The Lumberjack



Students Serving The Cal Poly Humboldt Campus and Community Since 1929

Tag: HSU

  • Leading the Transition for Athletics

    Leading the Transition for Athletics

    A Q&A with HSU interim Athletic Director Jill Willson

    The athletic department at Humboldt State is in a transition phase under the new administration of President Tom Jackson Jr. Previous interim Athletic Director Duncan Robins left his position in June.

    While searching for a permanent Athletic Director, President Jackson recruited Jill Willson and her company Double L Consulting for the position. Willson received her degree in biology from West Texas A&M University, then went on to coach the women’s basketball team and later run the athletic department for the university. Willson specializes in Division II athletics, more specifically in community outreach and recruiting and she serves on an NCAA committee for Division II athletics. Willson created Double L consulting to help Division II schools run their athletic department during times of transition.

    Could you tell me about your personal background and the company you are with?

    I’m a longtime women’s basketball coach and former athletic director at Texas A&M- Kingsville, which is where I spent the majority of my career. In 2007 I started my own company, which is called Double L consulting, two L’s in Jill and two L’s in Willson is how I came up with the name. I really founded the company to help Division II schools across the country. I help schools with the membership process and the transition from NAIA or Division III to Division II programs. I arrange all of the community engagement events for the Division II National Championship events. Three years ago I diversified Double-L consulting to help schools hire athletic directors, and what we do is help fill the seat while the athletic department is doing the search, so they are not down a staff member.

    What are your goals, within the athletic department, for the upcoming academic year?

    Our job is to help build a quality pool of candidates for the search committee to help find the next Humboldt State Athletic Director. It’s my goal to do a bit of a program review and evaluate what kinds of things we are going well and what things we need to work on so that when the permanent athletic director is hired in January, they can take off and run.

    What is your current evaluation of the athletic department and where do you want it to be when you turn the reigns to the next athletic director?

    Honestly, what makes Humboldt such an amazing institution is the people, and the athletic department staff is no different. They do a tremendous job at recruiting student-athletes and getting them to be great athletes, helping them do well academically and getting them to graduate. I think this is a great opportunity to help the athletic department to do an even better job at what they already do well.

    What qualities are you looking for in the next athletic director for Humboldt State?

    You need to have someone come in that is committed to making a difference in Humboldt County and on-campus at HSU. We need to have someone who can help fundraise, and the responsibility of the next athletic director will be to find new revenue streams and open up the athletic department to new boosters and new donors. Being a great leader and leading by example on campus for the student-athletes is crucial, and we need to be able to hold coaches accountable for academic success as well.

  • KHSU Update: 1 Employee Remains

    KHSU Update: 1 Employee Remains

    Administration rehires union protected station broadcast engineer

    Humboldt State University has rescinded the lay off of one KHSU employee out of the seven laid off in April.

    Kevin Sanders, a full-time employee who primarily works in Information Technology Services was rehired after his union, the California State University Employees Union, pushed back against the university. Sanders was and is the National Public Radio affiliate’s only broadcast engineer.

    “Kevin is employed, working mostly in the Information Technology Services area, but is available to assist with broadcast engineering for KHSU if the need arises,” HSU Communication Officer Grant Scott-Goforth said in an email.

    [perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”Steve Tillinghast” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=”18″]”Humboldt realized over the last several months that the chief engineer of KHSU is a critical employee and that the station could not operate, even in its reduced form, without him.”[/perfectpullquote]

    Humboldt chapter president of CSUEU Steve Tillinghast said in a press release that HSU management did not expect the Union to care.

    “Or perhaps they did not even realize that one of the employees in the group they terminated was part of a Union and that they would be held accountable,” he said. “Humboldt realized over the last several months that the chief engineer of KHSU is a critical employee and that the station could not operate, even in its reduced form, without him.”

    KHSU runs with the help of Chico’s North State Public Radio station to air its programming off and on since April.

    At the beginning of August HSU signed a short-term interim agreement with Capital Public Radio in Sacramento for programming assistance with KHSU Public Radio. The agreement will keep KHSU running till the end of October.

    According to a press release, “the agreement allows KHSU to continue airing national and state programming as the University considers various approaches for KHSU’s future.”

    HSU will be assessing ways to ensure KHSU aligns with the university’s teaching missions after an advisory audit report. The audit report, ordered by the previous HSU president Lisa Rossbacher, found the station lacking in the opportunities it was supposed to provide for students.

    The report suggested that over time the station had evolved from an exclusive student training ground to primarily a community servicing station. The report said the university should assess student involvement at KHSU and determine whether or not to develop more opportunities for students through “employment, internships, academic programs and coursework.”

    The advisory team did not, however, suggest laying off employees as an answer to any suggested shortcomings.

    For now, the university is considering joining the discussion of a three-way regional partnership with the Chico and Sacramento stations.

    This partnership could bring about certain opportunities such as a Public Service Operation Agreement, which would formalize cost-sharing for programming and management.

    Structural organization was also an area of improvement listed on the KHSU audit.

    HSU President Tom Jackson wants to gather input from faculty and students to learn more about their interest in KHSU before committing to anything further.

  • Piecing Together the President

    Piecing Together the President

    Introducing Tom Jackson Jr., Ph.D., Humboldt State’s new president

    It’s not everyday you meet a university president who has the tenacious intention of changing their student body’s perspective beyond their educational experience.

    Tom Jackson, Jr., Ph.D. began his incumbency as Humboldt State University’s eighth President in June 2019. In his second university president position, Jackson plans for more than just the future of the university, but also for the success of the current and future students.

    “The students I want to gain are important,” Jackson said. “But the students we have now are more important. They are the ones that we want to see succeed and want to see finish now.”

    With 11 professional positions under his belt, Jackson is far more than familiar with holding an administrative position at a university. From Assistant Director of Residence Life to Dean of Students, Jackson has worked at campuses across the United States, including the University of Southern California, Texas A&M University, University of Louisville and more recently as the president of Black Hills State University.

    Aside from his educational work, Jackson spends his free time riding horses, scuba diving, flying planes and watching college sports. The last 21 years of his life, however, have also been spent raising his now 21-year-old son and 18-year-old daughter with his wife, Mona Jackson.

    President Tom Jackson socializes at the Staff Family Picnic on August 23 in the UC Quad. | Photo by Collin Slavey

    “I can’t have too many expensive hobbies,” Jackson said. “And being a pilot and plane owner is a very expensive hobby, particularly when you add in being a father of two college-aged students.”

    When asked about the number one lesson that could be taken away from his previous presidency position at Black Hills State University, Jackson replied with the idea that he has based every administrative position around providing students with a positive, educational and meaningful experience.

    “It’s the focus on our student body,” Jackson said. “It is really simple. The arguments all go away when we connect the importance of what we’re doing to what students are aspiring to do.”

    Acknowledging the ups and downs of education as a meaningful practice creates for a positive outlook on day to day life. It is this similar thought process that Jackson hopes to bring to light as the new president of HSU. Over the past few semesters, students have been searching for support and protesting about issues that are important to not only the student body but the surrounding community as well.

    “If you had a positive day and you learned something that links to your educational experience, you’ll be just fine the next day.” Jackson said. “If you wake up angry at the world, then you’re not starting off the day in the most positive state of mind.”

    With the murder of David Josiah Lawson and the verdict declining to indict any person a part of his stabbing, students have felt pain and worry as they continue their education at HSU. Feeling safe on campus and in the community is important for students and their parents, and Jackson thinks so too.

    “If you wake up angry at the world, then you’re not starting off the day in the most positive state of mind.”

    Tom Jackson Jr., Ph.D.

    “We have to be able to provide our students a controlled opportunity to figure it out for themselves,” Jackson said. “It is no different than what our parents tried to have us do… if they were that type of parent.”

    In July 2018, an HSU press release stated the final decision made to cut the football program after the end of the season. Students, faculty and community members were outraged and disappointed with the decision.

    “There is no secret that football is expensive,” Jackson said. “To keep a football program usually means you have a student body that is willing to pay a pretty good price to keep it here because that is where the source of funds comes from along with the donors.”

    Jackson talks about the recent knowledge of head injuries in the sport of football and how it can add to the perspective of why so many universities cutting their teams may be a positive change. He asks the question, “Is keeping a football program the most responsible thing we could be doing today?”

