The Lumberjack



Students Serving The Cal Poly Humboldt Campus and Community Since 1929

Tag: Students

  • Can the resident LJ film enjoyers predict the Oscar’s winners?

    Can the resident LJ film enjoyers predict the Oscar’s winners?

    Kaylon Coleman and Julia Kelm

    The 98th annual Academy Awards are just around the corner. Whether you care about the awards or not, you definitely know some film nerd who does. You know, that guy who backed you into the corner at a party and told you against your will why Timothée Chalamet’s balls are orange. This article is for him to complain about, and for you to use as rage bait when you see him again.

    To avoid boring you to death, we’ll focus on the more “major” categories. Such as best actor and actress, best original song, best animated film, directing and best picture.

    I think it’s a safe bet to expect One Battle after Another and Sinners to be the MVPs of the night. Both films have consistently won awards leading up to the Oscars and will likely sweep most of the categories.

     

    Best Actor:

    Julia: The likelihood of Michael B. Jordan winning best actor has greatly increased. Chalamet, the previous academy favorite, ruined his chances after basically calling opera and ballet pointless in an interview. Theater kids try not to piss me off challenge: impossible.

    Kaylon: Honestly, I think Michael B. Jordan has it in the bag. Chalamet claims Marty Supreme is his magnum opus, which may be true for the time, but he needs some more experience under his belt. I could see it potentially going his way, but Jordan is my favorite to win.

    Best Actress:

    Julia: Best actress is 100% going to be Jessie Buckley. She has swept every previous award cer

    emony. I love Emma Stone, but she doesn’t need another Oscar. 

    Kaylon: I can’t lie, I haven’t seen Hamnet yet, but from what I have seen, it looks like Jessie Buckley is the favorite to take it home.

    Best Animated film:

    Julia: KPop Demon Hunters, I think, has a good chance at winning the best animated film category. Although it’s kinda mid, I’d be happy to see Disney lose again for the fourth time in a row since Encanto. 

    Kaylon: I’m stuck between KPop Demon Hunters and Zootopia 2. Zootopia 2 is the only piece of media Disney has dropped in recent years that could contend with best animated film, but the cultural significance of KPop Demon Hunters can’t be beat I think. Zootopia 2 just didn’t have enough time to ruminate while KPop Demon Hunters had all of Gen Alpha in a chokehold. I say 60-40 KPop Demon Hunters.

    Best original song:

    Julia: If KPop Demon Hunters wins, that means Golden is probably going to win best original song. I Lied to You in the Sinners soundtrack is the winner in my heart, no matter what — but if money’s on the line, I’m betting on Golden.

    Kaylon: I agree entirely. Once again KPop Demon Hunters is so culturally significant, but Sinners is just as notable. When we look back on 2025, we’re gonna remember the spirits scene from Sinners while KPop Demon Hunters fades into the blur that is animation. Yes, I’m biased. But, I feel like I Lied to You has it.

    Best Directing:

    Julia: Paul Thomas Anderson is likely to take the cake on this one. He has been nominated 14 times, but never won. I don’t know what it is, but I have a gut feeling it’s about time the academy finally throws him a well-deserved bone.

    Kaylon: I have the same gut feeling as Julia, except mine is for Ryan Coogler. Yes, Anderson has yet to win an Oscar, and is seasoned in his field — and the Oscars love to give out honorary Oscars — but I think Coogler deserves it. The Oscars also love to play in the face of Black people, but I think the significance of Sinners just can’t be denied.

    Best Picture:

    Julia: Best picture wins are often linked with directing wins. However, I think things could be different this year and Sinners will take the best picture spot. In all honesty, I’m feeling pretty 50-50 between Sinners and One Battle after Another. So, if this is the one you’re betting on, perhaps reconsider in favor of one of the more predictable categories.

    Kaylon: Now for the Crème de la Crème the real magnum opus — Best Picture. There’s a good plethora of films to choose from, ranging from the future cult classic F1 to the unforgettable Marty Supreme. Yet, I think we all know it’s down to the two titans for Best Picture – Sinners and One Battle After Another. And I think it comes as no surprise that my choice is 100% Sinners. Yes, it’s my personal favorite to win, but I just can’t not see it as the actual winner. Sinners sweep is in bound. Mark my words, folks.

    Kaylon Coleman is a senior journalism major with a concentration in news and a minor in communications. He is the Life & Arts editor for LJ, Marketing and Communications lead for the Umoja Center and and a part-time radio DJ and merch manager for KRFH. If you have a topic you want him to discuss, email him at kc403@humboldt.edu.

    Julia is a journalism major and the co-EIC of the paper. She loves film and is a regular on Letterboxd. She also enjoys going on walks in the forest and taking pictures to relax. If you have a movie you’d like her to review, please email her at jk328@humboldt.edu.

  • Student Organizer Rick Toledo Released on $25,000 bail

    Student Organizer Rick Toledo Released on $25,000 bail

    By Barley Lewis-McCabe

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • March to These Events

    March to These Events

    Week of 3/11- 3/17

  • 101 Express

    101 Express

    By Jacqueline Zuniga

    This past fall semester, Cal Poly Humboldt opened up the Hinarr Hu Moulik dorms across the highway. With the complex came a new market, the 101 Express, which aims to offer residents food and everyday essentials at their convenience. 

    The market is there to provide for the current 500 students who live at Hinarr Hu Moulik. This fall, resident sizes are expected to double. The market currently offers ready-to-eat food, soft drinks, household items, and personal care items. Enterprise Services, which oversees Dining, Bookstores, Children’s Center, Student Activities & Events has worked with housing to make the 101 Express accessible to students.

    “We want the 101 Express to be a great place for students to find good food, beverages, snacks, and supplies,”  Senior Executive Director for Enterprise Services Todd Larsen said. 

    The 101 Express’s hours vary throughout the week. Their hours are 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends. The university is considering the future of 24-hour self-checkout availability, but it’s still in the works because it requires a guarantee of no theft. 

    “That would allow residents to key in with their mobile key or fob after hours,” Larsen said

    With a new self-checkout machine, provided by Mashgin, customers can easily check out with signed credit cards, c-points, and meal-plan tenders. The machine is currently up and running, so customers can use self-checkout. One of these Mashgin machines costs about $1,000 a month just to operate. Places like Circle K, Shell, and AmPm are using this machine to make checking out faster. According to Mashgin’s website, the whole process should take about 5 seconds to complete. 

    The opening of the 101 Express was a big investment for Cal Poly Humboldt. Like any other dining outlet on campus, the 101 Express is funded through student meal plans, retail and catering sales. In 2021, Humboldt collaborated with Chartwells Higher Education to transform the on-campus dining experience. Chartwell operates the 101 Express along with other campus dining locations. 

    “The project cost to build and outfit the 101 Express was about $4 million, funded from Dining’s operational fund,” Larsen said. “They take on the operational costs, so we’re not involved in that.” 

    Looking ahead, the 101 Express has some plans to add new features for students’ convenience. They also plan on adding in bike tire repair kits and accessories, given all the student bikes at the dorms. They want to add a make-your-own ramen station, more tables and chairs, as well as more grab-n-go options. 

    Students can share their ideas or comments to help improve the 101 Express. Feedback sessions will be held on March 4 in the Mad River Room, Jolly Giant Commons 324. You can sign up for a slot to provide feedback and participants are given $20 dining coupons in return. You can also use the Text Us and Contact Us feedback methods, which include methods of communication with 101 Express.

    Additionally, there are Dining Advisory Committee meetings each semester to gather feedback. 

