The Lumberjack



Students Serving The Cal Poly Humboldt Campus and Community Since 1929

Tag: California

  • Staying healthy during the flu season

    Staying healthy during the flu season

    Flu season has begun and the California Department of Public Health provides weekly reports of the epidemic. In CDPH’s third weekly report, all Californians are encouraged to get themselves vaccinated as soon as possible.

    An email sent by the CDPH stated, “CDPH is concerned about the severity of influenza and the impact of influenza on the health of people of all ages.”

    The CDPH went on to inform individuals by asking anyone suffering from the flu to avoid going into emergency rooms unless symptoms become more severe.

    The CDHP lists a variety of symptoms that people need to be aware of. These include:

    • Fast breathing or trouble breathing
    • Chest pain or pressure
    • Abdominal pain or severe vomiting
    • Not being able to eat or drink enough fluids
    • Being confused or not walking normally
    • Having symptoms that improve but then return with a fever and worse cough
    • Appearing dehydrated

    For anyone who is suffering from these symptoms, the CDPH encourages you to get in touch with health care services or seek emergency care as soon as possible.

    Students at HSU looking for a place to get vaccinated can visit Student Health and Wellbeing Services for free flu vaccinations. Vaccinations are only offered from October through January.

    Residents who are not HSU students can also visit the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services clinic in Eureka.

    On their website, they inform residents that “the cost of the flu shot is $17, although no one will be turned away for inability to pay.”

    The Center for Disease Control and Prevention offers people methods on how they can prevent themselves from contracting the flu: “Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub”.

    The CDC also recommends cleaning and disinfecting surfaces and objects. In addition, avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. For more information to prevent spreading or getting the flu, visit the CDC’s website.

    The ongoing flu epidemic is being regarded as the worst in decades. The CDC reports that in the third week of the year, doctor visits for flu-like symptoms increased in the United States to 6.6 percent, higher than the national baseline of 2.2 percent. The number of pediatric deaths is 37.

    “It is not too late to be vaccinated,” the California Department of Public Health said. “CDPH recommends that everyone 6 months of age and older be vaccinated each year.”

     

  • Word on the street: Free community college bill

    Word on the street: Free community college bill

    Question: What do you think of Assembly Bill 19? Could it ever be implemented at a four-year university?

    LN_College_TrentDiederich.JPG
    Trent Diederic, a senior majoring in Finance says AB 19 could get more people in college, but they would still struggle financially. Photo credit: Lora Neshovska

    “It could be counterproductive. The people who are already on the fence about college would have to keep paying after that first year. At a four-year university, it would be very expensive. Housing and food would still be difficult to find.” – Trent Diedrich, 22, Finance, Senior

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    Senior Sarah Grover says it is pointless to make only the first year free. Students would still have expenses in the following years. Photo credit: Lora Neshovska

    “If people can live closer to home and still have that ‘freshman experience,’ it could be good encouragement, but freshmen are the largest group to drop out. It makes no sense for just the first year to be free. After that, you still have to work to survive.” – Sarah Grover, 21, International Studies, Senior

    LN_College_ZacAlfers.JPG
    A Business major, Zac Alfers says community college is definitely the less expensive route, so AB 19 would get more people in school. Photo credit: Lora Neshovska

    “I wish I went to community college, it’s the less expensive route. Money puts people off about college. It would get more people in school. I can’t see it happening at four-year university though, they like their money too much.” – Zac Alfers, 23, Business, Senior

    LN_College_StephanieSouter
    Stephanie Souter, HSU senior says having more education equality would better the country as a whole. Photo credit: Lora Neshovska

    “Even if it was free, there is still a lot of hard work and dedication that goes into school. But then again, if more people were educated, that would bring up our entire country.” – Stephanie Souter, 21, Psychology, Junior

  • California Senate pushes for free tuition

    By | Charlotte Rutigliano

    Assembly Member Miguel Santiago urged Governor Jerry Brown to sign a Assembly Bill 19 (AB 19) on Thursday, Sept. 27, in Los Angeles. AB 19 would give free tuition to community college students.

    AB 19 would allow the California Community Colleges to waive fees for first-time students, and full-time community college students for one year. The bill would boost enrollment and graduation rates, expand access to financial aid and decrease student debt. Additionally, AB 19 would support California’s businesses by addressing the shortage of college-educated workers that are needed to sustain the workforce.

    Francisco Rodriguez, Chancellor of the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD), started the press conference saying they want to change the narrative of public education, an often misunderstood and forgotten branch of higher education.

