The Lumberjack



Students Serving The Cal Poly Humboldt Campus and Community Since 1929

Tag: Students

  • Lithium-ion sparks new vape ban

    Lithium-ion sparks new vape ban

    Bodhi Haugen

    As California prepares to eliminate disposable nicotine vapes, the topic goes beyond just people’s health. The state’s new law surrounding vapes raises questions centering on addiction, sustainability and safety.

    According to Assembly Bill No. 762 (AB 762) posted on California Legislative Information, “This bill would prohibit, beginning January 1, 2027, a person from importing or manufacturing for sale in this state a new or refurbished disposable, battery-embedded vapor inhalation device, and, beginning January 1, 2028, prohibits a person from selling, distributing, or offering for sale a new or refurbished disposable, battery-embedded vapor inhalation device in this state.”

    The ban does not apply to marijuana vapes, while both devices use the same lithium-ion battery to function.

    A California Assembly committee analysis of AB 762 states that lithium-ion batteries in vapes are “highly flammable, cannot be removed and post costly safety issues at every point of the waste stream. These devices are thrown in the trash, and sent to material recovery facilities where they can ignite, posing safety risks to workers.”

    According to the Department of Cannabis Control’s Monthly Sales Report, vape sales in California have exceeded flower sales in 2025 and are projected to surpass them again in 2026. Although nicotine vape sales in California do not provide similar statistics, the California Tobacco Facts and Figures from the California Department of Public Health state that vaping has increased since 2020, with 1.5 million Californians reporting current vape use.

    Cassidy Faye, a wildlife conservation and management senior, didn’t know about the ban but thinks it’s ethical for California to ban nicotine vapes without weed vapes for addictive reasons.

    “I think that it’s fair if they only ban nicotine vapes because it’s more addictive chemically,” Faye said. “With weed you don’t really; like some people sit around and hit the dab pen all day but it’s not as common I feel like and that would get you high as f[uck].”

    Faye also considers previous concerns with nicotine vapes, and recalls their original purpose when initially released to help smokers quit.

    “I feel like the main issue with it was that they had these really, like what’s this, Juicy Peach Ice, like that’s a child. That’s like—that’s—it’s like a lollipop, it tastes like a lollipop. And so a big issue is that kids were getting into it because it tasted good and it was cool or whatever,” Faye said. “And I think that vapes do have a purpose, because some people who are super addicted to cigarettes, they switch to vapes and that actually does help them cut down. So, I feel like it should still be an option.”

    As California moves toward phasing out disposable nicotine vapes, the challenge goes beyond passing a new law. The ban’s long-term impact remains uncertain, but the changes in safety risks of disposable vaping devices will become clear in the following years.

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

  • Standing in solidarity with the National Day of Act Against Sexual Violence

    Standing in solidarity with the National Day of Act Against Sexual Violence

    By Tatiana H Moore

    As the Lumberjack Weekend kickoff event began in the SAC Quad at Cal Poly Humboldt on Oct. 8, a group of concerned students simultaneously gathered to stand in solidarity with the National Day of Action Against Sexual Violence.

    CPH’s response to a recently reported sexual assault on Aug. 29 at Hinarr Hu Moulik (HHM) East dorms brought outrage after numerous news outlets across the state reported on the arrest of Delos Moore.

    This all comes amidst growing national scrutiny surrounding universities’ responses to sexual violence. With universities’ current handling of allegations, people are calling for institutional accountability. The Cornell Seven case is but one of many high-profile instances where men alleged to have committed sexual violence were allowed to continue their education with the privilege of privacy.

    Katerina Gaines, wildlife ecology student and organizer of the gathering, called on university administration to do more in addressing the recent public campus safety concern.

    “We’re concerned because the perpetrator of sexual assault at the HHM dorms is now back on campus, there’s been no communication from the school regarding this, no clear outline on how they’re keeping students safe,” Gaines said. “We’re here because we deserve a safe campus. And we want perpetrators to be expelled from the school.”

    Chelsey Castiglione with Student Health and Wellbeing Services was in attendance to offer support and resources.

    “We want to support our students who are protesting,” Castiglione said. “And we want them to know this is the avenue where they can have a voice.”

    Castiglione was providing information about related existing programs at CPH, including the Act to End Sexualized Violence course and Check It.

    “Act to End Sexualized Violence is a class that myself and Dr. Schnurer do every semester,” Castiglione said. “It is all about advocacy and action surrounding sexual assault prevention.”

    Castiglione emphasized the power that student advocacy and activism has had on the campus in the past.

    “That class came out of a student protest back in the day, it came out of students saying, why don’t we have a class on this?” Castiglione said. “Our Check It program also came out of student advocacy saying, what is going on with this? We need to have a program on campus, and their advocacy is what pushed it stateside.”

    While these resources provide students with support and community, they aren’t answering the questions that students are asking. Confidentiality requirements limit what university officials can disclose about individual cases, but students feel this is a matter of safety.

    “We just have to trust what they say,” Sid Spahn, a biochemistry student said.

    “That makes me feel uncomfortable because the only information I have about Delos Moore is that he sexually assaulted somebody and falsely imprisoned them,” Spahn said. “The fact that the administration, all they have to say, is trust us, we dealt with it. I don’t trust them and I think that they aren’t doing anything to actually protect people on campus.”

    Title IX has no public registry, unlike criminal sex offenders who are mandated to report to a central public database. Students who have been disciplined under a school’s Title IX process are protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

    Nicki Viso, deputy Title IX coordinator, was also in attendance Oct. 8th. Stuck between respecting students’ privacy and students’ desire for information, Visoi was unable to provide students with any new information.

    “I don’t have a satisfactory answer. We can point you towards publicly available information,” Visoi said. “Outside of those sources, as far as what is contained in an arrest report, what’s contained in the Title IX report, that’s information that we’re not really able to share as our office or as a campus.”

    This is not a Humboldt issue alone; this is just yet another case of people feeling that their university is systematically protecting perpetrators of sexual violence. To address students’ concerns, a town hall meeting will be held in Siemens Hall on Oct. 14.

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

  • AI Literacy and Resistance

    AI Literacy and Resistance

    By Tatiana H Moore

    John Warner invited students of Cal Poly Humboldt to not only question the growing role of AI on college campuses, but to resist it.

    Warner, author of “More Than Words: How to Think About Writing in the Age of AI,” spoke Oct. 6 in the Kate Buchanan Room on the relationship between humanity, writing, education and AI.

    Warner called on students to begin by organizing, resisting and protesting the university’s own AI involvement. CPH is one of the 23 campuses included in a rollout of ChatGPT Edu, granting premium ChatGPT licenses to students, faculty and staff. In May 2026, the California State University system renewed its agreement with OpenAI for $13 million annually for an additional three years.

    ChatGPT Edu became a point of discussion where many in the audience appeared completely unfamiliar with the arrangement.

    Dr. Lisa Tremain, associate professor and director of the First-year Composition Program at CPH who facilitated the lecture, responded with sarcasm about students’ awareness of the agreement with a remark about university communications.

    “What? You mean you guys don’t do the surveys in your emails?” Tremain said. “No way!”

    The debate over AI in education isn’t about whether or not AI can produce writing, but whether producing writing is the same as learning to think. Warner’s main argument is that AI is boring — generative AI cannot replace human writing because writing is an essential cognitive process used for thinking and discovering ideas.

    “LLMs [Large Language Models], they cannot think, they cannot feel, they cannot communicate with intention,” Warner said. “They generate text untethered from meaning.”

    If writing can be looked at as a process of discovery rather than simply amassing information, then evaluating students solely on the quality of the final work risks losing all the critical thinking that happens along the way.

    “When we write, the act of writing alters our communication. How what we’re doing, the process of it, and how we discover things as we write,” Warner said. “The fundamental way that I learn about the world is by writing about what is happening within it. Writing is also feeling — it’s not a purely intellectual exercise. It shapes our values and worldviews. It connects us to ourselves and others.”

