The Lumberjack



Students Serving The Cal Poly Humboldt Campus and Community Since 1929

Tag: Cal Poly University Humboldt

  • What you need to know about the 2024-2025 FAFSA Form

    What you need to know about the 2024-2025 FAFSA Form

    by Carlina Grillo

    One soft launch and a three month delay later, the revamped 2024-2025 FAFSA form has officially opened for submission. Dubbed the, “Better FAFSA, better future,” FAFSA.gov was made available 24 hours a day on January 8, after a tedious waiting period. 

    According to the FAFSA website, for most financial aid programs in California, the application is due no later than April 2, 2024. Along with an application submitted, the Cal Grant requires a school-certified GPA. 

    Historically, FAFSA has always launched on Oct. 1. This year, tensions were high as FAFSA waited until two weeks before the form was released to announce their availability date as Dec. 31. During this time, the website headlined with words like “soft launch” and “available periodically.” Community response to this change was overwhelmingly negative. 

    The comment section on the FAFSA Instagram @federalstudentaid is constantly streaming with complaints from customer service being unresponsive to the dashboard not refreshing. 

    “No one’s getting a Pell Grant if we can’t actually fill out and submit our FAFSA forms,” one commenter said . 

    “The new FAFSA form will also help 1.5 million more students receive the maximum Pell Grant amount,” according to the federal student aid instagram account. 

    Finally, if you have a parent contributor who isn’t exactly tech-savvy, make sure to have them on speed dial for their inevitable questions. The form may have gotten simpler, but it’s not always fool-proof.  

    The Cal Poly Humboldt financial aid office was unavailable for comment at the time of this article.

  • Students protest at donor event hosted by Cal Poly Humboldt president Tom Jackson

    Students protest at donor event hosted by Cal Poly Humboldt president Tom Jackson

    by Savana Robinson

    The doors were locked. The windows were covered up with cardboard. Cal Poly Humboldt President Tom Jackson was set to host a donor event on Jan. 23 at the Reese Bullen Gallery, but a couple dozen protestors gathered outside the gallery to condemn Jackson and his absence from campus, as well as the CSU tuition increase and the addition of the recent housing application fee.

    Rick Toledo, a member of the Students for a Democratic Society, spoke at the rally.

    “The goal was to finally get a hold of Tom Jackson, because he’s never in his office,” Toledo said. “He’s never on campus.”

    One student who preferred to remain unnamed, rather going by Doe, said that they want to bring advocacy to the tuition hike.

    “That is going to hurt students in the coming fall of 2024,” Doe said. “[Jackson] only cares about getting more students and then fucking them over by making us pay more tuition, more in housing.”

  • CSU student workers system-wide will vote on unionizing with CSUEU

    by Felix Andres Romero

    After months of organizing, students working for CSU campuses are getting ready to vote on whether they would like to unionize as part of California State University Employees Union (CSUEU). If they vote to join, the CSUEU would negotiate contracts on the student’s behalf.

    Student workers, such as Leah Baker at Cal State Monterey Bay, stress the importance of a union for this campus population.

    “CSU has student workers doing the labor that usually union employees would be doing,” Baker said. “But they’re paying us much, much less, and they’re not giving us any of [union] kinds of benefits.”

    With a unionized contract for student workers, Baker hopes that it will allow for improved conditions and benefits for student workers such as a discounted parking pass. Student Assistant Tori Umeda at Cal Poly Pomona shared why they are voting to unionize.

    “I am voting [in favor of] a union because I am sick and tired of struggling every day to make ends meet,” Umeda said. “Many of us work multiple jobs besides being students just to cover the basics like food, rent and utilities. Often, we have to work [when we’re] sick because we don’t have sick time.”

    Communications Officer for CSUEU Khanh explains how student workers can vote.

    “Voting starts on Jan. 25 [and ends Feb 22]. Student Assistants will receive an email the day before [Jan. 24] with instructions to access their electronic ballot,” Khanh said. “[Students] will be issued a PIN unique to them in order to vote. This is a historic election, the largest of its kind ever, and we know thousands of student workers are ready and eager to vote, ‘union yes,’ and join CSUEU/SEIU 2579 as the next wave of union leaders building a more equitable CSU for all.”

  • Everything comes at a price. My newfound sanity came with an extra 65 pounds.

    Everything comes at a price. My newfound sanity came with an extra 65 pounds.

    by Savana Robinson

    Last year, after a bout of psychosis and mania, I was diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar I. I was given a little blue pill called Abilify. Abilify (aripiprazole) is an antipsychotic/mood stabilizer that kept me on my rocker for a few months until my body started changing. I was prescribed Abilify in March 2023 when I weighed about 130 pounds. By May, I was 160. I went to my psychiatrist and he put me on Vraylar (cariprazine) which is a weight-neutral drug, meaning it should have stopped the weight gain. It didn’t. My general mental health was starting to decline, but at least I wasn’t convinced that everyone was out to kill me. I was probably overeating to some extent, but not enough to gain another 30 pounds. Yet around Nov., I hit 195. The drugs had wreaked havoc on my body and I didn’t recognize myself anymore. I had started an antidepressant, Wellbutrin (bupropion) back in the summer and it slowly started to help me accept my body and not mope about it all the time.

    I decided to start Weight Watchers (WW) on Christmas Day. It was the best decision I’ve made in a while. It’s been almost a month and I’ve lost six pounds! I’d been tracking calories for seven months with no results, but doing WW, which factors in grams of fat, protein, carbs and more, I’m taking a more holistic approach to weight loss. It’s also like a game; I get daily and weekly points to spend on food and I have to budget my points like they’re money. I went from constantly planning what I was going to eat to only thinking about it right before eating.

    Even though my body is different than it was before my life-changing diagnosis, I’m still the happy person I was before. I wouldn’t say I’m the same; I’m stronger. I’m more resilient. I am grateful for my body and my opportunity to live this life in this world.

    No matter what you look like, if you’re happy, then you’re perfect. It took me a while to love myself even when I thought I didn’t deserve to. Now, as Billie Eilish said, ‘I’m happier than ever. I’m no longer trying to be someone else.’ I’m just being Savana Motherfucking Robinson.

  • Sipping superb cider at The Local Cider Bar; review

    by Christina Mehr and Andres Felix Romero

    Overall vibes

    The Local Cider Bar is a chill sit-down spot that would be perfect for a mellow first date vibe or an end to a great date. Imagine having a piece of pie and a cider to bond over, or end your night. 

    However, our only drawback is that food does close at 8 p.m. 

    The music was okay, more on the chill indie side.

    They do offer free water which is a bonus. 

    The Cider Bar did have clean selfie-worthy bathrooms.

    The Cider Bar was well-lit and had a relaxing atmosphere with soft indie music playing over the speakers. The environment there felt safe.

    Seating Options and Decor

    The large windows, giving patrons a view of the patio and street, gave the somewhat smaller interior a more spacious atmosphere. If you are someone who loves nautical themes, the big barrels used for seating and tables are a huge plus. The Cider Bar itself has a large wooden bar for patrons to sit alongside a host of tables. The interior design, with its mix of wood and industrial vibe, would allow the Cider Bar to fit into cities like Berkeley.

    The outdoor seating is also a great option for those who want some fresh air, rain or shine. Canopies with space heaters and strung-up light bulbs give your senses a warm and dry feel to the outdoor area of the Cider Bar. However, no smoking is allowed.

    Alcohol

    Flights for $15.

    Swipe right – was sweet and fruity with a hint of cherry .

    Black current – good, but a deeper wine flavor.

    Chile Guava – not spicy enough and a dry cider.

    Dragon Fruit – had a sweet aftertaste, like an adult Capri Sun.

    Blurberry – stronger aftertaste, dark, strong, packaged as wine and wasn’t cidery enough.

    Strawberry – sweet, juicy, good solid cider. Can’t go wrong with strawberries. 

    Mango daydream – not enough flavor, Le Croix lookalike. A hint of piss if you’re into golden showers.

    Gingergrass – very ginger acidic. If you’re a ginger lover then its right up your alley

    Food Review

    Had a wide selection of pies with vegetarian options included. 

    Sweet pies:

    Apple Crumble with Ice Cream – This was my favorite pie. The warm pie with the cold ice cream was an enjoyable temperature contrast.

    Black Bottom Coconut Pie – It was rich and thick, with chocolate mousse and whipped cream.

    Savory pies:

    Veggie Pie – Made my soul feel warmed, which was great considering the cold weather outside.

    Chicken Pot Pie – Crust was flaky, and the pie overall was moist and gooey in a delicious way. There was a very nice hint of sage present with the taste. The pie was warm, homey, yummy and definitely made with love.

    Overall Rating = 4.5/5  STARS

    4.5/5 apple pies.

  • A goofy night with the Globetrotters; scenes from the game at Cal Poly Humboldt

    A goofy night with the Globetrotters; scenes from the game at Cal Poly Humboldt

    by Carlina Grillo

    Everyone’s seen it: alley-oops, slam-dunks. Nothing but net and jumpshots galore. For the people at the Lumberjack Arena last Wednesday night, basketball was flipped on its head, spun around on a single finger and reimagined by none other than the Harlem Globetrotters. Athletes, theater lovers and comedy fanatics came together as the Globetrotters faced off against their unrelenting rivals, the Washington Generals.

    Before the game, select kids and adults alike got the experience of attempting trickshots in front of hundreds of people. If you weren’t lucky enough to give the warmups with the Globetrotters a go, you might’ve had a run in with their mascot, Globie, who roamed the bleachers & isles getting the crowd hyped for the main act. Between the dances, selfies, community involvement and unironic athleticism, there wasn’t a single person left unimpressed by the Globetrotters performance, although it was more of a party. All this was before the beginning buzzer.

    photo by Alex Anderson

    Elena German, an English education major, had never been to a Globetrotters game. As a surprise Christmas gift, she got tickets to attend the event with her brother Ethan. Despite not being a sports fan and having minimal basketball expertise, there was plenty for her to enjoy.