    “The two-year system of California Community Colleges and others around the country have received unprecedented attention because of the role that community colleges play to fuel the economic engine of this country and of California,” Rodriguez said.

    According to Rodriguez, the LACCD serves some of the poorest students in the nation. 85 percent of LACCD students are non-white, and half of the students live at or near the poverty line.

    “In Los Angeles, where we have a plethora of educational options, we have amongst the lowest rate of participation for adults in higher education,” Rodriguez said.

    Rodriguez quoted a recent study from the Public Policy State of California report, “California needs 1.1 million [graduates] with bachelor’s degrees by 2030 to keep up with economic demand. More college graduates means very clearly, higher incomes better economic mobility, more tax revenue and less demand for social services.”

    “The idea of tuition-free community college programs has been spreading across the nation,” Rodriguez said. “California is leading the nation with the idea of universal access to higher education.”

    Santiago said education should not be a privilege for the few who can afford it, education is a right that should be free.

    “When you leave our education system and you have the tools to compete in the 21st century, you shouldn’t have to be in debt for a decade or two, just because you got a quality education,” Santiago said.

    Santiago said that the bill would not be a giveaway. It would be an investment in the students, and that students will benefit from being full-time students. Almost 12 community colleges have signed on to support the bill.

    “California has the 6th largest economy in the world. There is no reason why we should not prepare the 21st-century workforce,” Santiago said. “When we’re already behind a million degrees that are much needed to get our economy moving forward and to get it stronger.”

  • Burning State

    Burning State

    By | Michelle N. Meyers

    A thick, grey haze blankets the state of California. People everywhere are being evacuated from their homes, while thousands of wildfires burn across hundreds of thousands of acres of land. Firefighters and emergency personnel from different towns, cities, states, and even countries have been fighting the California blazes for months.

    ThompsonIanFeature-1955jpg

    (Photo: Ian T.)

    This year to date, 6,744 fires that have burned a total of 731,260 acres according to Cal Fire. Currently, there are 35 wildfires burning statewide according to the Incident Information System, InciWeb. In order to battle the blazes, there have also been some 21,000 firefighters assigned to fires in 10 Western States. (NIFC)

    “We have a lot of dedicated men and women out there working to put this thing out,” says Shawn Compton, Orleans Complex Information Officer and firefighter since 1993

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    (Photo: Ian T.)

    In addition, the NIFC states that the National Preparedness Level for wildfires has been elevated to National Preparedness Level 5 as of August 10, 2017, the highest level since august of 2013. Preparedness Levels are established by The National Multi-Agency Coordination Group (NMAC) throughout the year to ensure that firefighting resources are prepared to respond when incidents arise. According to the National Park Service, Preparedness Level 5 is a situation in which several geographic areas that are experiencing major incidents that have the potential to exhaust all resources.

    With so many fires going on this season at such high intensities, firefighters have been strapped for resources.

    “It doesn’t help right now with all the hurricanes going on either,” says Compton. “When you have no more resources nationwide, it’s really hard to find them.” The scarcity of resources makes it much harder to respond to these fires. With so much going on at one time, there are only so many resources to go around and Compton says it ultimately comes down to “what fire is more important to the other.”

    While this season proves to be a difficult one to manage, Curtis Coots, The Orleans Complex Incident Commander says that, “When it comes down to it, life and property, that’s always the focus.”

    But what’s going to stop the blazes? While manpower alone can redirect and slow down the progression of fires, it isn’t manpower that’s going to stop these high intensity fires.

    “You can put 1000 firefighters in front of a crown fire, its not going to stop it,” says Compton. “A season ending event, that’s what’s going to put the fire out.”

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    (Photo: Ian T.)

    California Fire Map as of Sept. 13, 2017

     

    Spotlight On The La Tuna Fire

     

    Some say the La Tuna Fire may be the largest fire in Los Angeles’s history. So far, it has scorched some 7,194 acres of land, obliterated 4 homes, and prompted Gov. Jerry Brown to declare a state of emergency. Yet, as of now, The La Tuna Fire is 100 percent contained.

    On Sept. 4, 2017, while fighting the perimeter of the La Tuna Fire, Torrance Firefighters came across the Theodore Payne Foundation For Wildflowers and Native Plants in Sun Valley. When they saw it, they fell in love with its beauty and its mission, and they felt that they couldn’t let the place go up in smoke.

