It’s common knowledge that traveling outside of Humboldt county is a long trip. Plenty of students are getting ready to scurry down south to begin summer vacation, while families and friends of Humboldt State University graduates prepare to make the drive to Humboldt for the graduation ceremony. With the recent storm that has recently hit Humboldt county in the past months, various repairs have been needed along the 101, including a huge rock slide. The usual quickest route back south, Highway 101, may not be such a good choice for students heading home, or families and friends heading to Humboldt..
Eli Shannon, freshman psychology major, is finishing up his first year at HSU. “I was planning on leaving about a week after finals,” Shannon said. “If the 101 is closed I guess I’m taking the 299.” Shannon’s remark may sound similar to other students who are planning on reaching their destinations as fast possible.
Currently US 101 has two locations of 1-way controlled traffic, both being in Mendocino county. One of these locations is 12 miles north of Dora Creek Bridge, and the other being south of Garberville. Around 6 miles of the 101 are being reduced to one lane both ways in southern Humboldt County.
Some students have people coming up to watch the graduation ceremony. One of those graduating students is Araceli Gracia. She is a child development major who will be walking this month.
“I’m planning on telling my family to take the 299 instead,” Gracia said. “It would be better to take the 299 to be safe rather than taking the 101 getting stuck or having to turn around and take longer.”
The inconveniences on the 101 are another worry for students as they prepare for finals. Worrying about passing classes is stressful enough without having to endure a lengthy car ride home. One student who calls San Diego home is Melissa Blanford, a marketing major with a minor in English. “Yeah I guess I’m kinda annoyed that there will be traffic,” Blanford said. “But I’m not really worried about it considering I have finals to worry about.”
Opening a video store in 2017 may seem like a joke, but a new video store, Shadow Gallery, opened in Old Town Eureka on April 1. After the recent closing of the Eureka Figueiredo’s and the Arcata Spotlight, it is hard to believe that a new video store would open. With all the streaming websites, it seems there is no need for a physical store. For a weird and rural place like Humboldt County, owner Harley Demarest doesn’t believe so.
“We have crappy Internet,” Demarest said. “Streaming isn’t for everybody and a lot of growers don’t have wireless Internet, so they buy movies to bring up in the hills.”
The Shadow Gallery is more than just a video store. Entering inside is like going in a organized garage of memorabilia. There is a diverse collection of books, comic book issues, graphic novel anthologies, vinyl records, band shirts, and video games for Sega Dreamcast to Xbox 360. There is a small section of the store dedicated for gaming. A shelf of various vintage gaming consoles sits next to a TV in front of a couch. Customers can’t check out consoles, but they are welcome to ask to play a game on the consoles in store. There is a large amount of collectable figures, vintage movie posters, collectible Lego sets and other memorabilia throughout the store. The majority of the items are from Demarest’s personal collection.
“It’s been an ongoing collection for about 10 years,” Demarest said. “About three to four years ago, I reached a tipping point in my collection. I had to decide to either sell it or just go further with it.”
The idea of owning a video store, or possibly a comic book store, has been bumping around Demarest’s head for the last 10 years. He created a GoFundMe page to see people’s reactions to the idea of opening a video store and received a lot of support. With help from his friends, they slowly moved Demarest’s collection into the new store. Since the grand opening, the store had steady traffic. On the sunny Friday afternoon, several people came in. Two older women entered and looked at the band shirts. A group of adults went straight to the video game section and one woman bought a figurine from the popular video game, Starcraft. Many more walked in and browsed the diverse movie selection, that varied from B-rated horror, popular anime shows, essential Criterion film, TV shows and much more in VHS, DVD and Blu-Ray. When talking about movies, Demarest suggested several movies.
“Have you seen ‘Attack the Block’?” he said. “It’s John Boyega, before ‘The Force Awakens’, and it pretty much started his career,”
He also suggested “Gentleman Bronco,” a comedy that featured one of his favorite actors Sam Rockwell.
“If I had an employee’s pick section, those two have to be it,” he said.
To check out anything from the store, there are two options for customer membership. The first is the video club, much like other video stores. It costs $3 for a two-day new release or $1 to check out previously released movies for seven days. The second option is a library membership. Varying from $10 a month or $150 a year, a customer would be allotted a specific number of points as currency to check out a limited amount of media. For example, a $10 membership would allow the customer 10 points. Each media is worth a number of points, from one-point comic issues to five-point DVDs and Blu-Rays. The $10 membership will allot the customer to rent two movies at one time and those 10 points are used. Once the movies are returned, those points are returned to the customer and can be used on other media, like the games or books. This can be used until the month membership is over. This format of membership limits the amount of media that can be checked out and limit potential loss.
There are many plans for the future of The Shadow Gallery. Demarest, who is a comic book artist, wants to get art supplies to rent out from pencils to easels. This would hopefully open the store as an art collective, where people can work and share their artwork. He also hopes to host future game nights, both Tetris tournaments and Magic games.
The Shadow Gallery is at 214 E St. in Eureka and open 7 days a week 12-9 p.m. For further questions, call (707) 273-5250.
Todd Larsen, associate director of Housing and Residence admits there is not enough housing on campus for every student who wants to live on campus.
“This year we have a record number of returners and transfers,” Larsen said. “We had 800 returners apply for the 600 spots we have.”
The housing office is trying to take some of the stress off of students looking for off campus housing. The housing office has held four events now to help students find housing.
