Humboldt State student newspaper wins four first place California College Media Association awards
The Lumberjack won 14 California College Media Association Excellence in Student Media awards for a variety of work in 2019. The Lumberjack took home four first place awards, seven second place awards and three third place awards at the CCMA awards banquet Feb. 29 in San Francisco.
Vanessa Flores (top left), Tony Wallin (bottom left) and Jose Herrera look through awards won by HSU journalism students at the California College Media Association Excellence in Student Media awards banquet Feb. 29 in San Francisco. | Photo by Megan Bender
Humboldt State students partner with Campaign One At A Time to raise money for a child’s dream
Lecsi Prince, Brittney Odion and Cameron Calder will be up and early Saturday morning breaking a sweat and hoping to see the community support their goal of raising funds for a child in need.
Humboldt State University students Prince, Odion and Calder are organizing a group workout called FUNd the Good that starts at 10 a.m. at HSU’s Student Recreation Center Field House on Dec. 14. The three students are fundraising for a national nonprofit called Campaign One At A Time.
“Their mission is to provide positive experiences and fulfill the dreams of children fighting life-threatening illnesses, one child and one campaign at a time,” Prince said. “They do this by trying to help create normalcy for the child at a time when life is anything but.”
“A lot of these kids don’t get to live a normal childhood due to treatments, but this organization helps their dreams come true.”
Lecsi Prince
FUNd the Good is working with Campaign OAAT in sending 6-year-old Joshy and his family to Universal Studios for Grinchmas. Joshy was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in 2017, and since then, his normal has become hospital stays and treatments.
They are hoping to raise $1,500 before the end of December. Kinesiology majors Prince and Odion and finance major Calder worked with Campaign OAAT in the past, and still continue volunteering for the children.
“The first event I volunteered at, I got to meet some of the kids and it’s cool seeing the direct effect our support has on these children’s lives,” Prince said. “A lot of these kids don’t get to live a normal childhood due to treatments, but this organization helps their dreams come true.”
Prince said FUNd the Good will consist of a circuit training workout and will be set up for anyone to participate, no matter their athletic skill level.
The students are asking for a minimum of a $5 cash donation for Saturday, but hope more people will donate and get Joshy and his family to Universal Studios. Both groups are also accepting any donations online.
“People should come because they will get a great workout and affect real children’s lives,” Prince said. “Everything helps. We have a fundraising page up where people can donate however much money to the cause.”
Cast and crew of “Dreamers: Aquí y Allá” shed light on complexities of immigration
The story starts in the blue and red lights that bathe a replica-sized model of a wall. Not just any wall, but The Wall, the most southern one that separates country from country, family from family and the hopes of migrants for better opportunities and life.
In that obscurity, bodies shift and take steps until they’re center stage and in full view. They face you, you face them and under the spotlight, the stories of immigrants and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival recipients begins.
“Some of these scenes will break your heart because they show so much humanity,” Co-Director Andrea Carrillo said. “Humanity is such a great big theme within this story. You can’t help but connect and feel compassion for these individuals.”
The Humboldt State University Theater Arts, Film and Dance Department presents “Dreamers: Aquí y Allá.” The script was written by Andrea Caban, her students, and a collaboration from source material provided by Armando Vazquez-Ramos and the California-Mexican Studies Center.
Andrew “AJ” Hempstead, who plays Danny, Papa and Ximena’s dad, folds his arms across his chest during a scene of “Dreamers: Aquí y Allá” in Gist Hall Theater at Humboldt State University. | Photo by Jose Herrera
Actors on stage during the final dress rehearsal of “Dreamers: Aquí y Allá” in Gist Hall Theatre. | Photo by Jose Herrera
Students in the California-Mexico Dreamers Study Abroad Program, DACA recipients and immigrant community members gave testimonials and interviews for the script.
Troy Lescher, co-director and HSU associate professor, came upon the script in spring 2018 when Caban emailed the script to all 18 California State Universities in hopes they would produce the show.
“I was blown away by the humanity of the story,” Lescher said. “As soon as I read it I said to myself, ‘We have to do this show at HSU.’ I mean, because of our social justice mission, commitment to minority voices on stage, how timely this issue is and this play had HSU written all over it.”