    According to Jackson, the Saturday evening excitement that comes with supporting a football team is an emotional experience that most students and community members look forward to.

    Tom Jackson sitting in his new office. | Photo by Skye Kimya

    “We’re missing that excitement on a Saturday that brings people together,” Jackson said. “That is what we have to revisit as a university. What is it that is going to bring us together today?”

    With the loss of football, came the conversation of a potential diversity decrease that may result from losing the program. Although Jackson accepts the intention behind that conversation, he mentions his rejection to the argument.

    “In its simplicity, that is saying that football was about diversity,” Jackson said. “That’s troubling because there are other ways to have diverse conversations.”

    One of Jackson’s many goals for students is to be able to comfortably have diverse conversations on campus without having to go out of the way to do so.

    In the coming years, he hopes to create a community where diversity is not just based upon the color of your skin, opinions on complicated subject matters or what you look like, but the person that you are.

    Jackson is also focused on the improvement of HSU’s retention rate through marketing and outreach, which links to enrollment. He mentions that the cost of off-campus student housing may be the biggest limiting factor the school has involving enrollment.

    “Another goal is to strengthen our relationships in the community and connect our student body to the community as one,” Jackson said. “Tied to that is branding ourselves in a different way.”

    Jackson brings a different perspective to light when he talks about the way HSU portrays itself. He alludes to the idea that hearing all of the negativity and baggage prevents people from wanting to a part of the school’s community and believes showing off strengths is more attractive and promising.

    “I want us to focus on the good,” Jackson said. “I want us to celebrate the good and enjoy the place that we happen to be at today.”

  • Sun’s out, buns out

    Sun’s out, buns out

    With the weather heating up in Humboldt County, students at HSU flaunt their favorite warm-weather looks

  • Hills and Stairs University

    Hills and Stairs University

    Everyday is leg day for HSU students

    As I wrap up my first year at Humboldt State and reflect on the past semester, one thing I know I will not miss about campus is the stairs. Coming into HSU I quickly learned the meaning of the school’s acronym “Hills, Stairs and Umbrellas.” I discovered the daily cardio a Lumberjack really goes through just to get to class.

    Curiously, I mapped one of my busiest work days and calculated the steps I climbed. I wanted to see what kind of workout I was getting on the way to class.

    Living on campus meant tackling a daily unavoidable obstacle, the Jolly Giants staircase. Consisting of 82 stairs from the second floor to the top of the hill, I climb that beast at least four times a day.

    Due to conveniently timed retrofitting construction happening mid-school year, accessibility to the library is somewhat restricted. This requires me to get in more steps by walking up and around the Van Duzer Theatre, into the art quad and eventually towards the library.

    Luckily, I avoid the main Founders’ Hall staircase by taking a shortcut behind The Depot. By walking up and around the loading dock a “secret” staircase sticks out of the greenery on the west side of Founders’. The shortcut comes in clutch by cutting 110 stairs down to 36, a lung and leg saver!

    Caswell’s Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule tracked for the entire day. | Map courtesy HSU

    My cardio ends with a midnight trip to the Cupboard, scaling 64 stairs or seven floors for a snack and some caffeine.

    While I often complain over the difficulty of my schedule and the exhaustion of walking to class, I’m fortunate enough to avoid some of HSU’s worst campus obstacles, such as the Campus Events Field hill or the Behavioral Social Sciences hill. Both are by far the worst and most complained about in terms of walking to class. Additionally, my schedule covers only half of HSU’s entire campus.

    I acknowledge the fact that I am more than capable of maneuvering around campus. While complaining about the walk itself is half the conversation on the way to class, complaints undermine the legitimate struggle HSU students can face. By remaining conscience of this behavior we can limit complaints and be more respectful to fellow students.

    Lastly, because HSU is stationed in the middle of the redwoods, copious amounts of stairs and uneven land is the campus norm. However, it’s far from being inclusive to all students and stands as more of a restriction. While we can’t always choose the land we build on we can choose how we build something and who it caters to, something HSU should be reminded of.

    Expose my weak schedule by commenting your own cardio class workout! Who has the worst leg day schedule of all?

  • A team that works together stays together

    A team that works together stays together

    Humboldt State’s debate team is much more than a team

    The HSU debate team may not have returned home from nationals with a victory however they persisted and came back with an outstanding sense of determination to rise up and take on the competition that is yet to come.

    Team members Sydney Verga and Arynn “Blue” Baldwin shared thoughts on nationals and the hard work that their team presents each year.

    “We only really see debate on the West Coast and it’s honestly a completely different style of debate when you go to the East Coast or even the Midwest,” Verga said. “You see so many different styles of debate so it really opened up our eyes to what is out there, now we know what to prepare for.”

    IMG_6421.JPG
    Vice President, Olivia Gainer expressing her thoughts on Thursday’s practice debate to the rest of the team on April 18. | Photo by Skylar Gaven

    The debate team made their way to South Carolina last weekend where nationals were being held. The team went through eight solid rounds of debates throughout Saturday and Sunday.

    Baldwin and Verga were both delighted and proud to see their team advance to nationals. Despite being at the bottom they still managed to hold their heads high throughout the entire competition.

    Verga said that Humboldt is usually at the bottom of the bracket and that they’re newer to the circuit.

    “We used to just be the bottom of the bracket at nationals,” Verga said. “Now we are at the middle of the bracket and so we are getting better as a team as a whole, all of us are moving up.”

    40e7983e-02da-4f35-91b6-d54cbdcd1096.jpg
    Debate member, Fabian Cuevas giving his final take on the debate that took place at practice. | Photo by Skylar Gaven

    Although the team is moving their way up at competitions they still have some struggles with recognition here on campus.

    “We are the longest standing debate teams out there which is kind of crazy and people always forget that,” Verga said. “People always forget that we exist as a debate team especially here on campus.”

    Debate is always looking for ways to encourage others to check it out.

    “We do work hard. We do a lot of stuff but nobody sees, because no one really pays attention,” Baldwin said. “That’s why we are constantly tabling and putting on events like exhibition debates.”

    It isn’t just for communication majors. Anybody that goes to HSU is more than welcome to join. The debate team here at HSU has been working constantly to better their craft. They practice all the time making sure that everybody is comfortable with debating and gaining more experience with different styles of debate.

    “We work hard year round, during the summer we have debate camp before school starts,” Baldwin said. “We teach a lot of the theories in debate, a lot of the teams don’t teach ‘theory debate,’ they teach how to make argumentations but we teach how arguments work and what arguments are better than others.”

    IMG_6387.JPG
    Freshman Hannah Koh delivering her side of a debate topic that the team was practice. | Photo by Skylar Gaven

    The strength in this team is definitely due to the amount of effort that everyone puts in but it is also the desire of wanting each other to succeed by working together.

    Baldwin said that HSU’s debate team is very unique as an organization and a team.

    “We’re a very family oriented team,” Baldwin said. “A lot of other teams you’ll see they hate each other, it’s all a hierarchy system. Here we want to help each other get better so that we can get better as a team.”

    HSU’s debate team has come a long way and are happy to have accomplished so much this year. They will continue to practice and are ready for whatever comes at them next year.

    “We’re gonna be together at the top too,” Verga said.

  • HSU president search update

    HSU president search update

    CSU Chancellor Timothy White sends update regarding ongoing HSU president search

    A message containing an update for the Humboldt State University President search was sent campus wide today. According to CSU Chancellor Timothy White the eighth HSU president will be announced May 22, 2019. This will be in between the end of the spring semester and beginning of summer session classes when no students will be on campus.

    The last update from the administration was when they held an open forum for the first meeting of the Trustee’s Committee for the selection of the president on February 4, 2019. The Lumberjack has been unable to speak with Lisa Rossbacher on her departure as of yet.

    Rossbacher will retire at the end of June after a controversial five-year run as HSU president. Under her presidency HSU lost their football team, the Third Street Art Gallery, the community radio station KHSU and not to mention what many observed as a lack of responsiveness for the April 15, 2017 fatal stabbing of HSU criminal justice major, David Josiah Lawson.

    According to the press release the search is “on track” and there has been interest to fill the position of HSU president across the country. Finalists will be chosen and ultimately interviewed by the full Board of Trustees.