    “I love a good show, I like to be excited,” German said. “I’m expecting a lot of energy from the crowd. It’s a lot of kids, which is exciting… Definitely the comedy and theatrics aspect of it, that is what was kind of appealing when I looked into it.”

    Unlike typical basketball games, the Globetrotters had their very own MC and DJ. The combination of music, quick commentary, goofy dances and trickshots made for a chaotic night. Audience members, such as Cal Poly Humboldt student Ethan German, couldn’t contain their excitement at the sold out performance.

    photo by Alex Anderson

    “It absolutely exceeded my expectations, wonderful show,” Ethan German said. “The tall player and the short player chasing each other. That was definitely something I did not exactly expect, but it was a great addition.”

    This basketball game was one-of-a-kind in more ways than one. The Globetrotters had the traditional trick shots, like having their back to the hoop and throwing the ball “grandma style,” but they also had a handful of unique yet iconic moments. Originators of the “four point line,” the Harlem Globetrotters took every opportunity to sink four-pointers. If the four pointer missed, there was another player ready to slam dunk a rebound.

    At one point during the game, the MC announced their special rule: game changers. At any point during the game, if the DJ played the special sound, the audience was prompted to shout, “CHANGE! THE! GAME!” In which case the Globetrotters would proceed to do something extremely goofy. The most normal of the game changers included doubling points, resulting in some epic eight pointers, and a dunk contest where the audience voted on the winner.

    More surprising game changers included having kids from the audience shoot free throws, bringing a football onto the court and roleplaying the NFL. After running the ball into the “end-zone,” the audience did the wave and the players did their touchdown dances. Naturally, a referee called a foul and needed to see a replay, so everyone did everything in reverse – including a slow-motion reverse wave across the gym.

    Globie, the Globetrotter’s mascot | photo by Alex Anderson
    A Globetrotter dunking | photo by Alex Anderson

    Other oddities included every parent simultaneously holding their baby in the air as the Lion King soundtrack played. One player stole an audience member’s shoe just to give it back Cinderella-style in center court and the same player pulled flags out of the referee’s pocket clown-style.

    Mikey Crispin, a Cal Poly Humboldt graduate and a lifelong Harlem Globetrotters fan, was blown away. After the show, he was one of many jumping out of his seat.

    “When I was a kid, the Globetrotters were all men,” Crispin said. “Now, there’s women in there, and that’s really amazing because they show a lot of girlpower and encouragement. I felt like that was really important… and that’s what we need to see.”

    Chaotic, impressive and goofy are a few words used to describe the night, but none do it justice. Despite the lack of descriptors, everyone can agree it was an unforgettable night at the Lumberjack Arena.

  • Campus Store, Arcata, lost $250,000 in one year

    Campus Store, Arcata, lost $250,000 in one year

    by Brad Butterfield

    The Campus Store, Arcata boasts high ceilings, a prime location and 10,200 square feet of usable office and retail space for Cal Poly Humboldt to sell merchandise, build community relations and provide information on California’s new polytechnic. This lot, located at 697 8th St. on the Arcata Plaza, is owned by the Trustees of the California State University and is leased to the Humboldt State University Foundation at $12,240 a month, according to the lease agreement signed June 17, 2021. The expensive investment into the downtown Arcata real estate is both a success and failure, depending on who answers the question.

    Expense reports obtained through public records requests show that from July 2022 – Nov. 2023, the off-campus Campus Store, Arcata had expenses totaling $514,228 with only $258,034 in revenue. The last 15 months of operation have lost Cal Poly Humboldt a whopping $256,194.

    According to Cal Poly Humboldt Communications Specialist Grant Scott-Goforth, the main goals for the Campus Store, Arcata did not include profitability. Instead, according to the university, the new storefront’s main goals are to expand the university’s relationship with the community of Arcata, provide visibility to the community, engage with store guests and provide information about the university, as well as expand Cal Poly Humboldt logo wear offerings.

    “The University sees the stores as successes on those terms,” said Goforth in an email. 

    Karen Diemer, Arcata city manager, highlighted the crucial timing of the store’s opening.

     “It was kind of mid-pandemic and we had been working closely with downtown businesses trying to pivot to outdoor sales areas, outdoor dining, trying to do whatever we could do to assist businesses and keep [us] afloat during COVID,” Diemer said. “I remember just having a really thankful feeling of having the university invest in what would be a retail space right on the plaza as we feared, at the time, that businesses could be closing as a result of the pandemic.”

    It’s important to recognize that prior to the opening of the off-campus Campus Store, Arcata, branded gear, school supplies and books were all sold out of the on-campus Textbook Warehouse (more commonly referred to as the Bookstore), located in the Student Activities Center on the third floor. This on-campus location was difficult for alumni and community members to access, in part, because of Cal Poly Humboldt’s insufficient parking.

    “The campus location was difficult for people to access because of parking and its location on campus,” Goforth said in an email.

    An unnamed, long-term employee of the Campus Store, Arcata detailed how the parking situation at the off-campus Campus Store is not much of an improvement from on-campus parking. They chose to stay under the pseudonym Doe to avoid persecution from their job.

    “Even now, our parking lot still has parking permits [required],” Doe said. “Our whole parking lot; you need a parking permit or like 20 minute parking, so people get really annoyed about that.” 

    The university embarked on a massive undertaking upon buying the building, previously a bank, into a welcoming storefront that both represented Cal Poly Humboldt as well as fitting into the surrounding businesses.

    “The feedback that I received from the community has all been very positive about the bookstore,” Diemer said. “The feedback that I’ve received from retailers about having that kind of a core hub right on the plaza is positive from downtown businesses.”

    The city-center location of the Campus Store, Arcata lends itself to much higher foot traffic. But foot traffic alone does not necessarily translate into improved community outreach nor sales, Doe pointed out.

    “We should be more busy with the whole farmers market going on. Usually we’re not because a lot of people just go there specifically for the farmers market,” said Doe. “They’re not really wanting to shop around the plaza that much and other than that, weekends are pretty slow.”

    The new store’s location off-campus removes it from the epicenter of campus events, like graduation. This means there is an extra step for would-be customers in order to buy their Cal Poly branded gear.

    “We’re getting less foot traffic, from what I’ve been told, than previous graduations and things like that because when you have your main store for apparel and stuff—when parents are coming to buy apparel and things like that—off-campus and you’re holding the graduation on-campus, there’s a disconnect between that,” Justin Plourde said, an environmental science and management major who has worked at both Campus Store, Arcata and the on-campus Bookstore for over two years. “And yes, some people will come to the [off-campus] store specifically to come buy stuff. But before, [during] graduation, people tended to wander in [to the on-campus Bookstore] and buy stuff rather than go out of their way to go to the [off-campus] store.”

    Still, the Plaza location has more consistent foot traffic throughout the year, most notably through the summer months, Plourde said.

    The significant deficit of the off-campus Campus Store, Arcata may be, in part, due to inventory problems, both in price and availability. 

    “Their biggest income is from clothes, which is why they’re so expensive. And they’re all from like, these specific brands like MV, Champion and Nike, stuff like that. Literally, there’s a pair of leggings at our job that is $120. I’m like, no college student is going to pay $120. I would never buy that and I get a 20% discount,” Doe said. 

    The leggings Doe mentioned are not an outlier. A university branded notebook costs $44, a small, stuffed Cal Poly Humboldt branded bear runs $20, women’s shorts go for $78, bras for $78, and a plain white t-shirt with a green ‘H.’ will set customers back $76.

    Plourde explained that shipments coming to the Campus Store, Arcata can take months between the time they are ordered and when they finally hit the shelf. Currently, this has caused a lack of sizing and style options at a crucial time in the Campus Store’s sales year.

    “We usually have big shipments of clothing before graduation and between the new semesters, and we have yet to get anything that I have seen,” Plourde said.

    Plourde added that he has not been in the store this week and a massive shipment may have just come in time for the spring rush. Some inventory currently on-site has evidently sat for some time, as many mugs and cups were caked in a visible layer of dust observed on Jan. 16. 

    With the transfer of apparel and branded trinkets to the Campus Store, Arcata, the Bookstore on-campus has become a shell of its former self.

    “Everyone’s like, ‘what happened, it looks like you guys got cleared out,’ and we’re like… ‘yeah,’” said Doe.

    More concerning from an operational standpoint is the confusion the new store has generated for students buying textbooks. Plourde explained that the Campus Store, Arcata does not make textbook orders nor process returns. They do, however, shuttle books back and forth to the on-campus Bookstore which is responsible for all textbook processing. To confuse matters more, a clerical error in the listed phone numbers for the businesses has led to many customers calling the wrong store.

    “When people look up the on-campus Bookstore number, it gives them our number. So then, whenever I pick up the phone I have to tell the people like, ‘Sorry, I apologize. This isn’t the right store. I can give you the other store’s number.’ I [memorized it] now because of how often it happens,” Plourde said.

    The fact that the off-campus store is named the Campus Store, Arcata has complicated the situation further.

    “The name ‘Campus Store’ is so hard for new people to wrap their heads around because it’s like, oh, the Campus Store is the one on-campus… but it’s not. So, then everyone goes to the wrong store to pick up their package,” Doe said.

    This has led to a frequent shuttling of sold goods to and from the on-campus Bookstore and off-campus Campus Store, Arcata.

    “It’s like so extra and it is so confusing, because then people always think there’s items at one store and then [there aren’t]. It’s ridiculous,” Doe said.

    Plourde detailed the constant state of limbo that the Campus Store, Arcata has been in since its opening.

