Category: News

Bridging the gap

How HSU and Graduation Initiative 2025 are attacking low graduation rates

Freshman Isabel Duplantier, is planning to graduate in four years, but the odds are stacked against her. According to a recent report, Humboldt State currently has a four year graduation rate of 22 percent. Duplantier, a journalism major, is determined to beat the odds.

“My first semester was hard, because it took a lot of time adjusting,” Duplantier said. “But this semester I feel like I have figured out how I perceive myself and how others perceive me. I made it my home.”

Duplantier’s troubles adjusting to HSU are not uncommon. They are the reason why such a low number of students graduate within four years. However, those numbers are not unique to HSU. The California State University system started Graduation Initiative 2025 in 2009 with the intent to “increase graduation rates for all CSU students while eliminating opportunity and achievement gaps.” It didn’t go into effect until 2016, but in that short amount of time progress has been made.

“When we started GI 2025, our four-year graduation rate was 14 percent,” Lisa Castellino, Associate Vice President of Institutional Effectiveness at HSU, said. “So, we have gone from 14 to 22 percent.”

By 2025, HSU is hoping to have a four-year graduation rate of 30 percent and a six year graduation rate of 56 percent. Castellino said that HSU had a six year graduation rate of 46 percent when the initiative started, but raised it to 52 percent two years ahead of schedule.

“That’s a success story that the university should hold up,” Castellino said.

Some of the contributing factors behind why students either tend to drop out or graduate in a longer amount of time can be complex. Students face a myriad of issues that range from housing and mental health to food insecurity.

“I know a few freshmen that are having trouble with housing and financial aid,” Duplantier said. “I feel like the school could be better at giving them resources to figure that stuff out.”

That is where GI 2025 comes in. There are six pillars to GI 2025 and all are aimed at breaking down barriers. The six pillars include: academic preparation, enrollment management, student engagement and well-being, financial support, data-driven decision making and removing academic barriers.
[perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”Lisa Castellino” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=”18″]“Peer mentoring is very effective, and it is a best practice in higher education.”[/perfectpullquote]
In the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 budget cycles, the state spent nearly $75 million a year on GI 2025. This year’s Governor Gavin Newsom announced the California budget would allocate $45 million for GI 2025. A cut of nearly $30 million, but the first time that it was officially a part of the California Budget Proposal. A part of the student engagement and well-being pillar is to “[foster] a strong sense of belonging on campus.” To do that Castellino said HSU is planning on expanding the “Oh SNAP!” program as well as others that have been successful.

“Peer mentoring is very effective, and it is a best practice in higher education,” Castellino said. “We are looking to expand cultural pedagogy as well.”

Part of the GI 2025 report points out achievement gaps for underrepresented minorities (URM) and Pell Grant recipients. URMs are defined as those who identify as Black, Latinx or American Indian. Pell Grant recipients are those who come from low-income backgrounds. The URM equity gap rate is 14 percent lower and the Pell Grant equity gap is 11 percent lower than their white, financially secure counterparts, meaning that individuals from these two groups graduated at lower rates than their peers.

To help bridge that gap HSU announced they would be adding $435,000 for student jobs starting in fall 2019 and hiring a number of new tenure-track faculty members. The boost in student jobs is being implemented to “help students pay for college, enhance their skills to build their resume and engage with campus in new ways,” according to a recent announcement from the HSU news and information department.

To reach her goal of graduating in four years, Duplantier said she will utilize some of the resources here on campus. So far she has used the writing center and a bit of of counseling from her advisor. Duplantier wants to waste little time in reaching her dreams.

“Once I graduate, I’m hoping to design and write for some sort of magazine,” Duplantier said. “Maybe start up my own at some point.”

Monday, February 25, 2019
Blotter bytes

This past week had some serious crime. Someone was caught with a “weapon” while selling weed and a “casing” was found on the soccer field Sunday morning. Someone tried to fight somebody in the library and there may or may not be meth in the water. This week saw some contraband confiscations in the Jolly Giant Commons and a suspicious baby. Check it out!

The Rolling Count:

Possession charges = 5

Contraband/paraphernalia seizures = 4

Blotter bytes

Monday Feb. 18

· BIKERS, YA GOTTA STOP —Five bicyclists were stopped and warned for blowing through stop signs.

· Good guy alert x5—UPD helped five people with jumpstarts. They are here to serve and protect, that’s for sure.

· Suspicious baby—There was a report of a man “[wandering] aimlessly, perhaps lost” with a small child. Must have been a sketchy looking baby.

· A problem worth addressing—UPD warned a “male non-student” for camping on campus. The housing problem here is ridiculous and needs to be addressed. City council meetings are every first and third Wednesday at 6 p.m. Show up and demand change.

Tuesday Feb. 19

· DRUG ACTIVITY—Someone in the Jolly Giant mailroom got their piece seized. Bummer bruh, keep that shish on the D.L. next time.

· GUNS AND DRUGS—Someone was arrested for “possession of a weapon on campus,” and for selling weed around the Rossow and Harpst Street area. That’s some real crime.

· Smokin’ ciggies—Someone was busted smoking in the art quad. Smoking on campus anywhere is against the university tobacco policy. Head off campus or just start chewin’ ‘tabacka’. Dip spit is sexy in some parts of America.

· Good guy alert x4—UPD helped with two jumpstarts, locked car doors and a late-night escort. Thanks fellas!

Wednesday Feb. 20

· I hope you’re alright—“The welfare of a student was checked at the request of faculty.” It is that time of the year when the sun leaves and the clouds drop their emotions upon us in the form of rain. If you’re experiencing tough times and need someone to talk to, check out the mental health services at the Student Health Center.

· That’s gonna hurt—Someone twisted their ankle near the Campus Apartments and requested medical aid. Best wishes for a speedy recovery pal.

· Good guy alert x5—Man UPD has been crushing it this week with helping people out. Two jumpstarts and three late-night escorts!

Thursday Feb. 21

· Fight club—“Second hand information of a fight on the third floor” of the library. This weather is really getting to people. The library is for studying, not fighting.

· That is NOT your spot—Someone parked in a handicap spot without a placard near Redwood Hall. The driver was warned and let go without a ticket. I know parking is tight on campus but you should not park in a handicap spot!!

· “Any type of contraband”—This just sounds cool. Talk about a cool band name, right?!?! Actually, what happened was some RA requested a pick up of “confiscated marijuana” and UPD collected it “for destruction.” I wonder if the cops smoke weed? Hmm, maybe I should follow this up for a story…

Friday Feb. 22

· Grand theft bicycle—There was a report of a stolen bike near B Street. It is a bummer that it was stolen, but at least it is one less person blowing through stop signs, right?

· “Vehicle investigation”—“Subjects parked and walked down to the duck pond.” That’s literally word for word what the report says. WTF happened? Did they kill a duck? Smoke some weed? Partake in some deviant acts? You’re leaving us hanging here UPD!!

· There’s meth in the water!!—Someone called 911 and reported that they were having a heart attack because “someone put meth in his water.” I’ve never done meth before, but I don’t think that is how it works. I could be wrong. The guy survived the night and doctors told him that there was no meth in his water.

Saturday Feb. 23

· It’s two in the morning… go home—At 2:38 a.m., two people went into a room in Nelson Hall East, “closed the doors and shut off the lights.” “They lit candles and started summoning demons,” officer Joe Schmoe said. “It was dope as hell.”

Sunday Feb. 24

· Suspicious circumstances—A casing was found on the soccer field by a coach around 11 in the morning. What the eff?

· They can track you—Someone called 911 and when the operators called back they just hung up, multiple times. So, they used the cell towers to locate the phone. Creepyyyy.

Monday, February 25, 2019
Jared Huffman and Jim Wood visit Eureka

Government representatives hold town hall meeting to discuss issues that affect both sides of the political divide

Congressman Jared Huffman and California State Representative Jim Wood held a town hall meeting at St. Bernard’s Academy to talk about subjects like veterans, the Green New Deal and healthcare, among others.

“It isn’t very often you get a state representative and a congressman in the same room together,” Huffman said. “It’s valuable, so many issues have a federal and state element.”

There was a lot of ground to cover but only a couple hours to talk. Huffman and Wood began the event by updating the crowd on some of the things going on with State and Federal politics. The event was somewhat political but Huffman made it clear he wanted to have a civil conversation with people who have different ideas than him.

Many community members attended the town hall to listen to congressman Jarred Huffman and state representative Jim Wood speak and answer questions. | Photo by Amanda Schultz

U.S. army veteran Jeremy Campbell, a student at College of the Redwoods, asked a serious question to Huffman and Wood. Campbell asked the representatives for more support for veterans. The United States has a knack for asking a lot from their soldiers but providing little for their veterans. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs there were 20.4 million veterans in the country. Our veterans need support in the face of a number of challenges including homelessness, substance abuse and PTSD.

Huffman said he would try to support veterans. The spending on the border wall is being realized through an emergency declaration by the president, allowing him to reallocate money from the U.S. defense budget towards the construction of the border wall.

“We are going to stop Trump from clawing away money from veterans,” Huffman said.

A number of people brought up the issue of healthcare in Northern Calif. A serious understaffing problem is plaguing Humboldt County according to the National Union of Healthcare Workers. Citizens in the county are feeling the pressure. In light of the failure of the Calif. high speed rail, one of the people said they would like to see the funds put into better hospital infrastructure.

“I have to drive for hours to get anything more than a CT scan,” a community member said. “We need a better hospital up here.”

