The Lumberjack



Students Serving The Cal Poly Humboldt Campus and Community Since 1929

Category: Opinion

  • Hold Those in Power Accountable

    Hold Those in Power Accountable

    We all need to be aware of the consequences of our mistakes. And that means owning up to them, too. 

    You learn by your mistakes. This doesn’t mean you intentionally make mistakes in your everyday life, but it means that you learn from them and try your best to own up and do better the next time around. We must take responsibility for our actions and hold ourselves and others accountable.

    The Mueller Report was recently released, detailing Donald Trump’s campaign involvement with Russia. But instead of holding himself accountable to his actions, he has instead chosen to go back to his original tactic of tweeting and vocally voicing his denial of the report and the related evidence. Trump has intentionally diverted attention away from the Mueller report by calling it “politically motivated,” and painting himself as the victim.

    Despite the years of investigation that went into the report, many are in denial of its authenticity. Some supporters have gone as far as writing the report off as “written by Angry Democrats and Trump Haters” while they downplay the damning evidence that says otherwise.

    It’s important to acknowledge those who are in denial of the mounting evidence and to acknowledge those who claim the report is incorrect or untrue despite the evidence proving the opposite.

    With Lisa Rossbacher’s departure looming and the announcement of the next Humboldt State University president, we want to highlight some of the issues brought up when it comes to those not taking into account the effects of their actions. On the president’s webpage, it claims that she wants to focus on key areas, “supporting student success, providing a welcoming environment for our diverse community, ensuring we have the resources needed to fulfill our mission and expanding partnerships, both on- and off- campus”.

    While that may be the case, there are multiple things that President Rossbacher has done that show otherwise. She had significant involvement in shutting down the football program, there has been a complete lack of acknowledgement of the racism in the school and campus community and the majority of anti-immigrant rhetoric on campus. To top it off, Rossbacher and the committee decided to gut KHSU without warning and the Arcata community isn’t too happy either.

    We are all human. Every day we make decisions and their consequences may not be immediately known to us or others. There can be immense pressure on an individual to make a decision in the heat of the moment, but when the consequences of that decision come to reality, it is important to acknowledge any mistakes, own up to them and work to rectify the issues.

    A bit of modesty can go a long way, because mistakes and failures are a natural part of life. As editors, we see and make plenty of small, seemingly irrelevant mistakes: misplaced commas, poor grammar and spelling errors. When a writer at the Lumberjack hands in an article, they have tried their best to catch their own mistakes but it is a show of modesty to allow us editors to mark up their work so the final presentation is handsome and polished. Even then, mistakes slip through the cracks and we try our best to see to them all.

    We should hold those in power to the same standards. If we at the Lumberjack expect our writers and editors to edit their work and try their best to catch their mistakes, then the Humboldt State community needs to hold Lisa Rossbacher accountable for her inaction just as much as the country needs to hold Donald Trump accountable for his. People in power should not get a pass simply because of their position.

  • OPINION: Former KHSU intern speaks up

    OPINION: Former KHSU intern speaks up

    A student’s perspective on the gutting of KHSU

    This shit is insane.

    I’m not sure how else to describe the shuttering of KHSU in the last month of my education.

    Interning for KHSU has been rocky from the day I signed the paperwork. I began in the summer of 2018. Katie Whiteside, the beloved program director, hired me and on my first day of work she was unexpectedly fired. We have since bumped into one another, but I was unsure of how to proceed when the only string we had tying us together had been broken so quickly. Now we have a lot more in common…

    The station also had a physical shift in my first days. The studios were moved from the top floor of the Theater Arts Building to the sunny, albeit noisy, Feuerwerker House.

    I mention these abrupt changes to point out that my time at KHSU has been anything but stable. I’ve come to expect some level of shaky ground, but not like this…this felt off the Richter scale.

    I finally felt this internship was paying off. Literally. I began getting paid for my work for the first time and I had my first solo-produced audio feature run on the station two weeks ago. It felt fitting that the culmination of my work at HSU would be disseminated professionally the day before I turned 30 and just a month before I graduate. I was already excitedly working on my next piece and I made plans to stay for the summer. This was Wednesday, April 3.

    Tuesday, April 9 KHSU held a going away party for HSU alum Michael Roccaforte at Richard’s Goat. We ate tacos, drank beers and espoused the success of (and waking up for) the pledge drive that had concluded just two days prior. Nobody had any idea it would be a going away party for all of us. I’m partially glad for that, because it was a blast.

    Wednesday, April 10 would be the last full day of KHSU as we knew it.

    Thursday morning KHSU was gutted of nearly all its employees. Two remained, but not for long. My only indication anything was amiss that day were the cop cars parked on either side of the studios. Nothing was said prior to myself or any other intern. We learned at the same time as everybody else, standing in the rain in front of the studio. Later that afternoon I read a story on the Lost Coast Outpost with a quote which vaguely informed me that I, as a student, might still have a job. Why was I reading the status of my employment through a news outlet instead of being told directly?

    Myself and the two other interns, Damian Jimenez and Destiny Hill-Brekke, received a generic email at 5:35 p.m. apologizing for the the silence on the university’s end, saying that it was an “oversight.”

    KHSU was shut down because it had “drifted” from the interest of the students. Which students? Hypothetical students? Because I’m a real student and I still had a deep interest in finishing my internship. I had an interest in the connections not to mention references I was gaining. I had an interest in the paycheck I counted on. I had an interest in having the last month (and summer) to fill out my portfolio with professional audio journalism, the thing I came to school for in the first place.

    KHSU wasn’t the first community institution to get cut by an ax-wielding budget committee and it likely won’t be the last, but I feel cheated. At least the football team got to finish their season before they got cut…

    To KHSU: You’ll be sorely missed by more than just me. From the bottom of my heart, thanks for experience and thanks for all the laughs.

    Megan “Midge” Martin

  • Hills and Stairs University

    Hills and Stairs University

    Everyday is leg day for HSU students

    As I wrap up my first year at Humboldt State and reflect on the past semester, one thing I know I will not miss about campus is the stairs. Coming into HSU I quickly learned the meaning of the school’s acronym “Hills, Stairs and Umbrellas.” I discovered the daily cardio a Lumberjack really goes through just to get to class.

    Curiously, I mapped one of my busiest work days and calculated the steps I climbed. I wanted to see what kind of workout I was getting on the way to class.

    Living on campus meant tackling a daily unavoidable obstacle, the Jolly Giants staircase. Consisting of 82 stairs from the second floor to the top of the hill, I climb that beast at least four times a day.

    Due to conveniently timed retrofitting construction happening mid-school year, accessibility to the library is somewhat restricted. This requires me to get in more steps by walking up and around the Van Duzer Theatre, into the art quad and eventually towards the library.

    Luckily, I avoid the main Founders’ Hall staircase by taking a shortcut behind The Depot. By walking up and around the loading dock a “secret” staircase sticks out of the greenery on the west side of Founders’. The shortcut comes in clutch by cutting 110 stairs down to 36, a lung and leg saver!