The play follows the memories and lived experiences of immigrants and DACA recipients who then obtained advance parole, which gave them opportunity to travel to Mexico and reconnect with their culture and families.
Carrillo said that they go through time jumps and include the audience as they break the fourth wall in various scenes from start to finish.
Alejandro Torres as Francisco, Wendy Carranza as Ximena and Victor Parra as Mateo raise their fists. | Photo courtesy of Michael Thomas
However, circumstances prevented the play from happening until fall 2019. Lescher reached out to theater arts graduate students Carrillo and Amy Beltrán via email. They said that they were overjoyed about directing the play.
“For me the biggest thing was to evoke empathy within the community because a lot of the community, as well as in Humboldt County, can be either on the middle ground or can be very conservative,” Carillo said. “These are human beings with their own experiences, their own love, their own families, and that was a big thing for me to show that to them.”
But just as the directors were compelled to tell this story, so too were the actors.
Business marketing major and theater arts minor Victor Parra, who plays Mateo, said he knew it was important for him to get involved when he heard about the script.
“As an actor and artist this is the kind of stuff that catches my attention,” Parra said. “This is the kind of work that I want to do personally.”
Parra said it’s important to remember that the play is a cumulation of many stories, real stories, and that these are real people who struggle everyday. These were stories close to him because he experienced similar struggles back home.
“We have to keep working to give spaces for minority voices to be heard, especially voices that aren’t heard very often.”
Troy Lescher Co-director
“I brought a lot of personal past into this and it was my own decision,” Parra said. “Nobody asked it of me, but because I relate to this.”
Parra plays Mateo, who in the play fears being deported and leaving his child and mother behind. He said that is what happened to him when one of his parents was deported not too long ago, and he brought those feelings into the production.
“I envision my own family,” Parra said. “That’s what I just had to bring to the table because it’s so important. We need to say this. We need for our voices to be heard and something needs to happen.”
Lescher knew that he wanted to encourage and open the production to more students, so he reached out to El Centro Académico Cultural Coordinator Fernando Paz, Interim Executive Director of the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Edelmira Reynoso and Multicultural Center Coordinator Frank Herrera.
The result was that out of 11 cast members, six of them were non-theater majors and four of them performed for the first time.
“This story hits differently,” Carrillo said. “It resonates differently with people. It’s such an immediate connection with a lot of Latinx people and people of color. It made sense that we had so many new faces in the theater.”
Lescher said that the challenges DACA recipients struggle with is a big part of the conversation, because their voices are often unheard or aren’t highlighted in the news.
“We have to keep working to give spaces for minority voices to be heard, especially voices that aren’t heard very often,” Lescher said.
Theater Arts Department presents a production that transcends borders
The room is dark, the audience silent. On stage, right before your eyes, a story begins to unfold. Actors stride onto the set, and within seconds, they transport their audience into a world that deals with fears of family separation, job loss and deportation.
But that world is reality, as the actors break the fourth wall and address issues for immigrants and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients.
“I read the script and I thought, ‘Wow, this needs to be told,’” Co-Director Andrea Carrillo said. “I know that there’s a good portion of undocumented people living in Humboldt County as well. It’s a great way to show the community that we see you, we hear you and we want to do what we can to share your experiences and your voices on stage.”
Humboldt State University’s Theater Arts Department will premiere a production of “Dreamers: Aquí y Allá” this weekend and next. The show features testimonials and interviews from students in the California-Mexico Dreamers Study Abroad Program, DACA recipients and community members.
“I’d say for people who have heard the story and don’t necessarily connect with the politics, I’d say, stay open minded about it. You never know what you might experience or learn. You might surprise yourself as an individual.”
Andrea Carrillo
The production is co-directed by theater art graduate students Amy Beltrán and Carrillo along with Assistant Professor Troy Lescher. “Aquí y Allá,” first produced at California State University, Long Beach, was written by Andrea Caban and presented as a collaboration between Caban, her students, material provided by Professor Armando Vazquez-Ramos and the California-Mexico Studies Center.