    “I think the school doesn’t know what they want from us. It sounds like they think they wanted everything off-campus. And then they realized that that probably wasn’t the best move, but they still want everything on-campus because they want to utilize that space,” said Plourde. “It’s very confusing. And like I said, I don’t think the school knows what they want to do.”

    According to Scott-Goforth, speaking on behalf of the University, Cal Poly Humboldt has no plans to close the on-campus Bookstore.

    With so much money poured into the new location, the university is attempting creative (and tasty) ways to attract potential customers to the off-campus Campus Store, Arcata. 

    “I know that we’re also trying to get food trucks and stuff to come by on certain days so that more people would want to come in the parking lot and things like that,” Doe said.

    Doe’s claim was confirmed by a marketing email sent out by the university on Jan. 15 that read, “Pineapple Express Food Truck, Spreading aloha 1 plate lunch at a time! Brought to you by Housing & Res Life. Fridays from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Campus Bookstore, Arcata!”

    Interestingly, the university advertised the Campus Store, Arcata as the “Campus Bookstore” in the email.

    With nearly half a billion dollars pumped into California’s newest Cal Poly, it may be true that the university is not concerned with a $256,194 deficit at the Campus Store, Arcata. However, as last semester saw budget cuts to many programs that benefit students, like the swimming pool, students are frustrated with the misallocation of resources.

    “I feel like that money should not be going to a new building. It wouldn’t make much of a difference if I was working on-campus or off-campus. I would appreciate them fixing things like that for the betterment of the students, not really what makes them the most money,” Plourde said before adding, “[There are] many other things that they should be working on, and I don’t see [why] this is something that they should be proud of.”

  • The strike doesn’t dismiss you, I do; why some Cal Poly Humboldt professors didn’t join the strike

    by Eli Farrington

    This Monday marked the beginning of what was projected to be a week-long statewide strike throughout California State University (CSU) campuses, with professors and faculty from every CSU engaging in protest for better pay and working conditions. However, some professors at the Cal Poly Humboldt campus chose to refrain from participating despite a request from the California Faculty Association (CFA) for all faculty members to strike.

    According to the CFA website, the union had a better chance of success if every faculty member in the CSU system participated in a strike. However, any faculty member who chose to participate could not be fired, dismissed or punished in any way by the administration. So, why did some professors choose not to strike?

    Economics professor Beth Wilson is not in the CFA union, having canceled her membership in Dec. 2023 during several strikes across other CSU campuses. 

    “I think that the union is absolutely wrong,” Wilson said. “The university does not have a bunch of extra money; they have already cut several programs, and they’re going to cut more.The Chancellor’s office has come out with a list that is from a data perspective, and it’s the same metric for all CSUs regardless of size. We’re a smaller campus, so we have more programs [in danger of being cut] on this list.” 

    According to Wilson, the Chancellor’s office has used this list for program elimination, and worries that Cal Poly Humboldt would look very different in the future if the union priced themselves out of the market by demanding a 12% raise rather than accepting the CSU’s original offer of 5%. She is wary about the impact this could have on her department and her students in the coming years, and wants to prioritize their education over her own financial gain. 

    “A 12% increase is ridiculous,” Wilson said. “It is way too high. A 5% increase is reasonable, and it is not a pay cut. We have not had annual inflation of 5% and we’ve had prices that have come back down again, so the idea that we need 12% to keep pace with inflation is factually incorrect.”

    Many professors and faculty viewed the CSU’s 5% offer as offensively inadequate considering the $12 billion dollars that the chancellor and management have been stockpiling as reserves, according to the CFA’s strike FAQ page.

    Despite Wilson’s insistence that a 12% increase was an unreasonably large demand for the union to make, an independent report on CSU finance titled, “Financial Analysis of the California State University System,” by Howard Bunsis, Professor of Accounting at Eastern Michigan University, found that the CFA’s request could be fulfilled using existing annual surpluses without dipping into the CSU system’s reserve funds. It also explains how a 12% raise was an acceptable amount given current and predicted California inflation rates, as well as statewide raises in tuition and cost of living.

    According to the CFA, CSU management recently voted in favor of a 34% tuition increase over the course of the next five years and imposed a $2 monthly parking fee increase on faculty. All the while Cal Poly Humboldt created a $100 on-campus housing application fee for new students. Coincidentally, campus presidents saw an increase in pay of up to 29%. According to the CalMatters website, CSU Chancellor Mildred Garcia herself received a 27% pay increase July of 2023, upped to a $795,000 base salary, along with monthly allowances for automobiles and housing. 

    A professor, who chose to go by John Doe, for personal safety reasons stated that they were in favor of the strike and the CFA’s demands, but chose not to participate because of the timing and impact on student success. 

    “My reason for not striking is, that with the classes I have, it’s too much of an impact on the students,” Doe said. “The timing is very poor for the scheduling that I have for my classes, and so it’s not fair to the students to force everyone to stop for a week and then play catch-up all the way through to the final.”

    This professor made the decision to continue teaching despite supporting the strike, but they still had many problems with the way the campus is managed. 

    “I believe the workloads are excessive relative to other universities that I’ve taught at,” Doe said. “There’s a lot of chaos and instability that’s introduced when you have a system where a lot of non-full time instructors are brought on to fill in holes in the schedule. It creates chaos for the departments and the individuals, so I’m fully in support of additional wages and an increase to a living wage.”

    Many professors without a PhD and a full-time contract are struggling to afford the cost of living and make ends meet. With salary adjustments that don’t match the current inflation rates, they worry about their ability to afford adequate healthcare and save for retirement. 

    Another faculty member who refrained from striking was Dr. Cynthia M. Le Doux-Bloom, a Cal Poly Humboldt Fisheries Biology & Oceanography lecturer. She is not currently a CFA member, but she strongly supported all of her union member colleagues in their right to strike and believes that CSU instructors, librarians, coaches and other faculty are truly underpaid. She felt conflicted on whether or not she should join the strike, but ultimately chose against it and backed up her decision with two main reasons in an email. 

    “First of all, I am not a CFA union member, nor have I ever been during my five years here at CPH [Cal Poly Humboldt] because, until very recently, I was not teaching every semester; hence, joining a union that I may or may not be a member of every 15 weeks seemed highly unusual,” Le Doux-Bloom said. “I was a member of the California Association of Professional Scientists (CAPS) union for over two decades. I support unions and may join CFA now that I seem to be teaching year-round. Secondly, our students (or their parents or someone else) are paying [around] $15,000/semester to attend CPH [Cal Poly Humboldt]. Semesters include 15 weeks of instruction, which equates to paying $1,000/week or $250/day.” 

    Le Doux-Bloom hoped that her colleagues could appreciate and respect her path even if they disagreed with it. She loves being an instructor and truly wants what’s best for her students. 

    “I cannot stomach penalizing my students’ learning (which they prepaid prior to knowing about the strike) to increase my income,” Le Doux-Bloom said. “Each of our students paid $1,000 this week to support the strike, but were given no choice about their loss of instructional time. This is on top of the ongoing tuition increases, larger classes, reduced services, dilapidated facilities and antiquated equipment. My beef is not with my students, it’s with CSU’s top-heavy administration and administrator salaries.”

  • Jasmin’s Corner: Treat yourself better

    Jasmin’s Corner: Treat yourself better

    by Jasmin Shirazian

    Hi Jasmin,

    I feel like men only really want me for my body? Am I doing something wrong?

    My friend, it’s not necessarily that you’re doing something wrong, but perhaps you’re not treating yourself well. As someone who spent her teenage years feeling this way, it took a long time for me to realize that I was centering my value – and really, my life – around men, specifically their validation. 

    I spent a really long time looking for ways to prove I was worthy of love, and I recognize now that that led to becoming very hypersexual. And while that made for me to be a decent love and relationship writer, it also created a pattern of accepting men into my life that had no business being there. 

    I allowed men to validate me through my body and this took several years of introspection to begin to break the habit. It appears in subconscious ways, such as begging for a text back, allowing the title of ‘situationship’ and plenty of other ways in which we accept crumbs of love. We make excuses for behaviors we wouldn’t exhibit to justify how it makes us feel, but that doesn’t mean we deserve it – or that we need it at all. 

    That’s not to say that you’ve done the same thing, because there are also plenty of wolves in sheep’s clothing out there, but I recommend reflecting on why you accept the love that is offered to you and if you lower your value to accept it. 

    Oftentimes, we are so self-critical that we miss the worth and light within ourselves. I don’t necessarily think you’re doing anything wrong, but I don’t think you’re treating yourself right. It won’t be a quick and easy process, but I remember the first time I didn’t beg for a text back from a guy I really liked – that obviously didn’t respect me – I felt, what I think, was my first true sense of self-respect, at least in regards to dating. 

    I had to learn that sometimes it’s better to be alone than to be in bad company. I had to spend time with myself and enjoy my own company to realize the value in it, and I think that would be good for you, too. 

    All the love for you.

    xoxo, 

    Jasmin

  • Cal Poly Humboldt charges non-refundable $100 deposit to apply for on-campus dorms

    Cal Poly Humboldt charges non-refundable $100 deposit to apply for on-campus dorms

    by Christina Mehr and Jasmin Shirazian 

    If you were considering living on campus next year, submitting your housing application just got expensive. The university is now charging a $100 nonrefundable application fee to apply to live in student housing. While this application fee is nonrefundable, it does not ensure housing for students who apply.

    According to Cal Poly Humboldt housing, the $100 housing application fee is not an additional cost to students. It is treated as an initial deposit and is credited towards the housing and meal plan charges. 

    “We had to reinstate the application fee because we had too many students completing housing applications and holding spaces who weren’t serious about living on campus, preventing other students who did want to live on campus,” said Bria Kupras, a representative for Humboldt Housing & Residence Life. “Currently, the application fee is nonrefundable.”

