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LUMBERJACK WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 2022 | VOL. 120 NO. 13
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pg 5 Gutswurrak student Humboldt
Grad Art center renaming Exhibit pg 5
Sexland pg 4
T H E L U M B E RJ A C K .O R G News.........................3 Life & Arts...........................4 Science....................6 Opinion...................7
CHARMAINE LAWSON DEMANDS JUSTICE FOR THE FIFTH YEAR “I said I would never give up and I’ll never stop fighting until justice is served for DJ.” -Charmaine Lawson
Photos by Morgan Hancock | Charmaine Lawson returned to Humboldt, on the fifth anniversary of her son David Josiah Lawson’s death, to demand justice on April 15. On the Eureka Courthouse steps, community members gathered at a candelight vigil for Lawson. Above: Lawson addresses D.A. Maggie Flemming’s office from the courthouse steps. “Fleming failed to prosecute the person responsible for my son’s murder...to know that his life didn’t matter to District Attorney Fleming hurts,” Lawson said. Pastor Bethany Csesh accompanies Lawson on the steps. Left, top: Charmaine Lawson and Bethany Csesh hug after Lawson spoke about the death of her son. Left, bottom: Vigil attendees pass around petitions as Charmaine Lawson speaks.
Indigenous Foods Festival USA TODAY investigates teaches food sovereignty Humboldt professor by Krisanne Keiser On a bright sunny Saturday morning, students, faculty, and local tribal peoples came together to celebrate the Rou Dalagurr Food Sovereignty Lab & Cultural Workspace at the Indigenous Foods Festival. The event was held on the Cal Poly Humboldt campus on April 16 and was part of a monthlong Food
by Liam Gwynn Summit that is focused on educating students, staff, and the public about. food sovereignty. The event featured special featured films, keynote speaker presentations, and numerous outdoor volunteer opportunities working with plants andlearning thoughtful ways to gather that respects Indigenous self-determination of land. Several speakers presented in the Native American Forum, each giving information about their respective organizations and how they are practicing food sovereignty. One event hosted by the California Indian Museum & Cultural Center was incredibly informative. Executive Director Nicole Myers-Lim led the presentation and discussed the projects their native youth are working on as part of the museum’s Tribal Youth Ambassadors program. One of those projects was creating acorn bites, which was an idea that came from one of the youths, and was being sold during the event. I must add that they were extremely delicious! During the presentation, MyersLim reminded the audience that in order to practice food sovereignty, there are several elements to consider such as land access, settler laws and regulations within park systems, as well as handling public harassment and racism when gathering on public lands. Additionally, the monetization and over-harvesting of natural foods such as abalone have prevented their tribe— the Pomo Tribe— from utilizing this natural resource, which is a large part of their culture.
SEE INDIGENOUS FOOD ● PAGE 4
Professor accused of sexual assault and the school continued to employ him for years. One dean who spoke out experienced retaliation Last week the USA TODAY published an extensive expose, unearthing sexual assault allegations against a former dean and current professor who is currently teaching in the College of Professional Studies at Cal Poly Humboldt. Since the release of the story, another dean has been fired and Lee continues to work, even if people aren’t showing up to class. In 2015, John Lee was a dean at Cal Poly Humboldt but after an investigation organized by the school found evidence of four counts of sexual harassment, Lee was given three months of paid leave and transitioned into a tenured professor position. The two women who accused Lee were forced to work in the same department as the man who allegedly assaulted them. One unnamed professor told the USA TODAY that Lee had groped and tried to forcibly kiss her on three occasions. Her husband corroborated the story saying that on one occasion he had to physically pull Lee off his wife. Before the sexual harassment claims were submitted, the school had already received numerous complaints about Lee, citing bullying and abusive behavior. Lee was able to maintain a position at the school because he invoked “retreat rights” that can be found in a majority of CSU dean contracts. “Retreat rights” give deans the right
to a full-time professor position if they are ever fired from their position as a dean. These clauses did not have any stipulations regarding Title IX violations. This is how Lee was able to retain a teaching job paying $154,000 a year working in the same department as the two women who accused him of sexual misconduct. School representative Grant Scott-Goforth told USA TODAY that Cal Poly Humboldt changed the contracts after John Lee’s case so that retreat rights wouldn’t apply to faculty that violate campus policies. However, USA TODAY reporter Kenny Jacoby found two contracts from administrators currently working at Cal Poly Humboldt, neither of which had any changes that the school claimed they made. In a conversation with The Lumberjack, Jacoby claimed that he contacted the school asking about the two aforementioned contracts. The representative simply asked who gave the contracts to him and when he told them, they never responded. The Lumberjack also reached out for a response regarding the John Lee situation, but after asking about the changes in the contracts, they stopped responding.