    While Warner is a man concerned with collegiate matters, students were eager to push the conversation beyond the classroom. They raised concerns such as environmental impact, training models founded in euro-centric ideology and the growing power of the tech billionaire oligarchy.

    Steven Ochoa, a graduate student and public sociology major, asked Warner if he was considering whose knowledge has historically been excluded from academic institutions.

    “You’ve spoken to the ways in which resistance to AI is required by the embodied writing practice, but are you also contending with whose written words haven’t been uplifted?” Ochoa said. “Are you also speaking to what resistance looks like coming from those whose communities whose words have been erased?”

    For Warner, resisting AI is within the recognition of writing as an essential part of humanity, but Ochoa’s question raised a point of contention. Resisting AI is not only about protecting the process of writing, but it’s also about considering whose knowledge is going to be the basis. While AI is trained on global datasets, mainstream models — ChatGPT, Claude, Grok — do have heavy bias skewed toward Western reinforcement learning, creating a situation that leads into the further erasure of communities.

    As universities continue to embed AI in the classrooms, students have to question not only how they learn, but who gets to shape that future model of their education.

    Tatiana H Moore is a reporter for LJ. Contact thm18@humboldt.edu

  • Fund current students first, alumni second

    Fund current students first, alumni second

    By Barley Lewis-McCabe

    Dead-eyed administrators hovered over the open bar, just beer and wine — a big distinction. Drinking until their monologues about student success were as slurred as they were callous. Indentured student workers wandered the Kate Buchanan Room, waiting on their every desire, filling wine glasses nearly to the brim, bringing steaks, salads, cider-brined chicken breasts and of course a dessert. In the wake of the dinner, one thing was clear, it’s just unreasonable to assume the university could continue to fund bus lines or any program we’d offer, we’re in a budget crisis after all. Some sacrifices will have to be made.

    I recently had the honor of being one of a handful of students invited to the distinguished alumni awards dinner on Thursday, Oct. 8. The most impactful administrators in our school and guests of the celebrated alumni gathered together to honor graduates who made an impact on their communities and to preach the accomplishments of our university. The room was decorated with flower pots, each table had a gilded H, golden plates and cardstock brochures depicting the honorees were placed atop long white tablecloths that went down to the floor. It was awfully tone deaf.

    Alumni Relations footed the bill using funds allocated by the Cal Poly Humboldt Foundation. The Foundation receives charitable donations and invests in a series of mutual funds in order to fund a variety of student and campus services. It wasn’t money that was earmarked to go towards a certain program, It was up to Forever Humboldt to decide the most impactful way to spend it. Celebrations for alumni are hollow if current students are unable to have saturating meals or even get to school reliably.

    At a school with obvious financial problems, I have to ask if this is the best use of our endowment. Should this money have been given to Forever Humboldt in the first place, or would it have been better spent keeping struggling departments afloat and uplifting current students? I wonder if people who donated to the foundation under the assumption that their donation would help fund scholarships knew what their money was spent on.

    I’m not against celebrating distinguished alumni — the four honorees more than deserved to be there and be celebrated by their peers. In my mind, the problem is the dissonance between the ornate celebration and the average student experience at CPH.

    I understand the limitations of our university’s budget and I know that there are plenty of good-hearted administrators who want nothing more than for each and every student to be successful, but what good did this dinner do for the students waiting in line for OhSNAP! to open? What good does it do for a student who feels powerless to stop the mold growing in their dorm? What’s the point in these patriotic celebrations of school spirit if so many of our students aren’t having their basic needs met?

    The dinner was a far sight from tacos on the Quad or the stale tofu and tomato sandwiches we’ve become accustomed to from university catering. I dined on a sage butter steak over delicious garlic mashed potatoes, with a pan sauce and brown rice on a bed of eggplant. It was incredible — the best meal I’ve ever had at CPH — but it was poisoned with the knowledge that the average student would never be fed like this on campus until they graduated, if then.

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

  • Travel days from hell

    Travel days from hell

    By Jacqueline Zuniga

    I recently went on a trip to North Carolina, and it made me realize how unpleasant it is to fly now. If you’ve ever flown out of the Arcata-Eureka Airport, you know there are limited options. This time I was stuck with United Airlines. Tickets and baggage were expensive, so if I wanted anything other than a middle seat, I had to pay an additional 60 bucks. No, thank you.

    I flew from Arcata to San Francisco, and that’s where it started to go downhill, I spent $50 on four snacks. I sat near my gate laughing out loud at Reels, not knowing it would be the last time I laughed for a while.

    When it was time to board, the lady I was sitting next to decided it was Piss Off Jacky Day. It took her forever to empty her backpack and finally sit down. Over the next four hours, she woke me and the guy next to me five times so she could get up to use the restroom. I was so bothered ‘cause how many times does someone need to use the restroom on a four-hour flight? There we were, standing in the middle of the aisle waiting for our seat buddy to get back from the restroom. Oh, and she had her brightness all the way up on her iPad, and kept coughing in our shared space.

    After that magnificent experience, I made it to my second connection in Chicago at 5 a.m. I thought I would treat myself to a coffee after that flight. Worst coffee ever. I was so upset because I spent a whole lotta money I shouldn’t have. The next flight was super chill, no one sat next to me and I finally got to rest. Once I touched down in North Carolina, I still had an hour and a half commute to my aunt’s house.

    After hearing all the family gossip, my commute back to Arcata started. Woke up at 4 a.m. and headed to the airport, where the nightmare started again. When boarding, the flight attendant had sat someone in my seat and told me I was in the wrong seat. Where was I supposed to sit — the cockpit? It was shortly resolved. The man who sat next to me used his huge leather jacket as a blanket, which spilled into my seat and took over my armrest. I felt like a sardine in a can.

    On my last flight, the United app said I had 54 minutes to get to my gate. Chill. Unfortunately, that was actually how long it was going to take me to arrive at my gate — I had 14 minutes until boarding. I needed to get from A23 to B58; the Denver Airport is so big for no reason. I had to phone a friend, my sister, for help navigating this maze. After hopping on a train and walking for what felt like forever, I finally got there.

    The whole flight was noisy — no shade to them — but the people in front of me were yelling and laughing. Why are we being so loud on a flight? Have we forgotten airplane etiquette? Two hours of chatter and laughter at an absurd noise level was not fun. Their joy of making absurd plans at such a loud level made me miserable.

    May we not forget, not everyone wants to hear your loud conversations. If you need to get up 15 times during a flight, buy an aisle seat. What was supposed to be a relaxing journey through the clouds became a flight straight from hell.

    Jacqueline is the super duper cool sports editor,social media manger for LJ and news manager for KRFH.

  • Raccoon Run Club

    Raccoon Run Club

    By Keziah Rutschow

    At 6:30 p.m. every Wednesday, participants gather at Jogg’n Shop for the weekly Raccoon Run Club Ladies’ Night. Gradually, runners arrive, greeting each other and catching up before the run. Olivia Black, one of the founders of Ladies’ Night, welcomes everyone and begins leading the group towards the Arcata Community Forest to complete a five-mile loop.

    The Raccoon Run Club was started in Arcata by two locals, Thomas and Wes, who wanted a space for younger runners to get together in a fun yet casual environment. After a few months of the 6:30 p.m. Monday runs, Black and her friend Lily decided to come together and start a second session with a ladies’ night on Wednesdays.

    “It’s super chill, there’s never pressure to run a certain pace, look a certain way — anything like that,” Black said. “Most of the time people show up in Hawaiian shirts and it’s just silly and it’s just fun.”

    Moving from West Virginia to Humboldt for work, she continued to build and find her own community through running.

    Beyond being friendly to all running levels, many runners at the club come from different backgrounds, experiences and abilities.

