By Tatiana Moore

A place where money isn’t real and everything is free. Running on community donations and local support, Free Time Space was just getting its foothold in the Humboldt zeitgeist. That is, until their landlord gave them 48 hours to get out.

Amara Rydz, facilitator of Free Time Space, explained that the 1925 Alliance Road location in Arcata was envisioned as a third space to serve as a meditation center, nap cafe and public facility meant to meet unmet community needs in Arcata. 

On Sept. 14, Rydz said that the landlord issued a termination of the one-year lease, effective in two days. The owner reportedly disapproved of the presence of community members using the shared amenities.

The landlord Mikael, who did not provide a last name, argues that Rydz misstated her intentions behind what the space was going to be.

“Alissia Rydz-Poe (Amara) leased the premises located at 1925 Alliance Rd. under false pretenses. Amara represented she wanted to open a yoga studio meditation center with a free store. In reality, she opened a 24/7 shelter. 24/7 shelters are not permitted under our lease agreement. The activities and behavior of Amara‘s guests and invitees created an unacceptable environment to are community. On 9/14 I met with Amara and we mutually agreed, the best course of action would be to terminate the lease agreement. The lease termination agreement was signed by both parties today.”

Rydz said Free Time Space accepted the termination rather than fighting to remain in a place where the organization was unwelcome. For people who had begun using the space, this sudden closure represented more than just the loss of a building.

Sociology major Lucas Carballo came to know about Free Time Space because of a post on the Cal Poly Humboldt (CPH) sociology department Instagram page. He and his friend were shocked to hear about the 48-hour notice. 

“Just because it’s not being monetized it’s not being valued,” Carballo said. 

For Tomas Topete, a marketing major, the space was representative of a broader idea of community resources. 

“I definitely think whoever is not in favor of this kind of community gathering and this kind of, people for people bond establishment — really [need to] reevaluate your values,” Topete said. “This is a necessity, like a necessary part of change, and you won’t get very far in helping your community if you’re not including them in it.” 

Rydz said the dispute also points toward a larger issue surrounding where people are allowed to exist when they have nowhere else to go. He described meeting people who have received citations for loitering. One person she said had received 18 citations in a month.

Free Time Space’s appeal was rooted in that gap, but people drawn to the space also brought needs that the community space could not necessarily relieve. 

Tyler Debler came to Arcata to attend CPH, but he soon found himself homeless. He feels the county has few viable shelters and criticized the conditions and environment he experienced at the Eureka Rescue Mission, a local homeless shelter.

“The Mission is poorly run,” Debler said. “It’s dirty. They have roaches. They have lice. People  are loaded on harder substances other than maybe marijuana or even alcohol.” 

Debler’s experience points to the difficult position Free Time Space attempted to occupy. The space was not a shelter, treatment center or government-funded social service. Yet as a space shaped by the community, it was attracting people whose needs often extended beyond what an informal community space can provide. 

Filling this gap requires more than a good idea and a welcoming door. It requires resources, structure and the ability to safely serve the people who are walking through it. The people who needed it didn’t disappear with the lease. The need is still there. Now the question is whether Humboldt is up to confront that, or simply find another door to close.

Tatiana is a reporter. Contact at thm18@humboldt.edu

Bodhi Haugen

On Aug. 30, Cal Poly Humboldt (CPH) received an award for serving rural students and having one of the highest graduation rates in Washington Monthly’s Best Colleges for Rural America. CPH was awarded eighth place out of 100 schools this year. The Washington Monthly is one of the few outlets that specifically ranks rural schools in America, considering all economic classes and GPAs.

Humboldt County is considered a non-metro area, meaning a region that lies outside the boundaries of a large city and contains no continuous urban city center with 50,000 or more residents. The Washington Monthly considers higher education, like CPH, as pillars of local tax bases, essential infrastructure for rural communities and anchors of civic life.

Gillen Tener Martin in the Washington Monthly Best Colleges for Rural America said, “To get on the list, colleges must be located in rural areas and not be highly selective in their admissions policies. To do well on the list, they need to recruit and graduate large numbers of in-state students of modest means with degrees that earn higher salaries than would be predicted given the students’ demographics,” Tener Martin said. “Colleges get extra credit if they grant large numbers of degrees in fields that are in high demand but low supply in rural areas—like teaching, nursing, engineering, agriculture and natural resources management—and if their graduates stay in the state rather than taking their skills, and the tax dollars that paid for them, elsewhere.”

Alex Rossi, a freshman in forest hydrology, has lived in Humboldt since his freshman year of high school and has preferred it over their previous home.