SEE TITLE IX ● PAGE 3
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Wednesday, April 27, 2022
Humboldt State has officially been erased and replaced, but at what cost? by Ione Dellos
From the new signs at the campus entrance to the Cal Poly header on your “Possible COVID Exposure” email from the Student Health Center, the new polytechnic status of Humboldt has been hammered home to students many times in the past few months. Despite the many open forums and countless emails the University has sent to students explaining the new polytechnic status, does anyone really know how much things cost? Starting in August of 2021, California Governor Gavin Newsom approved a $458 million investment in Cal Poly Humboldt. The allocation of funds is supposed to overhaul the university, with investments in updating aging infrastructure, adding several new majors by fall 2023, and several new buildings on campus. The impressive financial package also includes a yearly infusion of $25 million from the state, which Humboldt has built into its initial planning estimates. Initially, the $25 million will be used primarily for one-time spending initiatives, like rebranding and marketing the campus. For the 2021-2022 school year alone, $1.3 million has been set aside for rebranding/marketing efforts. Another $665,000 has been set aside for rebranding through campus signage, and if you didn’t think
all of the Cal Poly Humboldt signs seen while fighting for your life up the stairs to Founder’s Hall were excessive, the University has set aside $983,000 for additional campus signage for the 2022-2023 school year. This does coincide with the school’s budgeting plans, as 2021-2022 costs are supposed to cover program start-up costs, while 2022-2023 costs will ramp up with the ongoing new projects. Additionally, the 2022-2023 school year will cover the first round of faculty hiring ahead of the 2023 program launch. Higher education marketing firm SimpsonScarborough is working with the University to “energize and elevate” their brand, as stated in a December email to students. They are rolling out a multiple-phase branding campaign. The campaign started last November with the announcement of Humboldt’s polytechnic status, and will continue for years to come as Humboldt aims to get their brand out to students nationwide. This is the start of a multiple-year effort that begins with extensive research with the campus community, and the full timeline is displayed below: PHASE 1: November 15 – January 14, 2022 Transitional communications and marketing plan; audience research to inform the brand. PHASE 2: January 14 – May 6, 2022
Graphic by Ione Dellos
Brand strategy and development; creation of graphic identities; brand awareness campaign; prospective student recruitment collateral. PHASE 3: May 6 – August 5, 2022 Refreshed digital presence and web templates; assessment of internal ca-
pacity and structures. ONGOING EFFORT: Starting August 6, 2022 Sustained buildout and implementation of the brand through digital and traditional media, advertising strategies, media relations, and more.
Teamsters demonstrate for higher wages by Carlos Pedraza The Teamsters union marched across campus on Thursday, April 6 demonstrating against the California State University system offer, during union contract negotiations. The Teamsters union represents the service
and maintenance workers in the CSU. The demonstration began at the administration building at the quad. The demonstrators marched around the campus shouting slogans and demands. They ended their march in the quad where they continued to chant slogans until music was played from
the stage in the quad. During the pandemic, the union made an agreement with the CSU administration to avoid layoffs. The union will not renegotiate its contract with the CSU. Union member and housing maintenance worker Brian Wheeler spoke out on the issue. “We asked for 15%, 5% for 2020, 5% for 2021, and 5% going forward,” Wheeler said. “They offered us 3%.” He feels that with inflation increasing and the sacrifice the workers made during the COVID years, they deserve a higher wage increase. There were other teamster demonstrations across other California university campuses. The Teamster Local 2010 held demonstrations on the UC Berkeley campus, San Francisco State University, and Chico state campuses demanding the same contract renegotiation that the Cal Poly Humboldt workers are demonstrating for. When asked about the current negoPhoto by Carlos Pedraza | A group of demonstrators carry signs demanding a better contract.