    “We all come from a different sports background or lack sports background,” Black said.  “But we’re all out here doing the same thing every night, having fun together.”

    Runners often introduce each other to different sports, such as surfing or biking. Not only have they shared interests with each other, but they have also created a space of support and strength for one another.

    Dana Merrill grew up in Humboldt and began attending Ladies’ Night six months postpartum with her second child, eventually running an ultramarathon a year after joining the group.

    “Running is super social. And I think people think of it as, ‘Oh, I, like, have to grind on the treadmill,’ or ‘you’re always miserable.’ And, starting, running is not easy.” Merril said. “I wouldn’t sugarcoat that, but once you’re in it, so many runners just want people to run with. They don’t care about your pace.”

    This run club not only inspires those who join, but provides a social scene. For some, running is a solo personal journey.

    Sol Fernandez kept running after spending just a year on the Cal Poly Humboldt cross country team during COVID before leaving, but she found herself missing that social side

    “It allowed me to fall in love with running. For a personal love for it, versus I have to be at practice after school every day. Like the way it was before,” Fernandez said. “It just allowed me to actually find peace in running rather than punishment.”

    Whether someone is new to running or a seasoned athlete, the Raccoon Run Club Ladies’ Night offers an inclusive and supportive space for community, personal growth and fun. The group demonstrates that running can be about connection, encouragement and enjoyment — making it more than just a workout.

    Keziah is the science editor with an interest in crime & justice and politics

  • Lumbersnack – Barbecue Mushroom Sandwich

    Lumbersnack – Barbecue Mushroom Sandwich

    By Winter Music

    Autumn brings the start of mushroom season. Whether you’re buying them from the store or foraging in the woods — it’s a great time to learn how to cook these weird, meaty, not-a-vegetable, not-a-fruit gifts from the ground.

    This is a simple method you can use to cook almost any edible mushroom that’s fast, delicious, affordable and filling.

    I created this recipe when I needed a filling vegetarian meal to eat while my friends ate meat at barbecues. Since then — through trial and error — with little more equipment than a knife and a frying pan, this has become a staple of college survival for me. I can throw it together in 20 minutes, it’s cheap and mushrooms are high in protein, which I’m usually trying to get more of as a vegetarian.

    Ingredients:

    • 4-6 small mushrooms — I use baby portobellos
    • 2 Tbsp butter
    • 1/4 of an onion
    • 2-3 Tbsp barbecue sauce
    • 2 slices of bread
    • 4 tsp mayonnaise
    • 1-2 slices cheese of your choice — optional

    Step 1:

    Start by cutting your mushrooms and onions into 1/4 inch-thick slices, then put the mushrooms directly into your cold pan and spread evenly.

    Step 2:

    Heat on medium-low, beginning to stir when the mushrooms start to sizzle. Cook for a total of 7 minutes or until the mushrooms become flexible, aromatic and have expelled most of their juice — this method is called a dry fry, and will improve the texture of your mushrooms.

    Step 3:

    Add your butter and onions, then cook until the onions become translucent.

    Step 4:

    Add barbecue sauce and cut the heat, mix well and let rest on the stove while putting mayo on each slice of bread — toasting bread is optional.

    Step 5:

    Transfer the contents of the pan onto one slice, then layer on cheese and the second piece of bread.

    Step 6:

    Enjoy!

    Winter Music is a junior English major and copy editor for the Lumberjack. You can reach her at wlm38@humboldt.edu.

  • Don’t touch the bats, they bite

    Don’t touch the bats, they bite

    By Sadie Shields

    On Sept. 23 around 7 p.m., Avi Kaplan, a junior botany student, stumbled upon quite a strange sight. Four freshmen gathered around a bat that was crawling its way across the library circle roads.

    “I scooped it up with a sock and used it like a hammock so it couldn’t bite me,” Kaplan said. “I moved it off the road near the tree, but figured someone might come and pick it up so it would be better to bring it to the wildlife sanctuary.”

    This bat — which turned out to be a Mexican free-tailed bat, a medium-sized bat that tends to travel in large colonies — was solo, crawling on the floor. It was quite an uncommon sighting. It turned out that the bat Kaplan was carefully taking care of was carrying rabies, an almost always fatal disease to humans carried by wildlife.

    “Finding out the bat had rabies really freaked me out for a bit,” Kaplan said. “But because California doesn’t want a rabies epidemic, they completely cover all costs related to treating the disease, so I wasn’t too worried,”

    According to Monica Sheffer, an assistant professor of Entomology, bat bites are easy to miss.

    “If you come into contact with bats, it’s better to get treated for rabies than not,” Sheffer said. “Even though the likelihood of that particular bat biting you and having rabies is very low.”

    One of the main culprits behind their danger is their teeth, with their body being only 3.5 to 4.5 inches long, Mexican free-tailed bats’ teeth are in the millimeters.

    “Their teeth are very small,” Sheffer said. “So you might not know that you were bitten.

    In terms of safety, what Kaplan did is not recommended.

    If a bat infected with rabies were to bite you, once the bite reaches the central nervous system, it has a 100% fatality rate according to the World Health Organization.

    According to Dr. Joseph Szewczak, a professor at Cal Poly Humboldt,  mammals present one of two forms of end-stage infection of rabies, which is either furious or dumb. Usually bats present with dumb rabies in which they become weak and lethargic. They will become too weak to fly and if away from their roost they end up on the ground. Only about 10% of bats found on the ground test positive for rabies. If people find a grounded bat it will most often appear docile and in need of help and this has led to human exposure when they attempt to pick up the bat to help it. A bat in such a situation will bite in defense of what they likely interpret as a predator.

    Silvia Pava, an assistant professor in the Biological Sciences Department, noticed many red flags just in terms of the location of the bat.

    “I would not handle a bat, you’re not supposed to handle bats. If you see one, especially on the sidewalk, that is per se already a red flag that the bat is probably not fine,” Pava said. “I would not handle bats at all. If you see a bat that is just hanging out in some really accessible area, I would think that the bat may be sick.”

    “That’s the first advice, keep the distance,” Pava said. “If you keep the distance, you’re going to be fine.”

    If you are to find a bat, or any other animal walking around campus exhibiting highly unusual behavior, it’s best to leave it alone and stay as far away as possible.

    Feel free to call 911 or call the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Department Environmental Health Division at (707)-445-6215.

    Sadie is a reporter with an interest in covering and taking photos for sports and science. Reach her at sls331@humboldt.edu.

  • Students still stand with Gaza

    Students still stand with Gaza

    By Barley Lewis-McCabe

    On Oct. 7, roughly 60 irate Cal Poly Humboldt students gathered on the steps of Art B to protest the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Under the watchful eye of the Free Speech Response Team, student activists passed flyers and scrawled calls for peace on cardboard until the speakers passed around the megaphone and kicked off the speeches.

    “As you heard before, today marks three years of the most blatant, obvious genocide that we have seen in the 21st century,” Dakota Hirschensohn, Humboldt Youth Democratic Socialists of America president said. “Resistance against Israel, inside and outside of Palestine, is growing. It is our job as Americans to support them in their struggle.”

    The conversation quickly shifted to focus on the history of Palestinian resistance. The next speaker, student activist Jarrett Whitlow, placed the devastation of Gaza in the perspective of an 80-year settler colonial campaign waged by Israel.

    “In 1948, the first war for the preservation of Palestinian independence began,” Whitlow said. “Laid by the advances of nationalist, Israeli militias and the Zionists behind them that planned from the beginning to conquer all of Palestine for themselves.”

    An event organizer gave the safety talk as the crowd spilled from the Art Quad into the streets of Arcata. Organizers pointed out designated police and media representatives, made sure people knew who to get water from and, most importantly, that they wouldn’t let anyone fall behind. They ensured the crowd wasn’t loose, but a dense brigade marching through campus and into the city, meeting fellow protesters and speakers in the Arcata Plaza.

