The Lumberjack editorial board recognizes the sensitivity of this topic and the affect this discussion can have on victims and survivors. We would like to remind readers that the North Coast Rape Crisis team has a 24-hour hotline for those in need. You can reach the NCRC hotline at 707-445-2881.

Brett Kavanaugh, Bill Cosby, Larry Nassar, Kobe Bryant, Donald Trump, and Harvey Weinstein. This brief and incomplete list of men with sexual violence and harassment charges are referred to by the media with their formal titles: Judge, doctor, priest, actor, athlete, president of the United States and so on.

The women, and in some cases men, who came forward to speak up against these perpetrators, alleged or guilty, were almost always addressed as “accuser” or “accused.”

Moving forward and after publication of this article we have decided to stop using this word in reference to victims of all forms of sexual violence or harassment and urge all news and media to do the same. We reached this decision after Humboldt State University’s Journalism professor Victoria Sama gave a presentation on Oct. 23 on the history of the use of the word accuser by mainstream media.

In law, when referring to a victim of other crimes such as murder or robbery, we never call those victims “accusers.”

Former trial attorney Michele Sharpe addresses this concept in an opinion on the Washington Post called “Who’s a victim? Who’s an ‘accuser’? The loaded language of sexual assault.”

“American law has never had special terms for victims of crimes other than rape: We have only the generic terms ‘victim’ or ‘witness,’ as in murder victim and robbery witness,” Sharpe said.

The language used to refer to sexual assault victims separates them from the definition of victims of other crimes. In the end, the word “accuser” implies that victims of sexual assault have something to prove.

Sharpe encourages journalists reporting on sexual assault to include both names or to use identifying titles for both parties in case of requests for anonymity.

Sama said in California state system, dating back to 1850, she found uses of the word “accuser,” but generally in reference to policy and law rather than an individual or party. Sama said the word began to carry with it “inferences of doubt,” in the 17th century for common English law and carried over to American law.

During this time English Chief Justice Matthew Hale required instruction for juries to judge women. Women were the ones who primarily brought rape cases to trial in the 17th century. Hale claimed that rape was an easy charge to make and defend and juries should require cautionary examination of female persons in question.

Eventually in 1975, this cautionary instruction was done away with after People vs. Rincon Pineda. A case concerning a woman who left her window open for her cat and was sexually assaulted by a drunk man who entered her home through the window.

On a religious spectrum, the term accuser has adversarial or enemy implications. In the King James bible, the term accuser is a term used to reference the devil as the “accuser of the brethren.”

The use of the word accuser is also written into some journalism standards. The Associated Press Style Book, quite often referred to as the journalist’s bible, guides journalists on grammar, punctuation, ethics and how to address people in specific circumstances and more. The style book is updated to reflect current happenings and terms every year.

AP has updated entries in its 2018 edition with victim and survivor. According to this entry, “use those terms with care because they can be imprecise and politically and legally fraught.”

The AP, the Washington Post, The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, NPR, CNN and more, consistently use the word accuser when reporting on sexual assault and the victims thereof.

As news publications that lead in responsibility to accurately report the news with clarity, we strongly urge them to stop using the word accuser. We ask that the Associated Press edit the terms victim and survivor in their style book. We ask that the media starts to consider the seriousness of separating victims of sexual assault from victims of other crimes.

After exploring the history and trends of the word accuser in the media, law, religion and by definition we reached the same conclusion as Sharpe and Sama:

“The word accuser is a superficially neutral term.”

We the people have a right to life, liberty. . . and self care.

This has been an election with record high early voter turnout for a gubernatorial race just after two years of America’s most polarizing and unpopular president in history.

There are also many critically important ballots and measures which could affect everyday life for people in Humboldt county, and it’s very important to take care of yourself during such a high pressure election.

One of the most critical ballots for people’s livelihoods this year is measure K, an initiative to make Humboldt County a sanctuary county prohibiting local law enforcement with cooperating with federal immigration officers. Proponents of K claim this measure protects families of undocumented persons by granting custodial power and avoids unnecessary pain.

