks were first mandated in Humboldt County on April 24 when Health Officer Dr. Teresa Frankovich introduced an order requiring all members of the public wear facial coverings while inside a facility other than their residence. Since Humboldt State University was required to close campus prior to that, the university announced safety precautions on Aug. 4, which included wearing face coverings with at least two layers of 100% cotton. This was done in conjunction with the reopening of campus for the fall semester.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urges people to wear masks with at least two or more layers of washable, breathable fabric. Masks need to be worn covering both your mouth and nose at all times.
Director of News and Information Aileen Yoo stated, “HSU is following recommendations from the CDC. Its website is also a great resource for information on different types of protective gear.”
According to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), “studies have shown a double-layer cloth face covering was significantly better at reducing the droplet spread caused by coughing and sneezing, as compared to a single-layer one.”
Mark Wilson, a microbiology professor at HSU believes that “the main goal of mask wearing is to reduce the emission of droplets and aerosols from a person infected with the coronavirus, by trapping emitted droplets in the fabric. Mask-wearing can reduce the transmission of airborne diseases like coronavirus.”
Wilson added that when deciding on the type of masks, “the tighter the weave of the material, and the more layers it has, the more effective it will be at filtering out particles.”
May Chu, an epidemiologist at the Colorado School of Public Health, as quoted by NPR said, “a good option is a mask made of two layers of a tight-weave fabric with a built-in pocket where you can place a filter.”
A University of California, San Francisco article reported that based on a simulation, researchers predicted that 80 percent of a population who wear masks would reduce the spread of COVID-19 more than being on lockdown. Further, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation projected that 33,000 deaths could be prevented by October 1 if 95 percent of the population wore masks in public.
Many researchers have looked into N95 masks which are made out of many layers of fine polypropylene fibers. They are able to block at least 95% of small airborne particles but only when worn correctly. Though they are proven to be effective, the short supply should be reserved for medical professionals and first responders.
A recent Duke study rated a fitted N95 and a three-layer surgical mask as the top two protectors, followed by two layer cotton masks.
According to an article by Science Daily in July, a team of Australian researchers did a study comparing the effectiveness of single and double layer cloth face coverings. They used LED lighting to film the airborne droplets. Their results showed that double layer face coverings prevented more droplets from spreading.
HSU students can be provided with double layer masks at the campus Police Department, the first floor of Student and Business Services building, Jolly Giant Commons, College Creek Market and the Parking Kiosk.
Students come forth after witnessing and experiencing racial typecasting within Humboldt State’s Theater Department.
While COVID-19 leaves the world silent, Humboldt State University theater students are trying to raise their voices and create change. Reports of racial typecasting and the wrong types of inclusivity began to surface and the students decided to work together to create a better program for future students.
“We’ve definitely had issues in terms of racial casting,” said senior theatre major Jaiden Clark. Clark is President of Alpha Psi Omega, a theater based fraternity at HSU.
“The higher ups in the department and the faculty try to be inclusive in the wrong ways,” said Clark.
Part of the issue was the selection of shows. According to Clark, there is a volunteer committee where students and faculty pick which shows will be done. Although it is voluntary, Clark mentioned in a few cases of shows being catered to people who are in the committee.
“Anyone needs to be able to have a say,” said Clark. “I think it would cool to have a more democratic system.”
HSU senior AJ Hempstead, a double major in theatre and religious studies, has faced discrimination when accepting roles for shows.
“People are trying to be more inclusive, especially at HSU, I get more roles,” said Hempstead. “I was offered a role because of my acting level but also because they needed someone with a specific skin color.”
“I would really like to see shows where it doesn’t matter the race or gender of the actor playing the role,” said Clark.
Clark and Hempstead both agreed they wanted to see more shows being chosen that had characters that could be played by anyone, so the audience is sent a more equal message.
“Colorblind casting is not actually a thing, there’s no such thing as colorblind anything because people are going to see.”
Jaiden Clark
“What are they doing, what messages are being sent here and where are those messages coming from,” said Hempstead.
Hempstead wants the audience to look at what was represented onstage and think about the decisions that were made with casting, rather than produce shows that had to have a certain type of person.
“Colorblind casting is not actually a thing, there’s no such thing as colorblind anything because people are going to see,” said Clark. He noted the faculty needs to be more color-conscious instead.
Hempstead’s idea for improvement involved wanting to see a more active teacher assistants program where higher level students could help teach other students along with professors.
“Teachers aren’t the enemy in any of this that’s happening,” Hempstead said. “We want to work with them as much as possible. We empowered our students, we empowered our community and that didn’t mean taking power from them. I see that power struggle.”
Clark agrees with Hempstead, believing that open discussion can alleviate feeling uncomfortably and create progress.
“It’s a really important time for people to talk about what worked and what they liked and what made them uncomfortable and what shouldn’t be done again,” said Clark. “When change is needed in the theatre industry, you have to start in universities. If we are behind Broadway, then we have to catch up because our people are just the people who aren’t there yet.”
Associate Professor and Theatre Program Leader Troy Lescher responded to the rumored racial typecasting in an email. He asked for clarification if it were about racial representation onstage.
“These processes are imperfect and are very prone to mistakes. Theatre is also a living art that relies on human storytellers,” Lescher said in an email. “Race, gender, age, physical attributes and vocal qualities are among dozens of casting considerations that impact representation onstage.”
In response to what HSU is doing to ensure racial typecasting will not continue, Lescher said he would listen to a student if they felt racially typecast and would try to find an alternative learning opportunity for them with the director.
“Afterward, I would bring this matter to the Season Selection Committee (which is composed of faculty, staff, and students) so that we could collectively work to strengthen our process,” Lescher said in an email.
Lescher acknowledged the challenge of racial representation in casting and believes the program is guilty of not following through.
“I believe there have been instances when our program has not exercised the cultural competence necessary to best support our students and their learning,” Lescher said in an email. “Critical awareness of and cultural sensitivity to matters of representation are important to our program and we continue to learn and to strengthen.”
Q&A between Lumberjack reporter, Elsie Fero, and Leader of Theatre Troy Lescher.
A tense emergency Board of Directors reveals conflict between faculty and Administration.
Tempers flared when an emergency Zoom meeting by the University Board of Directors turned into verbal arguments and accusations between several members on the call.
The Aug. 28 meeting held by the University Center Board of Directors and open to the public originally set forth to tackle various agenda items and approve of new members.
The two items that took up a majority of the meeting, however, where the firing of the UC’s legal counsel and changes the administration has made that affect facilities managed by the group.
When the meeting was opened to public comment, student employees of the Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center stated that they were being asked by HSU to leave their offices. Center Activities Manager Bridget Hand confirmed this information, stating that employees were given little notice to clear their offices.
Vice President of Enrollment Management Jason Meriwether and Acting Executive Director Todd Larson stated that the reason for departure was so that the building could prepare for renovations. Meriwether said that the space may be used for other departments in the meantime.
Gracie Olivia, a student employee at HBAC, said that the job offered leadership roles and was a vital part of the community.
“I want the board and everyone attending this meeting to understand the importance of the Center,” said Olivia.
“Why are wholesale changes being made before the program review? The loss of HBAC as a public facility is a real loss to the community.”
Financial Officer Gregg Foster
With no office to operate out of, both Olivia and Hand noted that they would not be able to offer equipment rentals.
Faculty Representative Steve Martin and Financial Officer Gregg Foster expressed confusion and anger at the circumstances. According to them, the UC board was uninformed of the entire situation.
“Why are wholesale changes being made before the program review?” said Foster in the Zoom chat. “The loss of HBAC as a public facility is a real loss to the community.”
In an email, Martin continued to express his frustration at the situation.
“I’m concerned that employees of HBAC say that they can’t provide services to students safely and effectively because of the changes that were implemented over the summer, said Martin. “Changes that were implemented without first consulting the University Center Board.”
