The Lumberjack



Students Serving The Cal Poly Humboldt Campus and Community Since 1929

Tag: Students

  • Students are still struggling with homelessness

    Students are still struggling with homelessness

    Under the Bridge Awareness Benefit event raises money for SHAA, new book to be published on student homelessness

    The benefits of attending a four year university attract more than 484,000 students to enroll in the CSU system, yet more than 50,000 of them have experienced homelessness in the last year.

    Eleven percent of CSU students have gone to school without having a roof over their head. This finding was part of a research study for “Addressing Homelessness and Housing Insecurity in Higher Education,” a book set to publish in June.

    The book is authored by Assistant Professor of social work at CSU Long Beach, Rashida Crutchfield and Associate Professor of social work at Humboldt State University Jen McGuire.

    They also found that roughly 400,000 students enrolled in the California community college system have experienced homelessness in 2019, and nearly 20% of students at HSU reported being housing insecure at least once in the last year.

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    Community members bid on art donated by HSU students and local artists during the silent art auction at the Under the Bridge Awareness Benefit. All proceeds went to SHAA. | Photo by T.William Wallin

    One group helping to reduce these numbers and offer resources for students at HSU is Student Housing Advocate Alliance (SHAA), who has worked closely with McGuire since the group was founded three years ago.

    The purpose of SHAA is to advocate for the rights of homeless students, locate resources to assist students, engage in activism to help push this issue to the forefront and engage the larger community in the struggle to end homelessness.

    Because of the work they do, recreation administration senior Ines Aguilar co-coordinated the Under the Bridge Awareness Benefit event at the Humboldt Bay Social Club to raise money and spread information about SHAA. The event was her senior project and she said her and her event partner felt SHAA’s cause was the best to address.

    “I was homeless with some friends for a while,” Aguilar said. “We found housing eventually but it was scary. You think, ‘I’m a student paying tuition, how can I be homeless?’ I didn’t know what I was going to do or how I was going to go to school.”

    Aguilar said she didn’t know there were resources like SHAA on campus, and more students need to know what they offer. Aguilar would like to get involved with a similar non-profit organization once she graduates and said the goal is to be able to give back to community.

    “We have a large percentage of homeless students dealing with housing insecurity,” Aguilar said. “(SHAA) helps with housing, food and just basic needs getting met.”

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    Art was donated by local artists and HSU students. | Photo by T.William Wallin

    SHAA staff member Daniela Prada also experienced homelessness while working on her senior project at HSU and said it encouraged her to get involved with SHAA. Prada’s project was about policy processes of homelessness and while conducting research she met other students who were navigating school without a home.

    “I wanted to make it a personal project,” Prada said. “We started talking with community members who were experiencing similar experiences. There were a lot of students going through the same thing but not voicing it.”

    Prada has been with SHAA since its beginning. She first worked as a secretary and then started working towards policy changes. She is currently an apprentice for a local law firm that she said is involved with family and juvenile criminal law, which intertwines with housing issues.

    “There is a plan for us to look into complaints with tenants and landlords so we can know the platforms people go through in Humboldt county,” Prada said. “We are in a fucked up system when people are living on the streets and we are one of the wealthiest nations.”

    SHAA Co-founder Michael Barnes agrees with Prada. Even with money in their savings and good credit, Barnes and his partner had trouble securing a spot to live when he transferred to HSU. It took them three months to find a rental.

    Barnes said HSU was falling short of helping students secure housing and one of the goals for SHAA was to get HSU to partially take responsibility for the state of the current housing issue.

    “They eventually took some responsibility, they should take more but it was a start,” Barnes said. “We felt validated, like all this effort was for something.”

    Barnes said that other CSU campuses are looking to SHAA so they can improve their own campuses and help their students. A point-in-contact position was created last year for the first time, not only at HSU but for the entire CSU System. Co-founder of SHAA, Chante Catt, filled that position as off-campus housing liaison.

    Barnes said they collaborate with other CSU campuses who don’t have a point-in-contact position and advocate for them. Barnes said in other states like Washington this position is carried out by professors who have rapport with students.

    “It’s someone students can rely on and have an ear to the ground about what’s happening with housing opportunity in the community,” Barnes said. “The person of contact has the info but also the empathy of being able to relate with the experience of the student.”

  • They mean business

    They mean business

    Two former Humboldt State students run their own companies

    Over the past year, two former Humboldt State University students Oscar Perez and Tex Keith created and manage their own Humboldt County based companies at the ages of just 23 and 21.

    Perez and Keith started off as football players for the HSU Lumberjacks but then decided earlier in the year to take a break from enrolling in classes in order to pursue their careers. Though both men’s companies are vastly different, they both enjoyed the idea of being their own boss.

    “Seeing the way my old boss ran his shop looked really fun, but I’ve never liked authority,” Perez said.

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    Oscar Perez, owner of The Speakeasy Hair Lounge on K street in Arcata gives client a haircut on Nov. 29. Photo by Amanda Schultz

    Since freshman year of high school, Perez had always had a passion for cutting hair as a barber. He knew he wanted to one day open his own barber shop. It wasn’t until just a couple of months ago when Perez spontaneously decided to take a chance as he found a storefront available in a popular location in the middle of Arcata on K street. A month and a half later, The Speakeasy Hair Lounge opened up on Oct. 2.

    “I’ve always dreamed of opening my own shop,” Perez said. “The opportunity came up quick. I saw the shop and just ran with it.”

    As CEO of Inertial Media, Keith also manages a corporation within Humboldt. This business maven and marketing agency provides expert consulting, brand strategy, and social media management to help their clients. As Inertial Media grew larger Keith became more successful. Keith was awarded top 10 entrepreneurs and had his company featured in Entrepreneur Magazine.

    “I’m using this as momentum to keep on growing and helping out other people,” Keith said.

    As a college athlete, Keith had hopes of starting a career in the NFL. It wasn’t until after buying two laptops with extra financial aid money and discovering digital marketing did he make the decision to commit most of his time toward business.

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    Former HSU student Tex Keith is the new CEO of Inertial Media. Photo courtesy by Tex Keith

    As Keith learned more about marketing, he was sought out by one of the most successful self-made entrepreneurs in America, Tai Lopez.Keith continued to learn and grow in Lopez’s program which ultimately landed him a spot in Tai Lopez’s Exclusive 300 Group which consists of his best students. Keith is also planning to teach in one of Lopez’s upcoming courses.