The Green New Deal was another hot topic. A couple of Humboldt State students had the opportunity to ask questions about the subject. David Grover, an ESM student on campus, had prepared a question for Huffman before he arrived at the event. Grover was excited for the opportunity to address his congressman directly. Grover intended to get Huffman’s opinion on whether he supported Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s proposed Green New Deal, currently being reviewed by House subcommittees, or if he supported the Green Party’s Green New Deal.

Kelsey Reedy asking state representative Jim Wood and congressman Jared Huffman a question during the event. | Photo by Amanda Schultz

Lily Price, an HSU junior studying botany, represented the Sunrise Movement at the town hall. Price asked Huffman to address the U.S. Speaker of the House on the subject.

“I think we can bring the smartest minds to the conversation and move the needle,” Huffman said. “I think we’re going to do good stuff with this subcommittee.”

Updated 03/05/19: A previous version of this article misquoted Jeremy Campbell.

Monday, February 25, 2019
Some progress, but far from perfection

Homeless Student Advocate Alliance aims to avoid homelessness

The housing situation at Humboldt State University has been a huge problem since 2016. In the last year, about 19 percent of HSU students were homeless, according to a recent study done by CSU Chancellor’s office social work professor Jennifer Maguire and CSU Long Beach social work professor Rashida Crutchfield.

Many students demand more housing. Fernanda Estrada, a junior in psychology, has lived on campus her entire student career and said her biggest fear is not being able to find housing within the next few years she has left here.

“I am still unsure whether I will even have granted housing next year, to live on campus,” Estrada said. “This school has a huge problem on not having a lot of housing for on campus living. For someone who doesn’t have a car, it is very hard to live off campus as well. I feel like a lot of students aren’t taking action into this situation, and they only will unless they are in this situation.”

HSU student, Fernanda Estrada reaches for a book. | Photo by Delaney Duarte

We are mostly unaware of the students that are homeless. We see them on campus and don’t even know they’re having housing insecurity. We see these students in our classes, walking out on the quad, or even in the Depot without knowing they have nowhere to sleep. Christopher Regalado is a junior in marine biology who was homeless for a semester and knows how it feels to be homeless.

“It was really tough, I had to sleep from one friend’s place to another and I even had a tent, so sometimes I slept in the forest,” Regalado said. “I didn’t want to bother my friends all the time because that is their place and not mine.”

HSU student, Christopher Regalado stands in College Creek’s soccer field. | Photo by Delany Duarte

Regalado couldn’t find any housing available on campus or off campus. When he applied for housing on campus he’d gotten a waitlist number, which was 272. That number was far from a single digit number to even have a slight chance on getting a place to live.
[perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”Christopher Regalado” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=”19″]“I really hope those students who are homeless currently know they aren’t alone…”[/perfectpullquote]
“I was really disappointed with how the system of on campus was set up,” Regalado said. “It is very unfair. I wouldn’t wish being homeless on anyone, it is such a stressful time.”

Regalado said he had a hard enough time being homeless for one semester and couldn’t imagine the students who are homeless for a year or more. Regalado hopes that housing changes very soon for those students suffering without a safe place to live.

“I really hope those students who are homeless currently know they aren’t alone, Regalado said. “And I hope they have supportive friends like I did at a time where I needed them the most.

On campus, there’s supportive advocates to help those students who can’t find homes.The Homeless Student Advocate Alliance, is a club that creates dialogue services and awareness of housing issues are overlooked. This club was started by Chant’e Catt, who is also the Off-Campus Housing Coordinator. Chant’e Catt assists students who are homeless to find homes off campus and helps support them.

“There is a lot of awareness now on campus, so professors and faculty staff know what to look for when they see a student in need so they do refer those students to me,” Catt said. “Also when students are brave enough to come out and find help, they are immediately directed to me.”

Many students want these housing issues to be improved and get better as time goes on. Catt said that the housing situation has improved throughout the years she’s been working on the issue.

“HSU, while people like to think we aren’t doing a lot, are actually the leader in solving and supporting the students around this need,” Catt said.

There has been a lot of people who blame the school itself, and the people that work within housing. Catt said that there is emergency housing on campus in the woodworks for next semester that can house one or two students. This

“I see a lot of progress going on for student basic need,” Catt said. “A lot of people like to blame a specific area or one person but in reality it is just a system failure in the institution.”

If you are currently going through a similar situation, you can contact Chant’e Catt at cmc1776@humboldt.edu.

Thursday, February 21, 2019
Beyond these walls

Tony Platt discusses the truth behind the American criminal justice system

Criminal justice author Tony Platt visited Humboldt State on Feb. 14 to discuss with a panel his new book, “Beyond These Walls: Rethinking Crime and Punishment in the United States.” Students, professors and community members filled the Native American Forum where the event took place.

Renee Byrd, sociology professor, introduced author Tony Platt, whose work changed her life. | Photo by T. William Wallin

Nancy Perez, critical race, gender and sexuality studies professor at HSU and Stephanie Lumsden, scholar and teacher finishing her Ph.D. in gender studies at UCLA, completed the panel. Dr. Renee Byrd, professor of sociology, introduced Platt and said reading his work as an undergraduate in Oakland changed her life forever.

“Platt is a co-author of my favorite text, ‘The Iron Fist and The Velvet Glove,’” Byrd said. “There were few books at the time that really took a radical approach that looked to the causes of state violence and corrupt criminal activity.”

Platt is a distinguished affiliated scholar at the Center for the Study of Law & Society, University of California, Berkeley and is familiar with Humboldt county. He resides both in Berkeley and Big Lagoon. Platt said he has been visiting Humboldt county since 1975 and it feels like coming home since he’s done a lot of research here.

Tony Platt, author of ‘Beyond These Walls: Rethinking Crime and Punishment in the United States, speaks to students, professors, and community memebrs in The Native American Forum on Feb. 14. | Photo by T.William Wallin

Platt began his talk with the four main themes of his new book: We’re too weak for the fight for social justice within our own movement. Public police and prison guards are just a small portion of how coercive power and social control are executed. The problems now are not products of Trump nor the leftover issues of the past. We have to learn from our forgotten history and bridge activists ranging from high school kids marching for gun control to Black Lives Matter.
[perfectpullquote align=”left” bordertop=”false” cite=”Tony Platt” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]”We have the highest incarceration rate of any other country.”[/perfectpullquote]
“We have the highest incarceration rate of any other country,” Platt said. “Our solitary confinement violates U.N rules and regulations. The 99 percent of those incarcerated are poor and dis-proportionally African American. We have 30 percent of all women incarcerated in the world.”

Platt is the author of ten books and 150 essays and articles dealing with issues of race, inequality and social justice in American history. Platt said currently we are too often left picking a choice at the detriment of another group.

“We’re in an in-between moment in history where were deciding what do we want to look like,” Pratt said. “We know what we don’t want. For the next generation it’s up to them to decide what they want and who it will help.”

Nancy Perez, CRGS professor, Stephanie Lumsden, scholar and teacher finishing her Ph.D in Gender Studies at UCLA, and Tony Pratt, author of ‘Beyond These Walls: Rethinking Crime and Punishment in the United States, in The Native American Forum on February 14 2019. | Photo by T.William Wallin

Panelist and abolitionist Stephanie Lumsden agreed and said although it’s negative that there’s so much violence occurring right now this is also the moment of opportunity for us to organize and do something about it.
[perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”Stephanie Lumsden” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=”17″]”I am not a reformist, I am an abolitionist… I don’t think we should lock people away in cages which for some reason is a radical idea to some people.”[/perfectpullquote]
“What do we do about justice?” Lumsden said. “Prisons aren’t solving crime. Police aren’t solving crime. Racial capitalism is what we’re working with. Abolitionist politics is overtaking this order. It is taking apart this system.”

Lumsden said she valued Pratt’s new book for its thorough research. She said the main thing she reflected on was the critique it had on reform work and the reformist attitudes that build the state.

“I am not a reformist, I am an abolitionist,” Lumsden said. “I don’t think we should lock people away in cages which for some reason is a radical idea to some people.”

Javon Patterson, a junior in computer science, came to the discussion with his altruism and compassion class to hear the panel talk on how we deal with prisoners when they integrate back into the world.

“I think this is important because prisoners are not treated very well when coming back into society,” Patterson said. “Even if they try their best to change society makes it difficult. It’s important to talk about this and how we can change.”

Tuesday, February 19, 2019
New program for Arcata tenants & landlords

Educated Landlord and Tenant Program aims to educate both parties on mutually beneficial renting practices

One of the most daunting prospects of ‘adulting’ is moving into your own space. Soon Humboldt State will offer a program to make that transition easier. Students and faculty presented information on a proposed landlord-tenant certification program, tentatively called the Educated Landlord and Tenant Program, on Feb. 15, at the D Street Community Center.

The intent of ELTP is to create an equity-based program that educates both tenants and landlords on life skills, their rights and responsibilities and the best practices to follow when renting. Chant’e Catt, who is the off-campus housing director and project leader, said the idea came from a meeting she attended three years ago where students complained about the lack of tenant education programs offered by HSU. The concept stuck in her head until she began collecting input from the community with a team of students eight months ago.

“What we started hearing was that landlords were interested as well,” Catt said. “The student tenants were being treated poorly, but some landlords could say the same.”

With this knowledge, the project blossomed into a grassroots community effort to include both landlords and tenants in the discussion, and create a program that could benefit both parties equitably. The team held three town hall meetings to gather information from the community on what the structure of the class would look like, and what specific curriculum would be covered.

“We felt it was important that all voices came into the planning of this education program,” Catt said. “There’s no way people in the community can say they didn’t have input.”

