The Lumberjack



Students Serving The Cal Poly Humboldt Campus and Community Since 1929

Tag: News

  • Wildberries employees speak on store-wide profiling

    Wildberries employees speak on store-wide profiling

    By Dezmond Remington and Jasmin Shirazian

    Colorful and bright, full of fresh produce, natural foods and community bulletins, Wildberries looks like the perfect hippie store. A store where people of all kinds can purchase their $10 a pound granola and oat milk free from judgement. They have juice and salad bars, a cafe and even a sunroom. It’s the platonic ideal of suburban crunchiness. It doesn’t look like the kind of place where customers are regularly judged on their appearance. You wouldn’t think it’s the sort of place where employees are instructed to watch certain customers and follow them around the store. It is. 

    Former employee Samuel Alatorre worked at Wildberries from Oct. 2020 to March of 2021. In his time there, he said he saw many instances of management profiling customers. Often, when someone they thought looked suspicious came into the store, a manager on the PA would use a code word and an aisle number to tell employees who to keep a specific eye on. 

    “It’s usually someone who has a backpack, if somebody looks like they’re houseless, and also usually racial profiling—I’ve seen that as well,” Alatorre said. “It’s never been outright said ‘that person looks suspicious because they’re black,’ but OTW [one to watch] aisle four if it’s someone of color.”

    One instance in particular stood out to Alatorre when a man that looked homeless tried to shop at Wildberries. He was stopped outside the store and got into an argument with a manager. When he was finally allowed inside, he was followed by several people everywhere he went. Even after paying for his items, he was still being followed until he left the store. 

    “That kind of incident right there, where you continue to follow him even after you’ve seen he hasn’t taken anything, is where it just kind of seems like it’s more of a power trip thing than anything else,” Alatorre said. “It’s more of a hate against the homeless community than anything else.”

    Alatorre said Wildberries management often felt like they were untouchable, taking any opportunity they could to exercise their authority. Head manager Aaron Gottschalk was especially prone, whom Alatorre said he saw on multiple occasions physically confront people suspected of shoplifting. 

    “He in particular sees an opportunity to be that person in a position of power and he wants to exercise it by any means,” Alatorre said. 

    Alatorre doesn’t think that using force or profiling people to prevent shoplifting is justifiable as there are other ways to stop shoplifting, such as hiring loss-prevention security. 

    “I don’t think shoplifting is right,” Alatorre said. “But I also don’t think that using force in the way he does is right either.”

    Not every Wildberries employee agrees with Alatorre. One current employee (who requested to remain anonymous) who has worked there since late August thinks the profiling is understandable. 

    “Some people know about certain customers and tell them to leave, and some customers just have this sketchy kind of energy about them and some of my managers who have been working there for 15 to 20 years seem to have a pretty good sense of who doesn’t have good intentions there and who does,” he said. “And while there is some profiling going on, I don’t think it is racial and I don’t think it’s based off of how they look.”

    However, the employee did later contradict himself, saying those people with the “sketchy energy” often looked like they were homeless or even just didn’t look like they had good intentions. 

    “I guess [justifiable] profiling would be pointing out people who they know have already stolen or following your gut instinct based on how you see a person acting,” he said. “A lot of my managers can tell the difference between a person who’s coming in there to shop and a person who’s coming in there to steal just based off of their gut instincts, and how they’ve dealt with those people before and watch them come in and watch them leave.”

    He also disagrees with other characterizations of Gottschalk as somewhat violent and vindictive. He said that Gottschalk was generally a good person, if at times a little awkward, and all-around an outstanding member of the community. Any violence is just his years of experience coming into action. 

    “I can sympathize with what he was probably feeling when he [pinned a 16-year-old girl to the ground several months ago],” the employee said. “I don’t think Aaron woke up that day and said, ‘hey, who am I going to target’ or ‘who am I going to pin to the floor,’ that’s not the type of guy he seems to be to me.”

    According to former employee Tatum Keller, shoplifting skirmishes were fairly common in their experience there. They also saw people who looked to be homeless being followed around the store, especially people of color and younger people.

    “It was probably every single day, if not every other day, someone was chased out whether they had something or not,” Keller said. “…It happened before I worked there, it happened during the time I worked there and it’s going to continue to happen still.”

  • Beloved student Camile Nauta dies at 21

    Beloved student Camile Nauta dies at 21

    By August Linton

    Camile Nauta, a beloved CPH student and community member, was hit by a truck and killed while out walking their dog Wilson with friend Rune Kubbany on Jan. 17. Wilson was also killed in the accident, and Kubbany was hospitalized. Nauta was 21 years old. 

    They are already sorely missed by everyone who knew them. They were enigmatic and whimsical, described by many that knew them as a ‘fairy,’ a ‘cowboy,’ or a ‘forest creature.’

    They’re remembered by everyone who knew them as a kind, quiet person, who sometimes came off as standoffish just because they were shy. They had a unique ability to make people comfortable and to bring out that joy in others, which they also reveled in. 

    Multiple people remember them for the silly accents that they loved to perform. They were an animal lover and a vegan. Taro smoothies, lying in the sun and spending time in nature were other things that Nauta loved.

    Student Holly Ford described how familiar a part of the CPH world Nauta was.

    “They’d walk through the forest and everyone knew them,” said Ford. 

    Dorm-mate Tommy Broedner remembers the quiet companionship that they shared with Nauta when they met in the kitchen, and many people mention how much they loved coffee. Girlfriend Elizabeth Edens describes them as constantly jittering.

    “There’s not coffee grounds on the counter anymore,” Broedner said.

    Nauta posing with a camera at College Cove during the first semester of their sophomore year, in 2020

    Grayson Ford remembers how Nauta waited for them when they fell behind on walks in the forest. Others said how Nauta’s energy and compassion made them feel comfortable dancing at shows, something that Nauta was known to do with abandon. 

    Being a part of punk and local music subculture was important to Nauta. They were a regular at the Arcata music venue Blondies, went to various house shows, and loved dancing and moshing. 

    Edens went with Nauta to many local shows. 

    “They enjoyed being in the mosh pit a lot, they talked about it being like therapy for them,” Edens said. “They were always beautiful, it was great to see them in the pit because they’d always be having fun even on their own.”

    People loved and were sometimes, at-first, almost intimidated by their intricate facial piercings, bright green mullet-hawk and patched clothes. The combination of a punk exterior and compassionate, loving interior is what defined their image.

    “They styled themself as if they were a punk little forest goblin who occasionally engaged in witchcraft,” said their sibling, Lily Nauta. Nauta had a very close relationship with their sibling, who many described as their best friend. 

    They broke their arm in the mosh pit at a “Days N’ Daze” show, and sported a scar on their shoulder for the rest of their life. 

    Being queer and non-binary identity were very important to Nauta. They wore queerness on their sleeve, and found kinship, community, and love in the Humboldt queer community. The small size of this group in Humboldt is one reason why Nauta’s absence stings so keenly. They were known by most in the community.

    “They were the best cheerleader for people finding their true gender identity and celebrated all of the things dominant culture shames queer people for,” Lily Nauta said. “They reclaimed it all and helped others do the same. They were the best lil nonbinary twink a guy could have the pleasure of knowing.”

    A psychology major, Nauta was involved in many different programs at CPH. They were the first student intern from the school at local organization Queer Humboldt, where they helped to start a Discord chat server so queer people around the area could connect with each other.

    Queer outreach was very important to Nauta, and they also worked on the Historic InQUEERies project teaching the queer history of  historic people to classes in those related fields.

    Nauta was always with their dog Wilson, who also was killed in the accident. Whenever possible, they were always together, whether in the forest, at school, or around town. After they got him in Summer 2022, his presence helped Nauta open up, according to roommate Shayne Jarvie. 

    “They started to kinda come out of their shell and be super goofy with everyone,” Jarvie said. “Everyone loved Wilson and Wilson loved everyone.”

    “[Wilson and Nauta] were both each-other’s emotional support animals,” Edens said.

    Nauta was very close with their family, whom they always nurtured. Their mother Lisa Nauta described how they nursed her back to health while she had COVID-19.

    “Me, Lily, and Camile, we used to call each-other the three peas,” Lisa Nauta said. “They’ve always been a hugger, always giving love.”

    “They’d offer to make the whole family tea nearly every night,” Lily Nauta said. “Words can’t describe how heartbroken we are and how much we’ll miss them.”

    The natural world was one of Nauta’s loves. They spent much of their time in the forests surrounding campus or on the local beaches with friends. They found themself in nature. Jarvie said that Nauta was at peace while digging in the dirt, and feeling the sun. 

    At a Jan. 24 memorial held for them on campus, mourners braved the winter cold to gather outside.

    Friend Charlie Deible spoke about Wilson at the memorial, stating that it’s what Camile would have wanted.