This measure could likely make or break the practice of separating families in our county. Family separation can cause irreversible harm to kids and their parents. It makes sense that the people whose livelihoods and security depends on this measure will feel the stress this election season.

Resources for undocumented students and/or citizens are available on both a national and local level.

• Humboldt State University offers multiple resources through the Student Health and Wellbeing center for students including financial aid options, health care options and legal help.
• The California State University system offers various resources for legal or con campus help for undocumented students.
• Teresa Foster, Immigration Consultant 707 255-8666 – According to the St. Joseph’s Community Resource listing, Foster helps immigrants re-unite with loved ones through various visa processes, up to and including residency and citizenship; based in Napa, office serves the immigrant community throughout the state. Foster is not an attorney, she is a consultant with a bond on file at the CA Secretary of State. Because this location is farther away consider calling for information.

• Catholic Charities, Immigration and Citizenship Services offers mostly legal services regarding citizenship classes, refugee resettlement, DACA, preparing documents for visa petitions, adjustments of status, affidavits of support, consular processing documents and work authorizations. This location involves a four hour drive south, but you can visit their website for general information on any of these topics or family reunification.
• Those in need of help and advice can also find the closest resource to them through the National Immigration Legal Services Directory. A zip code search will bring up a list of near by resources. Click here to find resources around this a

Though there is not an explicitly a decision on immigration, this election has the potential to sway the political power in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. We recognize the results of this election can still cause great distress about the future of important topics like immigration policies and reform.

On a mental health care level, this election season, The Lumberjack has some suggestions for people who are feeling uneasy about the future. For whatever reason voters may feel stressed, depressed, angry, sad or happy, people can decompress by taking breaks from social media, watching funny animal videos, yoga and meditation, and emotion management.

Taking a break from social media is a strong preemptive measure to reduce anxiety and depression for the election. Research from Anxiety and Depression Association of America suggests that social media usage is significantly associated with mood instability, including a prevalence of depression.

If you see content that might cause you discomfort, turn your phone over for a little bit. There is no shame in logging off in the name of self care.

Crying also has mood benefits, depending on the person. The act of crying leads to tension relief, and can help with psychological recovery from distress. It is possible that people may feel distress when realizing their candidate has lost, like when President Trump was elected. A healthy cry gets the job done to move on to the future.

Try watching some online videos like funny animal videos or fail compilations. These are a great way to take the edge off a long election night. Skip the viral videos and play your favorite video game instead.

Make some time to sleep or exercise as healthy distractions if viral videos and video games won’t cut it.

Last, but most certainly not least, if you are feeling that you can not handle the pressure alone, here are some resources to connect to the person you need.

• Humboldt County Mental Health – Phone: (707) 445-7203
• HSU Counseling & Psychological Services – Phone: (707) 826-323

Safety a primary issue for Humboldt community

For students at Humboldt State University, Arcata plaza is the place to go to grab a drink after a stressful day of exams or just to hang out. As a result, the bars are incredibly busy, loud, and dense with drunk people who make drunken mistakes. It’s a recipe for disaster when a person is in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong people.

On Oct. 25, a man was stabbed to death near Arcata plaza. The suspect was later arrested according to Arcata Police Department.

This stabbing is close to home for HSU students. Students have witnessed several murders over the past five years including the murder of David Josiah Lawson, who was murdered at a party of campus. This stabbing could have easily been another student death.

The incident calls to question the safety of Arcata and who is responsible for keeping it safe? How do we ensure that students can enjoy their cheap pints safely?

The usual people we turn to are the police, and in cases involving students, we turn to HSU. As public servants, police are supposed to ensure security for the general welfare, and HSU brings students into that public.

The APD say they have police patrolling Arcata Plaza at all times. They are often out and about, biking around and engaging with the local people. This is a great way to connect with the people and see them face to face.

But with the amount of people that typically visit the bars, the police may have too much work to do. Interactions between people happen very quickly and in the case of a crowded bar or busy street, someone may not be around to help at a moment’s notice.

