The Lumberjack



Students Serving The Cal Poly Humboldt Campus and Community Since 1929

Category: Opinion

  • Letters from Pelican Bay

    Letters from Pelican Bay

    By| Tania Mejia

    As a senior currently applying for graduate school, I have been putting a lot of thought into the future and what is to come. I have spent the past four years studying communication and social advocacy, with an emphasis on the prison industrial complex. But even then I am unsure whether I want to work within the system or go outside the system to bring about change. Beyond that, I keep wondering what will happen to the future of our carceral state and the countless people behind bars.

    According to a 2016 Prison Policy Initiative report, “the American criminal justice system holds more than 2.3 million people in 1,719 state prisons, 102 federal prisons, 942 juvenile correctional facilities, 3,283 local jails, and 79 Indian Country jails as well as in military prisons, immigration detention facilities, civil commitment centers, and prisons in the U.S. territories.” It’s evident punishment has infiltrated every aspect of society while impacting individuals, communities, and society. But as Foucault pointed out in Power/Knowledge, “In 1820 it was already understood that the prisons, far from transforming criminals into citizens, serve only to manufacture new criminals and drive existing criminals even deeper into criminality.”

    Prisons as we know them were originally established as a more humane method of punishment, but since prisons have become a site of struggle where society’s already marginalized, oppressed, and vulnerable populations end up. With 2.3 million people behind bars and clear racial and ethnic disparities, we need to be asking if incarceration actually produces safety.

    Prisons disconnect and isolate individuals from their families, communities, and society. The impacts of such disconnection transcend past the incarcerated individual to the 1.7 million children who have at least one incarcerated parent. Having a parent behind bars can have significant impacts on children from mental health to changes in social behavior, which in turn can affect educational outcomes and lead to juvenile delinquency creating a cycle of incarceration. Further, children may feel stigma from their circumstances while experiencing financial hardships as a result of lost income and support.

    What is most problematic about prisons is that we have come to believe that one institution can solve some of society’s most pressing issues from poverty, homelessness, mental illness, and drug addiction. The truth is prisons cannot address everything from drug possession to serial murder, which means collectively as communities we will have to come together to figure out what works and how to find alternatives to incarceration.

    Another problem with prisons is that they do not heal or address the needs of victims and perpetrators. Long prison sentences are not the solution, especially when we know prisons provide little to no rehabilitation or treatment. Prisons do not stop violence and it is reflected in the number of people sexually assaulted and raped, as well as suicide rates behind bars. Incarceration exposes people exactly to the things that increase the likelihood that they will harm others.

    As I have previously written about, prisons further stigmatize and disenfranchise people through felon labels making reentry a punishment of its own. Unfortunately, our prison system has built a reputation of failing people, doing little correcting (whatever that means) and rehabilitating. If incarceration actually produced safety, we would have the safest country in the world and that’s not what we have as shown in our crime and recidivism rates.

    This goes without addressing the costs behind prisons, private contracts, white collar crime, how prisons create a black market, lack of educational, mindful, and vocational programs, or racial inequalities within the criminal justice system. So, if not prisons then what? What about the murderers and rapists as I am always asked when proposing prison abolition? Well, let’s remember they only make up a small percentage of our incarcerated population, and, regardless, most will return to society.

    The #cut50 movement is a national bipartisan initiative to safely and smartly cut our incarcerated population by 50 percent over the next 10 years. There are many alternatives to imprisonment from drug courts, mental courts, halfway houses, community service, treatment, public housing, and so on. Ultimately, we need radical changes in the status quo. Similarly, to Baz Dreisinger, author of Incarceration Nations: A Journey to Justice in Prisons Around the World. 

    “I envision a system that is grounded in community courts, reparative systems, truth and reconciliation commissions, and ‘facilities,’ insofar as absolutely necessary, which is always involving a really small number of people.”

  • Editorial: Testing the Toke’

    Editorial: Testing the Toke’

    The problem with cannabis drug tests

    By | The Lumberjack Editorial Staff 

    Cannabinoids have no business being screened for on drug tests when applying for a job until current drug testing practices are able to accurately detect cannabis usage and consumption. With the legalization of weed in California through the passing of proposition 64, these inaccurate tests criminalize and marginalize marijuana users.

    While business owners are rightfully concerned about employees being high on the job, these tests have turned into discriminatory tactics used to turn people away. Medical marijuana users have a right to privacy. They do not need to be forced into revealing anything about their condition. Recreational users have a right to an occasional smoke without losing a job. The purpose of drug testing is to determine if a potential employee has a substance issue. Unlike cocaine or alcohol which can be flushed out of the system in 24hrs, chemicals in cannabis stay in the bloodstream long after the effects have diminished.

    Regardless of the method of testing, THC is in the system long after the activity of smoking has occurred. Whether used medically or recreationally, a positive drug test doesn’t guarantee that an employee is going to use cannabis while on the job. Unlike cocaine or alcohol which can be flushed out of the system in 24hrs, chemicals in cannabis stay in the bloodstream long after the effects have diminished. With drugs like cocaine, there is a strict time limit that can be tested for. Because these time standards don’t hold true for marijuana, employees are being turned away on the assumption that workers are under the influence on the job.  
    Cannabis drug test are also unreliable. There are too many factors to account for when testing for cannabis. Tolerance, how it’s ingested, body weight, metabolism, and its potency all impact how easily weed is detected in the system. 
    Held up as one of the most accurate test for marijuana use, researchers have determined hair tests are just as fallible as other drug tests. According to a study published in October 2015 by researchers’ at the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Freiburg, Germany, cannabis can be detected in hair without having consumed it by touching cannabis or simply being around cannabis. The study also debunks the idea that a hair test can provide an accurate timeline of marijuana use by passing proportionately from the bloodstream into hair follicles. The study finds that the actual amount of THC that passes from the blood stream to the hair follicle is insignificant. 