     

    The press release is as follows:

    Sent on behalf of the CSU Office of the Chancellor:

    The search for the next Humboldt State University president is on track. From a sizeable group of candidates that included interest from across the country, the search committee has culled the pool to a handful of semifinalists.

    From that group, finalists will be interviewed by the full Board of Trustees. We are on schedule to announce the eighth HSU president on May 22, 2019.

    A growing and thriving HSU is key to the prosperity of the North Coast community. It provides transformational educational opportunities and generates a substantial economic impact for the region.

    Thank you to everyone who attended the forum on campus or who has shared input about the knowledge, skills or experience requisite of the next campus president. Your feedback has been invaluable as we work diligently to identify the next HSU president.

    Timothy P. White
    Chancellor

  • HSU baseball gets its first series win

    HSU baseball gets its first series win

    Rain delays are over and Jacks baseball is back

    On an overgrown high school field in Sacramento, the Jacks were able to come back from an opening game defeat and win the final two games against the Sacramento State Hornets.

    The Jacks dropped game one 6-5 in a hard-fought nail-biter. Freshman Chris Friedley started on the mound and needed to set the tempo. With emotions high, Friedley was unable to find the strike zone and provided the Hornets early baserunners.

    The Hornets cashed in on their first opportunity. Friedley managed four and third innings while walking six, and allowing six runs on six hits, an eerie start to say the least. The Jacks then turned to Sophomore Lorenzo Hernandez, who allowed just one hit over one and a third, while striking out two.

    Hernandez also added a single and a key RBI to help the Jacks rally in the sixth to cut the deficit to two. Sophomore Mateo Hamm worked a walk to lead off the seventh and final inning and worked his way to third.

    Senior Shane McNair was able to knock him in with a two-out base hit to cut the lead to one. The Jacks couldn’t capitalize, however, giving the Hornets game one.

    Head Coach and HSU alum Tanner Wise was content with game one.

    “I liked the way we started the series,” Wise said. “But honestly we should have won game one, we just didn’t capitalize on our opportunities.”

    The Jacks took game two 10-4 with help from Hernandez, McNair, Hamm, and juniors Adrian Mercado, and Alejandro Caravalho.

    [perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”Jacob Adams” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=”18″]“He was lights out. The fastball was working, and he was able to build off it all day, and gave us a lot of momentum heading into game three.”[/perfectpullquote]

    The Jacks tallied three runs in the third, and another in the fourth. These runs allowed them to relax and play defense. This is precisely what they needed to do to support Hamm, who struck out 13, while only allowing four during his complete game.

    Sophomore first baseman Jacob Adams spoke highly of Hamm’s outing.

    “He was lights out,” Adams said. “The fastball was working, and he was able to build off it all day, and gave us a lot of momentum heading into game three.”

    The Jacks were able to pad their lead in the sixth by adding six runs by putting the ball in play and capitalizing off errors made by the Hornets. The Jacks played excellent defense and were able to tie the series at one, with one final game to play.

    Game three was a battle, as both teams managed a run in the first, and four more in the third. With the game tied at five, the Jacks managed to score two more in the fourth, and never looked back.

    McNair added three hits, and three runs on the day that stretched the lead to 9-6 in the sixth with a key two-run single. The Jacks were again helped by Hamm, who added three hits, three runs, and an RBI to conclude his influential series.

    Caravalho added two hits and was able to pitch a complete game while surviving 16 hits, and six walks while only allowing seven runs.

    Wise was complimentary of Caravalho’s outing. Wise said Caravalho did everything the team needed him to do.

    “We needed him to throw as many innings as possible and give our defense a chance to make plays,” Wise said. “He survived out there.”

    Game three ended 9-7 in favor of the short-handed Jacks to give them their first series victory of the season. The Jacks will look to build off the strong road performance during home games against Stanford the weekend of May 4.

    Stay tuned for start times, field locations, and come out to see HSU’s club baseball.

  • Editorial: Thank u, next

    Editorial: Thank u, next

    Who will be the next HSU president?

    When President Lisa Rossbacher announced in October that this spring will be her last year serving as president of HSU many wondered who will be the one to take her place.

    We’re already reaching our end of the school semester and there is still no word as to who will serve as HSU’s president. The last we’ve heard of the search publicly was back in February when there was an open forum for the search for the next HSU president, but there was still no announcement on who’s next.

    However, what’s more convenient is that the announcement of HSU’s next president will be after spring graduation. You know, when most students will not be in campus until their summer or fall semester starts. It’s convenient since there won’t be many students at that point voicing their opinions of the new president.

    President Rossbacher has been a controversial president, with the cutting of the football program, the administration’s lack of acknowledgment when it comes to racism around the community and the closing of the third street art gallery and KHSU’s shut down just to name a few things that don’t paint a positive picture for Rossbacher’s image. Many students, community members and faculty have spoken out against President Rossbacher’s actions and lack of taking action.

    While we’re happy to finally see an end to Rossbacher’s leadership there needs to be more transparency as to who will take on her role next. We don’t know if the next president will improve upon HSU’s issues and demands, resume the same leadership tactics as Rossbacher or be an even worse president than Rossbacher.

    With that in mind we should know who HSU’s next president is going to be at this point in our semester. We should know if our next president will stand with their students, faculty and community.

    We don’t want a president who will just stay quiet from the students’ and the community’s demands while cutting programs that meant a lot to the community and former alumni. Thank you Rossbacher for not completely burning HSU down to a crisp but, who’s next?

  • EDITORIAL: Warn us faster HSU

    EDITORIAL: Warn us faster HSU

    Our safety lies in the university’s hands, we want to know what’s going on

    As college students who pay thousands and put our safety in the university’s hands, we live on campus expecting to be safe. But that’s not what’s been happening.

    Last weekend a student assaulted another student on campus. This assault went unnoticed until nearly 24 hours later when the school sent out a mass text and email stating what had taken place.

    In our staff we have editors who have attended various colleges before HSU and recounted stories of students who weren’t alerted of crimes on time. Notices were given out days later if at all.

    There were some instances where students would hear about assaults and harmful events on campus from fellow students rather than the school themselves.

    When you’re a senior in high school looking for schools to attend, one thing that you’re not told to look out for are schools that fail to alert you if there is a dangerous person on campus. You’re not told to look out for schools that fail to alert their students about assaults, rapes, etc.

    In the past academic year at HSU we have received a lot of big news via mass emails and texts within hours of it occurring. We think that no matter how small or big the event, we should be alerted as soon as possible.

    We want to be told of everything that goes on on our campus. We do not pay for the school to decide what is worthy of being sent out in mass messages. We are tired of these messages being inconsistent with their timing.

    The amount of time between when an assault happens on campus or a student goes missing and when the school sends a message should be the same amount of time. One shouldn’t be told to students faster than the other. They are both serious events and they both should be treated as such.

    We want to feel safe on our school campus.

  • HSU club lacrosse celebrates 420 with a W

    HSU club lacrosse celebrates 420 with a W

    The Hogs run wild and become playoff eligible

    In the wind tunnel that is College Creek field the HSU club lacrosse team, better known as the “Hogs,” hosted San Jose State, for a chance to make the playoffs.The Hogs started fast, using the senior day crowd as a home field advantage. They built momentum and took control of the game early.

    IMG_0308.JPG
    Justin Turner firing a shot high over the San Jose States defense. | Photo by Matt Shiffler

    The game was crucial for the Hogs playoff chances because the winner would face UC Davis the following weekend, in the first round of the playoffs. The early morning start time was foreign to the Hogs, who practice four days a week, all in the afternoon.

    c25e1541-9267-40d7-a78d-2b1387908238.jpg
    Senior Logan Salcuni scoops up the ball and gets Humboldt’s offense started. | Photo by Matt Shiffler

    Senior Logan Salcuni admitted he was nervous about the morning start.

    “We always practice or watch film in the afternoon. So I was pleasantly surprised that we were able to come out with so much momentum because we normally don’t play that early in the morning.”

    The first half went quick as the Hogs controlled possession throughout and took a 9-3 lead into the break. They were able to win faceoffs, and control the tempo of the game by executing passes, screens, and shots.

    The Hogs defense set the tone for the game early and continued through the first half. They were able to build off consistent blocking from Sophomore goalie Liam Birmingham, who commanded his interior defense, and was able to make 13 saves. The Hogs were able to keep the Spartans out of the middle by collapsing the defense when a Spartan would try to make a run.