    “We will be visible and we will be loud,” Sally, an event organizer who requested their last name be omitted for safety reasons, said. “We have safety in numbers.”

    Ear-piercing chants echoed through Arcata, underscored by the ever-reliable car horn.

    “You hear honking and you don’t know if it’s in support or against us,” a marcher turned to his friend and said. “So we just assume it’s pro.”

    Hirschensohn discussed the goals for that day’s action, hoping that they can help kick off change that goes beyond the Redwood Curtain.

    “We don’t think — from Humboldt — we can end the genocide,” Hirschensohn said. “But if we put enough pressure on the CSU system, Cal State admin, we can push things in the right direction.”

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

  • Avenue of the Marathoners

    Avenue of the Marathoners

    By: Keziah Rutschow & Marielle Winuk

    In the early morning of Oct. 11, roughly 1,600 people gathered along the Eel River in the heart of Avenue of the Giants to race a 5K, half marathon or full marathon through the Redwoods. This was the 46th annual Humboldt Redwood Marathon, hosted by Six River Run Club. Many participants are local to Humboldt, but the event attracts runners from across the country. Some Cal Poly Humboldt students ran for the first time, while others have gone these distances before.

    For Kate Pringle, an environmental science & management major, working through the crowd at the start line was rough but once she wove her way through everyone, she was able to really immerse herself in the course.

    “It’s honestly like a fever dream,” Pringle said. “This was my second time running on the course, and it’s just magical. Every time I’ve run it, it’s absolutely beautiful.”

    Pringle won first overall in the women’s category for the half marathon race with a time of 1 hour and 33 minutes. It was not an easy feat, she had to work through internal struggles to get there.

    “I would say like mile 8 to 12 is the most mentally challenging because you’re kind of just at the end,” Pringle said. “You’re holding on to your pace for your dear life.”

    No matter who you are, or what place you get, there are always hurdles to overcome when doing any race whether it’s physical or mental.

    Skylar Rawitch, psychology major, ran her very first 5K running race. She expressed how high the energy and vibes were from everyone there. But in the end it’s between you, your mind and your body.

    “Mentally, self-talk was definitely my hardest challenge,” Raywitch said. “I kept having to change my mindset.”

    Working through mental obstacles, she was able to push herself to a new personal record in the 5K.

    One of the special things about Humboldt and its close-knit community is how many people here know each other. For Orion Knowler, a mechanical engineering major, seeing familiar faces made his first-ever marathon experience unique.

    “It was fun,” Knowler said. “Definitely, I saw a lot of people I knew that I didn’t know were going to be running it.”

    Whether it’s a 5K or a full marathon, this event gave the community a space to come together, connect and support one another.

    Keziah is the science editor with an interest in crime, justice and politics

  • Bigfoot found in arcata community forrest

    Bigfoot found in arcata community forrest

    By Nico Patakidis

    When you’re walking around campus, particularly the BSS building or the Arcata Community Forest, you may stumble upon a sort of otherworldly, mythical kind of creature. It could be in the bushes, stalking you on your way to class or watching your every move from the treetops. But what this cryptid really wants is a scratch on the chin or a pat on the head.

    Three average sized paws and one big foot gave this cat his name. Often does Bigfoot the cat wander the outdoors, exploring nature and looking for a stranger to indulge him in a few strokes across his marbled coat. Yet for the unassuming passerby who happens to see a rather beautiful and well taken care of bengal cat, it appears that Bigfoot is most certainly lost.

    Bigfoot’s owner is Cal Poly Humboldt biological anthropology major Miriam Cima, who adopted Bigfoot while living in Burlingame, CA and brought him with her when she moved up to Humboldt. Bigfoot grew up on the busy streets of San Mateo county, living the outdoor-cat life since he was a kitten.

    “We tried the indoor life, I’ve got him like a cat wheel and like tons of cat trees and toys and stuff,” Cima said. “Being an outdoor cat, he always wanted to be outside. It didn’t matter if it’s raining or anything, he wants to be outdoors.”

    Cima and Bigfoot currently live right near campus and the Arcata community forest – his usual stomping grounds. For the past three years, many people have had encounters with Bigfoot and of course called the phone number hanging off his collar. Cima said that although she’s gotten plenty of calls letting her know Bigfoot is lost, she’s also received many photos and videos of Bigfoot rolling around in the grass or chillaxing in the sun.

    Despite all the love Bigfoot has gotten, Cima does face some criticisms about allowing Bigfoot to be out and about. Free-roaming cats have been shown to disrupt local ecosystems due to being non-native predators, hunting birds and other small animals. Because of this factor, Cima did begin to limit Bigfoot’s outdoor time and stop him from roaming quite as freely.

    “I’m definitely learning about being a responsible pet parent, I have changed my ways for sure with like the criticism and stuff,” Cima said. “But, the cat just wants to be outside man.”

    As of now, Bigfoot’s roaming has been limited to just one hour a day. This is in part due to the recent mountain lion sighting on campus, as well as the rising cases of rabies in Humboldt County. Part of taking care of a semi-outdoor cat means bringing Bigfoot in for frequent vet visits to check for fleas and keeping him updated on vaccinations – both for Bigfoot’s health and her own. Equipped with a tracker, Cima is always aware of Bigfoot’s whereabouts.

    During his time in Humboldt, Bigfoot has lived up to his name and become a local legend.

    “I think it’s a cool little part of Humboldt,” Cima said. “That people will get to look back on and be like, oh remember that cute bengal with five paws named Bigfoot that roamed around campus?”

    Nico is a reporter with an interest in covering local government and political affairs. Reach him at np211@humboldt.edu.

  • Graffiti persists after pricey cover-ups 

    Graffiti persists after pricey cover-ups 

    Bodhi Haugen

    A few strokes of a paintbrush can erase someone’s tag from a campus wall, but not without a financial toll. Last year, across Cal Poly Humboldt those cleanups totaled 360 hours of labor and $33,209 in costs.

    Graffiti on campus, as well as cover-up jobs from Facilities Management (FM), can be seen in bathroom stalls, under bridges and on walls inside and outside buildings. From small doodles to larger pieces, the relationship between artists and FM has been a source of frustration for each other. 

    FM received 245 work orders and requests related to graffiti removal in 2025 according to the department. Mike Fisher, associate vice president of FM said staff encounters graffiti on a nearly daily basis. Removing it can require pressure washing, sanding, repainting or replacing the affected surface.

    When asked what was most commonly seen written around campus — whether it be political statements, people’s tags or gibberish. Fisher said, “It runs the gamut.” 

    Graffiti has been an issue for FM, but some students enjoy the extra color seen around school. Caden Tablada, a junior accounting major, sees a difference between graffiti and vandalism — even when it’s on campus though he rarely sees it around. 

    “Graffiti is definitely not vandalism. Vandalism is like actively trying to worsen something and not try to add any artistic value with your piece,” Tablada said. “Say if it’s on some blank wall, then that’s not vandalism. You know, that’s just adding a little bit more color to campus.”

    Robby Bennett, a senior theater arts major, grew up in San Francisco seeing a lot of graffiti and understands how graffiti as an art can go both ways.

    “I think all graffiti is vandalism,” Bennett said. “Obviously, some vandalism is crude and some is more artistic, but graffiti is definitely vandalism. Sometimes I see it and I think it’s a shame someone has to clean drawings of penises off the wall. Sometimes I see it and I think it’s nice art or a message.”

    When asked whether or not artists consider this relationship between FM and graffiti, Bennett was skeptical. 

    “Probably not or if they do they probably look at it with an us vs. them,” Bennett said. 

    He also described why vandalism could be an outlet for a lot of students, explaining its recurring practice.

    “I think a lot of people who do it just do it to break the conventions of society without being punished,” Bennett said. “Let out some steam.”