    Caswell’s Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule tracked for the entire day. | Map courtesy HSU

    My cardio ends with a midnight trip to the Cupboard, scaling 64 stairs or seven floors for a snack and some caffeine.

    While I often complain over the difficulty of my schedule and the exhaustion of walking to class, I’m fortunate enough to avoid some of HSU’s worst campus obstacles, such as the Campus Events Field hill or the Behavioral Social Sciences hill. Both are by far the worst and most complained about in terms of walking to class. Additionally, my schedule covers only half of HSU’s entire campus.

    I acknowledge the fact that I am more than capable of maneuvering around campus. While complaining about the walk itself is half the conversation on the way to class, complaints undermine the legitimate struggle HSU students can face. By remaining conscience of this behavior we can limit complaints and be more respectful to fellow students.

    Lastly, because HSU is stationed in the middle of the redwoods, copious amounts of stairs and uneven land is the campus norm. However, it’s far from being inclusive to all students and stands as more of a restriction. While we can’t always choose the land we build on we can choose how we build something and who it caters to, something HSU should be reminded of.

    Expose my weak schedule by commenting your own cardio class workout! Who has the worst leg day schedule of all?

  • OPINION: Future lawyer Kim Kardashian West?

    OPINION: Future lawyer Kim Kardashian West?

    While this is a completely legal way to become a lawyer in California, is it a fair way?

    Kim Kardashian West recently revealed in a new Vogue article that she is studying to become a lawyer.

    This news is not that much of a surprise to me because she did get two people out of prison. Her dad is the famous lawyer Robert Kardashian, who defended OJ Simpson.

    I think it is amazing that she is acting in the fight towards prison reform in the United States. I think more celebrities should follow her footsteps and become the change they want to see in the world. I think the problem stems from how she is going about getting this degree.

    She is taking the apprentice route, which is basically where she works closely with a working lawyer and takes a test every couple of weeks for four years. After four years she will eventually take a bar exam.

    While this is a completely legal way to become a lawyer in California, is it a fair way? To many law students and students in general this does not seem like a fair way.

    Lawyer apprenticeships are the original way people would become practicing lawyers. Times have changed, the way most people become lawyers is by going to undergrad for four years. This is the first step because you need to achieve relatively good grades and take the LSAT to get into law school.

    I’ve never been to law school but it seems like a lot of work. This is not even considering the price tag of school. Higher education is expensive, I would know because I am currently in college. Most students must get some sort of financial aid with grants and loans. Some must work while going to school and they don’t have assistants or any help. Some people must go to school, work and are parents.

    I am sure that Kim Kardashian West is an extremely hardworking and busy woman. I probably couldn’t even begin to keep up with her seemingly hectic schedule. At the end of the day she has a whole team of helpers who are there if she needs to study, for the average person it’s not comparable.

    I think it is a little disconnected to become a lawyer for social justice and not acknowledge how her privilege is allowing her to do the apprenticeship and study whatever she wants.

    The other thing is once you become a lawyer and after you graduate you have loans that need to be paid off. Most of the time you don’t get a job in the field of study you want.

    I 100% commend her for going out there and learning to make a change. I just feel she should acknowledge how her route to enact change is not attainable for most people who want to become lawyers.

  • OPINION: What’s in the black hole?

    OPINION: What’s in the black hole?

    Will you be ready for whatever is to come with, or even out of black holes?

    Earlier this month the science community exploded when the first images of a black hole were taken. This new development got me thinking, what’s in the black hole?

    Until this photo no one knew what an actual black hole looked like. Scientists weren’t even completely sure they existed, it was all a theory.

    Some people think if we go into a black hole we’ll just die. Others believe that going into a black hole will take us into another dimension in time or space.

    I want to have some fun and make some guesses to what I think is the black hole. One guess is that when we go into the black hole, we’ll end up on a new foreign land filled with aliens who all look like Beyoncé.

    Another theory is maybe after getting sucked into a black hole, we could all come out like Looney Toon characters or deformed in some way.

    What I truly believe is that there is nothing on the other side of black holes. Maybe, if you fall into a black hole you just never come out. What if there is no end point to a black hole? The universe is always expanding and growing, what if black holes just keep growing?

    What is also interesting about this discovery is how spot-on the pictures of digitized or drawn black holes are. I mean, the movie “Interstellar” was spot on compared to the real image of the black hole. This is not the first time Hollywood has eerily predicted future events before they happen. Which is a whole other opinion, for a different day.

    Whatever ends up being in the black hole will be a question that I may or may not be alive to see answered. I think while we’re doing all this exploring in space people should be ready for whatever comes our way.

  • Letter to the Editors: CRGS lecturer responds to racism on campus

    Letter to the Editors: CRGS lecturer responds to racism on campus

    By: Maral N. Attallah

    Open letter to the folks tearing down David Josiah Lawson pictures/posters, immigrant rights posters and writing hateful, racist, anti-immigrant rhetoric on whiteboards and office doors:

    Maybe you are the same folks, maybe not, but my message is the same.

    Ignorance does not justify or excuse hate!

    Your statements about immigrants are factually incorrect. I do not intend on debating you but I am happy to share resources to help educate you and maybe then engage in some dialogue. It’s not a problem, it’s what I do… but you know this because you’ve stood in front of my office door and know what I teach. I am giving you the benefit of the doubt because it’s also what I do. At this point you have the choice of learning or remaining willfully ignorant. Take some time to think about it.

    I hope that after you tore down David Josiah Lawson’s picture that you paused to see my open letter right below it, where I reflect on his passing. I hope you read it and I hope you felt a tinge of guilt for your actions, I know you are capable of empathy, most of us are. I hope that is why you left my letter up. Regardless of your intentions, your actions were hateful but I will still show you empathy and I’ll do you a solid and put the picture back up for you! It’s all good, it’s already back up.

    You can learn from this moment and become a better human being or you can remain willfully ignorant, your choice. A young man has died and you tore down his picture. Think about that. Immigrants are needlessly suffering, in part due to the ignorance you parroted with your permanent marker. Dehumanizing language does not change the facts. The crazy thing is permanent markers are not permanent; your message did not stay up very long. You can tear down pictures/posters but folks will keep printing and posting. Take some time to reflect on your actions and in the meantime, we will keep putting up posters with statements like, “Everyone is Welcome Here”, “No Human Is Illegal”, “Compassion is Invincible” and my personal favorite, “Sí Se Puede!”

    Lastly, for those who may feel unsafe or targeted by these hateful actions, hold strong in the fact that so many folks have your back! “They tried to bury us; they didn’t know we were seeds.”