    Once admitted into student housing, that $100 deposit will go to housing and meal plans. 

    For those students who are Pell Grant eligible, with verification from financial aid, they could receive a waiver. If a student is struggling to come up with the payment, another option would be the short-term loan program through Student Financial Services.

    Skylar Rawitch is a first-year psychology major living in the Cypress dorms.

    “The fee has definitely gotten me thinking about the worth of it,” Rawitch said. “I don’t think that it is fair, especially because the payment fee does not guarantee you housing. If it was optional to pay and guaranteed you housing… I may feel differently.” 

    “Submit your online application and pay the $100 nonrefundable application fee. The $100 will be applied to the housing and meal plan charges, unless the application is canceled where the application fee will be forfeited,” the university’s official housing website states.

    The application fee seems to be an incentive for applicants to only apply if they are seriously considering living on campus.

    “How is it in the best interest of a school that’s supposed to take care of their students and keep them safe to charge them even more when people already are struggling to afford it?” Rawitch said. “They aren’t getting the money back if they do not get housing, and for some people that $100 could be gas money, grocery money, etc., and they would be losing out on that because they were applying for something that [isn’t] guaranteed.”

    Emma Sundberg is a molecular and cellular biology major in their first year at Humboldt. They currently live in Campus Apartments. 

    “I think it’s awful having us pay more to apply when we already have to pay so much,” Sundberg said. “There is no need to spend money on an application.”

    Jess Carey, a biology major in their junior year, has also faced obstacles due to the fee. The application fee has deterred them from applying despite needing it due to housing insecurity over the summer. 

    “I understand that the whole point is to allow the school to get a more accurate idea of how many students to plan for,” Carey said. “But on the other hand, creating yet another barrier to accessible housing stretches the already weak trust of the students in our administration to meet our needs and encourage a livable, desirable college experience. My trust in the administration has been damaged even more from this situation.”

    Kimberly Alexsandra, a sophomore journalism major, has experienced the dorms of varying communities on campus. 

    “I could see why the application fee is necessary, due to the chaos created by the projected overflow of students that applied for housing last spring that didn’t end up attending, which left the school with a worse rep and vacant dorms,” Aleksandra said. “$100 right out of pocket is too much for me and I’m sure others could relate, and for it to be nonrefundable is crazy. As a student who’s lived on campus for two years in different locations, I really don’t think anything about on campus housing is realistically credible enough for a nonrefundable application fee to be needed just to apply.” 

  • Students should support the CFA strike

    by Alexandra Berrocal

    First, they came for our housing.

    Then, they came for our alternative housing students.

    Now, they are coming for our professors.

    When is this going to end?

    At this time, it is easier than ever to develop an ‘us versus them’ mentality. However, we need to remember that students and professors are all in this together. When we stood up for the right to basic housing last year, professors stood with us. When students living in their vehicles were, for heaven’s sake, cruelly kicked out of the school parking lots, professors stood with us. Professors have always been our allies in a world that seems to be squeezing us tighter and tighter. 

    Let’s make this clear: the world is becoming a harsher and harsher place to live, and universities, unfortunately, are not exempt from this. Students can still struggle throughout their college experience for all kinds of reasons. Despite the university attempting to make it easy for students to access mental health resources and disability accommodations, accessing those services can still be hard for people. We need them now more than ever.

    I personally cannot justify the university only giving staff a month of parental leave. How can anyone justify leaving a new baby without their parent at daycare after only a month? Professors should have a semester of parental leave, at least. That should just be common sense, and I don’t understand how that isn’t the law of the land. I also cannot believe that some of the lecturers who are so willing to share their expertise with the students are not making liveable wages. This is unconscionable. I believe that college professors and lecturers deserve the greatest respect because they pass down important knowledge and educate the new generation. This respect should extend to transgender and non-binary staff. It is basic common sense that there should be access to gender-neutral bathrooms for faculty. Students these days claim to care about trans rights, yet fail to advocate for their leadership’s rights to these same facilities. Universities claim to be bastions of progressive ideals yet they pay lip service to trans students, while simultaneously neglecting their own faculty. Speaking of faculty, my former faculty advisor was swamped with work that was completely unrelated to teaching last semester and I know that he is not alone. My advisor has had to do more administrative work lately with less time to focus on her passion for teaching. From my point of view, that’s pretty crazy – and not in a good way.

    When we protested, our teachers stood with us. It’s time for us to stand with them.

  • The best discounts for Cal Poly Humboldt students in Arcata

    The best discounts for Cal Poly Humboldt students in Arcata

    by Zack Mink and Jasmin Shirazian

    Student ID required at all locations.

    Food:

    Wildberries: 10% off every Saturday

    Romans Kitchen: 15% off everyday

    Cafe Brio: 10% off everyday

    The Couxp: $1.50 off of your order

    Blondies: 10% off everyday 

    Gyro Shop: 15% off everyday

    Fiesta Grill Cantina and El Chipotle: 10% off everyday

    Coffee and tea: 

    Northtown Coffee: 10% off everyday

    Coffee break: $5 bagel and 12oz coffee everyday 

    Moonrise Herbs: 5% off bulk herbs and teas

    Home:

    Ace Hardware: 10% off your purchase (ranges per item)

    Bubbles: 25% off any personal clean bottle refill

    Fun:

    Pacific Paradise: 10% off every Sunday

    Heart of Humboldt: 10% off every Sunday

    The Fireplace: 10% every Saturday 

    Heart of the Emerald: 10% off everyday

    Livity: 10% off everyday 

    Herb & Market: 10% of every Sunday

    Humboldt Premium: 10% off everyday

    Body High Pole: 15% off any class with code CALPOLY

    Adventures Edge: 10% off everyday 

    Hatchet House: $3 off everyday

    Thrift: 

    The Hospice Shop: 10% off every Saturday

    Youth Ability: 15% off every weekday (Monday-Friday)

    Eco-groovy Deals Clearance Outlet: no tax on purchases for the rest of January

  • CFA settles and calls off strike after one day, Teamsters settle over weekend

    CFA settles and calls off strike after one day, Teamsters settle over weekend

    by Andres Felix Romero

    Across the California State University system, thousands of students expected a pause in classes, thousands of faculty expected to trade in their pens and markers for picket signs and thousands of skilled laborers were prepared to drop their tools for the week of Jan. 22-26 to strike.

    However, the Teamsters 2010 announced Friday, Jan. 19 they reached an agreement with the Chancellor’s Office. After one day of a weeklong planned strike, it was announced by the California Faculty Association (CFA) the night of Jan. 22 that they and the Chancellor’s office had settled with a tentative agreement as well. Campus operations are set to return to full swing by the end of this week. 

    Teamster’s Agreement Highlights

    The Teamsters were able to secure an immediate 5% pay increase, with back pay retroactive to July 1, 2023. They were also able to establish a step-pay system, meaning that skilled laborers within the CSU system will have a pay increase each year. Teamsters were also able to maintain their pension, medical benefits, and their emergency pay.

    With the Teamsters able to get back to work and have an agreement for a solid contract in order with better pay, skilled laborers on the Humboldt Campus such as locksmith Phillip Bradley felt a sense of relief. 

    “Obviously [having an agreement in place] just takes a lot of stress off,” Bradley said. “Uncertainty creates a lot of anxiety.”

    Librarian Carly Marino drums while crossing 14th St. | Photo by Griffin Mancuso

    CFA Agreements Highlights

    The CFA also secured a 5% increase in pay retroactive to July 1, 2023. There is planned to be another 5% increase on July 1, 2024, effectively giving faculty a roughly 10% increase in pay. However, the 2024 increase is contingent on the state not cutting CSU funding. There will also be more protections in place for faculty dealing with police, and improved access to gender-inclusive restrooms and lactation spaces. Also for faculty that are new parents, paid parental leave has increased from six to 10 weeks.

    Faculty, such as English professor Sarah Ben-Zvi, had to find ways to balance parenthood with work. Despite the support of her department to make her maternity leave as smooth as possible, she still felt some struggle. She felt that the increase in time for maternity leave was appreciated, but it may not be enough. 

    “It’s definitely a step in the right direction, but I still don’t think it’s enough time,” Ben-Zvi said. “I feel like it was not until maybe three months after my kid was born, that I started to feel almost human again… and able to give my students what they deserve, which is a great teacher who is on her game.”

    Another mother and professor with a newborn is English professor Tessa Head, who was on the picket line with her 14-month-old child. Head feels that a paid semester of parental leave would be beneficial for not just parents but the students as well. 

    “[A semester of parental leave] would give you time to bond with your babies and take care of them, to form that secure attachment,” Head said. “And for students, I think it would provide better learning conditions because they would have a faculty member who is present for the whole semester.”

    CFA faculty rights chair Loren Cannon was present on the picket line striking his drum and leading strikers. He shared his thoughts on the outcome of the tentative agreement.

    “We really did make some gains,” Cannon said. “I guess [the Chancellor’s Office] didn’t expect us to actually pull off a strike or something, because we only struck for one day [then came to a tentative agreement with the Chancellor’s Office].”

    Richard Toledo leads faculty and students across 14th St. holding signs on the picket line. | Photo by Griffin Mancuso

    Student Reactions

    With notice being given by faculty not to expect classes this week, some students made plans for work or travel. Students like Criminology and Social Justice Major Jocelyn Douglas faced some struggles when they scheduled extra shifts at work this week, only to be told that class would be back in session. The short notice has left students such as Douglas feeling disorganized.

    “I took this opportunity of thinking that I had a week off of school to work 60 hours with both jobs that I work at, to be able to catch up on bills,” Douglas said. “Being a full-time student and working full-time, sometimes conflicts with each other. And with less than a 24-hour notice that we do have to attend school, and with my classes being mandatory for attendance, I’m kind of conflicted about [choosing] between work and school. Thank God the teachers are being pretty lenient so far.”

