The Lumberjack



Students Serving The Cal Poly Humboldt Campus and Community Since 1929

Tag: Seth Finnegan

  • New schedule for spring semester classes

    A look at the spring semester schedule for online and in-person classes

    On Nov. 2, Humboldt State University informed the student body on how classes were going to be conducted in the spring 2021 semester. Classes will start online and move in-person up until spring break, where classes will switch back to online for two weeks before going back to in-person for the rest of the year.

    HSU Provost Jenn Capps says this is essentially the same type of schedule as last year.

    “We landed at probably the same amount of face-to-face time for students, but what we did is that there is probably more hybrid courses that have a little face-to-face component versus more limited full face-to-face classes,” said Capps.

    The biggest challenge was working around spring break in the middle of the semester and planning for the return of students from the break.

    “Folks are gonna wanna go home for spring break and come back and how do we have safe reentry back to campus,” said Capps.

    A question was brought about possible moving spring break to a different time or completely removing it and ending a week early.

    “So I did actually take that question to Senate and to Associated Students and asked their perspective, as well as faculty and staff,” said Capps. “That feedback informed that we should not move it, that we should just leave it where it was. Maybe the only consensus was, please don’t take our spring break away, which I totally understand.”

    Students were uncertain about the schedule but enjoyed some of the safety aspects factored into the decision to start online. Kyra Cherry, a biology major at HSU, is one of those students who appreciated the safety precaution.

    “I think that in the beginning having virtual instruction only, is pretty good especially since we don’t know where everyone is coming from, who all they’ve been around,” said Cherry. “So, I think that’s important.”

    After spring break, the on and off switching between virtual and in-person instruction forces students to adjust for two weeks and switch again.

    “I also think that it’s a pretty decent window of time before the face-to-face instruction,” Cherry said. “But I think that after that, since it starts switching back and forth between virtual and face-to-face, that’s kind of an issue with scheduling with certain students.”

    For Cherry, changes in class schedules as a result of switching between face-to-face and virtual threw off her personal schedule.

    “I had a class where some unfortunate things happened and the course got switched up quite a bit and I had to reevaluate what I was doing for my class, cause I already had my weekly schedule of when I would do what for each class set,” said Cherry.

    Environmental studies major, August Andrews, prefers face-to-face learning and an in-person, social environment.

    “To be honest, I prefer in-person stuff. It’s just the connections you can make and the learning style,” said Andrews. “Personally I’m managing with online classes, they’re not terrible, but at the same time it’s not nearly as preferable in my opinion to in person classes or even some kind of hybrid class.”

    He does have concerns regarding COVID-19 and how it would fare in the winter months.

    “The only concern I share is that, at least from what we know from the Coronavirus that it thrives more in the winter months, but other than that I’m actually really excited about [the schedule] and I do miss the partial face-to-face classes,” said Andrews.

    There are university policies set to catch COVID-19 cases early when students return for the spring semester.

    “Students living on-campus will be required to be tested and students residing off-campus will be encouraged to seek testing if they are returning to Humboldt county for spring (from home that was outside of the county) or if they fail their self-wellness check,” said Capps in an email.

    Capps is very happy with how students have stepped up during this semester and continued to wear masks and socially distance.

    “I’m really proud of how we did and hats go off to our students and our faculty and our staff,” said Capps.

  • The Mario triple pack invokes a nostalgia attack

    When I was a child, the first video game system I owned was a Nintendo 64. Among the games I played was Super Mario 64. I played it all the time and when I wasn’t playing it, I was lying on the floor watching my younger brother play it.

    Mario 64 is one of my favorite games and it started an intense love for Nintendo that remains to this day.

    My favorite part was the freedom the game gave you. Jumping into levels to find the stars in any order you wanted, that’s what made it so special. It was one of the first games I played all the way through, of course, with help from my Dad.

    Over the years, I experienced many more adventures with Mario. I started playing Super Mario Sunshine after I found a Gamecube at a garage sale with my Dad. Essentially, it was Mario 64 again, but this time you had a water jetpack and explored an island town plagued by paint creatures. The updated graphics, new location, and ability to fly high up in the air with your jetpack made this game a blast to play.