“This is a story that needs to be heard. You need to be here and sit with it and listen intently and openly as well,” Carrillo said. “I’d say for people who have heard the story and don’t necessarily connect with the politics, I’d say, stay open minded about it. You never know what you might experience or learn. You might surprise yourself as an individual.”
“Aquí y Allá” opens Dec. 6 in Gist Hall Theatre and continues Dec. 7, 12, 13 and 14 at 7:30 p.m. There will be a matinee at 2 p.m. on Dec. 15. Tickets are $10 for general admission and $8 for student and seniors. For tickets, visit the Center Arts website or call 707-826-3928.
After the show on Dec. 6, representatives from HSU’s Scholars Without Borders and Centro Del Pueblo will present on DACA initiatives. Following the shows from Dec. 12 through 14, Professor Vazques-Ramos will present a 30-minute lecture called “Dreamers 2020: What’s Next?” followed by a Q&A.
HSU’s bilingual monthly newspaper highlights and represents minority groups
Lack of diversity in newsrooms across the nation perpetuates the lack of representation in stories. According to the Jelani Cobb from the Guardian, it is all too often that the demographics of news writers look nothing like the communities they cover.
Humboldt State University’s bilingual newspaper, El Leñador, is changing that one monthly issue at a time.
“This paper is so special because it’s part of taking back that narrative,” Jose Herrera, El Leñador’s layout editor, said. “We are producing the paper. We are first generation, Latinx, African American, LGBTQ or Asian. We’re writing our own stories.”
El Leñador held a panel discussion Nov. 7 in the Goodwin Forum as part of the week-long Campus & Community Dialogue on Race event. The student-run publication features under-represented stories of the school and community.
Attendees of the CDOR event listen to editors speak about the paper’s production process. | Photo by Chelsea Wood
El Leñador’s staff is not limited to those who can speak both Spanish and English, or specific journalism majors; all HSU students are welcome and encouraged to contribute.
“For me it’s been a life changing experience,” Vanessa Flores, El Leñador’s editor-in-chief, said. “It’s very important for students to pick up newspapers. Not just ours, but the other publications on campus.”
Flores stressed the importance of student journalism. Without it, campus stories would remain unrepresented since local media isn’t as connected to a campus story as student journalists are.
Over the past six years El Leñador has covered under-represented communities and continues to carve out a space for minority narratives within Humboldt-based media.
The work by the student-run publication reverberates throughout the secluded community. El Leñador has forged ahead of larger, local news publications by connecting with its audience more intimately.
“This paper is so special because it’s part of taking back that narrative. We are producing the paper. We are first generation, Latinx, African American, LGBTQ or Asian. We’re writing our own stories.”
Jose Herrera
The editorial board reminded community members at the discussion about the importance of continuing to cover underrepresented stories.
Cali Fournier, an HSU student, attended the panel discussion and believes that informative, speaking panels are important to have.
“Racism is a big deal still to this day,” Fournier said. “You should be judged by who you are not by the color of your skin.”
The El Leñador staff assume multiple roles within the publication. Producing the paper monthly gives students access to a hands-on learning environment, and staff are able to expand their passions whether their skills are in writing, video, audio or art.
“As a monthly paper and as a student-run paper, it’s really a big training ground for students,” Silvia Alfonso, El Leñador’s managing editor, said.
El Leñador enables its contributors to bring different perspectives to the table. Its staff encouraged the panel attendees to contribute to the publication.
Jack Surmani, an HSU alumnus, believes in the message El Leñador emits and thinks the the commitment of the students behind the publication is evident.
“They know why they’re doing it and have a passion and commitment for being better journalists,” Surmani said.
After power shutoffs stole the spotlight, ‘Heathers, The Musical’ finally gets its chance to win over audiences
In the bright lights of a packed makeup room actors sit and focus on their reflections. They quickly prepare and apply different layers of blush, eyeliner, eyeshadow and lipstick specific for their characters.
Half-way through, Rae Robison, the director of the show, enters the frenzy of excitement and announces “five minutes before stage warm-ups” and leaves. The people in the room reply back with whoops, yelps and revel in the last half-hour before the final dress rehearsal for “Heathers, The Musical.”