    Until science can accurately determine when a person is high as opposed to when a person has cannabis in their system, marijuana drug tests need not be given by employers.

  • Editorial: Freezing tuition fee increase

    Editorial: Freezing tuition fee increase

    By | The Lumberjack Editorial Board

    At the end of January, the University of California Board of Regents approved a 2.5 percent tuition fee increase to take place in the 2017-2018 academic year. Though the University of California system said that financial aid will cover two-thirds of California undergraduates, protests against the tuition fee increase persist.

    Too many rights of college students have been under attack. There are worries about undocumented students’ access to education, the continuance of the anti-discrimination regulation safeguarding our LGBTQ community and the general welfare of our public school system under the direction of Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos.
    The increase may seem inconsequential to some, but many students struggle with affording both higher education and the daily cost of living. Decreasing the Pell Grant to cushion the cost of inflation means reducing supplemental income that helps students pay for vital services from transportation to housing.
    California State Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva and the California Faculty Association fought against the tuition hike with AB 393, the Student Protection Act. The Act states that the increase in college tuition has surpassed the cost of living while student debt continues to rise. 
    AB 393 cites a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s statistic that said, “one in four student loan borrowers are either in delinquency or default on their loans.”
    The Institute for College Access and Success reports that from 2010-2014, the average student debt rose by 56 percent. 74 percent HSU of graduates had debt in 2014.  
    The rising student debt numbers indicate that students are struggling to maintain a balance between the high cost of college and necessary expenses like housing, food and healthcare. The resulting cycle of loan defaulting continues to cause an unnecessary drain on the lives of students.  
    AB 393 suspends the tuition hike and limits the increase of system-wide fees to an amount that was agreed upon on Dec. 2016.  This suspension will be in place until the 2019-20 academic year. 
    The public education system is facing a myriad of problems; now isn’t the time to force a tuition increase. AB 393 also takes into account factors beyond the primary fiscal burdens of the cost of higher education. The Act will help students breathe easier during these contentious times and alleviates at least one worry. 

  • Consider this: Unblock your haters and block the hate

    Consider this: Unblock your haters and block the hate

    My path to internet zen and how to be a better Facebook friend.

    By | Ali Osgood

    It’s Thursday night in Maui and a warm tropical breeze is fanning the tops of the palm trees. My phone beeps. A notification from my facebook app shifts my carefree mind from coconuts and Mai Tais to a sobering, disheartening reality. 

    An argument about the Women’s March on Washington plays out on my cracked iPhone screen between two close family members. My heart sinks.

    Most people with a social media account can relate to that gut-wrenching feeling when a controversial notification pops up. According to Pew Research Insitute, 59 percent of American facebook users feel that political arguments on facebook are stressful and frustrating. But how about when it’s with a family member? 

    A Reuters/IPSOS opinion polled 6,426 people. Of that number, 39 percent have political arguments on social media. 16 percent have stopped talking to a family member because of these arguments, and 17 percent have blocked a family member from viewing their profile. 

    I grew up in a loving Italian household where family comes first. So, as I receive negative comments on my Facebook from my siblings and watch other relatives cast tirades of opposition throughout my computer screen, I wonder if keeping my loved ones off of my feed is the only way to keep the peace. But before I go to the extreme measure of pushing the BLOCK button, I consider three ways to diffuse the tension from social media. 

    Unsubscribe. There’s a magical option on Facebook that eliminates a friends posts from my newsfeed with only two clicks. In the past, unsubscribing has been the perfect option for friends who post one too many pictures of their spaghetti dinner, crazy cat videos or drooling babies, and I thought it might help ease frustration toward my family’s politics. However, its limits quickly became clear.

    The unsubscribe button doesn’t keep my family from commenting on my posts, and it doesn’t keep their comments on other’s posts from appearing in my newsfeed. And unfortunately, it doesn’t change the way they feel and it offers me no further understanding of why they feel that way. 

    Telephone.  My brother David is a war veteran. He and his wife, Heather, are dedicated parents, Christians and Donald Trump supporters. In contrast? Let’s just say I checked a different box on my ballot. 

    We talked for nearly two hours. Primarily we discussed politics, but we also got into social media, our concerns regarding our country and frustrations with each other’s views. I felt it was a productive conversation.

    Speaking eliminates the ability to portray a context. Instead of assuming that my sister-in-law’s comments were aggressive and unkind, I could hear in her voice that they came from a deeper sense of discomfort and concern. I realized that the anxiety I felt about what I’d assumed David and Heather were thinking about me was rash and ill-conceived. 

    The Golden Rule. My older sister has a code she lives by: Most things in life can be done with kindness. Yes, this can be a challenging concept when in the middle of a heated argument on why the Beatles are the greatest rock band of all time (which they are). But, if we project hate through our arguments, then we will only cast our opponents away. 