Meriwether expressed his surprise with the board, stating that proper written notice was provided to former UC Executive Director Dave Nakamura. Martin said during the call that Nakamura was fired by the administration before being able to properly brief the UC Board.
Further complicating the matter was the lack of legal representation for the UC Board regarding these actions, as the attorney for the group had been let go by Larson.
The attorney from Erikson Law Firm, which had represented the UC Board of Directors since 2017, had refused to help draft a proposal with Larson to present to the Board. Larson also said the attorney had also violated a written contract agreed upon by the two, which to Larson “raised some red flags.”
Foster, Martin and other members of the Board said that this was a decision that should have been run solely by the Board itself.
Martin said that even if the action was legal, it raised moral and ethical flags about Larson and his actions put the board in a state of unease.
These actions have created a fear among faculty members outside the board as well, that discouraged faculty members from speaking up.
“Like everyone else in my position, we fear retaliation from an administration that is overreaching and abusing their power,” said one source close to the situation, who wished to remain anonymous. “If you are receiving PC responses from others, it’s because we are all very worried about what we are witnessing. We have been given specific language to use when speaking with the media and that language only reflects that of the administration’s story.”
The next UC Board meeting is scheduled for Sept. 10.
Kris Nagel captures chaotic social demonstrations with photojournalist and professor Mark Mckenna
During speeches given at the Multnomah County Courthouse on the night of July 29, demonstrators carried signs signifying their investment. Pictured here, an unnamed protester carries a sign saying, “Black lives matter.” | Photo by Kris Nagel
On the north side of the Hatfield Federal Courthouse on the night of July 28, an unnamed protestor broke from the crowd to sit in front of a line of police, sitting cross-legged behind a sign. | Photo by Kris Nagel
During speeches given at the Multnomah County Courthouse on the night of July 29, demonstrators carried signs signifying their investment. Pictured here, two unnamed demonstrators in scrubs carrying signs saying, “No justice; no peace; no racist police; gestapo GTFO,” (left) and “I uphold my oath to first do no harm, what of you oath to serve and protect?” (right.) | Photo by Kris Nagel
Law enforcement began using crowd-control agents early in the night of July 29. They fired canisters of tear gas, shot pepper balls, and threw flash bangs. Many demonstrators attempted to clear the area of tear gas by throwing the canisters back. | Photo by Kris Nagel
A line of law enforcement officers forms near the Mark O. Hatfield US Courthouse on the night of July 29 in Portland, Oregon. Plumes of tear gas linger in the air from canisters fired into crowds shortly before this image was taken. | Photo by Kris Nagel
Each night in Portland, speakers address the crowd from the steps of the Multnomah County Courthouse. Pictured here is a protestor telling the crowd about law enforcement firing crowd control agents at the protesters and how several weeks prior he had be struck in the head, hospitalizing him. He carries with him a gas mask in a green bag to use when law enforcement begins crowd-dispersement measures. | Photo by Kris Nagel
As the police began firing teargas into crowds of protesters on July 28 in Portland, Oregon part of the “Wall of Moms” were caught in a thick cloud of gas. Only using common painter’s respirators for protection against the irritant, the moms soon broke up and fled away from the gas. | Photo by Kris Nagel
Associated Students leaves student body devastated after significant reductions in cultural center’s budget.
Two months ago, Associated Students released its proposed budget for the 2020-21 school year at Humboldt State University. Included in this budget were major budget cuts to on-campus cultural centers such as the Multicultural Center and the Eric Rofes Multicultural Queer Center.
For the budgeting process to begin, A.S. applications are submitted by various campus-based clubs to the A.S. Finance Committee, previously known as the Board of Finance. From there, the committee reviews all the incoming applications and after holding public appeals, creates a Recommended Budget that is sent over the A.S. Board of Directors, a mix of A.S. elected representatives and faculty advisers. The Board of Directors then holds another round of public appeals, drafts a revised Recommended Budget and sends it over the A.S. president, who promptly turns it over to the campus president for official approval.
David Lopez, the Associative Vice President of A.S. and a sophomore at HSU, emphasized that he still greatly values the cultural centers but they will be funded differently.
“We really appreciate them for the work they do,” Lopez said. “So to make sure that they continue to do that work still because we’re not funding them, we’re doing it through the clubs grant, and we’re forming this grant process to be as neutral as possible with funding student organization needs.”
Lopez is personally leading the charge for these new clubs grants, which aim to support student organizations like the Asian Desi Pacific Islander Collective and the Women’s Resource Center in a reduced capacity.
One thing that factored into the decision by Associated Students to sever the cultural centers’ funding was the Apodaca v. White lawsuit that took place between a pro-life student organization at CSU San Marcos and CSU San Marcos’s Associated Students. The pro-life student organization claimed that it was being discriminated against by CSU San Marcos because requested funding for a pro-life speaker was denied while other groups were recieiving the same funding. The final ruling by a federal court was in favor of the student organization, arguing that the funds that come from student fees need to be allocated in the most viewpoint neutral way possible. The CSU Chancellor’s office has yet to clarify what this means.
For Lopez, this new funding procedure is radical but also necessary given the circumstances.
“We’re supporting the greatest amount of viewpoints and opinions possible,” Lopez said. “The plan for this club grant is to further diversify the opinions on campus per Apodaca v White and to err on the side of caution while awaiting the Chancellor’s interpretation of Apodaca v White.”
Lopez recognized that he and his staff are working with a limited financial capacity and therefore need to distribute funding in a way that will keep clubs satisfied and avoid a lawsuit of their own.
“What’s happening is we’re being faced with the choice of either becoming a club or becoming absorbed into an administrative or academic department.”
Amanda Huebner
“Our total budget is less than eight hundred thousand dollars,” Lopez said. “Meaning that by not funding in a viewpoint neutral manner, we are potentially risking over a fourth of our budget, a fourth of student fees that could go to things like our Club Grants Committee or that could go to other campus resources if we were to risk not funding in a most neutral way possible.”
Celene Gonzalez is an HSU grad student in the psychology program and an El Centro employee. She has worked closely with the cultural centers and has seen their collective downfall over the years.
“What gives me hope in what I had seen in that time is that students were getting really connected with each other,” Gonzalez said. “They were finding their communities. It is not shocking to me that the school felt the need to kind of push that down a little bit.”
Gonzalez is disheartened by the disconnect that has been formed between her and these students through said budget cuts.
“I feel like our work gave us a way to connect with one another and I feel like our activism gave us a way to connect with one another,” Gonzalez said. “That it’s going to be hard to maintain and it’s going to be hard to ask of them when I know that they aren’t being compensated for that work.”
The Eric Rofes Multicultural Queer Resource Center is getting hit hard by the extreme budget cuts. Concerned about the future of her cultural center, Amanda Huebner, a rangeland and social sciences senior and an employee at the ERC, wants to see it remain in the state that it’s in already.
“What’s happening is we’re being faced with the choice of either becoming a club or becoming absorbed into an administrative or academic department,” Huebner said. “So I think there has been dialogue by students in the past that this would be a bad move being absorbed by a department or by an administrative department because it would make the group not be as student-run.”
In other words, the absorption of the ERC into another department would be ill-advised because there would be more faculty interference in how it would be managed, and that wouldn’t align with the goal of this cultural center of being a student-led one.
Student leaders like Katherine Nguyen who work in the cultural centers are frustrated with the fallout from all of this. Nguyen doesn’t feel like the administration cares about its marginalized students.
“Are you going to be supporting your cultural centers, are you going to be supporting your students?” Nguyen said. “I’m not confident about that and I’m tired of just being told by admin, like: ‘Oh, you got it wrong, like we actually care about you. We’re going to figure out a way,’ but it’s like if you did, why didn’t you make a plan? Show that you’re invested in students.”
When it comes to the shrinking budgets for the various cultural centers, neither the students nor the administration can be totally satisfied. After the Fall 2020 census, the A.S. cumulative budget will be reevaluated.