    “Going from seeing his YouTube videos in 2015, to being in them is pretty cool,” Keith said.

    Keith has strengthened his team at Inertial Media by hiring other young like-minded marketers and brokers to keep things running smoothly. Perez also hired like minded barbers with similar hair cutting styles.

    “I have a barber from Florida, Central California, and Riverside,”Perez said. “I never actually met any of them. I hired them through Instagram and gave them my pitch.”

    Efrain Rosario is one of The Speakeasy’s barbers. Perez first saw Rosario’s barber skills as he posted pictures of his work on social media. After a few conversations, Rosario was convinced to stay in Humboldt County for a fresh start in the industry after moving from Florida.

    “My experience working here so far has been pretty fruitful,” Rosario said.

    Both companies have plans to expand and further their business along in the future. Perez and Keith have put in countless hours and given up many nights of sleep to get these companies to where they are today. The grit and determination of these two men have started to inspire others to also follow their dreams of starting up a business.

    “Don’t hesitate,” Perez said. “Ride with the momentum and just go for it.”

  • The Educated Landlord and Tenant Program has been brought to the table

    The Educated Landlord and Tenant Program has been brought to the table

    Tenants, landlords and community members were invited to discuss the development of the ELT Program during town hall meeting

    A study done by the CSU office of the chancellor found that one in five Humboldt State students reported being without housing one or more times last year.

    Humboldt State’s off-campus housing coordinator, Chant’e Catt hosted a meeting on Nov. 30 in the Great Hall on campus to discuss this major concern of housing and other potential issues that lay ahead for student renters and landlords in Humboldt County.

    “We’re looking to get feedback and create connections in the community,” Catt said.

    Catt has been collecting data since Aug. to develop a program called the Tenant and Landlord Education Program. This program is centered around educating local landlords and student tenants. Catt’s goal is to raise awareness about equitable practices and cohesion between the two sides.

    “We want to create open communication and bridge the gap between the community and campus,” Catt said.

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    A frustrated community member goes on about privatization in housing while event organizers Ashley Bradshaw and Chant’e Catt listen in the back. Photo by Sean Bendon

    Sasheen Raymond, a support administrator in the social work department on campus, explained the need for good communication between tenants and landlords. Raymond also called attention to the issue of finances in some cases.

    “The goal is coming to some sort of agreement between students and landlords,” Raymond said. “ We want to know where the middle ground is for both sides.”

    Raymond and Catt have been working to create a donor supported stipend that could be applied to student housing deposits in the future. This could help create a better system for student housing and alleviate some of the pressures students face when looking to find off campus housing.

    Humboldt State’s associate director of housing, Todd Larsen supports the idea of the program.

    “They’re trying to create a better future for the students,” Larsen said.

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    Ashley Bradshaw listens as a community member voices their concerns at the landlord and tenant town hall meeting held in the Great Hall. Photo by Sean Bendon

    Catt and her associates have been working to reach out to students about their concerns by emailing well over a 1000 students and holding open meetings in the UC Quad. Students and landlords alike have come forward to express their fears in hopes of finding a balance.

    “Today’s meeting was a synthesis of all the concerns students and landlords presented us with,” Catt said. “We asked them what they didn’t like and now we’re working on it.”

     

  • Homelessness awareness

    Homelessness awareness

    By | Juan Herrera

    Being homeless is a spot where not many people would like to be but if the situation appears you always need to be prepared.

    The Homeless Student Advocate Alliance (H.S.A.A), a club at Humboldt State, put on a three day event to inform, share and educate the students and community about the severity of homelessness in Humboldt County.

    Chant’e Catt, president of the club, said for this being their first annual three day event it was educational and they got their message across.

    “Our main purpose of the event is to let other homeless students know they’re not alone,” Catt said. “And I believe we achieved a majority of that.”

    Catt said the first day of the event was more personal for others by students and members of the community sharing their own stories of past and present times of homelessness in their life. Catt herself even spoke about her own times being homeless when she and her family first moved to Humboldt County.

    “I first hand know the struggles of moving from place to place,” Catt said.” For my first 14 weeks in Humboldt County I was constantly trying to find a secure place for me and my two children.”

    Catt said majority of the students that are homeless at HSU are not because they do not have the money. but purely because the lack of housing Humboldt State and the County provides.

    Daniela Parada, another member of the club, said the second night of the event was the most eye-opening night. The night went into the meaning of what being “homeless” actually is.

    “We wanted to talk about the stigma and labeling that gets put on the homeless community,” Parada said. “Most people assume that anybody who is homeless is dirty, smelly and just plain ole gross.”

    Parada said most of the time that is hardly ever the case. According to her, a person who goes from couch to couch but still showers daily, dresses nice, etc., is still considered homeless. Would you still call that person smelly and gross?

    Parada said the last night of the event was the most hands-on activities they put on. They showed students and members of the community how to put together and take down a tent and also how to start a fire almost anywhere.

    “Personally this was the most educational night for people who attended our event,” Parada said. “Even though we could not start a real fire, people definitely got the hang of how to start one.”

    Arri Sanders, a senior at HSU, said how the event was personal and a huge eye-opener for her.

    “I remember when one of my best friends was going through a similar situation,” Sanders said. “I honestly did’t realize some of the embarrassments or things homeless people had to go through until hearing it first hand.”

    Sanders said even though her friend wasn’t nearly in as bad as a spot as some she still realized part of what she went through. Sanders said now looking back at it she wishes she would have tried to offer her friend more then what she did.

    Sanders had one last message for people who have friends who are homeless.

    “Please! Please! Even if they don’t ask for it, offer any help you can, because they do need it.” Sanders said.

     

  • Housing conference weighs homelessness in Humboldt County

    Housing conference weighs homelessness in Humboldt County

    By | Charlotte Rutigliano

    Chant’e Catt and Mike Barnes, along with the Homeless Student Advocate Alliance (HSAA), are seeking to create a greater connection for students, the university, and the community. Something they plan on doing with the upcoming events after fall break.

    Catt is the founder and president of the HSAA. She said that an estimated 15 percent of students experience homelessness while attending HSU.

    Catt founded the HSAA last September to give a voice to students experiencing homelessness.

    “I eat, breathe and sleep this club,” Catt said. “This club is support for students who find themselves seeking housing.”

    Barnes, who is the current vice president for HSAA, said the three-day event is one of the biggest events they’ve done on campus, especially since they’ve taken on a lot of the event planning and marketing.