    Many who knew them spoke while the sun set, and several stated that they will always see Nauta in the trees and in the stars.

    “I can not imagine a more practical place for them to be than up hiding in the cracks and ridges of the trees,” Lily Nauta said. “Please continue to visit them and Wilson in the trees.”

    Camile Nauta at Sue-Meg park in 2021, post-leaf coronation

  • Cal Poly Humboldt lab safety under scrutiny

    by Ollie Hancock

    From admin to student, everyone on campus has responsibility for the dangers of working with hazardous waste and materials. Spills, breaks, and general accidents are expected in any lab. No one can prevent a beaker from breaking, but the university should give students and employees the tools, equipment, and training to react appropriately. Instead, departments create patchwork standards without direction from the administration. A messy lab can indicate a campus-wide issue. 

    “I know that beakers break pretty often, and spills are common too. It’s eventful in there. I don’t think they filed reports for those or anything,” said Clara Lanesskog, a Cal Poly Humboldt student in a chemistry class. “We just clean it up and go on with the day.” 

    Beyond safety oversight and training in case of accidents, students need quality lab safety education. Lanesskog has seen classroom accidents escalate due to lack of risk management. Students see lab accidents frequently and don’t know how to report them.

    “Our instructor disappears a lot,” Lanesskog said. “So if we were to spill acid or something, we don’t know where to find him unless he came back.” This was the case when Lanesskog spilled acid on her leg during a lab.

    “You’re on a time limit, so you feel rushed. There’s not enough space for you to work. Everyone is bumping into each other, trying to rush, and that is how I ended up spilling,” Lanesskog said. She didn’t submit a report.

    “My professor wasn’t there, and he’s not usually there towards the end of our lab,” Lanesskog said. “Honestly, it didn’t seem like too big of a deal to me because other people have done it too.”

    On the University of California Santa Barbara EH&SS website there are public reports of every school chemistry accident and date, including near misses where no one was injured. Their transparency shows awareness and rigor regarding preventative measures. They treat each incident seriously, regardless of scale. At Humboldt, incidents have gone unreported. Only recently has the EH&SS reevaluated how professors are trained to react to incidents. According to our standard operating procedures, any incident should be reported in 24 hours. On Humboldt’s EH&SS website, there is no obvious link to the incident report form.

    Terrilyn Stoflet worked as a hazardous materials technician at Humboldt during the pandemic. In the course of their job, they often felt unsafe.

    “I don’t think we have a very good safety culture on campus,” Stoflet said. “It just never gets talked about until something bad happens.”

    They felt the campus didn’t have enough staff or administrative support to be accountable for environmental health and safety.

     In 2019, Humboldt underwent a Health and Safety audit as part of a CSU-wide investigation. The completed audit cited 21 violations, reflecting a lack of rigor in campus safety regulations. This campus is not alone. A state audit of the CSU system found that Sonoma State and Sacramento State also cited limited resources as explanation for their violations. The story was similar across CSU campuses; the state concluded that the CSU chancellor’s office was responsible. 

    “For over two decades, the University Audit has repeatedly recommended that the CSU Chancellor’s Office increase its oversight of employee and student health and safety training and inspections of laboratory equipment and workplace hazards,” read the audit report by state auditor Elaine Howle. 

    Training programs failed to check if all employees and students who handled hazardous materials and waste were certified. There was no record of which employees worked with hazardous materials, and in the stockroom, waste wasn’t consistently labeled. No self-assessments for safety were conducted in labs, and lab techs didn’t dispose of waste in a timely manner. The list of issues goes on. No serious incidents have occurred as a result, but the audit reveals a looming threat to the campus and community. 

    Sabrina Zink is the Environmental Health & Safety Services (EH&SS) coordinator and the only admin charged with attending to these issues. Zink says she was relieved when the audit brought attention to the problems.  After the audit in 2019, EH&SS planned to meet the regulations set by the CSU. Three years later, progress is unclear.

    “Before we just had a paper reporting system,” Zink said. “We worked out a new incident reporting process so we can keep track of if it was a training issue or operator error, or an issue with oversight. And reiterated to faculty that [incidents] do need to be reported.”

     Funding made available by the polytechnic transition along with an increase in the administration’s willingness to address these issues made way for some progress in Fall 2022. More administrative staff and on-the-ground technicians have since been hired by EH&SS. However, many solutions are still waiting to be rolled out. 

    “Now we have another coordinator in the EH&SS to help with implementing all the audit findings,” Zink said. “And we’re looking for another person for occupational safety to address incident follow up.” 

    After the 2019 audit of campus health and safety, the EH&SS office made a plan to introduce new training and support to address the violations found. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic shifted the EH&SS office’s priorities to managing the spread of the virus on campus. The small team was tasked with writing the trainings, mandates, and regulations that defined campus life for two years. Corrections to every-day safety policy based on the audit were left behind in the shuffle. EH&SS struggled, lacking the bandwidth and support to solve these issues on top of managing COVID-19 concerns.

    “A few years back, before this audit, I had been screaming from the mountain tops,” Zink said. “Please, someone take this seriously.”  

    Due to the fragmented nature of campus departments, there was no consistency in the content or frequency of safety training. The audit found no record of who is certified to handle hazardous materials and waste. Zink wrote trainings that were never assigned. New trainings will roll out in the spring 2023 semester, Zink says. 

     Aside from organizational problems, the campus has inadequate facilities that made some employees feel unsafe.

    “This shed, which is at facility management’s place, it’s unsafe,” Stofelt said. “What my partners and I have had to do in that shed is so stupid, and it’s dangerous. There’s a bunch of rat excrement everywhere.” Beside the rats, the shed itself has structural hazards. A set of detachable stairs leads to racks on the second level, where lab techs carry 15-gallon drums of chemicals and hazardous waste up and down.

    Hazardous waste jugs from various departments are processed in the shed, which is also full of personal protective equipment (PPE) and supplies for HAZMAT technicians. According to Zink, the shed is already outdated for campus needs. 

    “We need something more fit for our needs, especially as we grow and potentially would be generating more hazardous waste,” Zink said. “We’re going to need more space and something that doesn’t leak during the winter.” 

    There are plans to build a new shed, but no location has been chosen.

    Safety standards and regulations vary from department to department. This inconsistent system lets minor infractions slip through the cracks. Facilities often don’t relay the message to techs when bins need disposal. In the darkroom, bins of used chemicals sat full for weeks, nearly overflowing. 

    As the campus grows with polytechnic status and an emphasis on STEM classes, these issues will only grow. The EH&SS has made some progress toward addressing the issues brought up in the audit, but there is still much work to be done.

  • Faculty union challenges TimelyMD

    by Tucker Caraway

    In the print version of this article, Dr. Loren Cannon was referred to as a psychotherapist. He should have been identified as the Cal Poly Humboldt CFA President.

    An Unfair Labor Charge has been filed against the Cal Poly Humboldt Board of Trustees on November 8th due to violations found in their contracting with Timely MD. The Public Employee Relations Board found the University in violation of government codes regarding the failure to notify Unions in contracting decisions. 

    The charge was originally filed back in October 2021 by the California Faculty Association after being made aware a contract was signed with Timely MD without their knowledge.

    “They signed this contract before meeting with CFA, the union that represents counselors, and that’s a big no-no. That’s the basis of our unfair labor practice charge,” said Loren Cannon, president of the Humboldt chapter of the California Faculty Association.

    Timely MD, also known as TimelyCare, is a Texas based counseling provider that works in conjunction with CAPS.  They provide 24/7 counseling support as well as individual counseling sessions during breaks and outside business hours. 

    “I’ve heard when you try to get an in person appointment, they refer you to TimelyCare,” said Chelsea Rios-Gomez, intern for Students for Quality Education. 

    TimelyCare has been available to Cal Poly Humboldt students since March 2022 after switching from the platform ProtoCall due to complaints of long wait times. 

    “If you’re in a mental health crisis, you don’t want to wait online. So they were looking to have something to improve that. But in doing so, they contracted with a company that isn’t just doing emergency counseling, they’re doing regular counseling, which is a union job,” Cannon said. 

    Outsourcing union jobs to out of state entities not only puts faculty at a disadvantage, but also poses a new risk to students engaging with TimelyCare. 

    “You will be finding good counselors. Not all of the counselors there are going to be bad.

    But there are some counselors, some faith based counselors, more specifically Christian counselors, who are perpetrating harm to our students,” said Rios-Gomez.

    Timely MD, while not a Christian organization,  offers faith based counseling services to Christian universities and has a working partnership with the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. 

    “We’re outsourcing union jobs, and we’re also outsourcing responsibility for our students’ wellbeing,” Cannon said.

    Texas is a state with a reputation for anti LGBTQ+ policies and practices. Five years ago, Gavin Newsom Passed Assembly Bill 1887, which prohibits state-funded travel to Texas and 23 other states with discriminatory LGBTQ+ policies and practices. 