    After fighting fire around the parameters of the foundation, the firefighters slept on their picnic tables over the night. The next morning, Foundation Director of Horticulture Tim Becker and Foundation Executive Director Kitty Connolly were relieved to find a large fire engine in their parking lot with four firefighters standing by.

    “We were really happy that they were here,” says Connolly.

    After being evacuated several days earlier, they were on pins and needles that all would be lost in the fire, and it nearly was.

    “They stopped the fire right at the edge of our property,” says Connolly, “their skill is incredible.”

    All surrounding areas of the foundation have been burned.

    “It’s just heartbreaking to come down the canyon,” says Connolly, “it’s just black.”

  • Love knows no borders

    Love knows no borders

    The Realities of the US-Mexico Barrier

    By Kelly Bessem

    April 30, 2017 marked the fifth time the Door of Hope/Puerta de Esperanza was opened at the US-Mexico border near San Diego, Calif. to let family members from each country momentarily hug each other. This year six families were given three minutes each.

    This emotional event began in 2013 when Enrique Morones, founder of the social justice non-profit Border Angels, realized the child of one of his volunteers had never hugged her father.

    “This event isn’t political, it’s about the image of a daughter hugging her had for the first time,” Morones said.

    Kelly Bessem was able to see this historic event through a trip organized by the California Geographic Society Conference, which she attended through the Geography Department at Humboldt State.

    To find information on Border Angels and U.S.-Mexico immigration, visit http://www.borderangels.org

  • Weed on the street

    Weed on the street

    What do you think legalized weed means?

    By Charlotte Rutigliano

    After the passing of Proposition 64 last November, there has been a lot of talk about what it will mean for the legalization of marijuana. We asked some students on campus their thoughts on what it might mean.

    Word on the Street Image 1

    Jelo Ramirez – Visiting Student from Norco Community College

    “I think the more it becomes legal the more we have to respect other people’s boundaries.”

    Word on the street Image 2

    Clay Smeback – Junior Communications Major

    “I personally am not that affected by it because I don’t smoke, but I think it might help in local environment, since illegal grows have no regulations.”

    Word on the Street Image 3

    Anna Kowalczyk – Senior Wildlife Major

    “I don’t think it means a lot as long as people are people respectful about it.”

    Ariel Nelson

    Ariel Nelson – Junior Environmental Science Major

    “For me it’s an opportunity for more regulation of the weed industry, so the cultivation practices will be better for the land. Also it makes it more accessible.”

  • California bail reform bill

    California bail reform bill

    By Iridian Casarez

    A new bill was presented to the State Assembly Committee in the state of California that will effectively eliminate the bail system.

    The State Assembly’s Committee  voted on the bill, Assembly Bill 42. According to the Los Angeles Times, Assemblyman Rob Bonta and Assemblyman Bob Hertzberg wrote the bill to allow individuals to be released on their own bail and at no cost will await trial. It also gives judges and pretrial service agencies more authority to keep potentially dangerous individuals in jail to await their trial without bail. Pretrial services procedures would assess whether a defendant’s release would pose a safety threat and make sure they show up for their court dates. There is another identical bill from the Senate, SB 10, that will also contribute to the elimination of the bail system.

    The bill, AB-42, was written with the intention of making the justice system fairer for people who cannot afford bail, unlike wealthy individuals who can make bail.

    According to Mercury News, the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) is one of the proponents of the bill saying that the reform is long overdue. The ACLU says that too many people wait in jail for their trial because they cannot afford to post bail.

    Margaret Dooley-Sammuli is a criminal justice and drug policy director for ACLU of

    California.

    “We support the bills they’re gonna fix the broken money bail system California has,” Dooley-Sammuli said. “It creates a system that works for all Californians.”

    According to Dooley-Sammuli, after the bills get passed from the State Assembly Committee, it gets passed on to the Appropriations committee then goes to floor vote in house. The current bail system determines whether or not a person would get out of jail based on money without using a risk based approach.

    According to the Los Angeles Times, there were dozens of opponents of the bill at the hearing including various bounty hunter and bail agencies.

  • Free weed means taxed weed

    Free weed means taxed weed

    By Curran Daly

     

    Proposition 64 legalized the recreational use of Marijuana by people 21 years of age or older. The passing of Prop 64 also created new taxes to help generate state tax increases. These taxes are meant to make Marijuana profitable for the state.

    Humboldt County is home to illegal marijuana grow operations. With the legalization of Marijuana it is expected that some illegal growers will begin to make the transition to legal operations.

