In 2018, In-N-Out Burger announced the start of construction for a new location in Eureka. Now at the beginning of March, the new restaurant located at 2616 Broadway Street nears completion.
The upcoming restaurant currently seeks job applicants for entry-level positions, suggesting the location will be opening soon, but an exact date is currently unavailable. They plan to interview applicants on March 2 and 3.
Humboldt State University police say a student on campus gets their bike stolen every day
Many Humboldt State University students have their bikes disappear from where they left them. Either a front wheel attached to a bike rack with the lock around it or a frame without a back wheel remain. Some thieves can even take the whole bike by using bolt cutters to cut the bike lock. Bikes are expensive, and having them stolen is a real cost to a student.
Kaitlin McKie, a 23-year-old student at HSU majoring in engineering, lives off-campus. Her partner’s bike was stolen at their apartment complex. She said bike theft has been going on for a while.
“Use U-locks instead of the cable locks,” McKie said. “They’re a little bit heavier—a little bit harder to put on the bike rack—but it’s definitely worth the investment.”
Bike thieves can dismantle newer bikes from the front and back tires by lifting a lever on the wheel and unscrewing it, which releases the wheel from the frame. This makes it easy to remove the frame from the front tire or remove the back wheel. This technique is manufactured for bike owners to easily break them down to create a more convenient way to travel.
University Police Department Sergeant John Packer said a student’s bike is stolen on campus every day.
Jack McLaughlin, a freshman chemistry major at HSU, said three of his friends had their bikes stolen this semester on campus.
“Never leave your bike for a minute,” McLaughlin said. “Always keep your eyes on your bike. If you can, bring it into the classroom with you. If you’re leaving it somewhere overnight, bring it inside with you.”
University Police Department Sergeant John Packer said a student’s bike is stolen on campus every day. While it’s hard to stop these crimes from happening, there are ways to prevent it.
Packer suggested you register your bike at the police station. This allows officers to match your serial number to a newly confiscated bike to return to you if it is stolen.
Police officers can find your bike at a pawn shop by matching the serial number to the numbers that the pawn shop will register in their system. Pawn shops can even give police officers copied images of the seller’s ID, which police can use when investigating the crime.
“Ride your bike every day,” Packer said. “If you’re doing that, you know where it is, you’re locking it up, you’re moving it around from point A to point B. It will be with you at that point in time.”
Packer also suggested investing in a Kryptonite bike lock. These bike locks are well known for being tough, reliable and hard to cut. If you don’t want to buy one a Kryptonite lock, Packer said a simple, thick chain with a lock can do the trick.
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders won the California primary. With more than 400 delegates up for grabs, Sanders consistently polled higher for California Democrats leading up to the primary. Sanders’ progressive platform drew a coalition of voters and strong support from unions across the country.
Tuesday night marked the biggest event in the primary season. Fourteen states plus American Samoa held primaries Tuesday, with 1,357 delegates to be allocated. That is just over a third of the delegate total needed to win the Democratic nomination.
Humboldt County overwhelmingly voted for Sanders. Part of California’s second congressional district, Humboldt voters choose six delegates to send to the Democratic National Convention in July. Tuesday night reports around 9:30 p.m. showed Sanders leading Humboldt with 42.4% of the vote, followed by Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren with 14.5%.
Sanders led California overall with 28.7% of the vote. Michael Bloomberg was second with 18.8%. Biden was third at 17.2%.
Biden had a surprising surge in support in other states. Biden is running as a moderate, citing the need to beat President Donald Trump in the general election. Though Sanders draws support from demographics with generally low-voter turnout, Biden’s campaign claims a candidate running too far to the left will discourage many potential Democratic voters from showing up in November.
“I believe that Sanders is still going to be the delegate leader. And he has the enthusiastic base needed to beat Trump.”
Billy Cook
This boost in support may be a result of the recent dropouts of Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar. Both candidates were running moderate campaigns similar to Biden’s. Sanders had been accumulating significant momentum in the early primary states. Before Tuesday, many viewed Biden’s campaign as an insignificant challenge to Sanders’ campaign.
One of Humboldt County for Bernie 2020’s lead organizers, Billy Cook, remained hopeful that Sanders will win the nomination.
“I believe that Sanders is still going to be the delegate leader,” Cook said. “And he has the enthusiastic base needed to beat Trump.”
Since 2016, Sanders has drawn support around his long-standing progressive platform. His main campaign points are Medicare for All and the Green New Deal. Many Humboldt residents cited these policies as the main draw to support Sanders.
Sanders supporters in Humboldt County have been hard at work campaigning to get residents to vote for Sanders. They have regularly sent crews to canvass Arcata, Eureka, McKinleyville and Blue Lake. One of their strategies is to reach out to voters face-to-face. A few members of the group have also set up tables with voting and candidate information in pedestrian areas around Humboldt as well.
Another organizer for Sanders-supporters in Humboldt, Evan T. Nixon, said Super Tuesday made the race more complicated. Nixon said that the strategy for organizers in Humboldt is going to change. Their focus will shift to states that have not yet voted in the primary, like Oregon and Arizona.
Mock election prepares HSU students for local issues on ballot
Humboldt State University’s Associated Students held a mock election with the help of the Politics Club Feb. 24 in the University Center Quad. On the ballot were candidates for both the Democratic and Republican primaries, as well as local election measures.
“We’re gathering data from the student population about what would happen if we held the election today,” Legislative Vice President of Associated Students Jeremiah Finley said.
The mock election gave students the opportunity to take a closer look at which candidates were on the ballot. When the results are released, students can gain a new insight into the perspectives of other students.
“Some of the measures that were posted—I was like, ‘What is this?’”
Tashenea Young
“We’re trying to make sure our students at HSU are more educated about the decisions that they’re making,” Finley said. “This will give the students the opportunity to go back in and really investigate.”
Tashenea Young is a computer science and math education major who felt more informed about the upcoming election because she participated in the mock elections.
“Some of the measures that were posted—I was like, ‘What is this?’” Young said.
Young said mock elections like the one on Monday are a step in the right direction for helping to inform the student body, but events like the mock election need more publicity to reach more people.
“It’s better than nothing,” Young said.
Real measures weren’t the only questions on the ballot. It also included a mock referendum on fluoridated water.
Paul Hilton, an HSU politics major and member of the Politics Club, helped organize the mock election. He was curious about how students would vote concerning fluoride. He said that although there wouldn’t be a referendum on fluoridated water on the ballot in March, it was close to being on the ballot in November.
“It was a step away from Arcata putting it on the Arcata ballot,” Hilton said. “After a whole lot of community city hall meetings and discussions, it was a 3-2 vote to not put it on the ballot.”
Hilton hoped the mock election would help professors as well as students.
“One of the questions was, ‘What day of the week is worst for you when it comes to nighttime deadlines?’” Hilton said. “So, one of those actually has informative results that we’ll tally up that might be able to go to professors.”