    “If I described this event in one word, it would be ‘necessary,’” said Barnes.

    Barnes said there isn’t enough information for students who have housing insecurities.

    According to Barnes, the event will include both student and community led organizations, such as the Affordable Homeless Housing Alternatives, Inc. (AHHA).

    Nezzie Wade is president of the board of AHHA. Wade said that they have worked with several groups of students at the university on housing-related issues and projects.

    Both Catt and Barnes said this event will open up a dialogue for students and will help bridge the local community with the student community.

    Barnes said that it might be hard to find seating for the first two days of the events because of how much support they’ve gotten from the community.

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    Day 1 – Nov. 28 from noon to 1 p.m. on the HSU University Quad.

    Afternoon sustainability fair consisting of student innovations and ideas of sustainable living outside of traditional dwellings.

    Housing: Indigenous Insights 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Native American Forum at HSU.

    A night of storytelling featuring Jene McCovey, an open forum for attendees to share their stories.

    Day 2 – Housing: Social Justice Insights Nov. 29th from 6 pm to 8 pm in the Native American Forum at HSU.

    Perspectives on social justice and breaking stigma. Featuring a Native Speaker and Vernon Price, a highly knowledgeable advocate for homelessness rights and co-star in I Am I was Homeless, a featured video to be shown; faculty members from the Department of Social Work, members of the Multi-Cultural Center, Affordable Homeless Housing Alternatives and more representatives from HSU.

    Day 3 – Housing: Innovative Insights Nov. 30 from 8 p.m. to 12 p.m. in the University Center Quad at HSU.

    The final day of the summit will consist of an idea fair, featuring student, faculty, and community projects focusing on anecdotal solutions to housing insecurity. The workshop will provide opportunities to acquire skills that will help support the lifestyle should you encounter it.

  • Raising the bar

    Raising the bar

    In the National Survey of Student Engagement, zero percent of faculty think seniors devote “Very Much” or “Quite a bit” of their time doing community service or volunteer work. Six percent of seniors said they devote “Very Much” or “Quite a bit” of their time for community service or volunteer work.

    The National Survey of Student Engagement was sent out to seniors last spring at the same time the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement was sent out.

    In these surveys, 298 seniors and 226 faculties participated. Percentage-wise, that’s around 31 percent of seniors and 40 percent of the faculty. A part of the results from both surveys for the 2016-17 academic year shows how upper division faculty thinks seniors spend their time versus how senior say they spend their time.

    Upper division faculty were asked how much time do they think seniors devote to participating in co-curricular activities. Faculty answered only one percent of students devote “Very Much” or “Quite a bit” of their time participating in co-curricular activities. On the other hand, seniors answered seven percent.

    According to the same surveys, upper division faculty thinks 41 percent of seniors devote “Very Much” or “Quite a bit” of their time relaxing and socializing, while seniors answered only 23 percent.

    Almost half of all seniors in the survey said they devote “Very Much” or “Quite a bit” of their time to prepare for class, on the other hand, Upper division faculty think only 13 percent of seniors do so.

    It’s not the first time HSU students participate in the National Survey of Student Engagement. The first time was back in 2002, according to NSSE website, though last spring was the first time HSU conducted the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement on HSU faculty.

    According to the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement costs $2,008 and the National Survey of Student Engagement cost $5,550.

    Such surveys are important as they help the university administration understand students and how do they spend their time and how both student and faculty are seeing and perceiving things.

  • Student veterans get honored

    Student veterans get honored

    By | Charlotte Rutigliano

    At this week’s football game on Saturday, Nov. 11, three student veterans will be honored during halftime.

    Scott Elsworth will be awarded a thousand dollar scholarship. This scholarship is the first ever at HSU. The money for the scholarship was donated by Sean T. and Robin Baille.

    “It is a nice surprise to be selected,” Elsworth said, “and I’m thankful for the opportunity.”

    Elsworth who is originally from Porterville, California served four years in the U.S. Navy. He is currently in his senior year at HSU majoring in Forestry/Hydrology. Elsworth is an active member of the water resource club on campus and is currently learning to play the violin as a memento of his time in college.

    Former U.S. Navy Fire Controlman James Lamping will be awarded the Veteran Meritorious Award. This award is based on the students’ academics as well as their work with veterans both on and off campus. Lamping’s peers nominated him for this award.

    “I was extremely honored to receive this award,” Lamping said, “I know this is a nomination based award, and those who nominated me, thank you.”

    Lamping who was raised in Irvine, California, served six years in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Higgins. During his time he was deployed three times. Twice to the Persian Gulf and once on an “Around the World” tour. Lamping is currently a Forestry major with an emphasis in forest soils, he is also working towards a minor in Geospatial analysis.

    McKinleyville local Lucas Miller will be awarded the Humboldt Hero’s Award. This award can be awarded to any veteran in the Humboldt County community. Miller will also be playing in Saturday’s game against Central Washington.

  • What’s your costume?

    What’s your costume?

    By | Iridian Casarez

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    Bailey Tennery

    Journalism, 3rd year

    Velma

    “I chose to be Velma from Scooby Doo, I have always loved her,” Tennery said. “She was the smartest one.”

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    IMG_4407John Yu

    Zoology junior

    Monkey

    “All weekend, I was at Halloween parties as a monkey with a bundle of bananas and people kept asking me for them, so I decided to get bananas and started giving them away,” Yu said. “I’m the Monkey King.”

     

     

     

     

     

     

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    Alycia Padilla

    Wildlife senior

    Steampunk Keyblade Master

    “I’m a steampunk Keyblade Master from the video game Kingdom Hearts,” Padilla said. “I’ve always liked steampunk style and Kingdom Hearts has different Keyblade Masters so I came up with my own.”

     

     

     

     

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    Photo by Iridian Casarez

    Madeline Lueck

    Botany

    Scarecrow

    “My partner went as a crow, so I decided to be a scarecrow,” Leuck said. “It took days to put it together but I thought it’d be fun.”

     

     

    IMG_4416Ryan Maberry

    Forestry 2nd year

    Elf on the Shelf

    “I’ve been told I look like an elf so I dressed up as the Ellf on the Shelf,” Maberry said. “It took me about two hours to put together.”