    The help defense was key to giving the Hogs a six-point lead at the half, and gave the offense momentum to create, and capitalize on opportunities.

    Skylar Nitz taking a crosscheck from a San Jose State midfielder. | Photo by Matt Shiffler

    Junior Liam Salcuni was thrilled on the team’s ability to stop the Spartans while a man down.

    “We were able to move into our box and one defense when a man down to slow them down,” Salcuni said. “Without good communication, and switches we would not have been able to stop them, or even compete today.”

    Skylar Nitz taking a crosscheck from a San Jose State midfielder. | Photo by Matt Shiffler

    The second half came and went as the Hogs built on their lead, as from Logan Salcuni scored seven goals, and capped off his HSU career by scoring off his assist from his older brother.

    The game ended 16-6 in favor of the Hogs, sending them to the playoffs, and giving them a date with UC Davis the weekend of April 27. They’re facing an uphill battle, as they’ll try to knock off the nationally ranked number one seed, something that has always proven to be tricky.

    For now, the Hogs look to celebrate the senior day win, the playoff berth, and a successful winning season.

    IMG_0458.JPG
    Players embrace | Photo by Matt Shiffler

  • Capitalism is cancer

    Capitalism is cancer

    Earth Week kicks off with a Trashion show and David Cobb as keynote speaker

    A fashion show highlighting wardrobes made of trash, awards given for sustainability and a speech given by Cooperation Humboldt board member David Cobb kicked off Humboldt State’s Earth Week.

    The “Earth Week Every Week” committee is a coalition of Associated Students programs and student clubs that organized the event to educate, create community and foster dialogue on issues of social and environmental justice, human and non-human rights and healthy lifestyles.

    The “Trashion” show that started off the event was organized by Green Campus Team Lead Morgan Kipf.

    31c93b6f-5388-409a-a751-b76b9805d840.jpg
    Trashion Show contestant on the stage striking a pose. | Photo by T.William Wallin

    “Our main goal is to spread awareness of sustainability and encourage behavioral change on campus,” Kipf said. “We also want to help save energy and water on campus.”

    The Trashion show is a fashion show competition that promotes fashion creativity, waste reduction and sustainability. There were students adorned in old sheets crocheted by their grandma, recycled posters and beer cans acting as crowns. Beads held together warped and scratched CDs worn as crop tops walked the runway of the stage as techno music blared in the background.

    Kipf said the third annual Trashion show was by far the biggest it’s been and gives her hope to include community members in the future.

    “This is something I’ve always been a lead in,” Kipf said. “It started off as fun and silly and hopefully it keeps on growing.”

    Trashion Show contestant on the stage striking a pose with a crown made of beer cans. | Photo by T.William Wallin

    It’s organizations like Green Campus that Associated Students Environmental Sustainability Officer Isabel Sanchez said helps to create Earth Week. Sanchez is the head of the Earth Week Every Week Committee and said their role in A.S. is to make sure Earth Week happens and there is a committee in charge of it.

    “I helped create this event and 20 other ones,” Sanchez said. “It’s difficult but so many people in A.S. and other organizations help out. Students are there for the event and stand by me.”

    IMG_0028.jpg
    David Cobb, board member of Cooperation Humboldt, was the keynote speaker during the first day of events for Earth Week on April 21. | Photo by T.WIlliam Wallin

    Sanchez invited David Cobb as the keynote speaker because “he’s radical, and to build resilience you have to be radical.” Cobb is an attorney who ran for U.S. president under the Green Party, is a member of the North Coast People’s Alliance, co-founder of Move to Amend and member of Cooperation Humboldt. Sanchez participated in Cooperation Humboldt workshops in the past and met Cobb through them.

    “He is an energetic community member,” Sanchez said. “The workshops are way interesting. They make you physically move and speak with one another in a nonverbal way and are very community oriented.”

    Cobb’s energy never waned as he spoke to a cheering crowd of students and faculty on his reasons for an ecological and economical crisis. Cobb said the capitalist system in the U.S. is racist and sexist and needs to be deconstructed.

    “If we’re serious about making Earth Day real we have to understand how we are living is destroying Mother Earth,” Cobb said. “We are in a crisis, an ecological crisis. It isn’t coming, it’s here and it’s getting worse.”

    IMG_9985.jpg
    Miles Kinman, environmental studies junior, on the runway stage during Green Campus’ third annual Trashion Show. | Photo by T.WIlliam Wallin

    Cobb went on to say the ecological crisis is fundamentally tied to the economic crisis. He said if capitalism is unlimited growth in a finite world then “capitalism is cancer” because cancer is the only thing in existence that has unlimited growth in our finite world. Cobb also said this is the first time he could say confidently we have enough resources to feed people and give health care, yet we aren’t doing that.

    “It’s not one percent but .01 percent of psychopaths in charge of the system,” Cobb said. “The fundamental structures in which we are operating in needs to stop.”

    When asked how HSU can contribute to the transition out of capitalism Cobb said by doing more of the good, like sustainability actions coming out of HSU dining services and less destroying, like the recent shut down of KHSU. Cobb then apologized to the students for the state of the world in which they inherited.

    “It may not be your fault, but it’s your problem,” Cobb said.

    Green Campus held their third annual Trashion show in the Kate Buchanan Room at HSU during Earth Week on April 21. | Photo by T.William Wallin

    For more information detailing Earth Week events go to: https://associatedstudents.humboldt.edu/content/2019-schedule

  • Soccer preseason prep

    Soccer preseason prep

    A win and a loss for the Jacks

    For the past few weeks, Humboldt States men’s soccer team has been preparing for the upcoming season in the fall.

    Between practicing three times a week, and competing in various scrimmages against other division 2 universities in northern California schools, the Jacks have shown tremendous dedication to make this season even better than the last.

    The team as a whole has many goals and aspirations they want to accomplish in the upcoming year.

    HSU forward Isaiah Dairo, said that the team wants to work on having one mindset as a team.

    “It’s one of the hardest things in a team sport,” Dairo said. “We’re definitely moving towards that goal, and I admire that a lot.”

    soccerpreseason4.jpg
    Photo by Amanda Schultz

    Over the past weekend, Humboldt State competed in two scrimmages against Sonoma State University and Mendocino Community College.

    The Lumberjacks finished the weekend with a 3-1 loss against Sonoma State and a 3-0 win against Mendocino. After struggling to maintain possession of the ball against Sonoma, the team decided to switch up their gameplay going into their second game.

    HSU defender, Martin Calderon said that coming into the second game, the defense tried to possess more in the back.

    “We tried to do less long balls and instead find our midfielders,” Calderon said. “Overall we just tried to possess more.”

    soccerpreseason5.jpg
    Marco Silveira attempts shot at goal. | Photo by Amanda Schultz

    Though the team has many goals set for this upcoming season, many of the athletes have personal goals they also want to accomplish in the fall.

    Some players saw the field for the first time this season as they were redshirted as a freshman, and others will be playing in their last season as a college athlete.

    Coming into the next season as a senior, Dairo has a couple of things he wants to improve on.

    “I want to go play overseas, so it’s a lot of competition with myself,” Dairo said. “I want to focus on the smaller aspects of the game. The little things are very important due to the fact that other teams can capitalize on that.”

    soccerpreseason2 - Copy.jpg
    Jordon Bruton running towards the opponents goal. | Photo by Amanda Schultz

    During the summer, the team takes two months off where they follow strict workouts and diets to stay in shape while they are away. Then, the athletes return to Humboldt a month early to finish preparing for the fall season.

    Team captain Robert Quintero said he just wants to have the best season the program has had in history.

    “I want to make an impact on the program that’s going to last,” Quintero said.

    Soccerpreseason.jpg
    Photo by Amanda Schultz

    Humboldt State men’s soccer team is working hard towards having a successful season and possibly even making playoffs. The season starts at the beginning of the fall semester, and home games are welcome to all guests at College Creek Field.

  • OPINION: Don’t learn safety by accident

    OPINION: Don’t learn safety by accident

    HSU waits to tell students about assaulter on campus

    It took Humboldt State nearly 20 hours to alert students that there had been an assault on campus committed by another student.

    Within those 20 hours that student who was the assaulter could have hurt someone else. For 20 hours students walked around aimlessly on campus without a care in the world because they had no idea there was an assaulter loose on school grounds.