Although Hilton was glad for the mock election, he thought there was room for improvement. The ballots were printed on colored paper and didn’t resemble voting material. Hilton said this may have discouraged potential voters.
“People are more likely to pick up a pamphlet,” Hilton said. “If I was just going by, I’d be like, ‘What’s this kid’s construction paper kind of stuff just hanging out? I’m not interested in this.’”
California votes Tuesday, March 3. Associated Students are now more experienced for their real elections, and students can take more knowledge on local issues to the polls.
Huffman talks greenhouse gases, sea level rise, salmon and more
Jared Huffman, representative to California’s Second District, held a town hall at Eureka High School on Feb. 21 to engage his Humboldt constituents. After touting the progressive platform he’s pushing in Washington, D.C., Huffman answered questions spanning from immigration reform to the 2020 election—but the prevailing concerns surrounded the climate crisis.
“You got about a decade—less than a decade—to dramatically transform the global economy to put us on a path of decarbonization that gets us to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2050,” Huffman said.
Huffman sits on the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis along with 14 other representatives. Authorized in January of last year, the committee is set to release policy recommendations on March 31. The report will steer the current and upcoming Congress on legislation regarding the changing climate.
“Sea level rise and resiliency in coastal communities like this are just a huge part of the climate crisis. We are gonna have to do a lot of planning and prioritization for critical infrastructure.”
Jared Huffman
Several Humboldt residents questioned Huffman about protecting infrastructure from rising sea levels. Much of the county would be at risk if the sea rose. Low bridges and roadways are at risk as well as economic infrastructure like fisheries and farmland.
“Sea level rise and resiliency in coastal communities like this are just a huge part of the climate crisis,” Huffman said. “We are gonna have to do a lot of planning and prioritization for critical infrastructure.”
Huffman also sits on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Huffman aims to focus some of the funding for infrastructure on coastal communities that would be impacted by rising seas.
Some audience members expressed concern about Pacific Gas and Electric’s role in California’s power supply. After months of sporadic power outages, many Californians are looking at the possibility of de-privatizing the utility company.
“I’d be fine if [PG&E] were reinvented into some type of not-for-profit entity as well,” Huffman said. “It would be nice to take that profit motive out of the situation to convert it from an investor-owned utility, where they gotta meet Wall Street’s expectations, to something that was publicly-owned or possibly a cooperative.”
Huffman then shifted his focus to the diversion of water from the tributaries that feed into the Trinity River to farmland in the San Joaquin Valley. The Trump administration is working to release a new biological opinion that will allow for significantly more water to be diverted from flowing down the Trinity. This would override the previous finding that diversion of water would drastically impact the salmon population.
A similar decision was made by the Bush administration in 2001. Restrictions on the natural flow of water down the Klamath River led to the mass salmon kill in 2002.
Huffman is hoping to hold the previous finding up long enough for a new administration and Congress that would prioritize protecting native species.
“You get the picture, right?” Huffman said. “The deck is pretty stacked right now against protecting our rivers and fisheries here on the North Coast. And it’s a fight I will continue to fight.”
National Police Foundation identifies issues and makes recommendations
By Grace Caswell and James Wilde
The National Police Foundation assessment team reviewed the first 72 hours of the Josiah Lawson homicide case and released a 65-page review on Feb. 20. The report included NPF’s response to the case and feedback for the Arcata Police Department.
NPF said APD responded professionally to the crime scene at 1120 Spear Ave. on April 15, 2017, but the crime scene lacked proper security and management.
“Many basic tenets of crime scene security and management were not followed in this case,” NPF said.
The Arcata City Council commissioned the report in September 2018 for $30,000. NPF is an independent, nonpartisan organization that analyzes police cases.
From August 2018-2019, NPF conducted 24 interviews and reviewed reports, transcripts and court procedures, including 50 hours of recordings and 6 hours of APD dashboard camera video. Due to the ongoing status of the case, NPF couldn’t interview any witnesses or partygoers other than first responders.
NPF said APD personnel weren’t trained or given access to necessary equipment, which are common issues in small law enforcement teams. As a result, APD couldn’t sufficiently manage the crime scene and investigation.
NPF recommended APD do more to communicate and build relationships with the Arcata community.
“The APD chief has an opportunity to institute a culture of ongoing evaluation of the department’s performance—especially in critical incidents or unusual responses,” NPF said. “This is how organizations grow, evolve, learn, and improve.”
Department of Health and Human Services quells concerns
The Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services informed the public Feb. 20 via press release they had received confirmation of one confirmed case of coronavirus in Humboldt County. A close contact of the confirmed patient has symptoms and is also being tested for the disease.
Information has come, and will continue to be provided from the California Department of Public Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The DHHS has since been fielding questions from the concerned community.
The Lumberjack spoke with Hava Phillips, the supervising public health nurse at DHHS. If you are concerned that you may have contracted the disease, she asked that you call them before visiting their department.
For now, the county is not considering this a public outbreak, and the ill individuals are self-isolated and under close watch by the Public Health Communicable Disease Surveillance and Control Unit. This doesn’t mean they’re not prepared for the disease to spread.
“We are making sure we have the infrastructure in place if this were to become a larger outbreak,” Phillips said.
Phillips said because it’s also flu season, people should be following basic precautions to prevent the spread of communicable diseases of all varieties, summed up by these tips from the DHHS press release:
• Stay home when you are sick.
• If you have a fever, stay home or go home if you are already at work or school, and stay home for at least 24 hours after you no longer have a fever (without the use of fever-reducing medicine).
• Wash your hands frequently and particularly before eating or drinking.
• Promote good hand hygiene in your home by educating household members and making sure soap, hand sanitizers and tissues are available.
• Avoid touching your face, particularly your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Encourage proper cough etiquette. Cough or sneeze into a tissue, sleeve or arm. Do not use your hands.
• Perform routine surface cleaning, particularly for items which are frequently touched such as doorknobs, handles, remotes, keyboards and other commonly shared surfaces.
CAPS will provide 36 more appointments per day by next year
On Jan. 9, the California State University Office of the Chancellor gave Counseling and Psychological Services a grant of $150,000 under the California Budget Act of 2019 to provide Humboldt State University students with more counseling services to combat mental health issues.
Director of Counseling and Psychological Services and Associate Director of Student Health and Wellbeing Services Jennifer Sanford was closely involved in the acceptance of the grant.
“I’m most excited about the pilot project to get innovative programs off the ground that’s focused on high-risk students,” Sanford said. “In developing this program we will be doing some specialized training that we’re doing research on now to launch next year.”
“Mental health doesn’t get the recognition that it should. When you’re not mentally well, your body reacts to that. If you’re stressed out, you’re only going to make it worse. More people should pay attention to it.”
