The Lumberjack



Students Serving The Cal Poly Humboldt Campus and Community Since 1929

Tag: Cal Poly University Humboldt

  • Old soul, young at heart

    Old soul, young at heart

    by Dezmond Remington

    It’s midnight on a Saturday, and the rafters are clapping. Spines vibrate and teeth wiggle. Faces pose in macabre grimaces, writhing like they have a car battery clamped to their tongues. Above it all is the light, heavenly light, that dips and dodges and fills up the warehouse. It spells names, makes rainbows and does anything the god that controls it wants to do. The deity is named Nathan Ray King and this is his office.

    His office that night was an EDM show at Ramparts Skate Park. King has been doing laser work for gigs as diverse as raves in the forest to a dance at Eureka High School for about two years now. After winning four jackpots in a row playing keno at the Blue Lake Casino, he bought his first laser. Although the pay in Humboldt is often bad and the grind painful, he hasn’t looked back since. Seeing hundreds of people feeding off of the energy of his lasers and the music he plays makes it worth it. 

    Photos by Dezmond Remington. A performer dances amidst King’s kaleidoscope laser arrangements.

    “The amount of love you get for creating that vibe [is great],” King said. “The laser is so powerful. It has such an impact on what people are going to remember. It’s those memories that are some of my favorite type of things. It’s hard to explain the gratification you get from all those smiles from people who are mind blown.”

    King didn’t come by his profession out of the blue. In the early 2000s, he attended a festival in Phoenix and was inspired to start his career with lasers when he walked behind a stage and saw all the wiring. He and the group he was working with performed at shows in the area for about six years, using illegal equipment owned by someone else until they were shut down by the local laser commissioner. He spent most of the next 10 years working as a household appliance repairman before his roommates stole his tools. When he had his stroke of fate at the Blue Lake Casino, he decided it was time to invest in himself. 

    He bought one laser and messed around with it in his apartment for six months, eventually buying more lasers when he outgrew his setup. He reached out to promoters for a while to get some work and got a gig performing at the Jam in Arcata. He offered to do it for free just for the exposure, but the promoters liked it so much they ended up paying him. He’s been booked full almost every weekend since. 

    “I’ve been doing a lot of shows for next to nothing, just to get seated in the industry and get more experience,” King said. “It’s worked fairly well. I’m still struggling financially, but it’s coming along.”

    King is a staple at just about any event in Humboldt that a laser might make a little better. He has somewhat of a monopoly on laser shows here, being pretty much the only local to offer his services. His marketing techniques can be aggressive. Occasionally, he sets up lasers at Moonstone beach, projecting shapes on the cliff sides, as well as his Instagram handle. He has a bus with his name on it and rigged it so his lasers could attach. It’s the dream machine for King, a portable slice of his talents. It makes it much easier to travel south for the big festivals, where the real money can be made – a couple thousand for a weekend of work. 

    King would like to branch out into other areas he could use his lasers, such as large, billboard-style effects. One of the things that fascinates him about the lasers is simply how many things can be done with them; the ceiling for innovation is practically limitless. The program King uses to make his lasers function has hundreds of preset designs. Any image file can be projected. Dancers made out of nothing but pure light and shadow. The only boundary is what King can think of, as well as his budget.

    “The possibilities are limitless,” King said. “I can play with it for days and never do the same thing twice.”

    Despite what his club reputation may bring to mind, King is far from the glowstick and neon aesthetic of many festival goers. He’s 44, with salt and pepper stubble, clad in athleisure khakis and Adidas running shoes. However, one of the things he loves most about the events he works is that they don’t put him all that outside the norm. 

    “I see people way older than me,” King said. “I’ve always been an old soul but young at heart at the same time. I feel right at home…I feel like a kid again, almost. I’m just a free-spirited kind of kid. I like to have a good time.”

    The people in the crowd are what compensate for the oftentimes bad pay and wacky working hours. King said he often has trouble talking with people, but lasers are the great equalizer.

    “I don’t really care about the size of the event,” King said. “Just being able to connect with people [is why I do it]. Doing lasers allows me to speak with people without having to interact with people.”

    One of the finest moments of his career was at the Stilldream Festival in eastern California. A technician took King’s chair, which he was mad about until he learned it was for a DJ by the name of Dreamweaver. He had been in a car wreck several years prior and needed it a lot more than Nathan did. 

    “He was just crushing it,” King said. “Everything was going great… I got this epiphany in my head like halfway through his set, ‘You know what? I’m standing for this man right now!’ We’re on opposite sides of the crowd, kind of having our dance amongst ourselves. ‘I’m his legs right now!’”

    However, King said that after the highs of working the crowd can often come the lows. However, the solution there is often also people. 

    “You get probably a ‘Musician’s Gloom’ where, when you’re performing, you get this rush of endorphins — and, of course, the extracurricular activities that get you there — and then when it’s over, it goes [airplane crashing noise],” King said. “So the next night, it’s quiet, you’re by yourself, you get this super low… I like to just talk to friends… have a chill one-on-one.”

    King has met hundreds of different people during his years as a laser performer, one of them being HSU alumni Joseph Ostini. Ostini is the founder of artist’s collective Arcane Artists, started two years ago to give local performers an outlet during the pandemic. Ostini met King at a show at the Jam about a year ago, and was impressed by the laser effects, something he said had never been seen before in Arcata. Ostini likes the lasers as a way to enhance the experience of attending a music show.

    “[King’s] artwork does a good job of translating music to visual space,” Ostini said. “…His growth has been apparent to me as a promoter.”

    King’s connections are what he hopes will allow him to finally become a successful, happy performer.

    “Lasers are fucking cool,” King said. “That’s all I want to do — be sustainable and comfortable and just be able to shine my lasers for people.”

  • College night: flop or bop?

    College night: flop or bop?

    by Jillian Wells

    Sweaty students, creepy men, and lots of crappy EDM-remix music. That’s how I would describe the “College Night” hosted by the Arcata Theater Lounge (ATL). College Night, a fairly frequent event, is popular because it’s one of the few places in Humboldt County where people who are over 18 but not yet 21 can go to have a nightclub-like experience.

    You may be wondering what my qualifications are. I’ve been to College Night at least seven times at this point. I have also been to several nightclubs in South Korea and a few in Europe, so this isn’t my first rodeo. I know it’s not quite fair to compare these foreign nightclubs with the ATL, but this does give me a good perspective about what makes a nightclub, well, fun. 

    So let’s address the elephant in the room – the music. While the ATL does feature some great songs, the experience often gets soured by the sheer amount of EDM remix tracks they play. It feels as though the remixes really drown out the best parts of the song that make you want to dance and let loose. It’s frustrating when I’m really enjoying a song then they completely gloss over the song with an awful EDM remix version. It’s important to note that music is a key element in any nightclub setting, and the ATL could significantly enhance the overall experience by having a more diverse playlist, with less remixes. After all, music has the power to elevate the atmosphere and make a night out all the more enjoyable. 

    I respect the concept of College Night. It gives the poor souls who aren’t 21 the chance to have a nightclub experience which, in Humboldt County, is extremely hard to find. Despite the issues I have with the music, I will continue to attend College Night (with a fair amount of liquid courage) because it holds a special place in the hearts of many, including myself. In fact, it was at College Night where I first met my current boyfriend over nine months ago, so even though these nights have very questionable music, I have some great memories associated with them. Is the music often questionable? Yes. Will I keep going back? Absolutely.

    So, my advice is if you’re looking to go to College Night at the ATL, pregame (drinks are expensive), go with people you trust and know you’ll have a good time with, and make some unforgettable college memories. 

  • Cal Poly Humboldt alumni destroy women’s rugby team

    Cal Poly Humboldt alumni destroy women’s rugby team

    by Savana Robinson

    The Cal Poly Humboldt alumni dominated the 2023 women’s rugby alumni game on Sept. 30. Both teams played for the same university and put their all into the match. With an end score of 87 to 5, the alumni defeated Cal Poly Humboldt, whose team is mainly made up of newcomers, many who saw their first game on Saturday.

    Cal Poly Humboldt’s team captain Courtney Campuzano caught a couple of breakaways in the game, meaning took off with the ball, escaping players trying to tackle her. Campuzano is a senior majoring in social work. Campuzano was excited to see so many alumni back to play in the match, stating it felt awesome to see alumni happy to come out. She noted that some new players played the most they ever had. 

    Rachel Gonzales runs with the ball to score during the Cal Poly Humboldt Alumni game on Sept. 30.

    “I saw these rookies get stuck in,” Campuzano said. “One’s been here for maybe two weeks.”

    Saturday was Ashlyn Broeland’s first game as a player for Cal Poly Humbolt’s women’s rugby team. A junior majoring in environmental studies with an emphasis in education, Broeland is number nine on the team. Her position on the team is scrum half, which is an important role because it forms the link between the forwards and the backs.

    “I’m really excited for our new players to get out there,” Broeland said. “This is a really good chance for them to learn the game.”

    Cal Poly Humboldt’s cheer team came to support Broeland, their cheer captain, who has been on the team for three years.

    Sophia Nielsen played on the alumni side, having graduated in 2021 with a degree in wildlife.

    Senior Courtney Campuzano avoids being tackled with the ball by Rachel Gonzales during the Cal Poly Humboldt Alumni game on Sept. 30

    “[The most fun part was] being with my teammates I haven’t seen in over a year,” Nielsen said.

    Wynnie Savageford graduated in 2023 with a bachelor’s in criminology and justice studies.

    “[I like] the camaraderie of being around everybody and just being back in the pitch together,” Savageford said.

    Head coach Catalina Leon was most excited for the team to put together the skills they’ve been working on in an actual game. Leon stated that the biggest part of their strategy was communication and putting those fundamentals to work.

    “We were able to do that because we were able to get some breakaways and it worked,” Leon said. “It also showed us the areas that we still need to work on.”

    Leon said that overall the girls played well, especially considering that the majority of the girls joined this September.

    Lauren Bankerd, a junior majoring in kinesiology, scored the only try (goal) on Cal Poly Humboldt’s side. It was her third career goal, having previously played one semester.

    “[The most exciting part is] sprinting down the line, the adrenaline pumping because you don’t know if someone’s behind you or not, and you’re just gunning,” Bankerd said. “The crowd screaming and everything.”

  • Music meets anime at Thundercat show

    Music meets anime at Thundercat show

    by Carlina Grillo

    On a typical cold and rainy night in Arcata, students gathered into the John Van Duzer Theatre where Grammy award-winning bassist, Stephen Lee Bruner, known as Thundercat, brought the heat to campus. With a mix of funk, jazz, R&B and psychedelic bass noodling – eccentric doesn’t begin to describe the night. 

    Tickets for the show sold out within two hours of going on sale to the public, and to people’s surprise, last minute tickets were sold the evening of the performance. For Thundercat’s third time back to the Van Duzer, Cal Poly Humboldt’s Center Arts expected a full house with a seated capacity of 862.