Additional police would be great to have, but in reality, labor costs money and suggesting more police may not be cost effective. If HSU wants to invest in security for students, they can’t leave out the downtown Arcata nightlife. just like how HSU subsidizes the bus systems in Humboldt County.

HSU and Arcata should consider having emergency blue light emergency phones extending from campus to Arcata plaza. Students, or people in general can have direct contact with Arcata or campus police. They offer a sense of security like a beacon in the fog. Just like security cameras, the presence of phones should at least deter violence in general.

Arcata bars should also share the responsibility of security for their patrons. Bouncers are often posted outside of the bars, but rarely check people’s belongings. Weapons can be easily concealed and should be checked.

Ultimately, safety still lies with the individual. Being aware of your environment and surroundings is the best way to rely on your safety. There won’t always be security nearby, so if you ever feel something fishy about the situation you’re in, whether it be the setting or the people you’re with, listen to your instincts.

One week of restitution is simply not enough

Last week was Indigenous Peoples Week at Humboldt State University. Next month will be Native American History Month. But Indigenous people exist all the time and live their lives everyday. It’s not enough to be recognized for a limited time of the year.

Instead, all states should stop recognizing Columbus day, historically offensive symbols should be moved or removed and everyone should remember to include the injustices of indigenous peoples in conversations of the past.

Christopher Columbus wasn’t a hero, he’s a lot worse than the majority of people imagine. He was a slave trader and sought out gold. Columbus and his crew took over modern Bahamas and Cuba, raped the women and children and killed the men in grotesque ways. The Pope decided their land was empty because only Christians could own land. This is only a brief blip in the brutal history colonializers had committed against the Indigenous people.

Andrew Jackson pushed for the Indian Removal Act, displacing the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chicksaw, Creek and Seminole people from the Georgia/Florida land and forcing the entire tribe to walk to Oklahoma in the peak of a cold, snowy winter and killing almost 4,000 people.

Fast forward to this millenia, the Internet has videos from the No DAPL protests in 2016 featuring militia shooting tear gas and rubber bullets at American Indian protesters.

There’s a lot of history that Americans aren’t willing to learn about or teach their children in K-12 schools.

No amount of guilt will help heal the generational trauma millions of American Indians live with in their DNA. There are some things people can do to help recognize Indigenous people in their life.

An effective local effort is to vote no on measure M. If passed, Measure M will prohibit modification or destruction of the McKinley statue at the heart of the Arcata Plaza. The man who paid for the statue, George Zehndner, owned a young American Indian girl named Lucy. Lucy was among many young children who were sold as slaves in the Northern California area, after their parents were killed by citizens or their slave owners.

Another action people can take is to know when it’s appropriate to bring up American Indians into intersectional conversations. Be inclusive when talking about minorities and injustices.

People believe Indigenous people want reparations or justice for getting their land stolen, having their people massacred and having their culture appropriated. However, reparations for Indigenous people begins with remembering a history that has been erased.

Register to vote, re-register to vote or simply vote. If you have to register or are registered to a different county, register here and register now. The deadline to vote in the midterm elections is Oct. 22.

Vote in the midterm elections on Nov. 6, on your local ballot measures and on your national representation. Too often voters forget there are branches to the government that aren’t presidential.

Out of the eight measures on the ballot in Humboldt county, we urge you to pay special attention to Measure M and Measure K. When the time comes, Humboldt county voters should vote against Measure M.

Measure M is a petition initiative to protect the President William McKinley statue from any “modification and/or destruction of the President William McKinley Statue and its base and/or the relocation from its historic place in the center of the Arcata Plaza.”

The city of Arcata already voted to remove the statue on March 21, based on the fact that Arcata is on Wiyot land and the statue serves as an ugly reminder of a Confederate past.

But the statue is considered a historic feature of the Arcata plaza and could cost up to $65,000 to relocate. If passed Measure M would not allow the statue to be removed.

Removing Mckinley would make Arcata the first city to remove a presidential monument.

Arguments filed in favor of and against the measure are filed on the City of Arcata website for consideration.

Another measure Humboldt voters must consider is Measure K.