Chant’e Catt, the driving force behind ELTP, describes where she plans to take the program in the coming months. | Photo by Jett Williams

The proposed two to three hour free class session would allow landlords and tenants to learn cooperatively and earn ‘gold star certifications’ upon completion of the program. The certification would be a sign that the tenant or landlord is educated on all aspects of renting a room or apartment. The program is expected to be implemented early next semester.

One of the landlords attending the town hall meeting was Simone Wyche. Wyche is the office manager of Strombeck Properties and said she is excited to see the execution of this program.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Wyche said. “We won’t just pick tenants with the certification, but it would definitely be enticing.”

A blend of students, landlords and interested community members gathered to hear the details behind ELTP and provide vital community feedback. | Photo by Jett Williams
[perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”Jesse Richards” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=”18″]“Waking up and going to the bathroom sounds simple, but for a homeless person it’s never that easy.”[/perfectpullquote]
Forestry major and ELTP Research Collaborator Jesse Richards’ struggles with housing motivated him to help build the program. He survived living out of the trunk of his car and sleeping in the community forest before buying a van and outfitting it into a livable space.

“Being homeless adds stress to your day, because so much of your time is spent dealing with simple tasks that become much harder when you don’t have a place to stay,” Richards said. “Waking up and going to the bathroom sounds simple, but for a homeless person it’s never that easy.”

If this program had been in place when he first came to campus, Richards said he absolutely would have utilized it.

“This program is designed partly as a buffer to help students with insecure housing, to prevent them from becoming homeless,” Richards said. “Knowing that there’s someone on your side, advocating for you sometimes is all you need to go to school and do things in your daily life.”

Tuesday, February 19, 2019
Continuing to fight for Josiah Lawson

At the 22nd vigil, Josiah Lawson is remembered through Cool Runnings

Honoring Josiah Lawson and black history month, the 22nd vigil of his passing was held on Feb. 15 at the Arcata United Methodist Church. The community of Justice for Josiah hosted a movie, Cool Runnings, which was based off of a true story of the first Jamaican bobsledding team.

Jazmin Sandoval, president of Associated Students, joined the Justice For Josiah committee a year and a half ago to help bring justice.

“I think this is a way to show solidarity and bring the community to have a safe space where people can really remember Josiah, and that could have been me or any other student,” Sandoval said.

Community come together to watch a movie in support of Josiah Lawson and black history month. | Photo by Delaney Duarte

Sandoval said she wants to make sure that not only are they wanting justice for Josiah, but justice for any students that deserve to be treated equally.
[perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”Xiomara Fambrough” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=”17″]“I come to events like these because I want to support my community no matter what community that is…It is really important to me because I know that’s the real way the world is going to change.”[/perfectpullquote]
“I just like to come in solidarity to show support for Michelle-Charmaine and try to pressure the law enforcement to push his case forward and demand justice for Charmaine,” Sandoval said.

Students received free pizza from J4J members to go along with their movie. The committee was also selling shirts and pins that said Justice for Josiah, and let students borrow blankets for the cold.

The Justice for Josiah committee give pizza out to the community. | Photo by Delaney Duarte

Xiomara Fambrough, a 25-year-old who recently moved to Arcata, joined the community and took part in her first vigil for David Josiah.

“I come to events like these because I want to support my community no matter what community that is, no matter how new I am to the community,” Fambrough said. “It is really important to me because I know that’s the real way the world is going to change.”

Justice for Josiah has been communicated throughout the community, dispersing the story multiple times. Fambrough heard of Justice for Josiah as soon as she stepped foot into Arcata.

“I heard about Justice for Josiah and the unfortunates of the event leading up to what happened to him,” Fambrough said. “Everyone I have talked to has so much details about it because there are flyers everywhere, people talking about it and not letting his name fall.”

The remembrance of Josiah Lawson. | Photo by Delaney Duarte

Jill Larrabee organizes all of the Justice for Josiah vigils, was present at the event and everyone feel welcomed. Larrabee organizes the vigils every 15th of the month.

“We wanted to bring families together and eat food together while watching a movie that relates to both black history month and the background of Josiah’s heritage of being Jamaican,” Larrabee said.

Like many other people who want justice for students like Josiah, Larrabee had words of wisdom of her own for HSU students.

“It is extremely important to be vocal, not be silenced and keep going forward,” Larrabee said. “In any of these issues going on, there is so much injustice and evil in the world, we need to get together, and as a community come together to fight for justice. We have to fight, just fight for what we want until we get it.”

Monday, February 18, 2019
Blotter bytes

The Rolling Count:

Alright, alright, this week had some activity! No one was charged—which is dope. However, some folks got in trouble…metaphorically speaking. Or maybe not; the report is ambiguous. Hemlock, Alder, Tan Oak and even the parking lot at Forbes Gym all saw some action.

Possession charges = 4

Contraband/paraphernalia seizures = 2

Monday Feb. 11

· Mental health awareness—The past week had a number of welfare checks, which are enacted if someone is concerned about another’s wellbeing. With that said, if you are experiencing a tough time and need someone to talk to, you can access counseling and other mental health services at the Student Health Center. Check out their website.

· Good guy alert—Someone got an escort to their vehicle late at night from UPD. Give a cop a high-five next time you see one!

· Three Butt dials!—UPD was called three times with no one answering from the other end. Guys, airplane mode is a thing. So is not calling 911 on accident. Come on, you’re better than that.

· A problem worth addressing—Someone was warned for camping on HSU property near the Kinesiology and Athletics buildings. Those in power need to help our more vulnerable counterparts…not everyone has the luxury of a home.

Tuesday Feb. 12

· Art Heist—It looks like we have an art burglar in the Pepperwood Residence Hall. Stealing art in the movies looks cool, but in real life it’s not. So, don’t do it. M’kay?

· Petty Theft x2—A backpack and other items were stolen from the Kinesiology building. Please don’t steal.

· Smokin’ in the boys’ room—Drug activity at Hemlock Residence Hall! Two people were caught with marijuana. They only received an “incident memo,” so that’s cool.

Wednesday Feb. 13

· Buzzkill—“A campus parking officer found three rolled marijuana joints on the ground and turned them in for destruction.” Destruction? I bet the guy in the evidence room smoked them.

· Good guy alert—UPD helped someone get into a locked car. Now, that’s pretty cool.

· Let’s Mötley Crüe this place—Someone punched a whole bunch of holes in their walls in Laurel Residence Hall. Don’t worry though, “he is code four, negative crime.” Whatever that means.

· Buzzkill part deux—“Housing out with a resident in the kitchen in possession of marijuana.” The wording of that sentence sounds like a bad Bob Dylan song.

· Stop! (in the name of love) x4—The cops were on a mission this day. Four people were stopped for blowing through stop signs on a bike. Bikers, ya gotta stop. Sometimes it’s in the name of love. Other times it’s in the name of the law.

Thursday Feb. 14

· Good guy alert x3—UPD helped with a jumpstart, locked car doors and a late-night escort…on valentine’s day. Aren’t they sweethearts?

· Trespass—A “transient female has been in the restroom for at least 30 minutes.” It breaks my heart that our homeless counterparts routinely have the police called on them for pejorative actions. The woman was warned about her “recent trespass.” On public property…

· Smokin’ ciggies—“Several subjects [were] smoking in the stairwell area” at the Hagopian House. Although UPD didn’t see them smoking, they admitted to it…amateurs.

Friday Feb. 15

· “Making a scene”—Someone refused to take their backpack off when entering the College Creek Marketplace and threw a fit. Not gonna lie, this backpack policy is the stupidest effing policy on campus. Those who enacted it assume that students are thieves. A former LJ editorial team wrote a piece about this and the ridiculous prices.

Saturday Feb. 16

· Momma’s boy—A Lyft driver called someone’s mom after he left his cell phone in the car. Like a good mother, she called the police to check in on the situation. The phone was returned and the owner was “advised to contact his mother.” Aww, that’s sweet.

· Fallen soldier—An RA in the Alder Residence Hall seized someone’s pipe and turned it into UPD. Now I’m not one to glorify military stuff, but let’s salute this fallen soldier. Cue “Taps.”

Sunday Feb. 17

· Someone barfed—“Someone vomited in the Fieldhouse and the game is unable to resume until it is cleaned up…” Oh man, that is something there, imagine the smell. Seriously think about…taste it… smell it….Okay see ya next week!

Monday, February 18, 2019
Kittens and volunteers at HSU’s volunteer expo

Humboldt State Career and Volunteer Expo hosts 95 organizations

Nearly 100 organizations made the journey through sideways rain for the Humboldt State Career and Volunteer Expo. The event was held in the west gym on Feb. 14 from 12 p.m. to 4p.m. and included prospecting volunteers and job recruiters that ranged from California Conservation Corps to Companion Animal Foundation.

HSU’s career advisor Joy Soll, said that 70 percent are received because of networking.

“This gives students an opportunity to actually meet employees and to actually talk to people,” Soll said.

This year professors and chamber of commerce members donated professional clothing for students during The Career and Volunteer Expo on February 14, 2019. | Photo by T.William Wallin

This year Soll said they wanted students to look as professional as possible. Professors, faculty and chamber of commerce members donated clothing for the event so students could grab a blazer or a button up shirt before introducing themselves. Because of the government shutdown Soll said there were a few less organizations but they still expected a similar turn out at last year, around 800 students.

“Because of the government shutdown we had to actually extend our deadline,” Soll said. “We work with a lot of professors to encourage their students to attend the event since they don’t always know the opportunities that are here for them.”

