HSU students encourage voter registration

The National Voters Registration Drive was held Sept. 25 at the Humboldt State University quad to re-register voters, register students that had not be registered and to educate students on state and local measures for the upcoming Nov. 6 election.

Associated Students Board Coordinator, Casey Park, has participated in four tabling events this year to advocate students on voting. The drive was another way to get students to be more active in voting. With an influx of students predominantly not from this area, many students are unaware of having to re-register to vote when moving to Humboldt County.

“Have you moved?” Park said. “Because you then need to re-register.”

One challenge Park has during the tabling event is getting students that are moving in and out of classes to stop and listen to re-registration tips.

“The challenge is figuring out the flow of students, and which one phrase in a day will get people’s attention to stop and listen,” Park said.

The League of Women Voters and the Party of Socialism and Liberation collaborated on the drive to register students. They helped students who needed to re-register for Humboldt County and to emphasized the importance of voting.

Students that are not originally registered to vote in Humboldt County can still vote through mail and will be able to vote on state and local measures.

Associated student member and environmental science major, Roxana Mostafavi, had just moved to Humboldt County from Los Angeles County this semester. Hearing Park speak about re-registering got her attention so she stopped to re-register.

“We’re the younger generation, it’s our world, it’s our planet,” Mostafavi said. “I think we need to be more active.”

Being active in events like the National Voter Registration day gives a push to those who tend to believe that their vote does not actually count.

According to the League of Women Voters voter service director, Anne Hartline, the following months leading up to the upcoming ballot is of the most important times of the year.

“When it comes time to vote, and your not registered, how can you make a difference?” Hartline said. “Our goal is to get at least one student that didn’t plan to vote, to go and make a difference by voting. I feel today we got many more than one.”

There are two local measures that will be on the Nov. 6 ballot. The first, Measure K, would make Humboldt County a sanctuary county. Yes on K would prohibit local law enforcement agencies from cooperating with federal immigration officials. No on K is deciding against prohibiting local law enforcement agencies from cooperating with federal immigration officials.

The other is Measure M, which regards the removal of the statue of William McKinley in Arcata plaza. No on M would grant the removal of the statue and yes on M would allow the statue to remain in the plaza.

For more information on registration, voters rights, and measures call League of Women Voters of Humboldt County (707) 444-9252 or contact the Associated Students at HSU.

Peer to Peer addresses nationwide increase of STD rates 

Helping to fight the cultural stigmas that surround the rise of sexually transmitted diseases and testing is the new program at Humboldt State University, Peer to Peer.

Mira Friedman, lead of health education and medical clinic support services, started Peer to Peer as her Master’s program at HSU. Friedman said she started the program because she wanted to fulfill students’ needs and offer access to reproductive services.

“There isn’t a lack of education in college but an inaccuracy in sex education,” Friedman said.

The program is unique in that students get help provided by other students. There are four medically trained students who run Peer to Peer giving consultations as well as no hassle access to STD testing and birth control. The idea is, it is easier for students to seek help from their peers.

According to St. Joseph Health, the United States hit an all-time high in sexually transmitted diseases and Humboldt County is no different. Over 2 million cases throughout the country according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Public health nurse of the communicable disease program at the Department of Human and Health Services (DHHS), Hava Phillips, said Humboldt county is following both the national and statewide trend of increase in STD’s. The numbers across the board are all the same and differences between populated and rural makes no difference.

“It’s something we are worried about,” Phillips said.

The most common STD is Chlamydia. Not far behind is Gonorrhea and at a far distant third is Syphilis, which can pose the greatest health risk if left untreated because it has more potential to cause damage.

According to Humboldt County Public Health syphilis in Humboldt county is up 172 percent. There have also been 665 reported cases of Chlamydia in Humboldt in 2017.

According to the California Department of Public Health 218,728 cases of Chlamydia cases were reported in 2017 statewide. Over half of them were younger than the age of 25. Gonorrhea amounted to 75,372 cases with 33 percent younger than 25. Both diseases were the highest since the numbers began to get reported. Syphilis cases reached 13,719. This has been the highest since 1987.

“Stigmas contribute discomfort for people to get tested,” Phillips said.

The cultural stigmas surrounding STD’s and getting tested create extra dilemmas for people seeking services. Phillips said there is a huge need for educating people to get tested for STD’s and to treat it like anything else. Anyone sexually active is at risk of getting an STD just like someone breathing is at risk of getting the flu.

“They need to be just another normal thing you get tested for,” Phillips said.