    In 2006, Nintendo released the Wii and I woke up early in the morning with my Dad and my brother to wait in line on release day to pick up our console. The next year, “Super Mario Galaxy,” was released and of course we had to get it. Flying through space and jumping to different planets felt amazing and brought back the same euphoric sensation I got from Mario Sunshine and Mario 64 before that.

    A few years ago, before I left for college, I got the nostalgic craving to return to Peach’s castle for another battle with Bowser in Mario 64 again. After setting up our old N64, I looked everywhere and couldn’t find our copy of the game. It was gone and the only copies left were sold for small fortunes on eBay. It was so disheartening. I thought I would never be able to experience those memories again.

    When I’d finally given up the shred of hope that my craving for Mario 64 would ever be quenched, about a month ago, something incredible happened. To celebrate Mario’s 35th anniversary, Nintendo released a 3-D Mario bundle for the Switch. Super Mario 3-D All-Stars includes, in my opinion, potentially three of the best Mario games of all time: Mario 64, Mario Sunshine and Mario Galaxy.

    Playing through the bundle today was like paying a visit to my childhood. While the games were only ported over with slightly improved graphics, it didn’t matter to me. In my mind, I was back in my childhood bedroom watching Mario run and jump around on his adventures once again and peace was restored in the world.

    Re-experiencing these games again for the first time in around a decade was exactly the comforting gaming experience I and every Nintendo fan needs to improve their existence in 2020. The nostalgia pack is something to help us escape, even if only for a moment, back to the days when it was just you and Mario trying to collect all 120 stars together.

  • Minor Theater is back after closure scare

    Minor Theater is back after closure scare

    GoFundMe saves The Minor Theater thanks to community support.

    The Minor Theater has reopened to the public after closing at the start of the COVID-19 outbreaks eight months ago.

    Reopening was never a certainty for Josh Neff, building owner and co-owner of The Minor.

    “I was trying to have an optimistic outlook and thinking this is something we can handle. We’re gonna get through it and it’ll take a few weeks then we’ll be back to some sort of new norm or a norm, but that was not the case,” Neff said. “We were nursing the business along by paying the minimal amount of bills and rent that we could and just kinda running out of money.”

    Coming into late July and early August, the likelihood of reopening was slim. But, on Sept. 28, the theater opened a GoFundMe page in hopes they would earn enough money to reopen.

    “It was either that or fold the business, that’s where we were at,” Neff said. “We didn’t want to ask for anything for free. That’s why we did the incentive program and gave them the discounted theater rentals in exchange for the donations.”

    Currently the GoFundMe has raised $32,805, well over their $20,000 goal, with 364 donors. This outpouring of support from the community came as a surprise to Neff.

    “I didn’t think it would be so generous and so fast,” Neff said. “I did expect that the community would have a heartfelt response to our donation request but I didn’t realize that it would come so fast and exceed our expectations like it did.”

    Travis Bille, a community member and donor to the Minor, expressed the significance and importance of keeping the Minor operating.

    “It’s a staple of the community,” Bille said. “I love this place.”

    Before they could open up, they had to make some health and safety changes first to comply with COVID-19 guidelines.

    “I put a two stage HEPA air filtration system in and it runs 24 hours a day,” Neff said. “We did a 60 percent seating capacity reduction, we implemented some COVID software that allows people to pick the actual seat they want to sit in, and you can buy it online and it automatically gets rid of the seats next to you on both sides. We did a bunch of enhanced cleaning safety protocols, obviously masks are being worn at all times.”

    On Oct. 9, the Minor Theater reopened its doors to the public for weekend showings with the new safety protocol in place.

    “We followed all the health and safety measures that the county guidelines put out and then we sorta went above and beyond and did everything else we could think of to do,” Neff said.

    Fans of the theater, like Christy Mast, were thankful that the theater was able to bounce back and begin showing again.

    “It was nice to just get back in with the community and be at the movies again,” Mast said.

    Neff is extremely thankful and overjoyed by the community’s effort to save his business. He recalls the day the Minor reopened with glee.

    “I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face the day that we opened,” Neff said. “Just to have the theater experience, have those doors open, have the marquee lit up, and have the popcorn machine running. It was glorious, everything you had hoped for.”