Measure K is a petition initiative to make Humboldt county a sanctuary county.

A yes vote on Measure K favors preventing “local law enforcement agencies from cooperating with federal immigration officials,” making Humboldt County a sanctuary county.

A no vote on Measure K would essentially allow local law enforcement agencies to cooperate at will with federal immigration officials.

We urge Humboldt voters to vote yes on Measure K to ensure Humboldt is a safe community for everyone.

Grassroots group Centro del Pueblo has been promoting the initiative since 2016 and successfully passed sanctuary status for Arcata according to their Measure K website.

The full measure addresses restrictions and permissions of what law enforcement and county employees can do in regards to cooperating with federal immigration enforcement. It also prohibits the use of county funds to aid immigration enforcement. It also addresses county protocol for “welfare of children of deported parents.”

The measure also states that the measure would not prevent county employees or police officers from outright disobeying the law or responding appropriately in an emergency.

The Eureka Times-Standard has reported the measure would cost the county $300,000.

Alternatively, KHSU reported this is a skewed idea of what the measure will cost the county, according to lawyer and advocate Erick Kirk.

We urge voters to read the measure for consideration.

Finally, vote because this is when it matters nationally. Republicans currently hold majority votes in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. According to Ballotpedia, all 435 lower House of Representative seats and 35 Senate seats are up for grabs.

After the current Senate confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh into the Supreme Court, we strongly believe a shift in political majority can not come soon enough.

This election has the potential to shift the power of the majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate from Republican to Democrat.

According to the Guardian, “the Democratic party is defending 26 seats (including two independents, who usually vote with them) while the Republicans only have to defend nine.”

It takes 51 seats to control the majority in the Senate and 218 to control majority vote in the House of Representatives.

Voters across the nation have the opportunity to greatly influence the shift of power in Congress. The President is only one branch of our government. The Senate and House of Representatives make up the law making branch of our government.

And for those who do not agree with us, go vote about it.

For more information on what’s on the Nov. 6 ballot visit the Midterm Congressional, State, and Local Elections page on the http://usa.gov website.

 

Readership should consider placing trust in  journalism standards for anonymous sources

Lack of transparency, bad reporting and a number of circumstances contribute to the public’s diminishing trust of the media.

In spite of this, the New York Times ran a submitted piece from an anonymous senior government official vowing to “thwart” parts of President Donald Trump’s “agenda and worst inclinations.”

By doing so the NY Times has asked its readership to put their trust in them and their vetting process for anonymous sources, and we think you should too.

Granting Anonymity

Granting a valuable source anonymity is not unheard of. Consider the most famous example of the Watergate scandal in the early 1970’s.

Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein relied on information from a source they called ‘Deep Throat’ after a break-in of the Watergate complex offices of the Democratic National Committee in Washington and the unfolding of events afterwards.

Woodward and Bernstein protected ‘Deep Throat’ for 33 years until a Vanity Fair article revealed him to be Mike Felt, a former associate director for the FBI. The result of using an anonymous source with vital information eventually led to the resignation of former President Richard Nixon after exposing his administration’s inappropriate abuse of power.

The Washington Post relied on the integrity of these reporters and the source as well as put their brand and reputation on the line based on the right of the public to know. News organizations must heavily weigh and debate the importance of the public’s right to know against the the individual harm to the source in revealing their identity.

Alternatively, journalists have a responsibility to also consider the agenda of the source and their motives for requesting anonymity.

Codes of Ethics

This ethical dilemma is one journalists encounter consistently: the public’s right to know the truth versus a responsibility to minimize harm. Because of this, stated ethical practices and codes exist to guide the decision making process on reporting responsibly.

The Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics lays out four main standards for ethical journalism: Seek Truth and Report It, Minimize Harm, Act Independently and Be Accountable and Transparent.

Though minimizing harm can be applied in multiple ways to using an anonymous source, the SPJ outlines their anonymous source standards under the responsibility to seek truth and report it.