There are lots of theories as to why there is an increase, but nothing concrete. The highest risks are unprotected sexual activity, individual anonymous sex and sex with multiple partners.

Celene Lopez worked as a peer educator as an undergrad with Planned Parenthood before returning to HSU to earn her masters in counseling psychology. She knows the challenges posed on people who aren’t seeking help. On college campuses information is everywhere but in the general public it’s harder to be reminded.

“Lots of people think they’ll just know if they have contracted an STD or not, and really they don’t know,” Lopez said, “the most common symptom is no symptom.”

Both Chlamydia and Gonorrhea usually have no symptoms. People who have contracted these diseases go untreated and in turn spread them to more people. Lopez believes the increase of STD’s is because of services lacking education as well as lacking health care.

“People don’t know where to go, they don’t know where to get help,” Lopez said.

Lopez is also well aware of the cultural stigmas that surround STD’s which makes it difficult for people to feel comfortable enough to get tested. To combat these stigmas Lopez suggests creating safe environments for people to get confidential health care, like what Peer to Peer is doing.

“We need to change the culture of sexual health,” Lopez said.

This includes the demonizing of people for having sex and to show people there is no judgments. Easy access to resources, like Peer to Peer, helps minimize long waiting periods of being seen by health services and allows doctors to see patients who have symptoms.

Lopez compares STD’s to the flu, we don’t shame people for getting the flu yet when it comes to STD’s people are shamed all the time.

“People don’t know what to expect. They feel the stigma, they feel dirty, but we’re here because we care. No one is here to judge,” Lopez said.

For questions or to book an appointment Peer Health Educators can be reached at 707-826-3146 or hsuphe@humboldt.edu.

The Clinical Peer Health Educators office is located in RWC 127.

KHSU CAB members requested to halt further meetings

Humboldt State University president, Lisa Rossbacher, has recently requested KHSU’s community advisory board cease further meetings until individual and private communication takes place.

A community advisory board letter sent to Rossbacher on June 29 left her confused on the decisions made during their June meeting. The letter addressed to HSU administration states that the community advisory board voted a ‘no confidence’ towards general manager Peter Fretwell and have requested his termination.

“I have become aware of confusion and disagreement about whether the advisory board’s action last June was intended to communicate feedback that the CAB had received from some members of the public or to reflect a formal vote of no confidence by the CAB itself in KHSU general manager Peter Fretwell,” Rossbacher wrote in a letter on Sep. 17.

The minutes report, which is the written record of the meeting that took place, states under ‘New Business’: “Discussion of the CAB response to the community’s call for a vote of no confidence.”

Frank Whitlatch, assistant vice president of marketing and communications at HSU, said Rossbacher is asking for clarity involving who made the decision at the meeting.

Whitlatch said the initial reporting of the advisory group made a ‘no confidence’ vote on general manger, Peter Fretwell, but later on in the meeting the minutes said it was a community decision.

“Did the board make the vote or the community?” Whitlatch said.

Whitlatch said the story was incorrectly reported by Mad River Union and the Lost Coast Journal but since has been revised and that has furthered rumors suggesting Rossbacher has banned the community advisory board from meeting together.

“They can meet if they want, they’re grown ups,” Whitlatch said. ‘The president just wants to speak individually to clear up confusion on the decision.

To further tension between HSU administration and KHSU, the program, Thursday Night Talk, was recently cancelled by Fretwell when four community advisory board members were supposed to be guests.

Whitlatch said Fretwell has the final say of all editorial content at KHSU, and it was his decision alone.

There is a firewall blocking editorial content between KHSU and HSU management. Fretwell didn’t believe KHSU could be objective and report on itself.

“I do not have the ability to call KHSU and tell them what to produce on the air,” Whitlatch said. “No administrator does.”

KHSU development director David Reed was one of three staff members who attended the community advisory board June meeting. Reed said the last few months 25 to 100 people have showed up and 100 to 160 people in May, June, and July, a higher number than in the past.

The meetings have been getting more community involvement since the firing of Katie Whiteside. Reed said three percent, about 120 out of the 3000 station’s donors have left along with four supporting brand or organization underwriters.

“There was a lot of public comment at the meeting, it was an unusual one,” Reed said of the June meeting.

Reed said he did not know about the vote confusion and it never occurred to him at the meeting. Ultimately it would have to be to the community advisory board to answer that question.