    Scene of Strike

    As for the strike itself, dozens of faculty and their supporters were on the picket line. They danced with their signs to the passing cars that honked their support, all the while they moved to energizing music blaring over speakers. Some signs read, “5% don’t pay the rent,” “California Strike University” and “You can’t put students first if you put faculty last.”

    Students were present on the line to support their faculty. Students such as accounting major Lealu Freedom felt an obligation to support their professors due to the past support they have given to her. 

    “[If faculty have better conditions they] can devote more time to their students, and create a more enjoyable experience versus focusing so much on trying to get their needs met,” Freedom said. “It’s kind of like a student. You know, if the student’s struggling with housing, they’re not gonna be able to learn. Same thing with a teacher, if they’re struggling with basic needs, they are not gonna be able to teach.”

    What’s Next

    Language for the contracts will be rewritten based on the tentative agreement, and the CFA is expected to vote on whether or not to officially ratify the contract within the coming weeks to months.

    Although the CFA and Teamsters unions made gains in this situation, CFA President Marisol Ruiz acknowledges that there is still work to be done.

    “When we are striking, we’re striking for better working conditions for all,” Ruiz said. “For all the faculty and the students, we should all be supportive and in unison working together to fight. There’s still a 6% increase of tuition hikes, and that’s a fight that needs to continue to happen.”

  • President Jackson’s absence concerns faculty, student leaders, and media

    President Jackson’s absence concerns faculty, student leaders, and media

    by Brad Butterfield

    Since President Jackson’s first three months in office, he has not interviewed with student or community media, he has never met with the California Faculty Association, he does not attend University Senate meetings and has been unable to retain a consistent cabinet during his tenure. CFA polling from May of this year shows dismal support for Jackson by faculty at Cal Poly Humboldt.

    This story all catalyzed in the first week of the fall semester with a curiosity on who President Jackson is as a leader, and an aim to land an interview with him to hear him in his own words. Anytime Jackson’s name is brought up on campus, it is usually followed up with a sentiment regarding his absence on campus, lack of leadership or unwillingness to meet with students, faculty and even administrators. However, it would seem strange that the CSU system would increase Jackson’s pay from $336,996 (+ $50,000 for housing) to $396,150 (+ $50,000 for housing) in 2023 if he wasn’t doing at least a few things really well. So, I began to request interviews with Jackson through the normal channel on campus, News and Information. 

    Weeks of that were unfruitful, so I began visiting his office weekly. Also, I began submitting public records requests with regularity and conducting interviews both on and off the record with anyone who had knowledge of Jackson in an attempt to gain an accurate understanding of Jackson without being able to meet the man myself. It seems obligatory to say that this article is not and has never been an attempt to misrepresent Jackson. In fact, until speaking with countless administrators, faculty and students about Jackson, I remained optimistic that he may be a fantastic, albeit private, leader. However, Jackson’s team and circle became increasingly difficult to deal with and often, outright rude. If Jackson is a great leader, why is he reluctant to boast his successes to the press? If he has nothing to hide, then why does Jackson play hide and seek every semester? 

    Jackson Leadership Style:

    In an article written by Meg Godlewski, published February 22, 2022 on flyingmag.com Jackson is quoted as saying, “‘Just as you must always keep flying the airplane, you must always keep leading in the business world.’ And that’s what education is, he says, a business charged with shaping the future.” Understanding this business prism through which Jackson views education makes understanding his strange leadership much easier. Rouhollah Aghasaleh, PhD, Assistant Professor, School of Education and University Senate Executive Member points out that Jackson’s business centered view of education is in line with the larger CSU system.

    “My understanding is that the role of a president is more the external affairs of the campus and the provost mostly attends the internal issues,” Aghasaleh said. “The way CSU defines the role of president, to my understanding, is more of a CEO.”

    In some ways, Jackson is a CEO. He is leading an institution through a period of (hopeful) growth and has nearly half a billion dollars to put towards creating a world class polytechnic university. In other ways, Jackson’s style of leadership more closely resembles that of an authoritarian, according to Tony Silvaggio, speaking as CFA vice president.

    “We don’t have shared governance,” Silvaggio said. “We have governance from an authoritarian ruler, basically. He doesn’t keep us informed. He’s failed to keep us informed about very important faculty issues, because he doesn’t meet with the faculty. I think he’s failed to build relationships, positive, meaningful relationships with the community of Arcata specifically. He’s failed miserably. He’s created enemies, nobody wants to deal with this guy. He won’t even respond to city councilors requests for just consultation. It feels like again the divine right of kings, where he’s just going to do what he wants, and he’s not going to ask anybody for permission. He’s really failed at creating sustainable, positive relationships with community partners.”

    As Silvaggio points out, Jackson’s unwillingness to speak with anyone about anything is becoming a prominent component of his legacy here on campus. It appears that Jackson has attempted to create a team around himself, for which students, faculty and community members are allowed to talk to. Then the message will be relayed to our President. 

     One of my first interview requests with President Jackson, garnered this response from Marketing and Communications. 

    “At this time, the President’s Office prefers to focus on the regular meetings that the Lumberjack has scheduled with campus leaders, including the Chief of Staff and a member of the News & Information team. We’re hopeful that this will be an effective way of building trusting relationships, sharing information, and discussing potential topics for coverage.”

    This barrier of communication has created frustration within the campus community. 

    “It’s not effective at all. It isn’t because you know what? Again, it’s like telephone, right? The game of telephone,” Silvaggio said. “But you don’t get the urgency of the issue if you’re getting it second hand, or third hand, right. I mean, you need to hear what’s going on once a year for crying out loud.”

    Even if Jackson’s game of telephone worked perfectly, it’d still be less than ideal. Unfortunately, much of the time, the call gets dropped completely.

    Worth mentioning is the high turnover rate of the President’s Cabinet.

    Jenn Capps, Provost & Vice President, Academic Affairs (hired Aug. 1, 2020)

    Mark Johnson, Chief of Staff (hired Aug. 21, 2023)

    Frank Whitlatch, Vice President, University Advancement (hired — to the President’s cabinet — May, 2019) 

    Carla Ho’a, Interim Vice President, Administration & Finance and CFO (hired Oct., 2023)

    Chrissy Holliday, Vice President, Enrollment Management & Student Success (hired Jan. 1, 2023)

    Adrienne Colegrove-Raymond, Special Assistant to the President for Tribal & Community Engagement (hired — to the president’s cabinet — Spring 2022)

    Nick Pettit, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics & Recreational Sports (hired June 8, 2023)

    A continual revolving cast of characters makes playing telephone with the president much more difficult, and also speaks to his inability to form a cohesive, committed team of leaders.

    “They got to stick around for at least a couple, three years for crying out loud right?” Silvaggio said. “This is unprecedented. And that indicates lack of leadership and a lack of vision if you can’t bring in people here that want to stay here and make this place great.” 

    Both students and faculty alike are tired of Jackson’s complete absence from the campus community.

    “I believe that Jackson has refused to make himself a part of the campus community, and that he sits up in his ivory tower and does not know the situation of the people,” Ethan LeVering said, Associated Students appointee to the University Senate.

    Shockingly, many faculty at Cal Poly Humboldt have never even met Jackson.

    “It’s like, ‘Where’s Waldo?’ Right? I mean, where’s this guy? No one knows. He’s never even introduced himself to any of us in my department that I know of. He refuses to meet with us when our leadership has attempted to talk to him about labor issues,” Silvaggio said.

    Exemplifying his lack of campus engagement, Jackson does not attend the University’s senate meetings.

    “During my term as a Senator, he’s never showed up to the Senate meetings. There has been times that we invited him to come and chat with us about a few issues, he’s never accepted. He’s officially on the roster for the Senate, but he always sends a proxy,” said Aghasaleh.

    Most importantly, Jackson’s absence does not just create frustration in the campus community, it has adverse effects on his ability to effectively steer the multi-million dollar ship that he is captain of.

    “As a result of his authoritarian style, what we see is he’s making mistake after mistake, after mistake because he does not consult with the people that make this place run,” said Silvaggio before adding, “We’ve dedicated decades of our life to this institution and this guy barks orders from his ivory tower.”

    What does Jackson do? What is his vision? How has he succeeded?

    In an April 4, 2022 article written by Jackson for Higher Ed Dive, Jackson wrote, “The re-energization of our campus allows us to demonstrate how public higher education, with public support, can quickly scale to meet what the state government has asked of us and needs. At Cal Poly Humboldt, the return on the investment will impact generations to come.” 

    As Jackson played a large part in Humboldt State becoming Cal Poly Humboldt it is understandable why he feels the pressure to deliver. Without speaking to Jackson, it’s impossible to pin down a reliable ethos which he abides and leads by. However, it seems clear that Jackson’s overall goals as president lie in growth. By that metric, one may say that Jackson has already succeeded.

    The state investment brought on by the polytechnic transition is $433 million in one-time funds with $25 million in ongoing funds to support Humboldts transition to become California’s third polytechnic university.

    Additionally, during Jackson’s tenure, the university achieved a balanced budget for the first time in over a decade and doubled gift commitments from donors. Also during Jackon’s tenure, two campus stores opened in downtown Arcata and Eureka. These big money moves deserve credit, but don’t constitute success in and of themselves. 

    “Certainly, he could bring money in credit. He could find some money from some company, right? That’s the neoliberal model. But it’s not about money. Right? It’s about relationship building. And you can’t just throw a bookstore on the corner, and all of a sudden a relationship emerges,” Silvaggio said. “He doesn’t respectfully engage with faculty, staff and students.” 