Anti-immigration graffiti was spray painted outside the corner of Cafe Brio and The Heart Bead store in the Arcata plaza.
“Trump 2020” as well as “Get out of America” were plastered around the sidewalks just outside of Cafe Brio and Heart Bead. It was reported to APD by Heart Bead store owner, Kim Alveraz, on Aug. 16 and the graffiti was later washed off on Aug. 18.
APD sergeant, Brian Hoffman, said that the anti-immigration messages were not a hate crime. The APD said that they are not able to open an investigation until suspects are reported. If anyone does witness vandalism or have information on a possible suspect(s), it can be reported to APD at 707-822-2424.
With President Jackson and Dr. Frankovich at opposite ends of agreement on in person classes, students caught in the middle feel COVID-19 is inevitable.
As Humboldt State University moves forward with a hybrid fall 2020-21 semester, starting online before transitioning to an in-person format from Sep. 8 until Nov. 6, community leaders are unsure about the future safety of students on campus.
In a recent set of emails between HSU President Tom Jackson and Humboldt County Health Officer Dr. Teresa Frankovich, made available via Freedom of Information Act requests to the Lost Coast Outpost and North Coast Journal, at times the two leaders appeared at odds with how to proceed with the semester.
Frankovich stated concerns with students returning to dorms and classes, mainly that enclosed shared spaces like dorm kitchens and bathrooms presented an increased risk of spreading infection. Frankovich asked for a possible pause to the start of the semester, so that COVID-19 testing labs within the county could properly prepare for the increased influx of new and returning students.
Jackson replied within the same email chain initially with confusion about the timing of the sudden request before attempting to reassure HSU was following all local and state ordinances regarding proper social distancing and safety.
During the Aug. 18 media availability briefing, Frankovich addressed the emails stating “Let me make one thing clear: This is not a case of ‘othering’. It is a case of trying to make safe choices for the entire community in the midst of a pandemic. This is about trying to juggle competing needs for testing resources across skilled nursing facilities, agricultural settings, tribal communities, local public schools, businesses and organizations, and the community as a whole.”
Frankovich also reiterated that the Humboldt County Health Office was still confident in HSU’s plans and ability to handle the situation, praising the HSU planning team for their continued effort.
“I think they’re working on constructing an environment that is as safe as possible considering the pandemic that we’re in,” Frankovich said.
Those plans were put to the test when on Aug. 17, as students began moving into the dorms, a campus-wide email was sent out stating that HSU had it’s first confirmed COVID-19 case.
By the end of the week, two more students and a faculty member tested positive as well, though emails state that the faculty member’s case was not connected to student move-ins.
While the identities of those who tested positive are being withheld for privacy, an email notification sent out on Aug. 20 said “HSU is working closely with Humboldt County Public Health, which will determine whether there are members of the campus community who need to be advised of their contact with affected people.”
Testing will continue for students who have moved in during a fourteen-day quarantine period to ensure safety.
Blake Hefner, a biology major and resident advisor for the College Creek dorms, expressed both concern and hope after reading the initial emails regarding the first confirmed case.
“If they’re willing to bring students during a pandemic, we are going to see how they are going to handle that and how they are going to value our lives,” Hefner said.
Lori Alcantara, a journalism major, said that as soon as she saw the email, she went to show her roommate.
“We were both kinda surprised that it was so quick,” Alcantara said. “At the same time, I feel relieved that they’re keeping track and not just trying to pretend that it isn’t happening.
Alcantara felt comfortable with the idea of in-person classes, trusting the students around her and the university to accept the new social responsibility of sanitizing workplaces and classrooms. Alcantara had one in-person class for the fall semester and stated that the professor had already reached out and reassured students that proper cleaning will occur before students arrive and when they leave.
“I think what will matter then will be everyone’s ability to clean after themselves, use hand sanitizer and wear their masks,” Alcantara said. “I think if everyone could do that… then I’m not particularly worried.”
Frankovich said during her media availability briefing that “…the presence of this case doesn’t change our plan going forward except that we want to make sure we are doing the testing and trying to monitor progress on isolation quarantine should it occur.”
Hefner felt that the cases meant that students had to step up to the occasion and help shoulder the responsibility and pressure.
“It’s a lot of realizing that this is bigger than us as people,” Hefner said. “Moving back means you’re part of a community now, and being part of that community you have to respect the guidelines that are going to take place.”
Actions are being taken to bring about change in a country dominated by racism and police brutality
Fueled by the Josiah Lawson case and the George Floyd murder, Humboldt State University students are taking to the internet and the streets in protest of systemic racism. Students and community members alike are actively displaying their pent-up anger and fear surrounding being marginalized.
Kiara Mixon, a fourth-year psychology student, has been trying to educate herself and those around her about what’s going on. Namely, she has been sharing different resources with people who are unaware of the Black Lives Matter movement and watching documentaries about racism to get a deeper insight into it.
While she hasn’t really been going out in the streets and protesting, she has still seen both sides of the movement.
“I see people who are of color protesting and, truthfully, it means a lot that those people are standing up when it’s an issue for them as well,” Mixon said. “But I’ve also had people who aren’t really speaking up or haven’t said anything or don’t really have a personal opinion on the matter and that makes me a little bit uncomfortable because you never know where they’re standing.”
Senior psychology major Edwin Rosales has become more outspoken and animated in the wake of the revamped BLM movement. He lives with his mother’s side of the family and has gone back and forth with them about everything going on.
“After talking with them, it’s kind of difficult to talk to them about it because they’re very, you know, still in the olden ways and are very ignorant about it,” Rosales said. “So, I’ve had to be outspoken about it and be like ‘You know what? You’re not understanding the cause’ or having to explain to them what it is.”
Rosales has carried his new-found, forthright persona around racism into the land of social media as well.
“I never really posted about that stuff,” Rosales said. “I’m not helping if I don’t say anything, and so if I am posting about something, maybe someone will read it and maybe someone will help in some way.”
Julianne Blandford is a senior majoring in child development. She is feeling a lot of mixed emotions in the midst of the string of racist events that have occurred from the George Floyd murder to the leaked video of three HSU students making racist taunts toward Black people. She is attending protests and doing everything she can to move the conversation about racism along.
“It is my time to sit down and listen and also stand up for those who can’t speak,” Blandford said.
Blandford recognizes her own status but also wants to work with those who are being suppressed.
“I’m seeing it as an opportunity to continue to create change, create a more peaceful place to live, create new systems that aren’t founded upon racism, and a world where no-one has to live in fear,” Blandford said.
“We need to redistribute resources and really build communities.”
Dr. Ramona J.J. Bell
Dr. Ramona J.J. Bell, a critical race and gender studies professor, believes that there are a number of factors to look at that are feeding into a racist America.
“We’re a country where we put so much money into our military, but there’s people without health care, so we concentrate on, you know, defending the country,” Bell said. “But we have to reconfigure and reimagine what that really means to defend the country, to defend America.”
Bell emphasized the importance of unifying communities in a country where the opposite is happening at the hands of the police.
“We need to redistribute resources and really build communities,” Bell said. “When you are killing black folks in communities and the police are killing us, that’s not building our community — that’s killing our community. So we have to look at ways in which we can build America because our country was built off the backs of Black people, particularly during the Holocaust of enslavement.”
Bell recognized a need for change in America when it comes to race and embraced the protests that have spawned from it.
“We have to revisit America’s notion of belonging and we have to revisit race in America,” Bell said. “There’s never been a real conversation about race and racism in America. And I think the protests going on all over the country, all over the world are telling us something’s wrong and it needs to be fixed.”
More than anything, Bell emphasized that we are all in this fight together, no matter the color of your skin.
“That’s part of the fight. That’s part of the struggle to get people to understand that Black lives matter,” Bell said. “It’s about letting us be free to live lives like America has promised.”