Actress for “Heathers the Musical” applies eyeshadow in the make up room before dress rehearsal begins. | Photo by Jose Herrera
Actress for “Heathers the Musical” applies eyeshadow in the make up room before dress rehearsal begins. | Photo by Jose Herrera
English major Abigail Camerino applies eyeshadow in the makeroom. Camerino plays Veronica’s Mom in “Heathers, The Musical.” | Photo by Jose Herrera
Theatre major Zackary Tucker looks intently into the mirror in the makeup room. Tucker plays the Kurt’s Dad and Geek in “Heathers, The Musical.” | Photo by Jose Herrera
“I am so excited for tonight,” Gwynnevere Cristobal, who plays Veronica Sawyer, said. “I’m a little tired, but the adrenaline always gets pumping.”
The theater department prepares for their first full weekend of production from Nov. 1-3, after a slow start due to PG&E’s power outage. The show includes 28 cast members with Cristobal as Veronica, William III as J.D., and Kiara Hudlin, Liz Whittemore and Caitlin Pyle as The Heathers.
The rock musical follows the plot of the cult classic movie “Heathers.” The show is set in 1989 and the audience goes on a journey with teenage misfit Veronica as she hustles her way into the most popular clique at Westerberg High: The Heathers.
Actors perform during a dress rehearsal for “Heathers The Muscial” in the Van Duzer Theater. | Photo by Jose Herrera
Robert Williams, as Big Bud, intrudes on English William III, as J.D., and Gwynnevere Cristobal, as Veronica Sawyer, during a scene. | Photo by Jose Herrera
Gwynnevere Cristobal, as Veronica Sawyer, gazes into William English III, as J.D., during dress rehearsal in the Van Duzer Theater. | Photo by Jose Herrera
Cristobal said the show is unconventional and if you haven’t seen the movie, it can be a little intense because it’s a dark comedy. However, she encourages people to come see the show if they’re ready to laugh and make fun of others.
She also said that the show tries to highlight important issues such as bullying, gun violence and mental health.
“Understand that what we are saying is real and it’s a struggle in that people aren’t alone in how they think,” Cristobal said.
“Heathers, The Musical” opens in the John Van Duzer Theater. On Nov. 1-2 there will be shows at 7:30 p.m. On Nov. 2-3 there will be matinees at 2 p.m.
General admission is $15, but for students and seniors it is $10. Tickets can be purchased online at https://centerarts.humboldt.edu/Online/ or by calling at (707) 826-3928.
Gwynnevere Cristobal, as Veronica Sawyer, kisses William English III, as J.D., during dress rehearsal in the Van Duzer Theater. | Photo by Jose Herrera
Actress under a spotlight singing “Kindergarten Boyfriend” during dress rehearsal for “Heathers The Musical.” | Photo by Jose Herrera
Kiara Hudlin, as Heather Chandler, lays in bed after drinking an interesting concoction during dress rehearsal in the Van Duzer Theater. | Photo by Jose Herrera
For these three athletes, weightlifting is more than just exercise, it’s a lifestyle
While many people are still sleeping or barely getting ready at 8 a.m. on a Saturday morning, powerlifter Lecsi Prince opens the doors of Arcata Health Sport and walks towards the weightlifting cage.
Prince warms up in the open-air weightlifting area and slides four 45 pound plates, two 25 pound plates and two 10 pound plates onto a bar. She pauses in front of the bar now loaded with 295 pounds. Prince clears her mind, sucks in a deep breath, bounces on her toes, quickly leans in and heaves the weight up onto her shoulders. Keeping her legs stable and her toes pointed out, Prince dips down slowly and up again. After three reps, Prince sets the bar down and exhales.
Kinseology major Lecsi Prince prepares for her morning workout at HealthSport at 8 a.m. Prince is a powerlifter and has osteoarthritis with a dream of changing the lives of people through exercise. | Photo by Jose Herrera
Twenty-three-year-old Humboldt State University student and kinesiology major Prince has four years of powerlifting experience. At 14, doctors diagnosed her with rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the joints. It didn’t stop her from playing tennis in high school, and it doesn’t stop her now.