    Further, it bears mentioning that just because it happened during Jackson’s tenure, doesn’t mean it is his success to take sole ownership of.

    “I think the campus achievements are ours collectively. I don’t know if we can attribute any success to one individual,” Aghasaleh said. 

    In an effort to understand where Jackson spends his time on campus, I submitted a public records request for his daily schedule from the period August 17 to September 7. The request was denied by public records assistant, Joy Finney who wrote in an email, “As an exempt employee, President Jackson’s daily work schedule on behalf of the University is not specifically defined. His duties as President require his work and attention on days, nights, and weekends.” 

    In a semester marred by budget cuts, tuition increases, and faculty pay stagnation, Jackson’s salary of $396,150 and $50,000 for housing has become increasingly concerning.

    “I don’t think anybody making over $300,000 needs to get a housing stipend,” said Marisol Ruiz, CFA Humboldt Chapter President. “They’re [CSU] all about the market rate. This market is a public university and public universities should be cared for as a public good, not as a corporate good.” said Ruiz.

    Former CFA Humboldt Chapter President and current Faculty Rights Chair Loren Cannon echoed a similar sentiment.

    “All the presidents of the 23 [CSU] campuses make similar wages, and also have a housing and a car allowance, usually that I and they’re all making about the same as President Biden. just seems to me like a mal distribution of state resources.”

    President Jackson’s failures:

    CFA Polling from May of this year shows that 72.5% of responding CFA members disagree that “President Jackson keeps me well informed about important faculty issues.” Only 12.5% are satisfied with the leadership of the President. Only 18.9% have confidence that Jackson builds sustainably positive relationships with community partners. 15% agree that Jackson suitably and respectfully engages in the life of the University.

    Jackson still has yet to meet with the CFA in any capacity.

    “Every prior President has met with us. Prior presidents have come into our department to just introduce themselves,” said Silvaggio. “He’s continually failed in his role as a leader. Time and time again. Again, what kind of leader refuses to meet with his employees and his students?”

    Jackson’s unwillingness to meet with the CFA is representative of his complete absence of dialogue across the board. One of Jackson’s most important and sensitive considerations through the Polytechnic growth is the effect growth will have on the tight knit community of Arcata. Though, here again, apparently Jackson has decided to bury his head in the sand cut off communications.

    “He said to me that he has basically given up on working with the actual community of Arcata. There’s really no relationship between Cal Poly Humboldt and the town of Arcata,” said Sam Parker, Associated Students President. “The focus is more on other places like Eureka and stuff because he said that Arcata tends to have kind of that, ‘not in my backyard attitude,’ to the development. So he’s kind of given up on trying to form ties with them,” Parker said. “That’s somewhat of a recurring theme. Just kind of giving up on communication.

    Jackson’s unwillingness to speak extends to the media as well, and not just The Lumberjack – though this semester we have submitted more interview requests than any other local publication. The current tally of interview requests from The Lumberjack stands at 27. Jackson never responded in any capacity to my interview requests. The North Coast Journal has not interviewed Jackson since his very first days on the job. The same is true for the Lost Coast Outpost. The Times Standard provides Jackson a column every other week, but similarly does not have a reliable avenue for access to Jackson, according to Times Standard Managing Editor, Ruth Schneider.

    Among Jackson’s most glaring failures as a leader is the palpable fear that the campus community has in speaking out against him, in any capacity. In writing this story, many folks who I interviewed spoke of a fear of being reprimanded for voicing their concerns. 

    “Rather than think creatively, like a 21st century leader, he just decides to stick his head in the sand like authoritarian rulers do and just, you know, externalize the problems to the larger community. It’s frankly embarrassing,” said Silvaggio.

  • Be open and honest for better dating

    by Kianna Znika

    We live in a time where most of us are liberated and independent enough to know that dating isn’t a necessity; we’ve done the work to be okay on our own. We pour love into ourselves, additionally surrounding ourselves with the healing, platonic love from our friends and family. 

    When I first started celebrating my independence as a single person, I had a couple of realizations. First was that I genuinely loved who I was and the life I was creating for myself. I couldn’t believe there was ever a time when I’d justify unsatisfying connections, convincing myself that kindness should compensate for a lack of genuine interest. I’d cling to situations that left me miserable, telling myself excuses like, “Well, they’re kind of nice to me, so it’s okay,” or “Maybe I’m just being shallow.”

    I was chipping away at my self-worth and esteem by invalidating my true wants and needs, accepting less than satisfactory situations when I knew, deep down, that my heart wanted more.

    Being brutally honest with oneself is a mantra I now live by. It’s the compass that guided me to the other realization — I am, at my core, a romantic soul yearning for genuine connection and love.

    Now, I’m not saying that this is something I need in my life; rather, it was a beautiful change in mindset towards dating. I will flow through my life and open my heart to love, but I will only involve myself in connections that match my own wants and needs.

    “I don’t need to be with someone. So if I am going to be with someone, it’ll be because it’s my dream scenario,” is what I told myself.

    And, although this isn’t the one-step cure to dating – I definitely still found myself in dissatisfying situations along the way – I am so grateful that I stayed true to what I wanted because I can now confidently say that I found that dream scenario. I am happily in a relationship with someone who aligns with my aspirations and supports my joy and independence.

    Now, imagine if I hadn’t been honest along the way?

    While I’m proud of the normalization of polyamory, I’ve witnessed some people force themselves into it when all they really want, deep down, is to focus on one romantic partner. Let’s keep celebrating all personal loving and dating styles, embracing the beauty of individual preferences. If you want monogamy, own it. It’s okay. Be honest and you’ll attract someone who wants to be monogamous with you, too.

    I hear people say they’re not looking for something serious, while continuously doing and saying things that prove to me that what they really want is a relationship. I believe they do this in order to “be chill” and protect themselves. It seems like everyone in the dating scene right now isn’t looking for anything serious. But, what if some people are only saying that because everyone else is?

    I’m grateful that I was honest with myself about the type of dating experience I wanted. I was unapologetically upfront about wanting a genuine relationship, even on the first date. Crazy? No, just emotionally available and confident.

    So, don’t settle. If you want a certain type of dating experience, odds are someone else out there wants the same thing. They exist, just like you do. Remember: dating isn’t a necessity, so might as well make it exactly what you want and deserve. Your dream scenario is not only possible; it’s worth it. 

  • University housing contract goes to Sundt

    by Andrés Felix Romero

    As reported in the Sept. issue of The Lumberjack, Clayco was in the running for the Health, Dining, and Housing project alongside other construction companies Swinerton and Webcor. These companies ultimately lost out to Sundt Construction, for the contract. In late October, the facilities department released the winners of the construction contracts for upcoming campus projects and repairs. Sundt also won the contract for the Craftsman Mall Student Housing project.

    Clayco was the subject of a protest campaign by the Local Carpenter’s Union 751 at the beginning of the semester. For weeks, Local 751 set up signs and built a wooden speaking judge sculpture around campus while handing and posting flyers condemning Clayco. Local 751 representative Ruhama Tereda also spoke at the public forum section at the CSU Board of Trustees meeting to speak against Clayco. Although the campaign wasn’t as intense, Local 751 also wrote letters and spoke at public forums to the CSU Chancellor and Board of Trustees condemning Sundt, citing a history of malpractice by the construction company.

  • Self-diagnosed autism is a trend

    by Kae Dennert

    I would like to preface this with the words: I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE WITH DIAGNOSES; I believe autism is incredibly real, and a struggle a lot of people deal with, but I also believe that with the internet these days, it has become trendy to have the newest popular mental illness. 

    I have been diagnosed with many things in the past few years, so I am aware how tricky getting a diagnosis is, so I’m not going to shut down self diagnosis as a whole, as it isn’t that black and white. Walking down memory lane, back in 2016 it was incredibly “quirky” to post about how depressed you are, and it became something where everyone tried to outstage each other, which also brought along people who felt they felt similarly to the creators posting about it, which led to people self-diagnosing. 

    This again happened in 2019-2020, where it suddenly became a trend to have anxiety, and that was once again followed in 2021 where it was a trend to have ADHD. Now where am I headed with this? Earlier this year there was an uptick in trending conversations on what symptoms could mean you are possibly secretly autistic. This led to many “oh my god maybe I’m autistic I keep seeing these videos” comments. 

    Now, there are certainly people who saw these videos, felt like they saw themselves, and decided to take steps to use tools to help them, or help them get diagnosed, and I think that it’s amazing that awareness online can help people, but I also think it has become hard to decipher who is pretending for attention, and who actually needs the help. It has been trendy to make videos about what symptoms are “autistic” (which also overlap heavily with other disorders, like ADHD, anxiety, depression, OCD, etc.) with no further context of what could be going on besides autism.

    These narrowings into one answer don’t take into account each person’s individuality and their struggles and what that can mean for them. Because diagnoses overlap, the trending diagnosis is the one that is going to stick. This can shut people down and discourage them from finding more answers that could have helped them more in the long run.

    It locks people in a corner, and they can believe there is no other option for them besides aligning with that determination. Because of this many people don’t search for answers that could lead them to help, because other illnesses become stigmatized while being “neurotypical” gets you scrutinized for not understanding the viewpoint of neurodivergence. I think that everyone should be able to be themselves without having to shape themselves into different people for others, but doesn’t everyone want that? 

    At the end of the day, a new trend will inevitably pop up, and people will swear up and down in their life that they “never had autism” and instead have the new hip trending illness.

  • Flush that fecal matter

    Flush that fecal matter

    by Jillian Wells

    Well folks, buckle up because we’re diving deep into the uncharted territory of unflushed mysteries on campus. I never thought my college experience would involve investigative journalism in the bathroom, but here we are. 