    Best wishes,

    Maral N. Attallah

    Distinguished Lecturer, Dept. of CRGS

    04/30/19

  • Letter to the Editors: NPR producer supports KHSU

    Letter to the Editors: NPR producer supports KHSU

    HSU alumni speaks out against KHSU shutdown

    By Ashley Bailey

    Dear Chancellor White,

    I am writing to express my rejection of the recent unilateral dismantling of KHSU by the Humboldt State University administration. As a producer for National Public Radio’s “Here and Now” program, a Humboldt State University alum (class of 2010) and an Arcata native, I have benefited greatly from the existence of KHSU and have several concerns to express over this decision.

    I know KHSU plays a huge role in the community in Humboldt County. I think you know that by now, too. And yet, the university did not properly support the station or communicate about drastic changes, as evidenced by the outcry from the people who pay for the programming, the staff who make the content and all the listeners who have written about their frustrations, anger and sadness.

    The way that the university handled the reorganization of KHSU goes against everything Humboldt stands for. Humboldt State’s mission statement says it serves students from around the world by offering them “access to affordable, high-quality education that is responsive to the needs of a fast-changing world.”

    As a professional journalist working in a volatile environment, I can say that a rural community news outlet working to educate people about the truth is essential right now. Gutting it without input from anyone from the public is irresponsible and shameful. Public radio is, and should always be, driven by the public.

    I believe there is room for conversation about the future of KHSU and closing the door now without further discussion after decades of service is unconscionable.

    The reason I feel so strongly about this is that I know firsthand how important KHSU is. I was the first person in my family to graduate from college and got my first taste of what NPR sounded like listening to KHSU as a student at Humboldt State. I joined the station as a volunteer during my senior year, eager to help. I was trained to do on-air announcements and run the board – opportunities I would not necessarily have had at a larger commercial station.

    KHSU even aired some of my first broadcast stories before any other stations would. I volunteered for the pledge drive and heard from listeners about how much the local programs meant to them. This was a huge educational experience for me. I took what I learned and worked my way up to where I am now, producing content for NPR. This rural station was a valuable resource to so many. I can’t believe the disrespect Humboldt State administrators have shown to the people who worked and volunteered there and to the entire community that listens.

    I ask that you, Chancellor White, reinstate KHSU’s long-term staff and reverse the related budget issues, as expressed in the recent Humboldt State Senate Resolution on KHSU. I believe there is room to correct what happened here and give others in the community the same opportunities that I had to succeed.

    Sincerely,

    Ashley Bailey

    https://www.wbur.org/inside/staff/ashley-bailey

  • Editorial: Thank u, next

    Editorial: Thank u, next

    Who will be the next HSU president?

    When President Lisa Rossbacher announced in October that this spring will be her last year serving as president of HSU many wondered who will be the one to take her place.

    We’re already reaching our end of the school semester and there is still no word as to who will serve as HSU’s president. The last we’ve heard of the search publicly was back in February when there was an open forum for the search for the next HSU president, but there was still no announcement on who’s next.

    However, what’s more convenient is that the announcement of HSU’s next president will be after spring graduation. You know, when most students will not be in campus until their summer or fall semester starts. It’s convenient since there won’t be many students at that point voicing their opinions of the new president.

    President Rossbacher has been a controversial president, with the cutting of the football program, the administration’s lack of acknowledgment when it comes to racism around the community and the closing of the third street art gallery and KHSU’s shut down just to name a few things that don’t paint a positive picture for Rossbacher’s image. Many students, community members and faculty have spoken out against President Rossbacher’s actions and lack of taking action.

    While we’re happy to finally see an end to Rossbacher’s leadership there needs to be more transparency as to who will take on her role next. We don’t know if the next president will improve upon HSU’s issues and demands, resume the same leadership tactics as Rossbacher or be an even worse president than Rossbacher.

    With that in mind we should know who HSU’s next president is going to be at this point in our semester. We should know if our next president will stand with their students, faculty and community.

    We don’t want a president who will just stay quiet from the students’ and the community’s demands while cutting programs that meant a lot to the community and former alumni. Thank you Rossbacher for not completely burning HSU down to a crisp but, who’s next?

  • OPINION: History is at risk and the world cares

    OPINION: History is at risk and the world cares

    Two historic landmarks have met a fiery fate- the world made sure to pay attention and open their checkbooks

    In one school year at HSU, two world-renowned attractions burned down. One was Brazil’s National Museum, holding more than 20 million different artifact collections. The other, Notre Dame Cathedral, which housed precious biblical relics.

    Both fires were claimed accidents and with no malicious intent behind them. However, these occasions highlight the level of fragility surrounding these infrastructures and a level of insensitivity towards the conditions of the buildings.

    Brazil’s National Museum, arguably a more tragic disaster than Notre Dame, went up in flames last September. Unlike Notre Dame, the entire museum and all of the relics inside were burnt to ash.

    7242f386-58b2-4d45-a63b-3e4d3cdf678a.jpg
    Screen grab from a viral Norte Dame tweet.

    The rebuild is estimated to take 10 years and cost $400 million to complete. So far Brazil has raised $1 million in the last 10 months, a shocking difference from Notre Dame, which raised more than $4 billion since its fire last week.

    Only after the destruction of a recognizable landmark, the world became aware of how valuable these buildings and their belongings are.

    Museums, mosques, cathedrals, etc., which will now be referred to as “buildings of greater significance,” holds societal and historical value, yet are treated with disrespect and negligence and often are taken for granted.

    President Trump took to Twitter, as he often does, to tweet “…perhaps flying water tankers could be used to put it [Notre Dame] out. Must act quickly!” An insensitive attempt at joking about a disaster, in the middle of it happening!

    Trump Viral Notre Dame Tweet.PNG

    Tweets and responses like this ignore and undermine the consequence and loss of these events. Beyond being a sanctuary for artifacts, buildings of greater significance hold evidence and insight into the past.

    The destruction of one of these buildings is a loss of human existence. While accidents are accidents they still have mass effects. The fires destroyed evidence of the past including irreplaceable artifacts and knowledge of what was before us, all burnt to crisp.

    While the quick refunding of Notre Dame showcased worldwide attention and involvement regarding buildings of greater significance, Twitter exposed a more devastating truth.

    Notre Dame raised billions of dollars within hours of the fiery accident, but a viral tweet unveiled “the fact that billionaires have pledged over 600 million dollars in under 24 hours… puts into perspective how easily rich people could help solve world issues if they cared.” Six hundrerd million can rebuild a lot: Notre Dame, Brazil’s National Museum and more. Money can solve a lot as long as it’s available.

  • EDITORIAL: Warn us faster HSU

    EDITORIAL: Warn us faster HSU

    Our safety lies in the university’s hands, we want to know what’s going on

    As college students who pay thousands and put our safety in the university’s hands, we live on campus expecting to be safe. But that’s not what’s been happening.

    Last weekend a student assaulted another student on campus. This assault went unnoticed until nearly 24 hours later when the school sent out a mass text and email stating what had taken place.

    In our staff we have editors who have attended various colleges before HSU and recounted stories of students who weren’t alerted of crimes on time. Notices were given out days later if at all.