Kyle Barney, senior in enironmental studies, gets a free professional portrait from Kelli Jo Brown, photographer for MarComm at HSU, during The Career and Volunteer Expo on Feb. 14. | Photo by T.William Wallin

Kyle Barney, senior in environmental studies, was one of those students. He said his professor made him come for his Capstone class but was taking the opportunity to get more knowledge on the jobs that are available. Barney, along with every other student attending, was even able to get free professional portraits from Kellie Jo Brown of MarCom.

“Today will just to be figuring out what I might want to do,” Barney said. “I’m sticking around till next summer so I’m just going to see what comes up.”

Trena Neel, general biology junior, was at the event with Companion Animal Foundation. Neel has been volunteering with the organization since May of 2018.

“I walked into Companion Animal Foundation’s thrift store looking for a job but they didn’t have any openings,” Need said. “I applied as a volunteer instead because I want to be a vet tech.”

Jacks, of Companion Animal Foundation, which supports animal adoptions and community outreach services during The Career and Volunteer Expo on Feb. 14. | Photo by T.William Wallin

Neel said she grew up with animals all her life and so volunteering with Companion Animal Foundation fulfills that.

“I just want to be around animals and help them when their sick,” Neel said. “If you love your job then it’s not really work.”

Shanna Gunn, lead animal technician for Companion Animal Foundation, said they use their thrift store to support their animal adoptions and they take part community outreach in Arcata. They also help those with financial difficulty to spray and neuter their animals.

“We’re here because we want to get more people volunteering and involved,” Gunn said. “There has been a lot of people coming and showing interest. That’s why we are here.”

Friday, February 15, 2019
City destroys legacy bike trails

Several popular unsanctioned trails were decommissioned, but mountain bikers remain optimistic

Over winter break, teams of city-directed California Conservation Corps (CCC) work crews destroyed three popular unsanctioned bike trails in Arcata city forests. They were the lifeblood of the community forest for generations of bike riders. Then, in a day, they were gone.

BEFORE: The lines of the illegal trails were sculpted from hours of shovel work into functional works of art for bikes to flow over. | Photo by Jett Williams

The crews were thorough, ensuring that the lines would not be easily rebuilt. They dug up and flattened berms and jumps, laid logs and planted ferns in the trails. The idea was to let the forest reclaim what had been there, leaving no trace of trail behind.

Darius Damonte is the natural resources crew leader for Arcata’s environmental services. He also rides mountain bikes. Damonte said that the trails had been slated for destruction for years, but the recent government shutdown allowed the city to execute their plans.

“With the government shutdown, some of the federal contracts that the CCC had fell through,” Damonte said. “We’ve got a pretty good reputation with [them], so they sent us a bunch of free crew time.”

The three trails each had their own distinct personality. ‘Sam’s trail’ was the oldest, built before the city owned it. ‘Sam’s’ had hosted several HSU collegiate cycling downhill races, during which it supported upwards of 600 runs over a few days time.

‘Loam’s Palace’ had been around for many years as a fast bomb line. The trail was a local favorite, in addition to hosting many bike races and rides over the years.

‘Road Dome,’ ‘Joey’s Trail’ or ‘Nino’s Favorite’ was a line running parallel to Fickle Hill road, and saw huge strides in development the month before its destruction from a group of student trailbuilders. The team constructed sweeping berms and jumps, leading many bikers to call this trail, at the time, the best in the forest.

AFTER: The trails are almost unrecognizable, with the berms destroyed and branches laid across the line. Local rider Lucas Perez surveys the damage. | Photo by Jett Williams

One of the builders is forestry minor Ian Wilson. Wilson said that the motivation for building came from wanting more out of a trail than what the community forest provided.

“We wanted to build our own trail, or trails, that we could have fun on,” Wilson said. “There are fun trails, but it’s not the kind of riding that we’re into.”

The riding that Wilson’s into includes faster speeds and more intense, bike-specific features. Not for everyone, but the demand is there. Over 100 different riders had put runs in on ‘Road Dome’ before it was decommissioned.
[perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”Ian Wilson” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=”18″]”Essentially we’re only moving stuff if it’s in the way or prevents a hazard. It doesn’t seem right to go and f-ck up someone’s private property.”[/perfectpullquote]
Wilson said when him and his friends build, they ensure that their work isn’t hurting the ecosystem.

“Essentially we’re only moving stuff if it’s in the way or prevents a hazard,” Wilson said. “It doesn’t seem right to go and f-ck up someone’s private property.”

Wilson and many other local riders want to see more bike-specific trails in the community forest. As it stands, there are no bike-specific lines, although several of the multi-use trails have mountain-bike friendly corners and flow.

Damonte knows how unenthusiastic the city can be towards the interests of mountain bikers, oftentimes dragging its feet for no reason.

“I’ve seen it the whole time I’ve been with the city. Mountain bikers try to get stuff done, and want to build what we want to ride, but the city’s been unable to accommodate them,” Damonte said. “I don’t understand why the system is so lethargic.”

Steven Pearl is an HSU cycling alumni and a member of the Redwood Coast Mountain Bike Association (RCMBA), the local mountain bike advocacy group. He thinks the solution to the current issue is cooperation between motivated trailbuilders and the city, but doesn’t advocate for illegal trailbuilding.

“It doesn’t help the broader mission of the mountain bike club, which is to bring mountain bike trails into the community forest,” Pearl said. “When the ACF associates mountain biking with something that’s illegal and not well-thought-out, it creates more work for us and we become guilty by association.”

At the end of the day, all riders share a common goal of seeing more trails. Despite the disheartening destruction of legacy trails that have been around for years, all of these riders remained optimistic about the future of Arcata’s mountain bike scene.

“I think that mountain biking is here to stay, and it can create a destination-type situation for the city,” Damonte said. “We’re always going to have illegal trailbuilders, until we build what the community wants to ride.”

Tuesday, February 12, 2019
Food for the soul

The Arcata community and Humboldt students come together for an Equity Potluck

The Equity Arcata’s “Home Away From Home Potluck” brought many people within the community of Arcata. The potluck, organized by community members of Arcata, invited HSU students to enjoy a free soul food meal.

Free donated house goods for the students that attend HSU. | Photo by Delaney Duarte

The event was located at the Neighborhood Center on D St. in Arcata from 5-7 p.m. on Feb. 10. Community members brought one soul food dish of their choosing to put out for the students, they also collected donations of household items to give out to the students.
[perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”Christian Boyd” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=”17″]”A lot of students don’t get off campus. So when they come to these events…they feel even more welcomed into the community.”[/perfectpullquote]
Christian Boyd, a second year student at HSU majoring in political science, is the youngest diversity coordinator for Equity Arcata. She recruited the majority of students to come to this event.

“This event is to create a more equitable space between community members and students, mainly for students of color to get a feel of the community and who’s apart of the community,” Boyd said. “A lot of students don’t get off campus, so when they come to these events and meet community members and see what they do for them, they feel even more welcomed into the community.”

Students and community members indulge in food and conversation on Feb. 10. | Photo by Dajonea Robinson

There were over 100 students that attended the event. Some students even shared seating because there weren’t enough chairs for all of them.

Wesley Chesbro, a 1974 HSU alumni, is a volunteer co-coordinator for the Equity Arcata organization. Chesbro said that the potlucks started in the fall of 2017 and typically 30-40 community members volunteer and 75-150 students participate.

“A group of community members had felt that it is important to show in a real way that students of color not only belong here, but we really want them here,” Chesbro said. “It is said that food is love so it is a way of showing our love and appreciation that without the students we would be nobody.”

HSU students lined up to choose their likings. | Photo by Delaney Duarte

The organization had live music and raffles as entertainment for the event. The event had a variety of soul food such as sweet potatoes, ham, cornbread and much more. Afua Mensah, a second year student at HSU who is majoring in international studies, attended the event to meet the people who make up the community of Arcata.

“It was really nice meeting new people from the community, we usually don’t get that opportunity since we all sit with our friends or students that attend the school,” Mensah said. “I enjoyed the food so much, but other than the food the music was most enjoyable, especially the rap, which was really powerful and moving to hear.”

Nu Heavenly Tone singers took the stage at the Equity Potluck. | Photo by Dajonea Robinson

This organization tries to welcome HSU students as much as they can to participate within the community. HSU students talked with local community members and got to know the city a little more. The Equity Arcata organization usually coordinates more than one potluck event a year, with the next event coming up sometime in March.

Monday, February 11, 2019
Any one of us

Humboldt State alumni gives voice to incarcerated women in play

On an overcast afternoon with lightly peppered rain, the Siren’s Song Tavern in Eureka doubled as a rehearsal stage for the upcoming play “Any One Of Us: Words From Women In Prison.” Humboldt State University alumni and activist for formerly incarcerated rights, Vanessa Vrtiak, will direct Eve Ensler’s production for the second time in Humboldt County. The press release states the play “is a collection of stories from formerly and currently incarcerated women from across the nation moving forward toward healing, understanding and change with the goal of using their writing and voices to impact policy, laws and treatment of incarcerated women.”

“These women are not defined by their crimes, but we hear news of some horrific crime and define someone solely on that,” Vrtiak said. “These issues trickle down and almost make re-entry impossible. We label constantly because it’s so easy to cast stones before we know who they are.”