    “We can’t even fly to Texas for an academic conference because we’d be putting money in the Texas economy,” said Cannon. 

    Thanks to legal loopholes in state jurisdiction, students logging into TimelyCare who, for example, would want to file a Title IX lawsuit, would have to do so in Tarrant County, Texas.

    “The Council for Christian Colleges and Universities actively argues that religious colleges should be able to receive federal funding, and to be able to discriminate against LGBTQ+ students, basically saying they are not protected under title 9,” said Cannon. 

    Students for Quality Education, who work in coordination with the California Faculty Union, has been made aware of an array of discriminatory encounters on on the platform. 

    “It’s a lot of invalidating of trans identities and queerness in terms of pushing Christinaity in that way,” said Rios-Gomez.

    When it comes to addressing the needs of the Cal Poly Humboldt community, Cannon said it’s important for unions to be involved in contracting these services, so CAPS can find vetted counselors that actually understand the needs of the community they’re involved in. 

    “What is the most important thing is to value the people doing the important work on our campus,” Cannon said. 

    As of November 8th, the Board of Trustees has 20 days to respond to the complaint charges by proving they didn’t violate labor laws and union members rights. 

    “The fact that it went forward from that initial step is that the people at the PERB must think that our charge has merit, and I’m not a lawyer, but it’s pretty cut and dry without talking to us and without negotiating it,” Cannon said.

  • Festivities marked one year anniversary of entheogen decriminalization

    Festivities marked one year anniversary of entheogen decriminalization

    by Camille Delany

    Thursday, Oct. 6 marked one year since the passage of a resolution that decriminalized entheogens, or plant-based psychedelics, in the City of Arcata. Celebrations took place in Redwood Park at an event organized by Lissie Rydz of the Do Nothing Society and Danielle Daniel of Microdosing Humboldt. The sky had been overcast all morning, but as the event was underway the sun began to shine through the clouds, illuminating the colorful hammocks and blankets clustered in one corner of Redwood Park.


    Danielle Daniel, a local microdosing coach who led advocacy for decrminizalitation at the City Council meeting one year ago, reflected on a year of decriminalization in Arcata.
    “I’m just excited, and feel so blessed, and just like really relieved that everything’s fine,” Daniel said. “That was the big fear of decriminalization. Like, ‘What’s going to happen?’ ‘People will just be tripping in the streets!’ It’s like, no, it opens up access for people to heal.”
    The decriminalization process took a concerted effort from the community, the support of the Arcata City Council, and hard work on the part of organizers


    “Coming into it last year, it was really stressful. It took a lot of energy. It really drained me,” Daniel said. “It was freaking hard! And when it was decriminalized, I was so happy, but I was so drained at that time.”


    “Since then it’s just been really magical just feeling safe to be able to provide my services in educating the community about microdosing and the healing potential,” Daniel said.
    Daniel handed out free microdoses of psilocybin mushrooms (decriminalization permits the gifting, but not selling, of entheogens) in baggies that included a card with her contact information to adults over 21 with proof of ID.


    “There’s been quite a few people coming up to me that have never done [psilocybin] before and they feel safe enough to do it here,” Daniel said. “It’s very cool, witnessing that fear dissipating more and more.”


    Students mingled with members of the larger community as art supplies, snacks, and books were shared across vibrant blankets. Roslyn Gilbert, a Cal Poly Humboldt student, often attends Do Nothing events and values their atmosphere of friendly relaxation and inclusion.


    “Being a trans woman, I feel like there’s a lack of spaces in this world that are friendly to trans women without being explicitly queer,” Gilbert said. “This is a very safe place to be trans. It doesn’t feel like I have to carve out a safe area.”


    Hosting the event with Daniel was Lissie Rydz, who started the Do Nothing Society over the summer. With the Do Nothing Society, she aims to create public spaces for social relaxation in the face of growing productivity culture. The Do Nothing Society isn’t always entheogen-specific, but held Thursday’s “Microdose and Do Nothing” celebration in honor of one year of decriminalization.


    “I credit most of my growth as a person to psychedelics,” Rydz said. “So I think that it’s beautiful that [since decriminalization] there’s not all this fear and anger.”


    Rydz advocates for building community, enjoying public spaces, and making time to play. Do Nothing events are public and, when not held at Redwood Park, can often be found at houses of community members, local events, or a nice river spot.


    “It’s proof of concept by doing it,” Rydz said of decriminalization. “It’s not scary, it’s sweet!”

  • Police chief candidate views cause concern among students

    Police chief candidate views cause concern among students

    by Carlos Pedraza

    The Chief of Police Search Committee held an open forum on Wednesday, Oct. 19 for students to ask questions of Thomas Calucci, one of the police chief candidates. A Cal Poly Humboldt email stated the meeting was being held in the Library Fishbowl but was changed at the last minute to the Great Hall above the Marketplace. In total, only two students were present to ask questions.

    Calucci is a former police captain from the University of Texas at San Antonio and was a member of the Behavioral Intervention Team, an organization that provides mental health checks. While at UTSA, Calucci collaborated with school counseling faculty to provide crisis training to university police.

    Calucci wants to bring a similar program to Cal Poly Humboldt.  

    “I want social workers to ride with our police officers,” Calucci said. 

    He went on to explain how he wanted police to integrate with the community and was against the us vs. them mentality of the thin blue line.

    “I need our cops to understand at this university, we are not here to kick ass and take names, we are here to protect you all,” Calucci said.

    Still, Calucci made it clear his main goal was to protect the university from those whom he saw as outsiders. 

    “I’m fairly certain that somewhere, someone in this community has a grievance against this university,” Calucci said. “Whether it be a faculty member or other student, I’m fairly certain that person is planning revenge… I wanna be here to protect you from them, not from yourself.”  

    When Calucci was asked who “them” was, he answered, “there are people who intend to do you harm, those are the people who I don’t like.” 

    Calucci appears to understand that policing has caused problems, specifically citing police-related generational trauma. Though he is aware of it, Calucci does not consider it his role to solve this problem. 

    “I did not sign up for the things you are asking me to do,” Calucci said.

    Humboldt student Elizabeth Rubio explained how the police system has a history of racism, prejudice, and violence, and asked how Calucci would handle prejudice in his staff and himself. 

    “First thing you said is we live in a racist society and that sucks you feel that way.” Calucci said. He acknowledged that racism was present in society. “ If I could wave a magic wand and make it go away I would because of that crap,” Calucci said in response to Rubio.  

    Rubio proceed to asked if Calucci was aware of the murder of Josiah Lawson and the case surrounding the alledged murder. Calucci said he saw a sign supporting Justice for Josiah, but he did not know any specifics of the case.

    Rubio also asked about the police response to student homelessness. Calucci said police would not harass students sleeping in cars and wanted them to feel safe. He stated his main goal was to get students off the streets and find temporary housing for them. 

    Jue Smith, the other student at the forum, felt that both police chief candidates were unprepared. 

    “Neither candidate did their homework about this area or legislation that’s been passed,” Smith said.

  • Yurok Tribal Council hosts Summit on Missing and Murdered Indigenous People

    Yurok Tribal Council hosts Summit on Missing and Murdered Indigenous People

    by Andres Felix and Ollie Hancock

    On Oct. 4, The Yurok Tribal Council hosted the first inaugural Northern California Tribal Summit on Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP). Tribal leaders from across the state, as well as government and State representatives, gathered in Goudi’ni (known as Arcata, California) to discuss the pressing issue of violence against indigenous communities, with a focus on Californian Tribes. 

    “The crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous people has touched every tribal citizen in California and throughout the United States. This has gone on long enough. The time for action is now,” said Yurok Chairman Joseph L. James. “The purpose of this summit is to develop a series of mutually agreeable actions that tribal, federal, and state stakeholders can take in the short- and long-term to protect Indigenous Californians.”

    The National Crime Information Center reports 5,712 cases of missing Native women and girls since 2016. This contrasts with the U.S Department of Justice’s missing person database of just 116 cases reported. Complications in jurisdiction between state, local, federal, and tribal law enforcement make it difficult to pursue justice in these cases. According to the FBI, Native Peoples totaled 1,496 out of the total 9,575 active end-of-year missing person cases across the United States in 2020. The movement has recently moved from referring to the movement as ‘Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women’ to ‘Missing and Murdered Indigenous People.’ 

    The summit panels were open to comments from members of the audience. Ronnie Hostler attended the summit to seek justice for his missing granddaughter Khadijah Britton. Britton of the Round Valley Indian Tribes went missing in 2018. Hostler expressed he was upset with the lack of urgency from Mendocino County about his missing granddaughter. Hostler recounted how Mendocino county Sgt. Matthew Kendall told him there was nothing more he could do to solve his granddaughter’s case. 