    Picture this: you just got out of class, you’ve been a hydrated queen all day and drank all 21 ounces of water from your HydroFlask, now your bladder is about to implode on itself, so you rush to the bathroom expecting a nice, clean, flushed environment. When all of a sudden, you peer into the stall and see a huge, nasty piece of feces. Every other stall is currently occupied, panic is starting to set in because you’re running out of time, sweat trickles down your forehead from the pain in your bladder and realization about what you’re about to go through, with no other choice, you brave the stall with nothing but a pile of shit. It’s a shitty situation, no pun intended.  

    Now that we understand each other and the situation a bit more, I’ve noticed an increasing amount of unflushed shit in public restrooms on campus. I truly don’t understand the reasoning behind the decision to not flush your fecal matter, and genuinely have so many questions. 

     What do you hope to gain? Do you enjoy it when other people see your poop? Is it some form of protest? Is there an underground society of non-flushers plotting world domination one unflushed toilet at a time? Are you at all concerned about the poor souls who have to see your waste? I really am curious about the why of it all, if you’re someone who doesn’t flush your poop in public restrooms, let me know.

    I can’t speak to this being an issue in men’s bathrooms, because as a female with she/her pronouns, I tend to avoid mens bathrooms like the plague. But, I hope for those of you out there who use men’s bathrooms, that the situation isn’t as shitty as it has been in the womens and gender neutral bathrooms. 

    I’ve probably seen the unwelcomed sight of unflushed fecal matter in just about every major public restroom on campus, the main offenders include Gist Hall, the Library and Founders Hall. This problem has gotten out of hand. 

    Not to shame those of you who don’t flush your poop, but it’s 2023 and we have more important issues to deal with than looking at your unflushed creations. I think I speak for everyone when I say, flush your poo, no one wants to see it! It’s not like we have to pay the water bill, that’s the school’s job (or whoever pays it), so flush that fecal matter!

  • Cal Poly Humboldt embraces ChatGPT

    by Carlina Grillo

    In recent years, ChatGPT and other generative artificial intelligence (AI) models have become mainstream, with many people having begun to wonder if this is something to fear, or something to embrace. Students and faculty at Cal Poly Humboldt have been testing the waters and, despite mixed reviews, it is apparent ChatGPT is here to stay. 

    “I do think that there is a role for ChatGPT and gen AI models in the classroom. However, I think my recommendation for its use varies according to the level of the student,” said associate professor of computer science and software engineering program lead, Dr. Sherrene Bogle. “As higher educators, we have a responsibility to teach our students how to use the technology effectively.”

    “ChatGPT is a tool applied in academia for diverse research like linguistics, psychology and computer science. It aids in hypothesis generation, language analysis and ethical exploration. Used in education and interdisciplinary studies, it’s showcased in conferences, with further advancements documented in recent academic publications,” according to ChatGPT itself.

    Bogle first heard about ChatGPT last year and, although reserved at first, has since embraced it. Cal Poly Humboldt students studying computer science were offered an elective course this semester that focuses on AI, CS 480, taught by Bogle. One exercise she instructed in the lab was to use a selection of AI technology such as ChatGPT, Bard or Claude and find examples of where the programs hallucinate. 

     Noah Zerbe, a professor in the department of politics, defined what the term ‘hallucinate’ means for generative AI programs.

     “Sometimes [generative AI] will just make things up for you,” said Zerbe. “Often, one of the problems a lot of people have noted is that it makes up citations. So, it’ll say that a quote comes from this source, or something like that, and that source may not even exist. Or, it can go down a rabbit hole of factually incorrect information.” 

    One mainstream example of ChatGPT ‘hallucinating’ is apparent in an incident where Colorado lawyer, Zachariah Crabill, was fired from Baker Law Group for using ChatGPT, and got caught when the program created fake scenarios in legal documents.

    Another example of a generative AI model ‘hallucinating’ took place in the Cal Poly Humboldt AI class. According to Bogle, two students were able to convince an AI chatbot that they had lunch with Michael Jackson and Tupac. 

    “They just said a few things, changed the prompt, and the technology apologized for saying that these people were dead and wanted to hear more about their conversation and was basically adding that to its database,” said Bogle.

    As an advocate for programs like ChatGPT in academia, Zerbe encourages students to explore the program, but introduces generative AI models into the classroom with a warning.

    “My approach to it is really centered on teaching students how to use it effectively,” said Zerbe. “It’s providing you feedback on your paper, trust it as much as you would trust feedback that you got from a friend down the hallway.”

    Professors aren’t the only ones exploring this new territory with caution. Maddie Haus, a junior at Cal Poly Humboldt majoring in environmental studies, was suspicious at first. 

    “I was stoked because it helped me so much, but I also found it scary because it seemed too good to be true,” said Haus. “I think it can be useful for achieving academic success. I do think there’s a thin line between doing the work yourself and just having ChatGPT do the work for you. Overall though, I think it’s a useful tool.”

    Mikey Crispin, a Cal Poly Humboldt graduate who now works for the PBLC and the university as a scheduling and support analyst, has used ChatGPT on and off. 

    “I didn’t really use AI for school because it didn’t explode until last November,” Crispin said. “By that time I was only taking the upper level computer science classes and could get all the info from professors.”

    Now that he’s graduated, Crispin uses ChatGPT mainly for troubleshooting while writing software. 

    “GPT doesn’t always know what you’re trying to do, but from a basic coding perspective, if you’re giving it info just to cover some gaps you might have, then it is a great assistant that can help you gain a better understanding of how something might work,” Crispin said. “I have no experience asking GPT for help for anything outside of a technological viewpoint. It did write a really good email for me once in the style of a Cat in the Hat book, so that was cool.”

    All in all, ChatGPT, along with other generative AI programs, seem to be the future of education, but using AI as a crutch is inevitably harmful. 

     Bogle illustrates her perspective towards generative AI.

     “If you think about it, we don’t want our elementary school students and kindergarten students to be using a calculator, because we want them to learn to count, to carry their hundreds, tens, and ones, etc., to be able to do long division,” Bogle said. “But, after they have mastered being able to do their basic arithmetic with pencil and paper, we’re comfortable with them using the calculator. So, it’s similar with gen AI, which is why I said I think students need to master honing the particular skill first, before they become reliant on gen AI. That way, I think we have the best of both worlds.”

  • Brand new birding club spreads its wings

    Brand new birding club spreads its wings

    by Griffin Mancuso

    An unusual new guest was spotted on the northern end of Brackish Pond in the Arcata Bird Sanctuary last Friday. Brandishing purple, blue, and green feathers with chicken-like feet, an adult purple gallinule had somehow made its way to the marsh from its native territory in the southeast U.S. There had been no prior documented sightings in northern California, so birders flocked from all different counties to catch a glimpse. Among those birders was Cal Poly Humboldt’s brand-new birding club.

    Photo courtesy of Cedrik von Briel. An adult purple gallinule walking among the reeds at Brackish Pond.

    Cedrik von Briel, the president of the birding club, arrived at Brackish Pond around 7:30 a.m. last Sunday, in the hopes of spotting the purple gallinule. Describing the bird as a standard chicken on LSD, this was an opportunity he couldn’t miss. Much to his luck, he was the first person to spot it.

    “The first thing I spotted was that you know, you see a bunch of reeds, a bunch of green,” von Briel said. “And then, a glint of purple and blue and green — it just all hits you at once. And then you’re like, ‘Yep, that’s the bird.’”

    Von Briel recalled the audible gasps from the crowd of around 20 to 30 people as the purple gallinule came into view. The bird emerged from the reeds into an open clearing, then went up into the nearby willows to feed. It was a spectacle in more ways than one.

    “It was up in the reeds, the willows, and the leaves, and it just fell at one point,” von Briel said. “You could hear the giggles and the audible gasps as people looked on, horrified. It’s a funny bird. It’s a stupid, stupid, funny bird.”

    Photo by Griffin Mancuso. Birding Club President Cedrik von Briel watching for birds near Brackish Pond with John Marchwick.

    The Origin Story

    The birding club, not even two months old, was started out of a pre-established passion for birding. Birders use a variety of tools to spot and document birds, including binoculars, telescopes, cameras, and the naked eye. They also learn to identify and track birds by their calls. Birding is both a hobby and a form of citizen science.

    The treasurer of the birding club, Kellen Apuna started his birding journey at a McDonald’s.

    “There was a stream that ran kind of adjacent to the parking lot, and I was looking in and I recognized a bird in there. I was like, ‘Hey, that’s one of the birds from the class.’” Apuna said. “I guess from there, it was just a matter of getting a field guide and kind of going through that, and learning what was in the area and then it just snowballed from there.”

    Vice President Sasha Cahill’s birding journey started with a western tanager at the Vista Vinita Park in Orange County. He went to his father’s birding book for answers, and his father helped him identify the bird. After that, he couldn’t help noticing the variety of bird species during his trips to the park.

    “My dad tried to look up the rare bird hotline, which was a thing in the 90s, but by this point, it had shifted to eBird,” Cahill said. “And using eBird, you can see rare sightings from your area and any area you want. So then we were able to chase rare birds and you know, just spirals from there. You notice things, you see interesting things, and it’s continued to this day for sure.”

    All three of the club’s officers were aware of each other through eBird in their freshman year. The popular birding app allows birders to upload their photographs to document sightings, creating a public database for researchers and fellow birders. Von Briel initially messaged Apuna through Facebook and invited him to go look for Allen’s hummingbirds in the bottlebrush plants near Founders Hall. They start pursuing a western flycatcher and try to coax the bird out with pishing.

    “Pishing is like a sound you make to imitate an angry call from a bird,” von Briel said. “It kinda locks birds in because they’re attracted to that stuff. And then, down the steps comes Sasha with his friends. He’s like, ‘Did I just hear pishing?’”

    Apuna recalled the moment when the two birders recognized each other.