Caterina Keen, Megan McAllister, Michelle “Chelly” Purnell, Vanessa Vrtiak, Nezzie Wade, and Klark Swan at rehearsal for the play “Any One Of Us” at Sirens Song Tavern. | Photo by T. William Wallin

Vrtiak first directed the play in 2011 with five shows and is excited to be creating it again. After rehearsal she said it feels more intense than before because of where the state of the country is, but believes it’s the right time to be performing.
[perfectpullquote align=”left” bordertop=”false” cite=”Nezzie Wade” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=”18″]“What these women have been subjected to it’s amazing they’re even alive to be incarcerated.”[/perfectpullquote]
“Still after all this time there’s a lack of support and resources for formerly incarcerated individuals in the community,” Vrtiak said. “I know how powerful and poignant this play is. It’s dark but there is hope in this play.”

Community activist and founder of the Affordable Homeless Housing Association (AHHA), Nezzie Wade, has performed with Vrtiak before and said the acting in “Any One Of Us” uses criminal justice dialogue to bring light to all of our systems of court and prosecution. The stories are heavy and link the correlation between women in prison and the violence they have endured.

“Peeling back the layers of these women is very moving,” Wade said. “But what these women have been subjected to it’s amazing they’re even alive to be incarcerated.”

Wade, who works closely with the homeless population in Humboldt County, said we use incarceration as a tool to manage and store people and this play sheds light on our current system.

“It’s become so easy to dehumanize people and detach,” Wade said. “We want a community that cares deeply about the situation.”

Actress and HSU alumni Michelle “Chelly” Purnell agrees with Wade and said she is acting in the play because there aren’t many people of color in Eve Ensler’s plays.

“They aren’t intersexual in Humboldt County,” Purnell said. “There should always be a person of color in those works because there isn’t any.”

For Purnell this play reaffirms how important art and activism is to allow voices to be heard.
[perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”Michelle Purnell” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]”Art is activism in every shape and form.”[/perfectpullquote]
“We don’t think about how people get to where they are,” Purnell said. “We need to ask: ‘What has happened to them that we could have changed?’ Art is activism in every shape and form.”

Vrtiak said this play will be a kick-off for a bigger project in the community and is only the beginning. She is starting Humboldt County Re-entry Initiative, a non-profit that will benefit formerly incarcerated individuals in the community.

“The money from the play will go to formerly incarcerated individuals to be reintegrated back into the community,” Vrtiak said. “We have a lot of work to do in the community with incarceration, homeless, people of color and the list going on and on and on.”

Nezzie Wade, Michelle “Chelly” Purnell, Vanessa Vrtiak, Megan McAllister, Caterina Kein, at rehearsal for the play “Any One Of Us” at Sirens Song Tavern. | Photo by T. William Wallin

“What we say on stage helps the community to engage and understand what happens in the criminal justice system,” Wade said.

Performance Dates:

March 23, 7 p.m. at The Sanctuary in Arcata

March 24, 5-9 p.m. at The Sanctuary in Arcata

April 5, 7-9 p.m. at the Siren’s Song Tavern in Eureka

April 19, 6-9 p.m. at the Eureka Women’s Club, the dinner starts at 6 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m. *This show includes a dinner*

General Admission: $12, $10 with a valid student ID

The April 19 show is $25, which includes a dinner before the performance.

Tickets on sale: Feb. 1, at Wildberries Marketplace.

Tickets are also available online at: brownpapertickets.com

Monday, February 11, 2019
Blotter bytes
The Rolling Count

As mentioned in a previous article, it is still illegal to possess weed on campus. Since the new year, four people have been charged with marijuana possession on campus, two of them being for individuals between the ages of 18-20. Although it happened last year, it is worth noting that there were 22 cases of either paraphernalia or “contraband” being seized in 2018. “Contraband” can be considered bongs, bowls, pipes, grinders, you know all the things needed to “blow ‘dro”, “puff cheeba”, “blaze up” or whatever else you call it.

As part of this series, The Lumberjack will be keeping track of all marijuana possession charges, as well as paraphernalia and “contraband” charges. So far the “Rolling Count” for possession charges is at four and the the “Rolling Count” for paraphernalia and contraband is at zero.

“Hollerin’ ‘hootie hoo!’ when we see the cops”

Monday Jan. 28
- Ew what is that?!?!—Bloody tissues were found along side a blanket near the Rohner Admission Center around 9:00 a.m., however the owner of the bloody tissues and blanket were nowhere to be found.
- Someone stole something—A petty theft of an item valued over $50 was taken from the Music B building at around 1:30 p.m. hopefully the item will be returned in the near future.
Tuesday Jan. 29
- Someone buttdialed the cops—This happens way too often as you will see in future Blotter Bytes.
- You can’t smoke here bro!—UPD was called to respond to multiple reports of someone smoking on campus. Listen up folx, HSU is a no tobacco campus, puff that stuff elsewhere.
- A case of mistaken identity (aka fraud)—A camera was previously checked out from the Library using someone else’s ID and was not returned and was reported at 8:19 a.m. as fraud.
- A trespassing charge was issued to a man “asking the housing department desk for info regarding a homeless shelter.” It is shameful to think that when a person was asking for help, he was detained and arrested instead. Shame on the powers that be.
Wednesday Jan. 30
- The skatepark is that-a-way homie!—Someone called the cops to report “skateboarders creating a hazard to pedestrians.” Skateboarding is not a crime…unless UPD catches you.
Thursday Jan. 31
- An issue worth addressing—Some of our more marginalized and needing counterparts call our streets, parking lots, forested areas and underpasses home for the night. UPD was called because of a camping violation under the underpass that leads from campus to G Street. The individual was let go without a ticket.
- Another unneeded call to 911—Arcata Police (UPD and APD work together sometimes) responded and the caller said it was an accident.
- No Fly Zone—A man was flying a drone around campus at 11:46 p.m. UPD responded and told the individual to land his aircraft, because people thought that aliens were coming. JK JK aliens aren’t coming here, he just didn’t have the proper paperwork.
Friday Feb. 1
- Nothing too substantial happened. Just another unneeded 911 call (I told you this happens a lot), someone drew something on a “Telecom box” outside of Maple Residence hall and some people were pulled over for not stopping at a stop sign. I thought Fridays were supposed to wild.
Saturday Feb. 2
- Umm excuse me, but you don’t live here—“Two suspicious subjects” were asked to leave the Sunset Residence hall at around 10:00 p.m.
- Drug Activity! (calm down it’s just weed)—Someone was cited for 11357 (a)(2) at around 10:15 p.m. 11357 (a)(2) is written out for marijuana possession for adults ages 18-20.
- What the eff is that smell?—A burning smell was reported in Fern Residence hall at 3:14 p.m. Turns out nothing was on fire but a fan in one of the bathrooms stopped working.
Sunday Feb 3.
- Super Bowl Sunday! Things are going to get lit AF for sure, right?!?! Turns out not really. Just a couple of people got pulled over and someone accidentally went into the wrong room.
Saturday, February 9, 2019
Yellow vests in the quad

Clubs and activities fair disrupted by Party for Socialism and Liberation

Beneath scattered clouds and a radiant blue sky, HSU’s clubs and activities fair kicked off with students posing in yoga postures, walking along slacklines, juggling pins…and dropping an eight foot handmade banner protesting US involvement in Venezuela. The sun glared off yellow vested activists as they went around passing out fliers titled “Oppose the US-backed coup in Venezuela.”

Nathaniel McGuigan, member of the Party For Socialism and Liberation, handed out fliers calling for oppostion of American involvement in Venezuela during clubs and activtites fair at HSU on February 6th 2019. By T.William Wallin

“We’re here to disrupt this event and pass out information,” Nathaniel McGuigan, member of the party for socialism and liberation, said. “This is basically to tell people why to back Venezuela, to defend the Bolivarian revolution, the Venezuelan people, and president Maduro.”

It’s of no surprise that the American government has had its hands in Latin America for decades, trying to influence its agenda by any means. They did it before with Guatemalan president, Jacobo Arbenz, in 1954, as well as Chilean president, Salvador Allende, in 1973, not to mention Ronald Reagan and the Contras in Nicaragua.

Recently the democratically-elected government of Nicolas Maduro broke relations with the US government and ordered the removal of their embassy. The Trump administration is backing a member of the Popular Will party who gained no votes, Juan Guaido, and declaring him president even though Maduro was re-elected last year with 67 percent of the vote.

“Students should support the revolution and as working class people it’s our duty to stand up to other countries sovereignty,” McGuigan said. “We oppose countries in power that overthrow regimes that benefit their people.”

Simone Rani McGowan, member of Earth Guardians, and Nathaniel McGuigan, member of the Party For Socialism and Liberation, handed out fliers calling for oppostion of American involvement in Venezuela during clubs and activtites fair at HSU on Feb. 6. Photo by T.William Wallin

Standing next to McGuigan, yellow vest included, was Simone Rani McGowan, an environmental studies major and member of the Earth Guardians. McGowan said her club and the PSL team up quite often, usually raising awareness on tuition struggles and campus climate, but with heavier topics as well such as marching in solidarity with the Honduran caravan.

“This whole idea is to support community and to remind people of the compassion needed in these issues,” McGowan said. “Every day we have to reconnect with our humanity. It’s important to educate our youth in resistance.”

Chad Friefeld, member of Climate Change Club, agrees with McGowan and said that one of the main things for students to know is American history is full of examples of US corrupted involvement in latin america.

“We are trying to break through the western capital media which is not portraying the truth in Venezuela,” Friefeld said. “We want to talk to people about this coup and that the Trump administration and Venezuelan opposition is not democratic. We are standing in solidarity to help spread the word.”