    “I asked Matt Kendall if he was looking for any resources, and he said ‘no,’” Hostler said. “I said what about the FBI, and he said ‘they can’t do any more than what we’ve already done.’ He started telling me, ‘why don’t you go to the [Bureau of Indian Affairs]?’ Then he said a few harsh words about the Bureau of Indian Affairs.”

    Chief Greg O’Rourke of the Yurok police department describes how public law 280 impedes tribal law enforcement. 

    “[Public Law 280] takes jurisdiction away from tribal law enforcement and hands it over to the state,” O’Rourke said. “It means reservations rely on state law enforcement to provide a quality response, a timely response to the reservations when somebody is reporting a crime or a call for service.” 

    Dr. Blythe George spoke in the Primer on MMIP & Systems Change panel. The panelists broke the systemic obstacles to addressing MMIP. The panel explained how violence and assault against native women and men began with colonization, genocide, slavery, racism, and the sexual objectification of Indigenous people. 

    “With this issue, you have to realize that some days are going to be so hard, and you don’t want to come to work because it’s gonna be the day you get a call and you know the person.” George then told a story of a mentor who went missing. That experience pushed her into this field. 

    “We have to realize how heavy the work is, even on the good days when we sit here together and we can see tangible next steps,” George said. “So please take care of yourselves after today. Hug each other hard and realize that tears are a necessary part of this work, but it’s time to do something.”

  • Question For Facilities Management

    by Carlos Pedraza

    On Wednesday, Sept. 14th the Cal Poly Humboldt Facilities Management and Smith Group in Nelson Hall presented their physical campus plan for expanding the campus to the community. The plan is in the discovery phase. 

    The forum was led by Associate Vice President of Facilities management Mike Fisher. A full work plan was shown beginning with the forum and ending in July 2024 when the final plan will be presented. 

    During the forum, students and community members asked questions of plans. A major concern from the community was housing. Throughout, there were questions and shouts about housing. When Fisher addressed the question and made the point that the University wants to work with the town of Arcata, a man in the crowd shouted, “It’s been a problem for 40 years,” referring to the housing crisis in Humboldt county. 

    Ed Fitzgerald, a retiree who has lived in Humboldt since 1973, said, “Adding more housing on the existing infrastructure is not a good idea, we need more infrastructure.” 

    In regard to housing, Fisher said, “You find a lot of the housing inventory has been absorbed by single family homes by non-students and that’s driving difficulties.”

    Fisher went on to state that to solve the housing problem will require a community effort with the university.  

    Candance Kelsey, a Humboldt alumni and local business owner, inquired how the plan would keep money local and in the community. Fisher responded, explaining there is public bidding and other opportunities for smaller businesses to work with the university. 

    “When there are suitable candidates that can [fulfill the bid], then they’re in the running,” Fisher said.

    Staff from the Student Disability Resource Center also brought up accessibility issues on campus and maintenance of current housing. Another question asked by a student was the plan for gender neutral and inclusive bathrooms. 

    The student speaker said, “I have to go five minutes away to use the bathroom for my classes.” 

    Audience member Arlene Wynn also asked for shower facilities for gender neutral students. 

    Rosa Sheng, a presenter from Smith Group, responded, “In our work as architects, the next phase of design is the inclusive all gender design.” 

    She explained how the planning wants to add gender inclusive bathrooms and lactation rooms in the new buildings and current ones. 

    Throughout the meeting students entered and left as classes started, repeatedly asking for the hour-and-a-half long forum to be at a more appropriate time for students and those who work 9 to 5 jobs. Fisher acknowledged the comments.

    The physical campus plan website is the point of contact for students, community members, and organizations to express their concerns or views to the University.

  • District attorney candidates debate on Cal Poly Humboldt Campus

    by Liam Gwynn

    Humboldt County district attorney candidates Stacey Eads, Micheal Acosta, and Adrian Kamada debated a variety of pressing issues on Monday in Cal Poly Humboldt’s Native American Forum.

    Students from the sociology department moderated the debate, choosing questions submitted by Cal Poly Humboldt students. Each candidate was given a two minute introduction and a two minute closing statement. After the introductions, the moderators would ask candidates a question and they would each get a two minute response followed by a round of one minute rebuttals.

    The Three Candidates

    Stacey Eads is currently the Assistant District Attorney and has 20 years of experience as a criminal prosecutor. She is the lead prosecutor for the Sexual Assault & Child Abuse Crimes prosecution team . She touts her many years of experience, connection to the current District Attorney Maggie Fleming, and love for Humboldt as leading factors in why people should vote for her.

    Micheal Acosta has been a practicing defense attorney for twenty years. Acosta moved to Eureka after being recruited by the California Indian Legal Services as a staff attorney. He’s a controversial figure and is running on the idea that he would implement major changes to face problems like policing for profit, racial inequality, and gender discrepancies in sentencing. Acosta isn’t just controversial because of his ideas, he’s also currently facing a felony drug possession charge in the Humboldt Superior Court.

    Adrian Kamada graduated from Cal Poly Humboldt with a BA in Political science and a minor in Environmental Science and Ethics. Kamada has eight years of experience. He served as Deputy District Attorney from 2014 to 2020, when he transitioned to a position as a public defender. Kamada is running on a promise to lower the crime rate, which he says has risen by 30% in the last five years. He wants to do this by implementing new methods of criminal correction for first-time offenders that focus on keeping people out of the criminal justice system with alternative help like mental and drug abuse treatment.

    Standout Questions

    Could you please explain what racial justice means to you and could you provide concrete examples of instances where you’ve helped promote racial justice in Humboldt county?

    Acosta was called to respond first and was prepared with direct instances citing cases he worked on with the California Indian Legal Services. He cited a case where he was able to reduce a black man’s sentencing that was disproportionate to the sentencing that white people had received for the same crime.

    “Where you really see it in sentencing is where dispositions are made, and people of color get harsher sentences and get treated differently by the probation department,” said Acosta.

    Eads responded to the question by denying that race played a role in prosecutions but providing instances of how she has helped minorities by prosecuting for children who had experienced child abuse but were not believed because their community didn’t think that someone in their race could commit that type of abuse.

    “I think that race, outside of a hate crime type of analysis, really doesn’t have a role in terms of how we prosecute an individual,” said Eads.

    Kamada responded by acknowledging the fact that minorities are incarcerated at a higher percentage and saying that the problem needs to be fixed.

    “Religion, race, ethnicity, those things don’t have anything to do with justice, but we can’t ignore the fact that there has been injustice for a long time towards people of color,” said Kamada.

    If you are elected DA, will you prosecute the Lawson case?

    Eads answered first saying that she wants to prosecute the case but that they need to have enough evidence before taking it to the preliminary hearing again, because if the judge doesn’t think there’s enough evidence then it will be almost impossible to prosecute in the future.

    “We can only bring it before the judge one more time, and if we don’t have enough evidence to do that we will not be able to find Justice for Josiah,” said Eads.

    Kamada gave a similar response saying that he won’t promise anything he can’t guarantee while reassuring everyone that it would be a priority and claiming that he has the support of Charmaine Lawson in his election.

    “I will do everything possible, including coming up with new investigation techniques if necessary, but I can’t make a commitment that I can prosecute that case unless I’ve seen the entire case file,” said Kamada.

    Acosta’s response was bold, saying he would prosecute the murder case and bring charges not just to the murderer but also to accomplices in an attempt to get information from a plea deal.

    “There is significant new evidence this time to bring charges back and whether you do that through the complaint process or the grand jury indictment process is open to question, but absolutely yes, probably against more than one person,” said Acosta.

    Registered Humboldt County voters will be able to vote for the Humboldt County district attorney position during the Statewide Direct Primary Election on June 7.

  • Gutswurrak official naming ceremony

    Gutswurrak official naming ceremony

    by Ione Dellos

    On Wednesday, April 20th, the University officially renamed the Student Activities Center to the Gutswurrak Student Activities Center in a ceremony at the building located by the UC quad. Pronounced “guts-wuh-dock”, it is the Wiyot word for “many people gather”. The name for the student union was originally suggested by the Wiyot Tribe, led by Wiyot Tribal Chair Ted Hernandez. He was also a guest speaker at the event, and he expressed his gratitude to the University and to the students, who pushed the renaming effort.

    The event started right at noon, with opening remarks from Wendy Sotomayor, director of the SAC, and Micheal Moore Jr., associate director of the SAC, and the two read Humboldt’s new formal land acknowledgment. Working with the College of the Redwoods, Humboldt has developed the following land acknowledgment:

    “We acknowledge that the land on which Cal Poly Humboldt is located in the unceded territory of the Wiyot people who continue to live and thrive today. It is surrounded by the traditional, ancestral, and present homelands of several indigenous nations including the Hupa, Karuk, Mattole, Tolowa, Wailaki, and Yurok that make up Humboldt County.”