    Eager for the show, the crowd began gathering in the lobby half an hour before the doors opened at 8:30 p.m. Upon entry, people were greeted by a vivid blue light and fog in the air. Behind the haze stood a giant blown up medieval style tower with a cat head. Known as “Cats Lair,” this stage set up was a reference to the 1985 anime, “ThunderCats.”

    The concert was promoted as a seated show, but as soon as the band took the stage, some people stood in front of their seats while others raced to the front. Most people on the balcony remained seated until the very end of the night when the entire house gave Thundercat a standing ovation. The energy was high, but not enough to solicit a mosh pit. Folks mostly swayed throughout the night.

    Thundercat took the stage around 9 p.m. with his iconic six string Ibanez bass guitar, and was backed up by Dennis Hamm on the keys, with Justin Brown on drums. Between songs, Thundercat entertained the crowd with relatable banter and even attempted to kickflip a Tech Deck from the crowd. While he talked to the crowd, fans could be heard meowing around the room.

    Photo by Carlina Grillo. Thundercat playing in front of the “Cats Lair”, a giant blowup tower referencing the 1985 anime “ThunderCats”.

    It was quickly made apparent that anime has a grip on Thundercat and has influenced many aspects of his life. During the first half of the show, he asked the audience how they felt about anime. As the question was followed by loud cheers, he decided to play the song “Tokyo.”

    “I’m gonna slow this one down too,” said Thundercat. “I’m gonna sing this one real slow, so you can understand what it was to be me at 18 years old in Japan.”

    The song described Thundercat’s time in Tokyo with an ode to his lifelong love for anime.

    “I went to the dentist and he gave me a toy / it was Dragon Ball-Z, a wrist-slap bracelet / Goku fucking ruined me,” sang Thundercat. 

    Afterwards, he followed it with his song “Dragonball Durag.” He mentioned that it was his first time playing those songs back to back, and even exclaimed to Hamm, “Write that down!”

    “You don’t have to like my video games or my comic books / But baby girl, how do I look in my durag?” sang Thundercat.

    During the second half of the performance, Thundercat took a moment to honor musicians he’s proud to have worked with who have passed away. He specifically mentioned rapper Mac Miller, Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto and concert promoter Meghan Stabile.

    “To know Meghan was to love her,” Thundercat said.

    Whether an anime lover or not, concert-goers left the Van Duzer feeling electric. Tobin Thornton, a freshman studying chemistry at Cal Poly Humboldt, had never been to the Van Duzer before and had zero expectations for the night. 

    “I don’t really know what I was expecting, but I had a very good time. I do feel like I got put in a microwave, but in a good way,” Thornton said before rating the show a solid nine out of ten. 

    Sam Schulman, a music lover and community member, expressed his gratitude for Thundercat coming to Arcata to share his music.

    “I was mind blown by his artistry and how good he is at playing the bass. It was so cool,” Schulman said. “I didn’t really know what to expect going into it and I know he has regular-amount-of-time songs, but he was extending a lot of them and jamming a lot. Which was really cool to see.”

    Lexi Takaki, a graduate student in the social work program, described her night as awesome, and felt very lucky to get one of the last minute tickets. 

    “Thundercat is a world renowned musician that is like none other, so it was kind of surreal to see him on stage,” Takaki said. “I feel like at a lot of shows at the Van Duzer, it can be really mellow or people are kind of awkward, and I feel like tonight everyone was really feeling it.”

  • University releases annual security report

    by Jake Hyslop

    Cal Poly Humboldt made its annual Security Report under The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act public. The report details crime statistics that have occurred during the past three years, from 2020 to 2022. 

    The Jeanne Clery Act was signed into law in 1990. The act is a consumer protection law meant to provide transparency to the public around campus crime policy and statistics. Nicki Viso became the Clery Director in February 2022, heading up the Clery Compliance Team which is composed of representatives from many Cal Poly Humboldt departments. 

    The crimes reported are sorted into four categories based on where they happened. These include reported incidents on the general campus, on campus residencies, non-campus locations affiliated with the school, and public property near or adjacent to the campus. 

    There were no hate crimes reported during the three year stretch of 2020 to 2022 in the report. While there were no reports of murder or non-negligent and negligent manslaughter, there was a large increase in rape cases, from two incidents in 2021 to 11 in 2022. There were also increases in incidences of fondling, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, arson, and other crimes. Some were small increases (like robbery from zero to one case) and some were larger (like weapons law violations from three to seven). 

    The Clery Compliance Team noted these increases in the report. August 2022 was the point that campus opened fully, with an increase of people on campus and returning to in-person classes as the reasons. Another change the team cited was that Comfort Inn in Arcata, currently housing students, was included and classified under “Non-campus Property.”  

    It’s important to clarify that any allegation that fits the criteria of a specific crime and occurs within the geographical locations specified by the Clery report are included. Not every crime statistic included in the report is proof that a crime definitively happened. Furthermore, crimes are recorded under the year they’re reported, even if they occurred a previous year. 

    The Clery Act Report is available on Cal Poly Humboldt’s Clery Act Compliance webpage, as well as information to help understand it.

  • Data science makes its debut as one of Cal Poly Humboldt’s new science majors

    Data science makes its debut as one of Cal Poly Humboldt’s new science majors

    by Emma Wilson and Griffin Mancuso

    Data science debuted as one of the eight new science majors that Cal Poly Humboldt is offering this semester.

    Data science is the blend of math, statistics and coding where data scientists examine which questions need to be answered and where to find the related data. Data science is a major with many career opportunities in a variety of fields including mathematics, computer science, coding and research. This major is ideal for students who want to apply their talents in different areas and want to have a practical use for their math skills.

    Currently, one data science class is being offered this semester: Data 111, Intro to Programming and Computational Thinking for DS. In the spring, Data 271, Data Wrangling and Visualization, will be available.

    Kamila Larripa is an associate professor and is currently leading the new data science major. Larripa has been working at Cal Poly Humboldt since 2008 and is currently doing a research project with her students on a type of immune cell in the brain called microglia. She is interested in looking at cells; how they integrate and make decisions in the human body. 

    Larripa previously did some training and started offering her students workshops in data science in 2017, like machine learning and methods or how to clean a data set. 

    “People were really interested, and I just feel like there was kind of this need that students were wanting this,” Larripa said. “And then over time, with a bunch of other people on campus and then the transition to polytech, now we have this new major in the math department.”

    Photo by Griffin Mancuso. Bethany Johnson, an associate professor, describes the first project students are working on in Data 111.

    Bethany Johnson, an associate professor, is teaching the first available data science class this semester. Students taking her class learn the definition of data science, its fundamentals and the skills needed to succeed in their industry of choice.

    “We spent the first part of the class basically learning how to program in Python, so this is kind of like basic programming stuff including how to write a for loop, how to do conditional statements, if-else statements and how to simulate some things,” Johnson said. “And then we start moving into statistics, where we’re trying to figure out, like, how can we use data to make a conclusion about the population. And then toward the end of the class, we’re going to get into a little bit of prediction.”

    Johnson also emphasized data science as a broad spectrum of skills that anyone can benefit from.

    “I think that it’s important for people to view data science as, as not like a strict scientific discipline. You don’t have to be a computer whiz or something like that,” Johnson said. “I think that sometimes when people hear data science, they maybe don’t even know exactly what it entails… I would think about it as just like, sort of a discipline to help you solve problems and make decisions, work with the data and the information that’s out there.”

    Elio Piccagli is pursuing a major in computer science and data science along with two minors in biology and art. Currently, Piccagli is in the Data 111 class doing a project on the world population’s relationship to poverty levels. He explained the commonalities and differences between computer science and data science. 

    “Computer science deals with like a lot of, ‘how do we code this,’” Piccagli said. “And data science is like, ‘we have this data, how do we make a table visualizing that data?’ So it’s just like the application of computer science.”

    Emad Syed is a junior majoring in data science who pursued the major out of an interest in manipulating data rather than creating it. He also emphasized the flexibility of possible career paths students can pursue with a data science major.

    “I’m looking for something that can be applied in all, in all parts of life,” Syed said, “Be it forestry, economics, statistics, computers, anywhere where the skill set can be used. I don’t want to necessarily choose a specialized field.”

    Larripa has hope for the future of the data science program at Cal Poly Humboldt

    “So the overall theme of our program is really data for good. Like how can we, you know, capture, analyze data and make decisions so that we’re making the world a better place?” Larripa said. “And I mean, I think that really is in line with the Cal Poly vision. And we’re really excited about that.”

  • One pole, seven strippers

    One pole, seven strippers

    by Zack Mink

    “I love stripper bitches!” the crowd yelled. This one-of-a-kind call and response was very much appropriate.

    On Sunday, Sept. 24, Clubussy broke down barriers by being the first-ever pop-up strip club event in all of Humboldt County. The event was hosted at the queer-owned thrift store Krave in Arcata, continuing the theme of providing a safe space for all.

    With help from volunteers, the store was transformed into an intimate and safe setting, with one pole centered in the room highlighting the seven talented performers throughout the night. 

    Setting the mood with what one performer described as bisexual lighting, casting blue, pink, and purple shadows across the room. 

    The excitement was building as the performers changed in the back room. Everyone reflected joy and felt proud to be in a space where they could be their authentic selves. 

    “As someone who felt bullied out of sex work, this space is super important to me,” said Baby Fontaine.

    Fontaine, aka the “Dollar Daddy,” was a volunteer responsible for exchanging dollar bills with the crowd making sure everyone had cash to tip the performers. 

    Orange haired-diva Big Billy, a co-founder of the Humboldt based pole dancing group, LXIX Crew, began with an emotional and entrancing number, paired with a mix of opera and club beats. Next up was Felix Void, who was serving punk, with loud clacks from the stomping of their tall black heels. Dahlia was after, delivering androgyny in their performance to “But It’s Better If You Do” by Panic! at the Disco. Their splits and unbelievable spins continued to get hoots and tips from the audience. Big Billy took the stage again with their “Shreksual” performance of “All Star” by Smash Mouth, garnering laughs and cheers from the audience. Felix Void and Dahlia did one last number each before the group birthday dance in celebration of Kai Flores, the owner of Krave. 

    Krave’s owner, Kai Flores, even got a birthday treat. Six strippers danced on Flores’ lap, did handstands while shaking ass, and enveloped their face with their breasts, leaving Flores laughing with tears falling down their cheeks. It was their first strip club experience and they got the whole shabang.

    The second half of the show started with Boofy the Clown. Boofy, a co-founder of the Foolish Kinks,performed their comedic version of “Oops I Did It Again” by Britney Spears. Channeling her inner bimbo, Boofy trotted on stage, fluffy nose first and ended by revealing a miniature pink rubber chicken from her bikini bottom. Following Boofy, Karma dropped it low at the audience’s feet before climbing back onto the pole to impress with their acrobatic spins. After Karma’s performance came Bunny with a flamenco inspired set. Once everyone performed twice, GUTTERPUKE, the organizer and MC of the event, surprised the audience with a last minute pole performance coming back from their extended hiatus. 