    There were some instances where students would hear about assaults and harmful events on campus from fellow students rather than the school themselves.

    When you’re a senior in high school looking for schools to attend, one thing that you’re not told to look out for are schools that fail to alert you if there is a dangerous person on campus. You’re not told to look out for schools that fail to alert their students about assaults, rapes, etc.

    In the past academic year at HSU we have received a lot of big news via mass emails and texts within hours of it occurring. We think that no matter how small or big the event, we should be alerted as soon as possible.

    We want to be told of everything that goes on on our campus. We do not pay for the school to decide what is worthy of being sent out in mass messages. We are tired of these messages being inconsistent with their timing.

    The amount of time between when an assault happens on campus or a student goes missing and when the school sends a message should be the same amount of time. One shouldn’t be told to students faster than the other. They are both serious events and they both should be treated as such.

    We want to feel safe on our school campus.

  • Letter to the Editors: Journalism Department statement on KHSU

    Letter to the Editors: Journalism Department statement on KHSU

    By HSU Journalism Faculty

    We were surprised and dismayed at last week’s layoffs at KHSU radio station. Because students, alumni and community partners have asked, we would like to make it clear that our department was not involved in the university’s decision to fire the employees.

    We are deeply concerned about the fate of KHSU, a National Public Radio affiliated station with a long history on our campus and in our community. We are also deeply concerned about the fate of Radio Bilingüe, now also silenced, which broadcasts the only locally-produced Spanish-language radio news programs in Humboldt County. The dismantling of KHSU abruptly ended a for-credit college course for senior journalism students at the station.

    Still going strong is HSU’s KRFH student-run radio station, which broadcasts on a low-powered frequency at 105.1 FM and online at KRFH.net. KRFH offers student-crafted news weekdays at noon, 2 , 4 and 6 p.m. during the semester. However, this is not the same type of programming as the content produced by professionals and community volunteers at KHSU.

    It is important to distinguish between the KHSU community radio station located at the HSU campus Feuerwerker House and our student-run radio station KRFH in Gist Hall. KHSU began as student media 58 years ago, but over the decades, it matured into a professional NPR-affiliate station operated by staff and community volunteers.

    KRFH radio station is completely managed and operated by HSU students. The Journalism Department oversees the student radio station in addition to a number of other student media organizations: The Lumberjack weekly newspaper, El Leñador monthly bilingual newspaper and Osprey magazine. While journalism faculty members advise these student media organizations, students control the content.

    KHSU has served an important role on campus and throughout the county and has complemented our student-run media. Our journalism students benefited from the opportunity to move from their training ground in the KRFH radio booth to work at KHSU under the experienced guidance and mentorship of the paid staff and community volunteers. Several journalism alumni work at radio stations across the country because of the combined experience they acquired at both KRFH and KHSU radio stations.

    Having two stations on one campus, a professional community station and a student-run station, has distinguished Humboldt State from other campuses in the Cal State system and around the country. We hope this clears up any confusion over the connection between KHSU and our student radio station KRFH. We are strong supporters of local media, and it is our hope that out of the current turmoil, a strong community-run station will rise.

    Signatories:

    Department Chair Deidre Pike

    Professor Vicky Sama, Osprey faculty adviser

    Professor Marcy Burstiner, The Lumberjack faculty adviser

    Professor Kirby Moss

    Cliff Berkowitz, KRFH faculty adviser

    Amy Berkowitz, KRFH News faculty adviser

    Andrea Juarez, El Leñador faculty adviser

  • EDITORIAL: We stand with KHSU

    EDITORIAL: We stand with KHSU

    There is no excuse for the HSU administration to gut KHSU

    We at the Lumberjack newspaper stand behind KHSU. We stand behind the staff members and all the volunteers. We do not stand with HSU administration, Lisa Rossbacher, Craig Wruck or Peter Fretwell in their decision to dismantle our beloved local community radio station.

    There is no excuse they can give that will ever justify how they decided to gut an entire radio station. Lisa Rossbacher was given the audit report a couple days before the firing of all but two paid staff members at KHSU.

    If this was not a premeditated decision, then we would like some explanation as to how a decision as destructive and community-shattering as this one could be made in just 48 hours.

    To make matters even shadier, a week before this decision KHSU was having their annual spring pledge drive. Where does all the money go?

    Major underwriters and community members have stopped their monthly donations and are no longer supporting whatever KHSU will become. This shows HSU’s lack of respect for transparency and community relationships. What does this mean for us at the Lumberjack as journalists? Are we next to go?

    KHSU has been here for over 50 years with a slogan of “diverse public radio.” It appears HSU would like to keep the radio waves less diverse and fill it with non-local syndicated programs.

    Since the beginning KHSU has been talking about major issues like student housing shortages (still a problem today) and soothing the towns of Humboldt with jazz and folk music.

    Volunteers have always been a part of KHSU, building a bridge between the school and the community. By 2010 over 80 volunteers accounted for over 68 hours of day-to-day programming as well as over 63 hours of music production.

    There was a connection between the community and KHSU because the community had a part in the content being produced.

    Today more than ever we need more local involvement with the day-to-day occurrences of where we live. Throughout the country we are losing local media and getting our news and music replaced with syndicated programs that are no longer sourced in our towns.

    In Noam Chomsky and Edward Herman’s book “Manufacturing Consent” they criticize the consolidation and commodification of media. Large corporations must bend over backwards for their shareholders and financial interests, which trickles down to what they publish or produce. This in turn influences what gets to the public and what gets omitted.

    Local involvement means getting our news from our community, not a giant corporation intent on capitalist domination. HSU’s decision to gut KHSU can only mean they’re putting profit over people.

    HSU doesn’t care what’s being broadcasted on the airwaves as long as it makes them money, but they’ve just thrown themselves into a pit of controversy. With the loss of all staff and volunteers at KHSU, we are losing a piece of what makes this school special.

    As a community member at the recent KHSU protest during the Arcata plaza farmer’s market said, “we are losing a family member.”

  • OPINION: Spend your coins wisely

    OPINION: Spend your coins wisely

    It’s your responsibility whether you want to be a conscious consumer or fall victim to corporate cons

    Corporations have long used their target audiences’ fears and dreams as part of advertising schemes, but customers have become more and more conscious to where they put their dollars and want to practice ethical consumerism. However, companies are taking advantage of this in the form of “woke” branding.

    Woke branding is a company’s attempt to provide a vision of morality to satisfy consumers with their practices and social alignments in the hopes of expanding their customer base and increasing revenue.

    Pepsi tried this public relations tactic and failed with its Kendall Jenner protest commercial, which aimed at gaining support from younger generations who are politically and socially active.

    Dove tried it too by appealing to racial inclusivity with a body wash ad that featured a black, white and an Asian woman which suggestively depicted the black woman transforming into a white woman after cleaning herself with their body wash.

    Most recently, Gillette attempted it by trying to tackle the troubling topic of toxic masculinity with its new slogan and ad campaign “The Best a Man Can Be.”