    Following the land acknowledgment, Vice President Jason Meriwether spoke about coming together with the local Native tribes, and on the importance of a name.

    Ted Hernandez gave his remarks after Meriwether’s speech and welcomed students and staff members alike into his home. He offered his blessings to the building, not just to the students who came to the ceremony, but for all students in the future.

    Adrianne Colegrove-Raymond, special assistant to President Jackson, unveiled a new special feature of the building, which is a QR code on the wall that links to a recording of Wiyot youth and adults pronouncing “gutswurrak”. Anyone who visits the SAC can now scan the QR code with their phone and hear the recording of the Wiyot word.

    It was a relatively small ceremony, although, despite the small size of attendees in the SAC, the speakers definitely filled the room with their presence. The event was originally set to be held in the SAC quad, which might have increased the number of students that attended, but was moved indoors to the SAC West Lounge due to the rain. The ceremony only ran until about 12:30, as the speakers were done giving their presentations at that time. Students filtered through the small crowd like minnows, darting from space to space to grab a complimentary t-shirt and a handful of free food on their way out.

    The renaming effort is part of Humboldt’s effort to bring Native histories to the forefront of the University, which has not been the case in the past. The University is attempting to build new bridges and improve their relationship with Native communities through community activities like the SAC renaming.

  • Humboldt State has officially been erased and replaced, but at what cost?

    by Ione Dellos

    From the new signs at the campus entrance to the Cal Poly header on your “Possible COVID Exposure” email from the Student Health Center, the new polytechnic status of Humboldt has been hammered home to students many times in the past few months. Despite the many open forums and countless emails the University has sent to students explaining the new polytechnic status, does anyone really know how much things cost?

    Starting in August of 2021, California Governor Gavin Newsom approved a $458 million investment in Cal Poly Humboldt. The allocation of funds is supposed to overhaul the university, with investments in updating aging infrastructure, adding several new majors by fall 2023, and several new buildings on campus. The impressive financial package also includes a yearly infusion of $25 million from the state, which Humboldt has built into its initial planning estimates.

    Graphic by Ione Dellos
    Graphic by Ione Dellos

    Initially, the $25 million will be used primarily for one-time spending initiatives, like rebranding and marketing the campus. For the 2021-2022 school year alone, $1.3 million has been set aside for rebranding/marketing efforts. Another $665,000 has been set aside for rebranding through campus signage, and if you didn’t think all of the Cal Poly Humboldt signs seen while fighting for your life up the stairs to Founder’s Hall were excessive, the University has set aside $983,000 for additional campus signage for the 2022-2023 school year. This does coincide with the school’s budgeting plans, as 2021-2022 costs are supposed to cover program start-up costs, while 2022-2023 costs will ramp up with the ongoing new projects. Additionally, the 2022-2023 school year will cover the first round of faculty hiring ahead of the 2023 program launch.

    Higher education marketing firm SimpsonScarborough is working with the University to “energize and elevate” their brand, as stated in a December email to students. They are rolling out a multiple-phase branding campaign. The campaign started last November with the announcement of Humboldt’s polytechnic status, and will continue for years to come as Humboldt aims to get their brand out to students nationwide. This is the start of a multiple-year effort that begins with extensive research with the campus community, and the full timeline is displayed below:

    PHASE 1: November 15 – January 14, 2022
    Transitional communications and marketing plan; audience research to inform the brand.

    PHASE 2: January 14 – May 6, 2022
    Brand strategy and development; creation of graphic identities; brand awareness campaign; prospective student recruitment collateral.

    PHASE 3: May 6 – August 5, 2022
    Refreshed digital presence and web templates; assessment of internal capacity and structures.

    ONGOING EFFORT: Starting August 6, 2022
    Sustained buildout and implementation of the brand through digital and traditional media, advertising strategies, media relations, and more.

  • USA TODAY investigation brings Humboldt Professor’s sexual assault allegations to light, one department chair who spoke out has experienced retaliation

    by Liam Gwynn

    Correction: The department chair who has spoken out against John Lee was not fired but was put on temporary suspension.

    USA TODAY released an investigative expose on a professor and former Dean of Professional Studies accused of sexual assault and how the school has continued to employ him for years. One dean who spoke out against the school in the article has already been fired for unstated reasons.

    Last week the USA TODAY published an extensive expose, unearthing sexual assault allegations against a former dean and current professor who is currently teaching in the College of Professional Studies at Cal Poly Humboldt. Since the release of the story, another dean has been fired and Lee continues to work, even if people aren’t showing up to class.

    In 2015, John Lee was a dean at Cal Poly Humboldt but after an investigation organized by the school found evidence of four counts of sexual harassment, Lee was given three months of paid leave and transitioned into a tenured professor position. The two women who accused Lee were forced to work in the same department as the man who allegedly assaulted them.

    One unnamed professor told the USA TODAY that Lee had groped and tried to forcibly kiss her on three occasions. Her husband corroborated the story saying that on one occasion he had to physically pull Lee off his wife. Before the sexual harassment claims were submitted, the school had already received numerous complaints about Lee, citing bullying and abusive behavior.

    Lee was able to maintain a position at the school because he evoked “retreat rights” that can be found in a majority of CSU dean contracts. “Retreat rights” give deans the right to a full-time professor position if they are ever fired from their position as a dean. These contracts did not have any stipulations regarding Title IX violations. This is how Lee was able to get a teaching job paying $154,000 a year working in the same department as the two women who accused him of sexual misconduct.

    School representative Grant Scott-Goforth told USA TODAY that Cal Poly Humboldt changed the contracts after John Lee’s case so that retreat rights wouldn’t apply to faculty that violate campus policies. However, USA TODAY reporter Kenny Jacoby found two contracts from administrator’s currently working at Cal Poly Humboldt, neither of which had any changes that the school claimed they made.

    In a conversation with the Lumberjack, Jacoby says that he contacted the school asking about the two aforementioned contracts. The representative simply asked who gave the contracts to him and when he told them, they never responded. The Lumberjack also reached out for a response regarding the John Lee situation, but after asking about the changes in the contracts, they stopped responding.

    The school’s official response to the situation has been very limited so far. They sent out an email three days before the USA TODAY story was released, attempting to reassure students and faculty that the school has resources for sexual assault survivors followed by instructions on what to do if contacted by the media.

    “For media inquiries about campus policy, decisions, and similar, spokespeople are designated by News & Information. You should not speak to the media on behalf of the campus unless you have been designated to,” states the email. “This is important to maintain consistency and to ensure that questions are answered as completely as possible.”

    That email is important because three days after the USA TODAY article was published, a dean who was quoted in the article speaking out against the school, was quietly relieved of his position as dean. The now-former dean, who wishes to remain anonymous, told the Lumberjack that he had already spoken to the reporter weeks prior to them sending out the notification not to talk to the media. That didn’t stop him from being demoted to a professor position, although officially, he was given no reasoning for the termination of his position.

    The school has yet to address whether or not they plan on reconsidering Lee’s position. Lee still vehemently maintains his innocence and although he originally would not speak to the press, he recently issued a statement to the Lumberjack which is linked below. In this statement, Lee denies all accusations and claims the investigation conducted by the school was biased against him and didn’t provide the proper due process. Lee also claims he had evidence that was dismissed and believes the school treated him unfairly. He goes on to detail all the work he’s done for women and minorities on campus and how the pushback he received was really just because people disagree with his decisions supporting BIPOC and women.

    Although the statement gets a little off-topic, he makes his stance clear, he is owning up to nothing. With the school making it so difficult for people to speak out, it’s unclear if we will ever see any change with the contracts here. However, the Lumberjack will continue to investigate this story as the situation unfolds and if anyone has any information regarding John Lee you can reach out to us at contactthelumberjack@gmail.com as well as the Campus Advocate Team’s 24/7 confidential line (707) 445-2881.

    Official Statement give to The Lumberjack by John Lee

    The allegations brought against me in 2015 are false. Like you, I condemn sexual harassment in any form. As I said back then and continue to maintain today, I did not sexually harass anyone. The allegation is simply untrue. The investigation conducted by the campus at the time was biased and flawed from the very beginning and in no way provided me due process. Evidence provided by me as well as testimony provided by others was ignored and dismissed. A few months after my appeal was denied, I was notified that my contract as dean was non-renewed. There was no cause mentioned for the non-renewal. My position was at will, so there were no legal avenues for me at the time. I had done nothing wrong, yet was told I was not to discuss the case, making it impossible for me to defend myself against the rumors I knew were spreading like wildfire.


    My life’s work has been about fighting for justice and creating a better and safer world for all, but especially women and children and those who face adverse experiences or discrimination of any kind. I was hired in 2010, because my mission aligned with the changes the university under then President Rollin Richmond and Provost Bob Snyder wanted to make. One of the goals was to provide better support for our increasingly diverse student body, which included creating paid internships and increasing our recruitment of faculty of color. During my tenure, we increased student enrollment, continued to diversify our student body, and significantly increased our hiring of BIPOC and female faculty.