    “[Cahill said] ‘Are you Cedrik?’… and Cedrick went, ‘No way, I just pished out a birder,’” Apuna said.

    Birding Tools

    Along with pishing, there are various tools a birder can use to lure birds into the open. Some birders use playback, where they play a recording of a bird’s call from a speaker to entice the specific bird they’re seeking. However, it is considered unethical to use playback for vagrant birds, birds in their breeding season, or both. Some birders resort to flushing to get a good view, where they make just enough noise (usually by clapping) to drive a bird out of the brush or reeds.

    Photo by Griffin Mancuso. A marsh wren resting in the trees near Brackish Pond.

    “We’ve definitely had our ethical discussions [for flushing],” Apuna said. “Is it worth it for us to basically disturb the bird into showing itself? And I don’t really think we’ve ever reached a solid resolution.”

    “It’s true that a bird doesn’t have an iron trap memory,” Cahill said. “It’s going to hear a slight disturbance, and then it’s going to go back to its busy-birding, but there’s a line you don’t wanna cross.”

    The club officers hope to discuss the ethics of birding along with other topics at future club meetings.

    “We want to host occasional meetings. We have people present on photography, ethical birding, trying to go out and find stuff, birding by ear — guest speakers or something like that,” von Briel said. “We can definitely make it what our eventual members want it to be, and that’s the beauty of it. We’re just starting; we have a future ahead.”

    Birding Trips

    The birding club goes looking for new birds almost every weekend. They spend most of their outings at the Arcata marsh or on campus, but they have also traveled to the lagoons, Ferndale, and the Jetty to complete their lists. They have also been lucky enough to go on several pelagic birding trips, where birders get on a boat and travel out to the open sea in search of that needle in a haystack.

    “This is the first year in — I think — about 20 years that Humboldt has had regularly scheduled pelagic trips for birding,” Cahill said. “Thanks to Rob Fowler, our local birding legend, and a boat that another fellow birder was able to find, he’s chartered many trips off of there this fall.”

    Cahill and Apuna witnessed the fifth documented sighting of Cory’s shearwater in the Pacific region on one of these trips. 

    “Lots of screaming, lots of freaking out because it was this huge,” Apuna said.

    Cahill showed a world map of all documented sightings of Cory’s shearwater on eBird, where almost all sightings were in the Atlantic Ocean, so a sighting in the Pacific was a notable event.

    “A lot of people who are usually soft-spoken were losing their minds,” Cahill said.

    The officers emphasized the accessibility of birding to beginners. Even if an aspiring birder doesn’t have access to a diverse population of birds in their area or a professional long lens, all they need to start is curiosity and a good eye. Patience and motivation are rewarded in birding.

    “It’s like what Ratatouille always said, ‘Anyone can bird,’” von Briel said. “You just gotta get out there and put your own spin on it and see some birds.”

  • Thanksgiving leftovers? No thanks!

    Thanksgiving leftovers? No thanks!

    by Zack Mink

    Thanksgiving, although controversial, is still widely celebrated in the United States. According to statista.com, 83% of Americans were projected to be celebrating the holiday in 2021 and almost 90 million tons of food waste was generated (ReFED.org). No, you don’t need to eat dry turkey for weeks after or scrape the stuffing off of a tray to limit your waste. Instead, you can repurpose your food scraps to create new and certainly improved meals that you will look forward to.

    “The Moist-Maker”

    The most famous Thanksgiving leftover that is widely recognized is “The Moist-Maker” from Friends. This is a sandwich filled with turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, and other Thanksgiving classics. To make it moist, a gravy soaked piece of bread is layered in the middle of the sandwich. This method of simply putting leftovers between two pieces of bread or wrapping them up in a large tortilla might be delicious but can also get quite boring after eating the same things for days in a row. 

    Turkey Pot Pie

    Rather than making a Thanksgiving sandwich or what is essentially a Thanksgiving crunch wrap supreme, experiment with your cooking skills and make something like a turkey pot pie. With this, all you need to do is combine some of your turkey leftovers, whatever vegetables you have, mix in your gravy and some extra stock of any kind. Finally, top it with some buttery puff pastry because puff pastry really does make everything taste better and bake it at whatever temperature seems appropriate. With only a couple minutes of preparation and 30-45 minutes in the oven, you now have a not so Thanksgiving pot pie.

    Turkey Stock

    Aside from excessive amounts of leftovers adding to the tons of food waste, scraps from food prep also have a huge impact on the waste produced each year. Rather than filling up garbage bags with vegetable scraps or a giant turkey carcass, save all of these nutrient full foods to create a homemade turkey stock. This is a classic one pot recipe where you put all of your scraps into one pot, top it off with water, and let it simmer for hours. This process extracts the flavor from the vegetables and the collagen from the turkey bones creating a lucious and flavorful stock. With stock, you have endless options of meals to choose from. You can add this stock to your turkey pot pie or even make something like a turkey pho with some aromatics like lemongrass, ginger, and pho seasoning packets. 

    Utilizing food scraps not only pushes you to experiment and try new foods, but also contributes to minimizing food waste on a day that produces excessive amounts of it. If you are lazy and want to enjoy a classic Thanksgiving sandwich, go ahead! If you want to be a little extra, take the time to make a turkey stock using the entire turkey carcass and save that stock for future recipes. No need to toss out your leftovers, stretch your culinary limits and practice food sustainability even on Thanksgiving.

  • Circus? You hardly know us!

    Circus? You hardly know us!

    by Carlina Grillo

    Big shoes, small cars, red noses and life-sized giraffes filled the Gist Theater in the late nights of Nov. 15-17. The Cal Poly Humboldt Circus presented this semester’s show named, “Circus? You hardly know us!”. 

    Doors opened at 6:30 p.m. Students and community members alike packed into the cozy theater, and filled every single chair in the house. While the audience waited for the theatrics to begin, multiple acts took the stage in charge of keeping people entertained while waiting. To keep the stage warm, the pre-show consisted of music from their very own house band, balloon animals, juggling, (balloon) sword fights, fire twirling (minus the fire) and general tomfoolery. 

    Photo by Carlina Grillo. Circus members dressed as animals stand behind a cage while singing to the
    lion sleeping, “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”.

    After a colorful and entertaining pre-show, the circus commenced – promptly, as the poster suggested, at 7:27 p.m. It was clear from the introduction, this show would feature the coolest, craziest and most creative clowns this Cal Poly has to offer. With over 25 cast members, the theatrics these clowns put on were incredibly impressive. 

    The entire night was full of controlled chaos, but there were a few acts that got the audience particularly riled up. 

    In the first half of the show, the audience got to indulge in a high stakes game of hangman. An audience member was brought to the floor to guess letters, and every incorrect letter guessed was stapled onto a body part, of said audience member’s choosing, onto the “hangman” (yes, literally stapled onto bare skin. The performer came back out later with bandages covering the staple holes). 

    Other unforgettable acts in the first half included an ensemble of musical butt-slapping titled, “Ass Percussion,” and a live episode of “The Real Clown Wives of Humboldt.”

    Photo by Carlina Grillo. Performer embraces their feline side, staring off into the distance stunned by a giant ball of yarn rolling by audience members, down the isles.

    After a quick intermission for smoke breaks, vending machine hauls and bathroom trips, people regathered into the black box theater, and no one was ready for what would happen next. 

    The latter half of the show kept the audience on their toes with an aerial dancing cat named Damla the Feral, a deep-throat balloon dinner at a classy food joint, and – perhaps the act of the night – “Corno,” an X-rated performance that included a student and their “cornology” professor engaging in erotic behavior, like “sucking cob,” and a plotline that included raunchy archetypes straight out of “corn-hub.”

    The night wrapped up with a musical performance featuring a group of circus animals, and told the story of a lion getting revenge on his showman – in a rather violent way. 

    Overall, the Humboldt Circus Club went above and beyond for this performance, and proved that the group is overflowing with talent and creativity. 

  • This week in Lumberjack athletics

    This week in Lumberjack athletics

    by Vanessa Saltos

    MEN’S BASKETBALL

    Over Thanksgiving break, men’s basketball competed at home in Lumberjack Arena. On Saturday, Nov. 18, the ‘Jacks faced Cal Maritime. They were down in the first half with a score of 37 – 40. Humboldt took the game in the second half after a hard fought battle, the final score being 80 – 70. The following week, they competed against Northwest Indian College on Tuesday, Nov. 21. This was a high scoring game for the ‘Jacks. Rob Diaz III recorded 21 points and four steals, four other Lumberjacks also posted double digits. The final score was 104 – 71. Thursday, Nov. 30, they will be back in Lumberjack Arena playing against Cal Poly Pomona. Tip off is set for 7:30 p.m. Then, on Saturday, Dec. 2, Cal State San Bernardino will be traveling to Arcata for a game time of 7:30 p.m. 

    WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

    On Saturday, Nov. 18, women’s basketball had their home opening game against Concordia University Irvine. The ‘Jacks competed hard and took the game with a score of 72 – 63. Some standouts were Sara Ahmadpour leading the team with a career high of 21 points and nine rebounds, Emilia Long followed suit recording 20 points. In the fourth quarter alone the ‘Jacks recorded 30 points. After their home opener, Humboldt traveled to the Azusa Pacific Thanksgiving Classic. Friday, Nov. 24, they played Azusa Pacific. Despite coming off of a victory, the ‘Jacks fell with a final score of 64 – 87. Saturday, Nov. 25, they faced off with Biola, and their hunger to win showed by taking the game into overtime. The final score was 63 – 53. The ‘Jacks are back at home this week. Thursday, Nov. 30, they are opening CCAA play with Cal Poly Pomona, tip off is set for 5:30 p.m. Humboldt will also be playing at home Saturday, Dec. 2 against Cal State San Bernardino at 5:30 p.m.