     

     

     

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    Zachary Warren

    Sophomore Econ major

    Ash Ketchum

    “I normally do really bad costumes, I will have an idea and then try to do it myself and it doesn’t work out, so I wanted to be something really cool this year,” Warren said. “Ash is a recognizable character. A lot of people grew up with Pokémon so I thought it’d be really cool.”

     

  • Word on street: Students Halloween Plans

    Word on street: Students Halloween Plans

    By | Lauren Shea

    Halloween time is here and most students will be celebrating this weekend since it lands on a Tuesday this year. Some students will be taking a break from their classes to enjoy the holiday while others will be studying.

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    Dylan Wicker, Anthropology Major, Sophomore Photo credit: Lauren Shea

    Dylan Wicker, Anthropology Major, Sophomore

    “I’m probably going to have a few friends over and hand out candy to trick-or-treaters and going to watch some movies.”

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    Stephen Alvarez, Biology Major, Junior Photo credit: Lauren Shea

    Stephen Alvarez, Biology Major, Junior

    “I might just tag along with friends and hanging out with them.”

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    Sami McDonald, English Major, Freshman Photo credit: Lauren Shea

    Sami McDonald, English Major, Freshman

    “Actually I’m going home for Halloween in San Diego. We’ll probably watch ‘It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown’ and I’m gonna try to convince my dad to watch The ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’ and hand out candy.”

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    Angelina Resendez, Social Work Major, Senior Photo credit: Lauren Shea

    Angelina Resendez, Social Work Major, Senior

    “I’m probably going to catch up on my sleep and watch some scary movies with friends.”

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    Maya Matute, Sociology Major, Sophomore Photo credit: Lauren Shea

    Maya Matute, Sociology Major, Sophomore

    “This weekend, I’m going to dress up and also take part in the Haunted JGC Queers and Allies.”

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    Robo Oku, Environmental Resource Engineer Major, Senior Photo credit: Lauren Shea

    Robo Oku, Environmental Resource Engineer Major, Senior

    “I’m going to take part in Baile de Otoño at Los Bagels on Saturday.”

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    Jessie Keller, History Major, Junior Photo credit: Lauren Shea

    Jessie Keller, History Major, Junior

    “I’m going to a friends Halloween birthday party. I’m dressing up as doodle bob. I’m also going to a couple sorority get togethers. One of them is a movie night and we’re going to watch ‘Hocus Pocus’.”

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    Percival Ferrugia, Theater Major, Junior Photo credit: Lauren Shea

    Percival Ferrugia, Theater Major, Junior

    “I’m going to a theater Halloween party with other theater majors.”

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    Marie Torres, Criminology Major, Freshman Photo credit: Lauren Shea

    Marie Torres, Criminology Major, Freshman

    “I’m dressing up as Barrel from ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’. I’m going to go trick or treating with my roommate and her niece.”

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    Tati Taylor-Willis, Vocal Performance Major, Freshman Photo credit: Lauren Shea

    Tati Taylor-Willis, Vocal Performance Major, Freshman

    “I’m not sure what I’m going as yet, but I’m going to have a friend help me with my costume.”

     

  • Bumpin Beats

    Bumpin Beats

    By | Curran C. Daly

    The UC Quad was alive with music and dancing at noon on Tuesday as Zion I performed for students. An Associated Students Presents event, the free show featured Zion I’s Baba Zumbi, also known as MC Zion, R&B and Reggae artist Winstrong, and DJ Twelvz.

  • The challenge is ON

    The challenge is ON

    By | Robert Brown

    “Outdoor Nation is a fun way to get outside and be active,” Bridgette Hanson of Center Activities said. “That’s different for everyone, it’s why Humboldt won last year.”

    Open to students and anyone in the community, all you have to do is download the app, get out and take pictures of yourself, then post them to win prizes. The challenge is sponsored by REI, The North Face, eno, and Hydro Flask, and local businesses Adventures Edge, Minor Theatre, and Muddy Waters.

    “It’s so inspiring to live in this community,” Scott McCrary, student representative for ON said. “We have some of the most amazing nature spots here in Humboldt.”

    Some examples of ON Challenge events are guided walks, tidepool exploration, restoration projects, crafting, and volunteer events, also workshops on hiking, bike maintenance and birding.

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    “Our biggest event is Paddlefest,” Hanson said. “Around 200 people come to that event, some people get to try kayaking for the first time.”

    Each event accomplished earns a certain amount of points, for instance, backpacking, camping, and biking earn 10 points. Skateboarding, slacklining, and yoga earn 5 points. Birdwatching, gardening and stargazing earn 2 points. Add up points by completing as many events as you can and use them to redeem prizes.

    “A really fun event is the scavenger hunt,” McCrary said. “People follow clues through the week hidden in different places. Then take a picture with the clue once they’ve found them and post them in the app. to win a North Face backpack.”

    Along with an individual winner, schools are also competing to have the most number of people participating in their communities challenge. Last year HSU won the title of number one outdoorsiest school.

    “Winning was exhilarating,” one of last years winners, Ruby Garcia said. “Especially because we did it as a community and we won a $3,000 gear library that is available to students free of cost.”

    To find out more go to hsuoutdoors.humboldt.edu or www.oncampuschallenge.org

    “A big thank you to the Humboldt community,” McCrary said. “This wouldn’t be possible without the local radio and local sponsors.”

  • Voices of student science

    Voices of student science

    By | Bryan Donoghue

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    Samuel Vassallo, sophomore, Wildlife major Photo credit: Bryan Donoghue

    Samuel Vassallo, sophomore, Wildlife major — “I hope to work outdoors and possibly for government agencies like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, or the park service, or the U.S.G.S., or any of the state agencies that are equivalent to national agencies like those. I could work for a nonprofit like the World Wildlife Foundation, or Nature Conservancy, or I could work for a company that needs to do environmental impact and see if there are any endangered species on their property, so if they could log or mine. Probably not as much into working for a private company, I would like to work for the government. I love the classes, it’s great. When I chose this major I just thought it sounded cool and looked at the course list and chose it. You had to pick a major as a freshman to be in the Klamath Connection, which was a program I was in. We show up a week early to school and meet our professors, and I just picked Wildlife because it sounded cool and when I got here I’ve been loving every minute of it, so I feel like I’m in the right major, it’s pretty lucky.”