Danele Quijas
Lobby areas will be built to hold more students and allow for an increase in counseling appointments. The grant will also fund two new therapy offices in the Behavioral and Social Sciences building, which will allow therapists to extend their hours. More tables and chairs will be added to the waiting areas to eliminate standing-room-only appointments. Construction will begin this summer.
The funds are expected to help students learn life skills, cope, regulate stress and manage moods. CAPS says improving these areas can improve class attendance, retention in school and promote graduation. With anti-stigma campaigning, CAPS hopes to make students feel comfortable talking about their problems.
Danele Quijas, a 22-year-old biology major, said students don’t pay enough attention to their mental health.
“Mental health doesn’t get the recognition that it should,” Quijas said. “When you’re not mentally well, your body reacts to that. If you’re stressed out, you’re only going to make it worse. More people should pay attention to it.”
A pilot project of $25,000 was also accepted by CAPS and will allow the growth of an intensive treatment program for high-risk students with disabling and chronic mental health issues. This treatment plan will include individual and group therapy as well as the highly-researched dialectical behavior therapy. CAPS hopes to continue this growth by providing other California State Universities with the tools to rebuild their own programs to be as effective as possible.
Casey Pederson, a senior majoring in business marketing, said HSU should do more to make resources clearly available to students.
“In a case like this with mental health, there can never be too many resources—so I definitely think it would help,” Pederson said. “I also think a big issue about it is getting people to know. Like I said, I had no knowledge that this was happening, and the big thing with mental health is the lack of knowledge and getting help. And there are resources available.”
The Humboldt County Department of Health & Human Services Public Health Branch has received confirmation from the California Department of Public Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of one case of COVID-19 in a Humboldt County resident. A close contact who has symptoms is being tested as well.
This marks the first confirmed case of the novel coronavirus in Humboldt County. Presently, the ill individuals are doing well and self-isolating at home, while being monitored for symptoms by the Public Health Communicable Disease Surveillance and Control Unit.
Close contacts of these individuals will also be quarantined at home and monitored for symptoms by Public Health staff. With the amount of foreign travel by county residents, including travel to China, it is not surprising that a case has emerged locally. Additional cases may occur either in returning travelers or their close contacts.
“It’s important to remember that the risk to the general public remains low at this time,” said Humboldt County Health Officer Dr. Teresa Frankovich. “Despite the fact that Humboldt County now has a confirmed case of COVID-19, there is no evidence to suggest that novel coronavirus is circulating in the community at large.”
Frankovich added that transmission in the U.S. to date has been among close contacts and not among the general public.
Public Health suggests the following precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and all infectious diseases, including common illnesses like colds and flu:
Stay home when you are sick
If you have a fever, stay home or go home if you are already at work or school, and stay home for at least 24 hours after you no longer have a fever (without the use of fever-reducing medicine).
Wash your hands frequently and particularly before eating or drinking.
Promote good hand hygiene in your home by educating household members and making sure soap, hand sanitizers, and tissues are available.
Avoid touching your face, particularly your eyes, nose and mouth.
Encourage proper cough etiquette. Cough or sneeze into a tissue, sleeve or arm. Do not use your hands.
Perform routine surface cleaning, particularly for items which are frequently touched such as doorknobs, handles, remotes, keyboards and other commonly shared surfaces.
The county’s Communicable Disease Surveillance and Control Unit will continue to provide updated information about COVID-19 to health care providers, hospitals and schools, as well as the general public.
The county’s Communicable Disease Surveillance and Control Unit will continue to provide updated information about COVID-19 to health care providers, hospitals and schools, as well as the general public.
If you are ill and in need of medical care and have been in China within the previous two weeks or have been in contact with an individual who has COVID-19, please contact your health care provider or emergency department before presenting for care. Arrangements will be made to have you evaluated in the safest manner possible for health care staff and other patients.
Humboldt State University investigation is ongoing
Humboldt State University announced Feb. 14 it was investigating flyers posted in campus bathrooms alleging a faculty member solicited paid sex from students.
The flyers showed a series of apparent phone messages between a student and a faculty member. In the messages, the faculty member asks the student for sexual contact in return for money.
The flyers also include a demand for faculty members using positions of power to exploit students to be outed and for HSU to hire more counselors of color.
HSU confirmed on Feb. 18 it was investigating the allegations and had made progress beyond the flyers. HSU Spokesperson Grant Scott-Goforth said they could not share any further details.
“It’s under investigation and it’s a personnel issue, so there are a lot of privacy issues,” Scott-Goforth said in an email. Scott-Goforth also declined to tell the Times Standard if HSU has cancelled any classes.
Multiple anonymous student sources have confirmed to The Lumberjack that the classes of one faculty member have been cancelled and a substitute has taken over since the initial flyer investigation was announced. It’s not confirmed that these cancellations are tied to the investigation.
Title IX Coordinator David Hickcox also told the Times Standard the investigation has not been classified as a Title IX case, as no accusers have come forward.
HSU included multiple contacts for anyone with more information or for anyone who had been harmed, including the Campus Advocate Team, Counseling and Psychological Services, the Dean of Students Office, the Title IX Office and the National Sexual Assault Hotline.
Study reveals complex campus parking problem with solutions still far-off
In 2017, Humboldt State University commissioned a parking market demand study which found exactly what commuters knew—there is a problem with parking on campus.
HSU has a total of 2,162 spaces, about 1,000 of which are general parking. These spaces are shared among more than 9,000 students, staff, faculty, visitors and administrators. The study found solving the parking problem might be harder than adding more spaces. Terrain is challenging, space is limited and HSU has a finite budget.
Film student Alice Peterson had a panic attack the first time she had to park on campus.
“It was raining really hard, I was late to class, it was the second or third week, there were no spaces and there was a lot of over-stimulation,” Peterson said. “My fight or flight kind of kicked in and I left.”
Peterson has needed to drive to class more and more ever since. A load of heavy, expensive film equipment makes walking every day impossible. During her time at HSU, she has racked up almost $500 in parking violations because she is forced to park illegally or in spaces meant for visitors.
David Lieb is the national director of higher education mobility planning at Walker Consultants, the parking consultant firm that HSU contracted to conduct the market demand study. Lieb worked on the study personally and said that although universities are a group of people sharing a common parking problem, HSU faces some unique issues.
“You have a challenging topography,” Lieb said. “Everybody wants to park in a space that’s convenient to where they go, but there’s a limit to the number of spaces.”
There is barely any room on or near campus to add a significant amount of spaces, which is why many students are advocating for a parking structure. But Lieb did not recommend a structure.
“The shortage at this point is such that we don’t believe it would solve the problem,” Lieb said. “The survey suggested that there was more demand out there, but people were saying, ‘Why would I buy a permit if I’m not going to get a space?’ So if you increased the number of spaces, the people who are currently saying, ‘I’m not going to buy one,’ are going to buy one.”
This process means the parking situation would remain the same if a structure was built, but the parking prices would have to increase to pay for the construction.