    Recent Humboldt State grad Jacob Stadtfeld is one of my more politically active Facebook friends. I asked him what motivates his posts and how he deals with the arguing tyrants of social media.

    “In posting about potentially divisive and contentious topics, my hope is that people who might disagree can feel comfortable in voicing their opinions and sparking a discussion,” Stadtfeld said. “Overall I’ve found that even if commenters disagree with my opinion or the content of a posted article, the resulting discussions can facilitate at least a better understanding of alternative perspectives, if not outright consensus.”

    Here’s the thing that I’ve realized: Facebook has been the driving force in my political motivation. It was easy for me to turn a blind eye to the going-ons of American government, but once my family got involved and I found a need to understand the justification of their opinions, I found myself contemplating my own position in politics. I asked myself questions like ‘Why do you feel that way? Why should you support that candidate?” And “how can you make your voice heard in an effective way?”

    So if you’re thinking about blocking a cyber-bully, think a little further. Instead, rejoice in the challenge they are offering you, respond by confirming your position and inquiring about theirs. 

    Whether you are Republican, Democratic, human or alien, practice these exercises and remember to enjoy Facebook for what it is – a great way to celebrate the challenges, personalities and diversity of our friends and family. 

    And of course, the occasional crazy cat video.

  • Keeping Corporation Businesses Limited

    Keeping Corporation Businesses Limited

    By | Onaja Waki

    You just moved to Arcata, from some big city like San Francisco, or Los Angeles. New to town you start to acquaint yourself with local residents and stores. However, you begin to notice how places like Jamba Juice, In-N-Out, Gap, or Home Depot are non-existent. The only stores you find familiar may be the Safeway at the UnionTown Shopping Center, the Subway on G Street, or even the McDonalds on Giuntoli Lane. Why is this the case?

    Arcata is a small town filled with a bunch of local businesses with the exception of only a few big corporate business throughout the town. According to Arcata City Councilmen Paul Pitino, in order to keep all of Arcata’s local businesses in business there can’t be an influx of corporations. “It’s a way of keeping control of the city and not exporting profit to corporations,” said Pitino. 

    It’s not impossible to have more corporate businesses in town but it takes an effort from either the local residents or the Arcata Economic Development Committee. 

    “It all depends on the aggressiveness [lobbying] of the committees who then advise City Council,” said Pitino. 

    It takes a process in order for new businesses to be put in town. According to Pitino, it takes three out of the five council members to vote on it. However, it is ultimately up to the city manager and mayor to set the agenda of the development. 

    A city ordinance passed in 2002 might also make the task of getting a Chipotle or Wingstop put in town more difficult. 

    “The ordinance limited the number of formula restaurants  in our commercial and industrial zone districts to only nine,” said Pitino.

    Ariana Cash, a 22-year-old business major at HSU, thinks having an In-N-Out Out in town would be a good idea but thinks Arcata Pizza Deli’s Out N’ About Burgers has more quality. “In-N-Out probably would give APD some competition because so many students would go there, but I don’t think it would put them out of business or anything,” said Cash. “APD is legendary here.”

    Arcata isn’t anti-corporation. Rather it’s a town looking to keep the local stores flourishing and the town’s authenticity alive.

    Photo of Ordinance 1333 | Onaja Waki
  • Letters from Pelican Bay

    Letters from Pelican Bay

    By| Tania Mejia

    By now, most of us know there are 2.3 million people behind bars, and that the U.S. makes up 5% of the world’s population while housing 25% of the world’s prison population. Unlike other political topics, there seems to be bipartisan agreement that our criminal justice system is an urgent need of reform. Unfortunately, most of these cries for change are happening as a result of the $80 billion price tag, instead about the peoples lives who have been and are being impacted by this system. 

    Our society seems to be unable to forgive people and it manifests in the way we treat people behind bars and upon their release. In his, “Re-humanizing Inmates” TEDx talk, inmate, Anthony Wyatt states, “As prisoners, we’re automatically presumed to be less than civilized, and so less than equal. Less than equal, and so less than worthy. A segment of the population, undeserving of your respect, and basic human rights cause we’re considered less than human. I know it sounds extreme, but how else can we account for society’s clear lack of concern for the incarcerated and the formerly incarcerated lives?”

    I have repeatedly came to the same conclusion as I read letters by my prison pen pals, walkthrough prisons, and talk to formerly incarcerated people. It is hard not to wonder how did we get here at the approval of so many people. Of course, politicians “tough on crime” rhetoric, media portrayals, and people’s fears were a driving force, but more than that, I think it became an us vs. them. It is no secret that our criminal justice system disproportionately locks up people of color and people who are poor, yet many of us keep the system out of sight, out of mind while falling into the false narrative of who these men and womyn are. I think society as a whole has negatively dehumanized and desensitized our incarcerated brothers and sisters that many people simply do not care about their conditions, rights, and treatment behind bars. 

    As mass incarceration begins to scale down, which it will, we have begin a re-humanization process of inmates and prisoners. It is simply not enough to release people behind bars back into society when being labeled a felon puts you in a category, which Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow, identifies as a racial caste system equivalent to slavery and Jim Crow. Being labeled a felon carries consequences with it, which make reentry into society a punishment of its own. People with a criminal record can’t receive financial aid, can’t apply for food stamps and welfare, can’t apply for business loans, can’t earn some professional licenses/permits, can’t apply for public housing, can’t own guns, can’t vote, can’t sit on a jury, can’t apply for some jobs, and if, they are able to they face the “Have you been convicted of a felony?” question on job applications. 