“Fresno is a one and a half million person beige suburb, 110 degrees in the summer, yeah, the air always smells like smoke, and here is pretty much as far from that as you can get. The air is always clean. There’s green everywhere. Kind of feels like you’re in the redwoods even when you’re on campus,” Rossi said.

Sean Harwood, an energy systems engineering major, came to Humboldt from Concord, CA.

“I spent a few years in community college. I was participating in their engineering technology program before I moved up here. I had the choice between here and Bakersfield. Glad I chose what I did. Harwood said. “I do appreciate the additional amenities, the library especially, and the free bus services I enjoy. That’s something we didn’t really have at our community college.” 

The Washington Monthly recognizes that rural colleges commonly experience lower admissions which leads to shrinking tuition revenue, downsizing in staff and less amenities. One of their goals for this ranking is to address the fact that the current higher education system is broken, but that this list can help make the system worth fixing for future leaders.

Bodhi is a reporter and news editor for the Lumberjack. You can reach him at bgh27@humboldt.edu

By Tara Linderborg-Cordry

Every year around the end of August, Humboldt County is flooded with students eager to continue their education. During this time, locals express their concerns about students’ driving skills. Many students find that Arcata’s one way streets pose a significant learning curve, and feel they must adapt to the new driving conditions. 

Students have many ways of getting to campus, with commuters coming from nearby towns like Eureka or Mckinleyville. However, the 2025-2026 survey at Cal Poly Humboldt (CPH) found that only about 27% of students reported driving to campus alone. The university actively promotes other forms of transportation with programs like Jack Pass, providing free access to public transportation for students. Higher volume of traffic might also play a role in the number of incidents. The Federal Highway administration found that intersections with higher traffic volumes usually experience more collisions than those with less traffic.

Arcata went from 25 traffic-related victims killed or injured in 2021 to 45 in 2023, an 80% increase in two years according to data from the California Office of Traffic Safety. There’s significant overlap between areas identified as safety priorities by the city and routes frequently used by students. The report focuses on areas needing safety improvements, including bike lane and crosswalk enhancements. These include busy streets such as L.K. Wood Boulevard and 11th Street. Around the same time, CPH enrollment increased by around 4%. However, this statistic began during the Covid-19 pandemic, consequently both university enrollment and transportation have changed. 

Lt. Keith Altizer with the Arcata Police Department says that there is an increase in people and cars on the road when students arrive. He warns that you should always watch for bicyclists and pedestrians when driving and never assume someone can see you. He emphasizes that driving experience is important, and many students are relatively new drivers. Arcata’s one-way roads and confusing traffic directions may be risk factors for students new to the area. 

Altizer said, “Distracted driving —whether it be cell phones, eating, or changing radio stations — increases the potential for a collision” and urges students to exercise caution on the roads.

Arcata local Brendan Benas has lived in Arcata for over 14 years and thinks that students may not be the only problem. While he said that newer drivers do often cause problems, he thinks older drivers can be equally as problematic. 

Senior psychology major Skylar Rawitch, said that the one-way streets were particularly confusing when she first arrived in Humboldt. She noted that she’s seen more bad drivers on the road since freshmen arrived on campus. 

“You don’t have to be an asshole when you drive here,” said Rawitch.

Tara Linderborg-Cordry is a Junior and Journalism student at Cal Poly Humboldt. She is interested in Political and Healthcare communications and hopes to pursue a career in Public Relations. She can be reached at trl39@humboldt.edu.

Bodhi Haugen

Cal Poly Humboldt (CPH) sent out an email on Aug. 2, letting students know that the Giant’s Cupboard will begin accepting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. With many students facing financial difficulties, expanded on-campus payment options encourage students to eat regularly and stay fueled throughout the day.

CPH said in the email that they are working on accepting SNAP at the College Creek Marketplace. Applications have also been submitted for the 101 Express Cafe and Market at the Hinarr Hu Moulik housing complex.

The Giant’s Cupboard is open from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday. Because the Giant’s Cupboard opens in the evening, expanding SNAP acceptance to additional locations will improve student access to food throughout the day.

Sarandon Kamrud, a senior and kinesiology major at CPH says she wasn’t going to the Giant’s Cupboard at all but is compelled to go more because her SNAP benefits are accepted there.

Sebastian James, a sophomore communications major at CPH, uses the Giant’s Cupboard daily.

“I go to the Cupboard probably every day, to be honest,” James said. “The accessibility to come any time of the day, especially late at night to get a snack, because the dining hall is closed early on certain days.”

Jonathan Dutra, a junior psychology major at CPH, emphasized the importance of expanding access to SNAP benefits for students who previously could not use them on campus and looks forward to more locations doing the same.