Two Humboldt State University Students are Suspended from Campus Organizations
A video depicting three Humboldt State University students using the N-word multiple times and bullying a student’s skin was posted to Instagram. HSU’s administration released an official statement suspending two of the students from participating in their campus organizations.
The video was posted to an Instagram account run by HSU student, Victoria,“Vicky,” Ah-You. She posted the video June 3, the day it was sent to her from a friend, who preferred to remain anonymous. Ah-You stated that the video was recorded prior to her post and hesitated when originally sent it.
“I can’t reveal my source but a friend of mine sent it[the video] to me to use my platform to speak. She was too afraid to use her own platform,” Ah-You said. “I believe the video was made at the end of 2019 but it was never spoke on because people felt uncomfortable.”
Ah-You’s intention behind posting the video was to expose the behavior occurring towards people of color in Humboldt County.
“I released the video because I am tired of being silent myself and I know a lot of my brothers and sisters, Black and of color, out here at Humboldt University are afraid as well,” Ah-You said. “So I released the video to make a solid statement that we won’t stand for it no longer.”
Marley Peri, William Blohm and Vincenzo Jardino were the students shown in the racist video. Peri and Blohm participated in extracurricular activities, such as HSU Spirit Squad and the Chi Phi fraternity. Both were suspended from further participation.
After the video was posted, Peri and Blohm deleted their social media accounts after being tagged and identified as the people responsible for the racist behavior.
“If I’m being honest, I understand why the students took down their social media accounts. It caused a lot of outrage,” Ah-You said. “They received a lot of threats and I didn’t put that out there for them to receive threats. I put that out there for them to be checked. I think it was very cowardly to take down their accounts because if you’re going to make a creative video stating those racial slurs, you should be willing to stand behind it and stand on it.”
Ah-You stated that Peri posted an apology on Twitter but believes that’s not enough. Ah-You and her friends have also reached out to HSU Spirit Squad and Chi Phi fraternity but got no response from them either.
The current consequences for the students is suspension from campus activities. Ah-You believes the students deserve harsher punishment. She feels that HSU needs to do more to show their support to their students of color.
“Their actions send a statement out loud whether they know it or not. They do not stand with us in solidarity and they do not support my Black brothers and sisters out here.”
Victoria Ah-You
“If you’re asking me if I think the students should be expelled, I do,” Ah-You said. “This is not the first rodeo. I don’t know these students but I can understand a mistake but just as my Brown brothers and sisters and my Black community has to stand behind our mistakes, they need to stand behind theirs too.”
Ah-You is disappointed in HSU administration’s efforts to combat the social media post. She believes the current handling of the situation is not enough and doesn’t justify the severity of pain this video has caused the community.
“Their actions send a statement out loud whether they know it or not. They do not stand with us in solidarity and they do not support my Black brothers and sisters out here,” Ah-You said. “It’s been an ongoing issue. This video is just part of it. It’s been going on forever. I’ve been out here going on seven years and it’s just been going.”
HSU Vice President of Enrollment Management Dr. Jason Meriwether commented on the issue stating that the recent response from the student body and Arcata community is acknowledged by administration especially due to the current Black Lives Matter movement happening within our country. However with the investigation still ongoing, not much can be said.
“I understand the deep sense of hurt and pain caused by racist systems, language, and behaviors,” Meriwether said in an email. “Our students and campus community feels this right now due to the current national landscape, the very real history of racism, and even more from having this happen within our campus community. I cannot address the specifics of the current investigation or ongoing conduct process beyond the statement.”
Currently, the two students remain suspended from campus organizations. Micaela Harris, an HSU student athlete, unhappy with the current consequences, organized a petition on Change.org demanding the students be expelled from school. A week after the petition was created, more than 21,000 people have signed. That’s more than double the size of HSU’s student body.
“The goal behind it[the petition] is to show HSU that this type of behavior should not ever be tolerated,” Harris said in an email. “High schools are expelling their students for doing the same thing, yet a university isn’t? Humboldt is one of the cheaper universities to go to so this means it is extremely diverse. It should be a safe place for students of color and this type of behavior should not be tolerated.”
Meriwether has confirmed that HSU administrators are aware of the petition and are taking it into account with the ongoing investigation.
HSU AS President Jeremiah Finley responded to the recent incident, acknowledging the petition and expressing his outrage and sympathy with fellow HSU students who feel the suspension is not enough of a consequence.
“I would say I’m outraged as well, and their outrage is valid,” Finley said in an email. “As the Leader of the Student union, I often try to understand the diverse opinions of our students before inserting my own, but so for me, it is clear from the outcry and petition going around that the vast majority of students will not tolerate this type of behavior here at HSU.”
Finley elaborated on the enhanced responsibility and duty of students who partake in extracurricular campus activities and organizations, stating that students are held to high standards when they choose to participate.
“Students in organizations around campus are held to a higher standard,” Finley said in an email. “From clubs to our Greek Orgs, sports teams and Associated Students. Still, these students and their situation exceed the internal workings of their organization, and the final outcome needs to be resolved at the HSU level.”
Finley believes that the responsibility of the Spirit Squad and Chi Phi fraternity is to keep their participants and members in check. Such as monitoring their behavior and attitude towards others, as it not only represents their organization and its values but HSU’s as well, both on and off campus.
“The responsibility that falls on them[HSU organizations] is not condoning it in any way, as well as ensuring that the atmosphere they have doesn’t make it possible for that type of behavior to occur,” Finley said in an email. “Finally calling out any type of microaggressions and racist remarks where they can.”
Both HSU Spirit Squad and the Chi Phi fraternity failed to respond to requests to make a comment.
The recent social media frenzy has also stirred up racial tensions happening within HSU and the Arcata community, specifically the memory of the Josiah Lawson case. Protests, public demonstrations and marches have been the community’s response to the exposure of the racist behavior.
On May 21, Humboldt State University sent out an email announcing that it would be submitting a proposal to the CSU system requesting for a hybrid learning environment where there would be a mixture of face-to-face and online instruction. June 6, another email was sent out confirming that HSU would be able to operate virtually and in-person as needed.
According to the official HSU email, “the University’s academic program has perhaps the highest proportion of courses with a hands-on component in the CSU.”
About a quarter of all HSU courses involve labs and other activities and experiences that can’t really translate online and half of those course sections are able to be taught in-person this upcoming fall.
Regarding all other courses that involve less tangible experiences, like lectures and seminars, they will continue to operate online.
Following the acceptance by the CSU system, HSU can now ramp up its thorough planning process beginning this summer. HSU is also considering a return to a fully online learning environment if things worsen. For now, it will be a hybrid of face-to-face and online instruction.
As for the details of HSU’s plan for the fall semester:
Health and Safety
Steps will be taken to ensure the health and safety of people on campus like limiting capacity and mandating face coverings for all who step foot on HSU turf.
Social Responsibility
Students and faculty will be expected to be socially responsible when returning to campus and remain vigilant in keeping themselves safe.
Schedule
Courses taught in a face-to-face manner will start and finish with virtual interactions to go over safety measures, and all face-to-face parts of courses will start after the initial virtual interaction and end on Nov 6. just in time for the second virtual interaction.
Housing
The combined capacity in HSU’s residence halls will not exceed 1000 students and students will be placed in single-occupancy rooms. Dates and times for moving in will be spread out.
Dining
Dining services will not be as frequent on campus. Takeout and food-delivery will be available to students but buffet-style and self-serve food will not be.
Faculty and Staff
A majority of employees will continue to telecommute. Workers deemed essential will come back to campus to work more regular hours. Employees over the age of 65 will continue to telecommute as well.
Athletics and Recreational Activities
HSU will enact a four-stage plan intended to gradually allow student-athletes and related staff to come back to campus. The availability of recreational activities will increase in conjunction with the availability of recreational activities in the county.