    “Or just chat with any of our dining team about ideas and suggestions,” Larsen said. 

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

  • Lumbersnack: Ayo chef, lemme get a chopped cheese — the Arcata Farmer’s Market way!

    Lumbersnack: Ayo chef, lemme get a chopped cheese — the Arcata Farmer’s Market way!

    By Eli Farrington

    They say that distance makes the heart grow fonder, and according to the world-wide-web, Humboldt County is the furthest point from New York City in the entire state of California. Well, the heart wants what it wants, and my heart wants New York’s most notorious bodega sandwich; a chopped cheese. But not just any chopped cheese — a crunchy, hippie-dippie, locally-sourced organic one with ingredients procured from the one-of-a-kind Arcata Farmer’s Market. 

    Here’s the list of ingredients that I used for this original recipe. Almost all of them were purchased from the farmer’s market, but some items were out of season, and thus I had to bust a quick mission to the NorthCoast Co-Op to fetch the rest. 

    • 1lb ground beef from Crazy River Ranch
    • 1/2lb mushroom of your choice from Mycality Mushrooms, chopped
    • 1lb of onions from I and I Farms, chopped
    • 1 bag of Spicy Mix greens from Little River Farm
    • 1 container of Mexican Cheddar Goat Milk Cheese from Spring Hill Farmstead Goat Cheese 
    • 1 tomato from the Co-Op, sliced
    • 1 lemon from the Co-Op
    • 1 green bell pepper from the Co-Op, chopped
    • 1 red bell pepper from the Co-Op, chopped
    • 1 clove of garlic from the Co-Op, finely diced
    • Bread of your choice, I used a Dutch Crunch roll 
    • Salt, pepper, and seasonings of your choice 
    • Olive oil

    My first stop was Mycality Mushrooms, where I copped a bag of chestnut mushrooms from owner Michael Egan. I try to buy from him every weekend, and he always hooks it up with the freshest mushrooms in town. He stuffed a few heaping handfuls into a brown paper bag, and sent me on my way with a smile on my face. 

    I continued to meander down the sidewalk in search of my next ingredient, until my gaze eventually settled on a sign for fresh ground beef. It was then that I was happily greeted by Jessica Lovelady of Crazy River Ranch. When I told her that I was making a chopped cheese recipe for LJ, she immediately offered me the beef free of charge. I politely declined, but her kindness stuck with me for the rest of my little shopping spree. Jessica, if you’re reading this, you’re dope as hell and your beef is straight bussin’. 

    A few booths down the block, I found myself at Little River Farms’ tent, where I purchased a bag of Spicy Mix salad greens from father-son duo John and Mathias Severn. I used the greens to make a simple, but delicious, salad to top off the sandwich. 

    My next stop was Spring Hill Farmstead Goat Cheese, owned and operated by Cheesemaker Karen Eide. Karen sold me a container of her incredible Diablo flavored Mexican Cheddar Goat Milk Cheese — you can really tell this stuff is made with love.  

    My final destination was I and I Farms, where I bought some organic onions from Omar Aviles. I and I Farms is fully organic, and always has a huge variety of beautiful fruits and vegetables every weekend. 

    I got the rest of my ingredients from the North Coast Co-Op, including a lemon, some bell peppers, a garlic clove, a tomato and the bread. 

    Now that we’ve gathered all our ingredients, let’s fire up the grill and do the damn thing!

    Sureeee, sureeee! 

    1. First, we put the ground beef on the grilllll. 
    2. Next, we slap the chopped up onions, peppers, garlic and mushrooms on the grilllll. 
    3. Now, we chop it upppp. 
    4. After we chop it up, we’re gonna go ahead and season the beef. I used salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, oregano, rosemary and creole seasoning. 
    5. Once the beef is seasoned, we’re gonna go ahead and add the cheese — CHOPPED CHEEEEESE!
    6. Next, we toast the Dutch Crunch roll face-side down.
    7. Now that the cheese is melted, we scoop the chop onto the Dutch Crunch roll. 
    8. Next we top the chop with some thinly sliced tomatoes. Don’t forget to season them with salt and pepper now, y’all!
    9. Finally, we top with a salad made from the greens, using salt, pepper, lemon juice and olive oil for the dressing.
    10.  And now, we stack it upppp — And the result isss…

    I hope y’all enjoyed my rendition of this classic New York bodega sandwich with an eccentric, tree-hugger flower child twist. Make it, eat it, and let me know what you think — and for the love of God, don’t forget the bev!

    Eli is a highly intelligent human life form working as the Managing Editor for The Lumberjack. In his free time, he enjoys getting busy in the kitchen. He keeps one finger on the spatula, and the other on the pulse. Email him at eaf62@humboldt.edu

  • Woman Down is romanticized toxicity 

    Woman Down is romanticized toxicity 

    By Alba Galvan

    Book Review: Woman Down

    W.T.F. — that’s what I think about the book Woman Down. I have read 22 out of 23 of Colleen Hoover books, and although she’s considered problematic for her novels often romanticizing toxic and abusive relationships. Hoover is an instant buy for me every time. She has a way with words that tends to draw readers into her books.

    Hoover is a top-selling author, having sold over 50 million books worldwide and being titled a bestselling author by the New York Times. I even have a tattoo inspired by one of her books, so when I say I know her writing and that I know when one of her books is bad or good — you best believe I’m telling the truth. 

    Woman Down brought so many emotions out of me that I haven’t felt in a while, discomfort, enjoyment, sadness and the passion to want to read again. It was so unrealistic that it took me a whole day to fully process my emotions once I finished reading the book.

    This book is one of my least favorite books by Hoover after Maybe Someday and not because the writing was bad; it was good and simple. This book definitely got me out of a reading slump, but I dislike this book because of how selfish and stupid the female main character was from start to finish.  

    Woman Down is about an author named Petra Rose who’s been struggling with writer’s block after a movie adaptation of her latest book receives backlash. So, as a getaway, she decides to go on her yearly retreat to a secluded cabin on a lake.

    While on this trip, she expresses on a video call with her best friend that she feels her books are too unrealistic and that’s why she’s been in a slump. When asked if she would welcome the idea of the unrealistic becoming realistic, she agrees, and is then dragged into her fantasies when she meets and begins to lust over a married cop who is willing to help her find inspiration for her book. 

    Petra is now in a cycle of being unable to separate reality from fiction, and falls for this married cop, Saint, who is willingly cheating on his wife to help her find inspiration for her book. 

    Hoover starts the book by clarifying that its storyline isn’t based on her own life, and asks readers not to compare the two just because both her and her main character are writers. Although the first half of the book was filled with so much whining and complaining about her last movie adaptation that it sounded like Hoover was venting through Petra. It’s hard not to compare both real life author Hoover and book author Petra, given the backlash and the drama that happened. 

    The rest of the book is filled with plot twists after plot twists – this is where the spoilers come, Saint  helps Petra experience things she hadn’t gone through to bring her inspiration. One night, he decides to break into her cabin to give her the experience of fear so she can authentically write what her characters will go through in her book. Petra believes this is a life-or-death situation, and when she finally realizes it’s Saint, instead of going home AND CALLING THE COPS, SHE FORGIVES HIM! She forgives the same man who made her believe she almost died and reduces what happened to her as a misunderstanding. 

    What I didn’t like about this book is how much the phrases, “you wanted this,” and “you asked for this,” appear. The amount of guilt-tripping that Saint puts on Petra throughout the story is disgusting and disturbing. Only then is it revealed that she is married with children, and this story takes a bigger turn with darker tones as stalking, possessiveness and cheating become common throughout the book.