A handmade sign opposing American invovlement in Venezuela was hung above the clubs and activities fair at HSU on February 6th 2019. By T.William Wallin

Among the handful of yellow vests and crowd of students tabling was UPD officer Chance Carpenter. Carpenter was at the event talking with all the clubs and opening up for any questions or comments to be addressed. Because it was Wednesday, it was Carpenter’s shift but he said he was the face of UPD for the day and acting as the safety advocate. When asked about the PSL banner, Carpenter said it was above his pay raise for a comment but he does like free speech.

“I certainly do like people exercising their free speech,” Carpenter said. “I’ve had to actually protect people in the past on campus who had conflicting difference with other groups.”

Friday, February 8, 2019
Celebration of a civil rights hero

Fred Korematsu Day Of Civil Liberties celebrated at Humboldt State

January 30 marked the 100th birthday of civil rights hero Fred Korematsu. Students, alumni, faculty and community members filled the fishbowl of the library at Humboldt State University to celebrate the national civil rights hero who refused to go to the government’s incarceration camps for Japanese Americans. Kumi Watanabe-Schock, HSU’s library media coordinator, coordinated the event and said it started because Karen Korematsu, Fred Korematsu’s daughter, visited HSU in 2012.

“This is an annual event and the fifth time we’ve done it,” Watanabe-Schock said. “We usually get a huge turn out and a lot of the Japanese community members attend too.”

Watanabe-Schock credits the films they show and the facilitators they have for such a big crowd. This year criminology and justice studies professor, Michihiro Clark Sugata, and critical race, gender and sexuality studies professor, Christina Accomando, hosted the event. The film shown was “Resistance At Tule Lake,” a first hand account of survivors who were incarcerated at the largest and longest active concentration camp in northern California.

Day of Civil Liberties Event in the fishbowl on Jan. 30. | Photo by Tony Wallin

“It was very refreshing to watch a documentary that was told by first hand accounts of people who were in the camps,” Michel-Ange Siaba, criminology and justice studies sophomore, said. “[Michihiro] Clark made a strong point in my class that the movie showing had something new to bring. I wanted to learn something new and I did.“

Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties is celebrated because he defied the order of Executive Order 9066, which authorized the U.S. military to remove over 120,000 people of Japanese descent, the majority of whom were American citizens, from their homes and forced them into American prison camps throughout the United States. Korematsu was ultimately arrested and convicted, but appealed his case all the way to the Supreme Court. In 1944 the Supreme Court ruled against him, stating it was legal to imprison Japanese-Americans for military necessity. It wasn’t until 1983 that Korematsu’s conviction was overturned in federal court in San Francisco.

“This is a clear example of how the government’s backward tactics were used to badly treat the Japanese,” Siaba said. “It’s very sad, but it’s an eye opener. That is my biggest take away from today.”

Franco Imperial was a special guest at the event promoting San Jose Taiko’s symposium show coming to Humboldt County next year. Imperial has been with San Jose Taiko since 1998 and has played alongside survivors of concentration camps. Imperial was invited by Amy Uyeki, a visual artist in Arcata and contributor to the documentary “Searchlight Serenade.”

“In Humboldt County there is interest (in Taiko) and an audience that’s curious and younger,” Imperial said. “It’s up to our generation to carry on the story and to do it in conjunction with Humboldt and the community is exciting and important.”

Franco Imperial, drummer for San Jose Taiko, was a special guest at Fred Korematsu Day Of Civil Liberties promoting San Jose Taiko Symposium coming to Humboldt County in 2020. | Photo by Tony Wallin

San Jose Taiko is a performance art company that Imperial said toured through Humboldt in the early ‘90s but the symposium show will be the first one outside of San Jose. Imperial said the show coming next year will be a living story and involve the entire audience.

“Next year will be an immersive theatre experience,” Imperial said. “The audience isn’t passively sitting in their seats, they are in the middle of the action and drama and music and dance. They are surrounded by it all, a totally different experience. It’s for the audience to connect with something deeper.”

Watanabe-Schock said this year was especially exciting because they had Imperial as a guest.

“Because (Amy) Uyeki is both connected to the event every year and with Imperial we can talk about Taiko and Japanese internment camps together,” Watanabe-Schock said. “The Japanese community will be getting together to talk about the Taiko project.”

Wednesday, February 6, 2019
Administration hosts open forum

Community expresses expectations for incoming president

The president of Humboldt State University makes a salary of nearly half a million dollars and yet 20 percent of our university students are homeless.

This was just one of many comments expressing neglected issues from the community during the presidential forum held at the Kate Buchanan room on Feb. 4.The event was filled with people in powerful positions that ranged from the Arcata Police Department’s Chief of Police to the Chairman of the Karuk Tribal Council to the Board of Trustees Member for The California State University, Peter Taylor.

“The meeting today is going to be focused on hearing from all of you students, faculty, staff, and the community,” Taylor said to a nearly filled room. “Your all represented on this committee but it’s important for all of you in the hall today to share with us your perspectives on helping us finding the best and most successful next president for Humboldt State University.”

Yadira Cruz, representing HSU students, and Timothy White, chancellor of CSU system, were taking notes as community expressed what a the new HSU president should like during the presidential forum in the Kate Buchanan room on Feb. 4. | Photo by Tony Wallin

Lisa Rossbacher, the current president of HSU, announced Oct. 1, 2018, that she would be retiring after a short lived and controversial presidential term. Among the controversies, Rossbacher was asked to step down from her position by Charmaine Lawson while speaking in front of the CSU Board of Trustees. Lawson’s son, David Josiah Lawson, was stabbed to death at an off campus party and Rossbacher was criticized for her lack of responsiveness to one of her students being murdered. Failing to even reach out to Lawson after the tragedy. Earlier in 2018 the NAACP asked HSU to cease all efforts to recruit students of color until certain conditions are met, including ensuring that sufficient support systems are in place so “students of color thrive in this community.”
[perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=”18″]Please, I urge you to find somebody who cares about students and cares about these issues.[/perfectpullquote]
“We want the students to do well and succeed,” Lisa Pelicher, member of Justice For Josiah, said to the forum panelists. “They’re not going to succeed if they are ending up homeless and they are not going to succeed if we aren’t addressing safety issues like in the Josiah Lawson case.”

Pelicher’s voice was raised in passion when addressing the neglect she has seen from the university. She said that she was outraged about the disconnect between the university and the community. Pelicher has been involved in multiple community organizations structured around important social justice issues such as the NAACP and Housing Equity Group in Arcata. She has written in the past to CSU Chancellor Timothy White addressing these issues without response.

“I have asked if a couple of buildings could be opened up or we could have an emergency transitional shelter,” Pelicher said. “I know you’re doing studies and everything but the time for studies has passed. I do not want to hear of one single student having to sleep in our community forest or in their car. Please, I urge you to find somebody who cares about students and cares about these issues.”

Community members filled the Kate Buchanan room during the presidential forum and voices their opinions on what a new HSU president should look like on Feb. 4. | Photo by Tony Wallin

Other members of the community voiced similar concerns. The common themes were that the current administration has not listened, they are failing at safety, not meeting the basic needs of food and shelter, and mostly they have not been doing enough for students of color in a mostly white populated area. Fabian Cuevas, a senior in political science, was one of the students to address this very issue and to call out the president and current administration for not paying attention when they speak.
[perfectpullquote align=”left” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=”15″]We like to say Humboldt State is such a progressive campus and Humboldt County is such a progressive area, but there are still a lot of issues that affect many residents here in our community.[/perfectpullquote]
“We don’t feel that connection and the safety that we are eager for and that we demand as students here,” Cuevas said. “ Not just people of color, but as humans that are falling victim to a lot of crisis and a lot of issues that not only affect our university but our community, our country, our state, our nation, and overall the whole world.”

Cuevas went on to tell the panel that President Rossbacher has never gone to their rallies or events and never reaches out her support. He said he thinks a president should be a symbol for what this university stands for instead of a person looking at students economically as clients.

“Unfortunately, the truth is we like to say Humboldt State is such a progressive campus and Humboldt County is such a progressive area but there are still a lot of issues that affect many residents here in our community,” Cuevas said. “We need at this university a president that identifies that truth and recognizes what we go through. To speak to us directly and offers us that safety net.”

Tuesday, February 5, 2019
Me Too comes to Humboldt

Tarana Burke, civil rights leader and Me Too icon, gives a lecture to HSU

Tarana Burke, one of the leading and founding voices of the Me Too movement, came to speak at HSU on Sunday Feb. 3. There was a sold-out crowd and Maya Williams, a senior majoring in psychology, took the stage to introduce the civil rights icon and activist.

“Having Tarana Burke come here is important because we are on a college campus where sexual violence occurs,” Williams said. “This got me into thinking about more activism. I don’t know what step to take but I am definitely considering something.”

Maya Williams stands in front of the stage after introducing Tarana Burke on Sunday Feb. 3 | Photo by Freddy Brewster

Burke has been a part of the social justice movement for over 25 years, having started her activism in her hometown of the Bronx. She was first drawn to activism by the infamous Central Park Five case, where five young men were wrongfully accused of sexually assaulting a woman jogging through the New York City Central Park. Media coverage of the case painted the young men in a grossly negative light and Burke felt that she could no longer sit aside and watch.

“We were protesting the way the newspaper portrayed them,” Burke said to the crowd. “I knew then that I wanted to be an organizer.”

Tanara Burke, founder of the #metoo movement, shares her story at HSU on Sunday Feb. 3. | Photo by Tony Wallin
[perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”Tarana Burke” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=”20″]”How do I explain to a seventh-grader, that ‘baby this isn’t love, this is a crime’?”[/perfectpullquote]
The roots of Me Too come from Burke’s own experiences with sexual violence, as well as the stories she heard when she was working as a camp counselor in her early 20s. At this time Burke said that when she would have one-on-one conversations with the young girls of the camp, stories of sexual violence would come out.

