The Lumberjack



Students Serving The Cal Poly Humboldt Campus and Community Since 1929

Tag: how to

  • How to host the perfect function; tips and tricks from an expert

    How to host the perfect function; tips and tricks from an expert

    by Zack Mink

    With the 2024 spring semester starting this week, friends coming back to town, parties, kickbacks, hangouts and get-togethers are going to be in full swing. As someone who has lived on campus and now is off-campus, I take it upon myself to be a host to my friends and build a safe place to reconnect. With this privilege, along with my passion for hospitality and my culinary expertise, I’m sharing four tips and tricks to be a good host even on a limited college budget.

    1. Prioritize yourself and your financial security. 
    • As I mentioned before, friends are coming back into town and our full class schedules loom over the horizon. This might seem like the best time to get together with your friends, splurge a little bit and maybe even ignore the numbers slowly lowering in your bank account. But, from my own experience, it is never worth sacrificing a week’s worth of groceries for a night out on the town. Setting boundaries and being open about financial status, if comfortable, is the first step to being a good host. 
    1. Communicate and accommodate 
    • Nothing is worse than going to your friend’s place and finding out that you can’t enjoy what someone has prepared or had planned. Whether it is a food restriction, physical accommodation, or even just a personal preference, checking in with your guests to see what they might like or can’t enjoy is important to make sure they are happy and well taken care of. 
    1. Be attentive
    • Being a host whether for a small get-together or a larger event requires you to stay on your toes and look out for your guests and their needs. Sometimes, you might be running around refilling people’s beverages, replenishing snacks or making sure everyone is included in the fun. This responsibility certainly requires you to pay constant attention to each and every one of your guests, but I believe that should be easy and come naturally if you’re around the people you care about.
    1. Your house, your rules
    • Setting house rules is a necessary boundary for not only your guests to have a good night, but for you, the host, to enjoy yourself before, during and after your get-together. For a big party, this might look like having a bedroom off-limits, capping the volume of music (so the party can keep going) or making clear what time the party will be over. For a small event, this might be something as simple as taking your shoes off inside or coasters being used on your favorite table. Some might see these boundaries as unnecessary or over the top, but they really just represent a certain level of consideration that guests should have when entering someone’s home. They also can make the cleaning-up process much easier for the host the next day. 

    So, next time you get together with your friends, or next time you go out to a party, keep these four tips in mind to ensure that you and your friends have a great time and a peaceful introduction to the new semester.

  • #HowTo: Exploring with Center Activites

    #HowTo: Exploring with Center Activites

    HSU’s Center Activities helps students get out and around Humboldt County

    Trying to explore Humboldt but don’t have a paddle to go with your board? Center Activities is an on-campus resource available to students looking to get geared up and participate in local adventures.

    The staff at Center Activities are friendly and attentive and they’re more than happy to help students find what they need to enjoy their day out in Humboldt County. Adventure Program Director Deserie Donae says Center Activities makes an effort to ensure students feel welcome on campus and in the community.

    “We can outfit a student with anything but shoes,” Donae said. “We get people prepped and prepared to go out by providing food and transportation so people don’t have to think too hard about it. We want the outdoors to be easy and accessible.”

    The Lumberjack has compiled a convenient how-to playlist of videos to guide readers toward fun activities. This list is a great way to introduce students to an outdoor lifestyle in a healthy way.

  • How to stay dry in Humboldt

    How to stay dry in Humboldt

    The spring semester means rain season and it is likely to stay that way the whole semester. Here are some tips from my local prespective to stay dry in Humboldt.

    1. Get proper rain gear. It’s not fun walking from class to class sopping wet. There are many local stores that carry rain coats and shoes. Even the hardware store has cheap boots. Umbrellas are useful against horizontal rain, but don’t spend too much money on one if you’re prone to losing them.
    2. Keep extra socks in your backpack. Trust me, I regretted not doing this on my way to work when street puddles grew to ponds.
    3. Waterproof. If you don’t have the time or money for new shoes, you can buy a waterproofing spray at shoe stores to spray your old shoes and backpack.
    4. DampRid. Everything gets wet, even when it’s not raining. To prevent mold from growing in your residence, buy DampRid bins to absorb moisture. Put them in the closet, under the bed or in the bathroom. This can be purchased at the hardware store, Bed Bath & Beyond or online.
    5. Plan walkways creatively. It is possible to walk to classes without getting wet. Many buildings have awnings and some trails have trees with enough coverage from the rain. With creative planning, you can walk through buildings and the right pathways to get across campus without getting drenched.
    6. Don’t let the rain trap you inside. The benefit of rain, other than to water plant life, is an excuse to stay inside and lay under 20 blankets to stream the new season of The Magicians on Netflix like me. The outside world doesn’t cease to be as beautiful when it’s cold and wet out. Parks and trails are actually just as fun during the winter as they are in the summer. Rivers flow more and nature looks a little greener. So put on waterproof clothes you don’t mind getting muddy and go outside.