    The relationship with artists and FM will continue to be an uphill battle on campus. According to Fisher, FM views graffiti as vandalism regardless of what is written or drawn. The department would rather direct their energy towards issues that could better campus rather than addressing the writing on walls and stalls.

    “Our FM employees take a lot of pride in their work and pride in this University,” Fisher said in an email on Sept. 29. “Anytime vandalism occurs, it takes away from other positive things we could be doing.”

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

  • Women’s tie, Men’s heartbreaking loss

    Women’s tie, Men’s heartbreaking loss

    Sadie Shields

    Cal Poly Humboldt’s women’s soccer team fought hard against Cal Poly Pomana ending in a 0-0 draw Sunday morning, while the men’s team fell short to the Broncos 3-2 after giving up two goals in the final 11 minutes of the game at College Creek Field.

    Both games were part of the Senior Day Cal Poly Clash, with Humboldt having recognized Breauna Mello, Kylie Elliano, Edwin Monterrosa, Seth Uson, Elijah Espinoza and Robert Somerville who will be graduating at the end of this school year. 

    While the women’s game ended in a tie of 0-0, Ari Beddoes recorded six saves which kept the score the same throughout gameplay. Cal Poly Pomona applied pressure throughout the opening half, but Beddoes was able to stop all five shots aimed at the goal to keep the match scoreless. After the first half Humboldt put the pressure on Pomona having attempted seven shots in the second half to no avail. Lucy Al-Chokhachy, Hayden Anderson and Nicole Beauchemin each placed an attempt on the target, while the Lumberjacks were able to generate three corner kicks during the second half. 

    The Jacks’ defense remained steady even at the opposite end of the field. As Beddoes made her sixth save, she was able to complete her second shutout after keeping the score tied during the Cal State LA match on Friday. Pomona was able to finish with a 20-8 advantage in shots on the goal, with the Broncos only able to place six attempts on the goal compared to the three for Humboldt. This draw moved Humboldt Women’s soccer to 5-3-4 overall and 3-1-2 in CCAA play. 

    The men’s team fared worse on Sunday after losing a 2-1 lead late into the game. Pomona first scored in the first half with Hector Arellanes scoring to give the Broncos a 1-0 lead going into halftime. The Jacks’ responded quickly with Shota Lam scoring with 42  minutes left in the game to tie 1-1. The Lumberjacks then took the lead soon after when Ethan Gyenis scored off a bombastic assist from Luke Gomes. This allowed Humboldt to hold the lead 2-1 until the Broncos tied the game with 10 minutes left. The Jacks stayed unlucky when the Broncos scored again with 3 minutes remaining, earning a 3-2 win. Humboldt men’s soccer finished with nine shots, having put seven of those nine on target. Goalkeeper Edwin Monterrosa recorded five saves during the game. 

    Sadie is a reporter with an interest in covering and taking photos for sports and science. Reach her at sls331@humboldt.edu.

  • Bonded by uniforms

    Bonded by uniforms

    By Jacqueline Zuniga

    For Humboldt’s men’s soccer alumni, watching the current team brings back memories of muddy fields, long road trips and friendships that have lasted decades post-graduation. 

    David Hurley was part of Humboldt’s first recruiting class in 1974. During his time, players practiced on patchy fields, played on a small baseball diamond and traveled in personal cars or a 12-seater van. On away games, they sometimes stayed in people’s homes or slept on gym floors to save money. 

    “We had some really tough conditions,” Hurley said. “We really pretty much bonded with each other around it.”

    Today, the program has a turf field, locker rooms, quality uniforms, assistant coaches and hotel accommodations. Hurley said alumni are proud to see those changes. 

    “We’re just really happy that that’s occurred. It makes us feel fulfilled, you know, ’cause we were the foundation of that,” Hurley said.

    But better facilities have not made the competition easier — Humboldt still competes against schools with larger recruiting pools in large cities. It’s a struggle to get players out to Humboldt.

    Mark Wheatley, who played from 1977 to 1981, has watched the program’s skill level and facilities develop. He said the skill level of soccer has grown across the board. Noting that players have spent years honing their game. 

    “You can tell these are guys that have been doing nothing but soccer their whole lives,” Wheatley said.

    Though some people think Humboldt’s team doesn’t have the best record, Chuck Huntington sees it differently.

    “A lot of folks focus on, you know, what the record is, but it’s really not about that. It’s about the different things that you accomplish as a team, whether or not it’s a lot of wins or a few wins or whatever,” Huntington said.

    For Huntington, the connections created through the program when he first got here were what helped him adjust to being away from home for the first time. 

    “You get a lot more out of the sport than just winning games,” Huntington said.

    That sense of connection continues through the Bob Kelly Award, named after the first men’s soccer coach, created by alumni to recognize a player for academics, character and commitment to the program. “[we wanted the award] to sort of connect the alumni a little more strongly with the current players, and then to acknowledge sort of the program’s history, that emphasized a lot more than just wins and losses.” Huntington said, “team spirit, grit, academics, Bob Kelly, who was our coach… emphasized the academics a lot more than he emphasized the soccer”

     Lyle Wilks knows what it means to be a player and athlete. He played at Humboldt in the late 70s before returning to the program years later as an assistant coach, where he spent 28 years around generations of players and won Humboldt’s only championship in 1994.

    For the alumni, the program’s ultimate success is measured beyond the field.

    “We still get together…,” Hurley said. “There’s a bond that exists between guys who put this uniform on.”

    Jacqueline is the super duper cool sports editor, social media manager for LJ and news manager for KRFH.

  • Miranda’s rescue suspended again, questions still unanswered

    Miranda’s rescue suspended again, questions still unanswered

    By Jacqueline Zuniga

    Angry protesters stood outside the Humboldt County Courthouse Oct. 3 following last week’s action, calling for Humboldt County officials to remove remaining animals from Miranda’s Rescue. Founder Shannon Miranda posted a statement on his website on Oct. 2, stating that the rescue was temporarily closed while it updates its operating permits. 

    The conditional use permit and coastal development permit were suspended on Oct. 1 because the rescue failed to meet the terms of a compliance agreement with Planning and Building. A county letter from Planning and Building quoted by the Lost Coast Outpost said that Miranda failed to submit the grading permit required to deposit enough dirt to raise dog kennels at least a foot above flood elevations. The letter offered county assistance with relocating the remaining animals. 

    Marianna Mullins, a protestor at the courthouse and an independent Sacramento animal rescuer, has been raising concerns since May 2013. She first went to social media to voice her concerns. She later hired a private investigator and they both interviewed witnesses in 2013 and 2014. They alleged that dogs were being shot and buried under the radar. She acknowledged that the investigation lacked physical evidence at the time.

    “I told Shannon in 2013 that it didn’t matter how long it took, the truth would come to light,” Mullins said. “Now it’s here, but at what cost? How many lives were lost? How many people are devastated? And how broken is the community?”

    Mullins continued documenting her concerns through a Facebook page established in Jan. 2014 called Truth Behind the Lies Miranda’s Rescue 2013. She said she received a cease-and-desist letter that year.

    “I wasn’t believed,” Mullins said. “The community was convinced that I was vindictive and that I was a liar.”

    Mullins said stories were written about her by the Lost Coast Outpost that said she was running a “smear campaign,” but 12 years later those stories have been corrected and the publication has apologized. More recent discoveries of mass dog graves appeared to support concerns she could not prove in 2013.

    Hilary Mosher, a protester at the courthouse said she was advocating for the animals and families who couldn’t be there.

    “We want Shannon Miranda stopped, we want him to lose his 501(c)(3) nonprofit status, because he’s in violation of his mission,” Mosher said. “This mission, according to the Attorney General’s Office of charitable organizations, is to have a no-kill shelter where animals are adopted, and he is doing almost the opposite of that.” 

    A 501(c)(3) organization is a U.S. nonprofit organization that is recognized by the IRS to be federally tax-exempt and eligible to receive tax-deductible charitable contributions. 