Their final event held on April 24, gave students an opportunity to meet with real estate management groups. Kimberly Morris was at the event with Kramer Investment Corporation talking with students about renting apartments for them next semester.
“We try to make it as easy as possible for first time renter,” Morris said. “We try to get the parents involved to help students through the process.”
Sol Dinay, a freshman physics major, attended the event held by housing. He has already seen about a dozen houses and is hoping to secure his housing for next semester soon.
“It’s just a matter of getting an app that gets approved,” Dinay said. “I’m not that worried cause I know we’ll eventually get a place.”
Dinay tried to get an early start looking for houses and has some advice for people just barely starting out.
“Try getting started on Craigslist because the application process is just an email,” Dinay said. “Apply to as many places as you can cause most will get denied.”
Levi Mazza a freshman business major already lives off campus. Mazza found a house last May when he came up with his friend and current roommate. For him the hardest part of finding housing was getting his calls returned.
“Everyone is extremely flaky up here,” Mazza said. “If you find a property, annoy the property manager by phone and in person.”
He believes that by constantly contacting the manager you have a better chance to get a face to face meeting. It is in this first meeting that impressions are made that can determine whether or not you get the house.
“When you do meet them in person be well dressed, make eye contact,” Mazza said, “and shake there hand multiple times.”
Water diversion for illegal grow operations has significant environmental impact
Fish need water, and so does marijuana, but people may not realize we’re approaching a point where it’s between one or the other. Many illegal grow operations divert water from streams, which is the most common environmental crime committed, according to Sergeant Kerry Ireland of the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office.
Time lapse photography of the Mad River taken from Google Earth. This Google Earth image was taken in 2004. | Photo by Bryan Donoghue (using Google Earth)Google Earth image of the Mad River in 2014. Notice the drastic difference in water level. | Photo by Bryan Donoghue (using Google Earth)
Ireland is in charge of the Special Services Division of the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office. He said that there are currently no investigations going on having to do with environmental crimes, but they have seized 135 thousand plants from over 100 marijuana grows, and issued 51 search warrants in 2016.
“That’s just a drop in the bucket for the number of marijuana plants that are in Humboldt County,” Ireland said. “There’s also at least 20 thousand cultivation sites in Humboldt.”
The adverse effects of marijuana cultivation are presently more than just an environmental crime, it’s harming our wildlife too.
Darren Ward is a fisheries biology associate professor and researcher of freshwater ecology at Humboldt State.
“There’s a real direct reason we should care,” Ward said. “There’s endangered salmon and steelhead that live in those streams. There are cases where they’ve been documented to die when stream flows are reduced because of water withdrawals.”
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, when stream flows are reduced, they are categorized as a low-flow. Summer low-flows are particularly extreme because higher heats cause water to evaporate a quicker rate.
Marijuana plant discovered at an illegal grow site near Shelter Cove. The land was torn, with plastic littering the ground. | Photo from Eureka Sheriff’s Department
“If for no other reason, it’s important to care about that because it’s a violation of federal law,” Ward said.
Sergeant Ireland works with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife conducting investigations on environmental regulations that are broken. If there is a water violation, he contacts the State Water Resources Control Board, where they assist each other by investigating independently and then sharing their findings. Ireland finds that more marijuana grows continue to appear, and now they’re widespread throughout all of Humboldt County.
“It is everywhere,” Ireland said. “It’s literally in all parts of the county.”
Plenty of research is in progress to map how widespread grows are. Redwood Creek is a major contributing stream flowing into the Eel River. It is also one of the areas where major property subdivisions and land-use changes have taken place in the last 50 years, according to geography alumna Cristina Bauss.
Bauss took a look at the heavily impacted watershed of Redwood Creek in her bachelor’s thesis. Coincidentally, Redwood Creek was one of four watersheds studied by Senior Environmental Scientist Supervisor Scott Bauer associated with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Bauss used Google Earth imagery from 2014, whereas the Bauer used imagery from 2012. Bauss duplicated Bauer’s study to examine the difference in greenhouse capacity and found an 18 percent increase in two years. That’s an exceptional amount of land being used for marijuana.
Simplified map of marijuana cultivation sites in the Redwood Creek watershed. Light-gray circles represent clusters of greenhouses, by number; outdoor growing sites are mapped individually. Sites outside the boundaries of the watershed are on parcels that straddle two watersheds, and were recorded because they may draw water from Redwood Creek and/or its tributaries. | Map Cristina Bauss. Sources: USGS Earth Explorer, County of Humboldt, CAL FIRE.
The trend in growing greenhouse capacity is a growing concern. Ward voices concern as to what will happen come next season.
“When next summer rolls around, and the flows start to drop and the temperature starts to come up,” Ward said. “If there’s an additional water withdrawal in the stream, that’s when it’s going to be really hard on the fish.”
Ward said that historically, when people weren’t withdrawing water, then those streams were still connected and the salmon and steelhead could move to a lower spot in the stream to avoid overheating. Currently, due to water withdrawals, these pools aren’t connected anymore so there’s not as much area to swim for cover.
Andrew Stubblefield, a hydrology and watershed management professor at Humboldt State University finds that the salmon and steelhead are facing a crisis, but marijuana is not the most significant contributor to water deprivation in Humboldt’s watersheds.
Stubblefield explained that thousands of giant trees drive the water use of a watershed, and a small change in the amount of water those trees get would create a dramatic difference in summer low-flows for these watersheds by shrinking water levels further.