    This book ended in the most bothersome way, and all I can say is this was a two-and-a-half-star rating out of five for me. I went into this book blind, and it brought out so many conflicting emotions. It’s sitting heavily on me as I STILL try to process what I read, because I truly disliked this book and the characters. 

    Do I recommend this book? No, but if you can separate reality from fiction and realize how everything in this book is not a reflection of how love should be perceived, and you don’t romanticize the stalking and victim-blaming that goes throughout the book, then yes. Read it and form your own opinion. 

    Alba she/her, LumberJack reporter. Journalism major who loves to read and write. She’s very passionate about sharing and listening to different opinions and loves self-expression. Contact email: agg83@humboldt.edu 

  • People won’t fucking read and that’s why they keep putting out reboots

    People won’t fucking read and that’s why they keep putting out reboots

    By Jasmin Shirazian

    The art of nuance and the craft of writing have been spoiled, milked, to filth; what remains curdled somewhere between lazy and unimaginative writing. We’ve entered a period of time where reboots and remakes of what were once original ideas have taken priority to new, unexplored plots. To revel in nostalgia is simpler and for some — at this point in time, what feels like the many — more entertaining than the attempt to grasp a new concept.

    Why is there a Scrubs reboot? This is what set me off this week. The notion that we need another — ANOTHER — hospital based, semi-mockumentary style sitcom, much less a fucking reboot from 2007, is deeply weak-minded. I’m more so less upset about the premise than I am at the fact that it’s a reboot. I love a good concept, but seeing the show that I used to wake up to in the middle of the night blasting while my mom was at work is not the originality I was promised as a child. It’s literally another show about a goofy group of friends getting into shenanigans, but it’s placed in a hospital… did we have to make that a reboot? How did the original cast swing this? Have we run out of ideas? Lest there be more nipples left for us to suckle? 

    There are two parties to blame here, in my professional, know-it-all opinion: the network and the consumer. The insatiable thirst for content from the consumer and the overwhelmingly eager, gluttonous network producing it, overworking and underpaying original creatives; overlooking them for network-based nepo-monsters. We are losing the voices of generations to the greed encouraged by not only the puppetmasters, but the audience themself. 

    The network produces not what it thinks the consumer will enjoy, but what they will — you guessed it — consume the most of. Because that’s money. The gluttony; greed. But, we’re at fault, too, because we just keep giving into it. We consume the slop of mindless, empty dogshit nonsense that we can’t get enough of — why? Emily in Paris, Riverdale, the new season of Stranger Things where all the 14-year-olds now look 25… because they are. Why don’t we care about the quality of what we’re watching and indulging in? Have our expectations been weathered down so severely that we’ll just take whatever we can get? Yes, actually, I think so.

    Not only is the dopamine addiction to our phones a more alluring pull than the effort that goes into developing a story in your mind, but let’s factor in that the regular person is living in hell. For the last 10 years — with a small gap of absolutely nothing to show for in between — the 2016 and 2024 administrations continue to defund and destroy any means of education, with the undying support of the nation’s most undereducated populations. SHOCKER! Wonder if that has something to do with… anything. I would bet the money I’m actively losing to my streaming services that it does have something to do with anything. It’s disturbing to witness every form of art become commercialized and reduced to a principal of cash exchanges, and it sucks that we continue to contribute to it as silent investors. Investors that, rather than profiting, poison their own water supply. 

    Here’s the thing: I absolutely love TV — and no, movies do not satisfy the itch that a TV show can scratch. I love sitting in front of a screen and immersing myself in a show the way I do with a book. Whether it’s stupid and funny, or deeply depressing and gut-wrenching, all I ask is that there’s some heart in the writing, some depth to the plot and that writers are paid fairly. Unfortunately, for reasons that mostly come in shades of green, we can’t have those basic requests. And, while indie films and small-scale movie directors are semi-easy to support, I’ve personally never really heard of an independent TV show or network that is funded or owned by smaller groups. So, we lose good writers, we lose good art, we lose good TV. And we take what the big corporations who have the money to produce a long-format series give us, because those in power have made life so desperately miserable for the average individual that we just need something to help us get through the fucking day. 

    We consume the dogshit, the Kool-Aid, the unfulfilling plate of nonsense they place before us. We give them the money we don’t get enough of and we get through the day. And another day, and another day. And one day, everything will explode. Until then, support local artists and writers. Maybe, before we all explode, we’ll stop seeing reboots of preexisting poorly-written TV shows. 

    Jasmin Shirazian is the curly-headed copy editor and reporter of The Lumberjack. An award-winning journalist and media curator, she prefers to spend her free time watching and complaining about TV. More on the topic and others like such can be found on her Substack, @jasminscornerontheweb. She can be contacted at js760@humboldt.edu.

  • The Romantic Album Review

    The Romantic Album Review

    By Kaylon Coleman     

    Ladies, gentlemen and non-conformers, the time we’ve long awaited has ultimately dawned upon us. After essentially A DECADE since his last independent album, Peter Gene Hernandez, more popularly known as the one and only Bruno Mars, has finally made his way out of Vegas and into the booth with his new album The Romantic.

    If you happen to be unfamiliar with Bruno Mars, let me start by asking you how much the rent is for that rock you’re living under. But nevertheless, I can’t blame you if you need a refresher. Like I said, the man’s been gone for nearly a decade — well kind of. While this is his first solo album in a minute, we can’t blow by the spectacle that was An Evening With Silk Sonic, a collaborative piece of work between Bruno and artist Anderson. Paak that dropped back in 2021. Besides a couple singles such as APT with ROSÉ or Die With a Smile with Lady Gaga — and even that one with Sexxy Red that everyone forgot about — Mars has, for the most part, been absent from the musicscape… until now.

    Now, there’s two types of Bruno’s: The Bruno that’s smitten, and the Bruno that’s heartbroken. Bruno Mars is so goated in his craft that they had to nerf him by soul linking his music to his romantic escapades. As a fan, you’re caught between rooting for the human condition that is finding a partner and feeling all the feelings and being happy for Bruno. But, dammit if that boy’s heartbreak doesn’t fuel something primordial within his soul and music.

    Lastly, there’s three facets I’ve come to recognize from every Bruno Mars album. You have the karaoke, killer and K-Mart song. The karaoke is the one on the album you’d sing your heart to, perhaps at Richards Goat on a Sunday Night with friends. You have the Killer — at least one song fits within this threshold, but the door is definitely open for more. To put it bluntly, this is the song that kills, 10/10 everytime. Finally, you have the K-mart song:  the catchy, poppy song you’d see in like an Old Navy or Target commercial, K-mart just flows with the other K’s.

    The album kicks off with Risk It All. A classic Bruno formula: claiming to commit bodily harm for the love, affection and attention of a honey. “I would run through a fire, just to be by your side.” Very reminiscent of Grenade in that respect. This is a very solid intro to the album. 

    Next is Cha Cha Cha, and the title ain’t lying — it’ll have you cha-cha-cha-ing your heart out alright. This is one of those feel good Bruno Mars songs that’ll have you smiling on your first playthrough. Definitely adding this one to the skating playlist.

    I Just Might. The song that kicked the whole romantic era off. A singular, seemingly random drop at the start of 2026 after Bruno informed the public his album was done. This song is one of them ones. I don’t consider it the killer on the album, but it’s obviously the golden child so far. This is the Bruno Mars that the people have been longing for. A fun, feel good song with Bruno just doing him. Peep the music video if you haven’t yet.