    The grand finale involved a sheet cake and balloon-boobs. Everyone cheered as Boofy and Dahlia dropped from the pole into the splits on top of the sheet cake, proceeding to lick the frosting off of each other and feed each other chunks of cake, eventually popping the balloon-boobs with Dahlia’s long black acrylics in honor of Flores’ birthday. 

    The performance left an impact on the crowd, leaving them curious what the event might mean for the future of Humboldt County. 

    “It’s going to inspire others… change the future of pole dancing in Humboldt,” said Patrick Shannon, an audience member supporting one of their performer friends.

    “There’s so many people here who know people who dance at clubs and have wanted to support them, but are too afraid to go into the club because of violent homophobia and because of the transphobia we are seeing in our nation,” said GUTTERPUKE. “Not only is this radical and reseizing the means of our production, it’s also radical in a way of creating space for queer people to feel comfortable accessing sex workers.”

    GUTTERPUKE has six years of experience performing, as well as experience fighting the constrictive systems that make being a stripper and/or sex worker difficult. This passion for creating a safe and equitable environment for sex workers and strippers stems from GUTTERPUKE’s own traumatic past. At one of the previous clubs he worked at, he was illegally fired. From that experience, he discovered Strippers United, an organization striving to dismantle whorephobia and decriminalize sex work. This organization provides financial and legal support for strippers and helped GUTTERPUKE win his case against the club. They were forced to hire him back and pay him for the days he wasn’t allowed to work because of the illegal termination.

    Clubussy was created as the solution to this problem and the other issues strippers regularly face. 

    “Let’s do some problem-solving. Let’s make an event where sex workers are platformed and invited. Let’s make a space that celebrates us in a really joyous manner and it’s not degrading, it’s not fetishization or tokenization,” said GUTTERPUKE.

    Along with the mistreatment of performers, the financial aspect of running a strip club is something GUTTERPUKE is passionate about improving.

    “When you are a stripper, you have to pay the club to work. Part of Clubussy is that strippers keep 100% of their fucking money. Often performers are told ‘you will get a percentage of ticket sales,’ but they’re never transparent with their finances so you have no idea how much the event organizers are paying themselves, you have no idea how much the event actually made. So, as part of my ideals to be transparent and community-based with all of the performers and volunteers, the financial records will be made available,” GUTTERPUKE said to the audience.

    The event followed the intentions of being transparent, encouraging and safe for everyone. It also was a chance for these local strippers and sex workers to represent themselves, share their art, and give credit where credit is due. 

    “Oftentimes, pole hobbyists get more opportunities to be performers, get more opportunities to go on tour, get more opportunities to do so much when pole is a craft that was shared by strippers with non-strippers because it’s something that brings us joy,” said GUTTERPUKE. “Being on the stage, doing your thing, it is positive for your body, it is positive for your mental health and we shared that gift.

  • Breaking the stigma

    by Savana Robinson

    On Feb. 25, 2023, I was transported to Mad River Hospital after Sergeant Andy Martin of Cal Poly Humboldt University Police expressed concern for me. I had lost my phone at the Student Activity Center, and after I got it back I told him and other officers that someone had bugged my phone, people were following me and there were recording devices in my dorm room. Because of Martin’s commitment to helping, I was later given a diagnosis that answered so many questions: schizophrenia and bipolar I. If it weren’t for Sergeant Martin, I don’t know what would have happened, or where I would be.

    Martin knew me before the incident because he had picked up my knocked-over motorcycle for me. I brought him and the dispatcher, Jennifer Gomes, Harley-Davidson keychains and candy as a thank-you gift. Martin and Gomes knew that something was wrong with me because they knew me as a confident, Harley-riding girl – not a scared, paranoid kid.

    “Law enforcement’s role in mental health is complicated, to say the least,” said Martin. “Mental [illness] is not a crime.”

    Because my paranoia was high, the emergency room and the hospital in general was a scary place to be.

    “Some of the [hospital] staff and I have had conversations. They know that it’s not the ideal,” said Martin.

     Following the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act, those under 5150 hold must be taken to a facility designated by the county, which is either the emergency room or county mental health, which has only been taking voluntary patients since COVID. To me, this is a shame. I strongly believe that they should be transported to an inpatient facility for those in immediate mental crisis.

    “It’s designed for medical care, not psychiatric care,” said Martin, referring to the hospital. He recognized that there could be some overlap in the type of care needed for patients. In my case, my second hospital stay warranted medical care because I ran three miles barefoot thinking my hometown was littered with explosives, which tore my feet up. This happened the night after I was released from Mad River to my dad, who took me home to Redwood Valley.

    College is a time in life in which mental illness often manifests. The American Psychiatric Association states that 75% of mental illnesses start by the age of 24. 

    “We see more than our fair share of it,” said Martin. I was given my diagnosis at the age of 22, which is right in that sweet spot for when such illnesses surface.

    5150, also known as the Welfare and Institutions Code, is what allows police to detain a person if they are deemed a danger to themself or others.

    “Those are actually very strict criteria, the idea being that law enforcement shouldn’t be able to detain somebody without good cause,” said Martin.

    The way it works is that if an officer is concerned about someone, they’ll express their concern and give two options, voluntary admission to the hospital or 5150 if the case is severe enough. I was technically voluntarily admitted and I just learned after the fact that I could have left if I wanted to, but hospital staff repeatedly told me that I couldn’t leave.

    If someone refuses admission to the hospital, UPD can put them in contact with an on-campus counselor or county crisis. UPD also works with the Office of Students Rights and Responsibilities (OSRR), who work with Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)  and Campus Assistance, Response and Engagement (CARE).

    I have a great support system, and I’ve been told that by several people, including Sergeant Martin. I consider him and all of UPD to be part of my support system. I’m very blessed to have so many compassionate and caring people in my life.

    If you are concerned about yourself or another student, please fill out “Reporting Students of Concern” at deanofstudents.humboldt.edu/CARE or call UPD at 707-826-5555. If it’s an emergency, call 911.

  • The fantastical world of D&D

    The fantastical world of D&D

    by Alina Ferguson

    Roll the dice. Feel the pressure. You are rolling to see if you will make it out alive, or to sneak away from danger. 

    Cal Poly Humboldt has many things to offer. One thing that people may not be aware of is the very active Dungeons and Dragons scene. 

    Dungeons and Dragons, also known as D&D, is a tabletop fantasy role playing game that often takes place over a series of campaigns. You become a part of a story, creating a character and playing through scenarios that the Dungeon Master, or ‘DM’, envisions. 

    It is common in the D&D world to refer to the DM as a sort of God, who creates the imaginary world that the campaign takes place in. It does not always have to be Earth. It can be anywhere and anytime. 

    The community is very friendly and always welcoming of new players. Cal Poly Humboldt student William Bellairs is a geospatial and technology major who has been playing D&D on and off since high school. He enjoys the communal and imaginative experience of the game.

    Photo by Alina Ferguson. The Solar Nuawlen campaign enjoying a game night.

    “I really love the collaborative storytelling aspect, how you can get a group of people all invested in something that each person is in part responsible for,” said Bellairs. “I haven’t played with anyone on campus, but I have some friends who do or who are looking to.” 

    Another facet that brings people together for D&D is the character art. Artists bring their characters to life and even do commissions to illustrate other player’s characters.

    Chris Talso, a student at Cal Poly Humboldt, runs a campaign called “Solar Nuawlen” with players studying at both Cal Poly Humboldt and College of the Redwoods. Nuawlen is the name of the planet that the campaign takes place on; a post-apocalyptic earth. 

    “Basically, Earth right now went through some type of apocalypse,” described Talso. “It sent Earth to dinosaur times and it had to evolve back. Then quite a few million years later, instead of having a focus on science, the new races and humanoid people of the planet now are focusing on magic. There’s quite a few people on this planet. They have brought a whole new life to the world. All the continents of the world have Pangaea-d again.”

    Throughout D&D campaigns, there are multiple different side quests that the party goes on. Solar Nuawlen was on a random little side mission to bring back the perfect Griffowl to the home dimension. A Griffowl is an owl and cat mixed together. 

    Judah Benson, an environmental science management and restoration major has played D&D on and off for over five years, and currently plays at school. Her current character has different moods that are based on the seasons. She plays a male character, because she can.  

    “It’s like video games but less expensive and less rules,” said Benson. “A good game if you’ve got a lot of creative friends!”

  • Pets keep students healthy and happy

    Pets keep students healthy and happy

    by Savana Robinson

    Finals week: a stressful, anxious time for all. During this time, Raymond Haeckel, a forestry major at Cal Poly Humboldt, had a public panic attack.

    “It was really embarrassing and not the best on my mental health,” Haeckel said. “I’m thinking about how all those people saw me freak out. It sucks.”

    After the panic attack, Haeckel decided to adopt a companion that would ease his troubles and calm his mind; he is now the owner of a beautiful cattle dog mix, Carolina. He is certain that having an animal companion has helped support healthier habits.

    “It’s a really good, big motivator to keep on a healthy schedule in my life,” Haeckel said. “When I’m feeling depressed, I have trouble keeping up with my daily habits. Having a dog to calm me down when I’m feeling anxious is really important for my mental health. It’s thanks to her that I was able to overcome my inability to sleep through the night.”

    Vanessa Hidden, a leadership studies major at Cal Poly Humboldt through the College of Extended Education and Global Engagement, believes having a pet or emotional support animal can be one of human’s deepest connections.

    “Our pets can stimulate the healing process within ourselves,” Hidden said. “They can help us look forward to tomorrow and get out of bed.”

    Hidden is the administrator for the Co-Sheltering Collaborative, a peer-to-peer support network by My Dog is My Home. The organization is a national nonprofit focused on supporting people experiencing homelessness and their pets.

    Having had pets most of her life, Hidden feels a certain sense of comfort and safety from having animals around. She has struggled with depression and anxiety disorder, and her pets were a core part of her healing process.

    “To this day, [they] provide the connection and consistency I need to get through new challenges,” Hidden said. “Being fully remote for school and work… is a challenge that I don’t know I would be able to sustain without the company and emotional stability that my pets provide for me.”

    Maia Ryan, a Counseling and Psychological Services therapist and campus outreach coordinator at Cal Poly Humboldt, provided some insight on how emotional support animals can improve their owner’s mental health. Social connection is crucial to overall wellbeing and there is ongoing research to prove that the positive interactions with animals offer psychophysiological and psychosocial benefits like lowering anxiety, alleviating loneliness and normalizing heart rate and blood pressure.

    “People who may have difficulties with medical or emotional conditions exacerbated by stress could potentially benefit from having an emotional support animal,” Ryan said.

    Mental health is heavily influenced by social connection and animals can provide that necessary companionship. The unique bond between humans and animals is a powerful source of comfort and healing, underscoring the vital role animals play in bolstering our emotional resilience and overall mental health.

  • From DMs to DII National Championship: Isabel Perez-Zoghbi

    From DMs to DII National Championship: Isabel Perez-Zoghbi

    by Vanessa Saltos

    Isabel Perez-Zoghbi is a 2nd year student from Merced, California. Perez-Zoghbi was a long distance runner throughout her whole life, running cross country and track. She thought her career would be done after highschool and was planning on attending Cal Poly Humboldt in Fall 2022. While scrolling through social media, she came across a video of Cal Poly Humboldt’s very own Joy Hano running the 60-meter hurdles. 