    I do not live on campus however I do know what it is like to have someone invade you in your personal space and then not feel safe.

    We pay thousands of dollars every year just for HSU to fail to alert us that something like an assault took place in a residence hall. I have a younger sister who will be heading off to college in a years’ time and I fear that she will attend a school that lacks putting students’ safety above anything else.

    Our parents drop us off for the first day of the rest of our college career during move-in day. Having that institution leading them to believe that we are in their capable hands, yet how many students have been hurt on or near campus in the last five years? I have received one too many emails and text messages from HSU telling us about the death of yet another student or a student’s gone missing.

    There are these emergency posts placed around campus to call someone in the event you’re in danger, but the people that put us in harm’s way the most is the school themselves.

    How are we supposed to know when to be vigilant and stay in groups during a certain time or day when the school, our keepers, casually wait to alert us?

    This needs to change. I want to feel safe on my campus, on our campus.

  • KHSU protest in the plaza

    KHSU protest in the plaza

    The last remaining KSHU staff members resign, join a peaceful gathering of a few dozen held during weekly farmers market

    Forty-eight hours after the artery of the community was severed, a few dozen KHSU supporters took to the plaza in protest during the weekly farmers market.

    Natalya Estrada resigned her position this afternoon as the last remaining paid staff member of KHSU. Estrada’s resignation came after administrators at Humboldt State University decided to fire all volunteers and terminate all but two paid positions at KHSU on April 11. David Reed was the second of the two remaining employees but resigned on Friday, April 12.

    Estrada was at the protest to show support and said staying in the position would not only compromise her career in journalism but affect her overall health.

    “There comes a time in life when you need to make a decision in life and I made that decision,” Estrada said. “I knew what I was going to do but I needed to know how and when.”

    IMG_0041.jpg
    Local artist Lisa Enge holds a sign in support for KHSU during a peaceful protest at the weekly Arcata plaza farmer’s market on Saturday April 13. | Photo by T.William Wallin

    After Reed resigned Estrada was the last staff member running the station. Estrada said when the California Report came on she put on Caroline King and cried at her desk.

    “It was very lonely being the last person left,” Estrada said. “It felt like 48 hours on the 405 during rush hour traffic.”

    Tom Cairns was one of the volunteers to be let go during the dismantling of KHSU, but he isn’t just any volunteer. Cairns has been with KHSU for 47 years, making him the longest running volunteer at the station.

    IMG_0046.jpg
    Community member, Carrie Slack, and former host of Jazz with a Groove, Rob Enge, hold signs in support for KHSU during a peaceful protest at the weekly Arcata plaza farmer’s market on Saturday April 13. | Photo by T.William Wallin

    Cairns was at the protest because he felt the way everyone was fired was wicked and shameful. Cairns felt the audit report done on KHSU was just an excuse for firing everybody and HSU administrators were planning this even before then.

    “The way they handled it was bold face lies,” Cairns said. “They had checks written out already even before the meeting. They had it all planned.”

    In the 47 years as a volunteer Cairns has seen KHSU have its ups and downs but “it’s always continued and was never shut off the air.” Cairns said the unfortunate thing about the station now is it has become a typical NPR station with all news and very little music.

    “Basically it’s just another McDonald’s public radio station,” Cairns said.

    IMG_0066.jpg
    Public citizens, Mark Mueller and Lisa Hockaday, hold signs in support for KHSU during a peaceful protest at the weekly Arcata plaza farmer’s market on Saturday April 13. | Photo by T.William Wallin

    When asked what he felt the biggest loss was Cairns said the community of the station. Cairns said those that work with KHSU are very active in the larger northwest community and engaged in the arts, food, and news.

    “The music, public affairs, and local programming is what made KHSU unique and a viable source for the community,” Cairns said.

    IMG_0074.jpg
    A few dozen protesters gathered with signs during the Saturday farmer’s market at Arcata Plaza to show support for KHSU on April 13. | Photo by T.William Wallin

    Rob Enge, former host of Jazz with a Groove, was a member and sustainer with KHSU for 25 years and agreed with Cairns. Enge said this has been a loss of a community forum where connection was made.

    “This was a good place for people to put their energy,” Enge said.

    Enge moved to Humboldt in 1992 and the first thing he did was get connected with the local radio station. Enge was an avid listener of KPFK in southern California and said public radio stations are an important way in getting connected with community.

    “This has been an erosion of community,” Enge said. “This isn’t social media from out of the community, this is real people talking locally and when we lose that its a shame.”

    IMG_0048.jpg
    Community members show support for KHSU during a peaceful protest at the weekly Arcata plaza farmer’s market on Saturday April 13. | Photo by T.William Wallin

    Local artist Lisa Enge has also been a supporter of KHSU since 1992 and felt the loss of KHSU was like losing a friend. She said KHSU was a treasure in the community and it was a cruel way that it was cut.

    “Cutting volunteer and staff is unconscionable, shameful really,” Lisa Enge said.

    IMG_0069.jpg
    Jax Stuber (left) has been listening to KHSU everyday for the last six years and said she will miss all the music and diverse programming. | Photo by T.William Wallin

    Lisa Enge said once general manager Peter Fretwell fired KHSU program director, Katie Whiteside, the love for KHSU waned. She said as an artist the radio kept her company while she worked and she didn’t feel so lonely.

    “The people, DJs, and programmers became friends,” Lisa Enge said. “It’s like losing a friend, or a family member really.”

  • And then there were none, Natalya Estrada resigns amid KHSU shakeup

    And then there were none, Natalya Estrada resigns amid KHSU shakeup

    By Natalya Estrada

    Former KHSU employee Natalya Estrada speaks up after submitting her resignation

    My father always told me: Do no harm, but take no shit. It appears I’ve been surrounded by a monumental amount of fecal matter within the past few days. But make no mistake; I will not be buried by this.

    I came to KHSU in 2017, under the guise of needing to make a bit extra cash because I was paying double rent—my boyfriend at the time was helpful, but I still had two months left on my apartment lease. On the day of the interview, I had literally been under a fence. A large possibly, 300 pound wooden fence had fallen off of the rail on top of me as I was opening it so I could move my car out of the drive way. Was it a premonition? Was it a bad omen? I don’t know—one thing’s for sure, it made for a great interview topic. There were leaves in my hair, my red jacket had fresh mud stains and my legs were slightly swollen as I sat in the general manager’s office telling KHSU how much I love public radio. I got the job on the spot.

    And then a week later, I quit the Times-Standard, which was and still is one of my favorite jobs. It was where I met my best journalism friends and how I managed to come back to “Homeboldt” after a disappointing stint as a reporter in Southern California.

    Several months later, Katie was fired from KHSU; abruptly and without warning. It was chaos. I don’t have to remind everyone about how many sustainers canceled their membership, how much underwriting was lost to our bad reputation and how much of the community felt betrayed by the decisions of an institution. I was at a loss. Katie Whiteside was the first person I met at KHSU back during my internship as an undergrad at Humboldt State. She taught me how to manage the board during Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me, and Car Talk (RIP). She was the quintessential gem of KHSU, and I know I wasn’t the only person who felt like a piece of the station was forever lost with her dismissal.

    More months had passed and staff meetings became less and less about the station’s content and more about what kind of station we were pressed to become. Who were we in the eyes of the community, of the university and of the higher ups who seemed determined to challenge the format of good vibes, good words and good people?

    Eventually, we started having pledge drives again. None of us were sure we’d even get any kind of support—but we did. Why? Because despite the outrage, people believed we would come back, that we would get past this. And for I while, I also believed this. I was wrong.

    Thursday, April 11, 2019 does not seem like it happened in real life, but it did. While two of us were told to attend a separate meeting, our friends, our colleagues and basically our radio family were told of their fates. The two of us were left scrambling to figure out why this was happening.

    “David, what do we do? “

    “I don’t know honey. I had to go home.”

    Those were some of the last messages David and I sent to each other before the following day, when I was informed via phone call about his resignation. A couple minutes later, after texting Thad Greenson, Marc Valles and Andrew Goff, I read David’s Facebook post. I cried hysterically as I toggled between Morning Edition and the California Report. I switched on the mic and read the weather report: mostly cloudy and chances of rain—the weather has never represented me so well.

     It was done. KHSU was done.