“The stories of sexual violence were so normalized,” Burke said. “There are so many layers of oppression that people built protections around them. How do I explain to a seventh-grader, that ‘baby this isn’t love, this is a crime’?”

Around 2005 Burke said that she started a Myspace page for the movement because it was a place where it could live and where others around the country could access information. She also used AOL chat forums and found the response from other survivors of sexual violence to be numerous and growing.

“There would be no Me Too movement if literally 19 million people didn’t go to their computers and type Me Too,” Burke said. “This is not my movement. That is not how a movement works.”

Burke went on to voice her concerns about how there’s a lack of proper leadership in this country. She said that young people have the power to make change. She expressed how there is a collective power in a movement and how we’re currently in a unique historical moment and people must work together to see the future they want. This message of collective action and activism struck a chord with Flow Lemus, a criminology and justice studies junior.

“It is important to have Tarana Burke here because of what is going on with Title IX,” Lemus said. “They are trying to make it on an even playing field for both parties. Tarana Burke being here is allowing me to push back on the administration.”

Flow Lemus, Associated Students Presents member and criminology studies major, attended the discussion by Tarana Burke on Sunday Feb. 3 | Photo by Freddy Brewster

Lemus said she is currently having problems with her own Title IX case and blames the administration for a lack of support. Lemus said that she wants to work with survivors of domestic and sexual assault in the future and is considering sticking around Humboldt after she graduates to fight for the rights of indigenous people as well as other people of color.
[perfectpullquote align=”left” bordertop=”false” cite=”Tarana Burke” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=”17″]”It is important to take what you have, to make what you need. It is hard work and heart work. This is about sowing seeds.”[/perfectpullquote]
“I switched to be a criminology major and I am happier because I can help my community,” Lemus said.

After Burke’s lecture, there was a round of questions and answers from the audience. A few women stood up and spoke about their history of being a survivor of sexual assault. Burke listened intently and offered advice when she could. She said that there is still a lot of work to do in regard to the Me Too movement and that there will be a set of public service announcements released later this year. For a parting piece of advice, Burke quoted an old saying from a civil rights leader.

“It is important to take what you have, to make what you need,” Burke said. “It is hard work and heart work. This is about sowing seeds.”

Monday, February 4, 2019
MCC Celebrates 25th Anniversary amid relocation concerns

The Humboldt State Multicultural Center has been supporting students for years, but its days in Balabanis House are numbered

Humboldt State’s Multicultural Center celebrated its 25th year of existence with a open house Monday, amid growing concerns from regulars about the future of the building itself, and the programs and resources found within. The center has been suffering from budget cuts and quick leadership turnover, and resides in one of several old buildings on campus slated to be demolished.

The MCC was founded in 1994, and serves as a hub for student activists and a home-away-from-home for many students. The house has tons of resources for students, including free printing up to 10 pages, a full kitchen with microwave and refrigerator, a prayer room, and several quiet spaces where students can work. Colorful murals, posters and couches galore create a warm, friendly vibe.
[perfectpullquote align=”left” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]They don’t help us…we’re underfunded.[/perfectpullquote]
Frank Herrera officially assumed the role of MCC Coordinator 12 days before the open house, and describes his position as a mentor to the students employed to work at the MCC. The MCC had been shuffling through interns and temporary hires for about two and a half years before settling on Herrera for their coordinator position.

“It’s all about helping the student employees manage everything, become leaders and have them look at ways of doing things and point out things that we haven’t done yet…I’m just part of the team,” Herrera said.

Herrera thinks that employing students is important, and the work they do at the MCC provides valuable learning experience.

“I would have loved to do that when I was younger. It would’ve helped me today,” Herrera said.

Unfortunately, the future of the MCC in its current state is in jeopardy. Deema Hindawi is a co-coordinator of the yearly Social Justice Summit, and said the center suffers from underfunding, and is located in one of the buildings currently slated to be demolished.

“HSU tokenizes this house a lot. They don’t help us, we’re underfunded, and they took a very long time to find us a new coordinator,” Hindawi said. “We lose power in half the building if you use the microwave and the toaster oven at the same time. We also have really bad asbestos in the basement.”

Relocation would mean a drastic loss in volume of the programs and resources offered by the MCC. The building as it currently stands is expansive, with a meeting room, multiple offices, study rooms, a prayer room, a woman’s resource center, an expansive foyer and front desk area, a full kitchen and two gender-neutral bathrooms. Trying to cram all that into a single room would be an exercise in futility, and valuable programs would have to be cut. And, the number of students employed to work in the building would be cut drastically.

Daniel Segura is a regular who’s been coming to the center for the past year, and said he wishes he found out about it sooner. As his friend Rahkiv Lewis strummed an acoustic guitar, Segura said there aren’t any places on campus like this building.

This room houses the meetings of several different school clubs, as well as students in need of a comfy place to study or decompress. | Photo by Jett Williams

“It deserves so much more,” Segura said. “This place has helped me gain a part of myself back that I felt I had lost living in this community. I think places like this center, the LatinX center and the African-American center for Academic Success are important, but I am worried about the future of these places.”

During the open house, students filtered in and out, grabbing food and chatting with other visitors or working on assignments. Music was playing and the energy in the house was positive and warm. The center’s future may be shaky, but the resolve of students who have made the house their home will ensure that no lack of funds or relocation will crush their spirit.

The MCC is open Monday through Thursday from 10-6 p.m. and Friday from 10-5 p.m. They’re located south of the library, in Balabanis house and will be throwing a 25th Anniversary Gala on April 25, in the Kate Buchanan Room.

Monday, February 4, 2019
The search is on

CSU Board of Trustees lists demands for new Humboldt State President

The search is on for HSU’s new president with a public forum to be held on Monday, Feb. 4 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the Kate Buchanan Room. On Thursday night, there was a pre-forum set in place to brainstorm demands that the public would like to be included for the California State Board of Trustees to consider when selecting a replacement for current president Lisa Rossbacher.

Some of the demands listed for the Board to consider are for the incoming president to be more engaged with the student population as well as the community; to support efforts to fund diverse communities; to be more engaged with conversation about climate change; and to have a strong “demonstrated history of social justice,” among other issues. Tay Triggs, Student Engagement and Leadership Dean, was in attendance at the meeting and felt that the new president will have to do more when it comes to cultural and racial equity at HSU.

“I hope our new president is more vocal about their support of what the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is trying to do,” Triggs said.

During the nearly two-hour long meeting there were six different tables set up that discussed a variety of topics for 20 to 30 minutes at a time. Some of the topics discussed included: Budget and Fundraising; Campus and Community Engagement; Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity; Recruit and Retention; and Vision and Leadership.

Although the meeting was open to the public as well as to the student body, most of those in attendance were non-students. However, Jazmin Sandoval, a senior majoring in film and current president of the Associated Students, was in attendance voicing her concerns for what she would like from the next president.

“I would love to see the next president have more of an equitable lens when it comes to the indigenous community and to be cognizant of the racial tensions,” Sandoval said. “I also want them to be excited and to want to be here for the long term.”

The shortcomings of the current administration were also discussed during the meeting with many people feeling that current president Rossbacher did not do enough outreach and lacked transparency.

“I am a transfer student and had no idea about the racial tensions on this campus,” Sandoval said. “I think what fell short is the lack of communication and the sensitivity around a lot of things that have happened on this campus in the last couple of years.”

The university will be sending out an email with the minutes and full list of proposed demands on Friday.

Friday, February 1, 2019
No more opioid deaths

Lifesaving drug, Narcan will be given out for free starting this semester

Starting this semester students, faculty, and members of the community will be able to obtain Naloxone, the lifesaving drug that reverses opioid overdoses, for free and without a prescription on campus. Every Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Humboldt County Public Health Van will be parked behind the Student Health Center where people can pick up Naloxone, also known as Narcan, as well as access other services.

“Narcan is a preventative measure used to prevent overdoses, it is a lifesaving medication,” said Mira Friedman, lead for Health Education and Clinic Support Services. “The van has been offering HIV and hepatitis testing, as well as PREP navigation services for a couple years now. They recently added Narcan.”

Humboldt county is in the midst of an opioid epidemic and the Narcan services are part of a growing outreach to prevent overdoses. According to a report by the County Administrative Office, “In 2016 there were 156,444 opioid prescriptions, or more than 114 prescriptions per 100 residents.” The two following years saw a slight drop in numbers, with 2017 having 135,617 prescriptions issued and 2018 having 123,616 prescriptions written out to a population of about 136,000, according to statistics from California Department of Public Health.

Heroin seizures are also on the rise in Humboldt. In 2018 there were about 35 pounds of heroin seized in Humboldt county, compared to 2017 when only 10 pounds were seized. So far in 2019, one recent drug bust resulted in the seizure of six pounds of heroin along with $6,000 in cash on Jan. 28.

According to a public records request there were 57 deaths due to drugs and alcohol in 2018 in all of Humboldt, and 22 of them were linked to opioids. So far, Narcan is the only drug approved by the FDA that has the ability to be administered as a nasal spray and is designed to be used without any sort of significant training. However, Friedman and a social work intern will be leading training sessions on the use of Narcan later this semester. Friedman said that the sessions will teach students and other attendees about opioids and provide more background knowledge about Narcan. The trainings that Friedman will be leading are in collaboration with the Humboldt County Public Health Department.