“I think it’s great. I think that it’s very important for people to be using their EBT benefits at a place, specifically in college, where everybody needs a little help,” Dutra said.

One of CPH’s goals is to make food more accessible. If students are interested in applying for SNAP benefits, they can do so through the CalFresh website. Students can also receive help with the application by emailing OhSnap! for an appointment.

Bodhi is a reporter and news editor for the Lumberjack. You can reach him at bgh27@humboldt.edu

By Jacqueline Zuniga

Students who have ever purchased anything from the vending machines on campus may have noticed that there are no water bottles being sold.

 The university began phasing out plastic water bottles in 2011 after students ran a successful environmental campaign. According to Melissa Hutsell, Communications Specialist for Marketing and Communications at Cal Poly Humboldt, students participated in a grassroots initiative called Take Back the Tap, which pushed campus leaders to eliminate the use of plastic water bottles. This made Cal Poly Humboldt one of the first public universities in the nation to do so. In 2018, the California State University system adopted a policy to eliminate the sale of plastic bottles, straws and bags across all of its campuses. With the phasing out of bottles, the installation of water bottle filling stations increased.

“Before this, the university sold as many as 80,000 single-use plastic water bottles annually,” Hutsell said. “The goal was always to make water more accessible to students by encouraging reusable containers for free water filling.” 

The university has received recognition for reducing plastic use and was awarded a Plastics Reduction Partner certification from the National Wildlife Federation in 2024. Additionally, the Post Landfill Action Network recognized the university with a bronze Zero Waste Certification, ranking it third out of the top 10 Zero-Waste campuses in 2023. 

Waterfill stations are located throughout campus, and more are being added as facilities staff work to upgrade drinking fountains over the next two years. For students without reusable bottles, free water bottles are sometimes given away at campus events by teams such as Housing and Residential Life and Dining Services. Reusable bottles are also sold at campus retail locations. The university’s new water bottle policy seems to be receiving positive feedback from the campus community. 

“Generally, we’ve found that most people have expressed gratitude and inspiration, stating that they appreciate this effort and are excited by these kinds of initiatives from the university,” Hutsell said. 

While the university reports positive feedback, some students don’t have many positive things to say about the policy. Ava Hernandez, a second year student, states that the lack of bottled water can be frustrating.

“I think it’s kind of annoying that they’re not in the vending machines, especially when I used to live on campus,” Hernandez said. “I know that water from the fountains isn’t always the cleanest, and buying something like a Brita isn’t the most affordable option for some people. I wish water were available to buy in vending machines.” 

Katelyn Lemos, a second-year psychology student, thinks that because of how much she has to walk, there should be more water.

“I feel like there should be vending machines with water on campus, especially with the amount of stairs and hills everywhere,” Lemos said.

Stores on campus, like The Depot, College Creek Market Place and The Cupboard do have aluminum and glass bottles as options, though they can be out of the way for some students.

“I do think metal water bottles are a good alternative,” Hernandez said.

Lemos, on the other hand, believes the restriction to reusables is still a step too far.

“I think the aluminum waters are okay. I understand it’s for recycling, but they make the water taste like pennies,” Lemos said. 

As the university continues to emphasize sustainability and reduce plastic use, the absence of water bottles in vending machines remains a topic of debate among students. 

Jacqueline is a journalism major, a news manager for KRFH and she aspires to be a sports journalist one day

By Barley Lewis-McCabe

The tan hallway of the Eureka Courthouse was filled to near-maximum capacity. The air was warm from breath and the benches filled with people in Keffiyahs or newly printed shirts detailing Cal Poly Humboldt’s (CPH) investments related to Israeli military. Some held signs in their laps or leaned against the wall, anxious to get into the court. 

“There are a lot of us who know Rick and support Rick because we care about him as a friend, and there are a lot of people who are experiencing the same thing, either themselves or their friends across the country.” Humboldt 5051 chapter president and College of the Redwoods political science student AJ said. 

Because of the sizable crowd, entry was limited to 25 people, and the bailiff warned people that signs, hats and phones were not permitted inside.

Final semester graduate student at CPH, and the subject facing trial, Rick Toledo stood expressionless by the door. He was nearly unrecognizable with a short haircut and dapper suit as opposed to a tan jacket, jeans and shaggy hair. He idly talked to supporters, but spoke much softer than usual. 

David Loy, legal director of the First Amendment Coalition, a non-profit organization focused on education around First Amendment rights, commented on the nature of Toledo’s arrest.

“Sit-ins and occupations are time-honored means of protest and I respect that,” Loy said. “The whole theory of civil disobedience is that one disobeys the law for a higher moral purpose, but there’s not necessarily a right to do so without any legal consequence whatsoever.”