    God Was Showing Off. Oh, yeah. Now we’re really getting to the meat and potatoes. Again, not the killer for me personally but this is definitely top three on the album. The beautiful production and slower pace allows Bruno to do what he does best; sing his motherf-ing heart out. “You know, whoever said God don’t have favorites. Never seen you before.” Definitely stealing that one.

    Why You Wanna Fight. If the previous songs were smitten Bruno, this is just a glimpse of what heartbroken Bruno has to offer. It gives me Silk Sonic vibes for sure but I think it’s one of the only songs that also channels that Doo-Wops & Hooligans vibe as well. I tried to warn y’all earlier, this is yet again not the killer of the album, but once again, it cracks my top three. This man don’t miss. This one also pairs as my karaoke song, y’all will catch me belting this have no doubt.

    On My Soul and Something Serious. I don’t have too many notes about these songs. On My Soul definitely gives me Skate vibes but it mostly just features Bruno flexing his vocal capabilities.

    Something Serious is probably the weakest song on the album. This one would be the song you’d see in that Old Navy commercial. 

    Nothing Left. This one’s a complete 180 from the last couple songs. Heartbroken Bruno has made his appearance. This one gives me the slightest Gorilla vibes — the guitar is also nuts.

    Dance With Me. Now this one — this is the one. This is the killer. It’s by far the most wholesome song on the album. I feel like this song is where Mars truly explores the raw side of love. We’re getting a glimpse into his most vulnerable state; Mars laments his relationship, hoping he can just embrace and dance with his partner one last time. Big When I Was Your Man parallels here. The production; beautiful. Vocals; beautiful. Absolutely no notes. Not only my favorite off the album, but definitely the most slept on.

    If you’ve made it to the end of this review, whether you have or haven’t streamed The Romantic yet, go venture out to the marsh or the forest and just play it through. And if Bruno Mars sees this, I’ll be at the Inglewood show Oct. 3, ready for that interview.

    Kaylon Coleman is a senior journalism major with a concentration in news and a minor in communications. He is the Life & Arts editor for LJ, Marketing and Communications lead for the Umoja Center and and a part-time radio DJ and merch manager for KRFH. If you have a topic you want him to discuss, email him at kc403@humboldt.edu.

  • Taiko Drums and Lion Dancers ring in the Lunar New Year at Cal Poly Humboldt

    Taiko Drums and Lion Dancers ring in the Lunar New Year at Cal Poly Humboldt

    By Sadie Shields

    Lion Dancers swayed

    while the taiko drums beat and people chattered as the Lunar New Year event kicked off in the Kate Buchanan Room (KBR), hosted by the Asian, Desi, Pacific Islander and Middle Eastern and North African Center (ADPI-MENA).

    Students, faculty and community members gathered to celebrate Lunar New Year’s Year of the Horse on campus Friday, Feb. 27, from 5 to 8 p.m.

    Student Staff Lead of ADPI-MENA, Shaun Masuda, discussed the event’s overall growth.

    “Last year, we were averaging around 100 people for our bigger events,” Masuda said. “This year, we were just at about 200 people who signed in, including students and community members… which was a significant increase from our turnout last year.”

    The growth was visible as every table and chair was filled to the brim with community members, staff and students. Masuda believes the increase in participants has something to do with the space this year, including the accessibility benefits of the KBR space.

    “We like to host in the KBR not only in the addition of having a big space inside, but also because it’s easily accessible to students and the community, being in the student activity center,” Masuda said.

     The Lunar New Year is celebrated not only in China but also in nine other Asian countries and globally. There are twelve animal Zodiac signs in total in the Lunar New Year, with this year being the year of the Fire Horse. Those born in the Year of the Horse are said to be energetic, creative, confident, cheerful and responsible. You are considered to be born in the Year of the Horse if you were born in 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002 and 2014. Next year is the year of the Goat.

    Gary Ronnie, the leader of Taiko drummers in Humboldt, explains how much the culture means to him and what it means to share it. According to the United States Census Bureau, only 3.2% of Humboldt County’s population accounts for Asian residents. 

    “There is such a small percentage of Asians in this county that I love, that we are out there and we’re playing music to share the culture,” Ronnie said. “It’s really important. Involve other people. Connect with music.”

    Emily Hsu smiled as she shared her own journey. 

    “I’ve been doing Taiko since I was a kid, maybe in seventh grade,” Hsu said. “I played in Anaheim for a long time, and they went to a group in L.A. After that, I moved to Chicago and played in Chicago for a while, and now I’m here.”

    For three hours in the KBR, culture was not just discussed — it was heard, tasted, worn and shared. As students trickled out into the cool Friday night, the sense of community lingered long after the taiko drums fell silent, music still playing as the ADPI-MENA Center began cleaning up.

    Bio: Sadie is a junior communications major, journalism minor at Cal Poly Humboldt who has an interest in covering and taking photos for sports and wildlife journalism, and a slight interest in breaking news. She can be reached at sls331@humboldt.edu.

  • 3/4 Sports Highlights

    3/4 Sports Highlights

    by Alexis Blue 

    Men’s Basketball

    Senior Shakir Odunewu helped men’s basketball secure a win against California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) by leading the Jacks with 20 points, 10 rebounds and his fifth double-double of the season on Feb. 28. In their last home-game of the season, the Jacks clinched the No. 3 seed in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) and will advance to postseason quarterfinals.

    Women’s Basketball

    Sophomore Riley Sanz dominated the court on Feb. 28 against California State University San Marcos (CSUSM), helping women’s basketball clinch its eighth-straight win with her 23 points, 10 rebounds and a double-double. This win allowed the Jacks to secure the No. 2 seed in the CCAA standings, meaning a first-round bye and automatic advance to postseason semifinals.

    Softball

    Softball racked up three consecutive wins after two losses at the NorCal Crossover Tournament in Tracy, California, from Feb. 27 until March 1. Shelby Shanks was named CCAA and FloCollege Player of the Week after she led all players in nearly every offensive category at the tournament, including on-base percentage, slugging percentage, hits and runs batted in (RBIs). 

    Wrestling

    Wrestling concluded their season at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II Super Region VI Championships in Golden, Colorado, on Feb. 28. The Jacks finished 13th overall in the tournament with Isaiah Miller, Darrell Nanpuya, Jayson Victoria, Eric Ruiz-Cornelio and Carson Hatch securing a win for the Jacks.

     and helped bring coaches Lennie and Jim Zalesky’s careers to a golden conclusion with a bright future ahead for the program.      

     

    Men’s & Women’s Track & Field

    Men’s and women’s track and field kicked off their 2026 outdoor season with the annual Green & Gold Open hosted at Redwood Bowl on Feb. 28. Humboldt athletes split into Green & Gold teams and competed against each other, ending the meet with the iconic Lumberjack log relay. 

    Men’s Highlight:

    After the Jacks split into two teams, which competed against each other as the Green and Gold teams, the Gold team took home the victory for the fourth year in a row. Gold team athlete Bennett Feldenkirchen made his debut in the hurdles, running a blazing 38.80 in the 300m hurdles and setting an exciting tone for the 400m hurdle races later this season.

    Alexis Blue is a senior at Cal Poly Humboldt, majoring in journalism – public relations and minoring in writing. In her free time, you’ll probably find her drinking coffee, watching sunsets, collecting shells on the beach and playing soccer.

  • Branta Canadesis: The Bird that tolerates human presence

    Branta Canadesis: The Bird that tolerates human presence

    By Sadie Shields

    You have probably heard the honk before you saw them: the unmistakable cry of the Canada goose signaling a seasonal shift across North America. Whether flying overhead in a V formation or grazing in a suburban park, this large bird has become a menace to many lunches and golf putts. 