A photo essay of the Arcata protests: fists high and voices raised
An activist addresses the crowd at the Arcata Plaza during a Black Lives Matter demonstration on Monday, June 1. The demonstration is one of hundreds to occur nationwide after the killing of African American man George Floyd by a white police officer on May 25. | Photo by Elliott Portillo
A protester holds up a sign that states “Black Lives Matter” during a demonstration held at the Arcata Plaza on June 1. The demonstration is one of thousands held to protest the killing of African American man George Floyd by a white police officer in Minneapolis on May 25. | Photo by Elliott Portillo
An activist addresses the crowd at the Arcata Plaza during a Black Lives Matter demonstration on Monday, June 1. The demonstration is one of hundreds to occur nationwide after the killing of African American man George Floyd by a white police officer on May 25. | Photo by Elliott Portillo
A protester looks on during a Black Lives Matter demonstration held at the Arcata Plaza on June 1. The demonstration is one of thousands held nationwide to protest the killing of African American man George Floyd by a white police officer in Minneapolis on May 25. | Photo by Elliott Portillo
An activist addresses the crowd at the Arcata Plaza during a Black Lives Matter demonstration on Monday, June 1. The demonstration is one of hundreds to occur nationwide after the killing of African American man George Floyd by a white police officer on May 25. | Photo by Elliott Portillo
Protesters gather and raise their fists in solidarity in the Arcata Plaza during a Black Lives Matter demonstration on Monday, June 1 in Arcata CA. Nationwide protests have occurred since the killing of African American man George Floyd by a white police officer in Minneapolis on May 25. | Photo by Elliott Portillo
Demonstrators stand and sit outside of Arcata City Hall in protest of police brutality and racism on June 1 following the death of George Floyd while in custody of Minneapolis police. | Photo by Thomas Lal
Demonstrators listen to community members speak at the Arcata Plaza while protesting against police brutality and racism on June 1 following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody. | Photo by Thomas Lal
A demonstrator takes a moment to reflect while listening to speakers from the community at the Arcata Plaza protesting against police brutality and racism on June 1 following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody. | Photo by Thomas Lal
Demonstrators listen to community members speak at the Arcata Plaza while protesting against police brutality and racism on June 1 following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody. | Photo by Thomas Lal
Demonstrators sit and stand in front of Arcata City Hall while protesting against police brutality and racism on June 1 following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody. | Photo by Thomas Lal
Signs calling for an end to police brutality and racism sit are carried by demonstrators outside of Arcata City Hall on June 1 following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody. | Photo by Thomas Lal
Protesters gathered at Arcata City Hall and the plaza to speak out against police brutality and racism
Peaceful protesters gathered in Arcata on June 1 to continue their demonstrations against police brutality and racism across the nation. People gathered around Arcata City Hall, bringing signs and wearing facemasks while listening to members of the community speak.
Demonstrators spilled off of the lawn and into the streets, taking a moment of silence in remembrance of George Floyd and Black lives that have been unfairly and unjustly taken in police custody.
A moment of silence for George Floyd outside Arcata City Hall on June 1 | Video by Thomas Lal
As demonstrators marched toward the plaza, they chanted in unison, “no justice, no peace,” which quickly became a rallying cry across the country.
Protesters marching to the Plaza, chanting “No Justice. No Peace” on June 1 | Video by Thomas Lal
There was no police present at the gathering which encouraged community members to stand up and share their stories in the center of the plaza where the President McKinley statue used to be. Community members rallied together and demanded for better education on racial issues and systemic injustices. Allies were called upon to do more than simply showing up to rallies and to exercise their rights to reinforce just advocacy.
Eureka protesters gathered in front of the Humboldt County Courthouse
Hundreds of community members gathered in the rain outside of the Humboldt County Courthouse, Sat. May 30, to protest the death of George Floyd who was murdered while in police custody in Minneapolis, MN. From 3 to 10:30 p.m. demonstrators marched through Eureka up to the Slough Bridge, back through town and then down Broadway. Law enforcement was largely cooperative with demonstrators, blocking intersections as people made their way through traffic. Chants could be heard the entire way even as groups split up and went to various parts of the city.
Demonstrators walkin front of the Humboldt County Courthouse to protest police brutality and racism in Eureka, CA on May 30 following the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis.
A demonstrator walks thorugh the street to protest police brutality and racism in Eureka, CA on May, 30 following the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis.
Demonstrators walk past the post office though the street to protest police brutality and racism in Eureka, CA on May 30 following the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis.
A demonstrator holds up a rose above the crowd as they confornt Eureka Police Department officers in front of the Humboldt County Courthouse to protest police brutality and racism in Eureka, CA on May 30 following the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis.
Demonstrators walk down Broadway to protest police brutality and racism in Eureka, CA on May 30 following the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis.
As the group returned to the courthouse tensions flared at the sight of several police vehicles, which were soon removed from the scene. Eureka Police Chief Steve Watson was present at the protest and spoke with demonstrators as the crowd dispersed and headed away from the courthouse. These demonstrations in Humboldt are some of countless that have sprung up across the nation following Floyd’s murder.
Demonstrators stop a police vehicle at an intersection as they make their way thorugh Eureka down to Boroadway to protest police brutality and racism in Eureka, CA on May 30 following the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis. The vehicle attempted to make it’s way slowly though the gathered people and left with a broken back window.
Demonstrators confront Eureka Police Department officers in front of the Humboldt County Courthouse to protest police brutality and racism in Eureka, CA on May 30 following the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis.
Demonstrators push back against a police vehicle as it attempts to move past the gathered crowd as they protest police brutality and racism in Eureka, CA on May 30 following the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis.
Demonstrators walk thorugh the street through the rain to protest police brutality and racism in Eureka, CA on May 30 following the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis.
Demonstrators confront Eureka Police Department officers in front of the Humboldt County Courthouse to protest police brutality and racism in Eureka, CA on May 30 following the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis.
President Jackson speaks with Faculty Senate over virtual teaching
Editor’s note: Grace Caswell is a student of Journalism Department Chair Vicky Sama. Almost the entire staff of The Lumberjack has also had Sama as an instructor in journalism courses.
Tuesday, May 19, President Tom Jackson of Humboldt State University resurfaced from his hiatus to discuss the fall 2020 semester instruction plan with the Faculty Senate due to COVID-19.
The transcripts of the meeting between Jackson and HSU Faculty Senate were provided in an email by Journalism Department Chair Vicky Sama. The meeting regarding online instruction for the Fall 2020 semester built off of CSU Chancellor’s Timothy White’s recent statement.
“The chancellor’s statement last week, which we were pretty sure was coming, we knew that was the direction he wanted to take, that leads us in this position as a university that we are 100% virtual,” Jackson said in the email transcripts. “That’s done. We are 100% virtual but we also knew we would have an opportunity to ask for an exception.”
The exception will be sent to the Chancellor requesting face-to-face instruction for classes that are unable to make the direct translation to online instruction. About a quarter of HSU’s classes are hands-on courses, Jackson provided examples that would be included in the request.
“We are preparing a request, in response to the Chancellor’s statement, that HSU be allowed to establish a hybrid approach to instruction in the fall.”
HSU Interim Provost Lisa Bond-Maupin
“One of which was our labs– labs activities-based work– studio, art, ceramics– those elements that can’t easily be converted to a virtual modality but is a really strong core of who we are as a university, could be a reason to make an exception,” Jackson said in transcripts. “Another one, in general, would be the continuation of very specific research or farms or agriculture, forests, oceans, rangelands, other things like that.”
The request is almost finished and asks that HSU be considered for hybrid instruction. HSU Interim Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Lisa Bond-Maupin stated that the request for hybrid instruction would still operate and emphasize online curriculum with little in-person contact.
“We are preparing a request, in response to the Chancellor’s statement, that HSU be allowed to establish a hybrid approach to instruction in the fall,” Bond-Maupin said in an email. “That would include virtual instruction, and very limited face-to-face instruction where it’s safe to do so per county health guidelines. This planning requires extensive work, and no final decisions have been made yet.”