“By what we calculated, parking prices would at least double or possibly triple,” Lieb said. “Our company provides design services for parking structures. We would be delighted to design a parking structure for you, but we’re not going to recommend it if we don’t think it’s the right solution.”
Alternative transportation and ride share programs are already available through HSU.
Jeanne Rynne, the associate vice president of Facilities Management, and Krista Paddock, HSU’s Parking and Commuter Services program coordinator, are working together to alleviate parking demand. All plans are in preliminary stages of development, but the long-term goal is to limit the number of cars that are brought to campus instead of adding more parking spaces.
“We are looking at potential park-and-ride lots in the area,” Paddock said.
There are parking lots in Eureka and McKinleyville that stand nearly empty during HSU’s busiest times. Those lots could be used as off-campus parking. HSU could then provide buses to and from the designated lots to limit the number of cars coming to campus daily.
“We’re always trying to promote ride share with the Zip Cars and the Zagster bikes and the Jack Pass program,” Rynne said.
Alternative transportation and ride share programs are already available through HSU. Both Paddock and Rynne said there are no concrete solutions on the table yet. For the time being, they plan on heavily marketing the programs that already exist.
“We’re always open to feedback,” Rynne said. “We have the Parking and Transportation Committee and there’s two student vacancies.”
Rynne, Paddock and Lieb all agree that parking is an incredibly emotional issue. Finding a space can take a long time. The study noted many commuters take longer to find a space than to travel to and from HSU, and HSU’s lots fill to 100% capacity during peak hours.
Parking is stressful in a special way. No one studying or working at HSU needs additional stress, but money and topography appear to be blocking all the solutions.
Floods and frequent power outages caused issues for KRFH during the fall semester
Editor’s note: members of the editorial staff of The Lumberjack are part of and have been part of KRFH. The author of this article had no previous affiliation with KRFH.
The Humboldt State University student radio station KRFH is back with new and old DJs for the spring semester after dealing with flash floods and frequent power outages during the last semester.
Alejandro Zepeda was the station manager during the fall semester and is assistant station manager.
“It’s been a rough semester for sure,” Zepeda said. “I ended up taking over halfway through the semester as station manager and just kinda walked into a shit storm.”
KRFH is in the basement of Gist Hall, and when it flooded on Sept. 19, 2019, Zepeda said water started coming down from above.
“There was a couple spots where the water literally just came in through the ceiling,” Zepeda said.
Zoe Kelman, the manager for the live music program LIXX, said the lounge they use for recording ended up getting affected badly from the water.
“I’ve probably turned the station back on myself after power outages somewhere between six and 10 times at this point.”
Alejandro Zepeda
“The whole LIXX lounge got flooded and it smelled horrible,” Kelman said.
Kelman went on to say that pieces of the ceiling came down and the whole floor became dyed orange. Kelman also said it was lucky she came in before the event to set things up.
“I had actually gone in and already moved some of the equipment,” Kelman said. “It was already sitting on a table, so we got lucky that when the flooding happened none of our stuff was on the floor.”
Despite the salvaged equipment, the wiring in the KRFH studio runs in the ceiling. At first they couldn’t immediately tell if there was any direct damage to the wiring, but they ended up having to move the LIXX recording that day.
Part of KRFH’s CD collection adorns the wall of the KRFH booth on Jan. 28. | Photo by Seth Finnegan
“We couldn’t do it in the LIXX lounge ’cause it smelled like a swamp, so we decided to do it in a different room,” Kelman said. “It was just like a whole thing where basically all of our equipment cut out at some point. We got dead air. Like, anything that could’ve gone wrong, went wrong.”
The frequent power outages were also an issue for the station.
“I’ve probably turned the station back on myself after power outages somewhere between six and 10 times at this point,” Zepeda said.
Zepeda said the power backup system was out of date so when the power went off, there was no leeway.
Zepeda said KHSU could hold a solution for the station.
“Within the year before they got gutted, they actually just upgraded all of their equipment and got a backup generator and a bunch of emergency supplies,” Zepeda said. “I remember thinking during the blackouts—having nothing to do at home—that I could’ve been on the air. I could’ve been talking. We could’ve been relaying news but instead we were all just sitting on our hands.”
“You can’t break this KRFH spirit.”
Eddie Rivera
Zepeda said if the station was given access to the abandoned KHSU studios, they could’ve taken it over and helped the community.
Last semester was Eddie Rivera’s first time as a DJ. Alongside the floods and power outages, he also described the station’s leadership struggles.
“Students are so busy and so overworked that sometimes you just can’t attend to everything that the club might need,” Rivera said.
He estimated that with class time and time spent on the air, students in the class will add an extra five hours of work to their week. Rivera said their manager struggles are a lot better now.
“We have a couple new managers and people who are taking a lot of initiative,” Rivera said. “The managers that we have are very dedicated to it and very positive.”
Rivera said the setbacks made the semester difficult for them, but they are still going.
Demand extends breakfast burrito availability to 11 a.m. at The Depot
Popular demand for breakfast burritos has extended the serving time at The Depot by an hour. In previous semesters, breakfast burrito service stopped at 10 a.m. Now, it stops at 11 a.m. We asked The Depot’s staff and regular customers how the time extension affected them.
Aileen Dominguez works at the breakfast bar in The Depot, and worked there every day for the last semester. This semester, Dominguez has to close the breakfast bar and open the rice bowl station at the same time, alone.
“Overall it’s positive—the late students can get their burrito.”
Aileen Dominguez
“It is more hectic,” Dominguez said. “I have to be faster since there is only one person working the shift.”
Dominguez said opening and closing two stations at once is a challenge, as there’s no room for both to be done simultaneously.
Despite her challenges, Dominguez said she feels the extension has had a positive effect. For Dominguez, she noticed that students are able to get their burritos at a later time.
“Overall it’s positive—the late students can get their burrito,” Dominguez said.
Adriana Peck is a floor trainer, and oversees different zones at The Depot. This means she helps at the breakfast bar if needed. Peck agreed with Dominguez—she felt the time extension has had a positive impact.
“It is excellent. I am able to get off my shift and still grab a burrito,” Peck said. “It’s nice to know that it’s there.”
Leslie Rodriguez is a regular customer at The Depot. Rodriguez looks forward to eating breakfast burritos.
“It’s really good with Tapatio,” Rodriguez said.
However, Rodriguez didn’t feel like the time extension had much of an effect for her.
“It sucks,” Rodriguez said. “They’re all out by the time I get there.”
You’ve seen it. You’ve heard it. You’ve become annoyed by it. When will it end?
The seismic retrofitting project in the Humboldt State University library is a five-year project of additions and renovations to the library that aims to ensure the safety of the building in the event of a major earthquake. Much of the work of the project is done or is underway.