A CSU revisory team has been looking at the operations of KHSU. Rossbacher requested in a July 19 letter to vice chancellor of California State University system Larry Mandel, asking advisory services to evaluate “operations, administration, oversight, review of accounts payable processes, communications among staff between KHSU and HSU, oversight FCCC broadcast station licenses, volunteer engagement and training processes and suggestions on whether voluntary compliance audits should be requested from the California Broadcasters Association,” at KHSU.

“It’s hard to manage opinions at KHSU,” Whitlatch said. “Disagreements and opinions have been stifled.”

University Police Department just released a campus-wide alert about 22-year-old Jesus Alonso. Alonso is suspected of being involved in an armed robbery in an illegal drug sale on campus.

UPD also reported Alonso may be armed. Alonso was last seen on campus Saturday night, Sep. 22, and asked to leave, according to the alert.

The alert is below:

The University Police Department is advising the Humboldt State University community to be on the alert for a suspicious individual.

In May 2018, 22-year-old Jesus Alonso, who is not an HSU student, is suspected of being involved in an armed robbery during an illegal drug sale on campus. A criminal investigation by University Police was conducted and forwarded to the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office for review. However, criminal charges against Alonso were not filed, based primarily on a lack of admissible evidence.

Last seen on campus Saturday night, he was asked to leave and has been warned that he is not allowed on campus.

Alonso may also be armed and is known to carry a rifle underneath an outer garment, or in a bag.

He is described as 6 feet, 2 inches, 180 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen driving a white 2016 Honda Accord with a California license plate of 7SFF594.

If you see or encounter Alonso on campus, please contact University Police immediately by dialing 911, calling (707) 826-5555 or extension 5555 from any campus phone.

Safety tips from University Police:

• Keep a safe distance from vehicles with occupants unknown to you.
• If an unknown individual talks to you, do not hesitate to walk away or call for assistance.
• Be aware of your surroundings at all times, on and off campus.
• Immediately report any suspicious persons or activities to University Police.

You may contact University Police at (707) 826-5555 or extension 5555 from any campus phone. In case of emergency, dial 911.

This is a close up of the provided photo.

The marketplace forces students to leave their backpacks at the door so they don’t steal. Meanwhile, they’re stealing your money by overpricing their merchandise.

In addition to abolishing this stupid rule, it’s time this university lowers their prices on food and beverages and provides a convenient, healthy and cheaper option for students that struggle to pay the bills.

“I just think it’s more convenient for the store rather than the students,” HSU psychology major Natalia Ruiz said. “They don’t want us stealing but they have our backpacks right next to the door. They don’t care. They just care what’s easy to them.”

Racing right past the notion that they’re calling out students to be thieves with the backpack tactic, one has to wonder why the pricing is so high in the first place?

Taking a look at the prices of some fairly common student favorites, there definitely seems to be a correlation with price gouging products that are useful to students.

The very popular Guayakí Yerba Mate sells at the Marketplace for about $3.70 per bottle or can if you’re paying with your hard-earned cash. If you load money onto your C-point account you get a whopping five percent off that price which comes to a huge discount of $0.19 coming to just about $3.51 each. Wow. What a deal. (sarcasm)

“There’s not many places for students to buy food on campus,” Ruiz said. “This is the only thing we got and they’re not really giving us an option to go somewhere cheaper.”

That same bottle of Yerba Mate sells at Target for just $3. That’s 19 percent off of the Marketplace’s regular price, or 14 percent more of a discount than your C-card. Yerba Mate goes for only $2.50 at Texaco. That is a huge discount of about 32 percent from the Market’s regular price.

The C-point price for Yerba Mate is obviously five percent better in price than the regular pricing. It’s not enough and the prices need to come down. Some naysayers may try to push meal plans into the discussion but not everyone can afford a meal plan.

If you’re really down on your luck and a Kraft Easy Mac is the only warm meal you can afford, you better have at least $2.19 for it. The same Easy Mac sells in bulk at Costco for $0.82 per bowl. Walmart has them for around a buck each and surprisingly, target is the cheapest, at just $0.53 per bowl.

If cereal is something you want, you better be prepared to fork up $7.09. Even with the highly touted J-card, you’re still spending $5.17 plus tax on a box of Cheerios. The same box goes for about $3 everywhere else.

The backpack plan was instituted poorly by administration further showcasing their ineptitude in matters of decision making for student’s lives.

According to an article in Fortune magazine, employees in the U.S are responsible for 43 percent of lost revenue. The $18 billion total loss is $2 billion more than what is shoplifted by the customers.