    “I saw Joy and I thought she was amazing, and I was just like clearly they must have some good hurdles coaches there because Joy’s doing fantastic,” Perez-Zoghbi said. 

    Once realizing there was a track program, she took it upon herself to direct message Hano. According to Hano, Perez-Zoghbi asked about the program, what Hano’s favorite part about running in college was, and how she wanted to get better at hurdles. Perez-Zoghbi had only started running hurdles her junior year of high school, so she saw this as a learning opportunity. This direct message on Instagram led to a recruitment visit with the track coaches, and Hano was able to meet her in person for the first time. 

    “Meeting her for that first time, it got me excited about hurdles again cause I could just feel her pure love for the sport, and at that point in my season I was, not going throughout, but it was just a low part of season,” Hano said. “Having her energy around, even just on her recruit visit, brought up my energy, brought up [my] team’s energy, and I just had a great feeling about her.” 

    Hano was right about that feeling, because during Perez-Zoghbi’s first year at Cal Poly Humboldt she made huge waves in the program. She qualified for the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field National Championships after running a personal record of 1:00.54 in the 400-meter hurdles. At Nationals in Colorado, she finished nineteenth overall. 

    During her 2023 campaign, she did face some setbacks. Dealing with a hamstring injury, she was kept from competing in a couple of races. Hano recalls a moment at the 2023 Stanford Invitational where Perez-Zoghbi was scratched from the weekend last minute due to her hamstring. Hano and Perez-Zoghbi took walks around Stanford’s facilities and reminded each other about the amazing opportunities they both have. 

    “Isa’s really good about remaining grateful, and it was just during that weekend that I just had to remind her we are in an amazing opportunity to do the thing we love and if anything, missing this right now is just going to make you want it more,” Hano said. “Sure enough after that point in season she continued to rehab her hamstring, she continued to play smarter not harder with her hamstring and made the most out of every day she could.”

    The knowledge that her coaches bring has helped grow her obsession with the sport. Her teammates contribute to this as well. They inspire her daily with their dedication to training and work ethic. She sees how happy people are just to be given the opportunity to participate. What keeps Perez-Zoghbi motivated through it all is her love for pushing herself to her limits.

    “I am always trying to improve and get a better time, and push myself to where I am like dying at the end of practice and I’m like on the floor, can’t breathe,” Perez-Zoghbi said. “Just like that physical challenge and mental challenge of pushing yourself to your limit that’s why I do it.”

    Her teammates feed off of this mindset as well. Hano views her as a role model, despite Perez-Zoghbi being younger. Hano knows that whenever they train together, there will be no slacking of any kind. This has only pushed Hano mentally and physically. Her coaches see this determination as well. Cal Poly Humboldt Assistant Sprint and Hurdles coach Kate Eilers expressed Perez-Zoghbi’s tenacity on the track and compared her competitive drive to that of a veteran. 

    “I love coaching Isabel. She recognizes the value of the time she has here as an athlete and uses every second of it. She is always looking to improve, asking questions and diligently implementing feedback,” Eilers said. “She’s a joy to coach, a supportive teammate and an all around incredible person who knows how to pursue success.”

    Perez-Zoghbi expressed her goals for this upcoming season, which are becoming an All-American and breaking the school record. The current record holder is Alyssabeth DeJerez with a time of 58.68 in 2017. The main goal this season though is winning the conference. Currently Perez-Zoghbi is training for the 2024 season which is set to start on Feb. 18.

  • Low effort and loving it

    by Zack Mink

    Being in your I-don’t-give-a-f*ck (IDAGF) era means that you do what you need to do for yourself. For me currently, this means I’m showing up to class in the same outfits every week, or pressing snooze on my alarm and committing to wearing pajamas all day. It’s giving low effort although I’m still on top of school and work because, “that’s what really matters,” as my Grandma would say. 

    I love clothes, thrifting, design, etc., but who am I trying to impress when I’m running to The Depot during a ten minute break? I’m tired of dressing up for the one cute guy in my class who doesn’t even know my name (yet). I’m done wasting a good outfit on a day when I’m sitting in one classroom for multiple classes back to back. Being as thoughtless as I am when it comes to my daily appearance takes a lot of work though. It takes a sense of style, confidence, and a certain je-ne-sais-quoi you would only know from hitting rock-bottom, possibly even multiple times. 

    When I say hitting rock-bottom, I mean a struggle you have had in life that you learned from. Something that taught you a life lesson, brought a growth opportunity. No judgment to the people who have never been to therapy, but working to improve yourself is super important. It’s a time when you focus on loving yourself, owning your flaws, and working to improve yourself however that looks for you. It’s also hot, so if you have never been to therapy I highly recommend taking advantage of the free resources campus provides. Focusing on your personal growth brings you a third-of-the-way to thriving in your IDGAF era; the second part is being confident. Luckily… you’ve had some time now to work on yourself, learned a life lesson or two, gained some emotional maturity, and are feeling happy with how far you’ve come. 

    The turning point for me was my junior year of high school. It was the third high school I went to, so during the first week I took advantage of the fact that I was the new kid. Being my bold self, I ran for treasurer with no one even knowing my name. I didn’t win, but it was still fun to just not take it too seriously, break down my walls and be confident in who I was. Some may say that was actually the beginning of my IDGAF era.

    The missing piece to being successful in your IDGAF era is having a sense of style. Like I said, I’m an outfit repeater and wear the same exact things every week. Not to brag, but I do consistently get compliments on my eight dollar sweatshirt and the t-shirt I thrifted that has a huge hole in the armpit. Maybe it’s the low standards of Arcata, or maybe I’m just delusional, but all you need is some style to pull off being low effort and presentable.

    Once you’ve reached this point, you can truly enjoy the world around you. You have prioritized yourself, grown emotionally, and gained confidence allowing you to be successful in the other aspects of your life. You also look cute and are the mysterious person someone thinks about after seeing you walk to class. So be free my little birds, get help – because if you’ve read this far you need it, and I wish you a pleasant journey finding your successful low effort lifestyle.
    If you are in need of emotional and mental health support, please reach out to Counseling & Psychological Services at humboldtcaps@humboldt.edu or call 707.826.3146 to sign up for free mental health/counseling services through TimelyCare.

  • Cal Poly Humboldt spending $1.34 million on hotel lease while having 331 vacant beds on campus

    Cal Poly Humboldt spending $1.34 million on hotel lease while having 331 vacant beds on campus

    by Brad Butterfield

    Two-and-a-half miles north of campus stands the seven-figure “temporary solution” to Cal Poly Humboldt’s current housing crisis. However, this fall semester did not bring the thousands of additional students that had been expected, and 331 bed spaces remain vacant in the on-campus dorms. Despite the difficulties presented by living out of a hotel room, students spoke – mostly – positively about life at the Comfort Inn.

    Cal Poly Humboldt’s lease agreement with the Comfort Inn commenced on Aug. 11 and will expire May 12, 2024, for a total of 275 nights. The 49 rooms at the hotel cost the university $100 per night. By the end of the lease, the university will have paid $1,347,500 to the Comfort Inn.

    During normal hotel operations, the city of Arcata charges a ‘transient tax’ of 10% the cost of the room. With the university’s lease, the city of Arcata will not earn its normal 10% tax from the Comfort Inn for the 275 nights that students will call it home. Representatives from the city of Arcata were not immediately available for comment regarding the loss of tax revenue.

    Given the fact that 331 empty bed spaces remain vacant on campus, the Comfort Inn lease could appear like an ugly $1.3 million stain on the university’s management of funds, but perhaps that’s not fair. Enrollment was expected to jump by 2000 students this fall and the university had an obligation to plan for every scenario. Additionally, the university allowed students who were accepted this fall to defer enrollment until next spring, creating a potential housing shortage come spring. The Comfort Inn lease was kept as an insurance measure by the university. 

    “To meet the needs of our students and prepare for a possible influx of more students, the university provided the option of living in university-managed off-campus bridge housing like the Comfort Inn,” said Aileen Yoo, Director of News & Information in a statement. “It’s meant to be a temporary solution as we move forward with building additional housing facilities over the next several years.” 

    In spite of the price tag and lower-than-predicted enrollment, the university kept the Comfort Inn as a housing option, in part because they had to. They had advertised the hotel as a housing option for many students.

    “We also sought to honor the fact a number of students specifically chose to live in the Comfort Inn, even when offered the option to move back onto campus,” Yoo said. “Continuing our contract allows us to not only plan for the future, but to reduce uncertainty and disruption of housing locations for those students.”

    Importantly, all students currently housed at the Comfort Inn are there by choice. 

    “Students who are currently residing in the Comfort Inn have chosen to stay there, even when the university offered them the opportunity to move back on campus and live in residential halls,” said Yoo.

    Neither Sherie Cornish Gordon the Vice President of Administration & Finance, Donyet King the Senior Director for Housing & Residence Life, nor Steve Relyea the Executive Vice Chancellor responded to interview requests.

    The money spent is particularly concerning on the backdrop of the recent CSU tuition hike. Regardless, the students of Cal Poly Humboldt that have been caught in the crosshairs of the university’s rapid expansion, should be the number one priority. Happily, it seems that students now housed in the Comfort Inn are quite content, one might even say they are… (relatively) comfortable. 

    “It’s not a shitty place, it’s really not. People are like, ‘Oh that sucks you guys are living there,’” said Luis Castro, a student living in the Comfort Inn. “I’m like, ‘No, it’s chill. It’s our own thing.’ In my opinion it’s better than living on campus.”

     In fact, there are a number of notable benefits to life in the Comfort Inn that students are stoked on. 

    “It’s quiet. You don’t have the loudness of the community on campus,” said Dylan Harrison, another student who resides in the hotel. “We have our own community here. We have breakfast every morning. We got a pool downstairs if I want to go swimming, or go to Jacuzzi. We have our own laundry as well.”

    In addition to the jacuzzi and laundry, students housed at the Comfort Inn have cleaning services twice a week, free breakfast, and gated parking. Still, there are drawbacks to making a hotel room a home. Namely, the absence of a kitchen. Fortunately, the university has crafted a creative compromise for the students living without a kitchen.

    “They got a deal with this diner called Pepper’s and we use our meal exchanges there, or flex money,” Harrison said. “If I want a burger, instead of going and getting a burger that some student made on campus, who just wants to get paid – I could go to a diner where these people want to make burgers. And they like making burgers. And they got good burgers.”

    In addition to top notch burgers, students are relishing the first floor snacks provided by the hotel.

    “If you want to get something to eat – let’s say you want snacks on campus – then you have to go to the marketplace and pay for it. And here you just go downstairs and just get a yogurt that’s already stocked,” Castro said.

    Naturally, the perks of life at Comfort Inn must be weighed against its inconvenient undesirable location miles from campus.