The SPJ states: “Journalists should: Consider sources’ motives before promising anonymity. Reserve anonymity for sources who may face danger, retribution or other harm, and have information that cannot be obtained elsewhere.”

Other publication style guides and organization standards for dealing with anonymous very closely mirror these values such as AP Style’s guidelines which stress that the material is in a position to have this factual information that is vital to the news report. For comparison, the SPJ website provides a list of journalism ethics codes from around the world.

The NY Times Opinion Piece

The opinion piece is a unique article under which anonymity has been granted. Different media organizations follow set codes or write their own and the New York Times does not necessarily have to adhere to the ones mention, but does have its own standards of ethics. Under the AP Style publishing the opinion would not be advised simply because it is not hard news.

The New York Times prefaces the piece by stating publishing an anonymous op/ed is a “rare step.” They also opened up a form allowing readers to submit questions, comments and concerns about the piece where an editor answered some responses for clarification and transparency.

The piece was published Sept. 5 and by Sept. 6 the NY Times published a story covering how Trump’s “almost entire cabinet and leadership team…pleaded not guilty” to plans to act against him.

The article explicitly depicts the story unfolding as a result of publishing the letter as well as the exclusivity of knowledge of the author.

“The author, whose identity is known to The Times editorial page department but was not shared with the reporters who cover the White House…” the article said. “Describes him or herself as one of many senior officials in the Trump administration who are “working diligently from within to frustrate parts of his agenda and his worst inclinations.”’

The article comes at a time when the risk of using an anonymous source is often too big to take and it is worth noting the bold decision of the NY Times to move forward in doing so. Understanding the process they and other journalists go through should imply the weight and seriousness of what this high ranking government official had to say, even if it was presented under anonymity.

Consider the process journalists are supposed to take when dealing with a dilemma of this nature. We believe this gives the author some credibility if the NY Times has risked their brand and reputation to give this source a platform against their own administration.

Sexism runs rampant in the professional tennis world and what happened to legendary player Serena Williams on Sept. 8 is proof.

A showdown between Williams and Naomi Osaka in the U.S Open culminated with tears running down both women’s cheeks for very different reasons.

In the heat of the match, with both competitors fighting fiercely for a Grand Slam Finals victory, Williams was given code violations by umpire Carlos Ramos.

First, Ramos handed Williams a violation warning for coaching after he believed Williams’ coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, gave her signals from the bleachers.

The next violation came when a clearly frustrated Williams smashed her racket on the court and she was handed a point penalty. The line of sexism was crossed when Ramos docked Williams an entire game for calling him a “thief.”

“You stole a point from me and you’re a thief,” Williams told Ramos.

The International Tennis Federation released a statement in support of Ramos’ decision to penalize Williams:

“Carlos Ramos is one of the most experienced and respected umpires in tennis. Mr. Ramos’ decisions were in accordance with the relevant rules and were re-affirmed by the US Open’s decision to fine Serena Williams for the three offenses.”

After the match, Williams told reporters that Ramos’ calls were clearly rooted in sexism.

“I’m here fighting for women’s rights and women’s equality,” Williams said. “And for me to say ‘thief’ and for him to take a game, made me feel like it was a sexist remark. He’s never taken a game from a man, because he said thief. For me, it blew my mind.”

We should be talking about Osaka and her dream of beating Serena Williams in a Final coming true. Yet, we have to address the elephant in the room once again.

Williams was fined $17,000 by the U.S Open for the violation but her male counterparts have come to her defense.

<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet” data-lang=”en”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>I will admit I have said worse and not gotten penalized. And I’ve also been given a “soft warning” by the ump where they tell you knock it off or I will have to give you a violation. He should have at least given her that courtesy. Sad to mar a well played final that way. <a href=”https://t.co/xhBzFZX8Wq”>https://t.co/xhBzFZX8Wq</a></p>&mdash; James Blake (@JRBlake) <a href=”https://twitter.com/JRBlake/status/1038619979938189313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>September 9, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js&#8221; charset=”utf-8″></script>

<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet” data-lang=”en”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>I’ve regrettably said worse and I’ve never gotten a game penalty</p>&mdash; andyroddick (@andyroddick) <a href=”https://twitter.com/andyroddick/status/1038642213427789826?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>September 9, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js&#8221; charset=”utf-8″></script>

Just in the last few months, there have been other instances where female tennis players were treated differently than the males.