On Monday, April 20, the Humboldt County District Attorney (DA) announced that they would be pursuing charges of assault, battery and false imprisonment on Toledo over an altercation with Associate Director of the Student Activities Center Michael Moore during the Feb. 27 sit-in at Goodwin Forum. 

During the sit-in, administrators were asked to guard the entrances to limit further entry into Nelson Hall West. Around 1:20 p.m., Toledo approached Moore and made a ‘T’ with his arms, backing Moore against a wall to allow for protestors to bring food and water into the building. Moore was uninjured but the petition for a workplace restraining order against Toledo details that Moore felt fearful and anxious. 

The Lumberjack reached out to Marketing and Communications, as well as Moore, for comment. Communications Specialist Melissa Hutsell said they were unable to facilitate an interview, and Moore did not respond to our email as of publication. 

Toledo was arrested for felony charges of assault, battery, false imprisonment and conspiracy on March 6, but the DA did not file conspiracy charges and is not pursuing felony charges. In a declaration written in support of Toledo’ s restraining order filed on March 3, Interim Dean of Students Ravin Craig said the university is seeking to expel him. Toledo has an ongoing conduct case to determine his future at the university. Though he is able to appeal Toledo feels like the odds could be stacked against him.

Moore’s workplace restraining order against Rick Toledo was dismissed 3 weeks after it was filed. Legal representatives were able to come to an agreement that Toledo would continue to stay away from Moore, and wouldn’t pursue legal action over the altercation directly.

“I’ve said this before, I don’t know Michael Moore,” Toledo said. “I don’t have this man’s phone number, I don’t bear any resentment towards him, I don’t know his address. So it was very easy for me to say, ‘Yes, I’m not gonna go near him.’” 

After about 10 minutes in the courtroom, Toledo and his supporters filed out back into the hallway and descended the stairs. Toledo, avoiding the crowd, stepped into a cramped elevator.

“They definitely felt the pressure,” Toledo said. “They won’t drop the charges without pressure. The fact that they didn’t let signs in and the fact that they freaked out about the amount of people shows that they’re feeling the pressure.”

Barley is the good-timing Editor In Chief of The Lumberjack, as well as a jack of all trades news writer. Contact him for any reason at bl258@humboldt.edu

By Nico Patakidis

Formed in the fall 2025 semester, Community Resilience Steering Group (CRSG) has provided presentations across campus to inform students, faculty and staff about what procedures the university will follow if Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were to come onto campus.

What is CRSG?

CRSG was formulated at the request of the University Senate to have a larger team that could prepare for, and respond accordingly to, potential ICE activity on campus. In a special Associated Students (A.S.) meeting held on April 1, Division of Enrollment Management & Student Success Vice President and CRSG member Chrissy Holliday discussed in detail what the University response to ICE presence would look like in different scenarios and how students can respond themselves. 

In the presentation to A.S., Holliday discussed two kinds of responses that CRSG would take, formal and informal. Formal responses to ICE activity include actions that are based in California State University (CSU) policy and California law. 

“The university self-selected to create a group to help build a larger scaffold of initiatives to bolster our work,” Acting Vice President for Administration & Finance and CRSG member Mike Fisher said. “[CRSG works] particularly around preparation and response, but during an event is really what’s part of CSU policy, state law and some other things.”

Informal responses are the actions CRSG will take to connect with the community, and make others aware of what procedures would be followed. CRSG has been meeting with groups such as university housing staff, the Dreamer Center and A.S. in order to get feedback from the campus community. 

“We’re trying to capture the audiences that are very different across campus and pull them into this important work in a more cohesive way,” Fisher said. 

What if ICE comes on campus?

ICE is not permitted entry to any buildings on campus as they are considered private, which Holliday said includes residence halls and the library. ICE may only enter private spaces on campus if they have the correct judicial warrant — not an administrative warrant. A judicial warrant that would allow entry must be signed by a judge, whereas an administrative warrant is signed by an employee of the federal government. CRSG has staff who are trained to verify these warrants before ICE can take any further action. Should ICE enter any private spaces, Holliday said that members of CRSG and UPD would arrive to remove them, although it may not be immediate and could take time. Additionally, any action that ICE takes in a private space without the correct JUMP warrant is illegal. While ICE does not have access to private spaces such as buildings on campus, they may still walk around campus pathways, sidewalks, the main quad and art quad. 

“We’re notified, we respond immediately, we intercept, we create time and space,” Fisher said. “We need to follow the law as an institution in the state of California… to create time and space is to allow for our community to react appropriately, to allow them time to make an informed decision about what they would need to do to protect themselves.” 