    So how do we begin this rehumanization process? We have to begin by challenging our own beliefs and attitudes. Ask yourself, what images come to mind when you hear the words criminal, felon, inmate, prisoner, or convict? We have to stop making prison jokes such as “don’t drop the soap,” which as Anthony points out in his TEDx talk, “since when is the rape or assault of any fellow human being funny?” We have to stop supporting TV programs who profit from the violence in jails and prisons. We have to stop calling people behind bars by the labels given to them by the oppressor (e.g. inmate, prisoner, felon, convict, criminal). We have to bridge gaps between the inside and outside world. 

    Most importantly, we have to support them. We know 90-95% of people behind bars are someday returning to society. It’s time to let go of assumptions, prejudices, and stereotypes. 

    Poem by Marcus Armstrong
  • Editorial: Betsy Devos: Public School’s Enemy Number One

    Editorial: Betsy Devos: Public School’s Enemy Number One

    Warfare on Educational Welfare

    The war on our public education system is on. Betsy DeVos’s appointment as the Secretary of Education is the first indication that our education system is in trouble. DeVos’s devastating record of promoting the deregulation and privatization of schools is the signal for all public school students to arm up with their cell phones and keep their representative’s on speed dial.   

    DeVos showcased her ignorance on running the public education system during her confirmation hearing which was only compounded by the denial of the second round of questioning.

    DeVos has never worked with or attended public school. She has no government experience or experience in running a large organization, and yet she has been deemed fit to run our nationwide education system.

    The last two decades of DeVos’s life has been dedicated to the promotion of for-profit charter schools that offer weak accountability standards. DeVos also tirelessly advocates for vouchers to redirect public funding to pay for these private and religious schools.

    The problem with this is that the money would come directly from taxpayers’ pockets. You and me. Not only would we have to pay for these new schools, but we wouldn’t have the opportunity to check their credibility or hold them to basic education standards.

    DeVos has extreme views on the way our schools should run. In a 2001 interview with The Gathering, a Christian philosophy organization, DeVos said she wants to use these vouchers to “confront the culture in ways that will continue to advance God’s kingdom.”      

    Critics of DeVos are worried about student civil rights. Devos has made it clear that she doesn’t understand the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and it is possible and likely, that DeVos may move to reverse the Obama administration’s direction on LGBTQ student accommodations and the policies dictating how to handle instances of sexual assault.

    Our public education system needs reform. Not to be gutted and replaced with an unchecked privatized corporation. 

  • Ben Affleck steps down as director of The Batman

    Ben Affleck steps down as director of The Batman

    Batfleck, out

    By | Danny Dunn

    Ben Affleck has decided not to direct the new Batman solo film that is set to release sometime in 2018. There have been multiple rumors of script issues and the possibility that the movie could get its release date pushed back. This could prove bad for the DC extended universe?

    The last couple of movies in the DC Extended Universe, such as “Batman V Superman”, “Dawn Of Justice”, and “Suicide Squad”, have tried desperately to create a world of their own. It is similar to that of what Marvel is doing with the Avengers movies and their Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

    DC has not quite found the same success as Marvel, mainly because they have rushed to get their movies out there and did not take enough time to go through and develop their characters. For example, Marvel had solo films for a majority of the Avengers before bringing them together. Meanwhile DC has introduced half of the Justice League characters using E-mail. Wonder Woman sits down at a computer in Batman V Superman, opens an E-mail from Bruce Wayne that contains video clips of The Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg, and that is how they are introduced into the DC universe. 

    At first I thought Ben Affleck stepping down as director of ‘The Batman” spelled doom for the DC Extended Universe, but then I gave it some thought. Affleck is starring in the film and if half of his efforts were also going to directing the film, his portrayal of Bruce Wayne/Batman might take a hit. He has already shown that he can be a solid Batman without directing from his performance in “Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice”. 

    Of course, I am not oblivious to the other side of the coin either. Affleck might have been stepping down as director because of the multiple script issues that were reported and he didn’t want to be the director and star of a sinking ship. But I do not think this is the case, I just think Affleck did not want to get burnt out by doing both jobs.

    “The Batman” is currently without a director, which means we can speculate who is going to be the next director. The number one option to me has to be Zack Snyder. All of his DC movies thus far have had that dark tone that we have come to expect in Batman movies, unfortunately Snyder’s movies have mainly been focused on Superman. A second option is Christopher Nolan, director of The Dark Knight trilogy. He knows how to make a brilliant contained Batman movie, I am not sure how he would do making one for this bigger DC universe. 

    DC needs to get this hire right if they want to mirror any of the lasting success that Marvel has had. They are relying heavily on the films coming out this year, “Wonder Woman” and “Justice League” to hopefully restore the DC Extended Universe into something more than just watchable. I have to say I am not overly optimistic about those films, or “The Batman” director hire, but for the sake of our own entertainment, please DC get this right.