French tennis player Alize Cornet was handed a violation for briefly taking her shirt off on the court. She had been in the locker room to change during a 10-minute break and when she returned to the court she realized her shirt was on wrong and fixed it.

Tennis pro John Isner changed his shirt 11 times during his match against Juan Martin del Potro. Novak Djokovich, one of the game’s elite players, sat shirtless for several minutes while waiting for his opponent to return from a break. Neither player was penalized.

Earlier this year, in her first match since giving birth to her first baby, Williams wore a full body all-black catsuit at the French Open that helped her blood circulation after having a rough birth.

French Tennis Federation President Bernard Giudicelli made an announcement banning Williams’ catsuit and introduced a new dress code that banned players from wearing form fitting clothes.

Williams responded in perfect fashion by wearing a $500 Louis Vuitton tulle skirt (tutu) for her first match at the U.S Open.

Tennis has a long way to go in achieving equality for women at every level. The most polarizing and dominant player in tennis shouldn’t have to be in this fight but she is. Now that the GOAT has spoken up for women’s rights in a game ruled over by men, maybe the road will be easier for the next generation of women in sports. We can only hope.

Administration must take KSHU advisory board and community demands seriously

Listeners, staff and volunteers of community of the non-commercial public radio station KHSU have spoken.

They demand a replacement for the Humboldt State University appointed general manager Peter Fretwell and a change in character of his supervisor, University Advancement Vice President, Craig Wruck.

HSU should adhere to their concerns and demands immediately, or at least take active measures to find some middle ground.

After the sudden firing of KHSU’s program operations manager Katie Whiteside, KHSU has been vocal about what feels to them like a “hostile takeover.” A little over a month after Fretwell fired Whiteside, the KHSU advisory board submitted a letter to administration in which they present a vote of no confidence against Fretwell, respectfully asking him to step down.

Soon after, Wruck attended the July advisory board meeting to face feedback and questions from the community. Fretwell, however, was not present per Wruck’s request.

After over two hours of back and forth over several issues between the community, the station and Wruck, he confirmed that Fretwell’s position is not in danger.

“At this point Peter is meeting my expectations and his job is not in jeopardy,” Wruck said.

This is a blatant disregard of community voice and of the people the radio station is meant to serve. HSU has done nothing

According to the KHSU website, “HSU provides approximately 20 percent of KHSU’s cash revenue… HSU also provides facilities and other significant administrative in-kind support for station operations.”

This means that HSU serves as a sort of a glorified landlord that deals with some management of operations and staffing. The history and relationship of KHSU and the university is more closely tied than just landlord and tenant, however the station was created primarily to serve the community.

Now it receives the majority of its funding from the community instead of depending solely on HSU to run smoothly.

“Contributions from listeners, businesses and local organizations account for the remaining 64 percent of the station’s annual operating budget,” their website said.

This station is the blood, sweat and tears of minimal staff, mostly volunteers, dedicated listeners and strong and unyielding community. A lot of those who currently work for or worked for KHSU are Humboldt State alum. They want transparency from the university and a sign that their voices are being heard and most of all they want action.

Tensions between KHSU and the university have only grown worse since Whiteside’s firing. At the July 27 KHSU advisory board meeting, community members called out the university for its lack of transparency and lack of response to their concerns.

Between the firing of Whiteside and the last advisory board meeting, allegations of abusive behavior and a hostile work environment have surfaced from staff at KHSU against both Fretwell and Wruck.

Though letters have been sent to Humboldt State University President Lisa Rossbacher, not much as been done in the way of addressing the fighting between Wruck, Fretwell and KHSU.

Feedback against the way business is being handled at KHSU has grown even more tense with the added allegations of aggressive behavior in addition to a requested audit of the station, a suggested change to the mission statement and values and a transition toward new technology.