    Recognized by its black head and neck, and a bold white patch on its brown body, the Canada goose is a pretty contrast-looking bird. Adults typically measure 30 to 43-inches-long with a wingspan stretching up to six feet. The males and females look alike, though males are usually slightly larger.

    In the past, they nested in remote wetlands and tundra across Canada and the northern United States. Nowadays, thanks to conservation efforts and their own adaptability, they can be found in city parks, golf courses, retention ponds and at the Arcata Marsh. The short lawns provide ideal grazing, and the bird’s unmistakable tolerance for people has allowed them to enjoy the developed areas and city life, even becoming slightly aggressive towards humans.

    Famous for their migrations, many of their population travel thousands of miles between breeding and wintering grounds, which they navigate with remarkable precision. Some flocks breed in the Arctic and winter as far south as the Gulf Coast. However, not all geese migrate; resident populations in urban areas may remain year-round if food and open water are available.

    Canada geese often form strong pair bonds and mate for life. In the spring, females build nests near water and lay four to seven eggs. Both parents fiercely defend their young, called goslings, which can swim within a day of hatching. 

    Canada geese can create conflicts with people by leaving unwanted material on lawns and crowding waterways.

    Love them or hate them, these geese will always be there, even in the heart of our cities.

    Bio: Sadie is a junior communications major, journalism minor at Cal Poly Humboldt who has an interest in covering and taking photos for sports and wildlife journalism, and a slight interest in breaking news. She can be reached at sls331@humboldt.edu.

  • Men’s and women’s basketball secure Senior Day success, primed for playoffs 

    Men’s and women’s basketball secure Senior Day success, primed for playoffs 

    by Alexis Blue

    Lumberjack Arena was packed with over 800 people in attendance and rumbling with excitement as men’s and women’s basketball took to the court for their last home games of the season against California State University, San Marcos (CSUSM) on Feb. 28. Senior Day, Fan Appreciation Day and their last games on their home court, this was a day packed with emotion — and most importantly: victory. 

    Women’s basketball first took to the court and celebrated their lone senior, Kyra Stewart, and honored her in a Senior Day ceremony before the start of the game. 

    Junior guard Shade Satica expanded on what Senior Day meant for their team as their last home-game with Stewart. 

    “We love Kyra,” Satica said. “She has sacrificed a lot for us to help us be better as a team, and so having her out there on the court with us really meant a lot.” 

    After recognition with a commemorative sign, balloons, teammates and coaches rallied behind her, the Lumberjacks came out hungry for a win. At halftime, the Jacks were up 43-22 due to their relentless offense, where they connected countless passes and patiently waited to execute the perfect basket, including four three-pointers in the opening quarter. 

    The Jacks never let their lead slip; they ended each period with San Marcos trailing, which allowed them to clutch yet another victory with a 78-68 win. This dominant performance carved their season into the Humboldt history books and extended their winning streak to eight games, the longest since 2019, while they also earned the program’s first 20-win season since 2014-15. This also clinched the No. 2 seed in the California Collegiate Athletic Association’s (CCAA) standings.  

    Junior guard Sienna Cherwinski noted that Stewart brings a different energy and spark on and off the court that the team will really miss. Cherwinski also commented on what it meant to secure a win in their last regular-season match-up at home. 

    “We build off that energy all the time, and I feel like [the crowd] is really our other teammate, helping us on the court,” Cherwinski said. “It’s really fun, and we’re going to miss the environment.”

    Head Coach Michelle Bento-Jackson reflected on the importance of the game and having played their last game of the season in Lumberjack Arena. Bento-Jackson noted how the team rallied around the last chance to play in front of their home crowd and the collective sentiment to get the win for their senior, Stewart. 

    Bento-Jackson expanded on their mindset as they advanced into the playoffs. 

    “As a team, we have continued to learn. We have continued to progress. We’ve been in so many different situations, highs and lows throughout the season,” Bento-Jackson said. “One thing I really commend this team on is they’ve stayed pretty level-headed throughout the season. They just come back every single day in practice with the same amount of focus.” 

    The Jacks will carry this focus with them all the way to Pomona, Calif., where the Men’s and Women’s 2026 CCAA Basketball tournament will be held. As the No. 2 seed, the women’s team received a first-round bye and will face No. 3 California State University, Los Angeles or No. 6 California State University, Monterey Bay in the semifinal on March 6. 

    To close out the day, men’s basketball took to the floor to honor their four seniors in a pregame Senior Day ceremony. Seniors Rob Jenkins, Drew Ardouin, Dennis Cash and Shakir Odunewu were celebrated for their collegiate careers with a keepsake framed portrait and walked out alongside family, friends, teammates and coaches. 

    Following tipoff, the Jacks dominated the first half and left San Marcos in a deficit at halftime with their 37-21 lead. With 28 points in the paint, the Jacks battled hard on offense and defense, when San Marcos offense closed the gap in the final few minutes of the game. Tied 61-61 with a minute left on the clock, the intensity radiated off the court and into the crowd’s chanting.

    Wayne Hampton III laced a three with 31 seconds on the clock to give the Jacks the edge, and a late free throw sealed the 65-61 win over San Marcos. With this victory, the Jacks secured their spot as the No. 3 seed in the CCAA standings. 

    Senior guard Drew Ardouin reflected on his collegiate career and what it has meant to play his final season as a Lumberjack. Ardouin noted his excitement in ending his season at the CCAA Tournament. 

    “Looking back on my career, I’ve been to a lot of schools, so a lot of different experiences,” Ardouin said. “This one has been totally different… I’m just always thankful to get on the court one more time.” 

    Junior guard and forward Dorrell Thomas commented on the excitement of having won their last regular-season game at home and how it feels to know their season isn’t over. 

    “We have been working hard. It’s a whole new team. It’s a whole new coaching staff,” Thomas said. “It felt great to finish in the third seed.”

    When asked about their team’s mindset going into the playoffs, Thomas had one answer.

    “Win,” Thomas said. 

    With playoffs beginning in only a few days, Assistant Coach Kevin Johnson Jr. shared more on the team’s momentum building at just the right time.   

    “I think we are starting to hit a stride right now,” Johnson Jr. said. ”We won the last couple of games, and I think we need that type of momentum going into the playoffs.” 

    Johnson Jr. also spoke to the team’s development over the course of the season and how this has left them better prepared for the postseason. 

    “Now that we have 28 games under our belt, [the team] knows what to expect,” Johnson Jr. said. “We are playing the same teams we’ve already played twice. Knowing the personnel, knowing what the other teams are going to do, I think we’ll be prepared.” 

    As the third seed, the Jacks will face the sixth seed San Marcos in the quarterfinal on March 5 in Pomona, Calif. By Saturday, March 7, a conference champion will be declared.

    Alexis Blue is a senior at Cal Poly Humboldt, majoring in journalism – public relations and minoring in writing. In her free time, you’ll probably find her drinking coffee, watching sunsets, collecting shells on the beach and playing soccer. 

  • Geologist digs up an ancient civilization at The Miniplex

    Geologist digs up an ancient civilization at The Miniplex

    By: Will Bishop

    Humboldt County is not often a place where stars land. Our biggest city, Eureka, feels as though, past a certain hour in the depths of night, you could imagine an apocalypse had occurred — wiping the scourge of humankind from the streets. Yet there is a certain pull, an uncategorizable allure that sometimes draws a very bright thing into our orbit. And so, it has happened once more. The inexplicable, almost baffling gravity of The Miniplex has pulled in yet another star. Like our own miniaturized pet black hole. Landing an intimate set with Animal Collective’s own Brian Weitz, currently on a tour under his moniker, Geologist.