    These companies and many others try to appeal to social issues to try to solidify their brands’ images as progressive, inclusive and considerate. Sometimes it’s easy to see through an advertising campaign’s obvious stretch to appeal to some societal concern or another, whether that’s racial justice, body positivity or gender equity.

    This trend of advertising allows for a spotlight on movements and a space for inclusivity, but subsequently offers a veil for companies’ evil intentions to use people’s insecurities and worries to form a false connection just to push sales.

    The question to be asked of any company that uses these tactics is if it’s a facade of good deeds to slip consumers their products, or are they truly supporters of these good deeds. Another qualifying aspect to consider when assessing a company’s authenticity is to see where these companies divert their funds.

    Companies who are successful with their woke branding, yet have shady practices, include those like Chick-fil-A, Nike and Ben and Jerry’s, which were deemed exceptional by consumers in the 2019 Customer Loyalty Engagement Index. The money trails of these companies suggest they aren’t as innocent as they try to appear.

    A crowd favorite fast food chain that’s admired for its chipper customer service, yet known for its dubious corporate dealings, still maintains steady customer loyalty. Chick-fil-A donates to groups known for anti-LGBTQ sentiment like the Salvation Army and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

    Nike joined the Black Lives Matter movement with Colin Kaepernick as their talking head to push sales. That ad campaign may have sparked outrage for some but was successful in increasing the company’s value by $6 billion. The campaign almost makes you forget about Nike’s use of sweatshop-like conditions in their factories across Asia.

    Ben and Jerry’s ice cream used the guise of greenwashing to push its image. Their packaging labels feature lush pastures with happy cartoon cows and once had claims “all natural” ingredients. In 2017, their dairy tested positive for the herbicide commonly known as Roundup.

    It’s your responsibility whether you want to be a conscious consumer or fall victim to corporate cons.

  • OPINION: Don’t learn safety by accident

    OPINION: Don’t learn safety by accident

    HSU waits to tell students about assaulter on campus

    It took Humboldt State nearly 20 hours to alert students that there had been an assault on campus committed by another student.

    Within those 20 hours that student who was the assaulter could have hurt someone else. For 20 hours students walked around aimlessly on campus without a care in the world because they had no idea there was an assaulter loose on school grounds.

    I do not live on campus however I do know what it is like to have someone invade you in your personal space and then not feel safe.

    We pay thousands of dollars every year just for HSU to fail to alert us that something like an assault took place in a residence hall. I have a younger sister who will be heading off to college in a years’ time and I fear that she will attend a school that lacks putting students’ safety above anything else.

    Our parents drop us off for the first day of the rest of our college career during move-in day. Having that institution leading them to believe that we are in their capable hands, yet how many students have been hurt on or near campus in the last five years? I have received one too many emails and text messages from HSU telling us about the death of yet another student or a student’s gone missing.

    There are these emergency posts placed around campus to call someone in the event you’re in danger, but the people that put us in harm’s way the most is the school themselves.

    How are we supposed to know when to be vigilant and stay in groups during a certain time or day when the school, our keepers, casually wait to alert us?

    This needs to change. I want to feel safe on my campus, on our campus.

  • And then there were none, Natalya Estrada resigns amid KHSU shakeup

    And then there were none, Natalya Estrada resigns amid KHSU shakeup

    By Natalya Estrada

    Former KHSU employee Natalya Estrada speaks up after submitting her resignation

    My father always told me: Do no harm, but take no shit. It appears I’ve been surrounded by a monumental amount of fecal matter within the past few days. But make no mistake; I will not be buried by this.

    I came to KHSU in 2017, under the guise of needing to make a bit extra cash because I was paying double rent—my boyfriend at the time was helpful, but I still had two months left on my apartment lease. On the day of the interview, I had literally been under a fence. A large possibly, 300 pound wooden fence had fallen off of the rail on top of me as I was opening it so I could move my car out of the drive way. Was it a premonition? Was it a bad omen? I don’t know—one thing’s for sure, it made for a great interview topic. There were leaves in my hair, my red jacket had fresh mud stains and my legs were slightly swollen as I sat in the general manager’s office telling KHSU how much I love public radio. I got the job on the spot.

    And then a week later, I quit the Times-Standard, which was and still is one of my favorite jobs. It was where I met my best journalism friends and how I managed to come back to “Homeboldt” after a disappointing stint as a reporter in Southern California.

    Several months later, Katie was fired from KHSU; abruptly and without warning. It was chaos. I don’t have to remind everyone about how many sustainers canceled their membership, how much underwriting was lost to our bad reputation and how much of the community felt betrayed by the decisions of an institution. I was at a loss. Katie Whiteside was the first person I met at KHSU back during my internship as an undergrad at Humboldt State. She taught me how to manage the board during Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me, and Car Talk (RIP). She was the quintessential gem of KHSU, and I know I wasn’t the only person who felt like a piece of the station was forever lost with her dismissal.

    More months had passed and staff meetings became less and less about the station’s content and more about what kind of station we were pressed to become. Who were we in the eyes of the community, of the university and of the higher ups who seemed determined to challenge the format of good vibes, good words and good people?

    Eventually, we started having pledge drives again. None of us were sure we’d even get any kind of support—but we did. Why? Because despite the outrage, people believed we would come back, that we would get past this. And for I while, I also believed this. I was wrong.

    Thursday, April 11, 2019 does not seem like it happened in real life, but it did. While two of us were told to attend a separate meeting, our friends, our colleagues and basically our radio family were told of their fates. The two of us were left scrambling to figure out why this was happening.

    “David, what do we do? “

    “I don’t know honey. I had to go home.”

    Those were some of the last messages David and I sent to each other before the following day, when I was informed via phone call about his resignation. A couple minutes later, after texting Thad Greenson, Marc Valles and Andrew Goff, I read David’s Facebook post. I cried hysterically as I toggled between Morning Edition and the California Report. I switched on the mic and read the weather report: mostly cloudy and chances of rain—the weather has never represented me so well.

     It was done. KHSU was done.

    I called my friends, my sister, my mother and several of my editors. The bulk of the text messages I sent were: “I am fine. Please don’t worry about me.”

    But the reality was, I was crying to Carol King in studio A, and wanting to hide from the phone which kept ringing.

    “Something inside has died and I can’t hide and I just can’t fake it.”

    I think I answered close to 25 calls on Friday.

    Megan Bender, of The Osprey messaged me. Not about work, but about emotional support. At noon, on Friday, we met in Gist Hall to talk. She handed me an iced matcha latte and a breakfast sandwich. Damien Jimenez, a KHSU intern, waved me down as I was driving and gave me a hug through my car window—I asked him to pretend he doesn’t notice how messy my car is. Lumberjack reporter Freddy Brewster shook my hand and smiled warmly at me —it’s reassuring to know the future of journalism has compassion.