So, instead of hiring a loss prevention employee, the Market now employs a person to stand at each doorway to tell students to leave their backpacks behind. They also managed to pay construction workers to build the useless backpack racks. Where else can the administration waste our money?

Conflicts continue within KHSU

Live air shows after 10 p.m. could be headed towards syndication after new time changes at KHSU.

The decision to limit the operations of KHSU from 7 a.m. – 10 p.m. is the latest administrative decision that has left staff, volunteers and community at odds of where KHSU is heading.

Kimberly Comet is the director of risk management and safety at HSU and says that the majority of building hours on campus is 7 a.m. – 10 p.m. With KHSU moving buildings due to the construction for seismic retrofitting they are moving to a building that isn’t staffed by employees past 10 p.m.

“We are trying for consistency and safety for all,” Comet said.

Comet says that volunteers are there to augment the university, not to be in the place of an employee. Staff-employees would be needed to keep the doors open past 10 p.m.

“Employees have training, follow different directions and have different tasks,” Comet said.

KHSU general manager, Peter Fretwell, says they would blow a hole in the budget for a paid staff. He asked risk management if they could change the time to midnight and they told him no. Some hosts say keep the times and others say no due to safety.

“The radio side of me disagrees. The human side of me agrees,” Fretwell said.

Others are not convinced with the decision. They feel it was too fast and had no time for a group discussion. Barbara Boeger has been on KHSU’s community advisory board (CAB) since the early 2000s and said that the decision was made rapidly although the move of buildings had been known for a while. She was very disappointed in the last minute notice that came in the form of an email to all staff and volunteers from Fretwell.

“I feel like he threw us under the bus,” Boeger said, referring to the HSU community.

The big concern is whether or not shows will disappear as well as the connection with the local DJs.

Lorna Bryant, KHSU office manager as well as late-night host, said the recent decisions have affected morale at the station as well in the sense of long time listeners who won’t be able to call in and make requests.

“It seems there is no alternative and no plan to find a remedy applicable for all parties involved,” Bryant said.

With the direction that HSU administrators are heading, Bryant can’t see a change anytime soon.

In regards to the new building Bryant said the disadvantage is losing the ambient sound they once had, but there are some advantages. KHSU may be losing real estate in the building they were in but because of the move they are gaining an extra studio that has all brand new equipment.

“We’re in a very well taken care building and that’s a cool thing,” Bryant said.

Liam Warner, host of the Buck Jr. show at KRFH and son to Tim Warner, the host of KHSU’s Buck Calhoun show, isn’t impressed with the moving of buildings and rather see shows running instead of cancelling.

“KHSU was doing fine before administration hired a new general manager,” Warner said. “Since then things have spiraled out of control from there.”

Both Warner and Boeger raise concerns on the administration’s intent regarding KHSU volunteers. They agreed that there is a dismantling of the volunteer base and it is a for-profit decision.

Volunteers are harder to manage than employees when it comes to bringing change into the station. Warner said KHSU and the University realize they can make money off the radio station and this is the reason for the recent changes.

With hours cut and late live-shows unavailable, everyone is concerned about the station becoming a more pre-recorded program. There are shows that won’t be able to be accommodated and local DJs that won’t be able to host.

“If people stop criticizing the direction of the radio (KHSU) while still supporting it then it’s heading towards a syndicated program,” Warner said.

With syndicating programs, connection will be lost between community and station. The local flavor that listeners get would soon be pre-recorded programs. It would be a different station than the one Warner and many others chose as a reason to attend HSU.

Humboldt County firefighters honor the fallen on 9/11

Within 45 minutes, local firefighters and nearby volunteers walked up and down Humboldt State University’s Founders Hall 18 times in memory of 9/11.

Of the 2,977 victims that were lost during the attack on the World Trade Center in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001, 343 of them were firefighters.

For several years now, fire departments nation wide walk an equivalent of 110 flights of stairs to honor those that entered the buildings.

“I think I speak for every firefighter when I say that this is a very daunting day for us,” said Arcata firefighter Jacob Cliff.

Cliff has now organized this event for the past two years to assure that Humboldt County firefighters continue to show their appreciation and recognition of their fellow fighters that endured the unfortunate happening of 9/11.

Last year Arcata Fire Department walked HSU’s Cypress Hall stairs after briefly deciding to start the event over a dinner table conversation.

This year, several nearby departments came out to participate, including: Arcata Fire Department, Fortuna Fire Department, Humboldt Bay Fire Department, Rio Dell Fire Department, and Samoa Peninsula Fire District.