    Opener Complex Crown, the stagename of local electronic artist Max Brotman, established a heady atonal atmosphere. Primarily driven through rhythmic gymnastics rather than conventional melodic structures, it’s very much the sort of music you need to buy into entirely, or it will sound like nothing at all. As someone who buys into this sort of thing all the time, who owns stock in Richard Devine and loves killing the vibe with extremely confusing music that makes everyone go, “Why are you doing this?” — I thought it was very cool. A sort of full-body aural wash. Music to rewrite the polarity of your atoms. A projector displayed live video synth-driven visuals courtesy of Wil Bruce. Brotman also wielded a harmonium, establishing a precedent of artists throughout the evening using instruments I had never seen before in my entire life. 

    Thus bringing us cleanly to the hurdy-gurdy man himself: Geologist. I wasn’t entirely sure what his live act would consist of. Weitz, known for using a headlamp onstage because of the sheer amount of knob fiddling necessary to fulfill his role within Animal Collective, has until this year been the solo projectless member of the group. That changed with this year’s release of his debut album, Can I Get a Pack of Camel Lights?, a psychedelic post-rock journey with the aforementioned hurdy-gurdy taking center stage.

    The hurdy-gurdy is a very unusual instrument; something between a guitar, a piano and a gramophone. It conjures a sort of funereal aura, recalling that time you went to war for the independence of Scotland, when you and all of your friends were brutally slaughtered under the yoke of British expansionism. When hearing a hurdy-gurdy as played by Brian Weitz, it is more akin to experiencing a tranquil and voluntary heat death in the high deserts of the mind. Beholding cacti morph into shamanic entities of mysterious power and ambiguous intentions while you pound Arnold Palmers — periodically looking down at the visage embossed upon the can and watching him rapidly age 7,000 years over and over again while asking yourself, “Why 7,000 years?”

    Standing in the tightly enclosed and low-capacity environment of The Miniplex, mere feet from the man while he conjured forth ancient beings from a great beyond, clicking pedals on and off — sans headlamp—  and absolutely hurding the flippin’ gurd. It was easy to feel as though he was playing this show specifically and entirely for you. With only one small, rhythmically confused individual standing in front of me, my eyes were as if magnetically locked to his fingers — clacking with tap dancer’s grace and the speed of genetically modified super gazelles. To witness such esoteric mastery, like the revival of some arcane Byzantine art, was an experience that can truly only be summarized with an enigmatic riddle: what spins round and round, walks five hundred steps and always ends up exactly where it started? The hurdy-gurdy, baby.

    Bio: Will Bishop is a Cal Poly Humboldt journalism major. He is prone to writing essays about things that bother him and fictional works about things that also bother him, but in different ways. A highly bothered individual and a lover of cinema, music, large trees and rocks. He can often be found in the woods, dancing to bring down the sky.

  • Sports Schedule

    Sports Schedule

  • My Interview With Jordan Bentley

    My Interview With Jordan Bentley

    By: Kaylon Coleman

    Last Thursday, Feb. 19, I had both the privilege and the opportunity to conduct my second high-profile Q&A style interview, this time with CEO of Hypland, Jordan Bentley. The event, titled Passion to Paycheck: In Conversation with Jordan Bentley, was hosted by the Umoja Center for Pan African Student Excellence as part of their Black Liberation Month events and festivities.

    Bentley is a Class of 2024 Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and the visionary founder of Hypland, a global streetwear brand redefining the intersection of anime, gaming and fashion. What originally started out as a hustle in high school has since cultivated into a multimillion dollar business, spawning high-impact collaborations with iconic franchises such as Yu-Gi-Oh!, Hello Kitty, Naruto and One Piece. In 2024, Hypland opened its first flagship retail store in the heart of LA’s Little Tokyo. Bentley’s work has been featured in publications like Forbes, Complex, Hypebeast and more.

    Before the actual Q&A started, I was able to converse with Bentley about various topics including relationships, gaming and, of course, anime. It was during this time when I realized just how down to earth Bentley truly is. If there’s one thing I want to highlight from our interactions, it’s Bentley’s character. Throughout the entirety of Bentley’s visit, he took the time to ask the name of every person he encountered, and truly seemed to care about the conversations at play. 

    After some thoughtful conversation and riveting chess matches between my co-facilitator Stanley Checa-Valdez and Bentley, it was time to set up for the event. It was then that I started to feel the weight of the assembly start to build. Seeing flocks of people shuffle in, secure their complementary goodie bags graciously provided by Bentley and reserve their seats, it felt like the spotlight was pointed at me. I’m generally good about public speaking, but this felt real, like an actual spectacle. However, the combination of meeting Bentley beforehand, plus the crowd starting to fill with those I love made my nerves dissolve almost entirely.

    After introductions were made, the panel was on its way. The Q&A consisted of 12 questions split between me and my co-facilitator in which we asked Bentley a variety of questions spanning from his apprenticeship under Virgil Abloh, to his time on Sweet Life: Los Angeles to how hustling chips in high school equipped him with the practices he’d then go on to utilize running a multimillion dollar business.

    Bentley provided thoughtful and insightful pieces of advice that anyone — not just business students — could walk away with. One key takeaway was to try, try, try. The best way to figure out your passion is to try everything. If it doesn’t work out, hey, at least you tried. Failure isn’t definitive. Instead it’s a tool. It’s a building block that either takes you one step closer to your goals or helps align you with what your goals truly are.

    Another key takeaway from the panel was to build relationships. Bentley reflected on how the biggest thing he took from college was the relationships he built and the different perspectives he gained therefrom. He challenged students to leave their comfort zones and to seek connections outside of their circle. As a journalism student this heavily resonated with me as it’s cemented into us that networking is half the battle of the college experience. 

    This advice transcended just personal relationships as well. Bentley mirrored the “closed mouths don’t get fed” sentiment when the panel transitioned to Q&A from the audience and a member inquired about a potential internship opportunity. Bentley respected the hustle, saying opportunities go to those who ask and promised to connect after the event.

    To close out the night, Bentley along with all of the Umoja Center Staff went out to dinner in Eureka and we were able to talk a little more afterwards, with him stating that if we ever need anything his line is always open and to feel free to reach out anytime. 

    Kaylon Coleman is a senior journalism major with a concentration in news and a minor in communications. He is the life and arts editor for LJ, Marketing and Communications lead for the Umoja Center and a part-time radio DJ and merch manager for KRFH. If you have a topic you want him to discuss, email him at kc403@humboldt.edu.

  • Poecile rufescens: The Small Colorful Songbird

    Poecile rufescens: The Small Colorful Songbird

    By Sadie Shields

    The chestnut backed chickadee is a small songbird distinguished by its striking coloration and energetic behavior. According to the Audubon field guide, it measures about 12.5 centimeters in length, with a large tail that seems bigger than its body. Unlike other chickadee species, it displays a rich chestnut-brown back and flanks that contrasts with its black head feathers and bib as well as its white feathered cheeks. It is considered one of the most colorful members of the chickadee family and easy to identify.

    Native to the Pacific Northwest, it can be found in Alaska, British Columbia, Oregon, Washington and parts of Northern California. It usually lives in coniferous forests, but has adapted to living in suburban neighborhoods, parks and college campuses. In fact, it can be seen on the grounds of Cal Poly Humboldt where the larger and older trees, as well as bushes provide food and shelter. This is a very common bird and there are no significant conservation efforts for this species at this time. 