Holliday said that there are other scenarios in which ICE may come to campus for reasons other than immigration enforcement. This can include activity related to the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, administrative matters such as reviewing visas or career fairs. In this case, the university would notify the campus ahead of time. Holliday also said that in the unlikely event that ICE attends a career fair the university is not allowed to prohibit them, but would notify campus ahead of time. In any other case that ICE is on campus, planned or not, the university would first verify ICE presence and then send notifications via text and email. 

Should anyone on campus be approached by ICE or see them on campus, CRSG encourages that person to call Interim AVP and Chief Human Resources Officer Michelle Caisse at (707) 826-4501 or UPD at (707) 826-5555 immediately and not engage. Holliday said that CRSG does not want anyone to worry about facing charges and to allow the designated staff from CRSG handle any interactions with ICE.

“Our intent is to follow the law and to do what needs to be done…” Holliday said. “I don’t think we have any way of knowing what would happen in the moment. What we can do is try to limit who on campus feels the weight of that by saying, ‘Here are the people who are interacting’.”

Warrants and Subpoenas

CRSG has staff that are trained to understand warrants and verify whether or not it is the correct warrant that would grant ICE entry into private spaces. Staff are also trained to verify subpoenas that would provide access to student or staff records. However, even if ICE provides a correct warrant, they will not be granted immediate access to private spaces or records. Following verification, CRSG would notify the campus community of this information. 

Will UPD enforce immigration law?

Under California State Code SB-54, state, local and school law enforcement may not enforce immigration law or assist in enforcement. University Police Department (UPD), as well as Arcata Police Department, can not investigate, detain or arrest any person due to their immigration status. Anyone approached by ICE is encouraged by CRSG to contact UPD and Human Resources and let them handle any further interactions. 

What if a campus community member needs legal aid?

Currently, CRSG does not offer any legal resources. Holliday instead said that the CSU has been in partnership since 2019 with The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), an organization that provides a variety of immigration related legal services and support for undocumented students. Holliday said that in the case someone in the campus community is involved in immigration activity, CHIRLA is a resource that can provide legal support.

“There are state and CSU-sponsored resources that we can tap into because of our affiliations, and that is where I think the power lies with our students, faculty and staff being supported by the university directly,” Fisher said.

Addressing demands for a sanctuary campus

During the two occupations on campus this semester, protestors demanded that the university implement a sanctuary campus policy. Since 2017, Arcata has been declared a sanctuary city. Fisher said that the university and CRSG have been following the generally-accepted guidelines for what sanctuary cities are despite the university not being officially declared a sanctuary campus. 

“The use of the term ‘sanctuary’ in this political climate can have adverse affects,” Fisher said. “But we’re doing all the protections that the sanctuary title would carry with it… that’s why sanctuary is, in this political climate, problematic for our vulnerable communities, not the university.”

Holliday said that she feels the work CRSG is doing is bigger than what a sanctuary campus would be, because the university would not be acting individually and would instead be backed by state law and CSU policy, which she believes offers a broader depth of protection. Along with demands for a sanctuary campus, protestors advocated for the university to offer legal resources to members of campus that may need it.  

“I think all of the things people are wanting us to say we will and won’t do are exactly what we’ve said,” Holliday said. “We want to make sure that anything we’re doing is adding value and not duplicating.”

El Centro Coordinator and CRSG member Brenda Perez, one of the advocates and leaders of the sanctuary county campaign, said she will always defend the importance of declaring spaces as safe sanctuaries for Indigenous migrant communities. However, she still respects the perspectives of other CRSG members and believes it’s important to listen to experiences from those who have been on other universities campuses where ICE has been present. Perez said she believes that when the campus is ready to become a sanctuary, the community will know — but it is a process. 

“Students should know that through their everyday actions, they are the ones who create sanctuary,” Perez said. “There is a difference between a title or a legal designation, and daily practice. Sanctuary must be something we live collectively, every day.”

How will CRSG continue?

At the moment, CRSG is only a steering group, which is a group meant to oversee a specific project or initiative, without plans to solidify the group as its own committee. However, Fisher said that the group has been discussing potential professional development opportunities through training student mentors in CRSG procedures. CRSG is still developing and seeking feedback on how to better support the community from groups across campus.

“We hope that this initial momentum will be operationalized for a long run,” Fisher said. “This will always be something that we want to do as a university.”

Nico is the photo editor with an interest in covering local government and political affairs. In his free time he enjoys hanging out and having fun with his friends. Reach him at np211@humboldt.edu.

By Barley Lewis-McCabe

This semester, student protestors occupied two different buildings on two separate occasions with an identical trio of demands each time. The first was for the Cal Poly Humboldt Foundation to fully divest from companies associated with Israel, or the U.S. military industrial complex. The Foundation is a board of fiduciaries who invest donations they receive on behalf of donors for the sake of funding student services, primarily scholarships. 