TITLE IX FROM PAGE 1
The school’s official response to the situation has been very limited so far. They sent out an email three days before the USA TODAY story was released, attempting to reassure students and faculty that the school has resources for sexual assault survivors followed by instructions on what to do if contacted by the media. “For media inquiries about campus policy, decisions, and similar, spokespeople are designated by News & Information. You should not speak to the media on behalf of the campus unless you have been designated to,” states the email. “This is important to maintain consistency and to ensure that questions are answered as completely as possible.” That email is important because three days after the USA TODAY article was published, a dean who was quoted in the article speaking out against the school, was quietly relieved of his po-
sition as dean. The now-former dean, who wishes to remain anonymous, told the Lumberjack that he had already spoken to the reporter weeks prior to them sending out the notification not to talk to the media. That didn’t stop him from being demoted to a professor position, although officially, he was given no reasoning for the termination of his position. The school has yet to address whether or not they plan on reconsidering Lee’s position. Lee still vehemently maintains his innocence and although he originally would not speak to the press, he recently issued a statement to the Lumberjack which is linked below. In this statement, Lee denies all accusations and claims the investigation conducted by the school was biased against him and didn’t provide the proper due process. Lee also claims he had evidence that was dismissed and believes the school treated him unfairly. He goes on to detail all the work he’s done for women and minorities on campus and how the pushback he received was really just because people disagree with his decisions supporting BIPOC and women.
Although the statement gets a little off-topic, he makes his stance clear, he is owning up to nothing. With the school making it so difficult for people to speak out, it’s unclear if we will ever see any change with the contracts here. However, the Lumberjack will continue to investigate this story as the situation unfolds and if anyone has any information regarding John Lee you can reach out to us at contactthelumberjack@gmail.com as well as the Campus Advocate Team’s 24/7 confidential line (707) 445-2881
tiations, CSU spokesperson Kelly Hazel made it clear that the CSU organization is currently negotiating with union representatives. “The CSU values its employees and is committed to providing appropriate levels of compensation. We continue to meet at the bargaining table with the teamster representative,” said Hazel. She continued, explaining that the CSU’s main goal is a balanced budget and that the CSU will work towards this in the negotiations. The negotiations between the CSU and Teamsters are still ongoing, with the CSU offering a 4% wage increase for 2021-2022 but no wage increase for 2020.
Library returns by Cherish Fulcher The Cal Poly Humboldt Library is gearing up with lots of new additions and recourses for students as we switch from online to in-person classes on campus. Prior to the pandemic, the library was a common place for studying and meeting with friends, as well as a hub for student support. With students now returning to campus, the library staff is excited to be adding new additions to the library. “There isn’t much traffic in the library since we’ve slowly begun returning to campus, but now we are, we definitely want students to know that we are still here and there is a lot for them to get involved with,” said Tim Miller, head of SkillShops in the library. “In addition to academic support and the available technology in the library, we really want the students to know about the upcoming skill shops and the Makerspace,” Miller said. The Makerspace and SkillShops are located on the third floor of the library. There is a place to study, and access tech and recording equipment. In addition, SkillShops will be offering a series of workshops ranging from learning how to code to learning how to budget starting now and the following semesters ahead.
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Wednesday, April 27, 2022
THE LUMBERJACK
Life & Arts
The birds, the bees, and the buttplugs Sexland 2022 has a garden-themed kickoff in the by Alana Hackman “You’re prepared for your first orgy,” said Ash McElroy, a representative for the Eric Rofes Multicultural Queer center (ERC) as the student in front of her frantically attempts to slide lubed condoms over bowling pins in only a minute flat. This was just one of the events offered Saturday, April 23 at the first in-person Sexland since the COVID-19 pandemic. The event was put on by the Associated Students, The ERC, Peer Health Educators (PHE) and Check-it. Ravin Craig, a health educator on campus who oversees Oh Snap!, PHE, and Check-it, greeted guests at the event with bright sunflower earrings and plastic flowers weaved meticulously through the space buns atop their head. They eagerly checked students’ ID numbers and handed out stickers of anal beads and nametags reading “Hi, I’m Proud Bimbo” and “Hi, I’m Virgin” to any willing to take. “Students can come in and learn about different sexual health topics,” said Craig. “Each booth has different topics or is a different group on campus or in the community representing different aspects of sexual health, ranging from consent, STIs and STDS, or trans resources.” The event began at 1 p.m. and continued until 4 p.m. with a scheduled sex toy raffle at 3:30 p.m. Students were encouraged to walk around the event and interact with different booths to receive raffle tickets they can drop into a brown paper bag of choice for what raffle item they want to receive. Raffle items ranged from paper mushroom lanterns and lego flower sets to glow in the dark buttplugs and bondage kits.