    I called my friends, my sister, my mother and several of my editors. The bulk of the text messages I sent were: “I am fine. Please don’t worry about me.”

    But the reality was, I was crying to Carol King in studio A, and wanting to hide from the phone which kept ringing.

    “Something inside has died and I can’t hide and I just can’t fake it.”

    I think I answered close to 25 calls on Friday.

    Megan Bender, of The Osprey messaged me. Not about work, but about emotional support. At noon, on Friday, we met in Gist Hall to talk. She handed me an iced matcha latte and a breakfast sandwich. Damien Jimenez, a KHSU intern, waved me down as I was driving and gave me a hug through my car window—I asked him to pretend he doesn’t notice how messy my car is. Lumberjack reporter Freddy Brewster shook my hand and smiled warmly at me —it’s reassuring to know the future of journalism has compassion.

    Then came the hard part: the official part. Three meetings and perhaps the most “Don Draper” attitude I’ve ever had, prevented me from openly crying in front of two men in suits and one on a speaker phone. I don’t understand their narrative or their reasons. Perhaps I never will.

    Thank you all for letting me into your morning commute, for telling me your stories of hope, tragedy, triumph and love. Thank you for letting me speak your truths through an omni-directional microphone. Thank you for letting me take your photos and for calling me in the morning to let me know it’s White-THORN not Whitehorn. I will forever hold KHSU in my heart and memory as a place of acceptance, peace and home to the hardest working folks I’ve ever met.

    What now you may ask will a local unemployed radio gal do in this crisis?

    I’ll survive. I always do.

    I know many of you believe I was indifferent to the situation and that my stairway to the “top” consisted of bricks made of manure. I advise you to check my shoes and notice they’re crap-free.

  • Radio silence

    Radio silence

    Abrupt firings at KHSU send shockwaves, not sound waves, throughout the community

    In a blow to the local community, administrators at Humboldt State decided to fire all volunteers and terminate all but two paid positions at the local NPR affiliate, KHSU, on April 11. The firings, and other reorganizations, came after months of tense back and forths with the administration and the KHSU Community Advisory Board. Some in the community felt that the hostile tensions were behind and that future broadcasting was no longer in jeopardy.

    “This is fraud. KHSU is community radio. You just don’t knock the community out like that.”

    Joyce Houston

    Last week Joyce Houston volunteered during the KHSU fund drive and donated money to the future of the station. Houston said she has volunteered and donated money to the station for the last 30 years and felt that she was scammed given the administration’s decision for the firings.

    “This is fraud,” Houston said. “KHSU is community radio. You just don’t knock the community out like that.”

    According to a press release from HSU, changes to station include the elimination of five staff positions, the General Manager and Chief Engineer positions and an “indefinite suspension of volunteer-run programs.”

    The press release mentions the administration will look into allowing students to take on a more active role at KHSU, however there is already a student-run radio program at HSU. Amy Berkowitz, KRFH radio news faculty advisor, said she has been contacted numerous times by the administration asking for students to be more involved at KHSU but said that was not necessary because of the student run station.

    “KRFH is for students, by students,” Berkowitz said. “KHSU is for the community. Our area relies on the radio for emergencies. Having this gone is a loss to the safety of our community.”

    Berkowitz said that the loss of the community programs is why it is such a blow. Some of the programs that were broadcast on KHSU had been on air for over 30 years, according to Berkowitz.

    “Right now, they are just rebroadcasting out of Chico,” Berkowitz said. “We can all just ask our smartphones to play NPR, but that is not why we listen to KHSU.”

    Some of the programs currently cut from the air are the KHSU magazine, The Race Beat hosted by Lorna Bryant, the Thursday Night Talk with Eric Kirk, and Immigrant Voices hosted by James Floss.

    Lisa Rossbacher, president of Humboldt State University, said the reasoning for the abrupt firings was because of budget reasons, a realignment of the mission between KHSU and the university, and an advisory review from the CSU chancellor’s office that she received on “Monday or Tuesday of this week.”

    “People think of volunteers of not costing anything, but in fact it takes two to three hours of paid staff time to support every hour of programming that is generated by volunteers,” Rossbacher said.

    When questioned on how much oversight and time that paid staff have to give to volunteers who have been part of KHSU for over 30 years, Rossbacher acknowledged she didn’t know the exact details of the matter.

    “I can’t speak to the details of how that programming gets produced, but it requires staff involvement to support them,” Rossbacher said.

    On the future of KHSU, Rossbacher said the university is looking for partners to collaborate with and could not speak of the details of what that collaboration would look like or who it would involve.

    [perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”Cliff Berkowitz” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=”17″]“I understand budget concerns, but one of the main jobs of being president is trying to strike a balance. Cutting a vital part of the community is foolish.”[/perfectpullquote]

    “We still want to have local programming,” Rossbacher said. “We still have to cover it within our budget and so I can’t tell you right now exactly what that looks like. If any of the volunteers ask to be able to take any of the programs that they have already produced with them, we are absolutely cool with that. Some of what has appeared in the past may show up again through other media, but I don’t know exactly what the future is going to hold.”

    During Rossbacher’s five-year term at HSU she has oversaw the closing of the HSU Third Street Art Gallery, the cutting of the football program, and now the massive firing and change of direction at KHSU—all integral components of the Humboldt community. When asked about the reasoning on why she made these decisions Rossbacher said it had to deal with shortfalls in money.

    “My goal is to get to a balanced budget,” Rossbacher said. “There have been some difficult choices in the process of getting there. Over the last two years the university overall has managed to reduce spending by about $9 million, with another million dollars we need to find in the next year.”

    Cliff Berkowitz, husband of Amy Berkowitz and fellow KRFH faculty member, felt that the abrupt firings were a betrayal of the community and noted that KHSU has been an integral part of the Humboldt community for over 50 years.

    “I understand budget concerns, but one of the main jobs of being president is trying to strike a balance,” Cliff Berkowitz said. “Cutting a vital part of the community is foolish.”

    Cliff Berkowitz has been teaching at HSU for 11 years and said that the announcement of the KHSU firings was a “gut punch.”

    “The most telling example of how sinister this is, is evident in the letting go of the volunteers,” Cliff Berkowitz said. “Their shows and their connection to the community are the reason why the underwriters have contributed. And it is gone.”

  • KHSU shutdown, plans moving forward vague at best

    KHSU shutdown, plans moving forward vague at best

    KHSU, 90.5 FM, has been abruptly shut down this morning with little to no notice given to the employees and volunteers. Currently University Police are inside the station and only granting access to individuals with the explicit approval of Craig Wruck, Vice President for University Advancement and Executive Director of the HSU Advancement Foundation. Ryan Lee, a station volunteer and radio host since 1990, was standing in the rain outside of the station confused and upset about the abrupt closure.

    Michael Fennell, who volunteered for KHSU, carries out a basket of CD’s from Feuerwerker House where the station has been on Humboldt State campus on April 11. | Photo by Thomas Lal

    “The station is shut down, everybody is fired, all the volunteers have been let go,” Lee said. “All accounts for current staff have been locked. We have been denied access to Wagner House without an escort. We have no plans for programming. There may be nothing.”

    Lee said that he came to the station this morning at 8 a.m. and his keycard worked at the time but when he tried hours nothing happened. 

    “Jeff Demark noted that [KHSU] just had a pledge drive and that everybody that pledged their money should be refunded,” Lee said. “Maybe because it was gotten under false pretenses. We all knew that there was something coming down the pipe, but nobody knew it was going to be like this.”

    David Montoya, Associate Vice President of Human Resources, answered the door at the KHSU headquarters but declined to comment on the situation. 