    Then came the hard part: the official part. Three meetings and perhaps the most “Don Draper” attitude I’ve ever had, prevented me from openly crying in front of two men in suits and one on a speaker phone. I don’t understand their narrative or their reasons. Perhaps I never will.

    Thank you all for letting me into your morning commute, for telling me your stories of hope, tragedy, triumph and love. Thank you for letting me speak your truths through an omni-directional microphone. Thank you for letting me take your photos and for calling me in the morning to let me know it’s White-THORN not Whitehorn. I will forever hold KHSU in my heart and memory as a place of acceptance, peace and home to the hardest working folks I’ve ever met.

    What now you may ask will a local unemployed radio gal do in this crisis?

    I’ll survive. I always do.

    I know many of you believe I was indifferent to the situation and that my stairway to the “top” consisted of bricks made of manure. I advise you to check my shoes and notice they’re crap-free.

  • Letter to the Editors: KHSU CAB member Barbara Boerger speaks out

    Letter to the Editors: KHSU CAB member Barbara Boerger speaks out

    By Barbara Boerger

    So, I haven’t yet communicated with all of the People Formerly Known as the KHSU CAB. Yes, I’ve been in touch with my friends. I’ve noticed that some of us have responded to emails or Facebook postings. But about half have been silent.

    That makes me wonder. Did some of you know something the rest of us did not? I’ve spent the day in turmoil, I’m going to take half my day as vacation time because I got nothing done at work. Granted some of you may not have as flexible of an employer as I do. But I feel there have been two factions in our group for some time. I don’t know if some of you are secretly happy about all this, and have confidence you’ll be involved in the new KHSU. I don’t know if some of you still think Peter, Craig, and Lisa are honorable folk, deserving of respect. I don’t know if some of you unwittingly contributed to this outcome, and further if you’re happy or you’re bummed.

    I only know that the station I have listened to since September 19, 1975, has now silenced our local voices, and life here on the North Coast will NEVER be the same.

    Yes, I sound melodramatic. It’s affected me that deeply that I’m prepared to pull out all the stops. Juliet and Ophelia, hold my beer.

    So what do think, those of you that previously appeared to think we should be more accepting of the changes? Do you think it would have changed anything? I’m really curious. The People Formerly Known as the KHSU CAB, could our playing nice with the Visioning Statement have saved our little slice of heaven? Or do you see that we were played? Lied to (and gods know I hate ending a sentence with a preposition)? A plan was in place, maybe not fully formed, but taking shape.

    Lisa Rossbacher lied to us. The review report was a sham. She and Craig Wruck get to retire with lovely pensions, courtesy of the taxpayers of California. But a group of my friends are now trying to figure out how to pay next month’s rent.

    I’m still processing. Obviously not as affected as those employees who were ESCORTED BY UPD to clean out their offices.

    And I haven’t even touched on the stalwart employees of “Advancement” who have had to answer the calls of all the betrayed supporters who are asking for their pledges back. Or the unsuspecting folks at NSPU in Chico who had no idea the the request to help out a “colleague” was really a disingenuous ploy.

    I’ve been living with this anxiety since Monday night, when Lisa breathlessly communicated her “just now” receipt of the review. But by Wednesday night, they had it all figured out – although to the People Formerly Known as the KHSU CAB, she said they were still trying to formulate a plan. No details. Asking us to take a “hiatus” as if we would ever be invited back.

    Do you feel played? I really want to know.

    Your friend/maybe former friend,

    Barbara

  • EDITORIAL: Joe needs to start a-Biden by the law

    EDITORIAL: Joe needs to start a-Biden by the law

    Joe Biden is being a creepy old white man, and he needs to stop

    There’s something we need to talk about…Joe Biden being a creepy old white man. Some old men are for some reason allowed to be handsy or touchy with women and little kids and they get away with it. Is this okay?

    This is something that we definitely need to talk about. Growing up we are around elderly people of different genders and races. But, it’s sad to say that some elderly men have exhibited inappropriate behavior in the past, present and may do so in the future.

    We as editors stand with those who have experienced uncomfortable touching of the shoulders or inappropriate conversation from old men and women. However, being as they are elderly and they are supposed to have the respect of the community, it is a struggle when dealing with whether or not one should share how they feel about the situation.

    Now with the whole Joe Biden situation we have to decide whether or not we believe that his actions are appropriate. We have to look at the context of the situation. If there was a family event, then it may be okay for hugs and maybe kisses on the cheek. However, if you are at a professional or political event then you should probably stick to handshakes.

    In some videos posted on YouTube Joe Biden is seen taking pictures with senators and their families. When the families would pose to take pictures with Biden, he would specifically ask for the young girls in the family to come and stand next to him in the photo.

    While they were getting ready for the photo Biden is seen time and time again touching their hair and sometimes he is seen whispering something in their ear. It is clear that these little girls in the video are uncomfortable.

    In another video while somebody is giving a speech Joe Biden is standing behind the man’s wife with his hands on her shoulders and whispering something in her ear. Once again inappropriate… Not to mention, when the husband turns around to acknowledge his wife in the speech, Biden quickly puts his hands behind his back and steps away as if he knows that he is overstepping his boundaries.

    Whether or not these situations were all intentional or not, there needs to be a standard for situations like these. On behalf of The Lumberjack’s Editorial Staff, we believe that personal space is important and should be respected. If you ever find yourself questioning whether or not something is appropriate just play it safe! Be professional and respect their space.

  • OPINION: Let that yellow mellow

    OPINION: Let that yellow mellow

    Flushing your toilet has a larger impact on the environment than you may think

    Many homes across the country have a motto, “If it’s yellow let it mellow, if it’s brown flush it down.” This saying encourages water conservation when it comes to flushing the toilet.

    The amount of water a toilet uses depends on how old it is. If your toilet was made before 1982, then it could be using anywhere from five to seven gallons of water each flush. Newer toilets use about two gallons per flush. The average person flushes about five times each day. That is 10 gallons of water thrown out every day.

    You can check how much water your toilet uses by looking at the little block right behind the seat or under the tank lid, or you can check for the year in the tank of the toilet which could give you a good idea of how much it is using.

    Flushing can also be very dirty. Each flush can spew water as far as six feet. That could reach your toothbrush! So letting the yellow mellow may help you avoid having your toothbrush become more covered in germs.

    Saving your flush also saves water. Water usage is projected to increase by 55% from 2000 to 2050. This increase creates problems as 21 of 37 aquifers across India and China, and the U.S. and France are draining at an alarming rate.

    CA is a good example of overuse of water. The state’s aquifers receded about 16 trillion acre-feet per year. That caused CA to have 1,900 wells dry up from 2011-2016. Letting the yellow mellow could have helped save some of that water.

    Each time you flush your yellow down the toilet, it’s like flushing three tenths of a cent with it. This adds up to about $10.95 per year. You can save $7.66 each year by letting the yellow mellow. Not only does saving your flush save water, but it also saves money.