    Rick Kircher, another protester at the courthouse, stated that in 2003 a conditional use permit was written for the shelter and contained eight requirements — five of which remained incomplete in 2026. For the last 23 years, the shelter had been operating in noncompliance according to the Eureka Times Standard. 

    “The sheriff’s department is in charge of the cruelty complaints,” Kircher said. “So this has been an ongoing issue, and they’ve just been kicking the can down the road. Nobody’s addressing it.” 

     Mullins described reports of dogs found with visible bullet wounds and blood coming from their ears. Some graves were also left uncovered due to the state of decomposition the animals were in. This left her in shock.

    “What really caught me when I read this, and I also heard it in the press release, is that they are in the final resting place. They’re not,” Mullins said.“This is not the resting place. This is a mass grave.”

    Jacqueline is the super duper cool sports editor, social media manger for LJ and news manager for KRFH.

  • Flying is not fun

    Flying is not fun

    By Jacqueline Zuniga

    I left the Arcata-Eureka Airport, in Mckinleyville, at 6:30 p.m. — it was the easiest flight I had. Arriving at the San Francisco International Airport, I spent nearly $50 on food because I was not going to starve. That was the first sign of how poorly my trip was going to go. I sat near my gate laughing out loud at reels, not knowing it would be the last time I laughed until I reached my family days later.

    Getting on my flight, the lady next to me decided it was annual Piss Off Jackyday. She took forever removing everything from her bag when boarding and woke me up five times going to use the restroom during our four-hour flight. 

    My connecting flight had a two-hour layover in Chicago O’Hare. It was 5 a.m. and the airport was packed, so I documented my experience on my close friend’s story about how many people there were during that time. As a college student, I care what I spend money on, so when I treated myself to a coffee that damn near drained my bank account I wasn’t expecting it to make my already awful morning worse with the worst coffee ever. On the bright side, it’s like United Airlines knew my experience with them was going bad – no one was assigned to sit next to me. I was able to finally read and relax. After more than 12 hours of traveling, I finally landed on the other side of the country, where an hour-and-a-half commute waited for me. After all that, I arrived at my aunt’s house at 1 p.m., saw my mom and ate real food.

    After a chill family reunion, I woke up at 4 a.m. to relive the nightmare one last time. After briefly believing my flight was double booked, the flight attendants solved my issue. Sadly. The problem didn’t end there. I got seated next to a man who used his huge leather jacket as a blanket, which spilled into my seat taking over my armrest. I felt like a sardine in a can, making me uncomfortable the whole flight. 

    On my last United Airlines flight the app confused me, saying I had 54 minutes to get to my gate. Unfortunately, that was actually the time it was going to take me to arrive at my gate — my next flight was boarding in 14 minutes. I had to get from A23 to B58, so I took the airport train and walked what felt like miles to board my flight. 

    Everyone on that flight decided to talk to the person next to them. No shade to them, but the people in front of me were yelling and laughing, which pissed me off. Why are we being so loud on a flight? Have we forgotten airplane etiquette? Two hours of chatter and laughter at an absurd noise level was not fun. Their joy of making absurd plans at such a loud level made me miserable. 

    May we not forget: not everyone wants to hear your loud conversations. If you need to get up 15 times during a flight, buy an aisle seat. And United, as a broke college student, I don’t want to pay an extra $60 not to sit in the middle. What was supposed to be a relaxing journey through the clouds became a red-eye flight straight from hell. 

    Jacqueline is the super duper cool sports editor,social media manger for LJ and news manager for KRFH.

  •  Show Me the Body bring heavy music with a heavy message

     Show Me the Body bring heavy music with a heavy message

    By Will Bishop

    The campus lit up the fog overhead like a soft orange signal pulsing in a hazy gray. A lighthouse drawing in 16 new bodies from all across the world. From Montréal to Bangkok, four bands hailing from the furthest reaches of the world had found themselves here. Show Me the Body’s national tour was well underway when they decided to add one more date, Sept. 29, Kate Buchanan Room, Cal Poly Humboldt. 

    The crowd was thin amid the opening set from Canadian band Truck Violence. Still, they spared no quarter, filling the negative space with a maelstrom of negative-minded post-hardcore sludge that fits rather neatly into the incredible and actually real genre descriptor “pigfuck.” A lone jersey-clad mosher carried the anemic audience — windmilling and donkey kicking with energy and ferocity equivalent to around 40 people.

    Following a brisk 20-minute set, Brooklyn-based digital hardcore outfit Lip Critic took the stage and proceeded to stomp it into the ground with a pummeling synth-driven performance. The most gonzo and colorful of the night’s performers, the quartet executed sample-driven synth-freakout mayhem on the back of a dual drummer percussion section. At one point frontman Bret Kaser strode out into the crowd, bisected it with a mic cord, then proceeded to swing the cord like a jumprope — audience members gleefully accepted the challenge.

    Now, if you were starting to tire of all of the “post” and “digital” prefixes being assigned to your beloved hardcore, if you just wanted that straight-ahead no-caveats hardcore, Bangkok-based outfit Whispers was the band for you. It was certainly the band for our beloved Jersey Guy, who was throwing roundhouse kicks like he was fighting for his life in a Bruce Lee movie. A rather one-to-one vibe match for the large projection of kickboxing matches which backdropped the group. The crowd reached a fever pitch during this set, swelling and metastasizing into a grotesque mosh hivemind. In the words of lead singer Nitisart “Mike” Chaiburi, “This is a hardcore show who gives a fuck!”

    Headliner Show Me the Body took the stage, met with rapturous applause and the aroma of countless very sweaty people. Frontman Julian Cashwan Pratt tore through the set with minimal banter, electing instead to focus on the screaming and the rapping and the distorted banjo playing. His intensity grew as the sheen of sweat on his face accumulated, stepping away from the mic and hulking around the stage like a glistening bald ape. Crowd members near the front sang along to nearly every word — barking out “Radical left, it compels me to fight!” on the bruising “Eat For Peace,” then chanting along to the mesmerizing alienation anthem “Arcanum.” This full-throated devotion proved that the band had indeed made the correct choice in making a little pit stop on the long road from Seattle to San Francisco.

    Kaser, in a post-show interview, reminisced on the nostalgic qualities of playing college shows — Lip Critic having formed in 2018 during their time at the State University of New York at Purchase.

    “I love playing colleges still because it’s like — it feels a little bit back to our DIYish roots where we used to just pull up to house shows, blow the PA and leave,” Kaser said. “So, as close as I can get to that. It’s always got some sentimental value.”

    Kaser went on to espouse the importance of unity through music.

    “Live music is all about being surrounded by a group of people that you feel like you identify with and you feel safe around and supported by,” Kaser said. “That’s kind of what we aim to do is like, have a space for catharsis and celebration. A place where we can kind of all unify against some real nasty bullshit that’s going on outside of the music venues where we have fun.”

    Towards the end of Show Me the Body’s set, Pratt delivered something of a retroactive thesis statement for all that came before. Summarizing the night’s blistering atmosphere with one simple phrase.

    “It’s all love.”

    Bio: Will Bishop is a reporter and copy editor. He can be reached at wmb84@humboldt.edu or via dynamic encounter in the wild.

  • Porch Fest

    Porch Fest

    By Barley Lewis-McCabe


    Atop one of Sunny Brae’s highest slopes, on a grassy porch encircled with rocks, duo Trinket and ,Kween — accompanied by some of their musician friends — serenaded a crowd of people standing or dancing, elbow to occasionally swinging elbow, on the curve of the road. They sang authentically, they were able to encapsulate the Humboldt young adult experience in all its strange ways — good times and bad times existing all at once. A crowd of strangers became friends amidst a shared catharsis. It was folk punk.