     “There is a little bit of a disconnect, socially, you know, between big events that are going on [on campus]. But, I mean, the people that I have met here are pretty cool,” said Andres Arteaga, another student resident of the hotel. “Seeing as it’s my first year here, I did actually really want to be on campus. I do like the vibe on campus, but at the same time, It just feels like our own area here in this section of the town.” 

    All things considered, the situation seems decent for students living at the Comfort Inn, but it is far from an ideal college housing arrangement. Directly across the street from the Comfort Inn stands, ‘The Grove,’ a hotel recently converted to a homeless shelter. Behind that, in an undeveloped stretch of land that backs up to highway 101, a small community of homeless folks have put up shop and don’t appear to be leaving anytime soon. 

    “It’s like a 15 feet deep pool and 20 feet diameter wide and there’s tarps and there’s like, people just living over there,” Harrison said. “It’s crazy. You see it off the 101, they’re always burning fires. There’s a lot of people over there. You hear them at nighttime, [and] they’re always screaming.”

    Logistically, it appears the university has set students up for success with multiple options for transport to the campus grounds. Working in tandem with Arcata Mad River Transit, the university created a new route that runs 7am to 10pm to transport students, for free, to and from the campus. The bus does not run on Sundays, but students have the option to call the University Police Department for a ride at any time, if need be.

    “I take the bus to school,” Harrison said. “There’s three options every hour. If you miss all three buses, you’re a dumbass.”

  • Students struggle to navigate COVID-19 safety post-pandemic

    Students struggle to navigate COVID-19 safety post-pandemic

    by Zachary Mink and Griffin Mancuso

    While COVID-19 regulations have become more lenient at Cal Poly Humboldt, many students are still contracting COVID-19 and are unsure of where to find resources.

    EG.5 (Eris) is one of the newer variants of COVID-19 in the United States, known for being highly contagious. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) predicts that Eris made up about 24.5% of COVID cases in the U.S. over the last two weeks. The second most common variant, FL.1.5.1, made up about 13.7% of cases. 

    Currently, the data on the number of student COVID-19 cases and which variant students are contracting most often is unavailable.

    Dobby Morse, a graduate student in English who lives on campus, contracted COVID-19 in mid-August. They initially tested negative and assumed they weren’t contagious despite their symptoms.

    “After like the third or fourth day, there was this burning lump in my throat and I couldn’t speak,” Morse said. “So, I went to the health center to try and get help and they tested me there. They said I had [COVID-19] and I had to go into lockdown.”

    Because they were living with a roommate, Morse stayed in a quarantine room in the Cypress dorms for six days with one bedroom, a bathroom, and a mini kitchen with a broken stove. They tested again five days after their visit to the health center and had a positive result.

    “I tried to extend my room for a couple more days, but the housing person said that I wouldn’t be contagious after 10 days,” Morse said. “But there’s internet health websites that say you can be contagious for up to 20 days.”

    According to the CDC, those with moderate or severe COVID-19 should isolate for at least ten days, but those with a severe case of COVID-19 may still be contagious and need to isolate for up to 20 days.

    Many students believe that precautions still need to be taken in regard to COVID-19.

    “I don’t think people are as aware of it or as concerned about it as they should be,” Morse said. “Because I did have one person be like, ‘Oh, you have COVID[-19]? But I’m not scared of COVID[-19],’ and kind of got in my face.”

    Emma Kral, a senior at Cal Poly Humboldt, contracted COVID-19 a week after moving into the dorms. COVID-19 left her unable to prepare for her classes, disrupting the beginning of her semester and leaving her feeling tired and unsettled. She was able to get a rapid COVID-19 test from one of the health vending machines on campus, and wants to see students and faculty taking more precautions.

    “I think masking should be a lot more common on campus,” Kral said. They also thought more ventilation in classrooms would be helpful.

    Many students aren’t aware of the vending machines on campus that carry COVID-19 rapid tests or the resources available in the Health Center. Some students said that they want to see more free masks available around campus. Most frequently, students requested that the school take an active role in addressing the rising number of COVID-19 cases among students and listen to student feedback.

    Photo by Griffin Mancuso. The Student Health Center on campus.

    According to the Cal Poly Humboldt website, students who are symptomatic can make an appointment at the Student Health Center to see a medical provider. If you are unable to get to the Student Health Center, 2-packs of rapid COVID-19 tests are available in health vending machines for $20 each.

    Free 2-packs of rapid COVID-19 tests are currently available to all students at the Student Health Center, but students can only get one pack of tests at a time.

    The Student Health Center currently does not provide COVID-19 boosters, but students can sign up for an appointment or find walk-in clinics near them on myturn.ca.gov. Locations in Arcata and Eureka that have the updated COVID-19 vaccine are Walgreens, CVS Pharmacy and Rite Aid. Safeway locations currently have a limited supply of the updated COVID-19 vaccine.

    The Lumberjack reporters made multiple attempts to contact Jennifer Saford the Executive Director of Student Health & Wellbeing Services, Mira Friedman the Lead for Health Education and Medical Clinic Support Services, Aileen Yoo the Director of News & Information, and Grant Scott-Goforth the Communications Specialist, through email and in-person, but all were unwilling to provide a comment on COVID-19 tests and resources at this time.

    Covid Vending Machine Locations:

    Nelson Hall East (across from Goodwin form)

    Gutswurrak Student Activities Center (1st floor by the Depot)

    Jolly Giant Commons (3rd floor next to housing cashier)

    College Creek Mail Room Lobby

    Creekview Dorm Lounge (must be a Creekview resident to access)

  • Step into the Humboldt party scene: a review

    by Christina Mehr

    Some say there’s no party scene here in Humboldt to have an opinion on, but they’re the people who have no friends and aren’t getting invited to things in the first place. Stay mad. For a campus that claims to be a dry campus, it is certainly most not. Just take a look outside and you’ll smell the scent of earthy weed being consumed by students. Up here, it’s pretty much part of the culture to be involved in the stoner community. Aside from the magnificent coastal redwoods, people know Humboldt as a place that grows good weed.

    Photo by Christina Mehr

    Assuming you’re into the party scene here at Humboldt, then you’re aware of the infamous Nicki House. You can see this party venue from the JGC parking lot, adorned with a flag of Nicki Minaj saluting an American flag. Most “venues” are just an inside space where party-goers can hang out, listening to shitty music and conversing with the same three people you came with, but the Nicki house however has something special. The house is run by all women who are reclaiming the frat party vibe. 

    If dressed in the theme, guys’ entry to these parties are five dollars and girls get in for free. If you’re one to participate in hookup culture, then you’re screwed with that ratio unless you play for both teams. Themes have ranged from Y2K to blackout, to a comfy pajama party. The themed parties bring a sense of playfulness into regular gatherings. The way the community connects is through drugs, alcohol, music and trying to leave the crowded house.

    The cons, there’s only one way in and out of the house which poses a threat of danger in case of emergency. The house itself is quite crowded with the line to get in out the door, but if you’re into the sweaty bump and grind you’ll fit in just fine. If you can’t make it into the main house, or are too cheap to, there’s plenty of overflow out front where the beer pong table sits. Party places are like fads, they come and go, just like the entire freshman class pulling up to the same party. 

    If you know how to have a good time, then you’re part of the population who is living it up in college. The best way to make the most out of your weekend? Pregame with your closest friends, have a few drinks, smoke a joint and find a party. That is until the party gets shut down 45 minutes after starting and the cops start playing beer pong.

  • UPD still doesn’t have a police chief

    UPD still doesn’t have a police chief

    by Brad Butterfield

    After a spring semester that saw The University Police Department’s force spread so thin that single-officer patrols were a norm, they have recently hired two new dispatchers, promoted an officer to sergeant, and hired one new officer. While slightly better than before, the department’s staffing issues have forced many members of its small team to still work long hours with few days off. Despite the successful recent hirings, the department remains without a permanent police chief and ever-cautious in its search for a new one. The still understaffed force has had to rely on its committed team working overtime to remain functional.

    As many students will have been made aware of through the UPD’s advisory emails, it has been a hectic start to the fall semester. The last two weeks have seen an uncharacteristic barrage of criminal activity on our typically peaceful campus among the redwoods. From “Suspicious Bags Found in Wildlife & Fisheries Building” to “Trespassing Arrest at the Children’s Center” and a tragic “Collision That Injured Student” at one of the campus’s few intersections which left a student in critical condition, this has been an unusually chaotic start to the semester. 

    Throughout this spring semester, Lieutenant Peter Cress filled the role of police chief in addition to his normal duties as lieutenant. Currently, Fernando Solozano, a retired police chief from Long Beach, has stepped in as interim chief until a permanent one is finally hired. 

    Unfortunately, a timeline for the hiring of a permanent chief is difficult to nail down with so many factors at play. Even if the perfect candidate showed up on Harpst street tomorrow, they’d still need to go through a full background check, potential recertifications and additional police academy training (depending on where they transferred from). So, it will likely be exactly a while-longer before Cal Poly Humboldt has a permanent police chief.

    On top of all that, hiring a police chief for a university – especially one as unique as Cal Poly Humboldt – has a number of additional hurdles as compared to your average city police department. Most notably are the Clery Act and Title IX federal civil rights, which affect police operations on a university campus distinctly from those at a typical city police department.

    Moreover, the bureaucracy of a college campus means that a very unique skillset and experience is necessary to perform the job tactfully.

    “The CSU system has its own challenges in different ways. It’s not just a police department in a town where you can go to your mayor and say, ‘Hey, what’s going on?’ We have our presidents and we have our chancellor, so we have lots of different steps… What would be nice is if we had somebody who is familiar with the CSU system, who is eager to grow a police department, and comes in with knowledge, all those things,” Martin said before adding, “we’re not looking for a unicorn, but I mean, kind of we’re looking for somebody who can do all of that.”

    The chief of the police sets the tone for the entire department, Martin explained. They look fifteen years down the line and act as captain of the ship, adjusting course towards innovation and progress. The fact that the department has been absent a chief for so many months and remains not only functional but reliable, serves as testament to the unwavering dedication of each member of the department. Importantly, though the search for a permanent police chief remains a top priority for the department, they are not rushing the process and will not pull the trigger unless the fit is perfect.

     “Our VP [Sherie Gordon] has a very set criteria of what she wants to hire. She just doesn’t want to settle. She wants somebody who’s going to do justice to the police department and our campus,” Martin said.

    Martin’s explanation for the still vacant chief position hinted that perhaps having no police chief is better than having the wrong police chief. 

    “It’s about finding somebody who wants to be here, who is willing to put in the work,” Martin said before continuing, “Somebody who’s progressive, understands what we’re trying to do here. And we’ve struggled at finding a very qualified person that can slide into that role and help our police department grow.”

    This spring saw the lean department frequently functioning with only one officer on duty at any given time. 

    The recent new hires have eased that strain slightly but they’re currently still running some single person patrols, as they are having trouble finding qualified officers. 