  • Editorial: Securing sanctuary for our undocumented students

    Editorial: Securing sanctuary for our undocumented students

    By The Lumberjack Editorial Board

    Undocumented students have a right to an education and a safe place to foster that education. Students shouldn’t have to worry about being prejudicially profiled and deported. The new Trump administration’s policy on immigration is threatening to do just that.Fear for the well-being of our undocumented students has existed at HSU throughout Trump’s campaign and has only increased since his inauguration. 
    President Rossbacher released a statement Jan. 31. Reassuring the HSU community that the administration stands in support with our undocumented students and is exploring options, but with our cities of sanctuary under fire we want to know what concrete actions HSU can take in protecting our community. 
    Trump’s executive order, Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States, threatens sanctuary cities and school campuses. The order states that sanctuary jurisdiction ‘willfully violates Federal law in an attempt to shield aliens. Under the new administration, any place maintaining sanctuary status is to be denounced. Punishment for not cooperating with this directive is the removal of federal funding. 
    Rep. Duncan Hunter, California Republican, introduced legislation that extends this consequence to sanctuary campuses that do not work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.This affects University federal funding through the financial aid program and student loan debt forgiveness. The law calls for 100 percent compliance with federal immigration requests.
    If the threat of the withdrawal of funds is credible, how does HSU plan to take care of not only the undocumented students but students who can’t handle the fiscal burden this executive order could levy?
    Hearing the words of support from administration is always comforting. Undocumented students only want the opportunity of higher education and a chance to make their way just like American citizens. This attempt to create a safe haven is more than appealing but under federal law, what are our real options? The Lumberjack urges HSU’s administration to do more in the way of making our student community feel safe and secure during their time at HSU. 

  • Missing Uber in Arcata

    Missing Uber in Arcata

    By|Onaja Waki

    The Uber ride sharing app has been around for six years now, providing rides to cities around the globe. Here in California, an Uber ride is accessible nearly everywhere. However, as we get further up north to Humboldt County, the option for an Uber ride becomes scarce. North of Eureka and going into towns like Arcata, the request for an Uber is no longer available.

    Uber can’t form a base in Arcata without drivers. It’s not a matter of the Uber company not allowing drivers up north or the city of Arcata banning Uber services all together. If more people residing in this area started becoming drivers, then both students and locals would have the opportunity to request a ride as another form of transportation here in Arcata.

    Potential drivers must sign up through the Uber website and meet the initial driver requirements, such as being 21-years-old or over, and having at least three years of driving experience with a clean driving record.

    Humboldt State student Arri Sanders, an adamant Uber rider in her hometown of Los Angeles, said she uses Uber all the time to get around the busy city. Sanders wishes she could request one out here on a day when the Redwood Transit isn’t running, or the very few available taxi cab services are backed up. “I would chose an Uber ride over calling one these taxis or taking the bus any day! It’s just so much faster,” Sanders said.

    Most students agreed with Sanders when asked about there being more accessibility to Uber rides in Arcata. Locals who have been living in Arcata all their life said they want to try the ride-sharing app.

    Donald Vance, who was born and raised in Arcata, has no car and uses the local transportation to get around town. Through a friend, he was informed about the Uber service being provided in Eureka, but has never seen Uber drivers here in Arcata. He mentioned how he would like to have Uber out here as an option to get around, and even considered the possibility of signing up to become a driver. “I wouldn’t mind being a driver especially since Arcata is small, I don’t think I would have to go far distances for my pick ups and drop offs anyway,” Vance said.

    Análisis Montoya is a third-year HSU student and Uber driver in Oakland. She said Uber driving helped her pay for her car. She considered Ubering here in Arcata, but doesn’t think she would make a lot of money. “I feel like if I was to drive out here no one would request a ride, because I don’t think many people up here even know about Uber,” she said.

    Surprisingly, there is a high demand for Uber rides in Arcata, but most people just aren’t informed and aren’t signing up. Those who don’t mind driving or are already drivers in different cities should sign up here in Arcata. They would be providing a service to the many who would like to request a ride.

  • Editorial: Politically vocal on the local level

    Editorial: Politically vocal on the local level

    By | The Lumberjack Editorial Board

    Civic engagement doesn’t just end with the presidential election. ‘We the people’ have a duty to stay engaged in politics year round.
    The beautiful thing about a democracy is the citizens somewhat have a voice. For a democratic government to function in service of the people, the people must be more active in all levels of government, including the local level.
    Though voting in the presidential election is one of the greatest political actions available to citizens, the president’s actions alone don’t represent all the ways in which government can affect our daily lives. Local officials sign in laws that impact our day-to-day lives the most.

    The citizen’s voice is not only reflected through voting, but also through communicating with our local officials. We have a constitutional responsibility to watch over these officials and check them when they are not advocating for the people.

    While the opportunity to elect a new president may be four years away, the opportunity to affect local levels of government come and go every year.

    To live under the belief that if the president is right that the country will be right, is wrong. 
    We have seen just how much every vote matters on the national scale. It is time to think about how much they matter on the local governmental level.

    If you are upset by what is happening on the national scale then, by all means, keep protesting, demonstrating, rallying and assembling.

    However, the next time your local government has a city council seat open, try to take a step back from the global and national scene and take time to ensure that your local government is in check as well.

  • Letters from Pelican Bay

    Letters from Pelican Bay

    By | Tania Mejia

    Last week, Humboldt County joined the Women’s March movement and marched in solidarity for women’s rights and related causes at the largest protest in our nation’s history. Not only was this a historical day for our country, it was also a historical day for the Humboldt County: the march became the largest demonstration in Eureka’s history.