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    Romeo Javier Dominguez-Rameriz, recent graduate, Criminology major Photo credit: Bryan Donoghue

    Romeo Javier Dominguez-Rameriz, recent graduate, Criminology major — “I’m doing an extra semester to see what I want to do with my graduate program. Right now I’m looking into international relations, so I’ve been looking in to see what programs I can go into that are in Germany. Nothing set in stone or anything. Personally, I love it up here. I’m from the SoCal area, the main reason why I came here was because of the environment and everything and I pretty much enjoy the people and environment like I hoped I would. The staff from my department is pretty rock-on, so I’m most fortunate for our faculty.”

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    Jade Simms, senior, Engineering major Photo credit: Bryan Donoghue

    Jade Simms, senior, Engineering major — “I’m hoping to get a job. I think it would be cool to work in river restoration, but we’ll see who wants to hire me. I think the Engineering department is a very supportive department, I’ve been given a lot of opportunities to learn what I want to learn. For future Engineering majors, do it! Don’t be afraid. I’ve talked to a lot of people, I know women especially are a little intimidated, but screw it, just do it.”

  • Open house with open arms

    Open house with open arms

    On a seemingly quiet Friday afternoon on the Humboldt State University campus, the MultiCultural Center was booming with energy, as international music and the savory smell of lumpia filled the air. Dozens of HSU students gathered in front of the center on Sept. 12 for the MCC open house to represent and celebrate the various cultures our campus consists of.

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    The MCC featured a cultural exchange through cultural cuisine. Photo credit: Lora Neshovska

    The center open house aimed to familiarize students with the numerous cultural centers available on campus and create a comfortable environment for socializing and learning.

    Among the representatives were Scholars without Borders (SWB), Women’s Resource Center (WRC), the Latinx Center, and the Eric Rofes Multicultural Queer Resource Center (ERC). These centers, as well as much more serve as resources to anyone on campus, especially students who may feel marginalized.

    Although these centers and clubs seem to differ, they all share a passion for solidarity and intersectionality. Jonathon Salinas, 20, is majoring in Spanish and currently working as the event coordinator at ERC. Salinas says instead of viewing activism as separate social movements, it’s important to support each other, heal and move forward together.

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    Criminology and CRGS student Deema Hindwai (right) converses with EOP staff, Rama Rawal (left). Photo credit: Lora Neshovska

    According to a 2013 Humboldt retention report, an average of 25 percent of the first year, full-time undergraduate students were not retained.

    Cesar Abarca, faculty coordinator of SWB and an assistant professor in the Social Work department said this emphasizes the importance of student support centers, such as the MultiCultural Center and SWB.

    “In a small, rural area,” Abarca said. “It’s really important to make students feel welcome and accepted.”

    Abarca also said there needs to be support and advocacy specifically for underrepresented students

    As of late, SWB has shifted their focus towards assisting undocumented students, specifically with the application process for D.A.C.A. renewal. This includes providing information about the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and basic guidelines and civil rights when dealing with law enforcement.

    Angie Muñoz, current editor of the Cultural Times said the MCC caters to what students need and can benefit from the most. This includes representing student voices and opinions in the Cultural Times, as well as opening up staff meetings to students with suggestions for the center.

    The MultiCultural Center on campus is located in the Balabanis House and is open Monday-Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

     

  • Tunes of HSU

    Tunes of HSU

    By Andre Hascall

    Students often walk around, to-and-from campus with headphones on and music turned up. With all of us having our own musical tastes, the thought of what others were listening to was an intriguing thought. Regardless of their tastes in music all of us students have one thing in common, and it is that our music means something to us.

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    Sophomore Wildlife Major, Tonita Johnson’s musical tastes are more underground. Her favorite artist is Nao, “She’s kind of alternative, and soulful,” Johnson said. Photo credit: Andre Hascall
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    Sophomore Biology Major, Perin Swanson can be found listening to a variety of bay area music. However, he keeps old school songs close to home. Often listening to Mac Dre and Andre Nickatina, “Their rap style really shows what the bay is about,” Swanson said.
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    Ashley Eckman, Junior Criminology Major prefers to have Kendrick Lamar in her daily playlist. “It pumps me up, it wakes me up and it cheers me up too, I guess,” Eckman said. Photo credit: Andre Hascall
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    Kai Cooper (left), Freshman International Studies Major, often will listen to Doses and Mimosas by Cherub during her day. Amanda McDonald (Right), Freshman Environmental Education Major had to narrow her song choices down to one Artist, Esbe and their album “Bloomsdale”. Photo credit: Andre Hascall
  • Celebrating a multicultural campus

    Celebrating a multicultural campus

    With the official beginning of the new school year, clubs and organizations on campus are off to a strong start, including the African American Center for Academic Excellence, also known as the AACAE.

    The Center hosted their first event of the semester on Sept. 2, 2017, a Welcome Black Reception, to incoming and returning Humboldt State University students. The event brought together students and faculty of all different ages, genders, and races together to kick off the new school year.

    The AACAE is a student support space on the campus of HSU that aims to celebrate our multicultural campus by providing a guiding resource for students who identify as African American, Black or of African descent, as well as the entire university community. The organization was established in 2015 and since then has been continuously contributing to the efforts of making the Humboldt campus more inclusive and safe.

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    Games, snacks and music bring together students at “Welcome Black Reception” in the KBR.

    Erin Youngblood-Smith, who is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Social Work and interning at the AACAE says, this semester, the Center’s goals are to continue helping, providing academic support and guidance for the student body of the HSU campus, as well as planning and collaborating with outside services, as well as other campus-based clubs on upcoming events.

    Additionally, the AACAE has a serious agenda this semester, following the murder of David Josiah Lawson in April.

    Jimento Aikhuele, a graduate student majoring in Environmental Engineering and intern at the AACAE said that the event is what brought him into the Center. “I knew the local [population] would be down and they might need support, one way or another.”

    Both Youngblood-Smith and Aikhuele agree there is a gap between the Humboldt University community and the Arcata community that must be bridged.

    “There cannot be a separation between the campus and the local community, there needs to be really structured communication,” Youngblood-Smith said, “stronger ties between the city and the university’ In order for all students to feel safe.”

    Youngblood-Smith advocates education, such as conversations and workshops on safety in communities other than your own.

    “That’s a priority, making sure our students know there are dangers everywhere and you need to be aware of them,” Youngblood-Smith said.

    One student that has benefited from AACAE’s resources and proactivity is 19-year-old senior Psychology major Gabrielle Fox.

    Fox says her transition to HSU would not have been as smooth if it wasn’t for the Center.