“It’s not really going to be affected by a tiny greenhouse with a bunch of plants in it,” Stubblefield said. “I’m not saying there’s no effect of the marijuana industry, but forest management is also a big part of the issue with water right now.”
Stubblefield finds that water diversion for marijuana grows can still have consequences. “When the rivers get down to the summer low-flow, particularly during our drought years, there’s enough left in those rivers to be like the amount you run in your shower; it’s a tiny amount,” Stubblefield said. “So it’s very vulnerable to having that remaining amount be pumped out.”
Not all Humboldt growers contribute to low-flow. One of Humboldt’s self-proclaimed “mom-and-pop” growers for 38 years, who goes by the alias Terry Giaci, uses sustainable practices and eco-friendly methods of cultivation that do not contribute to low-flow.
She moved up to Humboldt County in 1980 from San Francisco as a horticulture student because a friend she had met in SF wanted her to come up and help with the crop he was growing. With no cellphones, and only a citizen’s band radio to talk with others, she worked her way up Southern Humboldt by herself and became integrated as an active member of the community, supporting local restoration projects.
“We’re the back-to-the-land people who grew marijuana to live this life,” Giaci said.
“If you grew weed, you didn’t live in town. We lived in the hills. There were the town people, and the hill people. We were people that cared about the land, the land got a chance to heal.”
On Giaci’s property, water flows from three springs through pipes and spring boxes. Giaci also has assistance from a hydrologist she knows personally. Access to water is steady, and since the streams are on her property, Giaci doesn’t illegally siphon water. Giaci also uses all natural organic materials; this infers materials that are not petroleum based or are made from petrochemicals.
“It’s the difference between chicken shit, and nitrous oxide that’s created in a chemical plant,” Giaci said.
According to Giaci, you have to be aware of who you’re buying from.
“There are people, especially now, who just don’t care. They’re just in it to make money,” Giaci said. “They think they’re cool, and that they’re great growers, but they spray all kinds of crap on the plant.”
Giaci explains that the greedy growers are stealing all the water, and trying to become to majority of the population, and they might succeed.
“Greed is on the rise here, people are coming here now thinking they can get rich,” Giaci said. “Humboldt County is going to be in a huge transition mode. There are now a lot of people, what they call the ‘green rush’, who are coming up here and paying exorbitant prices for pieces of land.”
Humboldt State hydrology professor, Andrew Stubblefield, finds that marijuana contributes to water diversion but the issue is much larger than weed.
“The issue is larger than the marijuana. That’s part of it but it’s something else. I think it’s climate change, I think it’s forest management.” Stubblefield said.“I think of the coho and steelhead that are using those habitats in the summer. Those are the fish that are already struggling to survive, and having the river run dry is like their final coup de grace.”
On display and for sale at Humboldt Glassblowers, is a $75,000 bong. You can find psychedelic and intricate glassworks of nearly a hundred local artists at the bong and pipe store located in downtown Arcata.
Two of the most expensive bongs. On the right is Banjo Glass $75,000 bong. | Photo by Andre Hascall
Arthur Ecker works at Humboldt Glassblowers. He said the asking price for the bong, made by local glassblower Banjo Glass, is appropriate due to the intricacy and precision of the bong.
“The amount of time and energy that was put into that piece shows just how hungry that artist was,” Ecker said.
Ecker said the amount of hours these Humboldt County artists put into their artistry is unfathomable. An artist can spend anywhere from 300-400 hours creating just a single piece, which equates to four to six months of hard work and craftsmanship.
“These people have families, and children they need to put food on the table for,” Ecker said. “These artists are incredibly hardworking people.”
This new breed of contemporary artistry sprouted new beginnings for Banjo Glass. Ecker said Bango Glass is a devoted father who was driven in his earlier years to make his best quality work in efforts of supporting his children.
Utilizing his past experience in art school, the aspiring artist was committed to creating iridescent, three-dimensional, and functional glass pieces.
Humboldt Glassblowers was in awe when they obtained one of his most extravagant pieces which is on sale for $75,000.
Customers are also impressed by the quality of the work when they walk into Humboldt Glassblowers.
Isaiah Harris was visiting a friend in Arcata for the week and made a point to visit Humboldt Glassblowers on his trip.
Animal Rigs | Photo by Andre Hascall
“I was impressed by the intricate artwork,” Harris said.“The quality of the glass is what sets them apart from other glass shops in different areas.”
Located at 815 Ninth St. the Arcata Plaza, Humboldt Glassblowers has the works of numerous local artists for sale and on display. Artists from all over Humboldt County bring their artwork to Humboldt Glassblowers. The shop holds pieces from 80 to 100 different artists, many of them local.
For efficiency, the shop is divided in half. On the left side of the store, customers will find small, multicolored glass pipes where prices ranges based on the complexity of the glass patterns.
Then there is the right side of the store, where Humboldt Glassblowers puts its finest glass pieces on display. Prices can run through the thousands depending on the intricacy and size of the bong.
Glass bongs and pipes have become not just a functional aspect of weed culture, but also an artistic element.
Papa Smurf Pipe | Photo by Andre Hascall
What use to be an online-only market for glassblowers has now become a state-of-the-art level of craftsmanship. Nowadays, the public is able to walk into a store and visually experience the glasswork.
As customers walk in and experience these inspiring pieces of art, they gain appreciation for the artistry.