    During the Women’s March I held a sign which read, “INCLUDE THE 1.2 MILLION WOMEN BEHIND BARS IN YOUR ACTIVISM,” in bold black letters over an orange painted women’s power symbol. Inspired by Intersectional Feminists Against Fascist Overlord’s Instagram post with a poster reading “INCLUDE DISABLED WOMEN IN YOUR FEMINISM,” I thought the same message could be applied to an often forgotten imprisoned population.

    With one in 100 US adults behind bars, it is important to be conscious of those who cannot participate in free speech and currently sit behind bars. As I marched, I saw posters reading, “MY BODY, MY CHOICE” or “A WOMAN’S PLACE IS IN THE RESISTANCE,” and couldn’t help but cringe at the lack of thought about the privilege behind such messages. Just to be clear, women are currently the fastest growing prison population.

    Women, especially trans women of color are being arrested, harassed and victimized by our criminal justice system far more than any other incarcerated population. They are being housed in male prisons where they are put in solitary confinement for their so-called protection. Alternatively, if left in general population, they are mistreated and/or become victims of sexual assault both by correctional officers and inmates significantly more than other prison populations.

    It’s also important to note that when we talk about “MY BODY, MY CHOICE” this is not true for women behind bars. In her book, “Are Prisons Obsolete,” Angela Davis writes. “Prison and police officers are vested with the power and responsibility to do acts, which if done outside the work hours, would be crimes of sexual assault.”

    Let’s think about that. Let’s think about the sterilization of female inmates without consent as a form of birth control, which California recently banned in 2014. Let’s think about the lack of medical and reproductive health care women behind bars face and endure on a daily basis in unsanitary conditions.

    Overall, when we proclaim, “WOMEN’S RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS,” we must include every self-identified female body behind bars. While I understand not everybody is seeking to reform the criminal justice system, we must connect the dots between other social justices. This is where we have to build the kind of unity and solidarity across very different places – culturally, geographically, and politically– to create a stable foundation to progress as a nation.

    How this is put into action is up to us, but as a self-identified prison abolitionist this is my favorite example: In Spring 2001, Critical Resistance, an organization that works to dismantle the prison industrial complex system, filed an environmental lawsuit against the California Department of Corrections (CDC) with the goal of stopping the construction of a 5,160 bed prison in California’s Central Valley that would have cost taxpayers $335 million. Critical Resistance organized a group of coalitions that had previously never worked together, including anti-prison activists, environmentalists, farm worker’s unions and immigrant advocates.

    So, when I say, “INCLUDE THE 1.2 MILLION WOMEN BEHIND BARS IN YOUR ACTIVISM,” I don’t mean, ‘don’t forget them.’ I am calling for us to unite, organize and combine strategies to address our societal problems. I am calling for grassroots organizing and legislative work with diverse individuals, organizations and state agencies. I am calling all of the civil rights activists, environmental protectors and social justice warriors who want to live in a better world. As we continue on, we must move into new and formerly unlikely alliances which allow for participation from all of us.

    Note: When stating there is 1.2 million women behind bars, this includes those in prison, jail, probation and parole. According to the Sentencing Project, “The rate of growth for female imprisonment has outpaced men by more than 50% between 1980 and 2014.”

  • What is ‘Greatness’ Measured in?

    What is ‘Greatness’ Measured in?

    In Defense of Resistance

    By | Joe DeVoogd

    It was a bleak and cold morning in Washington DC on January 21st, 2017.  The world watched the day before in trepidation as the US swore in a brash billionaire to the highest office in government. The hang-over was beginning to fade and, for many of us, the reality of a Trump presidency was just starting to sink in.  
    It was 9 o’clock, and our group was just starting to make its way over to the metro station.  Shoulder to shoulder would be putting it mildly; based on how packed that train was sardines could’ve taken a lesson. We get off at the national mall, thinking it’ll be much more spacious on the street but it’s almost just as packed. There were so many people at the Women’s March on Washington, congestion was becoming a health hazard. I was adrift in a sea of signs and pink hats, gobbling up every breath of fresh air that happened to breeze by.  At a certain point, I had to ask myself the question: “What am I doing here?”

    “I should be in school right now! Why do we still have to fight for basic reproductive rights for women?  Why do so many in this country want to undermine women’s healthcare? How could any of this have happened?” 

    Feminism has made so much progress in terms of empowering women in preceding decades, and to have it overshadowed by chauvinist as our “leader of the free world” is depressing to say the least.  Though his influence loomed over us it gave me great deal of courage to see that feminists had not grown despondent.  On the contrary, one could even sense a great air of optimism and hope for the future.  I think if nothing else these marches sent a message to misogynists everywhere showing the sheer size of their opposition.  I was honored to be one of the millions of people around the world marching that day.  

    Then there were those who would ask us: “What are you doing here?  You’re just standing in the way; go back to work!  What sorts of rights don’t women have that you’re fighting for?”  

    Many of people who felt this way were also the same people that protested Obama’s presidency, mimicking a party that famously destroyed private property in the Boston harbor 300 years ago.  Protest and dissent can be as crucial to the political process as paying your taxes.  It makes for a healthier democratic society because it shows all entities of power, where power truly resides when we stand together.  

    Thomas Jefferson once wrote: “When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty.”  It’s as true today as when he said it.  There are Republican lawmakers in 5 different states that want to make peaceful protest a criminal offense subject to significant penalty.  If Citizen’s United wasn’t the last nail in the coffin of our American democracy criminalizing peaceful assembly surely would be.  