    Joshua Zender, assistant professor in the School of Business at Humboldt State, is an active certified public accountant in California. Professor Zender warns illegal growers who attempt to go legal with their operation of the problems they will face when filing taxes.

    “Regardless of whether your business is licensed, you still need to disclose all sources of income to the IRS,” Zender said. “Including illegal sources of revenue from CSA – Class I banned substances like marijuana.”

    Failure to comply with tax regulations can put grow operations in serious danger of incurring tax penalties.

    “I highly doubt that the State of California will attempt to recapture previously under-reported monies,” Zender said. “They want to encourage the industry to come clean, by offering incentives to accurately report in current and future periods.”

    While the state may not be looking to recoup some of the past money, that does not stop the IRS from looking for what it believes it is owed. A grower that previously under reported could be subject to an audit in which case the IRS could assess the additional tax, plus penalties and interest.

    Growers hoping to start going legal will be faced with declaring their income accurately, something they may not have been doing while operating outside the law. To avoid these types of issues it is important that marijuana dispensaries and growers need to become familiar with Internal Revenue Code Section 280E which states, “No deduction or credit shall be allowed for any amount paid or incurred during the taxable year in carrying on any trade or business if such trade or business consists of trafficking in controlled substances which is prohibited by federal law or the law of any state in which such trade or business is conducted.”

    The rules and regulations can be very complex and confusing once you begin to delve into them. Finding a qualified tax attorney or Certified Public Accountant would be highly beneficial in trying to navigate the uncertain tax ground that exists surrounding marijuana businesses.

    “Individuals who make a good faith effort to comply are unlikely to be severely penalized,” Professor Zender said. “However, people who elect to disregard these requirements are likely to pay a price.”

  • The green is looking grey

    The green is looking grey

    Humboldt County’s cannabis policies are unclear

    By Ali Osgood

    Travis Poe is racing against countless others in Humboldt County to build a cannabis business under the recently passed Proposition 64, a bill that legalized marijuana in California. And much like his competitors, there is a lot of uncertainty as the policies change the landscape for cannabis farming throughout the state.

    “Right now it’s super exciting,” Poe said. “I’m glad we’re doing it and I’m glad it happened but it’s also fucking terrifying.”

    Poe spends his day building his business. As CEO of his startup company, most of his day involves market research, website development, company branding, and problem solving. If you looked at his to-do list, you might think he is your average young businessman, but he is not in the average business. He operates a legal cannabis nursery.

    Poe has been involved in the cannabis industry for several years and actually voted against Prop. 64. But since it’s passing he has fully embraced the changes and teamed up with four others to create a cloning and genetics company where they provide plant starts for full-term cannabis growers.

    PrintCurrently, the five are operating business under an affidavit which allows them to continue cultivation as they wait for their permit to be approved. The county is still working out the details on local legislature regarding the cannabis industry, which has caused a hold-up on Poe’s permit.

    “The process has been interesting, slow, and somewhat unclear,” Poe said. “What’s happening right now is that the county is feeling that too, realizing it’s not the right formulation and going back to the drawing board.”

    For Poe and many other longtime growers, the passing of Prop. 64 has been a confusing time. While they are excited to come out of the shadows the confusion and lack of clarity regarding county policies have given reason for caution.

    “It’s just a lot. A lot of moving parts and a lot of changes moving really really fast,” said Chris Anderson, the cofounder and president of Redwood Roots. “I think there are going to be a lot of people that don’t make it through the process and that breaks my heart. It’s a really hard pill to swallow.”

    Redwood Roots is a collective that oversees 25 different outdoor greenhouse marijuana farms in Southern Humboldt. Anderson created the collective in hopes of helping the smaller farm operations in his community have a chance at breaking through the expensive and competitive process of becoming a profitable farm under the new regulations.

    Currently, all cannabis businesses are required to obtain a permit. There are 17 different licenses available, according to Cal Growers Association, ranging from large-scale outdoor cultivation to transporting licenses.

    For those looking to cultivate marijuana outdoors they not only need to apply for a permit but they must go through extraneous lengths to come into compliance with Humboldt County regulations. These growers are hiring environmental, legal, and structural consultants so that they are within the specific codes the county requires for permitted cultivation. This includes soil testing, erosion surveying, environmental impact reports and, for many, regrading and rebuilding infrastructure. It gets expensive quickly which is separating the small farmers from the corporate farmers who are new to the scene.