“People are now respecting the art by being exposed to it,” said Dan Belo, who works with Ecker at the shop.
Belo and Ecker agreed that with legalization, glassblowers should gain more recognition for their craft with time because there is no longer a reason to be secretive about their artistry.
“With legalization you will start to see artists become more public about their work,” said Ecker.
Senior Outdoor Adventure Recreation Administration major, Dillon Travis knows a thing or two about backpacking. He works with Center Activities at HSU, and on April 4th he ran a backpacking seminar in the Rec and Wellness center on Campus.
The big reason for this seminar are the upcoming backpacking trips for HSU students. These students will be backpacking the lost coast from the 7th through the 9th.
There is a plethora of areas to go backpacking at nearby, Travis pointed out locations such as Lost Coast, Redwood National park and the Shasta Trinity Forest to name a few. “I would suggest calling the rangers at each park to get up to date info,” Travis said. “ It’s always a good idea to bring a partner if you haven’t gone before, or go with a guide.”
The friendly ride sharing app Uber is now available in Arcata giving Humboldt State students and locals the opportunity to sign up as drivers or request rides. With Uber being a fairly new transportation system, news is still getting around that it is being offered. For those in need of a ride in Arcata, drivers are on standby.
“An uber is cheaper than an DUI.” HSU student and Uber driver Joseph Marmolejo Said.
Marmolejo recently joined the Uber driving team here in Arcata prior to spring break. He signed up with Uber to help him with his car expenses as well as provide rides to other HSU students.
“Essentially Uber is helping me with my car payments, that’s why I started driving…I started the Monday before spring break. March 6 I believe,” Marmolejo said. “I knew there wasn’t many drivers up here, and mostly students need rides. Plus I didn’t want students to drink and drive.”
As a student and Uber driver Marmolejo manages to balance school and work. Uber driving is an easy process for him, and he likes the pay.
“Yes! [Uber driving is] Very flexible, I’m taking 19 units so it works with my schedule,” Marmolejo said. “I just turn on the app, tell it I’m online, the signal goes out to everyone on the app, and within 3 sec you have a request. But it’s not that fast all the time.”
Although Uber takes a portion of the drivers’ money, Marmolejo still feels that he makes pretty good money.
“I get 80 percent and Uber takes 2o percent. For example I had a ride from Manila to Eureka then back to campus, and the rider paid $14. So I got $12 out of that,” Marmolejo said.
Being that Marmolejo is a relatively new driver he hasn’t had any out of the ordinary experiences with any riders yet. But he still wants to take extra precautions for any accidents that may happen in the car with a rider.
“I’ve been thinking about putting plastic in my back seat in case of any accidents. Somebody was also telling me to get pepper spray, mace, and a dash cam for safety reasons,” Marmolejo said .
Students like Reggie McGrue who have taken an Uber more than once recalls his experiences with the drivers to be relatively well.
“It’s hella convenient and cheap,” McGrue said. “Like $5 and some change from my house to library circle[about 10 minutes]. I had three different drivers…one was older, one was a firefighter and the other one was driving as a second job. All local people from Humboldt- nice cars too.”
HSU student Leylah Teal, also a user of the Uber app, says her rides are always comfortable. During most of her rides she was able to chose the music or plug up her phone to the drivers AUX cord, and listen to her music.
“I’ve taken an Uber a few times just to get around town, and maybe sometimes to go to Eureka, and almost like every time I was able to ride to favorite songs. It makes the rides that much more chill,” Teal said. “I wasn’t all weirded out by none of the Uber drivers I’ve had; at least not yet!”
Bernie supporters find political similarities with Jill Stein
By Ali Osgood
Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein spoke to an audience of nearly 400 Humboldt County community members on Wednesday night in HSU’s Kate Buchanan room. Among the crowd were human rights activists, environmentalists, future, past, and present politicians, and a large number of young people. Many of these audience members were also former Bernie Sanders supporters who looked toward Stein when Sanders was out of the running for president.
“There are lots of Berners who are burning green,” Stein said (a Berner is another name for Bernie Sanders supporters). “The important thing here is not to close your eyes to what history is telling us…If you think we have more time to keep beating around the bush, stay in the Democratic Party. If you don’t? Move on, move forward. The more of us the better.”
A crowd of nearly 400 gathered in the Kate Buchanan room on Wednesday Mar. 8 to watch 2016 Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein speak. | Photo by Ali Osgood
Throughout the night Stein, as well as audience members, tied in comparisons to Sanders’ platform. In the beginning of her speech, Stein addressed that she believes Sanders would have won the presidential election against Trump.
For Humboldt, Sanders was the top democratic pick in the 2016 primary election with a 40% lead over Hillary Clinton according to the Humboldt County elections office. Clinton went on to become the democratic candidate and many Humboldt Berners went on to support Stein over Clinton. Stein had over 3,500 votes locally, a thousand more than she received when she ran for president in 2012. Clinton had a thousand less votes than president Obama received in 2012.
Audience member Rob Jensen, Eureka, was one of the Berners who voted for Stein.
“When the Democratic Party forced out Bernie, I felt that the Green Party had a similar platform to his,” Jensen said. “People have told me I wasted my vote, but for me, Clinton wasn’t a viable option.”
As Stein covered topics including climate change and corrupt economics, she also discussed the problems with a two party system and how voters are more likely to vote against a candidate. Her campaign manager and 2004 Green Party presidential candidate, David Cobb, helped reiterate this concept.