    Aware of the mounting need for more personnel, the UPD have put together an incentive package and have hired a firm to recruit nationwide to find fitting candidates. A common theme in talking about the difficulties in hiring was UPD’s emphasis on hiring the right candidate. They are not interested in hiring just anybody so that they have additional boots on the ground. They’ve got to be the right boots. And of course, this is Humboldt – they’ve got to have the right vibe.

    “We are not just filling boxes and trying to put a cop in a seat just because I need a number. I’ve got people who are willing to come here,” Martin said. “We just want people who are going to be a positive addition to the police department and how they interact with our community and how they’re willing to change and how they’re willing to grow.” 

    “We are looking for the right people to be a part of that police department as we grow,” Martin emphasized. 

    Remaining a community based police force appears to be a top priority for the department when considering new hires.

    “Our community as a whole is more laid back,” Martin said. “100% we want to be able to be part of that culture.”

    The understaffed department has relied on its indomitable staff to keep the peace on campus. 

    “It’s been the staff. The staff is really the reason that we’re still moving forward and getting stuff done,” Martin said. “A lot of overtime for different people, a lot of hours are being put in and everybody’s just still getting the work done.”

    Martin put in about thirty hours of overtime last month, with this month’s overtime hours quickly racking up. Impressive as that is, dispatcher Jennifer Gomes’ work schedule borders on super-human.

    “I have, technically, one full day off this month. My normal schedule is day-shift Sunday through Wednesday,” Gomes said. “But I’m covering graves for the second half of the week right now, and then my one day off for the week is the day that I rotate back to day shift. So, I sleep all day to try to accommodate coming back to day-shift.” 

    With two new dispatch trainees set to complete their training in October, respite is on the way. The dispatch ‘family’ will be back to three days off per week with just one dispatcher role left to fill. An unsung hero of Humboldt, Gomes explained her reasoning for weathering the recent tough times at the UPD. 

    “Everybody’s pulled their weight, come together kind of as a family and just pushed through the staffing issues,” said Gomes. “Just push through the hard times here, we’re all coming out of it.”

    With millions upon millions being put toward Cal Poly Humboldt’s expansion, it seems the unstoppable force of dollar-driven change is also working overtime here in Humboldt county. Change is a comin’. 

    “As our faculty and our staff grow, there are gonna be different expectations as we modernize our campus and in the directions that we had. So, we’re also gonna have to keep up,” Martin said. “We want to maintain that same service that we’ve had, we want to be able to have these conversations. We want to be able to play pool with our students and whatever events and be accessible and always there. And that’s one of the things we look for when we’re trying to hire people.”

  • Marine biology joins Cal Poly Humboldt’s available science majors

    Marine biology joins Cal Poly Humboldt’s available science majors

    By Emma Wilson and Griffin Mancuso

    The new marine biology major provides students the opportunity to gain practical, hands-on experience in ocean and marine habitats. They will study different organisms and a diverse selection of marine ecosystems, such as salt marshlands and beaches. 

    First-year, first-time students will also be enrolled in Rising Tides, a year-long program of science and general education courses and activities specializing in the Humboldt and Trinidad bays. 

    Photo by Griffin Mancuso. A collection of microscope slides.

    Sean Craig, a professor at the university for 23 years, explains the need for marine biology professors and lecturers.

    Currently, there are only three professors teaching marine biology classes, according to Craig. 

    “We asked for a new faculty member for our new marine biology major but we didn’t get it,” Craig said. “We only got a chance to replace one of our faculty who retired and left.” 

    “Starting in the spring there will be four because we are able to replace the one who left,” Craig said. 

    According to Craig, the university always had a marine biology program, but after becoming a California polytechnic now with the transition you can now declare in marine biology as a major. 

    “The fact that [marine biology] is now a major it rings more bells and connects with more people, especially people applying to Humboldt,” said Craig.

    “Our marine biology major already borrows heavily from other marine majors, especially oceanography and fisheries,” said Craig. “I think it would be good in the future to have all us marine scientists to pull together and decide on things together to make an impact.”

    “I think there are a lot of misunderstandings of the ‘marine biology major’ because really, at least at the moment, firmly in the biology department there are only 3 faculty at the moment teaching marine biology,” said Craig. “Like saying we got the best restaurant in the world off the highway, but we don’t have a sign.” 

    Craig expresses great discernment and feelings about the lack of professors teaching marine biology. 

    “Our biggest problem, which is a long term problem, we have been clambering for years for faculty,” Craig said. “All students benefit better from support systems, tutors and writing center help. All of that is better with more numbers.” 

    It is not unusual for a professor in marine biology to have 55 students. 55 students that need those professors help to figure out what classes to take, or what to retake, especially during registration. This is frankly a lot of students for one professor. 

    “It’s a problem, we don’t have enough faculty to do a good job of advising and providing opportunities for students,” says Craig. “We are handicapped, we can’t keep up with students increasing and with the faculty decreasing.”

    “We were promised a new faculty member and we haven’t gotten that, yet,” said Craig. “We’re all going to have to work together to get exposure and make connections.”

    A really cool and fun thing that you can do as a marine bio major is go on the Coral Sea, which is a research vessel and is 91 feet long. It’s parked on the docks in Eureka in the Woodley Island Marina, and is a wonderful platform for learning. It is the only vessel of its kind in size in California that is devoted to undergraduate education. 

    “The vessel itself is in pretty good shape, but the engines not up to standards in terms of output of different particulates in the air, so there is a major problem there, and to solve that problem so many of our faculty and Associate Dean are working together to, as part of the poly tech transformation, purchase a new brand new vessel that would be better in multiple ways. Eventually I hope there will be a new version of the Coral Sea,” said Craig.

    “Now we have a major, we have a 91 foot research vessel that students can go on cruises for, we have a marine laboratory where students can learn about live animals like crabs and octopus under a dish in a microscope,” said Craig. “Thanks to Cal poly tech, we got new microscopes for the marine lab. Many before dated back to the 1950s, so the new facilities after the Cal poly transformation makes our marine biology department even better.”

    Photo by Griffin Mancuso. Several bay pipefish swimming through seaweed.

    Kaci Dodd, a junior who changed her major to marine biology this fall, aspires to work in marine conservation or scientific diving instruction. She expressed excitement about marine biology having its own program at CPH.

    “Now that they’ve added it more as a major, there’s definitely been more classes and more opportunities — which is super exciting — instead of just having biology with a marine concentration, “ Dodd said. “But I feel like what really attracts people to the marine biology program at this school is how hands-on it is with the equipment that they use and the professional element.”

    Dodd recalls her experiences learning how to use new technology and gear on the Coral Sea. 

    “One of my favorite things in the biological oceanography cruise… It was an otter trawl, “ Dodd said. “And it pretty much was a huge net that went along the water column and collected all the fish or whatever was in that water column. And so we saw a lot of fish, some squid, that was really cool.”

    Dodd also recommends that any student, marine biology major or not, should try the field techniques class taught by Daniel O’Shea.

    “It was just like, so fun — fun to be on the boat and meeting the crew that works on the boat, how to work on the boat, and be a cruise assistant,” Dodd said. “And after that class, when you pass, you’re able to actually become a cruise assistant and work on the boat with cruises and classes, like that is really cool.”

    Marine biology students, along with other majors, analyze marine organisms at the Telonicher Marine Lab, located in Trinidad and home to various marine species and preserved specimens. The lab is open to the public on weekdays, and students also travel there for class labs and research.

    Photo by Griffin Mancuso. Zoology major Kyle Bailey looking at a cross section of a flatworm.

    Kyle Bailey, a junior and zoology major who wants to pursue a career in animal husbandry, described his experience with the marine biology classes at Telonicher Marine Lab.

    “I’m taking invertebrate zoology right now… the class we’re taking is a crossroads for several different majors,” Bailey said. “I’d say the majority are marine bio, but there’s a couple of us who are just general zoology, wildlife, there’s a few others in there.”

    Bailey elaborated on what sets classes at the marine lab apart from other biology classes.

    “The main difference between the lab now and from intro zoo is looking at live specimens,” Bailey said. “It’s super cool to see how these animals would actually look living and we have the sea table to look at stuff. It’s a big difference to see what these animals would look like living as opposed to mush in a jar, which I think is a super fun experience.”

  • Too small for football but on the track to attack

    by Dezmond Remington

    The track is vicious and painful, and Aris Valerio was ready because he has dealt with vicious pain. He ran a half mile in less time than it takes to get out of bed, a minute and 49 seconds to secure a spot at the National Championships back in May of 2023; the only man sent from Cal Poly Humboldt to race in Pueblo, Colorado. The evening shadows were long on the track as the 800m final was due to start, and Valerio lined up in the pole position on the inside lane. 

    It was already a long shot to get there. One of the fastest Division II 800m runners in the nation couldn’t compete because of a family emergency, allowing Valerio to take the final qualifying spot after the prelim races. The next 110 seconds were going to hurt, even without the added stress of a fast prelim the day before and the knowledge that a victory was unlikely. Valerio felt dead tired and scared. But there was no room to think about any of that when the gun boomed and the race started. A journey that started with failure and random chance went a little further. 

    Valerio picked up distance running his freshman year of high school, only after his mom wouldn’t let him play football because he weighed about a hundred pounds. He had always been fast as a kid, so he figured he’d give it a shot after a neighbor told him exactly what cross country was. It wasn’t love at first sight. Valerio still isn’t sure why he stuck with it. Training is boring to him – racing is what makes it worth it. 

    “I just love the anxiety of the races,” Valerio said. “I think it’s fun. It makes it more exciting because that’s what everyone’s feeling. Makes you show that you’re just more locked in than everyone else when you win. I think that’s exciting.”

    His legs churn, eating up ground at a pace of over 18 miles an hour. The first 200 meters are gone in less than 26 seconds, and he’s still at the back of the seething pack. The screams of the crowd are loud, but it’s lost in the rhythm of pounding feet and gasping breath. His mind is blank. It always is at moments like these.

    Valerio’s first brush with greatness came his senior year at Murrieta High School in 2019, when he ran 1:53 in the 800m and ended up being ranked in the top 20 high schoolers in the nation that year. He didn’t even really understand that it was a big deal right when he crossed the finish line. Someone had beaten him. 

    It was a huge margin of improvement from even a month before that, over six seconds in an event that separates a talented collegian from the world’s best. He spent a year training at California Baptist University before transferring to Humboldt in 2020. One of his high school teammates had gone to Humboldt and recommended him to head distance coach Jamey Harris, who gladly accepted him on the strengths of his past races. 

    Valerio’s career has had its ebbs and flows in his time in Humboldt. He’s one of the fastest 800 runners to ever compete for Humboldt, but he’s also suffered from hamstring injuries that left him unable to train and compete for far longer than he would’ve liked. Harris doesn’t regret recruiting him. 

    “With any injury, anybody’s going to have a setback in their enthusiasm, and he was not immune to that,” Harris said. “But whenever he would have a little bit of a setback, he would climb out of it. He’s persistent in that way…on race day, he always brings everything he’s got. I never doubt that we’re going to get a full effort…he may not always be at 100% confidence, but we always know we’re going to get 100% effort.”