    If you were to flush every third time you used the restroom, you would be saving about six gallons of water each day. That means more clean water for drinking, or showering, or even future flushing.

  • How to become a Humboldt surfer in 5 “easy” steps

    How to become a Humboldt surfer in 5 “easy” steps

    Once you’ve completed all the steps you will truly understand what it’s like to give up your life to the never-ending pursuit for something that could be better.

    In five easy steps, you can live out your life long fantasy of becoming a surfer in Humboldt County. Before devoting your life to these exaggerated guidelines, remember that surfing is based purely around enjoyment, and that everyone has their own definition of surfing because everyone surfs for their own reasons.

    Surfing has a long history, so please always remember to be respectful of the history, the ocean and to all others enjoying it. Let us begin.

    Step 1

    First head to Craigslist and look for an old surfboard and wetsuit, preferably sold together by a sketchy, but nice mid-50’s man named Rusty who came up to Humboldt 20 years ago to, as he says, “Escape the so-cal crowd bro.”

    Get ready to haggle, because there’s no way you’re spending over $80 for what he calls a “vintage” wetsuit and his magic wand from the 80s. Once the purchase is complete, he will enrich you with far-fetched stories of 25 foot Camel Rock, and when he paddled the jetty alone when it was 60 feet. Make sure to smile, nod and be respectful, because you have just been privileged enough to have a conversation with your future self.

    Step 2

    The next step is to convert your life to surfing. Do this by purchasing roof racks for your car, start wearing sunglasses everywhere you go, stop cutting your hair and most importantly, change up your whole wardrobe to surf attire.

    If you manage to come out looking anything like Jeff Spicoli from “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” you’re in the clear, ready to mingle and surf where you like.

    Step 3

    You’re going to need to find a friend or a local who surfs. So for the third step, you should get back in contact with Ol’ Rusty and see if he has any buddies who would be able to show you around.

    Of course, he won’t, because he may have never surfed in the first place. So move on and head to Moonstone to look for some friends. You’re looking for someone your age or a little older who has experience.

    Finding someone with the ability to shame you into constantly trying to surf better is a plus. They should be, for lack of a better word, an asshole. He, or she, will become your surfing confidant, as they will know how little you know about surfing while promoting you as someone who’s been surfing their whole life. Once you find your Bodhi from Point Break, you will then be able to experience the big storm.

    Step 4

    This step is all about patience. You must stick with it. Just because people told you surfing is fun and easy doesn’t mean you’re going to be good at it. Surfing is something many devote their lives to, not as a profession, but for the never-ending search of the same feeling.

    So make sure to know your place and don’t screw it up for everybody else. Unless you’re a freak, you’re going to suck at first. Stay calm, take advice, and be prepared to embarrass yourself. It’s going to take at least a year of surfing once or twice a week for you not to suck and feel embarrassed. So embrace the year of suck and gather knowledge about spots, surfboards, sneaker waves and the Humboldt coastline.

    Always be on the lookout for more old surfboards and wetsuits. Keep one thing in mind during this step. You should go on every wave that you can no matter the size or shape, go, as long as you’re not cutting someone off.

    Pull into closeouts, throw yourself over the falls, go through the washing machine and meet Johnny hold down. Try and have fun doing it because more waves always equal more practice. Just make sure you’re safe and not alone, like Rusty when he paddled 45 foot Camel Rock alone back in ‘85.

    Step 5

    The final step is to buy an 80s conversion van during your senior year and drop out a semester before graduation, because hey, you can always go back when there’s no surf.

    Only once you obtain the van will you truly understand what it means to be a surfer in Humboldt County. The world is now yours. You’re free to roam and surf where you like with the ability to tell others you really have goals, knowing you can go back to school for a semester and graduate.

    Surfing is a beautiful activity, hobby, sport or whatever you want to call it. Please remember everyone starts surfing at different skill levels and takes their necessary steps to get better, so who’s to say that these five steps couldn’t work for you.

  • The future of plastic: Hemp

    The future of plastic: Hemp

    Packaging is ingrained in our lives in some form or another. Whether it’s packaging for food, mail orders or gadgets it’s all very excessive and often made from non-recyclable plastics. Another contributor to the plethora and plight of plastic packaging pollution is pot.

    The cannabis industry is adding to the plastic pollution epidemic that’s choking our planet with chemicals and micro-plastics through the numerous layers of required yet redundant cannabis packaging.

    If you’re 21 and up, chances are you’ve tried legal marijuana in California, whether it’s from a dispensary or elsewhere. Have you ever noticed the amount of packaging a couple buds requires?

    The January 2018 enactment of Proposition 64, the Adult Use of Marijuana Act, brought new regulations on the way dispensaries must package their products. Childproof resealable bags and prescription pill-like bottle caps have been implemented in addition to individual cannabis cultivator and distributor packaging.

    Unfortunately, aspects of waste weren’t considered in the packaging portion of Prop 64.

    All the layers of brand and protective packaging are an immense and detrimental waste, but an alternative may save the day, if only used ubiquitously.

    That alternative, hemp-made plastics.

    Hemp plastics are non-toxic, biodegradable, durable and versatile. There are even food and pharmaceutical-grade hemp plastics out in the market.

    Hemp itself is a variant of the Cannabaceae family, which houses the psychoactive Sativa and Indica plants as well as the low-THC-producing Cannabis Ruderalis.

    The main difference hemp has over cannabis is, of course, the lack of cannabinoids like THC and CBD. These cannabinoids are what make Cannabis Sativa and Indica drug-producing plants, whereas hemp isn’t valued for psychoactivity and medicinal aspects since it has none.

    Hemp is still highly practical. Like its THC-containing cousins, hemp grows relatively quickly and can be harvested for use after four months. In comparison to the cultivation of cotton, hemp needs about 50 percent less water to grow.

    When it comes to the decomposition of hemp plastics versus traditional plastics, there’s no competition. It takes an average plastic bottle roughly 450 years to decompose whereas hemp plastic can biodegrade within six months, given the proper environment.

    Hemp has long been a valued production plant as it’s fibers are strong and can create fabric, paper and concrete.

    Industrial hemp has woven itself in and out of the United States’ history since the Colonial Era when citizens were legally required to cultivate hemp as part of war efforts.

    The U.S. government previously recognized hemp as distinctly different than marijuana. However, since the Controlled Substance Act of 1970, industrial hemp has substantially withered. While it’s still used for small scale production, it isn’t being used to its full potential.

    Plastics from hemp can make anything from homes, cars, toys, electronics and cosmetics. The opportunities for hemp plastics don’t end at cannabis dispensaries. Why can’t hemp-made plastic be the new plastic?

    If one tiny portion of our oil use is diverted away from the production of traditional plastics and replaced with hemp the reverberation of that change can make a sizable impact to prevent further plastic pollution.