The completion date of phase three of the project, which includes improvements and expansions to the basement of the library, has been moved to April 14—although there is a chance that it could get moved back again. Much to the dismay of students and faculty, this means jackhammering and drilling will continue throughout the coming weeks. Director of Planning, Design and Construction, Mike Fisher, pointed to a number of factors contributing to the delayed timeline.
“We have to excavate through a number of existing conditions, and through that action, we reveal things we didn’t know about,” Fisher said.
An example Fisher mentioned was the stairs in the library needing to be redone as his workers discovered that the original stairs were poorly designed.
“It’s little instances like that that compound to lead to a time delay,” Fisher said.
Fisher went on to talk about the permitting process.
“During the project, we were moving through permitting and one of the jurisdictions having authority is the Office of the State Fire Marshal,” Fisher said. “Their permitting process took much longer than expected and we had to halt production until we could get that permit secured.”
Fisher also said he and his crew have been working on retrofitting the theatre arts building alongside the library. They considered the theatre arts building to be a higher priority building, as it’s home to regular instruction.
Deema Hindawi, a senior at HSU and a co-coordinator at the Multicultural Center, is one of many directly feeling the effects of the construction. She said it’s hard for her to function in the MCC both as a student and a co-coordinator because she has had meetings interrupted by construction noise.
As a critical race, gender and sexuality studies and criminology double major, she has found it difficult to function because she has been constantly battling jackhammering and drilling.
“It sucks that we don’t really get much of a say in it and it somehow always comes back onto us.”
Maya Habis
Hindawi also noted that there used to be a sign on the side of the MCC that was placed there as part of the retrofitting project without taking into consideration the impact of its words.
“Having people look at that sign is really uncomfortable, especially when you identify as a part of a marginalized community and having to see the sign that constantly is blaring in your face that reads, ‘No trespassing,’” Hindawi said.
Maya Habis, a junior critical race, gender and sexuality studies major and also a co-coordinator at the MCC, echoed much of what Hindawi said.
Habis added their own two cents on being moved around to the bungalows and back.
“It sucks that we don’t really get much of a say in it and it somehow always comes back onto us,” Habis said. “We kind of get put in between these two things—it’s an ultimatum.”
Dean of the University Library, Cyril Oberlander, said he likes to see himself as part of the student body. He has been told and has noticed for himself that students are not enjoying the noise in the library. He wanted to make it clear that he understands the difficulties of the noise. He invited students and faculty to voice their displeasure with him directly along with suggestions for how he and his staff can make being in the library a better experience for all.
The Humboldt State University budget proposal is under overview from President Jackson
What?
The University Resources Planning Committee of Humboldt State University submitted its budget proposal to HSU President Tom Jackson on Dec. 23, 2019. The URPC spent last semester meeting each week to form a new budget to address a projected $5.4 million budget deficit for the next three fiscal years.
The proposal includes $2,500,000 of cuts from instruction, $720,000 of cuts from academic support, $420,000 from student services, $1,070,000 from institutional support and $690,000 from operations and maintenance of plant.
The total cuts amount to 4.4% of the total budget. The cuts would equal 4.4% of the instruction, academic support and operations and maintenance of plant budgets, 3.5% of the student services budget and 4.9% of the institutional support budget. The proposal must be approved by Jackson to come into effect.
When?
The URPC discussed the proposal in the University Senate Jan. 28, and will discuss it again Feb. 11., according to URPC Co-Chair James Woglom.
Why?
The budget deficit stems from HSU’s enrollment decline. Less tuition makes for a smaller budget. When Woglom spoke with The Lumberjack previously, he noted that the URPC has designed a scalable budget model, or a budget that allows HSU to be more flexible with its money as the University’s priorities change. Despite the cuts, Woglom assured The Lumberjack that the URPC was seeking to limit any negative impacts on students’ education. Thus far, HSU has publicly announced plans to phase out employees only through attrition, or not rehiring select employees, rather than outright cutting positions.
The coronavirus continues to spread across the globe
What is it?
A new coronavirus strain has afflicted over 20,000 people across the globe, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. A coronavirus is a type of virus found in mammals and birds. Most coronaviruses are mild, but certain strains can be severe and potentially fatal. Previous notable strains include SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome).
The new strain, scientifically called 2019-nCoV, has symptoms including fever, cough and shortness of breath. As of Feb. 4, over 400 people have died from the virus in China, with one reported death in the Philippines and one reported death in Hong Kong.
Where is it?
The virus strain began in Wuhan in China’s Hubei province. Eleven people have been confirmed with the coronavirus in the United States, with hundreds being screened. A case has been confirmed in the Bay Area, but no cases are known in Humboldt County.
Should I be concerned?
Thus far, those who have died from the disease have had other illnesses that limited their immune system, according to the World Health Organization. The disease is mainly spread through coughing or sneezing. The virus can cause pneumonia.
The United States State Department raised the threat level of the virus to level four, the highest level, on Jan. 31, meaning that travel to China is no longer advised. Many airlines have since canceled or reduced flights to China.
The World Health Organization determined coronavirus to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on Jan. 30. The virus has spread to at least 27 countries.
According to a report by The Guardian, the current estimated mortality rate for the coronavirus is around 2% (though this is likely high, as many people without severe symptoms may not have gone to hospitals). Seasonal flus typically have around 1% mortality rates, while SARS has a mortality rate of 10%. Given current evidence, panic doesn’t appear warranted.
A fire at an Arcata apartment complex on Sunday, Feb. 2, left one resident hospitalized and another dead.
Eyewitness Jalen Zerkel-Loomis was woken up by the fire and recounted what he saw.
“You could see, like, directly into the inside of the building,” Zerkel-Loomis said. “It was like in The Sims where you can just remove one of the walls and perfectly see everything going on inside. The second story didn’t so much collapse into the first—it was like the floor inside the frame fell out under it.”
“It was a pretty crazy sight.”
Jalen Zerkel-Loomis
The Arcata Fire District responded to calls reporting a heavy structure fire and at least one resident that had jumped from a second-story window around 5:30 a.m. Four units of the Meadowbrook Apartment Complex and a nearby car were engulfed in the flames.
Zerkel-Loomis also noted several nearby gas tanks, which did not catch fire. He also said he heard several loud bangs.
“It was a pretty crazy sight,” Zerkel-Loomis said.
AFD said police provided aid to the injured resident until paramedics arrived. Firefighters contained the fire and searched the apartments for trapped residents. After the fire was extinguished, the remains of one resident were found on the first floor. The identity of the victim has not been released.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Arcata Police Chief Brian Ahearn has not yet named any suspicions.
What students think of the 2020 presidential candidates on offer
The 2020 presidential campaign season has been in full swing for months. Candidates have risen and fallen. Media coverage of the race has been pervasive. Scandals, conspiracy theories and online warfare have all grabbed media attention. Headlines are filled with heart attacks, race-faking and corruption allegations. Voting begins in earnest this February with the Iowa caucuses. So, who will Humboldt State University students support going into election season?
