The Lumberjack



Students Serving The Cal Poly Humboldt Campus and Community Since 1929

Tag: Fun

  • Winning in Intramurals takes friends

    Winning in Intramurals takes friends

    By Curran Daly

    True teammates, Diego Padilla gets his shoe tied by his teammate during a recent intramural game. | Curran Daly

    If you grew up playing sports then you might find it difficult to give them up once you start college. Intramural sports offer a way to keep playing sports and meet new people. Logan Ashdale, a junior recreation administration major, and his intramural volleyball team won last semester’s A league championship. Last season’s championship was Ashdale’s team’s second win in successive semesters. This season they’ll be looking for their third championship in a row.

    “We’ve won the last two semesters,” Ashdale said. “I just love it, obviously I want to keep winning, but if I can just be on the court for one extra night I might as well.”

    Ashdale grew up up playing volleyball. He joined the club team when he got to Humboldt. He started to play intramurals as a way to be on the court one more night a week.

    “I was originally playing on someone else’s team and then I had a bunch of new friends from the club team and I wanted to have my own team and run it the way I wanted,” Ashdale said. “I recruited all my friends and a lot of them happen to be really good and that’s how it got started.”

    The best teams are often the teams that play together well and that comes from the relationships within the team.

    “You gotta find people that you’ll play well with on the court, and I think it’s important to build those friendships on the court,” Ashdale said.

    Friendships can be developed on and off the court. Diego Padilla is a senior geography major who has been playing soccer with the same group of friends since the first semester of his freshman year.

    “My first day here at HOP [Humboldt orientation program] I met some friends and we played soccer every day since that first day of HOP,” Padilla said. “We heard of intramurals and we made a team and we’ve been playing together since first semester freshman year. We’ve grown closer and closer and we’re still playing today.”

    Playing with the same group of people multiple times a week can create strong bonds and friendship. While, they struggled through their first few seasons, they continued playing and eventually started winning.

    “Every year we picked up someone new and got better and better and it just clicked and we started winning,” Padilla said. Padilla’s teams last semester did very well.

    “All my teams won last semester.” Padilla’s experiences playing intramural soccer with his friends has left him with advice for people just starting out.

    “Don’t get discouraged when you lose, you’ll find these super good teams,” Padilla said. “Over time just keep at it and keep going you’ll find the people that work well together and win.”

    Freshman environmental studies major Leo Meza played intramural soccer in his first semester at Humboldt. He isn’t playing this semester, but he still talks to all of the friends he made playing last semester.

    “We did pretty good, a lot better than we expected,” Meza said. “And it was a lot of people who didn’t know each other and we got to meet new people that I’m still friends with now.”

    In the future Meza hopes to be on a successful team and keep his friends together.

    If you can get a group of friends together you can win and even if you lose, you’re still playing the games you love.

  • Word on the Street: Valentine’s Day

    By | Liam Olson

    Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to show your significant other how much you love them. You can get them chocolates, watch their favorite movie, or make them a nice dinner. However, there are some people who don’t care about Valentine’s Day and think that it is not important enough to celebrate. This day has different meanings depending on the people you talk to. Here are some opinions on Valentine’s Day from  Humboldt State students.

    Why do you celebrate or not celebrate Valentine’s Day?

    Photo by Liam Olson

    Left: “I celebrate Valentine’s Day because it’s a day to remind myself and others of the love that is important in my life.” -Simone Rani McGowan, Freshman, Environmental Science

    Right: “It doesn’t make sense to make a national day for love when love should be celebrated everyday.” -Nicholas Lara, Junior, Social Work

    Photo by Liam Olson

    “I like to celebrate Valentine’s Day because it is the one time a year I get to go out to a nice restaurant.” -Cassady McLaughlin, Junior, Psychology

    Photo by Liam Olson

    “Me and my partner have been together for six years and at this point it has become just another day for us.” -Alleigh Sullivan, Senior, Art History

    Photo by Liam Olson

    “I celebrate Valentine’s Day because it is a day dedicated to love, which I think is pretty neat.” -Alex Ballesteros, Junior, Environmental Science

  • The Lighthouse Grill: a review

    The Lighthouse Grill

    By: Bryan Donoghue

    If you find yourself getting hungry after a long day of wandering through Trinidad and are looking for something that hits the spot, consider setting your sights on The Lighthouse Grill.