“[It’s] a voting system that forces people to feel like they have to vote against the candidate that they hate rather than for the one that they want,” Cobb said.
Cobb, a Eureka local, saw a spike in Stein support after the 2016 Democratic National Convention(DNC) in Philadelphia where Bernie was beat out by Clinton for the nomination.
“It’s worth pointing out that even with every single dirty trick that they did, Bernie almost won the Democratic nomination. So it’s really a testament to the hunger that so many people had for the kind of platform that Bernie represented,” Cobb said.
According to both Sanders’ and Stein’s websites, they do have a lot of common ground in their political beliefs. Their policies on education, climate change, and a single payer health care system are nearly identical. This may have played a part in the 1000 percent fundraising increase Stein’s campaign saw after the DNC.
Jill Stein covered an array of topics including healthcare, economic corruption, demilitarizing American foreign policy, and the flaws with the two party system. | Photo by Ali Osgood
The spike in support for Stein, hitting as high as 20 percent in August in Colorado, according to MSNBC, helped get the Green Party ticket on 48 ballots of the 50 states.
The HSU Greens, a student club of Green Party members, helped organize Stein’s event on Wednesday. The president of HSU Greens worked with Stein and Cobb during the 2016 campaign and helped get Stein to Humboldt State. Aaron Zvirman, HSU Greens treasurer, helped organize the grants for Steins visit and coordinated with other groups on campus for the event.
“Having someone this high profile to the little town of Arcata is an excellent opportunity for people to play a more active role in politics and voice their opinions to someone with actual political standing,” Zvirman said.
Audience members showed a great diversity of community members including students, activists, and even a city council member. Stein spoke for 50 minutes and answer audience questions for another hour and a half after her speech. | Photo by Ali Osgood
After a 50 minute speech by Stein, the microphone was open to audience members to ask Stein questions. Stein was able to answer every person’s question, which went on for about an hour and a half. The crowd trickled out throughout the question panel, but about a quarter remained to see the evening through to its conclusion.
Stein ended her speech to a standing ovation. She closed with a familiar call to action that’s been heard throughout her 2016 campaign trail.
“We need a government that’s of, by, and for the people,” Stein said. “The power to create that world is not just in our hopes, it’s not just in our dreams. Right here and now, more than ever, it’s in our hands.”
Humboldt State made the Peace Corps list of Top Volunteer-Producing Colleges for the tenth year in a row. This year HSU ranked fifth on the list of medium size colleges for its current 33 alumnus volunteering around the world. Since 1961, 841 Lumberjacks have served as volunteers, according to Humboldt Now.
Kayla Mesangale, graduated from HSU May 2015, and is currently serving in Timor-Leste, a 15 year-old country in Southeast Asia. She is apart of the first group back in the country since the Peace Corps evacuation in 2006 due to civil unrest.
“Peace corps was in Timor from 2002 ,when they won their independence to 2006. I’m apart of the first group of volunteers since the evacuation in 2006. We arrived 2015.”
She graduated from HSU with a degree in child development. Now she works as a community development volunteer in Timor Leste.
“Basically we are reestablishing the [Peace Corps] program and building relationships and trust with the locals,” Mesangale said. “Our focus is nutrition, water sanitation, agriculture and business, but we all do a variety of different projects. Really whatever our communities need.”
Charles Truong also graduated from Humboldt State in 2015 with a degree in kinesiology education and he is currently living in rural Fiji. Truong teaches physical education and life skills at a nearby high school. Truong participated in throwing events for the HSU track and field teams and now coaches track and field throwing events in Fiji.
Charles Truong said the ability to bring his students outside of their villages is a highlight for him.
“Seeing the impact it had on all of my students was a proud moment for myself because I know I had sparked something inside of them. Now, in the new school year, I see the students more open and willing to try new things. It makes me proud that I could just be part of their growth,” Truong said.
Katie Sidel served in Zambia for after she graduated in 2013 with a degree in Environmental science ecological restoration before she returned in March of 2016. Sidel worked as a forestry extension agent where she promoted income generating activities such as beekeeping. Sidel also educated kids on malaria and HIV and planted trees for multipurpose such as cropping and nitrogen fixation. Sidel knows many HSU alumni Peace Corp volunteers and even ran into one she went to school with at a music festival in East Africa.
“I met another PCV in Malawi who I went to HSU with”, Katie said. “We randomly met at a music festival in Malawi. [A]HSU alumni who would’ve thought”.
Kayla’s advice to HSU students or alumni contemplating signing up to volunteer is to not romanticize the decision.
“Really think about it realistically. It’s important not to romanticize it, because this will be one of the most challenging experiences, from loneliness and explosive diarrhea to harassment and health problems” said Kayla. “ But ultimately, this will be a worthwhile and life changing experience. The relationships you build with people and the little changes you have an impact on, are worth it all”
“If you’re willing to challenge yourself and sacrifice many of your privileges to grow, then Peace Corps is for you,” said Charles Truong. “The experience, relationships, and lessons you learn are all worth the hardships”
If you are interested in learning more about joining the Peace Corps, the Humboldt State recruiter, Barbara Smith will be on campus holding an application workshop on April 21.
Humboldt State’s loss to San Francisco State Saturday didn’t knock them out of the California Collegiate Athletic Association [CCAA] Men’s Basketball Tournament. Humboldt was the last team to guarantee their spot as the eighth and final seed in the tournament.