“I really have no idea what’s going on right now,” HSU student and competitive rower Travis Wills-Pendley said.
The Lumberjack’s presidential poll from Oct. 2019.
Wills-Pendley is one of the many students choosing to let the dust settle before making any decisions. Californians don’t vote until March 3, so students will have a chance to see how candidates perform in other states before voting.
Although most students stayed away from the chaotic primary coverage, the majority said they would likely vote for the more left-wing candidates. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders was frequently mentioned, along with Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren and Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.
“I care a lot about education. I have a bunch of younger cousins and I really want to make sure they get a good education.”
Elise Guerrero
Elise Guerrero is a wildlife major who focuses on climate change policy and progressive advancement in education.
“Currently I’m definitely voting for either Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren,” Guerrero said. “I care a lot about education. I have a bunch of younger cousins and I really want to make sure they get a good education.”
Meanwhile, biology major Nathan Johle thinks there is a lack of effective climate policy among the democratic candidates.
“I care a lot about environmental policies,” Johle said.
“This will be the first time I can vote in a presidential election, so I might as well use my right.”
Nathan Johle
Johle previously supported the climate action-focused campaign of Washington Gov. Jay Inslee. However, Inslee dropped out of the race in August 2019.
“If I’m going to support a politician it’ll be Tulsi Gabbard,” Johle said. “This will be the first time I can vote in a presidential election, so I might as well use my right.”
Johle doesn’t identify with a certain political party. Instead, he chooses candidates based on their individual positions.
“I have beliefs,” Johle said. “I don’t like to put them between two labels.”
He expressed concern that students vote for candidates without doing their research, a sentiment echoed by fellow student Kitty Quintrell.
“I don’t like making a conclusion until I’ve got my own research,” Quintrell said. “That’s one of the main things I’m going to be doing before I submit my vote.”
In the short time before California votes, some states will have already decided. The popularity of the candidates will be much clearer. Momentum will be gained by some and lost by others. Due to the shifting field of the democratic primary, students are resorting to a tried and true method—waiting until the last minute to cram.
Several administrative changes at HSU suggest high turnover
In the last three months, three Humboldt State University administrators jumped ship. A game of musical chairs has since taken place as staff have shuffled around to fill the gaps.
Since November, HSU has appointed a new interim provost, interim college dean, Title IX coordinator, Student Health Center director and Human Resources staff recruitment manager.
While it’s unclear how the changes will affect HSU, the shifts appear in line with data suggesting high turnover rates among college administrators.
The changes began in November, when Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Alex Enyedi left HSU to become the 11th president of the State University of New York, Plattsburgh.
Enyedi served as HSU’s provost and vice president of academic affairs since 2015 after leaving Western Michigan University, where he served as a biology professor and dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Enyedi left WMU amid controversy as his contract expired despite a petition of support with 1,300 signatures, according to reporting from the North Coast Journal. Enyedi said he believed his contract was not renewed due to his requests for raises for female college employees. WMU pointed to enrollment declines and budget adjustments—familiar phrases for HSU—as the cause of his departure.
“The turnover rate for deans or directors of education topped the list at 22%, while the rate for provosts sat second-highest, at 21%, according to the analysis. Presidents or chancellors came in third, at 18%.”
Data from Higher Education Publications
HSU announced Dean of the College of the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Lisa Bond-Maupin as interim provost on Nov. 26. While Bond-Maupin serves, HSU said it would search for the next provost.
“There will be a national search for a new Provost, with opportunity for input and participation from individuals across campus,” the Nov. 26 announcement said. “Details of the search plan will be shared when they are finalized.”
HSU then appointed Spanish Professor Rosamel Benavides-Garb to take Bond-Maupin’s place. Benavides-Garb previously served as associate dean of CAHSS and chair of the World Languages and Cultures program.
On the same day as the Enyedi announcement, Nov. 20, HSU announced Executive Director of Student Health and Wellbeing Services Dr. Brian Mistler had resigned and taken the job as Chief Operating Officer of Resolution Care in Eureka.
In Mistler’s place, Associate Vice President of Student Success Stephen St. Onge now leads the Student Health Center alongside Dr. Karen Selin and Dr. Jen Sanford. The Nov. 20 press release noted that the plans for the future of the SHC’s leadership would be revealed in January. In the meantime, the release made a promise to students.
“In honoring HSU’s commitment to our students, we are looking into opportunities to expand hours and services for students starting the Spring 2020 semester,” the release said.
“Marcus has been an invaluable team member and has served HSU, with his many years of experience, during a time of great change and uncertainty for Title IX departments across the country,” the release said.
Taking Winder’s place is Human Resources Staff Recruitment Manager David Hickcox. Hickcox worked for HR and as an investigation officer for the Title IX Office for the last two and a half years, according to the release.
Recruitment Manager Nicole Log, who, according to the release, has served HSU for five and a half years in the HR department, then took Hickcox’s place.
Finally, Interim Director of Academic Resources Holly Martel got to remove the “interim” from her title on Nov. 18. Martel, who served as the interim director since 2017, has worked at HSU for 24 years in a variety of roles, from financial planning to personnel management.
According to 2016 data from Higher Education Publications, a company that publishes college data in its online Higher Education Directory, college administrators experience high rates of turnover compared to other administrators.
The turnover rate for deans or directors of education topped the list at 22%, while the rate for provosts sat second-highest, at 21%, according to the analysis. Presidents or chancellors came in third, at 18%.
A summary of the analysis gave a variety of possible causes for the high rates.
“When compared to other administrators, the cause for such high-level turnover can be linked to many diverse issues such as growing financial, faculty, Board and political pressures,” the summary said. “Also, traditionally colleges and universities have made leadership selections from within, minimizing risk.”
However, the analysis did not list the administrative turnover rates with which it compared college administrative turnover rates. The Lumberjack has reached out to Higher Education Publications and will update this story online when we receive a response.
The Lumberjack has also reached out to HSU for comment. We received word that HSU Associate Vice President of Human Resources David Montoya and his team are gathering turnover data and will have a comment at a further date. We will update this story online when we receive said comment.
An HSU memo sent out Jan. 21 revealed results from a spring 2019 Great Colleges to Work For survey conducted at HSU. The national survey, intended to inform institutions about workplace culture, sheds some light on the status of the HSU administrative staff.
Across 15 categories, the HSU results came back most positive in the job satisfaction, compensation, pride and supervisors or department chairs categories. The results came back most negative in the senior leadership, policies and faculty, administration and staff relations categories.
HSU will hold two presentations in Goodwin Forum, one on Jan. 24 and one on Feb. 4, to further discuss the findings with faculty and staff, according to the memo.
Living in a community full of love, fear and a growing void of justice
Thirty-three months after a black HSU student was murdered in the city of Arcata, a circle of family, friends, students and community members huddled together, clasped hands and shouted his name.