“I’ll have arthritis flares that will make it hard for me to even hold the bars,” Prince said. “So I’ve hit points where I go to the gym into a bench day and I can’t even wrap my fingers around the bar.”
When her joints are in too much pain and she’s unsure whether to take painkillers, Prince said she decides to not train for a day. Instead, she finds other activities that benefit her health; sometimes she hikes and other times she goes to the sauna as a means of heat therapy.
“On those days, it’s all a mental game,” Prince said. “My thoughts are that I’m so frustrated and I can’t do anything. It’s this draining helplessness. I’m not able to lift, but I can do something else healthy.”
Like Prince, Olympic weightlifter Luis Ruiz and women’s strength and conditioning coach Sierra Lathe are no strangers to overcoming their bodies’ barriers.
The three weightlifters have conditions and injuries they constantly work through to improve their form and records. Ruiz deals with recurring pinched nerves and Lathe has pre-existing injuries she sustained while playing sports in high school. Their injuries become more prevalent if they are not as cautious.
Sierra Lathe, the stength and conditioning coach for womens and mens crew teams, snatches 95 lbs while in the Student Recreation Center at Humboldt State University. Lathe graduated HSU in spring 2019 and now finds herself as a coach teaching athletes how to perform and train well. | Photo by Jose Herrera
Twenty-two-year-old Lathe works as a staff member for the Student Recreation Center at HSU. She graduated spring 2019 with a major in psychology and minor in child development. Lathe has a combined eight years of powerlifting and Olympic weightlifting experience.
As a former HSU athlete, Lathe now finds herself on the other side as the strength and conditioning coach for the men’s and women’s club crew teams.
“I still lift, but not as much because I don’t have time,” Lathe said. “Coaching is a whole other ball game. It’s definitely more fun teaching people how to do it now because I’ve done it for so long.”
She explains that Olympic lifting is more precise movements that use different parts of powerlifting together while powerlifting is “getting real big and strong” through three main exercises: squatting, deadlifting and benching. This is something Ruiz knows all too well.
Ruiz, 24, competes in national Olympic weightlifting competitions such as the USA Weightlifting Nationals, USA Weightlifting American Open and University Nationals. Ruiz placed second at the 2019 University National & placed fifth at the Under 25 championship in March. He can back squat 615 pounds and can do Olympic weightlifting movements like the snatch with 319 pounds and the clean and jerk with 405 pounds.
He says the pinched nerves are something that his body deals with on its own.
“I won’t be able to do everything that I need to and I definitely can tell in my body,” Ruiz said. “Part of it is that doing this for five years, ten years, or however long you do it, it definitely will take a toll on your body.”
Injury and pain is something Ruiz knew would be part of the bodybuilding process, but if given the opportunity, Ruiz wouldn’t change a thing.
“My mom thinks it’s a dangerous sport and she wishes that I wouldn’t put my body through what I do put it through,” Ruiz said. “But they’ve never told me that I needed something else to do. They understand that this is how I stay active and happens to be something I’m good at and so I compete in it.”
Prince and Lathe said they experience different issues as women athletes.
Sierra Lathe, the stength and conditioning coach for womens and mens crew teams, holds 110 lbs over her head while in the Student Recreation Center at HSU. | Photo by Jose Herrera
Lecsi Prince places knee wraps on themselves in preparation for 300lb squat. | Photo by Jose Herrera
Kinesiology major Lecsi Prince lifts and readies to squat 210lbs out in the cage at HealthSport during her early morning workout. Prince has osteoarthitis but continues to exercise because it’s their lifestyle. | Photo by Jose Herrera
“You have all these expectations as a woman,” Lathe said. “If you’re too strong, it’s too much. And if you’re too nice, it’s not enough. So, being able to be an athlete for so long feels pretty good.”
Lathe said people, generally men, stare when she trains, but that she’s used to it as a woman in sports.
“Especially if you’re someone who knows what you are doing,” Lathe said. “You’re either judged or not taken very seriously even though you know what you’re talking about.”
There are also moments where men approach Lathe about random things, sometimes assuming she needs help or to make comments that aren’t appropriate for a conversation with a stranger.