“They are carrying their 75-100 pound gear on their backs as they walk these steps,” said President of the Volunteer Firefighter Association, Rob Cannon. “Because that is what those 343 firefighters had to do that day.”

Several nearby students and faculty members joined the local firefighters on the walk up and down Founder’s Hall. The departments provided gear for the volunteers that wanted to experience the walk with the extra pounds on their back.

“I decided to participate out of respect to those that actually had to do this,” said volunteer Fortuna firefighter Morgan Tuel. “It was a lot more challenging than I was expecting.”

At the bottom of the stairs was a blue cooler full of cold water bottles for any participants who needed a quick thirst quencher. Anybody passing by was welcomed to join, and most that were curious about what was going on, did not fail to do so.

“It is a nation wide patriot day,” said Cliff. “It is very humbling to see others out here honoring our fellow brothers and sisters as well.”

I Street block party helps Arcata fund sister city Camoapa, Nicaragua

Hosted over the Labor Day weekend, Arcata had its 33rd Annual I Street Block Party located on I street between 10th and 11th street outside of Los Bagels. This annual block party continued its fundraiser for the Arcata Sister City Project.

All proceeds raised from the block party went to the outreach city of Camoapa in Nicaragua, which has been connected with the city of Arcata since the 80’s.

Thirty years ago the citizens of Arcata wanted to have a sister city in the country of Nicaragua, and then mayor of Arcata, Thea Gast, believed it to be a great idea but wanted to make sure it was a supported issue.

“I wanted it to be supported by a broad range of people in the city, rather than some that were against what was happening at that time politically with the Nicaraguan Revolution between the Condinstas and Contras,” Gast said.

To Gast, it was a political statement to support the people rather than supporting the fighting that was going on in Nicaragua.

The block party originally started off as donations sent to the city to help fund the now recognized sister city in Camoapa. After three years of receiving donations from the citizens of Arcata, founder/owner of Los Bagels, Dennis Rael, was one the first project members to help create the I Street Block Party, and continues to host the party there since 1985.

“Everybody here donates their time. Every year we come close to netting $10,000 that goes straight into the project,” Rael said.

The fundraiser goes to different projects that the Arcata Sister City Project have on going. Currently the Arcata Sister City Project run some scholarships in school programs in Nicaragua. In the past they have redone medical clinics, dental clinics, and help set up preschools.

One of the first trips down to Camoapa a bus was taken down that was filled with medical supplies, school supplies, and clothing. The bus was also donated to help with transportation for the locals.

Since that first trip down to Camoapa, the city of Arcata has continued to do a great service for their sister city. A recent 8-year-project to get a hospital in Camoapa and a steady source of water was completed. A well was dug and a transit line and pump were installed.

According to Chuck Swanson, staff engineer at SHN Engineers & Geologists, Inc., there is a lot of bureaucracy which ends up slowing that progress down.

“There is local politics down there that turn over and change regularly, and when that happens a lot of the opinions and support for these projects change as well,” Swanson said.

Project member David Maccuish likes the idea of keeping close relationships with the communities.

“Progression I don’t think is the right word, I think it’s a continuance of the relationship,” Maccuish said. “People from both cities like each other. We have created a lot of bonds between a lot people in these two communities and maintaining those bonds are very important. What is important is that the love between the two communities stays strong.”

Monday’s block party was a good representation of the love in Arcata. Steady beats flowed through the streets that came from the parking lot of Los Bagels that had old and young people alike dancing to music. The hungry conjured to the hot grill that provided patrons with barbeque chicken, grilled fish, and tofu.

For 33 years the Arcata-Camoapa Sister City Project has had people going south and north, connecting families from Arcata and Camoapa.

Nora Wynne, a member of the Sister City Committee for about 20 years summed up the importance of what the connection between the block party and what it does for Arcata and Camoapa.

“The most important thing it does is create real people to people relationships,” Wynne said. “With that, peace is more likely in the world, because you know people and you know what their struggles are.”

Part-time driver hourly limits, retirements and failed drug tests put stress on transit system schedules

The Arcata and Mad River Transit System, run by Arcata Public Works Department, is experiencing a shortage of bus drivers. A problem which has affected bus routes and scheduling.

The Red and Gold bus routes now merge into the Orange bus route from 6-10 p.m. on weekdays.

Director of Public Works Doby Class said a few drivers had to retire during the summer for age and health related issues.

Since then, replacements have been hard to come by for Arcata Public Works.

“We’re actively trying to contact agencies, temp help,” Class said. “We’re doing much more outreach than in the past.”