Jackson elaborated on Bond-Maupin’s emphasis of following and abiding by county health guidelines. Fall instruction really depends on the Chancellor’s decision to approve or dismiss HSU’s exception request which is estimated to take a day or two. Then, if permitted by the Chancellor to proceed, a chain of discussion will occur between administration, faculty and department chair members.
“With that decision we will know if we are 100% virtual or if we have been permitted to develop face-to-face curriculum based upon on our request,” Jackson said in the email transcripts. “It then shifts to the faculty and the chairs of those specific sections, which are 593, as far as lab-based activities going into the fall, that’s a rough number, and it may change here or there. And then specifically what items need to be taken care of in terms of a safety protocol in accordance with public health, and that will occur very rapidly over the summer.”
Over this coming summer, HSU will enact development plans for professors and lecturers. Those teaching lecture classes that can operate in tandem with online instruction will continue developing those skills. Those who teach labs or studio classes have a chance of having to develop hybrid teaching methods over the summer.
“If you’re scheduled to teach a lecture class, the answer is already there. We’re in virtual mode,” Jackson said in the email. “But if you’re scheduled to teach a lab or studio art or something like that then I encourage you to give it some thought and chat with your chair because there is a 50-50 chance.”
Face-to-face instruction for Humboldt State’s fall 2020 semester has been canceled due to COVID-19. California State University Chancellor Timothy White announced Tues. May 12 that instruction will primarily be offered online. A virtual plan is expected to be implemented into the entire CSU system as the possibility of a second COVID-19 wave of cases is predicted.
“Our planning approach will result in CSU courses primarily being delivered virtually for the fall 2020 term,” Chancellor White writes in a CSU press release. “With limited exceptions for in-person teaching, learning and research activities that cannot be delivered virtually, are indispensable to the university’s core mission and can be conducted within rigorous standards of safety and welfare.”
Academics that can not make the direct translation to an online format, such as artistry and laboratory classes, will be conducted through a hybrid approach which limits in-person contact as much as possible and continues to emphasize online instruction.
HSU, along with other CSU systems, are subjected to differing class standards based on the level of necessity placed behind face-to-face instruction. The fall semester is projected to primarily remain online, however, updates and further information will be announced later in the week.
Despite in-person instruction coming to a halt in the wake of COVID-19, student-run radio shows are still an option for KRFH students. For students not interested in going to great lengths to produce a weekly show, there is an alternative.
When Humboldt State University first transitioned to online instruction following spring-break, KRFH students were given the option to continue doing shows, as long as they comply with strict CDC regulations. This includes leaving three-hour gaps between shows, having only one student in the booth at a time and wiping down everything inside the booth before and after shows.
The new protocol lasted less than two full weeks before students were no longer allowed back in the booth. Instead, they were given the option to pre-record shows.
Ayrton Flaherty has a show with Debate Team coach, Aaron Donaldson, called “Debate and the News.” It was the first show at HSU to utilize Zoom while broadcasting live over the air-waves having Donaldson contribute from the safety of his home and Flaherty sit in the booth for their final live shows of the semester.
“It’s hard to do radio if you’re not in the station,” Flaherty said. “I guess cause we do a talk show, we’re able to get away with that. Because, rather than having music and occasionally talking, it’s talking and occasionally having music for us.”
Flaherty has found pre-recorded shows to be far more forgiving, with options to edit and re-take segments. However, they have created hours of post-production time that wouldn’t exist with live shows, in addition to hours they spend on pre-production. But, both Flaherty and Donaldson believe their show is worth the effort.
“I think all the DJs feel a little bit of a responsibility to stay involved, because otherwise there’s the chance that KRFH could get shut down if people aren’t showing interest.”
Shelley Magallanes
“This education is as important as ever,” Donaldson said. “The resources, as always, are very vulnerable and threatened, and students should get involved if they think it’s important.”
Shelley Magallanes hosts multiple shows on KRFH and they completely agree with Donaldson. Magallanes only intends to attend the class if it’s offered in-person next semester, although, they still might sign up if the program is in danger.
“I think all the DJs feel a little bit of a responsibility to stay involved, because otherwise there’s the chance that KRFH could get shut down if people aren’t showing interest,” Magallanes said.
They don’t think the course should be offered next semester if students can’t meet in person, unless that would put the future of the program in jeopardy.
“If we’re just doing it the way we’re doing it right now,” Magallanes said. “Then the main reason to hold onto the class is just to ensure that later semesters, it still gets put on.”
Anwaar-Khabir Muhammad is in his first semester with the radio and based on his experience, he doesn’t think the course should be offered next semester unless classes resume in-person and on campus.
“The radio station in and of itself is the learning experience,” Muhammad said. “I understand trying to maintain a sense of familiarity, but if that maintenance comes at the expense of the student’s overall learning experience, don’t do it!”
Alice Peterson won best show at KRFH last year with her program, “Ear Hugs.” The program mixes lighthearted discussion with relaxing tunes.
“Sending out your part and being a storyteller and providing that comfort and that service,” Peterson said. “It just makes you feel good.”
Since live shows have been taken away, Peterson forgets to attend her Zoom classes and turn in her alternative assignments, which are a five-minute weekly update that are aired on KRFH of students describing how they are navigating their lives through these stressful times.
“I kept forgetting to do my recording,” Peterson said. “Which was weird for me, because with the radio shows I never missed a show.”
As a result of missing classes, Peterson was unaware of the option to produce pre-recorded shows. As a senior without a graduation, she takes solace in the fact that she can at least put on a final show.
With administration still waiting to make an official decision about how classes will be conducted next semester, the future of KRFH remains uncertain and at risk.
The CSU Travel Suspension has just been extended until July 31
The California State University travel suspension for all international and non-essential domestic travel has officially been extended until July 31, according to an update email from the CSU Chancellor’s office on April 29.
The update also says that the determinations are made with guidance from the CDC and the US State Department. At the time of the update, the State Department had issued a level 4 Travel Advisory to worldwide travel. Level 4 advisory is a warning level caused by a higher likelihood of life-threatening risks.
“We regularly monitor data from local, state, national and international agencies and organizations,” wrote the Chancellor’s office. “And may modify the temporal or geographical restrictions in this directive if warranted by future developments.”
A plan to reevaluate the restriction has been projected to be in discussion again by mid-June.
The campus presidents are allowed to make exceptions to this rule but only for “extenuating and compelling circumstances.” The authority of these decisions cannot be delegated. Factors for contributing to these exceptions are:
Necessity of the proposed travel, including consequences of postponing travel.
Needs and preferences of the individual.
Availability of safe and secure shelter at the destination.
Availability of appropriate medical care at the destination.
Availability of transportation, services, and other necessities at the destination.
Assessment of risks associated with traveling versus risks of remaining in place.
As well as “other relevant factors as determined by the president.”
The update also clarified what will happen for an essential traveler is allowed.
“Individuals granted exceptions to travel must observe local health guidelines upon their return. Presidents who grant an exception to the travel suspension must create a written memorialization of how the circumstances were extenuating and compelling, using the factors above.” said The Office of the Chancellor’s COVID-19 update.
The update ends saying that circumstances and conditions may change at any time and the Chancellor’s office will provide updated information as it becomes available.
FAFSA just released its first wave of emergency CARES grants earlier this month to over 5,200 students enrolled at HSU.
With classes being switched completely online, unemployment at an all-time high, and major debt underway, college students have been hit hard during these times.
Colleges across the country are losing money as time continues and with no definite sign of an end to this crisis, the stimulus package that was issued in late March, sent out emergency grants to all colleges/universities.
The stimulus package conjured up about $14 billion for higher education. Around $12.5 billion will be distributed to every college, while the remaining funds will be given to minority and smaller institutions. Many students will receive extra money to help with whatever they need.