  • HSU Prepares for more public safety power shutoffs

    HSU Prepares for more public safety power shutoffs

    King Salmon Power Plant promotes grid stability

    California has again warned residents of the potential and likely chances of Public Safety Power Shutoffs. With a larger range of the state being on fire this fall, more residents have been left without power in the midst of a pandemic.

    After the 2019 school year was impacted by power outages, HSU immediately sprung into action working toward a plan to improve the issue for students. While they couldn’t have predicted a pandemic would occur at the same time, they’ve created a plan to put into effect during these occurrences.

    Associate Vice President for Student Success Stephen St. Onge said HSU students would likely not even realize a power outage had occurred due to their new equipment. Since last year, housing has purchased two generators.

    “One is over $6,000 and it will power the JGC building, Cypress, the Canyon, and Sunset and Redwood,” St. Onge said. They also bought a portable generator to power College Creek.

    As well as the generators, the King Salmon Powerplant, based in Eureka, is now operating and handling Humboldt County’s future PSPS events. Cris Koczera is the emergency Coordinator for HSU’s Risk Management and Safety Services.

    “If we got notice of an impending PSPS right now, this year unlike last year, PG&E has been able to provide typically at least 48 hours of advance notice,” Koczera said. With this extra time, the school has been able to prepare more.

    “We already had one PSPS and there was no campus disruption because of the King Salmon Plant,” St. Onge said. “We had the generators ready to go – we were prepared this time.”

    This solves many of the problems that concerned students last year. Campus should function as normal this semester, without limited food, power and the need for students to leave their dorms to receive access. Even the elevators should be running for students who cannot rely on stairs.

    “We have since – knock on wood – solved those issues,” St. Onge said.

    In the instance the King Salmon Plant does not work and students live in an area uncovered by the new generators, HSU has another plan prepared.

    “We do have open spaces in other buildings, so we might consider if there’s a need to reopen up the JGC like before or relocating students temporarily to other spaces as well,” St. Onge said. “So we have those Plan C’s in place, as well.”

    Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Koczera said the school would be reaching out to health officials to help determine the safest way to move students into one area.

    “We would be reaching out to public health to find a safe, viable way to still provide those levels of support and services,” Koczera said.

    So, while students have been preparing themselves to return to the University, HSU has been preparing for ways to help the student body through these issues.

    “It’s important for students to know that as an outcome of last year’s PSPSs, there’s been a group of folks, housing facilities, management, that have been working really hard,” St. Onge said. “We are prepared.”

    “Our commitment to supporting their educational work on campus is a serious commitment that we take,” St. Onge said.

    “The goal of the University has always been to get to a point where these PSPS events or rolling blackouts have the least amount of impact possible on our campus and on our students and on our ability to continue through the educational process,” said Koczera.

  • California Universities Update Travel Suspension

    California Universities Update Travel Suspension

    The CSU Travel Suspension has just been extended until July 31

    The California State University travel suspension for all international and non-essential domestic travel has officially been extended until July 31, according to an update email from the CSU Chancellor’s office on April 29.

    The update also says that the determinations are made with guidance from the CDC and the US State Department. At the time of the update, the State Department had issued a level 4 Travel Advisory to worldwide travel. Level 4 advisory is a warning level caused by a higher likelihood of life-threatening risks.

    “We regularly monitor data from local, state, national and international agencies and organizations,” wrote the Chancellor’s office. “And may modify the temporal or geographical restrictions in this directive if warranted by future developments.”

    A plan to reevaluate the restriction has been projected to be in discussion again by mid-June.

    The campus presidents are allowed to make exceptions to this rule but only for “extenuating and compelling circumstances.” The authority of these decisions cannot be delegated. Factors for contributing to these exceptions are:

    • Necessity of the proposed travel, including consequences of postponing travel.
    • Needs and preferences of the individual.
    • Availability of safe and secure shelter at the destination.
    • Availability of appropriate medical care at the destination.
    • Availability of transportation, services, and other necessities at the destination.
    • Assessment of risks associated with traveling versus risks of remaining in place.
    • As well as “other relevant factors as determined by the president.”

    The update also clarified what will happen for an essential traveler is allowed.

    “Individuals granted exceptions to travel must observe local health guidelines upon their return. Presidents who grant an exception to the travel suspension must create a written memorialization of how the circumstances were extenuating and compelling, using the factors above.” said The Office of the Chancellor’s COVID-19 update.