    Most of my conflicts as dean stemmed from the push back I received from some who did not embrace these changes. I was also an outspoken critic of the well-publicized dismissal of an administrator who held to account the new administration for recruiting but not providing the supports Native American students needed to feel welcomed and thrive at Humboldt. The period before and after the non-renewal of my contract saw the dismissal and non-renewal of numerous administrators. Although there were few administrators of color at the time, most of them were either non-renewed, pushed out,
    or encouraged to move on. We have seen similar trends on the faculty side and student body since.


    So I have had conflicts for sure and I would be the first to admit that I have also made my share of mistakes. People who know me know I am not the person described in the USA Today article. Had other people been interviewed who were present during the time of the alleged events, a story closer to the truth could have emerged. But that was clearly not the author’s purpose. I strive to learn from my mistakes and experiences, but none have involved sexual harassment or other repugnant violations. While I do not seek conflict, I will continue to be vocal, combat injustices and work to improve the lives of those who have not been given fair access to education and life opportunities.

    DISCLAIMER: We at The Lumberjack post John Lee’s statement for the benefit of the public and the community’s right to all information regarding this subject, not in agreement or support.

    Extra Note: While in Lee’s statement he says “Had other people been interviewed who were present during the time of the alleged events, a story closer to the truth could have emerged. But that was clearly not the author’s purpose,” we were told by the original author Kenneth Jacoby that he had reach out to John Lee for an interview but was ultimately turned down.

  • Cal Poly Humboldt admin can’t be fired, even after investigations conclude he sexually harassed colleagues

    by Angel Barker

    USA Today published an article on Monday, April 18 describing how a current Cal Poly Humboldt professor is still employed with the university, even after investigations concluded that he “groped two colleagues.” 

    John Lee, current professor in the School of Education and former dean in the College of Professional Studies, is still working at the university because of a loophole in his contract, called “retreat rights.” Retreat rights mean that even though he was fired as an administrator, through his contract he has the right to remain employed as faculty.

    The full story published by USA Today can be found at https://archive.ph/iifTo and a followup story will be published in The Lumberjack on April 27.

  • A University Center hidden on campus

    A University Center hidden on campus

    by Matthew Taylor

    The University Center (UC) is a husk of what it used to be since its contract was terminated by Cal Poly Humboldt’s administration back in December of 2020. Before then it was an auxiliary organization to the university in charge of many student events and activities. Many members had been left hurt, with most refusing to speak on the record due to a fear of legal or social reprimand by the university. A majority of the UC’s responsibilities have been transferred to the Student Activity Center. In its current state, the UC exists to provide pensions to its retirees and use reserve funds for various student programs. There are some members, however, who see its end as a bittersweet conclusion.

    “In my position, I see both sides,” said Wendy Sotomayor, UC Executive Director and Student Activity Center Director, the bittersweet sadness in her voice apparent throughout the interview. “I’m excited but I’m also sad. The UC was very valuable and did a lot of good for the students here. In the end, though, I think the students are getting a better package.”

    She expressed, along with many of her colleagues, that she still saw the letter of termination as the administrations ‘means to an end’, but also saw the validity in the problems stated within it. In some ways, the UC’s own response to the administration may have further solidified its decision to end the contract.

    “Our response didn’t really include any [tangible] changes to the actual administration’s complaints,” Sotomayor said.

    Much of the mistakes made by the UC at the time, referenced in the letter of termination, were based simply on miscommunication and misunderstanding. Certain allegations, such as that of fraud, were later confirmed to be completely unfounded. Still, legitimate mistakes existed and deserved to be fixed. The financial risk of loaning the Arcata Community Pool $300,000 was huge in hindsight of the COVID-19 pandemic, and due to its distant relationship to the university didn’t qualify well under “its mission”. Steps were made to fix these problems before termination, but in the eyes of the university’s administration that wasn’t enough.

    “We couldn’t fix it after the fact,” Sotomayor said.

    The introduction of lawyers to the mix didn’t make the situation any better in her eyes either. Instead of coming to the table it became only lawyers talking to lawyers. In the end, lawyers on each side may have convinced them that each was totally in the right.

    “[Many UC members] wholeheartedly believed they did nothing wrong,” Sotomayor said, expressing that at the time even she felt similarly.

    Since the termination, the administration has given most of UC’s previous tasks to the Student Activity Center. The program controls Center Arts, General Operations as well as a new program called Conference and Event Services (CES). Center Activities is now under Athletics and is located at the Student Recreation Center (SRC).

    “So much personal feelings got involved,” Sotomayor said. “And [I’m] not sure we could have gotten [to where the SAC currently is ourselves].”

  • Hustle and bustle at the Associated Students

    Hustle and bustle at the Associated Students

    by Matthew Taylor

    In the wake of reimagining the Associated Students, all hands are on deck. More staff and members have resigned over time as the major deadlines of AS’ yearly budget and the next election cycle fast approach. The Board of Directors has played musical chairs with itself after Finley’s impeachment in a scramble to fill the most critical positions. The AS is quickly becoming a phoenix out of its ashes. Reinvigoration among its most loyal members has been felt across the organization, and student participation and interest have been at an all-time high since the pandemic first hit.

    “[We’re] tapping into the core program,” Chase Marcum, the current Administrative Vice President, said. “Teamwork makes the dream work.”

    Since refocusing on the budget, Marcum and the Finance Committee have utilized all the help they can get from resources such as the Student Legal Lounge, CCAT, and the work of their predecessors.

    “We forget that a lot of passionate previous leadership had the foresight to give students templates and guidance,” Marcum said. “[We have] the ability to look back.”

    The yearly budget plans to increase funds for the Asian, Desi, Pacific Islander Collective (APIC) and various other cultural centers on campus. Funding is also being put into Scholars without Borders and expanding the list of study-abroad countries provided at Cal Poly Humboldt. The Student Legal Lounge may also receive higher funds to put into aid for Dreamer students.

    Discussions around previous legislation, bylaws, and organizational structures continue. Plans to review and update the AS Personnel Code along with many of Finley’s previous legislation are in the works. Reviews will ensure that all legislation and bylaws protect student representation and autonomy within the organization. The Bylaws Committee, alongside Legislative Vice President Gio Guerrero, has also begun negotiations with the Dean of Students to utilize the resources from HR to avoid future internal conflicts.

    Above all, the AS is hopeful for the new election cycle. Voting will commence between April 18-22, and students will be emailed the ballot. Guerrero said that last year only 3-4 people ran for mostly uncontested positions, but this semester almost all the positions have at least one person running for so far. The signature process to get on the ballot has also been waived, making it easier to apply. The results of the elections will be posted on May 6.

    “There’s some work ahead of us, but we’ll make it through and persist,” Guerrero said. “We’re going to be okay as an organization.”

    The next Board of Directors meeting will be held this Friday, April 8, at Nelson Hall East 106 from 3 to 6 p.m. As always, these meetings will be open to the public and are now entirely accessed via Zoom. For access to meetings or further inquiries, the AS can be contacted at (707) 826-5410 and through its email at as-staff@humboldt.edu.

  • Nimby threatens Cal Poly Humboldt student housing

    By Gabriel Zucker

    The California housing crisis can be summed up with one question: to build or not to build? The status quo has always favored single-family homeowners. The recent win for NIMBY (Not in My Back Yard) over UC Berkeley has brought light to the biggest problem California college students are going to face for the foreseeable future: the lack of affordable housing.

    California Governor Gavin Newsom passed a stack of bills focused on fixing the California housing crisis. The biggest bill was Senate Bill Number 9, which allows a four housing unit on a single-family lot. This prioritizes affordable housing for future generations and moves away from the outdated practice of single-family zoning.

    NIMBYs are local homeowners against affordable housing in their neighborhoods. They argue that their home values will drop and they will lose the peacefulness of single-family-owned housing communities if affordable housing structures were built in the area.

    The California Supreme Court sided with NIMBY in a court case against UC Berkeley, going against California’s push towards affordable housing. This forced the school to cut admissions by 2,500 students for the 2022 fall semester. NIMBY won because they argued that UC Berkeley was accepting more students than they could house.

    College students all over California are beginning to feel the effects of the housing crisis. Demand is rising while the options are dwindling. There is a lack of options and if this does not change other colleges will soon be forced to cut their enrollment.

    NIMBYs recent win highlights the division between single-family housing communities and the growing need for affordable housing. College towns are at the epicenter of this issue. College campuses will never be able to house their entire student population. Students rely on the surrounding community to find housing.