It is not immediately clear if Wruck and Fretwell will pause, take a step back and begin to listen and respond with empathy. Both men remain in their positions and are still responsible for running a station that is losing or has already lost faith in them.

Before relations between the university and KHSU staff, volunteers, sponsors and listeners worsen, HSU needs to make some changes or take active measures to mediate issues between their chosen leadership and the community.

Humboldt State University must strongly consider the Eureka NAACP chapter’s letter about recruitment of students of color.

The Eureka NAACP posted a press release on April 26 insisting the college stop sending recruiters to minority-majority communities for the sake of the money these students bring the college.

Colleges will receive access to certain federal funding based on a number of reasons, one of those is the amount of diversity in student enrollment. For example, Humboldt State is a Hispanic-Serving Institution.

According to an article in the Sacramento Bee, to be a Hispanic-Serving Institution means the college’s demographic is at least 25 percent latino. The government awards this title and this allows the college access to “new programs and millions of dollars in targeted grants.”

Therefore the ENAACP asks that HSU stop recruiting students of color for the sake of access to this type of funding, claiming it is misleading to gather students to a toxic environment.

The ENAACP continues to present several reasonable demands in addition to ceasing minority-majority recruitment.

The ENAACP asks of HSU to:

• “Honor the experiences of students of color by confronting its institutional racism and actively engaging with the campus community, the City of Arcata and the surrounding communities in speaking to the racism that students experience.
• Ensure that support is in place so that students of color thrive in this community.
• Provide budget for permanent staff and student support for the Cultural Centers for Academic Excellence
• Transparency concerning the climate of racism in Humboldt County be the top priority in recruiting and marketing
• Do more to serve our diverse population of students with appropriate funding and staffing for the programs that serve them
• Prioritize hiring more faculty of color, and training current faculty and staff in “cultural competency””

We believe that these are reasonable requests to follow and that HSU must act accordingly.

Though the demand to cease recruitment of students of color is extreme, we believe it is rightfully based off of the reality of the discriminatory climate in Humboldt county. The organization is not without proof.

“Students of color at Humboldt State University have shared with us their experiences of racism in many forms including micro-aggressive behavior in HSU classrooms, overt racism on the streets, systemic racism in the pursuit of housing and employment, and institutional racism in the form of more punitive measures than their white counterparts,” ENAACP said in the press release. “We hear them.”

However, it seems that HSU is quick to defend and less quick to act. In a response letter, HSU President Lisa Rossbacher expressed minor empathy for the basis of these demands and proceeded to insist HSU is doing what it can.

“I disagree with many of the statements in the letter, but I do agree with the larger point that HSU and the North Coast need to do more,” Rossbacher said. “Our country struggles with a history of racism and racial inequality on the national and local levels. We must find ways, and work together, to create a brighter future for all our students.”

This is an indirect response to a list of clearly well made ideas and initiatives that the college could easily adapt to. Although Rossbacher agree’s, she does not address these bullet points and does not respond with any implications of having an actual plan to address the major issue of racism, just keeps insisting more must be done.

For example, Rossbacher has been consistently missing from discussions on dialogue and protests over the murder of HSU student Josiah Lawson. April 15 marked a year since his death and his case remains unsolved. When students gather in remembrance and protest of his death, Rossbacher is consistently nowhere to be found.

The press release also addresses the lack of presence from administration, stating that “there has been no consistent presence of HSU administrators at the monthly vigils organized and facilitated by the students and Charmaine Lawson, the mother of David Josiah Lawson.”

They also note the lack of regular presence of administration at the monthly Dialogue on Race meetings and recognizes that this is unacceptable.

Though we do not believe HSU should stop recruiting in the middle of a budget crisis, we do believe HSU and its admins and leaders, such as Rossbacher, should stop responding with feigned empathy, she should start acting and start showing up to represent the students of color that represent the institution.

We, as HSU students who have experienced this discrimination and have heard the stories of discrimination against our peers, are angry. We are tired of repeating ourselves. The toxic and racist climate of Humboldt county and Humboldt State University must be acted upon immediately.