    Anderson is currently waiting for approval on three different permits: dispensary, nursery, and transportation. Although he is eager to get his permits finalized, he has been patient with the county in recognizing the complicated scenario.

    “[It’s been] a huge challenge. The county has been helpful on our part, it’s just a really complicated process,” Anderson said. “We just wanted to step out and be ourselves and represent where we are from and make sure that our culture survives through the change.”

    Until the county confirms their policies and clearly defines the components of the local market, growers will hang in limbo. Many are hoping to keep a boutique approach to Humboldt grown marijuana in order to isolate themselves from the corporate structure forming in county’s like Monterey and Los Angeles.

    The biggest concerns expressed by Humboldt growers surrounding the new law are that the small grow operations won’t be able to compete with the larger corporate farms throughout California. Poe and his partners remain positive that the existence of big business will leave room for smaller well branded business.

    “We’re investing in the brand. You have to be building value in other areas of your business to compete with the big guys,” Poe said. “There’s always an evil empire, but that leaves a place for the rebel alliance.”
    The county is sensitive to these concerns as they reform their policies to help small farmers break through the startup costs and into the market.

  • Humboldt State Students Missing In-N-Out

    Humboldt State Students Missing In-N-Out

    By | Curran Daly

    Julia Hunt left for the In-N-Out in Redding, California a little after 8 p.m. one night in September, arriving at the In-N-Out a little before midnight.

    “My roommates and I were sitting on our couch all looking at Facebook and we came across a video of In-N-Out,” Hunt said.

    The video sparked an idea. Hunt and her friends decided to drive to In-N-Out. They got in a car and drove for three hours to Redding in the dark.

    “It was a bonding trip, we got to know each other better throughout the car ride,”Hunt said. “We would talk about our families and everything.”

    Hunt and her friends made a pilgrimage to In-N-Out. Hunt’s trip to In-N-Out was about more than food, her and her friends got to share stories and memories from their childhood going to In-N-Out.

    Yvette Valdez-Beas, a kinesiology sophomore, was also on the trip with Hunt.  

    “They were just like ‘be ready in five minutes’,” Valdez-Beas said.

    They all got in a car and began their long and turn-filled road trip along state Route 299 toward Redding.

    “We went to Redding and we took the 299 and I’d never been that way,” Valdez-Beas said. “ The drive was kinda scary because it was at night and I didn’t know how windy it was.”

    Many people make the claim that In-N-Out is the best burger place. Valdez-Beas craves an In-N-Out burger whenever she has a burger from any other restaurant. No other burger can replicate the flavor and simplicity of an In-N-Out burger.

    The round trip roadtrip totalled 240 miles and six hours of driving on dark and winding roads. In-N-Out served as the focal point of a bonding experience that these friends hope to do again in the future. Hunt, Valdez-Beas, and friends are not the only people who miss In-N-Out while behind the Redwood Curtain.

    Alex Hain is a freshman psychology major who found the transition away from In-N-Out difficult.

    “In-N-Out used to be the only thing I ate back home and I abandoned it,” Hain said.

    Hain has been trying to organize a trip with friends to the new In-N-Out in Ukiah. The only thing stopping him from heading to the In-N-Out is finding someone able to drive him on a Sunday.

    The new In-N-Out in Ukiah is about 25 miles farther than the one in Redding, but the drive takes about the same amount of time. The road to Ukiah is much less intimidating especially if it is dark.

    Freshman marine biology major, Carlino San Miguel, misses the In-N-Out by his home in the Los Angeles area. He believes that its simplicity is what makes it so popular.

    “They’re different than other burger place, it’s only hamburgers, you can’t get chicken strips or chicken sandwiches, it’s just straight hamburgers so you go there and you know what you’re gonna get,” San Miguel said.

    While a six hour drive for a hamburger may seem impractical, these journeys done and planned focus more on feeling at home. San Miguel, Hain, Valdez-Beas, and Hunt all admitted to In-N-Out being one of their first stops while heading home.

    Sometimes living in Humboldt can feel distant and isolated from what people are used to. In-N-Out offers that feeling of coming home.

  • Sights of San Francisco

    Sights of San Francisco

    By Liam Olson

    Filled with diversity, delicious food, and beautiful sightseeing, San Francisco is a travel hotspot within the United States. With so many sights to see these are just a few the popular spots around San Francisco.

    This slideshow requires JavaScript.