“Justice for David Josiah Lawson,” the group said loud and clear over and over from the steps of the Arcata City Hall. The sun had set hours ago, and a winter wind was biting at those gathered in attendance, but weather wouldn’t stop the crowd.
“The vibe itself is very upbeat considering the weather,” said attendee Andre Ramos, who wore a heavy winter coat and a beanie pulled over his ears.
Every month since the murder of David Josiah Lawson, a crowd has gathered around Charmaine Lawson, the mother of Josiah Lawson, and together they demand justice for Josiah. Lawson remains steadfast in her belief that justice will happen. She makes the journey all the way up to Humboldt from her home in Southern California to remind those in power that she will make it happen.
“It will happen,” Lawson said. “I serve a mighty god. As long as I have breath in my body I will continue to be here.”
“There are beautiful, amazing, wonderful, compassionate people here. There is love within this community, but there is evil and darkness here.”
Charmaine Lawson
To Lawson, this was an open and shut case. The original suspect, former Mckinleyville resident Kyle Christopher Zoellner, was apprehended the night of the murder. Lawson said the murder weapon was also found. She said DNA evidence should presumably solve this case.
“Why we’re still here? Dumbfounded,” Lawson said.
As the months go by, more and more students move to Humboldt to attend Humboldt State University. Yet Lawson is concerned these students don’t know the situation they’re moving into.
HSU has a much higher population of people of color than the surrounding community. Most HSU students come from Los Angeles or the Bay Area and the small-town culture of Humboldt is different from what they’re used to. Lawson wants to ensure that all students who start the next step of their lives in Humboldt make it out again, but she feels that students of color simply aren’t welcome.
“If you’re a student of color, be careful,” Lawson said. “There are beautiful, amazing, wonderful, compassionate people here. There is love within this community, but there is evil and darkness here.”
Kwame Achebe, a San Diego native, agreed. Achebe has attended every vigil since the murder, but his voice still shook when talking about what happened. He chose his words carefully but spoke with a grim humor when recounting one of his first experiences in Humboldt.
“What’s funny is in San Diego I’m pretty light skinned,” Achebe said with a laugh. “In San Diego I’d have to be convincing people I was black. I didn’t need to convince anybody here. My first day at Arcata High I was greeted as ‘the nigger,’ OK? I was greeted as ‘the nigger.’”
Achebe said his experiences in Humboldt have told him that this isn’t an aberration.
“For us not to have justice 33 months after the murder of a young black man? It’s not out of the norm at all,” Achebe said.
Achebe said the elected leaders of Arcata don’t care about what happened to Josiah Lawson, so it’s up to the people.
“I’ve been out here from the very beginning. I see the look on their faces when they’re addressing us. They have no souls in their eyes,” Achebe said. “They don’t care.”
Part of the goal of the Justice for Josiah movement is justice in the form of political change, not just for Josiah Lawson, but for the whole system. Lawson vowed to keep working to elect people who she thinks will be able to uphold justice.
“I will continue to call people in power out that are elected officials who are not doing their jobs and make sure we get people with integrity and love and compassion in seats,” Lawson said.
Over the course of the almost three-year history of this case, it has faced numerous setbacks. The case against Zoellner was dismissed in 2017. In 2019, a criminal grand jury decided not to indict anyone for the murder of Josiah Lawson, and the California Attorney General declined to take the case.
“Justice for me is having Kyle Christopher Zoellner arrested for the murder of my son David Josiah Lawson and held accountable for his actions,” Lawson said.
The history of the case shows that a system that could bring about the justice that Lawson wants is not the one Humboldt has, but Lawson is convinced it will one day. Until then, Lawson is concerned for the students of color in the here and now.
“Don’t go anywhere alone in this town,” Lawson said. “Stick together so someone can tell your story if you’re not able to.”
Winter storm moving in Wednesday evening may cause power outages
Residents of Humboldt, Mendocino and Lake Counties should prepare for possible power outages during the winter storm rolling in Wednesday evening, according to a press release from Pacific Gas and Electric.
“PG&E meteorologists are expecting the cold front to move into Humboldt County tonight and will work southward into Mendocino and Lake Counties,” PG&E Spokesperson Deanna Contreras said in a press release sent to The Lumberjack. “We are expecting power outages due to wind and rain and also on Thursday due to snow accumulation in the upper elevations.”
The release said PG&E will mobilize crews to remain on-call throughout Wednesday night to respond to any outages. The release also noted that PG&E plans to activate its Operations Emergency Centers.
The release went on to provide a number of safety tips during the storm, which is forecasted to last at least into Thursday, with “unsettled weather” possibly lasting into next week.
Tips included not touching downed wires, avoiding the use of candles and turning off appliances to prevent fire hazards when power is restored. See the press release copied below for the full list of tips.
PG&E Alerts Customers: Have a Plan for Cold, Wet and Windy Weather
Potential Outages Are Possible Due to Approaching Weather
EUREKA / UKIAH / CLEARLAKE, Calif.—With unsettled weather expected to return to its service area this week, PG&E is asking customers to have a plan for inclement weather and be prepared for unexpected power outages.
PG&E meteorologists are forecasting a change in the weather pattern over Northern and Central California later this week. The most impactful storm of this pattern will start on Wednesday afternoon with wind, rain and mountain snow and last into Thursday. Unsettled weather may continue over the weekend and into the following week.
“An impactful winter storm is on the way and we’re asking customers to have a plan to keep themselves and their families safe. Our team of meteorologists is closely tracking the weather system and working with our employees in the field to stage resources and ensure we’re prepared to restore power safely and quickly,” said PG&E senior meteorologist Evan Duffey.
PG&E is closely tracking the weather system and will be mobilizing crews and materials into areas expected to feel the brunt of the storm, so they can get to work and restore service to impacted customers more quickly.
PG&E’s meteorology team has developed a Storm Outage Prediction Model that incorporates real-time weather forecasts, historical data and system knowledge to accurately show where and when storm impacts will be most severe. This model enables the company to pre-stage crews and equipment as storms approach to enable rapid response to outages.
Storm Safety Tips:
Never touch downed wires: If you see a downed power line, assume it is energized and extremely dangerous. Do not touch or try to move it—and keep children and animals away. Report downed power lines immediately by calling 911 and by calling PG&E at 1-800-743-5002.
Use flashlights, not candles: During a power outage, use battery-operated flashlights, and not candles, due to the risk of fire. If you must use candles, please keep them away from drapes, lampshades, pets and small children. Do not leave candles unattended.
Have a backup phone: If you have a telephone system that requires electricity to work, such as a cordless phone or answering machine, plan to have a standard telephone or cellular phone ready as a backup.
Have fresh drinking water, ice: Freeze plastic containers filled with water to make blocks of ice that can be placed in your refrigerator/freezer during an outage to prevent foods from spoiling. Blue Ice from your picnic cooler also works well in the freezer.