    Porchfest is an annual free music festival, taking place on Oct. 4 this year, where Sunny Brae’s residents with the nicest porches invite musicians to play on their front steps. 75 bands ranging from funk, punk, Indonesian percussion, fog rock and even acoustic niche-hypothesis world music — a term coined by the band ANH (acoustic niche-hypothesis). In the interactive musical museum that was Porchfest, folk music was particularly popular. 

    “Being able to like, be there and speak and share what I’m feeling is just so powerful for myself and for the people around,” Trinket said. “That’s the appeal of folk music and why it’s branched out to like so many different genres, because it still retains that freedom of expression and freedom of emotion while also being able to like, go down these different paths of music. That’s something I really love about Porch Fest.” 

    Folk is, of course, an incredibly wide-ranging genre. It’s earnest and heartfelt, it’s occasionally electric, it’s Americana. Emmett Bonds, a forestry master’s student, sees it in this very same intersecting sort of way.

    “There’s something about folk music that is just very representative of the sort of American experience and the sort of melancholy homegrown aspect of it,” Bonds said. “It’s sort of romantic. It’s sort of depressing. There’s something there.”

    Lilli Willows, senior psychology major, guitarist and lead singer for performing band Half Wing, described their music as “Dream Folk,” something exemplified by the band’s carefully structured soundscape. Slow and otherworldly guitar licks played alongside a soft and drawn out fiddle, underscored by a steady and low-key rhythm section — perfect theme music for a space cowboy riding a weird horse on the billowing plains of Alpha-Colorado. 

    There were few desires that couldn’t be fulfilled by the neighborhood hosts. If you wanted lemonade or some baked goods there was a kid waiting to sell it to you, it wasn’t much harder to find an ice chest offering beers or a soda. At any show people would greet their neighbors like long lost family, embracing each other in their arms and sharing in the music.

     Willows believes folk music is particularly popular in Arcata since it ties into a culture of respect for our community, saying it, “tickles our values.”

    “I think behind folk is this feeling of community, this togetherness that you don’t find in other music. It’s more accessible…” Willows said. “A lot of different music fits into that genre. I’m going to say, folk music is almost like storytelling music. It touches into a deeper tradition of music where music isn’t like a commodity, but [freely] shared,”

    Trinket felt right at home playing on someone else’s porch, saying that the beauty of Porchfest was in its similarity to the most popular folk music stage in America, the street corner.

    “I really like busking. I really like setting up on a street corner and playing. Porchfest is kind of like that, right?” Trinket said.
“There are some people who live here — who are awesome people — who’re like, ‘Hey, do you guys want to just like, play at our house?”

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

  • Women’s Resource Center and Pelican Bay students discuss preventing sexual violence 

    By Marielle Winuk

    Cal Poly Humboldt students at Pelican Bay State Prison met Oct. 1 on Zoom to discuss sexualized violence prevention and how to build a culture that supports survivors. The conversation stemmed from an end sexualized violence course taken by the students at Pelican Bay.

    A lot of students at CPH and Pelican Bay struggled to find the space to talk about sexualized violence and patriarchal narratives growing up, they agreed there is a growing need for these conversations.

    Women’s Resource Center Program Director Namixtulu Esteva discussed how a lot of students have reached out, feeling unsafe in need of spaces to have conversations about sexualized violence.

    A central theme in their discussion was that supporting survivors requires patience and solidarity. The Title IX process can feel daunting and overwhelming for survivors to navigate. Being survivor-centered means listening and offering resources, without pressuring someone to seek help before they are ready. 

    “It’s really just about how the person feels and how they’re willing to accept your help or not,” Esteva said. ”It’s so easy for society to try to justify action because it’s so instilled and engraved in the way that we operate as people.”

    The discussion turned to the ways everyday language and media can normalize objectification of women. While taking the course at Pelican Bay, one of the students talked about the prison culture norm of decorating your room with photos of women. They said that it reflected women as a commodity and objectified them. His seven-year-old daughter called him on FaceTime and asked him if this is what he thinks of women. This opened the conversation between him and his roommate to rethink their day-to-day actions.

    Participants acknowledged that calling out harmful behavior can be uncomfortable, but staying silent can contribute to a harmful cycle. While taking the course, students analyzed their methods of communication and language surrounding how they talk about women. Recognizing misogyny in music, movies and conversations they have with others can help deconstruct previous misogynistic ideas. 

    The conversation highlighted how masculine stereotypes play a role in sexualized violence. Hegemonic masculinity describes cultural ideals that associate manhood with dominance, control and emotional toughness. Those expectations can make vulnerability seem like weakness, discouraging men from talking openly about sex, harm, or their own behavior. When difficult topics are treated as taboo, it can be harder for people to recognize harmful conduct, support someone who discloses an experience, or take responsibility for their actions. 

    “We need to be holding these spaces for students to be able to just like, unapologetically… show up there and not have to feel shame for having these conversations,” Esteva said. 

    All of this is addressed in the annual Take Back the Night event held in April. Take Back the Night is an international event about unity and making space for survivors. The movement started in the 1970s with local rallies and marches from feminist activists who felt unsafe in public spaces at night. 

    “It not only addresses sexualized violence, but it addresses partner violence, different subtopics of sexualized violence, like domestic violence and gendered violence,” Esteva said.  

    It takes an entire community to help change the culture around sexualized violence. Holding spaces for people to talk about their experiences and learn from others is needed now more than ever.

    Marielle is the layout editor with an interest in sports and elections. Contact her at mmw146@humboldt.edu.

  • Medieval Fest: Courage and Community

    Medieval Fest: Courage and Community

    By Tara Linderborg-Cordry

    Medieval Festival of Courage brings students, locals and artists alike to travel back to the Medieval Ages. Oct. 2nd and 3rd, 2026 marked the 24th year that the event brought community members together to celebrate art, food, culture and of course, courage. The festival is organized by the Coastal Grove Charter School Parent Organization to raise money for Coastal Grove and other Humboldt County schools. There was something for everyone, from children’s games or a boffer pitt, to revelry and a bar for the adults. 

    Many attendees took the opportunity to show off their best medieval garb — dressing as their favorite medieval and fantastical characters. Dressed in their own costume of a brocaded vest and headpiece, Phoebe Hughes appreciated the creativity and work involved in creating a good costume.

    “I love seeing the creative way people take their own personal spin on what medieval means,” Hughes said. “It says, arguably, more about the person than anything that they could tell you.” 

    A diverse craft market featured vendors coming from all over Humboldt County to showcase their work. An assortment of on-theme goods and foodstuffs were available for browsing or buying. Medieval costume pieces like handmade corsets or prop swords could be found, for people to add on to their costumes or buy one on the fly. Vendors were in on the fun as well, with many choosing to decorate their booths to further the immersive experience. Attendee Elise Edell, who donned a fifth century style gown, found that the vendors helped to bring the event to life. 

    “I love the roleplay aspects,” Edell said. “Especially the vendors will get really into it, which is really cute.”

    Local dance groups, puppet shows, musical performances and many more acts, brought the festival to another level. Music act Celtica Nova drew a large crowd, including a separate crowd of people dancing arm in arm near the front of the stage. Bagpipes and electric guitar joined to create a unique blend of celtic music and classic rock.

     Later in the day, aerial silks artists displayed impressive acrobatics and shows of strength throughout their performances — including drops and torpedo-like spins. The performers had costumes of their own, featuring sparkly makeup and patterned leotards.

    Drawing the biggest crowd overall was a full contact jousting group.  the Imperial Knights. People filed in, eager to cheer for their knights, as two fully armored men and their equally impressive horses rode into the arena. Both sides of the crowd became increasingly riled up as the Knights began their full contact jousting show. The two mounted riders charged at each other, javelins in hand as they attempted to hit the other’s shield plate. 

     The joust came to a conclusion when both knights dismounted their steeds and engaged in a full-force mock sword fight. A mock decapitation from Sir Russell brought Sir Kaiser to his knees and the sword fight to an end. Sir Russell emerged victorious as the crowd greeted their champion.