    It’s hot, and the guy in front crushed the first half of the race in 50 seconds. Valerio is a few seconds back. Shoes thin as ballet slippers slam on hard rubber, the metal spikes grabbing the track. Reverberation swims up his legs. It hurts, but he’s had worse.

    It wasn’t easy getting to Nationals. Setbacks weren’t solely those of muscle, bone and sinew. Some came from the brain. 

    For a while, a bout with depression during the track season made Valerio consider not racing at Nationals at all, but after running 1:50.3 at the conference meet he reconsidered. He is open about his struggles with mental health. He said his depression comes from the death of his little brother, who passed away when he was in high school. Running, and the team surrounding him, has been one of the things that helped him get through it.

    “I’ll go through spurts of being super unmotivated,” Valerio said. “And it’s super hard to catch myself and get back on my feet. [Coach] Jamey [Harris] and [the team] know all that. They’ve been super supportive about it.”

    Valerio is a lot more than just an athlete to Harris.

    “He’s a complicated beast,” Harris said. “It could be easy to see his consistent success on the track and think that things have come easy for him, but they definitely haven’t. He’s had a lot of difficulties that he’s had to work through and challenges that he’s had to overcome. I think that’s probably the greater accomplishment than being an All American and All-Conference a couple of times and being the second fastest 800m runner in school history. What’s more impressive is what he’s gone through and what he’s overcome to get there.” 

    600 meters have come and gone, and the time has come for a last, desperate drive to the finish. There is no more sun in these last moments, the light blocked by the stadium seating full of screaming spectators. Way ahead, the front runner is run down like a deer in the dying moments of the race. Valerio is still in the back, driving for a First Team All-American spot. A thousand miles away, people watch.

    Valerio’s role on the team goes far beyond simple competition and point scoring. One of his closest teammates and a roommate during the track season when Valerio went to nationals, Sebastian Vaisset-Fauvel considers Valerio a crucial part of the team, although not necessarily always beloved.

    “He’s just really down to the point,” Vaisset-Fauvel said. “He’ll tell you what’s up. He’ll tell you the truth, and sometimes people can’t take the truth… I think that’s what helps him stay true to himself.”

    Although Valerio does sometimes take the abrasive role, Vaisset-Fauvel stresses that that’s not nearly the entirety of Valerio. 

    “Aris can seem like an intimidating guy, but once you get to know him, he’s like a little baby,” Vaisset-Fauvel said. “He’s like my little child, even though I call him my dad sometimes. He’s a really good guy. Really good athlete. 1:49? That fits him, you know? That just fits him.”

    Despite the incredible accomplishments on the track, Harris and Vaisset-Fauvel make it clear that Valerio is a human just like everyone else on the team, and that makes his appeal to his teammates that much more potent. 

    “This is a regular guy,” Harris said. “I’ve seen this guy spill milk. This is a fallible human that I’ve ran with, that is running really fast, and that makes those accomplishments seem more attainable to me.”

    Valerio crosses the finish line, his hands going to his knees as he bends over the track. Last place, but still Second Team All-American. Next year will be better, he thought later. Next season will be the last, the best. It wasn’t just for him.

    “I’m trying to go to Nationals to represent our team, our school in the middle of nowhere,” Valerio said. “‘Who is this Humboldt guy? This is crazy.’ I think you should want to run for everyone, not just yourself. You’re not going to get that far, only running for yourself.”

  • Manic? Don’t panic!

    Manic? Don’t panic!

    by Savana Robinson

    This year, I had a manic episode that lasted from January to March. During that episode, I got very little sleep. I was burying myself in any work that I could find, and my mom said I sounded different. 

    Manic episodes can be caused by a number of things. High stress levels, trauma, changes in sleep patterns or lack of sleep, using recreational drugs or alcohol, or the time of year; some people are more prone to mania in the spring. Mania is classically associated with bipolar disorder, and is also known as the “high” compared to the “low” of a depressive episode.

    According to the Cleveland Clinic, symptoms of mania include, “feelings of invincibility, lack of sleep, racing thoughts and ideas, rapid talking and having false beliefs or perceptions.” For example, during my manic episode, I would go without sleeping for a couple of days at a time and I was talking everybody’s ears off about how I planned to be a motorcycle journalist, or how that semester’s Osprey was going to be the best magazine to come out of this school (it was a banger, though). It wasn’t until one of my roommates sat me down and told me that I was manic that I realized I had not been my normal self for months. I accepted what she had to say, but the only thing I could think to do to help myself was try to get some sleep and just get back to normal; that’s not how it works. I should have gotten help then, but it wasn’t until a month later that I got help the hard way through multiple 5150 holds and a nine-day stay in a psychiatric facility. Listening to those around me was the most beneficial thing that I did during my episode. If I hadn’t let the university police help me by transporting me to Mad River Hospital, where I was put on 5150 for the first time, I might not be writing this.

    If I could go back and do it again, or if I had to get help for someone else, this is what I would do: call 988. That number is not only a suicide hotline, but it’s a mental health crisis hotline. It’s easy to remember in case you can’t find the local number (707-445-7715) and they will give you tips on how to get help for yourself or others. Next, I would make an appointment with a psychiatrist. This can be done through your general practitioner. Students can make an appointment with Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). CAPS can be contacted at 707-826-3236.

    Well, I hope this helps. If you have any questions or just want to talk about mental health, email me at sr424@humboldt.edu.

    24hr National Suicide & Crisis Hotline: 988

    24hr Humboldt County Crisis Hotline: 707-445-7715

    Cal Poly Humboldt Counseling and Psychological Services: 707-826-3236

  • Financial aid is not enough

    by Valen Lambert

    Despite a college degree being the cornerstone of upward mobility, the cost of tuition makes it hard for economically disadvantaged students to climb the ladder. However, financial aid makes an education possible for over half of the California State University system’s student population. 

    According to CSU’s 2021-2022 Financial Aid Report, 82 percent of students in the Cal State system receive some sort of aid, and nearly 60 percent of all undergraduates have the entire cost of tuition paid for by grants, scholarships, and waivers. At Cal Poly Humboldt State, 72 percent of the student body receives aid. Compare that to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo; despite being more expensive, 34 percent of the student body receives aid. 

    Cal Poly Humboldt’s relatively lower tuition gives students access to a more affordable education, but inflation and proposed tuition increases are impacting students already on the “economic line.” Many have turned to Calfresh and the OhSnap pantry to mitigate food costs, but other expenses pile up. 

    “Humboldt’s tuition rate based on the financial aid I was offered was a huge reason why I was able to attend college,” said Kayla Penny, senior psychology major. “However, now that tuition is planned to rise and housing prices have gone up, I am left with more stress about being able to continue living in Humboldt as a student”. 

    Harry Singh, a junior business major, spoke about how he had to work at a hospital throughout the summer to afford the books and supplies he needed for the semester. 

    “I would put in 70 hours in my last week to make sure my check was able to cover enough throughout the semester,” said Singh. “It is necessary to work, otherwise I wouldn’t have gas money to get here, money for groceries, and other items.” 

    Many students hold down jobs while taking full-time credits to keep up with the cost of living. Balancing a social life, school, work, sports, and personal time is an overwhelming reality for a majority of the student body. 

    “Even with financial aid, I have had to take out loans,” said Jasmyn Lemus, a senior sociology major. “I work three jobs to support me while studying. Even with all my side hustles I live paycheck to paycheck. As much as I would like cushion room and extra change to enjoy little activities here and there, it is extremely difficult in this economy.” 

    Since attending university is a privilege and an expensive venture, students on financial aid can have a hard time relating to peers whose families can pay for the cost of tuition and even rent. 

    “The way I compare myself to the rest of the student body that may be more financially advantaged than me is not with malice, but with a sense of suspicion that most of those students do not realize how many other students are actually struggling with money,” said Penny. 

    For many first generation college students, they struggle through the economic differences to come out the other end.

    “It makes you feel like an imposter, because you needed so much help and assistance to get here when they were able to go to college simply because their parents were able to afford it,” said Singh. 

    Lemus believes that everyone should have equal access to an education without having to worry about basic needs.“Education is an investment, however it should never put people in a position where they are needing to sleep in their car or wondering where the next meal will come from,” said Lemus.

  • Cal Poly Humboldt students brave bralessness

    Cal Poly Humboldt students brave bralessness

    by Nina Hufman

    Boobs, tits and knockers, oh my! Half the world’s population has boobs, myself included, and for many of us that means being subjected to the torture of wearing a bra. Straps dig into your shoulders, underwire slides out and stabs you, tight bands squeeze your ribs, and all for what? So my boobs will look good? They’re boobs babe, they always look good. 

    I was so annoyed by bras that I chose to stop wearing them entirely. Many Cal Poly Humboldt students have done the same. Bras are becoming obsolete and bralessness is trending, particularly on our campus.

    Many students with boobs are choosing to go braless in the name of comfort and empowerment. Somerset Dwyer, an art major, hasn’t worn a bra in four years. She said that going braless has helped her feel more comfortable in her own skin. 

    “My boobs definitely don’t sit super high up,” Dwyer said. “I feel like wearing a bra is always a thing, like ‘oh they look like this when I’m wearing a bra,’ and then I feel super insecure when I’m not. It was just kind of freeing to not [wear a bra].” 

    Dwyer is not alone in her thinking. Kaya Knutzon, a business major with a studio art minor, feels like not wearing a bra has helped her embrace her natural features.

    “When I was younger, I was very obsessed with looking like the people that I would see on social media,” Knutzon said. “I would wear Lulu Lemon leggings and try to make my 13-year-old self look like I had boobs. I thought that the ideal was to have big boobs that sat up to my chin.”

    Knutzon came to the realization that she no longer wanted to strive to look like other people.

    “If bras didn’t exist, what would I look like completely naturally?” Knutzon asked. “I just like feeling completely like myself, I’m not trying to change anything, it feels very empowering.”

    “For the longest time I didn’t want to wear a bra, but I felt like I had to,” said Kimberly Madrigal, a journalism major. “I don’t feel so sexualized, I don’t have to care about trying to look good.”

    In contrast to these feelings of empowerment, students have also experienced judgment for choosing to not wear bras. No shocker there, what aren’t women judged for? Students most commonly receive scathing looks, uncomfortable comments, and stares from older people, even their own families. Brianna Reynolds, a zoology major, has had her bralessness commented on by her grandmother. 

    “The older generation, when I’m out and about, tend to stare,” Reynolds said. 

    Dwyer has had similar experiences. Boys in her peer groups in high school would point out when she was not wearing a bra.

    “It’s like, okay, yeah, you’re looking at my tits, that’s fine,” Dwyer said. 

    Of course, bralessness isn’t perceived the same for everyone. People with bigger boobs often receive more judgment from others than those with smaller boobs. 

    “I do have a bigger chest and I still choose not to wear bras,” Knutzon said. “I can tell that I have a very different experience overall than my friends who have smaller boobs. When I do it, it is just overall more evident.” 

    Dwyer compared bralessness to other fashion trends, pointing out the fatphobia and body exclusivity that often comes with trending styles. 