Tables at the event students could interact with included a table about the safety of anal douching, consent scenarios, and the opportunity to get a Shibari chest tie by PHE educator Siera Cosper. Other activities included embroider your own boxer stations, sexy time dungeons and dragons games, sex-themed mocktails, and pizza and desserts up for grabs. Other campus groups were also tabling, including the women’s resource center, the Umoja Center, the Trans Task Force, and Students for Violence Prevention (SVP). The event was accompanied by a soundtrack of sex-positive female rappers like Latto and City Girls. Jacqueline Prieto, an SVP volunteer, was in charge of the three folding tables of sex toys on display and their matching paper bags filled with bright blue raffle tickets. Each paper bag had a short description of the toy and bolded keywords like “clit”, “anus” and “penis” to specify what part of the body the toy can be used on.
the room as names were announced one by one. Jose Luis Sandoval, a wildlife major, was one of the lucky winners. “Today I won the suction-powered stroker,” said Sandoval. “It’s actually really funny, cause I’ve been in touch with the coordinators cause I felt in the past the gender spectrums weren’t equally all represented at past events, and I asked them to include more products like these catered to the male anatomy.” The event seemed to have a large turnout for an in-person event on campus and many PHE educators like Aguilera and Emily Black were blown away by the turnout and glad to experience events like Sexland in person again. ERC event coordinator Dechen Melograno also added how impressed they were with the event’s efforts to destigmatize conversations about sex and pleasure aside from how uncommon that is in most American education systems. Melograno was glad to see discussions about sexual health as they believe it improves other human rights aspects like body positivity and mental health. “I see a lot of people blushing, but it looks like everyone’s having fun and enjoying the event,” said Melograno.
Photo by Abraham Navarro | Taylor Hendrix, 23, a Critical Race and Gender Studies major at Cal Poly Humboldt gets tied by Sierra Cosper, 24, a peer health educator at Sex Land in the Gutswurrak Student Activities Center on April 23.
Return of the 24 hour play festival at Cal Poly Humboldt by Sophia Escudero Putting on a play is traditionally no quick process. It takes months to take a script, design the set, costumes, and lights, cast actors, direct it, and have something polished enough to perform. The 24 hour play festival, however, turns that notion on its head. From 7 p.m. Friday night to the same time Saturday, a group of theater students wrote scripts and presented them as a series of short plays before an audience. The event was entirely student run and organized, and was produced by Cal Poly Humboldt students Austin Maisler and David Fisher. Maisler served as a producer, director, light designer, and stage manager. He had heard about the 24 hour play festival in his first year at Cal Poly Humboldt, but nothing came of it due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When campus reopened, the idea for the festival returned. “Spring came along and our department chair, Dr. Troy [Lescher] brought it up, like, ‘hey, does anybody want to run this?’” Maisler said. “I didn’t want to run it, I wanted to act in it, but nobody came forward so I talked to David. David and I decided to step forward and run this thing.” The process of organizing the festival was, by its nature, chaotic. Scripts were written overnight, and given to directors at 7 a.m. the next morning. The actors were cast less than twelve hours before they had to be off-book and ready to present the scene, and rehearsals were intermittently interrupted by costume fittings and discussions of the script. Lighting was finalized shortly before the house opened, and many people found themselves taking
“I think a lot of people are uncomfortable talking about sex and uncomfortable talking about pleasure or getting interested in what their pleasure is, so I think it’s important to let people know sex toys aren’t something to be ashamed of it is something everyone should try,” said Prieto. PHE educator Selena Aguilera’s table was themed around masturbation and included informal pamphlets about introducing yourself to masturbation and step by step guides. Students were able to get raffle tickets at her table naming sensitive parts of the body on diagrams. “I’m giving out pamphlets where I talk about the before care, the aftercare and during cause some people get antsy about that in their first experience,” said Aguilera. By 3:30, bags were overflowing with tickets and students gathered around the SAC stage in hopes their name would be called for their toy of choice. Hollers and claps spread throughout
on roles that they had not previously had experience in. “This is the first show I’ve ever designed lights for,” Maisler said. “I’m actually in the lighting class this semester, so I just stepped forward, like, I kind of know how to do this, so I’ll just do it.” The four scenes, each about ten minutes long, took on themes of college-aged ennui, failing romance, finding meaning in absurdity, and impending doom. Of the four playwrights, two also participated as actors, and one as a director. Actor and writer Ben Wimer had not been involved in a 24 hour play festival before in either capacity. He found writing for a 24 hour play festival to pose a unique challenge. As the script is to be presented less than a day after its completion, certain factors had to be considered. “I wanted to write something that was simple, but had an authenticity to it, and had dialogue that was easy for the actors to memorize— hopefully, it was easy to memorize— but still gave them a lot to play around with,” Wimer said. Mollie Donaldson had participated in a previous 24 hour play festival at Cal Poly Humboldt in early 2020 as an actor, a role she repeated two years later. She considers the festival to be intense, but rewarding. “It’s definitely stressful,” Donaldson said. “You’re handed a script at 8 a.m. and told at 7 p.m. that you’re supposed to perform it and block it and have everything memorized. It’s a stressful thing, but one of my favorite things is kind of shocking myself with how quickly I can memorize things.”