  • EDITORIAL: Expand those taste buds

    EDITORIAL: Expand those taste buds

    The LJ editorial board encourages everyone to try alternative foods (at least once)

    When it comes to our diet as college students, we tend to stick with the same routine. Either cooking some ramen noodles, or grabbing a bite to eat at the various food courts or restaurants around HSU. Sometimes we don’t have the time to cook for ourselves but that shouldn’t hinder our chances of trying something new every once in a while.

    Let’s talk about cockroach milk. Cockroaches are without a doubt to some people disgusting and a pest to have running around at home or in public. A trend that has been going on recently is cockroach milk. The milk itself comes from the gut of one cockroach species, and is actually produced in crystalline form.

    While it may come in small amounts, scientists at the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine in Bangalore, India discovered that cockroach milk is very nutritious and has three times the calories of buffalo milk. However, it should be noted that more studies on cockroach milk need to be done before it’s deemed safe for consumption.

    Cockroach milk is not the first insect food involving dairy. Casu marzu is a well known meal in Italy and France, consisting of a block of pecorino cheese that is left outside so Cheese Flies (Piophila Casei) can lay eggs inside the cheese. The cheese is then eaten with the larva inside. People who’ve eaten it have described the taste as a strong Gorgonzola.

    While it’s considered a delicacy in parts of Europe, Casu marzu is considered a dangerous food to eat, and illegal to produce. According to All Things Interesting, it’s important correctly chew and kill the maggots before swallowing.

    “Otherwise, they can live in the body and rip holes through the intestines. No biggie. But kind of a biggie.”

    If you are interested in eating insects safely, grasshoppers are considered to be rich in protein. Coming in a variety of flavors and varieties from chocolate-covered grasshoppers to toasted grasshoppers with salt and lime.

    In Thailand, it’s very common to walk through a market and find vendors selling stir-fried insects, ranging from giant water bugs to Bamboo worms.

    So if you’re a picky eater, try something new. Just be informed on what you eat, and be sure to chew hard if what you’re eating is still alive.

  • EDITORIAL: Education can be bought

    EDITORIAL: Education can be bought

    They say you can’t buy happiness, but it seems you can buy a college education

    On March 12, wealthy families were found to have paid thousands of dollars for their children to attend prestigious colleges. This includes the University of Southern California, Harvard University, Yale University, Stanford University and many more. This was revealed after U.S. federal prosecutors found that the college admission recruiters and coaches were taking bribes since 2011. Those who are involved in the scandal include Felicity Huffman, Lori Loughlin, Mossimo Giannulli and various CEOs.

    For some this comes as no surprise that this was uncovered. The old adage of ‘happiness can’t be bought’ is a true statement. Sure, money can make life convenient, but it doesn’t necessarily solve all our issues in life. However, an education can be easily bought if you have enough capital for a degree.

    This is not an uncommon occurrence. In 2013 Buzzfeed published an article by a college recruiter that details their experience of parents bribing recruiters. Even this year in January, an assistant coach from Oklahoma State University was found guilty for taking bribes since 2017.

    Some of the methods used by wealthy families are totally legal. The New York Times highlighted the use of college consultants, where families can pay as high as $1.5 million directly to college consultant companies in order to have their kids steered to certain prestigious colleges from as far back as the start of their eighth grade education. There is even something known as ‘legacy admissions’ where alumni of certain schools like Harvard or Columbia are likely to accept their alumni’s kids to their respective university. Harvard University is known to practice legacy admission, even going so far as to defend the practice.

    Anthony Abraham Jack, an alumni and professor from Harvard University wrote a book called The Privilege of Poor. It focuses on impoverished students who attend prestigious colleges and how they still struggle in private colleges from policies that impact them negatively. Jack also discovered how little the racial diversity was in Harvard, even asking himself when he was there, “Am I the only poor black person here?”

    It’s unfair for disadvantaged students who work hard to attend prestigious colleges only to not be accepted because of their financial status. For these colleges it’s not about how good you were in school, but how deep pocketed your families are.

  • OPINION: Listen to young people

    OPINION: Listen to young people

    The youngest generation is a driven, opinionated, connected group of people who deserve to be respected and listened to

    Today, young people all over the world are finding their voice. The awesome power of the people is being embraced and exercised by these young people. In our own nation young people are advocating for change. It is necessary to let them to grow and act in the world they will inherit.

    I have noticed a significant social change in this current generation. Rather than be influenced by the nurturing of their parents, many young people have taken it upon themselves to teach and influence one another to an unprecedented degree. High school students have begun to grasp lessons in critical thinking. The opinions of others are taken with a grain of salt. Society’s status quo is being criticized by very loud voices. Young people are taking a stand for what they believe in and they are taking action to make it happen.

    Listen to young people, or else the foundation under the feet of leaders worldwide shall be shook by their determination. In 2018 the average age of representatives in the U.S. Senate was 61 and the average age in Congress was 57. The midterm elections in 2019 ushered in a fresh group of 25 representatives who are under 40 years old. The youngest elected was Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who at 29 years old is the youngest person elected to Congress. She has tremendous support from young people as they organize behind her in the Sunrise Movement.

    For too many years the establishment has been dominated by stubborn old men and women who, in the immortal words of Diane Feinstein, have been doing this for 30 years and know what they’re doing.

    “I’ve gotten elected. I just ran,” Feinstein said. “I was elected by almost a million-vote plurality, and I know what I’m doing. So, you know, maybe people should listen a little bit.”

    She was responding to a group of children who were advocating for the Green New Deal. These children were excluded from the democratic process on the basis of their age yet work to advocate for policies they believe in.

    I had the opportunity to sit down and have a conversation with a group of high school students from the North Coast Preparatory Academy. Melissa Horne and Autumn Wright had joined their fellow classmates walking out for the “Youth Strike 4 Climate Change.” Seven of them were sitting in front of Arcata City Hall with signs advocating for a shift in climate policy. They said they were inspired by Greta Thunberg, an individual who is a mover in the 21st century.

    While we were sitting in front of City Hall the group got a bunch of different reactions from people passing by. There were a lot of horns honking. Some guy walked up and shouted about how oil is the only reason the world runs. Mark Andre, the director of Arcata Environmental Services came out personally to talk with the students about Arcata’s goal to be gasoline free by 2020. Aaron Heart, a wandering thinker, made a point to sit down with everyone and talk about what he had learned throughout his life.

    Heart was interesting and engaging. He was an older man, well experienced in the ways of the world, but he would not listen to these young people. He had seen Leo Peerson’s sign which read “Grow up. Save the planet.” Heart wanted to encourage everybody to grow their spirit “vertically” rather than “horizontally.” He spent a solid hour talking about things he knew, rarely asking questions of Peerson who had caught his attention in the first place. After awhile he stopped and said, “I am not a lecturer, I am a facilitator.”

    I jumped on this, posing a challenge to Heart by saying, “How about we do this like Socrates and ask each other questions rather than just listen to you talk. Let’s begin with Autumn Wright. Autumn, how do you want to see the world change?” And then, believe it or not, she began to talk.