The Cal Poly Humboldt website details the university’s Socially and Environmentally Responsible Investment Offset Policy (SEROP) and how the Foundation tries to follow it.

“The Cal Poly Humboldt Foundation continues to abstain from any direct investment in Concerning Sectors (including fossil fuels) and to cut indirect mutual fund investments in Concerning Sectors…,” the policy reads. “Furthermore, the Foundation has expanded its definition of socially concerning sectors to include aerospace and defense…” 

The Foundation follows an Environmentally and Socially Responsible (ESR) investment policy, meaning it prioritizes investments in companies that follow their ESR guidelines and intends to reach 100% ESR investment. The Foundation is currently invested in 3 mutual funds with ESR policies that also hold stock in companies with defense contracts: Calvert International Equity,  Kennedy Capital and Touchstone Non-Us Equity – which also has stock in fossil fuel company Shell Plc. 

The Foundation doesn’t invest in stocks directly, but rather in 10 mutual funds, which are bundles of stocks sold as one package. The Foundation receives guidance from the Portland-based investment advice firm RVK. Similar to the Foundation’s ESR metric, RVK also has environmentally-responsible investment criteria, but declined to comment when Lumberjack reporters asked how they define a socially-responsible investment.

“There’s not a standard that companies have to meet to call themselves ESR mutual funds. They have their own philosophy on that piece of it,” said Cal Poly Humboldt Foundation Executive Director Steve Karp.

Karp elaborated on how out of over 6000 mutual funds, roughly 280 have ESR policies. 

“It is absolutely impossible, right?” Karp said. “So, if some have Shell in there — I’m not saying that’s not true — then they try their best to keep no oil stocks in there.” 

The Cal Poly Humboldt Foundation is unable to buy individual stocks, due to the time commitment and expertise required to manage stocks. Mutual fund managers manage each stock individually and adjust what stocks they own, and how much daily to ensure a high return on investment for their customers. Because mutual funds are so large, no individual investor can tell the fund not to buy a certain stock — the foundation either buys the package or they don’t. 

Currently 72% of the Foundation’s investments are accepted by its ESR policy, with a possible maximum of 83%. The remaining 17% are placed in organizations that are not ESR eligible, such as real estate or government bonds. 

“We are trying to close that gap. I promise you that, but we also have to return on investment,” Karp said. “And so we’re now down to where we’re doing little increments, but we look at it constantly.” 

Some students feel frustrated with the Foundation’s slow pace in divesting. 

“They say that they’re going to divest from [defense companies]. It still hasn’t happened yet,” said Humboldt Youth Democratic Socialists of America Vice-President James Menendez.  “I want to give them the benefit of the doubt. I want to trust their word because in the end, I don’t hate anyone. We’re all here together… so, if they say they’re going to divest, I believe that they’re going to, but it hasn’t happened yet.”

Barley is the opinionated opinion editor and an untraditional reporter who focuses on social change and stories with a real human impact. If you’d like to reach him for whatever reason email bl258@humboldt.edu.

By Barley Lewis-McCabe

It was 1:00 a.m. on March 6 of his final semester at Cal Poly Humboldt, and graduate student Rick Toledo was sleeping calmly in bed with his cats.

“There were really loud bangs on my door, and I just knew right away,” Toledo said. “It’s gonna be University Police, isn’t it?” 

Toledo walked to the stairs of his apartment and asked the University Police Department (UPD) officers if they had a warrant. They did, and Toledo subsequently walked outside and surrendered.

“They ended up grabbing me and treating me like I was some kind of terrorist at first,” Toledo said.
“They ripped my clothes and handcuffed me, all [that] fun stuff.” 

He was taken to the UPD station, then to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on four felony charges: criminal conspiracy, false imprisonment, battery and assault. He was arrested on a Ramey warrant, which can be used by the police to hold someone for up to 48 hours before charges have been issued from the district attorney’s office. The 48-hour holding period does not apply to weekends.

On Sunday morning, Toledo was released after posting $25,000 bail. That afternoon, he exited the jail to a small group of friends and colleagues who took him home. Before he left jail an employee asked him for a favor. 

 ‘Can you tell everyone that you’re free now? We haven’t been able to use our phones for days,’ Toledo said. He then explained that the call in campaign to advocate for his release was so widespread that it clogged the jail’s phone lines.

After his arrest, Toledo’s mother and sister reached out to community activists and worked on a large outreach campaign to raise money for his legal fund, as well as awareness for his arrest. 