Each college has been sent a set allocation, some higher than others. Humboldt State has been granted an allocation of $10 million, with $5 million to be divided and distributed to enrolled students.
The financial aid services confirmed that each student should expect to see $500-$1000 directly deposited into their banking accounts. Those who do not have direct deposit should expect a check to come in the mail during the months of May and June.
For students who haven’t filed for a 2019-2020 FAFSA and are worried about not receiving the grant, you are still eligible for it. Students can still apply for the CARES emergency grant, the deadline for the application is June 15.
Newly Elected Associated Student Board prepares from the 2020-21 school year
Former Associated Students, Student Affairs Vice President and AS Legislative Vice President Jeremiah Finley will be returning to Humboldt State University next year as the President of AS.
“We’re here to deliver some genuine change,” Finley said. “We’re in a place where we haven’t been before. But I’m optimistic and we should all be optimistic about the direction we’re about to head in.”
Over the summer Finley will be focusing on creating guidelines for allocation processes and beginning to tackle the four-point approach he campaigned on.
“It’s gonna take more than just one person to advocate that something happens,” Finley said. “My leadership style is not centralized. I’m very much a person who’s gonna take input from everybody.”
Finley acknowledges there are students on campus that didn’t vote for him, and not without reason.
“Ultimately, I know that 258 students voted for the runner-up. With that being said, I know 258 students still believe that those points that that candidate brought up were valid, so we want to recognize that.”
Unique to this year, the new AS board will be meeting several times through out the summer, to get a much needed head start.
“This platform allows me to be a voice for all students. I don’t take that for granted.”
Jeremiah Finley
“I think that the work needs to be done,” Finley said. “That way when we move into the actual academic year, we’re able to hit the ground running.”
AS Representative for the College of Art, Humanities and Social Sciences for the 2019-2020 academic year, Montel Floyd will be returning to the AS board next year to serve as an At-Large Representative. He chose to shift roles to gain access to the entire student body.
“This platform allows me to be a voice for all students,” Floyd said. “I don’t take that for granted.”
Malluli Cuellar, Social Justice Equity Officer for AS 2019-2020, is also moving into a new role as the Legislative Vice President-Elect. Cuellar chose to run for the new position largely due to her interest in chairing the Board of Directors.
“I hope to foster an inclusive and welcoming environment at each Board of Directors meeting,” Cuellar said. “While also making sure that Associated Students is running as best as it can internally, and that our codes and bylaws are setting up Associated Students to be the best it can be.”
Floyd intends to spend his next year with the board focusing on breaking down communication barriers between students and administration and ensuring student safety.
“I love advocating for students,” Floyd said. “Listening to their concerns and finding ways to solve the concerns as a collective is what I do best.”
Cuellar believes in the power of student advocacy and students’ collective ability to promote institutional change on campus.
“I want to push for Associated Students to continue to actively uplift the student voice and encourage our students to become involved in the governance of our campus by joining committees or writing resolutions.”
Malluli Cuellar
“The student advocacy that occurs within Associated Students is what inspired me to run for elected office for the very first time,” Cuellar said. “And it is what has kept me involved with Associated Students.”
One of Cuellar’s goals for the coming year is to build and foster an environment that is inclusive and provide a safe space for collaborative thinking and change.
“I want to push for Associated Students to continue to actively uplift the student voice and encourage our students to become involved in the governance of our campus by joining committees or writing resolutions.”
With only seven students elected to the AS board for 2020-21, there are still plenty of positions open for students interested in joining. Incoming AS President Finley advocates that all students take the opportunity to share their voice.
“I would recommend everybody to do it,” Finley said. “It’s empowering. You get the chance to show who you are and put your twist and your spin on what advocacy is and what it should look like, and you end up creating some really creative solutions to old problems.”
Based on projected enrollment, the Associated Students budget is expected to decrease 20% each year, for the next five years
The Associated Students Board finalized their proposed budget for the upcoming academic year, during the April 24 board meeting. The budget includes cutting the entire budgets of the Asian, Desi, Pacific Islander Center, the Eric Rofes Multicultural Queer Resource Center or ERC and the Women’s Resource Center, among other programs.
Jeremiah Finley was elected the incoming AS President for the 2020-21 academic year. He wants to assure students they won’t be losing their programs.
“The reality is that we want to support y’all so bad,” Finley said. “That we’re willing to go into our reserves almost $100,000 to be able to still support in some type of way.”
Budget Administrator of the Campus Center for Appropriate Technology Justin Hawkins was baffled by the budget decisions and spoke out during the meeting.
“How does the budget increase $14,000 and it’s going directly to the AS government in-between these recommended budgets, and yet, all of us are getting cut.”
Justin Hawkins
“It’s just tragic, honestly, to see these massive cuts to the ERC and the Women’s Resource Center,” Hawkins said. “I’m a male body person, I identify that way, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t empathize and really appreciate the services that are provided.”
Hawkins questioned the justification for the AS budget increase after having several thousand dollars of his own program cut.
“It’s really troubling what I see going on,” Hawkins said. “How does the budget increase $14,000 and it’s going directly to the AS government in-between these recommended budgets, and yet, all of us are getting cut.”
Despite losing one of their three staff positions, the AS general operations budget has increased over $15,000 for the upcoming academic-year. This comes as a result of general operations losing miscellaneous revenue, largely made up of compensation for the oversight of Instructionally Related Activities. Without the $35,000 miscellaneous revenue provided for the 2019-20 year, the general operations budget requires additional funds to function.
As a result of budget reductions, AS was forced to down-size their office administrator position. This sharp deadline made it impossible for AS to administer payroll for the upcoming year and as a result student-wages have been removed from AS and most of its funded-programs. Executive Director of AS, Jenessa Lund, said the current system isn’t working.
“Even with three employees,” Lund said. “When we have eight programs spread across campus, the oversight is impossible. It’s a huge liability!”
In order to compensate students for their time, AS has come up with several loopholes to get around the extra paperwork that comes with administering official wages. These include paid-internships and stipends for students, both of which have been allocated specific funds in the final budget.
These allocations include a $15,000 committee compensation package that increased the AS government budget. The package is specifically set aside for non-AS board members that are involved in AS committees.
“The optics on the final number of $111,000 looks bad,” Lund said. “But if you really look at what’s inside of it, it’s support to the students.”
The finalized proposal includes a significant increase to the clubs’ budget, with money that can be used for student-stipends and internships. Programs that didn’t receive any funding from AS have the option to transition their organization into a club and can apply for funding through AS and the clubs’ office. Programs that weren’t given a budget for the upcoming year have also been allocated specific funds.
“I don’t think that all of the clubs should have an equal opportunity for that funding.”
Alexia Siebuhr
Queer Coordinator for the MultiCultural Center, Alexia Siebuhr voiced her concerns about access to AS grants distributed through clubs, at a board meeting on May 8. Siebuhr pointed out a white supremacist club on campus, who promotes hateful behavior towards groups denied an AS budget, is competition for club funding.
“I don’t think that all of the clubs should have an equal opportunity for that funding,” Siebuhr said. “They have the equal opportunity to apply for those grants. That just rubs me a little bit the wrong way.”
President-Elect Finley addressed Siebuhr’s concerns, explaining the reasoning behind the allocation.
“Every fee-paying student has to be able to have access to these funds,” Finley said. “If we do not allow them to have access to these funds, then we are doing a dis-service to our students.”
Programs with a department and a state employee overseeing paperwork are the only ones able to maintain regular wages because their payroll doesn’t go through AS. For programs that didn’t receive a budget from AS, finding a department to adopt them and re-applying for funding is currently their only option.
AS is already in discussion with the Student Access Gallery, the Waste-Reduction and Resource Awareness Program, the Campus Center for Appropriate Technology and several departments about the possibility of adoption. Executive Director Lund believes this will be the most beneficial direction for the programs, moving into next year.