    The press release reads as follows:

    Humboldt State University is reorganizing and streamlining operations at its public radio station, KHSU, with the goal of preserving quality programming for the North Coast.
    The changes are intended to address operational challenges at KHSU, prevent further negative impact to the University’s budget, and better align HSU’s financial support with its mission and with opportunities for students. 
    Station employees were told of the changes earlier today. Because the reorganization and budget reductions include the elimination of positions, a number of individuals will no longer be employed at HSU. The University is working to provide clear information to them, and to ensure they receive any benefits they are entitled to.
    The steps taken today include:
    Elimination of HSU’s direct payroll support, including the General Manager position and Chief Engineer position, saving the University more than $250,000 annually.
    Elimination of five other staff positions, generating significant savings in the portion of KHSU’s budget that comes from government support, underwriting, and listener contributions.
    Appointment of an Interim Station Director, to be supported through non-HSU funding.
    Consolidating all KHSU operations in Feuerwerker House, reducing the inefficiency of having two separate spaces.
    Indefinite suspension of volunteer-run programs. The University will evaluate how students can return to a more substantial on-air role at KHSU.
    Actively pursuing collaboration with other public radio stations and seeking CPB funding to support this effort.
    The decision to realign the station reflects a comprehensive assessment. Factors included the station’s increasing cost to the University; KHSU’s limited capacity for additional fundraising and underwriting; challenges identified by the CSU Office of Audit and Advisory Services; feedback from listeners and volunteers; the University’s commitment to public service; and the appropriate role of student involvement in station operations and programming. 
    The report from the CSU Office of Audit and Advisory Services (pdf), which was recently received by HSU, includes an in-depth program review of the station that identified a number of issues with operations and administration. It was initiated at the request of HSU President Lisa Rossbacher, and she shared it yesterday with KHSU’s Community Advisory Board.
    In addition to issues identified in the report, there are serious budget issues at the station. KHSU is heavily subsidized by the HSU general fund, and the station’s budget deficits have continued to worsen. At the end of the 2017-18 year, HSU had to cover a budget deficit of nearly $135,000 beyond its regular subsidy, and this year’s projected budget deficit is even larger.
    KHSU’s budget challenge largely reflects increases in payroll costs. In addition, community support has been flat or declining, with underwriting revenue down approximately 14 percent for the year and listener support down approximately 17 percent. And while volunteers create a great deal of local programming, their efforts also come at a cost, requiring significant support by paid staff. 
    The budget challenges at KHSU come as HSU has been working to address an overall structural deficit as well as funding declines related to an enrollment drop. The University has reduced its spending by $9 million over the last two years, and is making nearly $1 million in additional reductions for the coming year.
    For context, over the last year HSU has funded nearly half the cost of KHSU. Listener support provided about 22 percent, corporate underwriting 17 percent, and government grants 12 percent. HSU directly paid more than $265,000 in salary, covered at least $250,000 for space and utilities, and spent at least $80,000 receiving and processing contributions to the station.
    Even with the changes at KHSU, listeners will continue to have access to high-quality national programming and news. The most recent audience data reaffirm this is, by far, the station’s most popular programming.

    This story is ongoing and has been updated here.

  • HSU announces clean up of KHSU

    HSU announces clean up of KHSU

    Earlier this morning, Humboldt State issued a press release regarding their NPR affiliate KHSU. The radio station will be undergoing drastic changes including the removal of all but two staff members.

    Now former volunteers and station supporters meet outside of Feuerwerker House after hearing about the elimination of jobs and volunteer positions at KHSU on April 11. | Photo by Thomas Lal

    HSU press release is as follows:

    Humboldt State University is reorganizing and streamlining operations at its public radio station, KHSU, with the goal of preserving quality programming for the North Coast.

    The changes are intended to address operational challenges at KHSU, prevent further negative impact to the University’s budget, and better align HSU’s financial support with its mission and with opportunities for students. 

    Station employees were told of the changes earlier today. Because the reorganization and budget reductions include the elimination of positions, a number of individuals will no longer be employed at HSU. The University is working to provide clear information to them, and to ensure they receive any benefits they are entitled to.

    The steps taken today include:

    • Elimination of HSU’s direct payroll support, including the General Manager position and Chief Engineer position, saving the University more than $250,000 annually.
    • Elimination of five other staff positions, generating significant savings in the portion of KHSU’s budget that comes from government support, underwriting, and listener contributions.
    • Appointment of an Interim Station Director, to be supported through non-HSU funding.
    • Consolidating all KHSU operations in Feuerwerker House, reducing the inefficiency of having two separate spaces.
    • Indefinite suspension of volunteer-run programs. The University will evaluate how students can return to a more substantial on-air role at KHSU.
    • Actively pursuing collaboration with other public radio stations and seeking CPB funding to support this effort.

    The decision to realign the station reflects a comprehensive assessment. Factors included the station’s increasing cost to the University; KHSU’s limited capacity for additional fundraising and underwriting; challenges identified by the CSU Office of Audit and Advisory Services; feedback from listeners and volunteers; the University’s commitment to public service; and the appropriate role of student involvement in station operations and programming. 

    The report from the CSU Office of Audit and Advisory Services (pdf), which was recently received by HSU, includes an in-depth program review of the station that identified a number of issues with operations and administration. It was initiated at the request of HSU President Lisa Rossbacher, and she shared it yesterday with KHSU’s Community Advisory Board.

    In addition to issues identified in the report, there are serious budget issues at the station. KHSU is heavily subsidized by the HSU general fund, and the station’s budget deficits have continued to worsen. At the end of the 2017-18 year, HSU had to cover a budget deficit of nearly $135,000 beyond its regular subsidy, and this year’s projected budget deficit is even larger.

    KHSU’s budget challenge largely reflects increases in payroll costs. In addition, community support has been flat or declining, with underwriting revenue down approximately 14 percent for the year and listener support down approximately 17 percent. And while volunteers create a great deal of local programming, their efforts also come at a cost, requiring significant support by paid staff. 

    The budget challenges at KHSU come as HSU has been working to address an overall structural deficit as well as funding declines related to an enrollment drop. The University has reduced its spending by $9 million over the last two years, and is making nearly $1 million in additional reductions for the coming year.

    For context, over the last year HSU has funded nearly half the cost of KHSU. Listener support provided about 22 percent, corporate underwriting 17 percent, and government grants 12 percent. HSU directly paid more than $265,000 in salary, covered at least $250,000 for space and utilities, and spent at least $80,000 receiving and processing contributions to the station.

    Even with the changes at KHSU, listeners will continue to have access to high-quality national programming and news. The most recent audience data reaffirm this is, by far, the station’s most popular programming.

    Updates to come.

  • Safe night strolls on campus

    Safe night strolls on campus

    New safety escort program allow students to help other students

    Humboldt State University is an open public school that hosts many strangers on a daily basis. Some students, faculty and staff feel unsafe walking alone at night on campus. To ease their worries the University Police Department has started a program that enlists student escorts to assist other students and faculty who feel unsafe walking.

    You can find these escorts walking around campus wearing bright green jackets. Karyn Hoppe, the clery coordinator and live scan supervisor at UPD, said the program fulfills some of the safety needs of students, faculty and staff.

    “Unfortunately in society, people in authority are not looked at in a favorable light, especially police officers in uniform,” Hoppe said. “With the peer program, people feel more comfortable being able to say things without getting in trouble. Some even feel uncomfortable being with a police officer or being seen in a patrol unit because people wonder why you’re in there.”

    Students, faculty members and staff can be escorted from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m., Monday through Friday within school grounds. Student escorts are not permitted to go outside of campus to assist students. They only offer assistance from the end of the Jolly Giants building to 14th Street.

    Alan Valle, a fourth year student majoring in sociology, works as an escort for the peer program. Valle said he usually gets calls anywhere from the BSS to the library.

    “A lot of students I get do feel unsafe and want someone to walk with them to their destination, due to reports of strange people walking on campus they have heard of or emails they have gotten in the past.”

    Miguel Altamirano, a fifth year kinesiology major, also works as a student escort for the peer program.

    “It can be a little sketchy walking at night, depending on the hour, especially working on a project at midnight,” Altamirano said. “You feel like you want to rush home because you see people you don’t recognize or who don’t look like students.”

    IMG_6111.JPG
    Student and Business Services building where students can find the University’s Police Department. | Photo by Delaney Duarte

    Students now have the opportunity to be accompanied by another student without feeling unsafe. Paola Morgado, a second year student at HSU majoring in biology, shared her opinions and thoughts on the student escort program.

    “I never feel safe walking alone on campus at night,” Morgado said. “There are some weird people roaming around on campus. I believe that the campus is finally becoming more aware of incidents happening on campus with strange activity of random people, so I think this program will help a lot of people.”

    If any students, faculty or staff members feel unsafe walking from one destination to another late at night on campus, they can request a safety escort by calling the number 826-5555, or just dial x5555 from a campus blue light courtesy phone.