    “With the 90’s you had the ‘heroin chic’ with those super super skinny models with the Calvin Klein boxers and the white tank top,” Dwyer said. “That was super awesome, but probably at the same time if someone with a larger body had been doing that it wouldn’t have been viewed in the same light, which is indicative of a lot of our perspectives on bodies.” 

    Some students with bigger boobs don’t feel comfortable going braless. I made a post on Yik Yak asking if anyone would be willing to talk to me about this topic. 

    “Well I wish I didn’t have to wear a bra but I have to because I have big boobs,” one commenter said. “If I don’t, they will sag and cause back problems when I am old.”

    Of course it all comes back to age. We as women are taught to fear aging because we are no longer seen as shiny, new, and desirable. We are told that age strips us of our value. 

    “I’m a little bit afraid of aging,” Dwyer said. “There’s that fear of losing your youth, this young beauty that you have. My mom always talks about that. She looks at photos of herself and is like, ‘oh I used to be so beautiful.’”

    But Dwyer sees the beauty in age and in embracing her body. 

    “You’re still beautiful, it’s just, you’re older, you’ve grown into yourself,” Dwyer said. “I think that it’s kind of a decision for yourself, if you want to succumb to what you consider being old or you can, you don’t have to give anything up in terms of age.” 

    The women that I talked to felt a sense of community here. They see other people choose to go braless and it has inspired them, and they feel comfortable going braless on campus. 

    “Seeing other people doing it, other women, it just made me more comfortable,” Madrigal said. 

    I only talked to four women for this story, but they represent people with boobs around the world who are constantly having to fight to have agency over their own bodies. Small things like dressing how we want or not wearing a bra helps us reclaim some of that agency. It is empowering to have a community of people all performing these small acts of liberation. 

    “Most of my friends don’t wear bras at all,” Knutzon said. “It’s something that’s been very reaffirming, I can talk to them about having weird circumstances and I can have people who relate to it.”

  • Pop meets Y2K grunge in “GUTS”

    Pop meets Y2K grunge in “GUTS”

    by Kianna Znika

    As someone who’s been listening to a lot of early 2000’s alternative/female pop rock lately, I really like the new Olivia Rodrigo album. The girl just gets it, truly.

    “GUTS” makes me feel like I’m the main character in an early 2000’s film, reminding me of some of my childhood favorite movies like “Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen.” She reminds me of Avril Lavigne and P!nk, delivering stories in her lyrics that even I as a twenty-five-year old can relate to. I love alternative music and I think, as far as pop stars in mainstream music go, Rodrigo does just get it. Everyone who disagrees, I think you’re just being a hater – genuinely. 

    I think a lot of people don’t validate Rodrigo’s angst because she is a young popular artist, but honestly just a few minutes into the album you’ll hear the grunge influences in her track “all-american bitch.” Close your eyes and listen to the chorus and tell me that isn’t Hole. Tell me that isn’t modern-day feminist punk music. I’m in a feminist punk band, I listen to niche artists, and I’m telling you right now: I love Rodrigo’s sound.

    People on the internet were trying to make fun of her screaming in the record, but I think they just didn’t get what she was going for. I don’t think Rodrigo is trying to be the next Bring Me The Horizon; let’s be so for real. I think her choice to scream like that was intentional, an artistic choice that reminds me of Regina George screaming in Mean Girls. If you keep that image in mind, you’ll see that Rodrigo perfectly channels the thoughts and feelings of an angry teenage girl. It’s intentional. It’s poetic, really.

    That’s why listening to her music is so much fun for me. It’s healing. I can still relate to the antisocial, insecure themes that are present in songs such as “ballad of a homeschool girl.” I can definitely relate to having conflicted feelings about an ex, which is a present theme in songs like “bad idea right?” 

    “Yes I know that he’s my ex, but can’t two people reconnect? I only see him as a friend – Biggest lie I ever said.”

    I know a majority of you can relate to that, too. It’s like an era that we all have to go through at some point in our life, and Rodrigo knows that.

    The only song I really couldn’t vibe with was “vampire,” which doesn’t surprise me because I didn’t care too much for “driver’s license” from her first record either. I don’t listen to Olivia Rodgrigo for her slower material. I think she truly excels as an angsty artist and I’m glad that she’s continuing to explore that realm. 

    Whether or not you end up liking the album yourself, I at least hope more people give Olivia Rodrigo a chance and stop seeing her as just another “mainstream pop star.” Even then, it’s okay to like popular music. Especially when it’s objectively good.

  • Journalism Department remembers Sam Armanino

    Journalism Department remembers Sam Armanino

    by Alex Anderson

    Sam Armanino was a freelance videographer, editor and photographer who made his living doing what he loved. He wasn’t afraid to put himself in critical positions for his video work, which made his content stand out. A Cal Poly Humboldt journalism graduate and former Lumberjack Editor in Chief, Armanino used the skills he learned in school to chase down his dream. Armanino created content for outdoor sports such as climbing, mountain biking and skiing. He was truly living his dream, but sadly on Aug. 31 Armanino passed away from a mountain biking accident. 

    Sam Armanino was truly one of a kind, both in the sense of his creativity but most importantly in how he treated others around him. It did not matter whether he knew you his whole life or one day, Armanino made people feel comfortable, always giving his utmost respect and attention. I remember the first day that I met him, meeting at my brother’s apartment in Arcata, getting ready to go surf. He was so stoked on learning how to surf, buying a fresh longboard and questioning my brother and I for advice that we might have for him. Instantly fitting into the deep bond that I share with my brother, Armanino fit in like family instantly, being silly and pestering me with jokes while flaunting his huge infectious smile. That was Sam. 

    He dove into new adventures head on and did the same with learning about those around him. Armanino strove to pull as much as he possibly could out of life, learning more about the people he stumbled upon, their stories and what interested them. He was the embodiment of a humble soul, killing people with genuine kindness and curiosity. I interviewed Sam for a class project in Fall 2022 where he described what drove him into journalism.

    “I found journalism and I saw that as something that was really important,” Armanino said. “I really liked talking to people and connecting with people and I have always been a big fan of media. And so my initial thought was to combine recreation administration and the love of the outdoors with journalism.”

    Photo courtesy of Mark McKenna. Sam Armanino (center) standing with other photographers.

    Vicky Sama, an emeritus professor in the journalism department at Humboldt State University and Armanino’s former advanced video production professor, described how Armanino used his kind energy in and out of the classroom.

    “Sam brought positive energy to the classroom and just about everywhere he went,” Sama said. “He combined his passion for the outdoors and journalism and created a career doing what he loved most. He had such a great and young career and so much promise. I’m absolutely crushed to know he is gone.”

    Sam was the type of person that would scream louder than you for your accomplishments, a recurring theme that can be seen in many of the videos that he created. A passionate creator and cameraman, Armanino can be heard howling for joy while filming his friends. He was genuinely happy for you. I remember hearing him playfully shouting as I rode waves past him. Few people possess the infectious joy that Armanino embodied. He legitimately wanted to see the people around him succeed and be the best version of themselves, encouraging people to test their abilities. 

    Sam lived his life to the absolute fullest, chasing powder days while backcountry skiing and blistering down mountain bike trails. Dedicated to being in the outdoors, chasing the beauty of nature and doing everything he could to avoid a typical desk job. Being outside with his friends was where he belonged and he made a living pursuing his dream of capturing people doing amazing things outdoors. Armanino detailed his desire to thrive and create his own path and how pursuing his dream as a freelance videographer made him happy. 

    “I think it’s been a really good way for me to kind of avoid the stereotypical 9 to 5 world, which I just don’t think I could thrive in, that I didn’t thrive in,” Armanino said. “So I think it’s been like a really good creative way to kind of create my own path.”

    Armanino was not a typical human being that could be bound to an ordinary career, he was a special breed. His adventurous personality drove him to creating beautiful content and friendships. His friends point to Armanino’s ability to create light in life through his corny jokes, absurd noises, goofy faces and bubbly laugh. He surely has left a positive mark on this planet and will be sorely missed by many. 

    Kind words from those who knew Sam 

    Vicky Sama – Emeritus Video Production Journalism Professor

    Sam was a talented photographer and editor and he would often visit in my office where we would talk about how he could make a living doing the things he loved such as videography, skiing and mountain biking. He made it happen. He was living the dream. He was full of life. It’s so sad he’s gone.

    Mark Mckenna – Photojournalism/Video Production Professor 

    I will miss those random calls or texts for advice or just to see how I was doing. I will miss seeing the latest instagram post where he nailed it. I will miss him being able to share with current students his talent and passion for life. He was so full of light. I will try to always remember that smile filling up my classroom and his words of encouragement to his fellow students. 

    Andrea Juarez – Advising Professor for El Leñador

    Sam was a wonderful student and human being. He was kind, easy going and laid back, but no doubt, he was dedicated and serious about his craft. He was eager to learn and try new things. Sam was bold and dared to live as he believed, especially with regard to his love of the outdoors. He certainly knew how to capture beauty with his photos and videos, yet it was his spirit and zest for life that captivated those who knew him.

    Garrett Purchio – Librarian at Cal Poly Humboldt

    Sam was truly one of a kind. He was incredibly passionate about journalism and his positivity was unmatched. I thoroughly enjoyed working with Sam and I will miss him dearly. Sam, thank you for your kind spirit and generosity.  

    Javier Rojas – former LJ Managing Editor & El Leñador EIC

    Ask anyone and they will tell you that Sam was the nicest and most genuine person they ever met. He was one of a kind and will be missed by so many people. Love you Sam.

    Miranda Hutch – Class of 2016

    He had a perfect balance of drive and adventure. He had a passion for his work that cannot be learned. You just have it. And Sam had it. It’s not fair that the world won’t get to see what else he could have done with more time. 

    Katelyn Peakes – Class of 2017

    I will miss his random yelling and super sick air guitar skills… He created a career following his passions and was living life to the fullest which we could all aspire to. There was simply no way you could be in a bad mood around him. A great human being and an amazing friend… Much love Sam!

    Austin Anderson – Class of 2017

    My experiences with Sam will always act as a lens through which I see life; always looking for the good, the fun, and of course for what’s right. Sam’s energy was infectious and if you could key into his wavelength, it truly was a portal to a better place. So sad to see him go, but so proud to have been his friend.

    Carmen Pena-Gutierrez

    Thank you for being better than kind, more than genuine, and too much of a force to be described in words. Thank you, Sam. Rest easy.

    Zachary Sibek

    Sam not only met life’s biggest moments with a fearless smile, he was present in the quiet moments. Truly absorbing life and ultimately embodying an example all of us can work towards. Rest in Peace Sam. You are loved and you are missed so dearly. 

    Tessa lance

    Sam was one of my first friends at humboldt, he made me feel like I was in the right place. I’ll never forget his ridiculous smile and over the top wave whenever he skated by and am so grateful for all the beers we shared. I love you Sam.

    Anne Maher

    I will always remember Sam for his exceptional drive to live life exactly the way he wanted to. He truly loved life, and moved through it with unbounded positivity and creativity.