    “There are people there who genuinely, truly want to see you succeed, it really makes a difference when you know you have somebody, who has your back and genuinely wants to see you the best that you could be,” Fox said.

    According to Fox, to be willing to open your mind to different experiences and opinion is a significant step to inclusivity on campus and in the community.

  • Yes! The Y.E.S. House is open

    Yes! The Y.E.S. House is open

    By|Michelle Meyers

    Thursday, Aug. 31, the Youth Educational Services house on campus, Y.E.S. House, held their open house for students and other members of the community to come and see what the Y.E.S. House has to offer.

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    Photo credit: Michelle Meyers

    The Y.E.S. House is a completely student run program of the Associated Students of Humboldt State University and is under the department of Student Affairs. Since 1968, the Y.E.S. House has played a vital role in supporting students in becoming active members in their community and initiating social change by creating and implementing volunteer programs that serve the needs of the community.

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    Chalk leading the way to the yes house. Photo credit: Michelle Meyers

    Currently, there are 13 different volunteer programs at Y.E.S. and each of them works with a different population within our local community. Their purpose is to offer support for any kind of needs they may have that arise.

    New Games is one of the programs at The Y.E.S. and has been around since 1991. Cori Simons, a Child Development major at HSU and the newest Program Director of New Games explains that the program was created with the intention to promote “non-violence, non-competitiveness in children, and positive relationships between college students and children” through a wide range of team building games.

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    Cori Simons, New Games Program Director. Photo credit: Michelle Meyers

    Simons said that New Games is still seeking volunteers and will eventually be hosting rummage sales and games days on the quad.

    “We play a lot of improv games,” Simons said.

    Cindy Xiong, freshman Wildlife major at HSU said that she stopped by the Y.E.S. House during her freshman seminar after her professor instructed her group to ask around and see what the campus has to offer.

    “They told us about all of these different volunteer opportunities, and some of them interested me,” said Xiong, “As a Wildlife major, I wanted to do something that involved being outdoors.”

    Xiong, who signed a volunteer slip, also expressed interest in the Environmental Education Program at the Y.E.S House.

    Critical Race, Gender and Sexuality Studies major Oliver Winfield-Perez is the new Program Consultant at the Y.E.S House. He first joined as a volunteer for the Queer Mentoring and Advocacy Program because he wanted to work with queer youth in the community.

    “Once I joined I found a very close knit sense of community within Y.E.S, I found friends,” said Winfield-Perez.

    During his experience at the Y.E.S House working as a volunteer in the community and within his program, he said that he was able to develop certain professional skills, leadership skills,and social skills, which gave him the motivation to become a director for that program and then eventually apply for a position as Program Consultant.

    “This year our theme is Empowerment and Activate,” said Winfield-Perez.

    Winfield-Perez said his biggest role as the program consultant and the main focus of the Y.E.S. House is to promote community organizing on and off campus. They are also working to make HSU more inclusive.

    “We are also really trying to support our student leaders, foster leadership, foster professional skills and communication skills within our students,” Winfield-Perez said, “and also create a sense of community and a support system for students on campus.”

    According to Winfield-Perez, a good amount of students at HSU who have to fill a certain amount of hours for service learning come to the Y.E.S House to help meet that requirement.

    “We’re really into service learning. Through our work of engagement within the community, we’re experiencing all of these things, so when we come back to the meetings, they reflect on what happened during times when they were in the community, what they enjoyed, what could be worked on, and then we take that knowledge and try to just apply it in different settings and, or apply it in the future,” said Winfield-Perez.

    To submit a volunteer application with the Y.E.S House, you can complete the online volunteer contract located on their website.

    http://www2.humboldt.edu/yes/

    How to Contact The Y.E.S. House

    House 91
    Humboldt State University
    Arcata, California 95521
    Phone: (707) 826-4965
    Fax: (707) 826-5558

    E-mail: yes@humboldt.edu

  • Students’ J-point money washed away

    Students’ J-point money washed away

    As the end of last spring semester approached, sophomore Tonita Johnson, 19, had around $600 of leftover J-points on her meal plan. During the last weeks of the semester, Johnson was trying to spend her remaining points by paying for her friends who had used up all of their J-points.

    “I paid for other people who ran out of J-points,” Johnson said, “I had to get rid of $600, I got it down to $92.”

    Last year alone, $82,513 worth of unused J-points expired. HSU meal plan J-points expire at the end of every spring semester. Every year a number of students lose their leftover points. These already expensive points are nonrefundable and can’t rollover to the summer semester or the following school year.

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    Like many other students, Johnson took out a loan to pay for the gold plan she had last year. Students pay $1.96 for every $1 they get on the gold plan. The plan costs $5,544 while students only get $2,832 worth of J-points. $1,416 for each semester. This hidden,

    prepaid cost is known as a fixed cost.

    Johnson lost $92 of J-points, but adding the fixed cost fees she paid for when purchasing the plan brings her total loss to $180.

    “That money would have gone towards my books and other stuff that I needed for this semester,” Johnson said.

    Besides buying things for friends, before heading home to Los Angeles, Johnson spent some of her J-points buying things from the on-campus markets and left them at a friend’s house in Arcata that caught on fire this summer.

    “My friend house caught on fire, a lot of those things that I’ve bought from all around got destroyed in the fire,” Johnson said. “Everything is gone. They lost a lot of stuff, I lost some of my stuff.”

    HSU does not refund students any part of their remaining meal plan balance.

    “They [HSU] should refund the points. I feel they have the ability to refund the points,” Joey Mularky, president of Associated Students, said.

    Sahil Barot, a 19-year-old international student from India, said it’s a waste of money.

    At the end of last spring semester, he had over $280 leftover points on his meal plan. He spent some of his remaining points on things from the on-campus markets, but still lost around $70 worth of J-points that expired. IMG_2909.JPG

    “It was sad. It’s a lot, it’s a big amount,” Barot said. “With that money, I could buy my stuff for a month. My food, groceries, milk or cereal or vegetables and fruits I could buy it for a month.”

    Barot’s family owns a farm in India where they grow cotton, potatoes and tobacco. His father helped him pay for the meal plan with their farm income savings. His father also took a loan to pay for his education.

    “My father saved some money for me,” Barot said. “My father took a loan from a bank and got money from the farm.”

    In a school where over 50 percent of student come from low-income families, there are no plans to consider refunding student for their unused meal plans money. This brings up the question, what does student who needs that money do?