  • Men’s volleyball powers past William Jessup

    Men’s volleyball powers past William Jessup

    The Jacks dominated with a clean three-set sweep. They continue their unbeaten streak, winning 25-13, 25-13, 25-14

    On Saturday night the men’s HSU volleyball team improved to 6-0 overall after defeating William Jessup Warriors inside the Lumberjack Arena Saturday. The Jacks were able to play above the net without obstruction from the opposing team’s blockers. Their offensive spikes went straight down into the Warrior’s defense where they rarely played the ball smoothly to an outside setter.

    Team captain, Carter Eyrich said it was a good feeling mixing up.

    “The jump serves were getting aces, but also we were able to cool it down and float some in there,” Eyrich said. “For the most part, we created some great setups. And we were able to put it away each time. I got kills, but it was a team effort today for sure.”

    IMG_9389.JPG
    Micheal Jacobs rising above the defense with a spike that sent the ball spiraling off the Warriors fingertips. | Photo by Matt Shiffler

    Both teams opened the game with a lengthy rally. Jacks middle hitter Andrew Rauchway connected with a hard outside spike that sent the ball straight into the net. The Warriors took over possession and an early 3-2 lead. Number four on the Warriors served the ball out of play resulting in a service error. The slight edge they built vanished off the side of the mishit serve.

    [perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”Michael Jacobs” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=”17″]“I gotta be the hype man. I come from a football background, and volleyball guys seem more relaxed but let’s bring the excitement.”[/perfectpullquote]

    While the Warriors continued their offensive mistakes the Jacks started to settle in. The Jacks defense and blockers stabilized the initial spike, allowing their setters to place the ball just above the net for heavy spikes. This recipe helped attacker Micheal Jacobs ramp up the energy and start bouncing around the gym covering multiple spots on the court. Jacobs confidence and ability to get above the Warriors blockers led him to 18 kills.

    “I gotta be the hype man,” Jacobs said. “I come from a football background, and volleyball guys seem more relaxed but let’s bring the excitement.”

    ecf04239-ad97-487c-b97b-cd525bf7882f-2.jpg
    Andrew Rauchway firing a spike past the Warrior defender late to his position, resulting in a kill. | Photo by Matt Shiffler

    The Warriors fought back but couldn’t handle the setting accuracy of the Jacks. The Jacks set up fake spikes to the left and right helping either Eyrich, Jacobs, or Rauchway get the kills in the attacking zone. The 3-2 lead early would be the final time the Warriors had any hope during the game. The score climbed to 18-10 in a hurry, forcing the Warriors to call a timeout. The strategic timeout and late match substitutions would prove ineffective as the Jacks take game one 25-14.

    “We basically did everything right beside some serves and errors,” Rauchway Said. “If we clean that up we could potentially win some games 25-2 or 25-1.”

    The Jacks remained talkative, calling out plays and reading the Warriors one-dimensional offense. Blockers were in position ready to set a wall before the attacking Warriors started their set. The Jacks built a 16 to 9 lead that grew to a 25-13 win in game two.

    703f1a8e-ec62-44ba-95d5-67edea83bec8.jpg
    #8 Raul Roman after serving the ball into the Warriors defensive zone. | Photo by Matt Shiffler

    Game three started worse for the Warriors falling behind 7-0 early. The body language was night and day for the two teams. The Jacks went for the kill, doubling down with their power spikes. At one point the Warriors started to turn away from the incoming rockets disguised as volleyballs. The Warriors defensive specialists stopped digging out hard spikes from the Jacks attackers. Jump serves looked to sting the forearms of the Warriors and slowly broke the cheers and their final hope of a comeback.

    An unfortunate injury to setter number eight Raul Roman occurred late in game three. Roman went down on the far side of the court clutching is foot or ankle and staying down for a while as the gym went silent. Roman finally was helped to his feet but didn’t put any weight on it as he was sat down on the training table. Roman would not return to action but didn’t need to as the game was already coming to a close and the Jacks dominated a 25-14 win in game three.

    “It was tough seeing one of our setters go down but we stayed strong,” Eyrich said. “We dropped some points after that but we were able to take a breather. We came back as a team and I’m excited to see what’s next for us”

    a976637a-dd38-4495-9995-4183b8739b87.jpg
    Men’s volleyball earning another W against William Jessup inside the Lumberjack Arena. | Photo by Matt Shiffler

    Catch HSU volleyball action live this Saturday against Sacramento State in the Lumberjack Arena at noon.

  • Who’s your female idol? (Part 2)

    Who’s your female idol? (Part 2)

    In honor of Women’s History Month, we ask people at Humboldt State who their female idols are and why

    Share who your female idols are in the comments to be featured in future videos.

  • Illuminating the dark

    Illuminating the dark

    Professor Derek F. Jackson Kimball sheds some light on his research into dark matter

    Gravity keeps us down, thermodynamics keep us warm and dark energy is getting big. CSU East Bay physics Professor Derek F. Jackson Kimball uncovers the nature of dark matter.

    Students from the physics department gathered in Science A 475 to listen to Kimball explain his research into the nature of dark matter. Kimball and his team hypothesized that dark matter is axion particles.

    Axion particles are hypothetical particles that are unbelievably small and weigh almost nothing. They’re classified as boson particles. This means multiple axion particles could occupy the same space without interfering with one another.

    IMG_4933.HEIC.jpg
    Professor Kimball pointing out equations used to determine the frequency of an axion’s rotation. | Photo by Collin Slavey

    Why does dark matter matter? Kimball used a colorful example to explain his pursuits in physics. His colleague Max Zolotorev, a former citizen of Soviet Russia, said that physicists care about dark matter because they “are curious to know how things work.”

    “Three percent of rats are physicists,” Zolotorev said. “In a Soviet experiment, an electrode is placed on top of a rat cage. Seventy percent of rats touch the electrode, get shocked and never touch the electrode again. Twenty-seven percent of rats watch 70 percent of rats touch the electrode, get shocked and never touch electrode in the first place. Three percent of rats touch the electrode and get shocked. Then the [three percent of rats] touch the electrode from the side, gets shocked. Then rats touch the top of electrode, also gets shocked. [Those] three percent of rats are physicists.”

    Kimball hopes to detect the axion particles in a rather unconventional way. Since the theoretical particle would be very small, Kimball’s team is going to try to detect them using magnetic resonance.

    Gynell Higby, a student of physics at HSU, attended the seminar. She was inspired by Kimball’s efforts.

    “Theories were taken from my modern physics class and made real,” Higby said. “That he can put together a new model from his mind and make it happen, it’s awesome.”

    Kimball is working together with physicists from around the world to figure out whether their axion hypothesis is valid. To detect axion particles using magnetic resonance, the GNOME program is a global network of sensors designed to record an event where the planet Earth passes through axion particles.

    The basic idea is to get a baseline recording of what space sounds like. When a sensor passes through dark matter, the axion particles in the air will change the baseline recording, appearing as a spike or a curve over the baseline data. Alas, so far there has been no such event.

    IMG_4920.HEIC.jpg
    Professor Derek Kimball | Photo by Collin Slavey

    Dark matter is a great mystery of nature. It won’t necessarily build a better toaster, but to discover what dark matter is will be a great human achievement. Kimball began his explanation of dark matter with a brief overview of what we know about it.

    First, we cannot see dark matter because it does not interact with light. That’s why dark matter is dark. Second, there is a lot of dark matter. Observations and a lot of complicated gravitational math inform us that dark matter makes up 26.8 percent of the observable universe.

    The remaining 63.8 percent of space is dark energy, an expanding force. And the remaining 4.9 percent of the universe is observable matter, stars, planets, galaxies etc. Finally, we know that we know just about nothing else about dark matter.

    Knowing so little drives Kimball’s research. Physicists know dark matter exists because of some significant astronomical observations. Primarily, the fact galaxies don’t spin themselves apart as they rotate tells us dark matter exists.

    If only the gravity from visible matter was holding galaxies together, galaxies would break apart and scatter stars across the universe. But they don’t. Gravity from dark matter and visible matter combined has enough force to hold galaxies together. The math works out to confirm dark matter exists.

    “We may be just swimming in dark matter,” Kimball said. “We could be able to detect it here from Earth today. Or maybe we are mostly sitting in nothing but every so often we run into dark matter. It may be clumped up in little dark matter balls or it may exist as massive dark matter walls. We will figure it out.”