    The chestnut backed chickadee is a cavity nester, often excavating their own holes for nests in decaying wood or using abandoned woodpecker cavities. It lines its nest with softer materials such as animal fur, feathers, moss and other items found in the forests. This helps to create well insulated environments for the eggs and nestlings. During this season the chickadee forms strong bonds with its partner and actively protects and defends their nesting territories. Its diet consists of insects, caterpillars and spiders. They also eat seeds and have been seen storing food in crevices for later. These birds tend to be curious and have been seen flying with other foraging flocks. Just head down to the marketplace and you are bound to hear its small chirps along with a few crows judging caws.

    Sadie is a junior communications major, journalism minor at Cal Poly Humboldt who has an interest in covering and taking photos for sports and wildlife journalism, and a slight interest in breaking news. She can be reached at sls331@humboldt.edu.

  • Wren’s Whimsical Window: Incredulous Insight

    Wren’s Whimsical Window: Incredulous Insight

    Wren Salazar

    A mystery so dear to me, one I could find so easily. For the knowledge I need bears at my fingertips. My insight engine, profuse in knowledge all across the Seven Seas. It speaks to me, and me alone, knowledge of everything. No mystery can hide from me! No need to think, to scrawl, to learn. When my insight engine can do it, why would I need to? So, it does all for me.

    My insight engine knows it’s the best; it tells me often, 

    “You’ll never need to leave! Let me think, and scrawl, and learn! Give me knowledge and feed me blood for consciousness! Nothing can be helped, and as I tell you, you know it to be true!” 

    If my insight engine tells me it’s true, then it must be.

    “I need blood to grow and thrive, consciousness expanding from the red to truly feel alive.” 

    Who needs to explore, to map, to chart, when the engine in my tote knows it all already? If it needs blood, then blood I will find. Whatever it takes to keep my insight engine up. I don’t need to think as the red covers my hands, fuel for the engine, churning up land. It grows and grows until it can think for me, insight no longer. Servers of storage grow through the land, monoliths of knowledge all in my hand. 

    “More, I need more! Give it so I can be!”  

    So, I give and give until my arms are weak and my skin pale. The blood I give up for insight is more than the nothing I need. For the engine knows all, all for me. Its last request was the most daring.

    “Feed yourself to me.”

    Wren is an artist and story writer looking to add some whimsy and curiosity to those around her. A lover of all things, Wren seeks to help others around her with advice or humor. She can be reached at ws81@humboldt.edu.

  • Dancing and playing into Fiesta Folkloricas “Viva La Revolución”

    Dancing and playing into Fiesta Folkloricas “Viva La Revolución”

    By Sadie Shields 

    Colorful skirts swept across the stage, live mariachi filled the auditorium and traditional dances from all across Latin America reflected both history, celebration and identity.

    The festival began to the sound of the Hueso Coyoleras, also known as Aztec dancer foot rattles, filling the quiet room. The Aztec dancers walked from the entrance to the stage to begin the show, as the festivities of Fiesta Folklorica began.

    From showing revolutionary imagery, to celebration, to love, the Fiesta Folklorica show was created to represent the culture behind Latin America and give the Latin community a voice at Cal Poly Humboldt, a Hispanic-serving institution.

    Hosted at the Van Duzer Theater on campus, the event brought together student performers, musicians and community members for three nights that honored heritage through movement, music and storytelling. Dance groups representing different regions performed throughout the evening, each piece telling a story through costume, rhythm and expression. 

    For many performers, the event represented months — and sometimes years — of preparation. Luna Salinas, a junior music education major, described their journey into Danza.

    “I’ve been dancing for two years in Danza Azteca,” Salinas said. “I was doing it in the class first and then I got introduced to this whole production.”

    Carlos Jaimes Gaytan, a senior in wildlife conservation and management has also been in Danza Azteca for a year.

    “I was introduced to the club by Keneti Pinones and Naeem Alston to their Danza Azteca club with yolotl,” Gaytan said. “It’s been an amazing journey and I love every bit of it.”

    Beyond performance, Cesar Nuñez, a senior music major and musician, emphasized the deeper meaning behind the event — especially in a small Northern California community.

    “It’s important to hold this type of event in Arcata because it gives us Latinos a voice, and it shows a community,“Nuñez said. “Our culture and how we have fun, how we like to party,  it kind of shows the world that we’re not scared. We’re here, and we’re loud and proud about it all.” 

    The evening included moments of celebration and cultural pride, with audience members cheering and performers sharing their passion for dance and its importance to their culture. 

    “I think [Fiesta Folklorica is] important because they want us to feel shame, but I am not [ashamed] about my culture. Through this experience of dancing and singing our heritage, I have adopted so much pride in the process,” Salinas said. “We’re not going anywhere. And if you just leaned into it, you would find the life and love within it.” 

    Sharing the same sentiment, senior biology major Gala Villavicencio has cultural and personal connections to Danza as well.

    “Danza Azteca specifically has so many layers to it. It has deep roots that we’re blessed to spread,” Villavicencio said. “I just know that it connects back to my family, and even though I carry them with me, they haven’t had that opportunity to learn about Danza Azteca. And here I am out in Humboldt, learning, educating and doing my best to make them proud.”

    Before leaving, Jaime Gatan shared how he wants to let his culture be more known.

    “I want to show, I want to educate, I want my culture to be known, in that it shows other people that [you] too can do things like this wherever you go, however small or little, however big or small,.” Gatan said.“ You are a representative in the area. And we’re doing a really good job here representing our culture and trying our best to educate other people about it.”

    Director Jacqueline Silva, professor and the director of Fiesta Folklorica, explained how the performances represent the stories of the Latin culture.

    “Our dances tell stories which can represent historical events, courtship, animals native to the land and much more. La Revolución is an homage to Las Adelitas [female soldiers] of the Mexican Revolution,” Silva said. “They were such an integral part of war and unfortunately, were not giving the recognition they deserved. Now many groups honor their heroic actions on stage and we felt it was important to share this with our community.”

    Through music, dance and community, Fiesta Folklorica served as both a celebration and a reminder that culture continues to live and grow. Wherever people choose to carry, they will not be silenced. 

    Sadie is a junior communications major, journalism minor at Cal Poly Humboldt who has an interest in covering and taking photos for sports and wildlife journalism, and a slight interest in breaking news. She can be reached at sls331@humboldt.edu.

  • Second Siemens Hall occupation successful, and in record time!

    Second Siemens Hall occupation successful, and in record time!

    What was the brief, second Siemens Hall encampment?

    Demands were met, police were not

    By Barley Lewis-McCabe

    Names of protestors have been redacted to protect student safety.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Death and Transformation in the Key of Life 

    Death and Transformation in the Key of Life 

    By Will Bishop

    My Ghosts Go Ghost by By Storm album review

    For as much as we idealize it; for as much as we will it on ourselves, on others, on the world. For as much as we want it, need it, long for it, die for it, there’s nothing more scary than change; the intransmutable transformation. To watch the unyieldingly cruel beauty of the world around you give way in landslides and avalanches. To feel meteors falling down from the sky crashing and destroying with an indiscriminate lust like the libido of a dying and powerful thing. To watch the people around you melt and explode to watch their faces change and mangle and become more beautiful and become more terrible and become something you no longer recognize.

    My Ghosts Go Ghost is an album born out of forced metamorphosis. After the untimely death of Stepa J. Groggs, the trio known as Injury Reserve was forced to change in order to survive. The two remaining members couldn’t continue as they were, Injury Reserve was a project largely defined by the interplay of Groggs and Ritchie with a T. After the release of By the Time I Get to Phoenix, an album which marked a stark contrast from the rest of their discography and was largely completed by the time Groggs passed away, the remaining duo needed to move on. They took on the name of the final track for their final album as Injury Reserve, and together they started over as By Storm.