    The NIMBY movement is fighting against this change, wanting to preserve a way of life that does not exist anymore. The single-family home is not possible anymore in a changing climate and ever-growing homeless population. NIMBYs are clinging to their current comfortability instead of adapting to the needs of the next generation.

    Cal Poly Humboldt Students will soon feel the effects of this landmark decision. The influx of new students is a great thing for the university’s status but the campus will soon face tough decisions if they do not adapt to the changing times and work with the community to build more affordable housing in the surrounding area.

    A giant problem this semester has been the lack of parking on campus. Students must park farther and farther away from their housing because of the increase of students and stagnation of parking spaces. I had to spend months trying to find an apartment off-campus this past semester. There are already tell-tale signs of the strain the student body is putting on the schools’ resources. If UC Berkeley is a sign of things to come we must adapt before it is too late.

  • Lifted mask mandate polarizes student opinions

    Lifted mask mandate polarizes student opinions

    By Eddie Carpenter

    On March 14, face mask requirements were lifted on Humboldt’s campus as a way to transition back to normal operations. This has created polarizing views towards how students and staff going maskless might affect the local community. Some students have chosen to ditch the masks while others still embrace them.

    Photo by Eddie Carpenter | Dillon Harp still wears his mask in solidarity with his peers.

    Local musician Dillon Harp expressed how one’s personal choice can affect the community as a whole.

    “As an African-American and knowing that my family has elders in it…the mask is just really there to protect others,” Harp said. “Obviously the mask can let particles in like more so than let particles out…Wearing your mask is really just about kind of looking out for the community for me. I ain’t really unmasking anytime soon. If we can all come together a little and see some of the basic logic behind protecting each other, our elderly family members- I think we can all help out and just keep the mask on a little longer.”

    Carlos Ochoa-Silvas, a rangeland resource major, expressed how masks gave him skin problems.

    “Wear a mask if you have symptoms of anything or if you feel like you’re not a hundred-percent,” Ochoa-Silvas said. “When I heard about it, I was mostly excited just because I didn’t like wearing the mask. I kept breaking out underneath and it was really irritating my skin.”

    Political science major Lake McLeod believes that Humboldt’s recent transition could not come at a better time than this.

    “Personally, I agreed with it. I think that eventually, we do have to kind of return to some kind of sense of normalcy,” McLeod said. “You know after two years of being masked…and the cases are down, so I feel like at this point we should learn to live with COVID like we do [with] the flu.”

    English and CRGS major Mireille Roman thinks of wearing a mask as an act of solidarity.

    “I would say that because it’s not a mandate now, it’s kind of become a personal choice to what you want to do with it,” Roman said. “But your personal choice still impacts people at the end of the day. I think the best way that my professor put it was like ‘I’m going to stand in solidarity with people who can’t take off their masks.’ Because there’s people who [are saying] ‘I’m perfectly healthy. I’m vaccinated. I’m good.’ Yeah, but just because you’re fine doesn’t mean that other people are going to be in a position to do so as well… but I think it really dictates the environment of a classroom when the professor chooses to wear a mask or not. Until the numbers are better and just nationally we’re more responsive to this, I’m probably going to keep wearing my mask.”

    Between March 15 and March 22, Humboldt County Public Health reported 72 new COVID-19 cases with 2 new hospitalizations.

  • Cal Poly Humboldt’s Library Cafe sees the light of day

    Cal Poly Humboldt’s Library Cafe sees the light of day

    by Lex Valtenbergs

    The Library Cafe lifted its shutters for the first time in several years on Friday, Feb. 26. The cafe serves delicious coffee blends from Muddy Waters Coffee Co. as well as pastries, veggie wraps, drinks, and more.

    Recent biology graduate Kate Mendoza was just hired by the private company Chartwells Higher Ed to work at the newly reopened cafe.

    “Chartwells is really awesome,” Mendoza said. “Honestly, they work really well with students from what I’ve seen.”

    Mendoza’s go-to drink is the cappuccino.

    “I usually like to do the cappuccino,” Mendoza said. “It’s just espresso, steamed milk, and a lot of foam. I think the foam is my favorite part.”

    Mendoza’s coworker Ahmad Shah, a senior majoring in communication, recommended the hazelnut mocha.

    “I like a hazelnut mocha,” Shah said. “Sometimes coffee is a little bit bitter. The sweetness helps balance the bitterness of the espresso.”

    Communication senior and Learning Center academic peer coach Kas Colwell ordered a vanilla latte with two espresso shots from the Library Cafe on March 3.

    “I’m so glad y’all are open again,” Colwell said to Mendoza while ordering. “It’s exponentially improved my quality of life.”

    After getting her drink, Colwell sat down at a nearby table in the dining area. As a library employee, she appreciates how easy it is to get to the cafe.

    “It’s the convenience because I literally work in the library, so it’s on my regular route,” Colwell said. “I don’t have to go walking somewhere else to get coffee.”

    The Library Cafe is available to all Cal Poly Humboldt students and faculty and is currently open on weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

  • Humboldt professors speak in ‘Ukraine in Crisis’ forum

    Humboldt professors speak in ‘Ukraine in Crisis’ forum

    by Liam Gwynn

    Professors addressed the complex and multifaceted nature of the Ukraine invasion during an event hosted by the political science department on Friday. They addressed the situation from three different angles with professors breaking down the topic relevant to their expertise.

    Dr. Robert Cliver is a history professor at Cal Poly Humboldt. Cliver gave historical context for the war in Ukraine and explained how the situation is not black and white in his mind. Between the corrupt Ukrainian white nationalist oligarchs and Ukraine’s tentative alliance with the west, Cliver doesn’t think Ukraine is as innocent as they are being painted by the media at large.

    Cliver drew criticism after claiming there were no heroes or villains in war. In his eyes, all of the world leaders are villains fighting over power and resources.

    “I’m against war, period. I think if you’re resorting to violence to achieve your ends you’re not a hero,” said Cliver.

    Cliver warned students against glamorizing and glorifying political figures like Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Cliver supports the Ukrainian people, but thinks people need to look into the historical context of situations and understand that their perspective may have been altered by nationalistic rhetoric they have been exposed to.

    “It’s very difficult to find heroes and villains historically and when people do, it’s usually for nationalistic reasons and I’m very skeptical of that,” said Cliver.

    After Cliver’s talk, Noah Zerbe from the political science department gave a thorough breakdown of the international relations situation currently unfolding between Russia and the rest of the world. In particular, he explained how the sanctions put in place by NATO would affect both Russia and the global economy.

    “Russia and Ukraine account for about 20% of the world’s corn exports and about 30% of the world’s wheat exports,” said Zerbe, continuing. “So cutting that off from global markets is going to have a huge impact on food prices.”

    Zerbe went on to explain how Russia also accounts for about 20% of the world’s fertilizer so not having that on the global market will impact many types of agriculture on top of the ones previously mentioned.

    Allison Holmes from the international studies department took over after Zerbe. Holmes gave an urgent speech about the importance of fact-checking what you read online and the unreliability of news in the era of social media.

    Holmes explained how social media has changed the way people digest information which has, in turn, made times of crisis like this even more disorientating.

    “Everyone became their own spokesperson, nobody needed to wait for the official statement, nobody waited for a press officer to tell you what was happening out there, the feeds from Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, went straight to the news headlines,” said Holmes.

    She explained how this massive change has resulted in a repetitive news cycle where the most TV-ready looking civilians are asked the same questions over and over and other important developments are pushed to the side.

    “This has produced hours and hours of interviews with young women, most of whom happen to be lovely blondes who all speak perhaps halted but excellent English with at least one if not preferably two children sitting on a train platform going they know not where,” said Holmes.

    Holmes did not want to downplay the situation in Russia, but she does think it is being overplayed by the media, especially in comparison to how other conflicts outside of Europe are covered.

    “I’ve lost the number of times I’ve heard ‘we haven’t seen this since world war II’ which is simply not true,” Holmes said, continuing. “What about Yugoslavia, what about Syria’s impact on Europe and the estimated 13 million refugees or displaced people who are still not home?”637 words

  • The 28th annual Social Justice Summit concluded with paddle-boarding to Big Lagoon.

    The 28th annual Social Justice Summit concluded with paddle-boarding to Big Lagoon.

    by Kris Nagel

    An almost-spring chill in the wind convinced almost all of the attendees present to wriggle into one of the wetsuits piled on the warm sand. The Social Justice, Equity and Inclusion Center (SJEIC), in tandem with Center Activities, hosted a kayaking and paddleboarding trip to Big Lagoon for students on March 6.

    Photo by Kris Nagel | Attendees of the 2022 Social Justice Summit trip to Big Lagoon suited up with life preservers and splash guard gather on the beach on March 6, 2022.

    The event capped off a week of activities as part of the 2022 Social Justice Summit, which was themed around climate justice and intersectionality. Part of a 28-year tradition, the annual Social Justice Summit is a place for students to get directly involved in making our community more inclusive. Frank Herrera, the SJEIC coordinator, helped oversee the student leaders who put together the week’s schedule with accessibility in mind.