“My brother is not a bad person. He does a lot to help and it really caught me off guard that he was in there,” Nicole Toledo, said. “We love him so much. He is such an amazing brother and an amazing person in general. All he cares about is helping people and doing good in this world. We’re very supportive of him.”

The Cal Poly Humboldt chapter of Students For a Democratic Society worked with other SDS national, and the other chapters across America to garner public support for Toledo and to get people to call into the DA’s office to demand his immediate release. 

“All of the national SDS stands in solidarity with Rick. We helped get him out of jail in the first case and we’ll continue to advocate to get these bogus charges dropped.” National SDS President Erin Boyle said.

“Jail’s jail, you know,” Toledo said. “I watched the paint dry, I found some books that I could read. You know, it’s jail, you eat the slop. When I was in there, I was just thinking about what I was gonna do when I got out, to kind of fight against the school for what they had done to me.” 

When asked for comment, CPH Communications Specialist Iridian Casarez  said that the university is unable to comment on specific student conduct cases. Toledo is still suspended from the university.

Toledo told a Lumberjack reporter that in spite of the arrest he has no plans to change course with his activism. Additionally he speculated on the root cause of the extensive charges levied against him.

“It’s not from a place of strength that they’ve attacked me.
It’s from a place of weakness,” Toledo said. “This is their attempt to finally silence the dissent, and any time that you have this kind of harsh response, it actually tends to create more unrest, and it tends to create more people opposed to you, and more support for the people you’re trying to crush. And I think that they’ve made just a terrible decision here.”

Barley is the good-timing Editor In Chief of The Lumberjack, as well as a jack of all trades news writer. Contact him for any reason at bl258@humboldt.edu

What was the brief, second Siemens Hall encampment?

Demands were met, police were not

By Barley Lewis-McCabe

Names of protestors have been redacted to protect student safety.

Advocates lined the yellow hallway to the absent president’s office with signs in their laps and surgical masks covering their faces. They sat under bulletin boards, handmade peaceful sentiments written on the wall in chalk, and Palestine’s flag on Friday, Feb. 20 as a cloud of tension emanated from the crowd, sweating under layers of protection from the Humboldt winter and the dangers that could come from being identified. They had three demands: Cal Poly Humboldt’s total divestment from military contracts, a formal non-compliance policy with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and for the university to advocate for the full implementation of the Teamsters’ demands, which were outlined in last week’s strike. 

“We’ve been asking for this, we’ve had meetings, and nothing has been put through,” a protester said to Associate Dean of Students Heather Honig. “We’ve been waiting, we’ve been patient, we’ve been nice — the only time when things actually change is when we escalate.” 

The protestors entered the building around 1 p.m. after previously gathering at the Josiah Lawson memorial and marching through campus. At 1:20 p.m., Vice President Mike Fisher entered to talk with the protesters and remained until the end of the occupation. They swiftly began a conversation in which protestors calmly stated their demands and asserted that they wouldn’t leave until they were met. Fisher claimed he would be handling the discussion in place of President Carvajal, who was unavailable due to a current meeting with an Indigenous American group.

Fisher explained the limitations of what he would be able to do immediately. The protestors began calling for him to make a public statement, and in response, Fisher promised to continue working with students and campus advocacy groups on the demands. A representative of the protestors said they would see what the group thought, but first outlined an additional demand.

“We have one more thing that obviously we’re not leaving without: no consequences for the students that showed up today,” a representative of the group said. “We are here to fight back against genocide and against fascism. This is a fucking First Ammendment right.”

“I understand that, I do,” Fisher said. “It’s not even in my capacity to do that, but I will use my influence to make sure I can work towards that end.” 

The student representatives left to discuss. They soon sent Rick Toledo, organizer with Students for a Democratic Society to mediate discussions between Fisher and group representatives. Toledo explained that they would only leave with a guarantee that no students who attended the protest would be faced with conduct charges, and that the administration would commit to meet with the group and work on the issues. Fisher agreed to meet, and said that the decision on conduct charges would fall to Carvajal and Vice President of Student Affairs Chrissy Holiday, both of whom were unavailable. At the request of the group, Fisher sent a message to President Carvajal informing him of the students’ demands and suggested potential conduct charges be dropped. 

With demands still unsatisfied, the parties were at an impasse and tension heightened as students began to worry about their safety. Fisher said they wouldn’t have to worry about that, but several of the field medics in the group were preparing for a worst-case scenario.. 

A protestor approached Fisher to try and have a different kind of conversation.

“We know that it’s difficult navigating the systems you’re navigating, and all of the higher-ups and higher-ups and higher and higher-ups,” The protestor said. “It’s tough, probably, being up here with all these people — we’re not against you.” 