    It’s no secret that ‘The Donald’ is not a big fan of the first amendment in the Bill of Rights.  Freedom of religion, freedom of speech and the press, freedom to peacefully assemble.  If he did like the 1st amendment he wouldn’t constantly be trying to undermine it.  He wouldn’t have mocked protesters, called journalists the most dishonest people on earth, or ordered a travel ban on 7 predominantly Islamic nations.  He’ll claim that the ban is not a religious thing but then says that he’ll allow Christian refugees priority.  People who could just as easily could be terrorists.  
    What sort of vetting system would that be like?: 
    “Welcome to US immigration sir.  Are you a bad hombre?  Because if you are you have to tell me.”  

    Mr. Trump would like you to just keep you yap shut, and your head down.  He’d tell us “If you can’t say something nice don’t say anything at all!” Well sir, human decency is on the line, and if we don’t stand to defend it then who will?  If we don’t stand up for the inclusive ideas that made this country what it is then what will become of us?  Look at the numbers, migrants simply do not come here to commit terrorist attacks, they come in search of refuge from these attacks.  The more we disenfranchise Islamic citizens, the more families we tear apart, walls we build, bans we impose, the more prone they will be toward radicalization.  That’s why we march, because respect in human decency is a greater defensive policy than the one we’re seeing today.  We march because when we see the mark of tyranny in our administrators it’s not a liability to stand in opposition; it’s a civic duty.  

    During this last election season, we’ve been bombarded by campaign rhetoric and promises.  Yet few mottos were as vague and subjective as the one broadcast by the prevailing campaign: “Make America Great Again”  
    How can you argue with that?  I want to make America great.  I wish our country had the best education system in the world yet we rank 14th in education.  I wish we had the best healthcare system in the world but we are ranked number 37, worst in the developed world besides Russia and right behind Costa Rica.  I wish I could say that the United States has the most equitable system of economics or that our country is leading the way in the green technology revolution.  Sadly, this is not the case.  These are the types of subjects that we will need to improve in if we truly seek to make our country great.  There is however one thing that our country is clearly the greatest at:  We can outspend any country in the world in defense by hundreds of billions of dollars.  

    I won’t lie, it was a truly dreary day on the 21st in DC.  Yet there was little that could serve to dampen the sense of hope and strength that we gave to one another.   Can still hear those chanting “Love, not hate; that’s what makes America great.”  
    When I heard that I knew, so long as we stick together there is no evil policy this man can implement that we can’t tear down. When we stand in solidarity to human rights, we the people, can do anything.  

  • Increasing fees and increasing fears

    Increasing fees and increasing fears

    By: Domanique Crawford

    As Humboldt State students struggle with affording available housing and hot meals, we can now add the extra burdens of the proposed tuition fee increase to our list of troubles for the 2017-18 academic school year. Students are surprised the decision is up for discussion and are outraged.

    “I think it’s high enough already,” psychology major and single mother Tanya Repair said. “I get financial aid and that’s the only reason I can come.” 

    University of California will formally propose to the UC Board of Regents at the end of January. The new plan will increase the tuition fee by five percent, and students like Repair who struggle financially are worried about what the increase will mean for them. Funding education is expensive, and that expense is a major deterrence to wanting to reach for anything higher than a high school diploma.

    When Governor Jerry Brown enacted the college tuition freeze almost five years ago, it was a temporary halt to the ever-increasing hikes that have already been witnessed in the UC and CSU school systems. These hikes would follow the rate of inflation. 

    One of the top concerns is that a tuition fee raise, even one that is only five percent, will affect financial aid disbursement amounts because it is the only protection they have against the already high costs of college. Though students want to oppose any increase in educational expenses, the incremental annual increases to tuition is meant to help students manage the additional cost at a more reasonable time frame. 

    Alice Abler, HSU child development major and scholarship recipient said even though she has money to pay for college, she is worried about other students.

    “You want a more diverse population for everyone,” Abler said, “not just people who can afford it.”

    According to HSU President, Lisa A. Rossbacher, if the tuition fee is raised then HSU financial aid would be increased to cover low-income students, including qualified California Dream Act students. Financial aid funding will increase to cushion the costs.

    “The tuition increase being discussed at the system level would not exceed $270 for full-time undergraduates for an academic year and a similarly proportional increase would apply to graduate students,” Rossbacher said in an e-mail. “The increase would apply to all students in the California State University, including at HSU.” 

    Although students are angry about the proposed rising tuition, the new fees are designed to provide a cushion for costs for future crises. The administration wants to avoid the steep and dramatic costs we have witnessed in previous years. Eventually, the cost of tuition will rise. Hopefully, the measures the administration have taken will prove viable enough to aid those who already struggle with the high cost of education.

  • Editorial: HSU’s Responsibilities beyond academic achievement

    Editorial: HSU’s Responsibilities beyond academic achievement

    By: The Lumberjack Editorial Board

    This spring 2017 semester, the Lumberjack staff requests that Humboldt State administration take more responsibility for student welfare, beyond just recruiting students to HSU. The Lumberjack asks that HSU not only consider a student’s academic education, but also a student’s basic living needs while attending HSU.

    HSU entices students with its emphasis on environmental and social standards and opportunities for hands-on learning. Students are often charmed by the small town atmosphere and close-knit community. However, students find that finding a stable place to live and join the community for their stay at HSU to be a near impossible task. 