    The update ends saying that circumstances and conditions may change at any time and the Chancellor’s office will provide updated information as it becomes available.

  • Here’s What The Lumberjack is Watching, Reading, Playing and Doing

    Here’s What The Lumberjack is Watching, Reading, Playing and Doing

    Some unedited recommendations and brief reviews from some of our staff

    Life and Arts Editor Grace Caswell

    What I’m watching:

    Just finished “Tiger King.” It’s the most ridiculous and unbelievable show I’ve seen yet with a surprising amount of depth.

    What I’m reading:

    “Noam Chomsky” by John Lyons.

    What I’m playing:

    None :/

    What I’m listening to:

    Lots of new music is being released but right now Toro y Moi and Jhene Aiko.

    What else I’m doing:

    Yoga and meditation has been a go to as well as cooking healthy foods. Anything to keep my mind at ease and health immunity high.

    Managing Editor Chelsea Wood

    What I’m watching:

    I’ve been watching the final season of “Schitt’s Creek” which has been a bittersweet reflection of the last five seasons.

    What I’m reading:

    I’ve been reading more of a book I started last summer. It’s called “The Spaceship Next Door” and it about a teenager who grew up in a small town where a spacecraft crashed years ago but never left.

    What I’m playing:

    Minecraft. I trash talked this game as a teen, but it’s amazing and I love creating things on it. It’s extremely entertaining and relaxing.

    What I’m listening to:

    I’m listening to lots of downbeat songs—music that soothes the soul with catchy beats. Just stuff to satisfy this melancholy phase I’m swimming through.

    What else I’m doing:

    I picked up an old hobby, basket weaving. It’s a relaxing and simple task that yields a useful item. And no that’s not a BS excuse, basket weaving is the shit.

    Editor-in-Chief James Wilde

    What I’m watching:

    I just finished season three of “Ozark.” It’s a crime drama with superb characters and writing that had an unexpected depiction of mental illness that probably hit a little too close to home and (full disclosure) made me tear up.

    What I’m reading:

    I just finished “Why Time Flies,” by Alan Burdick, a fun little foray into the way we think about time. Next up: “The Glass Hotel,” by Emily St. John Mandel.

    What I’m playing:

    Call of Duty: Warzone with my brother and some friends. I hate the premise of Call of Duty and, you know, shooting people, but as long as I ignore that it’s lots of fun.

    What I’m listening to:

    Kind of all over the place, which isn’t out of the ordinary. Indie stuff to hip hop to alt rock to electronic stuff to jazz to whatever else. Oh, and random Tiny Desk Concerts.

    What else I’m doing:

    Walking or going on runs to get out of the house. Drowning in schoolwork. Lying on the floor.

    Opinion Editor Alexis Parra

    What I’m watching:

    “Gentrified”- A show that hits home for people of color. “Tiger King”- A cult war in the world of big cats.

    What I’m reading:

    “Z: The Beginning of Everything”- the untold story of Zelda Fitzgerald and beautifying her life.

    What I’m playing:

    None.

    What I’m listening to:

    My playlist on LJ- All of my favorites songs and energy that I carry into one playlist. “La Platica”- A bilingual podcast where the host is funny and talks about dumb shit and real shit.

    What else I’m doing:

    Painting. Make-up. Face masks. Talking to my family. Getting creative while also taking care of my skin and keeping in touch with my loved ones.

    Sports Editor Thomas Lal

    What I’m watching:

    “Drive To Survive,” a super fun look into the 2019 F1 season with the dramatic thrills and spills to match!

    What I’m reading:

    “Permanent Record” by Edward Snowden. An intriguing and somewhat terrifying read.

    What I’m playing:

    The Witcher 3. This game has consumed my life. Loving the story and exploring the world.

    What I’m listening to:

    So much music, mostly ska, punk and jazz along with the “Every Little Thing” podcast.

    What else I’m doing:

    Being sad without any sports to watch.

    Web Editor Seth Finnegan

    What I’m watching:

    “Community.” The always funny comedy about students at a community college.

    What I’m reading:

    None.

    What I’m playing:

    Dead Rising and MLB The Show 19. Filling the sports void with hitting baseballs and zombies with baseball bats.