  • Editorial: Testing the Toke’

    Editorial: Testing the Toke’

    The problem with cannabis drug tests

    By | The Lumberjack Editorial Staff 

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

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

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

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

  • Editorial: Freezing tuition fee increase

    Editorial: Freezing tuition fee increase

    By | The Lumberjack Editorial Board

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

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

  • Tuition increase could be stopped by new bill

    Tuition increase could be stopped by new bill

    By Morgan Brizee

    On Feb. 21 California Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva held a press conference at Sacramento State University’s campus library to talk about a new bill that she has written. Silva is the assemblywoman for the 65 th District of California covering the communities of Anaheim, Buena Park, Cypress, Fullerton, Garden Grove, La Palma, and Stanton. The new bill is called AB 393: The Student Protection Act. This new bill could halt any tuition increases in California for all public community colleges as well as state universities. The bill is also backed by the California Faculty Association(CFA).

    A press release by Quirk-Silva said that,“Quirk-Silva authored AB 393: The Student Protection Act in light of the hard realities facing today’s college students, including the deepening of debt and long hours of work that are necessary to live while paying education costs, but that interfere with their studies.”

  • Missing Uber in Arcata

    Missing Uber in Arcata

    By|Onaja Waki

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • A master plan for free tuition

    A master plan for free tuition

    By Charlotte Rutigliano

    Can California follow in the footsteps of many European countries and offer free tuition for students?

    While CSU students across the state are currently protesting a 5 percent tuition hike, in Sacramento  Governor Brown reaffirms his commitment to protect access to higher education, and of a plan for free tuition across the state of California. As of now, it’s just talk.

    Most current students and prospective students have not heard about this plan, and some have mixed feelings about it.

    Jake Morrison a 21-year-old senior communications major said he thought it would be both a good and bad thing.

    “It would be good in the sense that it would make knowledge and education more accessible,” Morrison said. “But bad in the sense that it would probably cause a rise in Americans immigrating to California, and we already have a population and housing issue in the state.”

    Alyssa Buie a 21-year-old junior business marketing major said it greatly benefits many people in the state though she doesn’t think the state could afford something like free tuition.

    “It would be beyond beneficial for students of all ages in all walks of life,” Buie said. “But it’s a little economically unfeasible.”

    Even people that have thought about going back to school like 22-year-old McDonald’s general manager, Lindsey Blood, said it seems great and she would be more inclined to go back if tuition were free.

    “It would encourage people to invest in themselves,” Blood said. “And it would give a lot of people opportunities they would otherwise not have.”

    The idea of free tuition it brings up many questions such as, would students take it just as seriously and go to classes as when they had some type of financial investment? Would they be more likely to choose passion over job security? Would they be more likely to further their education and go on to graduate school or get a doctorate?

  • This week in news

    This week in news

    By: Iridian Casarez

    Local News 

    Coastal National Monuments in Humboldt 

    Obama expanded the California Coastal National Monuments in Humboldt county. Trinidad Head, Walumph Lighthouse Ranch and the Lost Coast Headlands were officially designated as California Coastal National  Monuments. 

    Women will march in Eureka

    In solidarity with the Women’s March in Washington D.C. women, children and men will march in Eureka on Saturday Jan. 21 at 1 p.m. with a rally at C street Market Square. 

    California

    From parched to plenty

    Despite heavy rains California will continue to conserve water. 

    California is going to keep its modest water conservation rules for now through May. 

    Rallies around the country for the ACA

    Thousands of nurses, doctors, and patients who benefited from President Obama’s healthcare law rallied on Sunday throughout California to denounce the Republican effort to overturn it. Rallies in San Francisco and Los Angeles were part of dozens nationwide taking place in support of the Affordable Care Act. 

    U.S.

    Chelsea Manning to be released

    President Obama commuted the remaining prison sentence of Chelsea Manning. Manning was the army intelligence analyst convicted of a 2010 leak that revealed American military and diplomatic activities across the world.

    Orlando suspect caught

    The Orlando Police captured suspected killer Markeith Loyd after a week long manhunt. Loyd was accused of killing his pregnant girlfriend and sergeant Debra Clayton. 

    International

    Nigerian Air Force bombs wrong target

    The Nigerian Air Force mistook a  town full of people with Boko Haram fighters. The air force bombed a town killing more than 50 who fled Islamist militants. 

    Shooting in Mexico

    A shooting at a BMP music festival killed three foreigners and two Mexicans in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Mexico’s Zetas cartel has reportedly claimed responsibility.