    The Lighthouse Grill’s philosophy is all about using fresh, local ingredients and serving homemade recipes to a community that has grown to love the restaurant. Bread is made in-house every day; homemade ice cream and sodas are at your fingertips to order. Employees pride themselves in the fact that nothing is processed or artificial in any of the restaurant’s recipes.

    The atmosphere can be compared to that of being in a cabin by the sea. Gentle gusts of wind grazed my cheeks as I stood outside; I breathed in the fresh scent of seawater. Inside the establishment, I felt as though I was standing under the sea, surrounded by various murals depicting marine wildlife.

    The organization behind the counter was impressive. The employees were all very friendly and helpful.

    I focused on the scent of rosemary and chives being infused into a waffle cone before I decided on what to order. Thankfully, there wasn’t a long line.

    I first ordered a homemade lemon mint soda. The lemon syrup is crafted beforehand and club soda is poured over the top before being garnished with mint leaves. There wasn’t any sugar added to the drink, giving it a tart and bitter taste at first. Take advantage of the carbonation and pour in about a teaspoon of sugar if you’re looking for a bit of sweetness to balance out the overall taste. All in all, the drink was immensely refreshing and complimented each meal I ordered. The lemon mint soda costs $3.

    I then had a mashed potato cone with everything on it, earning it a name in the restaurant as an “all the way” cone. The waffle cones are crafted by pressing fresh cornmeal, garlic, rosemary and chives and then rolling them around in a mold the shape of a cone. Mine was packed to the bottom with a mixture of mashed potatoes, bacon bits and mushrooms. The top of this ensemble was garnished with beef brisket that had been roasting for 12 hours and smothered in gravy, melted cheddar cheese and more bacon bits.

    I know a heart throb when I see one; this is one dish that may have captured my heart. Everything comes together perfectly, with the gravy encapsulating each ingredient and melding each taste together. The price for this “all the way” waffle cone is $6.

     

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    The “All the Way” Waffle cone of the Lighthouse Grill in Trinidad, California. Photo by | Bryan Donoghue

    The “All the Way” Waffle Cone of The Lighthouse Grill in Trinidad, California.

    The last dish I decided to try was a beef brisket on a waffle cone on a sandwich. Though this barbecue beef brisket sandwich was delicious, the bun was cut unevenly with a large top bun and a smaller bottom bun. Due to this, the sauce the meat had been soaking in eventually got absorbed by the bottom bun, completely saturating it. I couldn’t eat it as a sandwich, so I picked apart the sandwich using a fork. The beef was complimented by pickles, onions and a single leaf of lettuce. It’s delicious and slightly soothing since you will melt along with the tenderness of the meat. The price of the beef brisket sandwich is $8.

     

    The Lighthouse Grill is open daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Whether you’re heading to the beaches of Trinidad at dusk or dawn, The Lighthouse Grill will always be a beacon of culinary light offering a savory experience.

     

  • Q&A with fencing master Antone Blair

    Q&A with fencing master Antone Blair

    By: Andrew Butler

    Q: Where did you get your start in fencing?

    A: I joined a college club at Beloit college in Wisconsin. I started it as a hobby; I had no intention of making a career out of it.

    Q: Did you have a major at Beloit? Perhaps a different career plan?

    A: I actually double majored in anthropology and classical Mediterranean civilization.

    Q: Mediterranean?

    A: Yeah, like classical Greece and Rome, Ancient Egypt, places like that. I was interested in Greek archeology so both those majors kind of played into that area of study.

    Q: Did you do any work with those degrees after college or was it straight into fencing?

    A: I went on several site digs. After spending time around professors, I realized I wasn’t necessarily interested in all the extra work that goes into archeology.

    Q: Site digs? Where?

    A: I did one in Wisconsin and one amidst the high altitude planes in Northern Chile.

    Q: How did you make your way to Humboldt State fencing?

    A: I moved here in 2000. I started showing up to the club just to stay practiced. It turned out I was one of the most experienced fencers in the club so I became somewhat like the instructors TA and helped teach other students.

    Q: When did you start instructing the class?

    A: 2001.

    Q: What is your favorite fencing weapon to use? Which do you use the most?

    A: The foil is the most commonly used weapon. It’s the usual starting sword for a beginner. My personal favorite has to be the Spanish rapier.

    Q: Tell us about the different fencing styles. Which is your go to?

    A: Fencing schools nowadays teach a somewhat homogenized version of all the classical styles. There used to be more of a distinction throughout the methods. You had German, French, Italian and Spanish styles. For example, the Italian style is very direct and tends to be fairly aggressive. The Spanish style, on the other hand, is more reserved, and involves a lot of analytical thinking. It depends on using your space effectively. My preference is with the Spanish style of fencing, I work with it the most.