“They have been wonderful collaborators,” Friedman said. “They’ve worked with the library and the police departments.”

Brian Ahearn, Chief of Police for the city of Arcata, said that his officers do not carry Narcan, but said that a few officers have gone through training.

“The preservation of life takes precedent over any other outcome,” Chief Ahearn said, “including law enforcement.”

Opioid use affects people of all backgrounds and can plague the general public. Jessica Smith, the program director at the Humboldt Area Center for Harm Reduction located in Eureka, said that they offer Narcan services and a clean needle exchange among other services to a large number of people, some of whom come in multiple times a week.

“We see on average 20-35 people a day,” Smith said. “In a week, we can see upwards of 200 people. We provide our services because we understand that we are amidst an epidemic and overdose prevention is the first step.”

Smith said that they have experienced some push back from the local residents because of their needle exchange program, but felt that it was unjust since they are one of the few places in the county that have programs where addicts can access clean syringes. Smith also said that they keep track of how many people come back for more Narcan and ask them if they had to use it to prevent an overdose.

“Having the proper tools to stay alive is the first step in making better life choices,” Smith said. “By empowering them, we believe they will become the most effective tool at preventing overdoses.”

A previous version of this article listed the Humboldt Area Center for Harm Reduction as the only place in Humboldt County that provides clean syringes. (Updated: 1:42am 02/06/19)

Thursday, January 31, 2019
Communication breakdown

KHSU is still having trouble with its general manager

The weekly KHSU staff meeting was abruptly cancelled at the last minute this morning by general manager Peter Fretwell. This cancellation comes after changes were made in the KHSU Facebook admin settings and the removal of long time staff and volunteer, Geraldine Goldberg from the website. Office manager, Lorna Bryant, and content director, Jessie Eden, were also removed from their admin position to a lower status as editors. Part of the email sent to Goldberg read:

“Hi Geraldine, You’re getting this email to confirm that you’re no

longer an admin on KHSU. You were removed on January 29, 2019 at 12:05pm.”

“Geraldine has been the backbone of this station for decades,” Eden said. “I have no idea why she was removed from the website. Its very strange.”

Eden said they were not informed of any changes being made to the Facebook page’s admin status. Goldberg has posted content to the website and helped edit other people’s content involving public affairs programs.

“There’s not rational for her removal,” Eden said. “She has done nothing. I don’t think she’s seen posted anything for many months and this is a surprise to me.”

Eden said she wasn’t sure who removed Goldberg but the only people that have that power are paid staff and general manager Peter Fretwell. The status changing of Bryant and Eden was made by KHSU development assistant, Monica Topping. Those with admin status on Facebook are now Monica Topping, David Reed, MarComm, and Peter Fretwell’s wife, Becky Fretwell. Monica Topping has also took the place of moderator for KHSU, which used to be Lorna Bryant’s position. Eden said the moderator is essentially an editor of messages that approves whether or not those messages get sent out to everyone else.

“Lorna used to be the moderator but was removed and now is getting moderated herself,” Eden said. “She set up the whole moderator system. Because she’s being edited she cant just send out messages to the volunteers at the station, even though she’s responsible for their parking permits, and keys and all manner of day to day function of the station. She needs to be able to communicate”

Because Topping doesn’t work five days a week, Eden said messages involving technical issues would sit and not reach everyone when needed, which was an increasing problem. The last KHSU staff meeting the question was raised why KHSU’s broadcast engineer needed to be moderated. Eden said that has now changed and the broadcast engineer is able to send out messages with out having them approved by Topping but message for Bryant to the CAB still need approval. A recent Facebook post involving tonight’s CAB meeting was immediately removed right after Bryant posted it. Eden said she had never heard that the KHSU Facebook page could not post about CAB meetings.

“The CAB is the community liaison between KHSU and the community,” Eden said. “The CAB is essential for any public radio stations which is why the corporation of public broadcasting, which gives us money, wants public radio stations to have a board. They recognize we need that liaison for connection with community and to know what their needs are.”

Tonight at 6:30pm the CAB will being having a meeting in the Karshner Lounge.

Wednesday, January 30, 2019
Lack of action for Lawsons

#JusticeForJosiah week of action to call on DA Flemming

On the clear, crisp morning of Jan. 25, community members gathered at the Humboldt County courthouse to rally together for Justice For Josiah. It was the final day of the week of action in remembrance of murdered Humboldt State University student, David Josiah Lawson. Roughly 15 people came together around 9 a.m. to make their presence heard. For nearly an hour this group of people chanted, “Say his name!” and “When do we want justice?”.

“We will be here to pressure DA Maggie Fleming to do the right thing,” Jill Larrabee, an organizer for Justice For Josiah, said. “We’re going to let the DA know that we’re still here and we’re not going anywhere.”

Kelsey Reedy leads chants for community members that came out for the final day of this week of action. Photo by Cassaundra Caudillo

Just shy of 22 months ago Lawson was killed at an off-campus party and since then his case has remained unsolved, prompting the continuous weeks of action and rallies at different County events. This particular week of action was to bring District Attorney Maggie Fleming into the public light. Humboldt County turned over the case to her in hopes that she would get it resolved, but three months later there has been no outcome.

“We are going to call them out when they aren’t doing what they’re supposed to do for those who have elected them,” Charmaine Lawson, mother of Josiah, said. “If they aren’t doing their jobs then we’re going to get them out.”

Lawson met with DA Fleming this past Thursday to talk about the progress on the case. There has been no public announcement made that any headway in the case is advancing, so supporters of this movement continue calling and emailing DA Fleming and asking what is going on.

“Humboldt County is a beautiful place,” Lawson said. “But they have a corrupt police department.”

Lawson believes one reason for the stalling of her son’s case is because DA Fleming and her office refused to communicate with Arcata Police Department. Rick Ehle, who was interim police chief after Thomas Chapman resigned, wanted to get an outside prosecutor to review the investigation before turning it over to DA Fleming, which Lawson said did not sit well with Fleming.

“If APD and the DA’s office were in communication then everything Fleming is reviewing and waiting on right now would already be done,” Lawson said. “All the search warrants, re-interviews, and anymore DNA that needed to be sent over to the DOJ she would have known. If she was doing her job and communicating with APD she would have known what was coming over.”

Although this movement has a support team behind it, fellow organizers such as Kelsey Reedy are surprised by how many community members still show out.

“It’s good to see a group of committed community members,” Reedy said. “Normally people don’t keep their attention span that long.”

*A reminder that on the 15th of every month there is a vigil held in memoriam for Josiah Lawson. This coming month it will be held at the Humboldt County courthouse.

Additional reporting by: Tony Wallin

Tuesday, January 29, 2019
Building bridges and breaking down barriers

The Arcata Police Department hosted a Sunday barbecue

Nearly 50 people turned out for a community barbecue put on by the Arcata Police Department on Sunday afternoon. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. APD officers manned a grill in the Humboldt Plaza Apartments, building relationships while serving laughs, hot dogs, chips and refreshments.

“We’re out here building relationships with the community,” Sergeant Brian Hoffman said. “We are trying to build trust, but it is not always so easy. We are laying the foundation for the future.”

Sergeant Brian Hoffman mans the grill during the Arcata police department’s community barbecue at the Humboldt Plaza Apartments on Sunday Jan. 27. | Photo by Freddy Brewster

Two weeks prior to the event, APD officers walked throughout the apartment complex introducing themselves and asking tenants how they felt about a community barbecue. Chysha Williams, a resident of the Humboldt Plaza Apartments, welcomed the event as well as the opportunity to meet those in charge of keeping the community safe.

“It is important to know who is here to protect you, and to know that they are good guys,” Williams said. “These events are good because if there is a bad situation, we’re not afraid to call the police.”

Arcata Chief of Police Brian Ahearn chats with Chysha Williams during the community barbecue put on by the Arcata Police Department at the Humboldt Plaza Apartments on Sunday Jan. 27. | Photo by Freddy Brewster

The barbecue is part of an enhanced community outreach program that the APD is using to break down barriers in the community. A rise in the amount of violent crime in Arcata, as well as the murder of Josiah Lawson and the handling of that case have contributed to a tense atmosphere. Police Chief Brian Ahearn was recently hired after the former chief abruptly resigned about one year after the death of Lawson.

“Having a community event, such as a barbecue, sort of tears down those walls that have divided us over the years and it gives the people a chance to get to know us,” Ahearn said.

Officer Heidi Groszmann hands out chips during a community barbecue at the Humboldt Plaza Apartments on Sunday Jan. 27 | Photo by Freddy Brewster

Chief Ahearn moved here from the San Diego area, where he spent nearly 30 years working in law enforcement. He has been giving a lot of focus to rebuilding trust in the community and has been in attendance at a number of community events such as a vigil for Josiah Lawson and the Martin Luther King Day march. During the barbecue, Chief Ahearn offered praise to a new officer, Chris Rogers.

“You’re on the right track and your heart is in a good place,” Chief Ahearn said to Rogers. “I sleep well at night knowing there are good cops like you.”

Officer Chris Rogers plays a game of “knockout” with the children of the Humboldt Plaza Apartments during Sunday’s community barbecue. | Photo by Freddy Brewster

Rogers is a recent graduate from Humboldt State where he earned a degree in biology. He has only been with the APD for seven months but doesn’t shy away from interacting with the community. During the barbecue, Rogers played basketball with the kids and felt that it was a positive way for officers to interact with the youth.

“We’re here to show the kids a different side of the police,” Rogers said. “There is more to policing than just enforcement.”

Monday, January 28, 2019