    Tara Linderborg-Cordry is a Journalism student and reporter with the Lumberjack. She is a Humboldt local, and is pursuing a career in Public relations. When she’s not writing, she’s usually at the beach with her dog, Murphy.

  • Margins in Red at Reese Bullen Gallery

    Margins in Red at Reese Bullen Gallery

    by Winter Music

    At the Reese Bullen Gallery, you can see Margins in Red, an art exhibit by acclaimed artist Kirk Maynard. Maynard’s work has been shown at universities such as Princeton University and Queens College, as well as museums like The Newark Museum of Art, Montclair Art Museum and the Springfield Museum of Art. Until Oct. 18, Maynard’s work is being displayed right here at Cal Poly Humboldt.

    Margins in Red combines two series —Periphery, created mostly with oil pastels — and Red — featuring mixed media with photography, sculpture and collage elements. While both are visually distinct, the exhibit mingles them in a way that allows viewers to appreciate each piece while also seeing the connecting themes between each piece and series.

    Periphery focuses on themes of identity and mental health. The use of oil pastels and lighting reflects emotional vulnerability and internal conflict that can be brought on by experiencing racism.

    Red has imagery directly pertaining to systemic racism — most notably redlining. Redlining is the discriminatory practice of only allowing African Americans to live in specific communities with few financial services available. This has led to communities of minorities living in areas with underfunded schools, unavailable hospitals and little to no infrastructure maintenance. The series features photos shaded red, sculptures of communities divided by red paint and collages. 

    The gallery’s reading area included The legacy of structural racism: Associations between historic redlining, current mortgage lending, and health, a scientific article published by Elsevier detailing the health effects of those forced to grow up in historically redlined districts. It also included the Humboldt Geographic article California’s Former Sundown Towns Face Up to Racist Legacies by Michael Christmas, which explains some of the historical and contemporary racism in Humboldt County.

    Winter Music is a junior English major and copy editor for the Lumberjack. You can reach her at wlm38@humboldt.edu.

  • It’s Time to Turn Off the Big Light

    It’s Time to Turn Off the Big Light

    By Tara Linderborg-Cordry

    Classrooms, the doctor’s office, even the campus library, all have one thing in common: blinding, fluorescent overhead lighting. These lights — often referred to as the big light — are a common intergenerational conflict. At least some of us have memories of being disappointed as kids when the lights came back on after quiet time. The question is, what makes these lights such an assault on the eyes?

    Light directly affects our internal clock. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that light is the strongest environmental signal for our circadian rhythm. Artificial lights can disrupt this cycle, causing fatigue and lack of sleep. For many, bright lighting can also cause physical discomfort and headaches. More lighting doesn’t necessarily mean better lighting; multiple studies have found that fluorescent lighting can lead to eye strain, decreased attention and in some cases even lower test scores.

    These huge overhead lights are used as if everybody has the same needs, but we all have different sensitivities. Smaller and softer individual lights let people control their personal workspace, making people feel more comfortable and productive. Preventing sensory overload also helps to make spaces more accessible for those with light sensitivities. 

    Big lights also make a space feel too harsh; softer lighting is more inviting when entering a new space. Places of business often use fluorescent light to increase visibility, but businesses with ambient light feel welcoming, people want to shop where they feel welcomed.

    Natural light should be used more often; opening windows and doors can help to air out a room, but can also reduce the need for overhead lighting. This, of course, reduces unnecessary electricity use. With gas and electricity prices climbing higher, limiting your use of lights could dramatically reduce your monthly electricity costs. Rooms can be well lit without blasting white light into every corner. 

    Schools are a great example of this; students will spend hours under fluorescent lighting, with no way to control their environment. Imagine how much more comfortable your classrooms would be with flexible lighting.

    As a culture, we rely too much on overhead lighting, even though we have much more sustainable and comfortable lighting options. It’s time to switch to better, more efficient lighting. 

    Tara Linderborg-Cordry is a Journalism student and reporter with the Lumberjack. She is a Humboldt local and is pursuing a career in Public relations. When she’s not writing, she’s usually at the beach with her dog, Murphy.

  • Miranda’s Rescue reopening shocks community

    Miranda’s Rescue reopening shocks community

    Bodhi Haugen

    Frustrated community members protested on Sept. 28 at the Humboldt County Courthouse to raise awareness about Miranda’s Rescue resuming operations after its permit suspension was lifted by the Humboldt County Planning and Building Department. 

    Jenna Moore monitored trail cameras on Shannon Miranda’s – founder of Miranda’s Rescue – property prior to the investigation; she noticed that every five to 10 days giant holes alongside mounds of dirt were being tampered with. Moore was notified on her phone on April 26 with footage showing Miranda on the property.

    “It was the video that you’ve probably seen — the one of him driving the tractor dumping the dogs — and because I had gone to the sheriff’s department before that and they didn’t do anything, we knew we had to go in,” Moore said. “So when I saw that video, obviously I lost my cookies, very emotional of course, and I called Jennifer, and I just said we’re going in tonight, we’re gonna dig, and we met right before dark and did what we needed to do.”

    Jennifer Raymond is an animal rights activist and owner of the neighboring property to Miranda’s rescue. Moore touched on how her protest was less about rushing the investigation and more about her frustration with the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office’s lack of communication.

    “It angers the community that we are getting nothing,” Moore said. 

    The rescue is again accepting animals and has resumed adoptions. As part of the agreement that allowed the permit to be reinstated, Miranda’s Rescue agreed to stop using the illegal expansion of the northern parcel on its property where animals were killed and remove the building from the premises. The rescue said it will also no longer operate a veterinary or euthanasia facility.

    Samantha Smith, a senior political science major adopted a dog from Miranda’s Rescue named Ted in 2024 and reminds everyone what adoption means to her after hearing about the dead dogs at the rescue.

    “Ted, for us, after hearing all these stories, he’s not just a rescue, but he was saved too,” Smith said. “And I think that that’s really important to keep in mind that when you’re adopting an animal, you could be saving them from potentially horrific situations such as this.”

    Protesters call on other counties to stop sending animals to the rescue, advocate for transparent communication with the Sheriff’s office, bring justice to Miranda and shut the rescue down for good. This permit reinstatement has fueled criticism from community members who remain concerned about the multiple violations previously cited against the rescue. This has not been the first protest at the courthouse since the initial investigation. 

    In an official statement on the Miranda’s Rescue website posted in June, Miranda claims the business’s morals have always been followed despite media coverage and online commentary.

    “Miranda’s Rescue is a no-kill rescue,” Miranda said. “We do not euthanize animals simply to make space. However, as we state on our website, there are rare circumstances in which euthanasia may be necessary — when an animal is suffering from a terminal condition or when it poses a serious, ongoing danger to people or other animals. In those situations, we make the most humane and responsible decision we can, always with public safety and animal welfare in mind.”

    Ashley Elwell, who worked at Miranda’s Rescue in 2012, described Miranda’s unethical behavior and frustration amongst animal lovers.

    “Justice needs to be served, and his acts were fraudulent,” Elwell said. “I’m from Fortuna, and it’s a bad representation that justice is not being served because we are an animal community, and the way he went about doing things was out of greed.”

    As of Sept. 29, Miranda’s Rescue will remain open. Miranda has no charges against him at this time. There will be another protest held at the Humboldt County Courthouse on Saturday Oct. 3 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

    Dan Close, a protester and Humboldt County resident, talked about his frustration with the lack of punishment Miranda received and the shock behind a permit reissue.

    “I don’t know what it takes to rise to a felony and get charged, but it’s shocking to see them reissue a permit for operating a facility,” Close said. “It’s hard to deny the evidence, and doing this to a couple of dogs is enough to get you shut down. It’s kind of amazing that it has to be hundreds, not even to get you shut down.”

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