Indigenous Food FROM PAGE 1
“Our Pomo food that we love is abalone…we can’t eat abalone right now but when abalone was harvested, it was overharvested,” said Myers-Lim. “We’re really trying to educate non-native communities that this is our cultural resource; we need it for the continuity of our culture. It doesn’t have to be sold for $70 dollars on a plate at Oma’s in San Francisco.” Another aspect that Myers-Lim highlighted was how native youth had gradually lost interest in gathering natural foods and resources due to being subjected to harassment by the public. At one point the racism and harassment became so severe that the youth feared practicing their traditional gathering activities at local parks on local trails. To help mitigate this issue, the Native Youth Program created an educational card pamphlet called the ‘Culture Card: Tribal Member Educational Handout’ to give to park visitors who questioned, disturbed, and accused them of harming the environment while they were gathering. The culture cards discuss the cultural significance of traditional harvesting and gathering as well as explaining how and why gathering is a healthy activity. It also highlights gathering and harvesting permits. “We’re out there praying and giving gratitude to the plants that are sustaining us and so to be accused of abuse is ironic,” said Myers-Lim. “After hundreds of years of the abuse that’s happened through the Gold Rush, the wildfires and the dams and everything else.” If that wasn’t harmful enough, the program also has to obtain special 24hour permits before gathering which is just another hoop to jump through. “We have to work with them to have ancestral gathering rights that are recognized throughout the state,” said Myers-Lim. “As tribes we need to advocate for that through our consultation
policies and try to change that on those levels.” Past Cal Poly Humboldt chemistry major, Sunny Rojas (Yurok/Karuk/ Apache) stated that his people were not equipped to consume processed foods, and doing so has caused much damage to the health of his community. “It has a devastating effect on Americans and my people…we never ate like that in the past and our bodies are not quite equipped to deal with a lot of things that are surprisingly allowed in our food,” said Rojas. He expressed that one of his goals as a chemistry major was to learn more about the components of the earth, people, and the contents of America’s food. “I wanted to try and find some way to help this poisoned food system we have in America right now,” said Rojas.