In the tournament Humboldt will face UC San Diego, the number one seed.
In their only meeting this season Humboldt lost 67-88. UCSD finished the season with a 17-3 conference record which saw them named CCAA Regular Season Champions.
The Lumberjacks who finished the season with a 7-13 conference record are the defending tournament champions.
In their last game of the season the storyline was similar to that of many other games this season. The Lumberjacks started strong and kept the game close until halftime, then the game slipped away from them at the start of the second half. The Jacks were down five at the half, but a quick start by SF State saw that margin jump to 22 with 12 and a half minutes remaining.
“Something about us coming out of the locker room at halftime has been a struggle often this season,” head men’s coach Steve Kinder said. “And obviously this late in the year we haven’t found out the magic or the remedy of that problem.”
Coach Kinder is looking to find a new halftime speech for the Jacks upcoming game against UC San Diego.
“I need to throw away my halftime speeches,” Coach Kinder said. “If we are playing on tuesday night I need to come up with a new halftime speech for at least one more game.”
Tyras Rattler Jr., 21, is powering through the defense while teammate Jeryn Lucas,24, trailing Rattler to finish the play. | Juan Herrera
Despite the large deficit, the jacks were able to cut down SF State’s lead to 12 point by the end of the game, in large part due to the three point shooting from freshman Tyler Green.
Green shot 9-14 from behind the three point line and finished the night with a career high 28 points. Green’s nine three-pointers was a season high for the lumberjacks.
Moving forward the Lumberjacks will need to find a way to keep themselves in games during the second half. Green believes that a more positive and confident approach could fix the issues the Jacks have had in the second half of games.
“Just keep our heads up, next play, when they started their run there was 18 minutes left so that’s a lot of basketball left,” Green said, “if we kept our heads up, next play, we would be solid that’s all you can think.”
Going into the final game coach Kinder had talked to his team about finishing the season with a solid win to set the foundation for a potential tournament run.
“We didn’t play either half at that level that we need to be at for next tuesday,” Coach Kinder said.
Despite the loss Coach Kinder found positives in the way the team kept playing and battling back against the second ranked SF State team. Looking forward to the tournament Coach Kinder thinks the Jacks can be successful if their key players are able to step up and play big.
According to Coach Kinder, for the Lumberjacks to have a strong postseason they will have to rely on Nikhil Lizotte’s ability to shoot three pointers and Jack Kaub’s facilitating. The Jacks will also rely on Calvin Young II and Will Taylor’s rebounding and toughness.
“If Tyler Green plays like that and Tyras [Rattler Jr.] plays like he did earlier this season,” Coach Kinder said, “and Malik [Morgan] plays like he did and leads this team like he did to last years championship, I like our chances.”
Men’s lacrosse player Shane Hayes played one of his best games so far, being awarded with Humboldt’s player of the game sledgehammer on Feb.25. Despite losing 13-3 to Sierra Nevada College at their home field, Humboldt State Men’s Lacrosse, otherwise known as the Humboldt Hogs, still has hope for the season.
“We’ll be in playoffs,”Hayes said.
The Hogs stand at a 2-3 record overall, but their record in league matches is 1-1. Head coach Tony Silvaggio was
Logan Salcuni walking off the field after defending a score from his opponents of Sierra Nevada. | Juan Herrera
looking forward to the season immediately after the game.
“If things work out, we’re going to see them again,” Silvaggio said.
With a loss, it is important to look at what you can improve on. Two of the Humboldt Hogs defenders, Logan Salcuni and Matt Lopez, know which part of their game they would like to work on prior to the next match.
“All day, everyday practice,” Salcuni said. “I feel like we have to communicate in a positive way, and no shitty shots.”
Salcuni wants to switch the focus over to lots of work with an emphasis on taking shots at the net at the right time.
“Work on the basics, passing and catching and definitely conditioning,” Lopez said.
The hogs look forward to a chance to play Sierra Nevada, who were last season’s champions, again as there are high tensions between the two teams. Sierra Nevada seemed to have talk more trash than the amount of goals they scored.
“These guys are wealthy and they recruit, they think they are D-1 [Division One] but they’re not,” Lopez said.
The Hogs will be getting the month off after the loss, giving them plenty of time to improve before going on to play University of the Pacific on April 1. in Stockton, Calif. This is followed by a match against UC Davis the day after on April 2., at Davis.
The Humboldt Hogs next home game will be on April 15., against San Jose State, on the College Creek Field at 1 p.m.
The Uber ride sharing app has been around for six years now, providing rides to cities around the globe. Here in California, an Uber ride is accessible nearly everywhere. However, as we get further up north to Humboldt County, the option for an Uber ride becomes scarce. North of Eureka and going into towns like Arcata, the request for an Uber is no longer available.
Uber can’t form a base in Arcata without drivers. It’s not a matter of the Uber company not allowing drivers up north or the city of Arcata banning Uber services all together. If more people residing in this area started becoming drivers, then both students and locals would have the opportunity to request a ride as another form of transportation here in Arcata.
Potential drivers must sign up through the Uber website and meet the initial driver requirements, such as being 21-years-old or over, and having at least three years of driving experience with a clean driving record.
Humboldt State student Arri Sanders, an adamant Uber rider in her hometown of Los Angeles, said she uses Uber all the time to get around the busy city. Sanders wishes she could request one out here on a day when the Redwood Transit isn’t running, or the very few available taxi cab services are backed up. “I would chose an Uber ride over calling one these taxis or taking the bus any day! It’s just so much faster,” Sanders said.