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    Brian Thompson (Cashier) checking out items for a student at the college creek marketplace. Photo credit: Ahmed Al-Sakkaf

    “The answer to the question ‘What do student who need that money do?’ I don’t have a good answer for that,” said Ron Rudebock, the director of Dining Services. “Life is not fair sometimes.”

  • Out of the clouds into the box

    Out of the clouds into the box

     

    By Charlotte Rutigliano

    After spending the summer testing different data cloud services such as Dropbox, Box.com, Microsoft Onedrive, and Google Drive, Chief Information Officer for Information Technology Services Anna Kircher has said the university has selected Box.com.

    According to Kircher, the university wanted to have this new system completely rolled out by the Fall 2017 semester. However, while they were conducting pilot tests over the summer, they found they still had questions with Box.com.

    “We still had some questions, like how long would it take students to upload/download files when they’re in a large class,” Kircher said. “Also how will it look for students to access the files from Canvas.”

    This fall, ITS and the university will be doing more pilot tests with Box.com to see if the new system will have functionality in the classroom.

    Kircher said that around 12 classes and five hundred students will participate in this fall’s pilot tests.

    “There will be two basic groups for the fall pilots, geospatial (GSP) courses and courses that will require large video and audio files,” Kircher said,

    Most student concerns surrounded security and storage limitations.

    Students currently have 200 megabytes available to them on the user drive provided by the university, and around 15 gigabytes within their Google accounts, which includes Gmail, Google Drive and Google Photos.

    According to Kircher, security is one of Box.com’s biggest concerns, because they often work with clients who require high levels of security.

    “One thing students won’t have to worry about with Box.com is space, using Box will give students unlimited space for files,” Kircher said.

    Kircher said the university’s new goal for rolling out Box.com school wide is the spring semester of 2018, which will improve file storage for all students.

  • HSU Takes on the Big Apple

    HSU Takes on the Big Apple

    By Juan Herrera

    Maintaining peace, resolving conflicts, protecting the environment and much more between nations is not an easy task, but someone has to do it. The organization in charge of doing so is the United Nations (U.N.). This group consists of representatives from countries making policies to benefit their needs while trying to attend to other nations problems as well.

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    Jenn Bradley (left), Lorea Euskadi (middle), and Maggie Martinez (right) representing HSU at the Far West Model UN conference. | Photos by Juan Herrera

    According to the United Nations website, the organization was set in place to keep international order following World War II to hopefully prevent another one from breaking out. Still, to this day, the U.N., based out of New York City, makes decisions and policies with the intent to maintain peace and security.

    Now imagine a simulation of the actual U.N., but instead of country representatives, you have college kids from around the world meeting at one conference to try and maintain peace. Humboldt State University had the opportunity to compete in the Model United Nations (M.U.N.) conferences; Far West and Nationals. Nationals were held in the heart of New York City from April 9-13, then shortly after Far West was held in San Francisco from April 21-25 of 2017.

    Maggie Martinez, a senior at HSU, was one of the eight representatives that went to Far West and Nationals. She talks a little about the differences in both conferences.

    “Far West is slightly more lenient, but people are more aggressive in an unproductive way,” Martinez said. “Whereas Nationals people are aggressive in a productive manner.”

    According to Martinez, at Nationals, the country HSU represented was Cabo Verde with a total of eight students. She then mentions at Far West HSU took on Russia, Yemen, and Bhutan with a total of 30 students.

    ModelUN 3
    A picture of the country (Cabo Verde) that HSU represented at Model UN Nationals. | Photo by Juan Herrera

    Lorea Euskadi, senior at HSU, another one of the eight student representatives that attended both conferences talks about the importance of M.U.N.

    “This a huge opportunity for college students to network with people that could benefit their future,” Euskadi said. “Model UN has taught me multiple life lessons, but the most important to me is a hard work ethic.”

    According to Euskadi the Nationals conference is actually considered a National Collegiate Conference Association (NCCA) event with a broadcasted closing plenary in the actual U.N. headquarters building. She then mentions that due to Nationals being the world’s largest intercollegiate MUN simulation it brings a lot of stress and pressure on the students.

    “Writing paper after paper for five straight days, with hopefully more than three hours a sleep a night, will mentally drain anyone,” Euskadi said. “Then having to make everything damn near perfect will put a ton of stress on the delegates putting in the work.”

    Humboldt State will be attending next year’s Model U.N. at Nationals and Far West as well. Both conferences will be held at the same venue but the times are TBA for some time in 2018.

    Martinez had one last part of advice for the future Model U.N. representatives that Humboldt State sends.

    “Congregate, compromise and mediate,” Martinez said. “These three things helped me excel very well in the conferences.”

  • HSU Library Faces $150,000 in Budget Cuts

    HSU Library Faces $150,000 in Budget Cuts

    By Erin Chessin

    About $150,000 is being subtracted from the HSU Library due to extreme budget cuts the school is facing.

    This means that $80,000 is coming out of library staff positions and $70,000 is coming out of the library’s research collection, including books, databases, and journals.

    Students and staff will start to feel the impact starting July 1 when the budget cuts will take effect.

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    HSU students working on computers at the HSU Library. | Photo by Liam Olson

    Cyril Oberlander, the Dean of the University Library, said he wants to assure students that the school is making its budget cut choices in favor of the students.

    “We have to be strategic about our budget cuts in the end and decide what is most likely to help students out the most,” Oberlander said.

    The library’s biggest concern is to make sure students have all the resources they need to succeed in their education. This means providing more textbooks on reserve, improving the technology, and putting in more tables for students to work at.

    Recently the library has made new additions to the second floor of the library by adding big screens for students to hook up their computers to and collaboration tables with charger ports in order to make the library environment easier to study.

    The Dean of the Library’s goal is to keep student jobs in the library.

    “I would like to hire more students in the library,” Oberlander said. “Student employment is great for retention and many students are dealing with debt.”

    HSU Financial Affairs has to make budget cut choices amongst its departments, and unfortunately, the school cannot hold off the debt any longer.

    LOLibrary3
    Students working and sitting in the HSU Library lobby. | Photo by Liam Olson

    “We only have a budget that stretches so far and this is the year we have to make cuts,” Oberlander said.

    According to Oberlander, there are two reasons the school is facing debt. One reason is out of HSU’s control.

    “Federal and state funding for higher education has been gradually decreasing over the years,” Oberlander said.