    What I’m listening to:

    The “Adventure Zone” podcast. Three brothers and their dad play D&D together.

    What else I’m doing:

    Learning to play darts. It’s very frustrating but very fun!

    Video Editor Benjamin Zawilski

    What I’m watching:

    The filmography of David Fincher and Hayao Miyazaki, and “The Good Place” on Netflix.

    What I’m reading:

    Rereading “Peter and the Starcatchers” by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, which was one of my favorite book series as a child

    What I’m playing:

    Overhearing my sister play Animal Crossing.

    What I’m listening to:

    The film scores of Mark Mancina, Alexandre Desplat, and James Newton Howard.

    What else I’m doing:

    Hiking at least five miles a day, sometimes up to seven, and have done a considerable amount of housecleaning.

    Reporter Deion Alston

    What I’m watching:

    “Coffee & Kareem.” Cop dates kid’s mother and him and kid (Kareem) uncover a conspiracy of dirty cops.

    What I’m reading:

    Haven’t been reading books tbh, but a lot of news article pertinent to sports, COVID-19, crimes etc.

    What I’m playing:

    Fortnite and NBA 2K 20. Fortnite is a shooting game and 2K is professional basketball at your finger tips.

    What I’m listening to:

    For podcasts, I listen to “Up in Smoke” hosted by two former NBA players, Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson. It’s very interesting—great interviews and guests as well. For music I’m listening to a lot of Lil Uzi, G Herbo, Tory Lanez. So basically rap, hip-hop and R&B.

    What else I’m doing:

    I’m cooking a lot more—takes time up in the day. Do my 250 push-ups everyday and step-ups for some cardio. And occasionally throw the football in the drive way.

    Reporter Dakota Cox

    What I’m watching:

    “Seinfeld” & “Empire.” “Seinfeld” is a wonderful waste of time. “Empire” is a must-binge, cutthroat musical.

    What I’m reading:

    “Hurricanes” by Rick Ross is a fairly generic success story in terms of rapper autobiographies. “The Alchemist” is an extraordinary journey of the body, mind and soul.

    What I’m playing:

    Animal Crossing; don’t ask questions, go pick up the game!

    What I’m listening to:

    Going back and forth between oldies and hip-hop, gotta keep the serotonin up. Michael Jackson, Bob Marley and The Beatles are timeless, go listen! Gambino got the best album of 2020, @ me!

    What else I’m doing:

    Slipping out of sanity; would not recommend. Get a mask-on walk in when the sun shows it’s face; I like to play a little game called guess the gang members.

    Reporter Sarah Blunt

    What I’m watching:

    I just finished “I am not okay with this.” It was a really good show with short episodes that have a lot going on in them. 10/10. I also just recently watched “Freedom Writers.” That one was really good and empowering, also took place in Long Beach (where I’m from) so that was relatable (kind of).

    What I’m reading:

    “Looking for Alaska.” I’ve already seen the show on Hulu but I realized I had the book. So far it’s really good and John Green (the author) writes really descriptively so I never feel bored when I’m reading it.

    What I’m playing:

    None.

    What I’m listening to:

    Tons of music. Nothing in particular just going through my music apps and looking for things I haven’t heard before, or even music from shows i’ve watched that I liked the soundtrack. That’s most of what I spend my free time doing.

    What else I’m doing:

    Lately I’ve been taking bike rides alone just to get fresh air and not be stuck in the same surroundings. I never ride bikes but lately it’s just been a really nice way to get out the house but also keep my social distance from others. 10/10

    Reporter Ivan Ramirez

    What I’m watching:

    “Castlevania,” the show. “Mewtwo Strikes Back: EVOLUTION,” the movie.

    What I’m reading:

    Marcy Burstiner’s Investigative Reporting Book.

    What I’m playing:

    None.

    What I’m listening to:

    Psytrance, Electronic Dance Music, Drum & Bass, Electronic Rock.

    What else I’m doing:

    Meditating, talking to people on Discord, Instagram.

    Reporter Alberto Muro

    What I’m watching:

    I have started watching the Amazon Prime series “The Boys.” It has an interesting take on superheroes proving that not all of them are super. It’s a world where super heroes exist, now imagine their lack of empathy for saving people.