THE LUMBERJACK
Life & Arts
Wednesday, April 27, 2022
PAGE 5
Gutswurrak official naming ceremony New Student Activities Center aims to honor the Wiyot People by Ione Dellos On Wednesday, April 20th, the University officially renamed the Student Activities Center to the Gutswurrak Student Activities Center in a ceremony at the building located by the UC quad. Pronounced “guts-wuh-dock”, it is the Wiyot word for “many people gather”. The name for the student union was originally suggested by the Wiyot Tribe, led by Wiyot Tribal Chair Ted Hernandez. He was also a guest speaker at the event, and he expressed his gratitude to the University and to the students, who pushed the renaming effort. The event started right at noon, with opening remarks from Wendy Sotomayor, director of the SAC, and Micheal Moore Jr., associate director of the SAC, and the two read Humboldt’s new formal land acknowledgment. Working with the College of the Redwoods, Humboldt has developed the following land acknowledgment: “We acknowledge that the land on which Cal Poly Humboldt is located in the unceded territory of the Wiyot people who continue to live and thrive today. It is surrounded by the traditional, ancestral, and present homelands of several indigenous nations including
the Hupa, Karuk, Mattole, Tolowa, Wailaki, and Yurok that make up Humboldt County.” Following the land acknowledgment, Vice President Jason Meriwether spoke about coming together with the local Native tribes, and on the importance of a name. Ted Hernandez gave his remarks after Meriwether’s speech and welcomed students and staff members alike into his home. He offered his blessings to the building, not just to the students who came to the ceremony, but for all students in the future. Adrianne Colegrove-Raymond, special assistant to President Jackson, unveiled a new special feature of the building, which is a QR code on the wall that links to a recording of Wiyot youth and adults pronouncing “gutswurrak”. Anyone who visits the SAC can now scan the QR code with their phone and hear the recording of the Wiyot word. It was a relatively small ceremony, although, despite the small size of attendees in the SAC, the speakers definitely filled the room with their presence. The event was originally set to be held in the SAC quad, which might have
increased the number of students that attended, but was moved indoors to the SAC West Lounge due to the rain. The ceremony only ran until about 12:30, as the speakers were done giving their presentations at that time. Students filtered through the small crowd like minnows, darting from space to space to grab a complimentary t-shirt and a handful of free food on their way out.
The renaming effort is part of Humboldt’s effort to bring Native histories to the forefront of the University, which has not been the case in the past. The University is attempting to build new bridges and improve their relationship with Native communities through community activities like the SAC renaming. Graphic by Ione Dellos
Reese Bullen Gallery features student artists 2022 Arts Graduate Exhibition opens by Nina Hufman The Arts Graduate Exhibition for the class of 2022 is now open at the Reese Bullen Art Gallery at Cal Poly Humboldt. Kylie Maxfield, a senior whose work is featured in the exhibit says that having one’s work in a gallery is an integral part of being an artist. “Being a student artist myself, I think it’s really important to be able to showcase my work,” Maxfield said. “To feel validated for what I’ve been working on. It inspires me to continue my education in art.” The exhibition showcases the work of graduating students in the Art Department. It features work from a variety of mediums including painting, sculpture, illustration, drawing, printmaking, photography, ceramics, and jewelry. “There’s a lot more diversity than I would expect,” said student Duncan McDougall. Another student, Justin Henderson, also appreciated how diverse the selection of art is within the gallery. “Each one is pretty unique,” Henderson said. “I like that there’s a lot of creativity going on.” McDougall and Henderson were excited to be able to attend an exhibition of their peers’ art. Student exhibitions allow for their work to be seen by those
outside the art department. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t see any of their art,” said Henderson. “I don’t have any art classes, so I’m never over here.” “There’s a lot of student creativity,” McDougall said. “You don’t really see a lot of these student galleries.” Displaying their work also gives student artists new opportunities. “Having this graduate exhibition also gives students the chance to be awarded for what they’ve been working on,” Maxfield said. “I think that if students didn’t have the opportunity to do something like this that feels real, then they probably wouldn’t make as much or be inspired to.” One of the opportunities that Cal Poly Humboldt art students have is the opportunity to win the Permanent Collection Purchase Prize award. The honor is given to one student from each graduating class. The work is then added to Cal Poly Humboldt’s permanent collection of student artwork. Maxfield says that selecting the correct piece for an exhibition is a challenging task. “I think critiques really narrow down, like what are people interested in and what is catching people’s attention,” Maxfield said. “Getting a lot of opinions on what strikes people as an
interesting photograph.” Maxfield also discussed challenges with her chosen medium, photography. “I think that sometimes it’s hard to get through with people,” Maxfield said. “Like a lot of people kind of think ‘oh, well they just press a button.’ With paintings or drawings it’s a lot more evident the amount of work that goes into it, but with photography, not as much.” There were many interesting pieces featured in the gallery. One sculpture entitled The Human Flower was the topic of discussion among students. “I think The Human Flower rules,” McDougall said. “If I had a million dollars, I’d buy it right now.” Another opinion on the piece was offered. “I appreciate that a lot of work went into that, but it just freaks me out,” Henderson said. The exhibition will run through Saturday, May 14 with a reception to follow the College of Arts Humanities & Social Sciences commencement ceremony.
Photo by Angel Barker | “Pieta” by Olivia Fox. This acrylic on canvas won first place in Glenn Berry Painting Award, and the Art Center Award.