But looking past those moments, Lathe says there’s a lot of community and support in the gym environment, especially from women. And Ruiz says that although weightlifting is an individual act, there’s a lot of teamwork behind the scenes from the coaching and competitive aspect of training partners.
“I think it’s super important to have people that you train with because it pushes you to have friendly competitions within training,” Ruiz said. “To have someone who’s in your same level and train with you, I feel like you benefit more because of the little competition that you guys have.”
If anything, I’d give up free time outside of school and my job to be able to train than to have a social experience. Because the gym at this point has become where I met a lot of my friends.
Luis Ruiz, Olympic Powerlifter
Lathe and Prince share the same sentiment as Ruiz and agree that the people you train with and spend time working with to achieve similar goals become your greatest allies.
“If anything, I’d give up free time outside of school and my job to be able to train than to have a social experience,” Ruiz said. “Because the gym at this point has become where I met a lot of my friends.”
HSU Athletics strength and conditioning coach and kinesiology lecturer Drew Peterson works with a variety of students with different skill levels who come through the Student Recreation Center.
Peterson said that Prince, Ruiz and Lathe achieve great feats of strength and he believes physical strength is the key to activity and fitness.
“Anybody can get stronger and change your physique and increase your physical capacity,” Peterson said. “It just takes getting in here and doing a good job being consistent and staying on a structured program.”
Weightlifting comes with a set of drawbacks just like any other sport, but it remains a therapeutic process for Prince, Ruiz and Lathe. And the next day the three of them do what any average weightlifter does to get better – train again.
“I have a different perspective than most because my body does limit me,” Prince says. “For me it’s more of a therapy. It’s more of that I can push my body to this and nothing else in the world matters other than me just in the moment doing what I love.”
A look at the behind the scenes cleaning team at Humboldt State
The grand clock on University Center strikes midnight and its sounds rings throughout the courtyard.
Then, utter silence except for the light rustle of leaves as a breeze passes through. If you look closer or step into any building on campus at this late hour, you’ll likely hear the creaking of wheels, the whirring of a vacuum or the brushing of floors as custodians go through their assignments.
Night custodians begin their shift at 5 p.m. and finish at 1 a.m. the next day. The work is grueling, but the team handles it with ease.
“Custodians that work here are hard-working people,” Student and Business Services Custodian Tiffany Swift said. “They run into things everyday that you’re not really prepared for, whether it be a big mess that you have to clean up or certain messes that take up multiple procedures. They work really hard, rarely any questions asked.”
Tiffany Swift is about to set down a wet floor sign after cleaning the women’s bathroom on the first floor of the Student and Business Services building during her shift on a late Monday afternoon. | Photo by Jose Herrera
Swift’s hair is swept into a ponytail and her bubbly attitude holds just as much power as her cart filled with practical cleaning supplies. She became a custodian almost seven years ago, back in 2012.
Swift was in charge of the Student Health Center, but was reassigned to the SBS building. She giggled and said she had a routine down for the last six years doing, “pretty much the same things,” like vacuuming, dusting and keeping the place sanitized.
She added that when she started at the SBS it felt like starting a new job.
“In this building everyone was welcoming, but it was nerve-wracking because I didn’t know where anything was,” Swift said. “I didn’t know anyone. I was so used to knowing everybody by their names, their family members, friends outside, you know.”
Swift said it was cool that she could go to a different building and be treated nicely. She explained that the best part of her day is getting to see people and interact with them.
Labor rights are human rights. That’s why I like contracts, there’s an expectation to be treated in a certain way.
Carly Demant
“The days where I’ve been left with a bunch of love notes is when my whole day is made. Or if I get compliments on my work that will put me in a good mood,” Swift said. “Throughout the day you’ll just feel this bliss, you feel like you want to come in the next day and do a great job or even a better job, when you feel like what you did was good and people notice.”
Science A Custodian Carly Demant usually listens to punk rock or comedy podcasts, but on a recent shift played sad country music while swabbing the floors with a wild mop.
Demant said the job is great and appreciates that the custodians are in a union.
“Labor rights are human rights,” Demant said. “That’s why I like contracts, there’s an expectation to be treated in a certain way.”