Most students agreed with Sanders when asked about there being more accessibility to Uber rides in Arcata. Locals who have been living in Arcata all their life said they want to try the ride-sharing app.
Donald Vance, who was born and raised in Arcata, has no car and uses the local transportation to get around town. Through a friend, he was informed about the Uber service being provided in Eureka, but has never seen Uber drivers here in Arcata. He mentioned how he would like to have Uber out here as an option to get around, and even considered the possibility of signing up to become a driver. “I wouldn’t mind being a driver especially since Arcata is small, I don’t think I would have to go far distances for my pick ups and drop offs anyway,” Vance said.
Análisis Montoya is a third-year HSU student and Uber driver in Oakland. She said Uber driving helped her pay for her car. She considered Ubering here in Arcata, but doesn’t think she would make a lot of money. “I feel like if I was to drive out here no one would request a ride, because I don’t think many people up here even know about Uber,” she said.
Surprisingly, there is a high demand for Uber rides in Arcata, but most people just aren’t informed and aren’t signing up. Those who don’t mind driving or are already drivers in different cities should sign up here in Arcata. They would be providing a service to the many who would like to request a ride.
In this installment of Who Knew? At HSU, we take a look at OhSnap!. This program offers free food and cooking classes to students as well as other services. Find out about all the hidden gems Humboldt State has offer by watching Who Knew? At HSU every week.
Mother Nature works against the California Department of Transportation making roads a little less traveled.
Since January 2016 the California Department of Transportation, known as Caltrans, has been doing construction on state Route 299. The ongoing project initially began with the placement of a drapery, netting that prevents rock fall, near Big French Creek Road. Due to weather conditions over the past year, Caltrans continuously raises their budget spending close to $6 million for this emergency work.
Because of all the construction on state Route 299, residents in both Humboldt and Trinity counties have had to take detours. Some of these detours are only open during certain hours of the day.
Trisha Coder is the District 2 Public Information Officer for Caltrans. Coder stated that residents have had to to take detours on state Routes 20 and 36 along with Interstate 5 over Oregon Mountain for several weeks.
“Two weeks ago we opened the temporary detour that we are building to local traffic, meaning anyone who works or lives in the Trinity/Humboldt area,” Coder said.
The detour is open from 5:30-7:30 a.m., 4:30-6:30 p.m. and overnight from 6:30 p.m. -5:00 a.m. There are one hour delays overnight due to the contractor working simultaneously overnight.
These delays not only affect residents along state Route 299 but programs at Humboldt State like TriO Upward Bound; a program that travels every three to four weeks between Humboldt and Trinity counties to provide academic services to high school students from limited income families.
Jen Dyke, TriO Upward Bound director, stated that with all the closures and construction on state Route 299 it takes longer to travel because they have to make a larger loop with the detours.
“Though it’s time consuming for the program, they’re doing great work, brave work,” Dyke said.
For now residents have to adjust to time restricted closure since Caltrans doesn’t expect to have state Route 299 fully open until mid-summer.
Additional information from Caltrans website about the work that has been done over the past year:
SR 299/BUCKHORN GRADE: 24/7 traffic control operations in effect between Redding and Weaverville. Expect delays up to 45 mins. The Capstone project is expected to be completed Winter 2016.
JUNCTION OF SR 3 AND 299-DOWNTOWN WEAVERVILLE: Paving is expected to begin following the Labor Day weekend, September 6, 2016. Paving will take place in the overnight hours and is expected to last about one-and-a-half weeks.
SR 299E/Near Ingot: One-way traffic control will be in effect Monday, August 1, 2016 to Friday, August 5,2016, 24 hours a day, near McCandless Gulch Curve. Crews will be performing curve straightening, widening the shoulders and installing metal beam guard rail. Motorists should expect delays between 10-15 minutes.
299 E/PIT ONE SHOULDER WIDENING: Crews are working to widen the shoulders at the narrow pass on Pit One Summit. 24 hour traffic control is in place. Expect 10-15 minute delays.
After one of the rainiest fall seasons in Humboldt County history, students returned to the new semester to yet another storm. The storm was strong enough to knock out the power in a significant portion of the county over the weekend of Jan 21. The Eureka National Weather Service recorded winds above 50 mph along the coast that toppled trees and power lines.
Graphic | Alexander Badger
The winds were joined by a record rainfall that pushed the amount of rain in the county to practically double the monthly average. As of Jan. 26, the county received about 10.51 inches of rain; the mean for this time of the month is about 5.35 inches. The last time the county had more than 10 inches of rain was in October. This is consistent with a trend observed by the California-Nevada River Forecast Center over the past water year, a period within which precipitation levels are observed and recorded. The water year begins Oct. 1 and is updated at the end of every month.
Reginald Kennedy, a hydrologist at the Eureka National Weather Service, said that while the worst is over for the foreseeable future, people should still be prepared for stormy weather coming their way.
“More, smaller storm systems will be coming every few days going into February and strong winds in February and possibly March,” Kennedy said.
Keeping in mind the recent turbulent weather record measurements, students should think twice before putting away those heavy coats; Winter still has long ways to go.
It seems when I was in high school I never did find my place. Of course I had tons of “friends” whom I would see on campus or at games that I would say hey to. But the group of friends that I mainly kicked it with during break and lunch were friends that I’ve known since grade school. We will always have a bond, but the bond is there because of the years we’ve spent together. I have friends that I’ve met in college that I feel like I’ve known my whole life.