Secure outdoor furniture: Deck furniture, lightweight yard structures and decorative lawn items should be secured as they can be blown by high winds and damage overhead power lines or property.
Use generators safely: Customers with standby electric generators should make sure they are properly installed by a licensed electrician in a well-ventilated area. Improperly installed generators pose a significant danger to customers, as well as crews working on power lines. If using portable generators, be sure they are in a well-ventilated area.
Turn off appliances: If you experience an outage, unplug or turn off all electrical appliances to avoid overloading circuits and to prevent fire hazards when power is restored. Simply leave a single lamp on to alert you when power returns. Turn your appliances back on one at a time when conditions return to normal.
Safely clean up: After the storm has passed, be sure to safely clean up. Never touch downed wires and always call 811 or visit 811express.com at least two full business days before digging to have all underground utilities safely marked.
Inside the multi-pronged battle against declining enrollment
Enrollment numbers are down and Humboldt State University is looking for ways to keep them stable. With just 6,900 students enrolled in 2019, administration and faculty are exploring recruitment strategies and program changes to stimulate growth on campus.
Vice President of Enrollment Management Jason Meriwether is on the front lines of the enrollment situation.
“We’ve lost well over 2,000 students in the last four or five years,” Meriwether said. “It’s a symptom of a few things. We’re graduating larger classes and our graduation rate has gone up. So that does have an impact. Part two is from a recruitment standpoint. There have been a number of things in place that have changed this year to get us to be a viable recruiting option.”
Humboldt State University enrollment has declined to around 6,900 students in 2019. | Graph adapted from HSU Office of Institutional Effectiveness
Meriwether divided the recruitment efforts into three elements. First, the school got rid of barriers to campus visitors like fees for preview day, parking and lunch. Second, the Division of Enrollment Management is focusing its efforts to draw students from local communities to the campus. Third, the school is using data-driven strategies to make enrollment and engagement decisions.
“We’re using data analytics to mine our top feeders and where we’re getting most of our applications,” Meriwether said. “And we’re using that type of data to make decisions about where we put our time and our energy for the maximum benefit for HSU. We want the community to know HSU is a first-choice university.”
“I think that budget component has overshadowed the fact that we still have students here to serve.”
Casey Park Former chair of the University Center Board of Directors
Historically, HSU regarded low enrollment in a more negative light. A decrease in student enrollment was correlated with a decrease in campus revenue, and campus policies reflected the budget deficit. Casey Park, former chair of the University Center Board of Directors, offered some insight.
“I think that budget component has overshadowed the fact that we still have students here to serve,” Park said. “And the narrative for the last two years was that we just didn’t have enough.”
To help staff make decisions based in reality rather than through hypothesis and conjecture, the Office of Institutional Effectiveness provides data and information to faculty and staff. Lisa Castellino, the associate vice president of the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, acknowledged student resources being out-of-date with the current demographic.
“We have a student demographic that has changed over the last five to seven years,” Castellino said. “It has become more diverse. There are more first generation students. It’s more low income. It’s the institution’s responsibility and priority, and it has been the last five to seven years, to help students, because going to college is complicated.”
Thus, on-campus resources are evolving. With low enrollment, Molly Kresl and the Clubs and Activities office said they are being more deliberate and intentional with campus programming by engaging students in a way they prefer.
Meriwether and Enrollment Management said they are promoting HSU’s educational experience to potential students in Humboldt, Siskiyou and Trinity Counties as a first choice rather than a backup. Beyond administration, academic departments are attempting to provide quality education for their students, regardless of enrollment numbers.
“Often during times of change is also our greatest opportunity for growth,” Kresl said. “We stop doing things that really aren’t working that we’ve just done forever because we’ve always done it that way, and we start saying, ‘Okay, then why are we doing this?’”
Mental health grant seeks to address adverse childhood experiences in Humboldt
A new $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education will be placing Masters of Social Work students at Humboldt State University in Eureka City Schools and Del Norte County schools as stipend workers.
“The grants themselves are funding positions at Eureka City Schools and also the Del Norte Unified School District,” Director of Field Education at HSU’s Department of Social Work Yvonne Doble said. “It’s actually a full time benefited position that’s being brought on at the school side to support our students.”
Announced Nov. 20, the funds will come from the U.S. Department of Education Mental Health Service Professional Development Program.
Nearly $1 million of the grant will be going to Humboldt State to help support the students and get them prepared for applying for the Pupil Personnel Services Credential, which is necessary for social work students to be hired by schools.
“A large portion of that is coming specifically for the stipends for the students,” Doble said. “We plan to offer a class for stipend recipients, where they will receive faculty guidance and support regarding school social work practice.”
The grant will be placing Masters of Social Work students at HSU in varying levels of schools throughout Del Norte and Humboldt Counties.
“It looks like we are going to have eight students this next fall, maybe more, and that will move up to 13 to 15 students by year four of the grant,” Doble said.
“Our region, for a number of reasons, has California’s highest ACEs rates in Humboldt and Del Norte County,” Jack Bareilles, the Northern Humboldt Union High School District grants administrator and an author of the grant, said. “You’re looking at approximately a third of all kids are being raised in families with four or more of the ten ACEs. So there is just a real need for that here, and I believe that’s one of the reasons we got funded.”
A graph taken from the HSU California Center for Rural Policy Sept. 2017 report on adverse childhood experiences.
ACEs can include things like alcohol and drug use or violence in the home, housing insecurity and food insecurity.
“Locally, there is a real need for support for students and support for families,” Bareilles said. “Social workers are uniquely qualified to provide, and that being said, we actually have a real shortage of social workers in the schools. It’s just something that we haven’t had before.”
Bareilles said the shortage comes from the lack of PPS credentials for students, and also because social workers, which are different from counselors and school psychiatrists, are mainly used in larger cities. Now, the PPS credential will be offered at HSU.
“Kids and schools and families will be helped, and when push comes to shove, that is the most important thing.”
Jack Bareilles
“The role of school social workers is to really help address social and emotional needs of our students,” Doble said. “It’s not just about academic counseling. It’s about providing resources to children and families. It’s about providing opportunities to developers, opportunities to repair harm that’s occurred.”
Bareilles said doing social work in school systems differs greatly from social work in other categories because the public schools operate under different processes than normal organizations.
“Having these interns work two days a week for a whole year working in a high school or middle school or elementary school, they will emerge from their MSW program with a real sense of, ‘Oh this is how schools work,’” Bareilles said. “So whether or not they are employed as a school social worker or some other child-serving social worker, they will really have a better ability of connecting the dots and getting kids what they need.”
Bareilles said the grant is a huge win for mental health support in Humboldt County and will help provide many troubled youths with the resources and personnel that they need.
“Kids and schools and families will be helped, and when push comes to shove, that is the most important thing,” Bareilles said.
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