    Q: Ever pretend to be a pirate?

    A: No.

    Q: Any competitions?

    A: I’ve been in a lot of competitions throughout the years, sure.

    Q: Can you live off of fencing competitions?

    A: A century ago, the top fencers could tour their countries and make a living. Today it is rare but the top fencers can live off their earnings. Mostly however, you have to be an instructor of some sort to make a living off of fencing.

    Q: Where did you do your fencing studies?

    A: The Martinez Academy of Arms in New York. I started there a little after being hired at HSU. In 2006 I became an instructor, in 2009 I became a provost and last November I became a master.

    Q: A master? How many master’s of fencing are walking around the world?

    A: Five including myself. There were only two up until this last November.

    Q: What does it take to become a master of fencing?

    A: It takes thousands and thousands of hours along with an about 15-year apprenticeship at the school. The final test itself is a week long exam. It lasted about 10 hours a day for the whole seven day week. I had to do everything; from showcasing different fencing styles, to answering fencing questions regarding technique and history, to officiating fencing matches.

    Q: Where do you go after achieving master?

    A: There’s not much upward movement left. However, the hope is to train more people to become instructors and eventually masters. It’s all about keeping the tradition and history alive, and making sure fencing is passed along the generations. I want to ensure the things I’ve learned are passed on.

  • A taste of Bim – Review

    A taste of Bim – Review

    By: Bryan Donoghue

    Picture yourself reclined in a lounge chair on a beach in Barbados. Directly above you, coconut trees lightly sway in the wind, as the sun breaches between leaves and streams of light shine through. Many can imagine the way this feels, but in stark contrast to a country near the equator, we live in Humboldt County. Although both are regarded as beautiful locations internationally, it’s difficult to find an authentic experience can that represent that essence of the Caribbean. That is, until I stumbled upon a restaurant off of G Street in Eureka.

    A Taste of Bim is run by a mother and daughter duo who have brought their own experience from cooking in Barbados (also known as “bim”) to the United States, using traditional spices and recipes. The atmosphere walking in is ambient, yet illuminated in certain areas with low white and yellow lighting. In the open kitchen beyond the bar, splashes of fire rise into the air as you can see food being made from the comfort of your seat. The festive theme centers in on Barbadian culture, while a cheerful playlist of multicultural music assures you, as the customer, that you’re about to have an experience reminiscent of paradise. The restaurant was continuing to serve one family as I walked in; all other seats were empty.

    The waitress Debbie, who conducted herself to be both calm and cordial, immediately sat me and we briefly went over the menu. She started me off with Caribbean lemonade; a sweet drink that is made from fresh lemonade, raw cane sugar, and dried hibiscus leaves. It was absolutely delicious and served as a perfect counterbalance to reset the palate every time you try a new dish. I first ordered the doubles, an appetizer consisting of curried chickpeas that are topped and sandwiched over two pieces of flatbread. The curry began to overpower the dish at first, and the flatbread wasn’t sandwiching the chickpeas, but it began to gradually become more mellow as you eat it in unison with everything else. Even for an appetizer it was a lot of food, and mid-meal digestion became necessary.

    From there, I ordered the green banana salad. Refreshing and sweet, this salad was tossed together with diced cucumbers, tomatoes, basil, and bananas. A little hard to grasp with a fork, and possibly easier to eat with a spoon, this salad was a challenge to eat with one utensil. However, the taste was mouthwatering, and the banana pantomimes something akin to a dessert, while still giving it the health benefit any salad would.

    The finale of my experience had to have been a magnum opus for short rib. The meat was braised to cook slowly, and as the food reached my table, I immediately realized I would not need a knife to cut into it. Tender, lean, and just barely held together; this meat was perfectly cooked. It surrounded rice pilaf that had been cooked with beans, and then a thick savory gravy was poured over the top of the entire plate. The taste was refined yet so complex that I couldn’t even think of a single spice used to create that symphony of flavor. To me, it was impeccable. Through the entire experience, more customers began to come in; and even still, Debbie was entirely accommodating.

    I have to admit, I left with a smile. The pricing is anywhere from around $15-20 for a main dish, and around $10 or less for an appetizer or salad. Now picture yourself in that lounge chair again, but this time in Humboldt. The sun might not be shining every day, but if you’re looking for that warm Caribbean feeling, consider having A Taste of Bim.