“We didn’t have enough time to do that for every program,” Lund said. “That would’ve been ideal.”
AS is prepared for the possibility of refunding fee-paying students for potentially cancelled events and other unspent student-fee funds. Ultimately, if they aren’t providing the services outlined by student-fees, they shouldn’t be charging them.
With Humboldt State University anticipating lower enrollment for the upcoming academic year, the athletics department has been preparing to make budget adjustments in alignment with the rest of the university. While the department is still waiting on official numbers from the administration to what the budget will look like next semester, Athletics Director Jane Teixeira has been actively working towards making changes with athletics.
“We are going to start going through program by program, looking at ways that we can reduce costs or maximize our benefits and resources,” Teixeira said. “We look at everything from corporate partnerships and how we can maximize those, to donations, to can we live without a second pair of tennis shoes if that’s something we were buying.”
Student enrollment is directly linked to the budget through the Instructionally Related Activities fee that every student pays each semester. The fee currently costs students $337 and covers coach salaries as well as operational expenses for athletics. The funds generated by the IRA fee are also split among the IRA Committee Fund, Jack Pass Fund and Humboldt Energy Independence. A large majority of the money goes to athletics. However, with the department receiving $3.3 million for the 2019-2020 academic year. There is no talk at this time of the fee being raised even if enrollment drops in the future.
The IRA Fee may not be changing, but faculty salary which applies to coaches and is determined with unions and includes automatic increases is at risk. Associated Students Executive Director Jenessa Lund points out that at a certain stage this model will simply stop working as salaries fall out of balance with the fee.
“Salary increases for positions paid by the state are included in the state allocation, as the state builds in a cost of living increase when funding for CSU’s,” Lund said. “When salaries are paid by a flat fee, eventually the salary increases will exceed the amount of fees.”
Newly elected Associated Students President Jeremiah Finley believes that students should not be having to pay for athletics faculty and instead should be paid with state-side funds.
“Ultimately I believe that the wages should be off the back of students. So I’ll advocate that it moves back to state-side.”
Jeremiah Finley
Moving faculty wages back to state-side funding is something the budget office has been looking into since Spring 2018 according to Lund. If this move is made then the money allocated by the CSU system would take rising salaries into consideration. While the current flat fee does not.
Athletics will certainly take a financial hit if enrollment drops as the university predicts. Teixeira was adamant that even though the department has been asked to make changes, the existing programs will not be going anywhere.
“There’s no talk of contracting on our sports,” Teixeira said. “I know there has been some thought from some individuals that were nervous about that because you’re starting to see that happen across the country.”
With enrollment down significantly in the Fall semester, athletics will be leaning more heavily on other sources of revenue; state-side, private donations and corporate sponsorships. Teixeira was unable to provide exact numbers on how much money comes from these sources, but did say that support from the community is especially important for athletics. However with the long term effects following COVID-19, donors contributions will potentially be affected.
“I appreciate the individuals who have given to us and hope we can continue to gather their support for that,” Teixeira said. “We’re going to need it as we move forward in this budgetary time. But we also are aware that this pandemic has affected people. It’s affected our neighbors and we have to be really smart about that.”
“Rec sports is a huge part of what HSU does for students. So it’s not just an athletic issue, this is a student issue.”
Athletics Director Jane Teixeira
If student enrollment takes the anticipated dip for the 2020-2021 school year, recreational sports would see a dip in funding, since they’re part of the athletics department. Teixeira said that recreational sports had already taken a reduction and needs support since it applies to so many students.
“Rec sports is a huge part of what HSU does for students,” Teixeira said. “So it’s not just an athletic issue, this is a student issue.”
The potential to use unspent money from this semester to bolster athletics is being explored as an option. While the final numbers haven’t been released, track and field, softball and rowing all had their seasons cancelled before completion. Meaning funds that are normally spent on travel and lodging are still available. This money could be used for other operations in the future.
Finley thinks that any athletic money not spent due to COVID-19 should be dispersed back into the program.
“Ultimately if that money is allocated, which it currently is, for our student athletes,” Finley said. “Then our student athletes should still benefit from that. I don’t know what that looks like, but that’s why we have different bodies in different pockets of excellence around campus to get that input.”
Without certainty from HSU’s administration, the athletic department continues to create scenarios for possible budget outcomes they will face going into the 2020-21 school year.
Humboldt State issued a press release today notifying the campus community that it had finished its investigation into a faculty member soliciting students for sex. According to the release, HSU no longer employs the faculty member, but since no formal criminal charges have been filed, the University Police Department is not able to bring charges.
Read the full release below:
HSU Concludes Faculty Misconduct Investigation
Humboldt State University has concluded an administrative investigation into anonymous allegations of faculty misconduct, in which a faculty member was accused of soliciting students for paid sex.
Upon discovery of the allegation, the University took immediate steps to protect students from harm, and the employee subject to the investigation is no longer employed at Humboldt State. Because this is a personnel matter, the University is not able to provide details of the investigation or the outcome. However, the University is confident that it responded strongly and appropriately, and that it reached a resolution that ensures the safety and well-being of our students, faculty, and staff.
The University Police Department has also been investigating the incident for any potential criminal violations and charges. Because no formal criminal complaints have been filed, University Police is not able to bring criminal charges at this time. However, the University Police Department’s investigation remains open.
The University encourages anyone who may have been harmed to seek assistance through the following campus support services.
Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) provides a variety of support services. You may make an appointment by calling (707) 826-3236. If you are having a crisis, you may reach a CAPS therapist 24 hours a day at the same number (707) 826-3236.
The Campus Advocate Team (CAT) is an on-campus resource for students, staff, and faculty at HSU. CAT is a program of the North Coast Rape Crisis Team, a private nonprofit organization that has been contracted by HSU to provide specialized services to the HSU community. CAT provides 24-hour, confidential support to any HSU student, staff, or faculty who wants to talk about harm they’ve survived (sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating/domestic violence, stalking), or explore their options for support and/or holding accountable the person who harmed them. CAT can be reached at (707) 445-2881, 24 hours a day. On-campus appointments are available.
The Dean of Students Office can help students navigate the steps of any reporting process and provide support and advocacy while navigating a formal complaint, as well as helping students find resources on- and off-campus to best meet their needs. You can reach the office at (707) 826-3504.
Human Resources handles staff employment as well as Title IX matters and can be reached at (707) 826-3626. Academic Personnel Services handles employment and related responsibilities for faculty, and can be reached at (707) 826-5086.
The University also requests that anyone with information report it to one of the offices listed below. The Title IX Office helps students navigate accountability and accommodation for incidents of harm. The University Police Department, which operates from a trauma-informed perspective, assists with accountability and responds to reports of criminal activity.
Title IX Office, David Hickcox at office (707) 826-5177, cell (707) 296-4032, or david.hickcox@humboldt.edu.
What are rent strikes and why are they building during a pandemic?
Almost a third of Americans have not paid their rent for April, a significant increase from this time last year. In the weeks since the shelter-in-place order, many people have lost their jobs, either temporarily or permanently. Many are wondering how they’re going to pay their rent if they don’t have jobs, but some tenants are wondering why they should have to pay rent at all. You may have seen calls for a rent strike circulating online, but what does that entail?
A rent strike involves a group of tenants organizing and withholding rent until a set of demands are met by their landlords or government. They can be an effective way of improving the conditions of living spaces, lowering rent or creating political change. They have a wide variety of potential benefits as well as risks.
The goal of organizations like Rent Strike 2020 is to freeze rent nationally for the next few months. Although many local governments, including Arcata’s government, have taken measures against evictions due to the pandemic, renters still owe money. The goal of a rent strike would be to eliminate the need to pay while under a shelter-in-place order entirely.
Rent strikes require neighborhood coordination and organization. If one or two tenants in a neighborhood decided to strike by themselves, they are still vulnerable to eviction after a lift on eviction freezes. For a rent strike to be effective, they need to be well organized.
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