Finding qualified candidates has been the most difficult road block for A&MRTS.

“It’s so hard to find people who can pass a drug test, wants to work with the public, reliable and can drive a bus,” said bus driver Doug Thompson. “Lots of my friends who would love this job can’t (do it), simply because they can’t pass a drug test.”

Class said transit manager for A&MRTS LeAnn Schuetzle, whose main job is to manage the bus system, hire and train drivers, has been driving the bus herself due to the shortage.

A&MRTS also has another hiring predicament which may worsen existing conditions.

The Arcata bus system only hires part-time drivers in order to save on costs. Part-time bus drivers are limited to 1,040 hours a year, meaning that if a driver is to reach their limit, they are no longer allowed to work for the rest of the year.

According to Class, there are current employees who are nearing the 1,040 hour limit and may soon be unable to work. This means their current driver shortage may become worse.

“We’re running on borrowed time,” Class said.

Class hopes that by Jan. 2019 the driver shortage issue will be resolved.

There are proactive plans to get new drivers including a joint training program with Redwood Transit System in Eureka to provide a bus driver’s “learner permit” in order to train new drivers for a B-class driver’s license.

Students and citizens, including retired workers, are eligible for this “bus driver in training” position so long as they are willing to work and can pass a drug test.

Some residents of Arcata have been affected mildly by the driver shortage.

According to Joannah Harris, her old route had been cut off by the new routes.

“I had to get used to the new scheduling,” Harris said.

According to Frank Moldy, the change happened abruptly with no notice and left him stranded at a bus stop. “Let people know, have some ads so we know,” Moldy said.

“It didn’t really affect us,” resident Annie Bernier said. “But, we would be stuck (here) without the bus.”

Beyond the scope of the driver shortage, Class wants to expand the current bus system. He wants Arcata residents to have the same half-hour bus stops that HSU students enjoy. There are also plans with HSU to connect the University with off campus parking south of G Street, according to Class.

“We want to be the best little bus system in the west,” Class said.

Until A&MRTS can solve their driver shortage effectively, future expansion will have to wait.

By Tony Wallin & Alex Harris

City council vote stops student housing project

The Arcata community filled the city council chamber on Aug. 29, only to witness a deadlock between their city council members over a student housing project.

Mike Pitino and Mayor Sofia Pereira denied council member Susan Ornelas’ motion to approve the project as a concept if Humboldt State University and developer AMCAL were willing to adjust their proposal.

Another motion laid out by Pitino to continue as is was also denied from a protest vote by both Ornelas and Brett Watson, who abstained from voting. No agreement was able to be met, three council members were unable to vote the same way.

This was the sixth meeting to address the controversial AMCAL housing project known as The Village. HSU has now supported the proposed 240 unit four 4 story building that will house 800 beds which has also raised concern with residents.

Retired HSU Biology professor, Milt Boyd, who was with the department for 38 years said he was there to observe the actions of the city with much concern regarding the project.

“I am a strong advocate for students and actions that will be beneficial to students, but this certain project is not going to end up benefiting students,” Boyd said. “Its going to be a problem for them.”

The majority of those who attended agree with Boyd. Many HSU faculty and retirees brought up problems dealing with traffic safety, noise pollution in the surrounding neighborhoods, affordability and lack of family units, which an administrator for HSU said they were unwilling to accommodate since their isn’t a need for it.

Out of 14 people to publicly speak, 10 denied moving forward with the project. Erik Jules, one of the directors of Arcata Citizens for Responsible Housing and HSU biology professor was one of those to declare no.

“The problem that HSU has is retention, people come here and then leave. If we build more housing will it solve that problem?” Jules said. “Ill tell you what our problem is, we have a budget problem…We’ve lost teaching powers, we don’t have enough classes for students.” Jules said that building houses will not solve HSU’s budget problem.

Jane Woodward, a member of ACRH, had main concerns with safety regarding students and of those that live on the hill.

“I worry about the seniors that live on the hill. With 600 students crossing there it’s dangerous,” Woodward said. “They don’t have appropriate walkways to get students to HSU safely, there’s only one way in and one way out.”

It seemed as though all of the councilmembers were disappointed with the outcome of the meeting, as well most who attended. This disappointment seemed to resonate in the final comments by Arcata Mayor Sofia Pereira:

“I’m disappointed in the outcome,” Pereira said. “Students are struggling to find housing in this community and this was not a perfect project by any means but it met a lot of needs that we have in our community. So I am disappointed we are unable to move forward on it.”