    What I’m reading:

    Currently reading through my textbooks so that I don’t fall behind on homework.

    What I’m playing:

    I am currently playing the remake of Resident Evil 3 which has updated graphics and character development.

    What I’m listening to:

    I am listening to the “Tinfoil Hat” podcasts since conspiracies take my mind on a wild ride

    What else I’m doing:

    I have transitioned from a student using critical thinking to an essential asset during a global pandemic thus turning me into a critical drinker.

  • New Details for Animal Crossing: New Horizons

    New Details for Animal Crossing: New Horizons

    The hype is real for the new Animal Crossing game after their recent presentation

    The first console Animal Crossing game since 2015 is less than a month away from its March 20 release date. Nintendo just announced a list of new features for the upcoming Animal Crossing: New Horizons for the Nintendo Switch.

    Animal Crossing is a series that puts you in control of a small town filled with anthropomorphic animal villagers. In this edition, you have bought the Deserted Island package, which gives you an island to build your town on. Despite being put into debt immediately by Tom Nook, the owner of the company that you bought the package from, there is no need to pay back the loan. There is no time limit or interest—pay it back whenever.

    That’s one of the main draws of the series. There is no push to play it one way or the other. Whether you want to spend your days fishing or collecting fossils, or just decorating your home, the game will never push you. You’re free to play at your own pace and relax with the other villagers that populate your town.

    On Feb. 20, Nintendo aired Animal Crossing: New Horizons Direct. The press conference, given by Tom Nook, the series’ resident loan shark, was broken up into three parts. It gave a refresher of what had been shared before along with new developments that will appear in future updates to the game. It ended with a FAQ section.

    The main addition this iteration of the peaceful life simulator brings is customization.

    When you’re first put into the game, you’re told to choose from four different island layouts for your town and to choose your hemisphere. This will help accurately portray which seasons are happening in your town at their specific times. You’ll also be able to terraform your island so you aren’t limited to the exact layout you choose at the start for the whole game. You can add hills and create new rivers and waterfalls. The island will be truly yours.

    Another big addition is the ability to determine where villagers move in. In past games, villagers just moved in where they saw fit, even if it was on your flower bed or on top of your favorite apple tree. This time you get to map out exactly where villagers move in and shape your town around that.

    The game now allows eight people to live on your island at the same time—not just non-playable villagers, but your friends and family. The game even adds four-player co-op, where you and three friends can explore your island together on the same console.

    Later updates to the game will be for holidays. The first announced update, for Bunny Day in April, will be released the same time as the game, March 20.

  • Ja’Quan Gardner Rushes into the XFL

    Ja’Quan Gardner Rushes into the XFL

    HSU adds another pro football player to its record, but not for the league you think

    The XFL is back after a 19-year break and is the next football league to try to fill the gap between NFL seasons. Former Humboldt State University running back Ja’Quan Gardner has joined the Seattle Dragons along with former NFL prospects and players.

    This isn’t the first professional league that Gardner has played in. A story by the Lost Coast Outpost said he spent a short time in the NFL after being signed as a non-drafted free agent by the San Francisco 49ers, only to play one preseason game in 2018 before being waived. He also played for another rival league to the NFL, the now-defunct Alliance of America Football where he led the league in rushing on the San Diego Fleet before having to undergo shoulder surgery.

    It may seem like just another NFL, but the XFL does have some aspects that make it stand out.

    The XFL originally started in 2001, and ran for a season with poor ratings as it tried to turn football into a reality show similar to the WWE. After learning his lesson the first time, WWE Chairman and founder of the original XFL Vince McMahon has brought the league back with familiar faces.

    In October, Gardner was drafted to the Seattle Dragons, who lost their opener 31-19 against the D.C. Defenders with Gardner rushing for only 36 yards in nine attempts. In their second game against the Tampa Bay Vipers on Feb. 15, they came out victorious with the Dragons winning 17-9. Gardner rushed for 27 yards in 10 attempts.

    It may seem like just another NFL, but the XFL does have some aspects that make it stand out.

    An NPR article explained the league has a few notable rule changes that make it unique.