“I understand it’s frustrating,” Fisher said.“And I’m sorry I can’t do anymore than I’ve already offered.” 

“It’s ok, thank you for being here and not running away,” the protestor said. 

A separate student representative continued the conversation, explaining their frustration with administration’s lack of progress nearly two years after the April 2024 Siemens Hall occupation. Plans were ultimately made for a public forum where students could discuss the issues with Fisher directly, scheduled for Friday, Feb. 27 at 8 a.m.. Content with the progress they’d made, the students peacefully returned to the cold, sun-baked campus at 2:30 p.m., leaving the building with more than they entered with.

Barley is the opinion editor and an untraditional reporter who focuses on social change and stories with a real human impact. If you’d like to reach him for whatever reason email bl258@humboldt.edu.

By Brad Butterfield

Since opening November of 2021, The Campus Store, Eureka’s revenue stands at $188,596, with expenses totalling $289,936, equating to $101,367 in losses during its first 25 months in operation. The storefront boasts prime location in Eureka’s Old Town and was opened with the aim of increasing the university’s presence in Eureka. Despite consistent financial losses, the university remains steadfast about the importance of the Eureka store for community engagement and accessibility. 

Although sharing a name with The Campus Store, Arcata, the Eureka location is different in many foundational ways. Whereas the Arcata building space is owned by the Cal Poly Humboldt Foundation, the Eureka location is leased by Cal Poly Humboldt for $2,000 a month. This $2,000 per month excludes utilities, trash services, maintenance, taxes, permit, inspections and license fees, according to the building lease agreement obtained through public record request. While the Arcata location is operated by Follet, a nationwide store operator for colleges, the Eureka location is operated by Humboldt Outfitters, a locally owned company. 

  “They are able to bring in their own approved designs, which may be different than the Arcata Campus Store. They also bring in some of their successful products they feature in their Arcata store,” said Grant Scott-Goforth, communications specialist for Cal Poly Humboldt.

The deal with Humboldt outfitters arose from a request for proposal (RFP) put out by the University due to the fact that the Eureka location was too small to be operated by Follet, according to Scott-Goforth. Humboldt Outfitters was selected because of their success with their Arcata store, and their local screen printing and engraving capabilities. 

David Neyra, owner of Humboldt Outfitters, deferred to university marketing and communications when asked for an interview. In his email response, Neyra copy and pasted questions and answers which had been asked directly to marketing and communications regarding the university’s perspective on operations at the store.

The Eureka location layout also differs substantially from the Arcata storefront. In Eureka, sections of the store are reserved for local school merchandise in addition to offering Arcata, CA and Humboldt County branded clothing items. Additionally, an entire corner of the store is reserved for non-university affiliated trinkets like cutting boards, cutlery, and toiletry items. The store also features Humboldt State branded gear, which is important to the vast majority of current Alumni who studied at the then named Humboldt State University.

At the Old Town store, Cal Poly Humboldt branded gear costs $89.99 for a zip-up fleece sweater, $69.99 for a plaid blanket with a white ‘H.,’ a pullover hoodie for $49.99, and $49.00 for a polo. However, the gear is name-brand. Nike, Holloway, and Port Authority all make items sold by the store. 

Unprofitable since opening, The Campus Store, Eureka has run an average deficit of $4,055 a month for the 25 month period between Nov. 2021 to Dec. 2023. In spite of this, the university sees the store as a success in its main objectives of providing visibility and accessibility, expanding the relationship with the city of Eureka, and expanding logo wear offerings, according to Scott-Goforth. Naturally, running a consistent deficit is not ideal for any business, no matter how large the financial backing. This has led to the university’s constant changes to the store’s merchandise and marketing in an effort to attract more customers.

“The Campus Store, Eureka continues to optimize its inventory selection and online ordering, along with social media marketing to increase sales,” Scott-Goforth said.

The university’s Senior Director for Enterprise Services Todd Larsen, who oversees the Campus Stores, deferred an interview request to university marketing and communications.  President Tom Jackson Jr., who was credited by Frank Whitlatch in his letter to the editor on Nov. 29,  2023 with the achievement of opening the Campus Stores, did not respond to an interview request.

From the city of Eureka’s perspective, the store is nothing but a major positive. City Manager Miles Slattery emphasized that any and all presence of the university in Eureka is hugely beneficial – and not only from an economic standpoint. 

“It’s even more beneficial from a social standpoint of bringing in a younger and especially more diverse community to our area,” Slattery said. “Our emphasis in economic development has been working on BIPOC owned businesses, trying to expand on that and provide opportunities for folks to open up businesses. Having that population of folks in our Eureka commercial district is nothing but beneficial and expands the diversity of our businesses.”