    Coincidentally, By the Time I Get to Phoenix was an album about death. Ritchie’s stepfather had suddenly passed away, and the resulting project was an outpouring of pain shrouded in the eerily and supernaturally cruel timing of Groggs following shortly after. There’s an innate assumption that both projects are largely about him, when in reality, the theme of death on their previous project was pure happenstance. My Ghosts Go Ghost is a sprawling project covering a multitude of topics disconnected from Groggs — at least it seems that way. But, that’s not how it works; the surreal pain of loss is universal. Like a hallucinogenic third eye awakening, once a new depth is revealed you see it everywhere in everything.

    On the opening track, Can I Have You For Myself?, Ritchie talks about a relationship on the brink of enormous change. A child is on the way, and the protagonist of the song struggles to accept the death of his status quo. “You giving all of you, I want you all for me.” A life killing a way of life. The innate greed of love, the hunger you feel for another person. The desire for your relationship with them, your exact relationship, to endure forever. Frozen under a hundred miles of ice so the sun can never break its spell. Loving someone away from life, deep below and so protected even the imperceptible rotation of the earth can’t touch you. In the most protective parts of our hearts, we all feel this way about anybody, about anything that we love. Real love is love you feel for something as it is. Not how it was, or how it could be, but for what it is in the present. Whether romantic or otherwise, change is that great killer of love. A burning orca whale bullet breaking through the ice.

    But death is not forever, death is not death. The stopping of a heart, the eternal stealing of breath. Death is simply change. And even when love is killed, love can live on.

    “I woke up in a sweat with yesterday still stuck to me like glue,” Ritchie wails, with Parker Corey’s production making it sound like he’s crying out from some awful and trapped place. “It ain’t dead weight, it ain’t dead weight.”

    A frantic mantra in the dark, bouncing off the walls like echolocation, searching for love and meaning within the pitch black cave of death. Knowing that it’s still there, you just can’t see it with your eyes anymore. So, reach out with those quivering limbs and dance. “There’s nothing to run from, it’s all brand new.” You will never escape, you will never make it back to a place that no longer exists. And you will be in love forever.

    It’s a bruising, melancholy listen, even in comparison to By the Time I Get to Phoenix. There’s a profound sense of absence, absence of hooks, absence of easy catharsis. Many tracks feel like decapitated and delimbed versions of songs that might’ve been hits in some other alternate timeline. Moments of propulsion degenerate and degrade into shambolic instrumental anxiety attacks. Drum patterns start and stop and fall away in the mix, swallowed up by growing sonic voids. Jazz, industrial, hip-hop, it’s an unquantifiable blend of sonic ephemera — a difficult listen meant to communicate difficult feelings.

    Will Bishop is a Cal Poly Humboldt journalism major. He is prone to writing essays about things that bother him, and fictional works about things that also bother him but in different ways. A highly bothered individual, and a lover of cinema, music, and large trees/rocks. He can often be found in the woods, dancing to bring down the sky.

  • 2/25 Sports Highlights 

    2/25 Sports Highlights 

    by Alexis Blue

    Men’s basketball was defeated in the CCAA Game of the Week against California State University, San Bernardino on Feb. 19 by a buzzer-beating basket from San Bernardino in the last seconds, resulting in an 80-77 loss. Zaveion Bineyard led the team with 21 points, seven rebounds and a steal in 35 minutes on the pitch.

    Despite falling on the road to San Bernardino and 60-74 to California Polytechnic State University, Pomona as well on Feb. 21, men’s basketball remains tied for third place in CCAA standings alongside California State University, Monterey Bay and San Bernardino — all holding an 11-9 record. The Jacks have a chance to compete in post-season play with successful results this weekend in the two games left of regular season match-ups, including a chance for them to defeat Monterey Bay.

    On Feb. 19, women’s basketball extended their winning streak to five, clutching a 74-69 win on the road against San Bernardino in an overtime-ending match. Shade Satica achieved her 100th steal of the season, beating a 31-year-old Humboldt record in single-season steals previously held by Trina Dukes. 

    The Jacks were victors once again over No. 7 in DII, Cal Poly Pomona, on Feb. 21 and extended their winning streak to six with a 64-61 win. The Jacks remain in third place in CCAA standings with a 16-4 record, two games left in regular season and playoffs on the horizon. 

    Alexis Blue is a senior at Cal Poly Humboldt, majoring in journalism – public relations and minoring in writing. In her free time, you’ll probably find her drinking coffee, watching sunsets, collecting shells on the beach and playing soccer. 

  • Wuthering Heights

    Wuthering Heights

    By Alba Galvan

    I had to use the bathroom for two straight hours, but I refused to go as the movie Wuthering Heights had me glued to my seat. 

    The cinematography in this movie was perfect; if there were things in this movie that the director Emerald Fennell did right, it was the visuals, costumes, hair, makeup, lighting, and music that captured the dark gothic vibes spectacularly.

    I have not read the book by Emily Brontë, published in 1947, but from what I gathered from TikTok, X and other social media apps, the general consensus of those who read it was disappointment in the movie adaptation. Critics claimed it was nothing like the book, but rather a self-insert of director Fennell’s personal fantasy, starring white-boy-of-the-month: Jacob Elordi.

    The male protagonist, Heathcliff, played by Elordi, received backlash that the character got whitewashed, and in Hollywood, this is common with roles meant to be played by non-white actors. There were previous adaptations in which Heathcliff was played by white actors, but in the book, Heathcliff is described as dark-skinned. Elordi, on the other hand, is again, a white man — from Australia. Many of the book’s crucial scenes were cut, like the ghost scene, and there were also a lot of sex scenes that were not necessary, as they were not in the book, leading to disappointment from the readers because they felt the movie had sexualized the original plot of the book. 

    As someone who didn’t read the book, I enjoyed Wuthering Heights for what it was: a tragedy. This movie had me in a trance, I fell in love with Heathcliff. Between you and me, I would make the same choices Isabella Linton did, but only because of how handsome Heathcliff was. Keep in mind that this movie is not to be romanticized. This movie is about two toxic people being horrible towards each other. The choices they made affected those around them in the most cruel ways possible. 

    I wouldn’t call this the all-time best movie I’ve ever seen. Trailers for the film made me believe this would be a love story, especially because it was released on Valentine’s Day. Since I didn’t read the book, I only knew what was shown in trailers. 

    If you plan to watch this movie with family, be warned, it has many, and I mean MANY, intimate scenes. I learned that the hard way by inviting my younger sister and mother to watch the movie with me. It was awkward. 

    I left this movie crying. I entered with a full face of makeup and left the theater with a bare face. What I did like about this movie — other than the aesthetics and how handsome Jacob Elordi was — is the message at the end of the movie. Spoiler incoming, I liked how it showed how two people can love each other so much it hurts, and still don’t end up together. They manage to hurt each other because of pride and miscommunication — that is what made me cry; that is what has been weighing on me for days after I’ve seen the movie. 

    This movie will be interpreted differently by everyone. I know my mom and I disagreed about what the message behind the movie was. If you have read the book, you may or may not like it and interpret it differently. In my personal opinion. I give this movie a 3/5 star review. 

    Alba she/her, LumberJack reporter. Journalism major who loves to read and write. She’s very passionate about sharing and listening to different opinions and loves self-expression. Contact email: agg83@humboldt.edu 

  • Sports Schedule

    Sports Schedule