    Universities have more than a duty than to provide an academic education — it owes each and every student an opportunity to access a stable living situation.

    Furthermore, leaving young students to the whim of Humboldt County’s housing market creates a potentially dangerous situation. Students may end up in living situations that present very real physical and health risks for fear of being homeless. 

    We need our administration to match enrollment with the size of the housing market. It is unethical to bring students to an area they’ve never been and expect them to pay for and maintain a full load of classes, while offering no help with housing outside of high priced campus housing. 

    HSU can and should do more to assuage the pressures of student life by doing more to prepare and warn students for the particular struggles in the HSU community. We ask HSU to look harder at buying more property in the area for student living. 

    This starts with administration simply being forthright and honest about Humboldt’s housing situation when recruiting students from across California and the United States.

  • Traversing Hills and Stairs University

    Traversing Hills and Stairs University

    By: Domanique Crawford

    My heart is beating too fast and as I stop to rest and catch the breath that stutters out of my lungs in heaving gasps, sweat trickles down my face in never ending rivulets. A slight musk mists the air around me, although I could have sworn I put on deodorant before my attempt to ascend campus. And as the sun seems to beam down directly on my forehead I think to myself:

    “Why the hell didn’t I know this school was nicknamed Hills and Stairs University?”

    During each semester break, without the daily physical excretion that the Humboldt State campus forces students to endure, navigating campus can be physically draining. Returning to school is like returning to an extreme exercise routine after a break for a couple of months. You almost dread going back to the routine because you know that there will be some amount of pain, but you also know the exercise is best for you. These are some tips to get the most out of your campus workout.

    Get your energy boost on: Did you know that stair climbing requires eight to nine times more energy expenditure than sitting and burns about seven times more calories than taking an elevator? So if you are utilizing the HSU campus, it is a good idea to power up in the mornings and make sure you are eating the most important meal of the day: breakfast. Also, make sure you are eating or drinking something high energy. Green tea is a great morning drink.

    Stretch it out: With any exercise during the first few weeks of adjusting to the exercises, your muscle will feel the burn. Stretch before the hours of navigating the stairs embedded in hills. Climbing stairs are also strenuous on your legs, hips and buttocks, so it’s imperative to prepare your muscles for the upcoming workout by stretching to prevent injury and increase flexibility. 

    H2O Hydration: If you think you don’t need to drink to climb stairs, you may find yourself in hot water. Stair climbing is officially classed as a “vigorous exercise” and burns more calories per minute than jogging.

    Work them Stairs: They can be daunting, but did you know that you burn about 0.17 calories for every step you climb? So you burn roughly a calorie and a half for every 10 upward steps. You also burn calories going down. Every stair descended burns about 0.05 calories, so you burn 1 calorie for every 20 steps down. Just seven minutes of climbing stairs a day has been estimated to less than half the risk of a heart attack over 10 years. Even if you don’t have sports shoes, stair climbing can be useful. Did you know that you burn more calories climbing stairs in high heels?

    Mid-semester starter kit: Must-carry backpack essentials

    • Water Bottle – Though there are numerous vending machines for soda and caffeinated beverages, none of them carry water. Be sure to bring your own bottle if you want to fill up at a hydration station.
    • Sweatband – If you want to keep your makeup looking flawless or just don’t want sweat coating your face, try wearing a sweatband while traveling between classrooms. 
    • Energy Snack – Keep that energy up. A series of small snacks will help stave off that midday slump.
  • Letter to the editor: Welcome from the Mayor of Arcata

    Letter to the editor: Welcome from the Mayor of Arcata

    By: Mayor Michael Winkler

    Welcome back to Arcata! And welcome to winter weather. I know many of you are from the south, and less comfortable with frost and rain — but I hope you embrace the nature of the North Coast. Enjoy it! Don’t let it get you down, it is not really that cold. You just need layered clothing, a raincoat, umbrella, socks and boots. Now you are ready to go, at least for a saunter through town.

    Grab your friends and walk into town! It is only a few blocks southwest and there are adventures to be had. Interesting stores, great food, a walk to the marsh, visit the Farmers Market on a Saturday morning. Get to know the local opportunities. There are businesses that need employees, non-profits with internship opportunities and maybe some second-hand or new clothing you want to shop. Enjoy the music shows, movie theaters and community celebrations. We may not have an In-N-Out Burger here, but try Stars on G Street or enjoy the late open hours at the Arcata Pizza Deli on H Street.

    I want you to know the city of Arcata council, staff and police work hard to respect the dignity of ALL people. We want our town to be safe and welcoming to all students, no matter their immigration status. No person will be held legally solely for their immigration status. We support DACA students and wish all HSU students success in their dreams.

    Make these years the best in your life — which means try things that scare you a bit, explore your interests and make lifelong personal connections. Success is often about who you know in life — so let yourself be known! Arcata City Council meetings are held every first and third Wednesdays of the month, at 6 p.m. in City Hall. Please come say hello!

    Be sure to speak up if you are having problems academically, socially or legally. HSU has advisors to help you, and the Arcata City Council wants to know how we can help you be more successful. We believe this country is best served with educated people and are so happy you chose Humboldt State University!

    Welcome to Arcata! As Sara Bareilles sings it, “I want to see you be brave!”