    In the NFL, nearly every score ends with an extra point try. In the XFL, they have ditched the kick and replaced it with 3-point, 2-point and 1-point tries from the 10-yard, 5-yard and 2-yard line, respectively. Paired with this is a so-called comeback period where the clock will stop after every play in the final two minutes of each half. This will give trailing teams a better chance at making a comeback.

    The play clock has been shortened to 25 seconds, teams only have two timeouts, halftime is only 10 minutes and the clock doesn’t stop after incomplete passes and out-of-bound plays like in the NFL. These time changes are in an attempt to shorten the three-hour-long games the NFL is accustomed to and limit the downtime in the game.

    These are just a few of the new rules the XFL is changing to try and become a reasonable substitution for the NFL during the spring.

    You can watch Ja’Quan Gardner and the Seattle Dragons take on the Dallas Renegades Feb. 22 at 5:00 p.m.

  • Struggles at the Station

    Struggles at the Station

    Floods and frequent power outages caused issues for KRFH during the fall semester

    Editor’s note: members of the editorial staff of The Lumberjack are part of and have been part of KRFH. The author of this article had no previous affiliation with KRFH.

    The Humboldt State University student radio station KRFH is back with new and old DJs for the spring semester after dealing with flash floods and frequent power outages during the last semester.

    Alejandro Zepeda was the station manager during the fall semester and is assistant station manager.

    “It’s been a rough semester for sure,” Zepeda said. “I ended up taking over halfway through the semester as station manager and just kinda walked into a shit storm.”

    KRFH is in the basement of Gist Hall, and when it flooded on Sept. 19, 2019, Zepeda said water started coming down from above.

    “There was a couple spots where the water literally just came in through the ceiling,” Zepeda said.

    Zoe Kelman, the manager for the live music program LIXX, said the lounge they use for recording ended up getting affected badly from the water.

    “I’ve probably turned the station back on myself after power outages somewhere between six and 10 times at this point.”

    Alejandro Zepeda

    “The whole LIXX lounge got flooded and it smelled horrible,” Kelman said.

    Kelman went on to say that pieces of the ceiling came down and the whole floor became dyed orange. Kelman also said it was lucky she came in before the event to set things up.

    “I had actually gone in and already moved some of the equipment,” Kelman said. “It was already sitting on a table, so we got lucky that when the flooding happened none of our stuff was on the floor.”

    Despite the salvaged equipment, the wiring in the KRFH studio runs in the ceiling. At first they couldn’t immediately tell if there was any direct damage to the wiring, but they ended up having to move the LIXX recording that day.

    • Part of KRFH’s CD collection adorns the wall of the KRFH booth on Jan. 28. | Photo by Seth Finnegan

    “We couldn’t do it in the LIXX lounge ’cause it smelled like a swamp, so we decided to do it in a different room,” Kelman said. “It was just like a whole thing where basically all of our equipment cut out at some point. We got dead air. Like, anything that could’ve gone wrong, went wrong.”

    The frequent power outages were also an issue for the station.

    “I’ve probably turned the station back on myself after power outages somewhere between six and 10 times at this point,” Zepeda said.

    Zepeda said the power backup system was out of date so when the power went off, there was no leeway.

    Zepeda said KHSU could hold a solution for the station.

    “Within the year before they got gutted, they actually just upgraded all of their equipment and got a backup generator and a bunch of emergency supplies,” Zepeda said. “I remember thinking during the blackouts—having nothing to do at home—that I could’ve been on the air. I could’ve been talking. We could’ve been relaying news but instead we were all just sitting on our hands.”

    “You can’t break this KRFH spirit.”

    Eddie Rivera

    Zepeda said if the station was given access to the abandoned KHSU studios, they could’ve taken it over and helped the community.

    Last semester was Eddie Rivera’s first time as a DJ. Alongside the floods and power outages, he also described the station’s leadership struggles.

    “Students are so busy and so overworked that sometimes you just can’t attend to everything that the club might need,” Rivera said.

    He estimated that with class time and time spent on the air, students in the class will add an extra five hours of work to their week. Rivera said their manager struggles are a lot better now.

    “We have a couple new managers and people who are taking a lot of initiative,” Rivera said. “The managers that we have are very dedicated to it and very positive.”

    Rivera said the setbacks made the semester difficult for them, but they are still going.

    “You can’t break this KRFH spirit,” Rivera said.