    “Big Lagoon is a cool spot. I would imagine that it’s probably going to be transformational for some,” Herrera said. “Hopefully in a positive way.”

    The summit was one of the first programs to be offered in person now that COVID-19 restrictions are starting to be lifted. Herrera said this year drew a smaller crowd than it had before the pandemic hit, with around a hundred students attending events over the week.

    About 16 people went to Big Lagoon on Sunday. In part, the limited itinerary was due to this year lacking a credit program for student organizers of the summit. Normally, a class credit is offered through the Critical Race, Gender and Sexuality Studies (CRGS) department. However, Herrera’s request for the program was denied this year.

    Photo by Kris Nagel | Aelis Hanson, a guide with Cal Poly’s Center Activities, walks a program participant through their launch at Big Lagoon on a paddleboard March 6, 2022.

    The summit was a work in progress for months prior to the first speaker taking the stage at the end of February. However, some accommodations took on-the-ground problem solving by the event coordinators.

    One student registered for the Big Lagoon trip had requested additional assistance in transporting their mobility aid before arriving at the pickup location. Not having planned for the additional cargo, organizers scrambled for an additional vehicle. Fortunately, another van was available that morning and the student was able to join shortly after the first kayaks launched.

    Photo by Kris Nagel | Center Activies’ Mairead Sardina educates program participants on water safety, showing how a tight life vest helps keep the head above water March 6, 2022.

    Mairead Sardina works for Cal Poly Humboldt’s Center Activities and helped plan the outdoor programming of the summit. Sardina hoped that the trip would help re-establish a sense of normalcy on campus, now that activities are held in person again.

    “It gets them out and engaged with the local environment which helps with student retention, makes them feel safer, makes them want to get out and care about protecting the environment and see what a beautiful place Humboldt is to live,” Sardina said, promoting the Center Activities center where students can rent outdoor gear at low or no cost.

    Cal Poly Humboldt student Tatiana Gamboa joined the journey out to Big Lagoon. A second-semester student, Gamboa was drawn to the school behind the redwood curtain because of its emphasis on the local environment.

    “It encourages [students] to come out and do something different, without having the funds to rent gear and the previous knowledge of how to paddleboard and kayak.” Gamboa said. “So it kind of gives that gate to students exploring something they might like and I think that’s pretty special.”

  • Healing a broken student body

    Healing a broken student body

    by Matthew Taylor

    It felt like he had become a completely different person. This was a sentiment that current and previous A.S. members echoed in detailing their experiences with ex-A.S. president Jeremiah Finley over the years.

    On Sunday, Feb. 20, Finley was officially impeached and removed from his office. Due to the Legislative Vice President role being empty, the role was given to previous Social Justice and Equity Officer, Lizabeth Cano Sanchez. A unanimous vote on an impromptu Feb. 8 meeting approved this decision. Currently, six positions within A.S. remain open, with an important and daunting budget season right around the corner.

    Many inside and outside A.S. remain both worried and hopeful for the association, along with many still healing from their time serving under Finley’s terms.

    “I have witnessed many great powerhouses of [the] Associated Students’ with strong voices drop off of the A.S. Board [of Directors],” Representative Tashenea Burns Young said. “Because of the negligence, [disrespect] and [inability] to do their job to their full potential, because of President Finley.”

    For longtime members of A.S. such as Malluli Cuellar, Finley’s change in demeanor beginning in the Summer of 2021 was both shocking and confusing, akin to a light switch being flipped.

    “If we ever had any disagreements it was still very respectful,” Cuellar said, explaining his previous demeanor. “He was still actively listening, I felt like he was taking in a lot of the feedback that we would get back then and you would see your feedback implemented into the work.”

    For Cuellar, much of this seemed to change after the pre-agenda meeting of August 2021, which can be read about in our A.S. impeachment article. However, for previous Administrative Vice President (AVP) David Lopez, this had begun as early as June that year.

    As AVP, Lopez was expected to be the head of the association’s yearly budget proposal. This was a task he took very seriously and based on feedback he had assumed he successfully did that year. A phone call from Finley days after the budget books should have been closed and signed told him differently.

    Under the advice and pressure of the university, Finley had almost completely revised the budget without Lopez’s or the Board’s input. When asked what changes he had made, Finley refused to respond until the next board meeting two days later.

    “I’m not ready to share those at the moment, I’ll bring them up tomorrow at our meeting,” Lopez said, directly quoting Finley’s words at the time.

    Huge cuts were made to General Operations, and funds given to student employees under A.S. programs such as WRAPP and CCAT, along with money taken out of the reserves for reallocation. Lopez also expressed that over the pandemic, Finley repeatedly proposed legislation that directly or indirectly centered power into his presidential position.

    “He’s not like that,” Lopez said. “He doesn’t portray himself as someone who is into power [in that way], he’s the perfect politician.”

    Despite the turmoil, both past and present A.S. members have hope for the future of the organization.

    “As for Associated Students, we are working together to further engage in collaboration,” Burns-Young said. “Understanding that we are students and most importantly we are human. With the support of our advisors, core programs, and staff we are the Associated Students who will once more rise above the conflict to further empower our student body.”

    The next A.S. meeting will be March 4, at 4 p.m. in Siemens Hall 117.

  • Troubled police recruitment at Cal Poly Humboldt

    by Carlos Pedraza

    The Cal Poly Police Department has a total of eight vacant spots in its organizations: two administrative, three dispatchers, one officer, and two sergeants. The CPD has enough staff to work all necessary operations, but this significant gap in positions and recruitments is now common throughout the nation.

    Sergeant Chance Carpenter has noticed fewer people willing to become officers. The College of the Redwood police academy has also had lower recruitment.

    “When I went to an academy in 2006, approximately 27-28 graduated from that police academy,” Carpenter said. He explained how the current number of graduates has dropped to only twelve at an academy that once graduated over double the members yearly. Carpenter added most law enforcement is having staffing issues, not just the ones in Humboldt. Speaking of his feelings, Carpenter feels some portion of society is less supportive of law enforcement.

    Black Lives Matter protests and reaction to police violence changed the public opinion on policing. A recent Black History Month protest in the Arcata Plaza articulated community concerns regarding police officers.

    “I think society should always be critical of professionals that offer services,” said Carpenter in response to questions about the change in the public view of police. Carpenter explained in his view that law enforcement should be invested in their communities and positive changes in policing should be supportive.

    There is still a disconnect between students and the CPD despite Carpenter’s hopeful sentiment. Cal Poly Humboldt freshman Elaina Wargala expressed her feelings about law enforcement.

    “I think that a portion of society may be less appreciative of the work law enforcement does,” said Wargala. She expressed her own discomfort with law enforcement in general.

    “I think a lot of people take advantage of their position,” Wargala said.

    The disconnect between campus law enforcement and the student body makes it difficult to maintain staff and even harder to hire new staff. Despite the high number of vacant positions, the CPD has still been able to maintain operations successfully.

  • Food sovereignty lab hosts indigenous film series

    by Krisanne Keiser

    In 2019, Cal Poly Humboldt students envisioned a project that would re-indigenize the campus by creating the Rou Dalagurr Food Sovereignty Lab & Cultural Workspace.

    According to the summer 2021 FSL Progress Report, this new indigenized space is “dedicated to the research, practice, and preservation of food sovereignty and traditional ecological knowledge. The purpose of the FSL is to provide an opportunity to work directly with the surrounding communities, tribal nations, and national and international scholars and community leaders to center, learn, and engage with Indigenous science, environmental management, and preservation practices.”

    The Food Sovereignty Lab serves to “unify our students, faculty, local tribes, and communities; to center and support tribal sovereignty, natural resource management, and preservation practices; and to provide students with culturally appropriate education in Indigenous natural resource management that respects Indigenous sovereignty and self-determination and serves our community.”

    To help the public and Cal Poly Humboldt students understand the practice of food sovereignty, there will be an online film series via zoom that highlights the importance of revitalizing traditional food sources in March and April.

    The first film, “Inhabitant: Indigenous Perspectives on Restoring Our World,” will be presented by the Social Justice Summit on Thursday, March 3 at 7 p.m. PST.

    The second film, “Voices From the Barrens: Native People, Blueberries & Sovereignty,” will be shown Thursday, March 24 at 7 p.m. PST.

    “Gather” will be shown on Thursday, April 14 at 7 p.m. PST.

    The third part will be a double feature. “El Cacao: The Challenge of Fair Trade,” and “No Place to Grow,” featuring a discussion with filmmaker Michelle Aguilar, will be shown on Thursday, April 24 at 7 p.m. PST.

    Interested parties can register online at https://forms.gle/UtD35UCCF89LJqY27