Over break, I reflected whom I still remain close to and whom I’ve drifted from. It seems that many people don’t find their place until after high school. There are many different places the high school friends veer toward:
The One Who Ghosted but Instantly Reconnects in Person
The One Who’s Always There for You
The One You Didn’t Want to Bump into but You Have an Unfortunately Small Hometown
The One Who Drastically Changed
The One Who Still Thinks We’re in High School
The One Who Peaked in High School
The One Who Went to Harvard
The One Who’s Now a Stoner
The One that Has Two Kids
The One Who’s Already Landed Five Internships
The One You Realize Was Never Actually Your Friend
There are friends that remain in touch through social media, but the relationship never extends past a like or a share. The main point is, reconnecting with high school friends is usually bittersweet because either you change, they change or you both do.
Sometimes this change is good. Sometimes you both matured and you share stories for inspiration. In other situations, this change creates tension and pushes you apart. The friendship slowly drifts because you just don’t talk as much and you’re not in each other’s lives anymore.
Although we had four weeks off this break, I chose to spend only 10 days of it at home.
I realized when I’m home, I’m not happy. Humboldt is where my life is at. Guiltily but truthfully, I’m admitting that I simply don’t feel as close to certain people from back home anymore. There are places I’d rather be exploring and other college friends whom I want to spend time with.
Though it’s depressing, drifting is natural. When you make memories with new people, it becomes apparent how desolate the memories of your old friendships are, especially when my college friends were there for me during my struggles while high school friends weren’t. I learned to depend on my newer friends for support.
We need friends to be stable and accessible. The bitterest realization I ever made was when I thought to myself, “You weren’t there for me when I needed you and I got through it. So I don’t need you.”
If I saw some of my high school friends today, it just wouldn’t be the same. One of the most hopeless feelings in the world is chasing after something when it’s already gone.
With that in mind, what will never change is the impact these people had on me. To many, high school would be considered our formative years, and the people who surrounded me in high school influenced and shaped me into the respectable person I am today. The friends I made in high school will always be a part of me. Wherever we go out into the world, I know that in a way we’re always going to be connected.
Obama expanded the California Coastal National Monuments in Humboldt county. Trinidad Head, Walumph Lighthouse Ranch and the Lost Coast Headlands were officially designated as California Coastal National Monuments.
Women will march in Eureka
In solidarity with the Women’s March in Washington D.C. women, children and men will march in Eureka on Saturday Jan. 21 at 1 p.m. with a rally at C street Market Square.
California
From parched to plenty
Despite heavy rains California will continue to conserve water.
California is going to keep its modest water conservation rules for now through May.
Rallies around the country for the ACA
Thousands of nurses, doctors, and patients who benefited from President Obama’s healthcare law rallied on Sunday throughout California to denounce the Republican effort to overturn it. Rallies in San Francisco and Los Angeles were part of dozens nationwide taking place in support of the Affordable Care Act.
U.S.
Chelsea Manning to be released
President Obama commuted the remaining prison sentence of Chelsea Manning. Manning was the army intelligence analyst convicted of a 2010 leak that revealed American military and diplomatic activities across the world.
Orlando suspect caught
The Orlando Police captured suspected killer Markeith Loyd after a week long manhunt. Loyd was accused of killing his pregnant girlfriend and sergeant Debra Clayton.
International
Nigerian Air Force bombs wrong target
The Nigerian Air Force mistook a town full of people with Boko Haram fighters. The air force bombed a town killing more than 50 who fled Islamist militants.
Shooting in Mexico
A shooting at a BMP music festival killed three foreigners and two Mexicans in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Mexico’s Zetas cartel has reportedly claimed responsibility.
Welcome back to Arcata! And welcome to winter weather. I know many of you are from the south, and less comfortable with frost and rain — but I hope you embrace the nature of the North Coast. Enjoy it! Don’t let it get you down, it is not really that cold. You just need layered clothing, a raincoat, umbrella, socks and boots. Now you are ready to go, at least for a saunter through town.
Grab your friends and walk into town! It is only a few blocks southwest and there are adventures to be had. Interesting stores, great food, a walk to the marsh, visit the Farmers Market on a Saturday morning. Get to know the local opportunities. There are businesses that need employees, non-profits with internship opportunities and maybe some second-hand or new clothing you want to shop. Enjoy the music shows, movie theaters and community celebrations. We may not have an In-N-Out Burger here, but try Stars on G Street or enjoy the late open hours at the Arcata Pizza Deli on H Street.
I want you to know the city of Arcata council, staff and police work hard to respect the dignity of ALL people. We want our town to be safe and welcoming to all students, no matter their immigration status. No person will be held legally solely for their immigration status. We support DACA students and wish all HSU students success in their dreams.
Make these years the best in your life — which means try things that scare you a bit, explore your interests and make lifelong personal connections. Success is often about who you know in life — so let yourself be known! Arcata City Council meetings are held every first and third Wednesdays of the month, at 6 p.m. in City Hall. Please come say hello!
Be sure to speak up if you are having problems academically, socially or legally. HSU has advisors to help you, and the Arcata City Council wants to know how we can help you be more successful. We believe this country is best served with educated people and are so happy you chose Humboldt State University!
Welcome to Arcata! As Sara Bareilles sings it, “I want to see you be brave!”
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