    The second reason for the debt is the school’s overspending. A meeting was held on April 9 where the HSU Center Board of Directors met to discuss the debt issue.

    “During the last five years, the University has been overspending and this year the deficit is at $4.1 million,” Peg Blake, the VP of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs, said in the meeting’s release statement.

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    HSU students working in the HSU library. | Photo by Liam Olson

    Hundreds of students flow in and out the library every day, many relying on the computer software, databases, and textbooks on reserve to get their degree. Jocelyn Barber is a junior environmental engineering major who relies on the library to get a hold of pricey textbooks required for a class.

  • When life is ruff, pet a pup

    When life is ruff, pet a pup

    Dog Therapy to Help Students Relax during Finals

    Students were able to pet therapy dogs to destress from the stressful workload of finals in the Jolly Giant Commons on April 29. Canyon Student Assistant Elisabeth Torretti and the Canyon staff put on the event for student residents. The therapy dogs will return to campus at the library on May 8 from 1-2:30 p.m. and May 9 from 6:30-8 p.m.

  • Compassionate Bonds — New HSU Chem Prof Goes Above and Beyond

    Compassionate Bonds — New HSU Chem Prof Goes Above and Beyond

    By Bryan Donoghue

    For many students at Humboldt State University, any chemistry class is on a list of the hardest courses a student can take. Humboldt State has taken on a new temporary chemistry professor whom students are dubbing “passionate,” “exuberant,” “enthusiastic,” and “caring.” Walking into his office, some may mistake him for a student. He’s listening to Selena Gomez, One Direction and country music. But it’s his demeanor, not his music preference, that makes Puminan Punthasee so approachable.

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    Puminan Punthasee | Photo Credit: Humboldt State University Chemistry Department

    “I’m not afraid to approach Pete, which I sometimes am with other professors,” said Kathryn Buzanski, 29-year-old student and Marine Corps veteran. “With Pete, I can email him, I can approach him, talk to him face-to-face, and have no worries.”

    Punthasee’s approachability follows into his relationships with colleagues in the chemistry department. Joshua R. Smith, chair of the Department of Chemistry, recalls that the first time he met Punthasee. He found him to be funny and deeply empathetic. But it was his passion for teaching that struck Smith the most in the hiring process.

    “He clearly had a passion for teaching, based on what he wrote in his application, and he clearly got that across during the interview as well,” Smith said.

    This enthusiasm and commitment Punthasee brings to teaching chemistry blossomed long before Humboldt State. Dating back to his high school years in Thailand, Punthasee had to take science courses every semester in high school. Thailand’s education system requires six science courses in order to graduate.

    “I wasn’t really a smart kid, I was slow, and couldn’t grab anything that the teacher taught us,” Punthasee said. “My grades were okay but weren’t as high as I wanted them to be.”

    Before graduating high school, Punthasee discovered his passion for learning, as he found a role model at his tutoring school.

    “This chemistry teacher at my tutoring school made chemistry understandable,” Punthasee said. “And that was the starting point that made me realize that if I could understand chemistry, maybe there’s some other stuff that I can understand as well.”

    Following high school, Punthasee graduated from the University of Thailand, and continued to expand his horizons by enrolling in University of Missouri’s Ph.D. program for chemistry.

    “I was in a Ph.D. program at the University of Missouri, and I hated the program,” Punthasee said. “It’s the nature of the Ph.D. program that makes you do a bunch of research, but I don’t like doing the research, so I found myself looking at the clock every five minutes.”

    Although he isn’t passionate about research, Punthasee found his calling as a teacher. He’s won three awards for being a teaching assistant through his graduate program. He’s been awarded with the Number One T.A. Choice award twice, and has also accepted the Green Chalk award for being an excellent teaching assistant.

    “I bet you that no science teacher does things like I do, not in this state,” Punthasee said. “Only two people follow my “Pete” style. Me, and my role model in Thailand.”

    His efforts to reach out to students outside of the classroom further solidifies their appreciation for Punthasee as well. As a professor, he will send three emails each day on average, all for varying, but positive reasons.

    “Pete really likes to send out encouraging emails,” said chemistry student Kate Panebianco.

    Brooke Holdren, a 20-year-old science and art major at Humboldt State, also expressed how much the emails help her.

    “I’ve gotten both general and personal encouragement emails. He’s really taking the time out to say specifically, ‘You’ve done this really well today’,” Holdren said.

    “He sends the most emails out of any teacher I’ve ever had. It’s really great and encouraging, sometimes a bit over the top, but that just shows how involved he is in comparison to the other teachers I’ve had.”

    What makes Punthasee such a well-liked professor boils down to how relatable he is. He’s just like any regular college student, and he likes to keep things simple because simplicity is easier to understand.

    “It’s just human nature,” he said. “We don’t like complicated stuff, we like fun stuff.”

    Attributing his best quality to being a “tremendously freaking hard worker,” Punthasee said his talent lies in his ability to simplify and socialize.

     

    Buzanski explained this in a way that many of Punthasee’s students can empathize with. “He does want to be our friend, but more importantly, he wants to be our friend while we know he’s our teacher,” she said.

  • Four score and seven years later

    Four score and seven years later

    We need proper advising. Graduation is upon us, yet many students find themselves coming back next semester because they did not receive enough units to complete the graduation requirement. More students are taking more than four years to get their diplomas, and they have to pay even if they only need one or two classes. Freshman are told to take 15 units or more to graduate in four years, an unrealistic pressure to put on an 18-year-old. If you’re living on your own for the first time and taking on a financial burden taking more than 15 units could be too much.  Other students are told to “double-dip” classes. “Double-dipping” is where classes count for two general education classes rather than just one. “Double-dipping” classes leaves a lot more room for students to finish up their major courses. But if some students finish their general education requirements and their major requirements too early they are left with elective credits to make up before meeting the 120 unit cap to graduate and earn their Bachelor’s degree. Some classes are only offered every other semester, and some are offered every two or four years which makes it hard for students to plan their semesters accordingly. This is especially a struggle for transfer students with upper division courses. Transfer students take some upper division courses that they need to take again at HSU. There is a lack of communication with advisors and students. Sometimes advisors are not available to students to discuss their future at HSU. Advisors aren’t fully trained to actually advise students on which classes to take. The university needs to train their staff to the fullest to be able to advise students accordingly. Students should make a four year plan of their classes so they could earn their bachelor’s degree in four years.