Custodian for Fisheries and Wildlife, Fish Hatchery and Wildlife Game Pens Dan Adams shares the same sentiment with Swift, that appreciation and compliments on his work motivates him to do a better job.
Carly Demant throws away the garbage during their shift of the Science A building. | Photo by Jose Herrera
“I found that if you develop a good rapport and effectively communicate with students in your building, and faculty and staff in your building, it makes your job better,” Adams said.
After being in charge of Founders Hall for 15 years Adams has many stories, like the time a bat flew in through a window, or when he caught a couple kissing late at night in a classroom.
Black-gloved hands, breathable trousers and a grey beard demonstrate Adams’ 18 plus years of experience.
Adams said his job consists of constant multitasking, and emphasized a greater work experience after creating relationships with others. Although each custodian spends hours alone in their buildings, there’s teamwork involved in making sure that the cleaning gets done.
According to Swift and Adams, the budget cuts have affected their department, resulting in a shortage of staff. When someone calls out sick, another custodian takes their assignment and their duties become doubled.
“We work good as a team,” Adams said. “Every custodian’s run is different.”
He said that when a custodian covers another’s run they should reassess the approach because each building is different. There might be cracked floors, loose tiles or foot traffic impact and custodians must decide which chemicals to use and how to set up their cart.
By the end of their nights, there are certain expectations that have to be met. Adams and Swift said that keeping their buildings clean and presentable brings a sense of pride and accomplishment.
Ken McDonald cleans a bathroom mirror in Science C at Humboldt State University on Aug. 25. | Photo by Jose Herrera
Swift let out another laugh and said that something might “look terrible the day before,” but after a shift the place looks nicer.
When their shifts end they go home and change gears.
Swift bakes on the side and recently made 300 cupcakes for a wedding. Adams is an avid music fan who likes to relax with loved ones. Demant goes home to their blind dog and roommate.
Ken McDonald, the custodian for Science B and C, has three years working for Humboldt State and said that when his night is up, he looks forward to going home to his 7-year-old son and wife of 10 years.
“I’m a family man. They’re my life,” McDonald said.
Seasons may change, but your confidence levels don’t have to
Rapper Megan Thee Stallion dropped her album “Fever” back in May and it instantly went viral, marking 2019 as the year of the ‘Hot Girl Summer’.
One of her songs, “Cash Shit,” begins with the opening lyrics, “Real hot girl shit.” This along with the album cover, which reads “She’s Thee Hot Girl and She’s Bringing Thee Heat,” sparked the catchy phrase “Hot Girl Summer” among her fans. The phrase soon went viral, trending on social media sites like Twitter and Instagram.
What is Hot Girl Summer? Well, according to Megan Thee Stallion in an interview with The Root, “It’s just basically about women — and men — just being unapologetically them, just having a good-ass time, hyping up your friends, doing you, not giving a damn about what nobody got to say about it. You definitely have to be a person that can be the life of the party, and, y’know, just a bad bitch.”
#HotGirlSummer started as attractive women posting photos on Instagram, but became a mental state of being or feeling to share online. Women, men and non-binary folks started using the hashtag to describe their fun summer moments with family, friends or by themselves.
The internet took the phrase and turned it into a meme. Ironically people would use the hashtag to share not-so-great moments of summer, like staying indoors for days without seeing another living soul.
Ultimately, the 2019 summer phrase is sage advice that should be lived by. Megan Thee Stallion, the OG hot girl, is someone to aspire to be.
The hot girl knows she’s hot because she’s confident in who she is and knows how to enjoy herself without worrying about what others around her think. Anyone, be it man, woman or non-binary folks should embody the tenets of a hot girl.
Whether it’s bravery, confidence, fun or just living in the moment, the phrase encourages us to enjoy times like taking naps, planning protests, laying by the beach, cuddling with your significant other or even hooking up with that one cutie from the bar last night.
Any moment, any outfit, any body can be a part of a hot girl summer, as long as you have the mindset to go along with it.
So be the hottie that Megan Thee Stallion knows you are and don’t forget to share the attitude, because it’s meant for everybody.
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This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