Photo by Angel Barker | “Human Flower” by Emily Newark. Made from low-fire white clay, this ceramic sculpture won the Phoenix Ceramic Award.
Photo by Angel Barker | “Present” by Kaitlyn Ladines. This paining invites students to be apart of the exhibit by sitting in the chair. This piece won second place for the Glenn Berry Painting Award.
Photo by Angel Barker | Reflective Perspective, made of bronze and glass by Lisa Heikka Huber
PAGE 6
Meet the Editors
Wednesday, April 27, 2022
THE LUMBERJACK
Spring 2022 Editorial Team Poppy Cartledge
Editor-in-Chief, Sports Editor During my three semesters on The Lumberjack I have gained so much. From the long hours in layout on Tuesdays and the delirious laughs shared at the end of the night, the good, bad and in between have all mixed together into something that I will forever cherish. I am incredibly proud of what this team has managed to achieve and put out each week as we’ve continued to learn and grow together. I am especially grateful for Deidre as she has provided me with more support and guidance than I could have ever wished for during my time as Editor in Chief. This experience as EIC is definitely not for the weak, but it sure is worth the endless memories and the experience that I’ve gotten out of it. As I prepare to graduate in a few weeks, I know that my time at Humboldt would not have been the same without everything that the LJ has provided for me. The fall is in good hands with everyone who remains from this amazing team!
Morgan Hancock
Photo Editor, Production Manager Working on the Lumberjack editorial staff has been the highlight of my past two semesters. There is no better way to explore our campus community and the quirky town of Arcata than as a reporter on the Lumberjack. This team stayed late Tuesday nights making something out of nothing every week. Lumberjack reporters and editors made it to the end of another semester and I couldn’t be more proud. I couldn’t kick the habit, so I will be back next semester as Editor in Chief.
August Linton
Science Editor
Sophia Escudero
Managing Editor, Copy Editor
I take pride in the work that we have done this semester to make The Lumberjack every week. I pour my soul into this paper because it’s ours, the students’. Being connected to the campus community like this is a privilege; the variety of people and stories we cover is rich and beautiful. I try to bring my passion to every aspect of LJ because I believe what we do is important and worth doing right.
I have spent five semesters on the Lumberjack editorial staff, and I truly appreciate each and every person I’ve gotten to work with. Some of my best memories of college so far have been made in the newsroom or investigating a story. So much work goes into this paper each week, from writing to layout, and it means a lot to me to be able to do my part in keeping the campus community informed. I’ll be returning in the fall to continue fixing spelling errors, and possibly every semester after until the sun explodes.
Liam Gwynn
News Editor
Matthew Taylor
My time as News Editor at the Lumberjack was incredibly rewarding and gave me a ton of experience towards my career as a journalist. The atmosphere at the Lumberjack is supportive and the whole staff is passionate about journalism and the community we are covering. Writing for Lumberjack has been the highlight of my college experience and I’m so grateful to Deidre and the rest of the staff for providing this invaluable experience.”
Web Editor & Social Media Manager My time at The Lumberjack has been unbelievably formative, both to my character and my development as a journalist. It has given me the experiences and references that quickly landed me at my future job with The Appeal Democrat. I’ve made many lifelong and highly passionate friends through the LJ. No matter where any of us go in our careers, we know that we can call each other for that support and connection. As Web Editor and Social Media Manager, I felt I made great improvements to the future of the newspaper, a legacy that will continue to be passed on by other students. Free press is indispensable and it allows a community to grow with truth and honesty. As students we have the power to do that. I know that anyone who has the honor to join in the future will not only gain the lifelong skills that I did, but the lifelong memories too.
Alana Hackman
Life & Arts Editor
I’m very thankful for the past semester as Life & Arts Editor for The Lumberjack. I’ve met so many great people and have had the chance to grow a lot in my photography abilities, writing, and overall communication skills. I am happy to have been a part of the team and am excited to continue next semester.
Kris Nagel Photo Editor
The Lumberjack newspaper has been a place for me to find my voice as a media creator. As well as a place to connect with a dedicated student staff, the LJ pushes us to explore new ways to write the news. Our goal is to create an atmosphere where student journalists are able to channel their creative energies into a format that best suits their capabilities. This semester, I have worked with the editorial staff helping process visual media. From publishing memorials of well-loved community members to covering local activism, the Lumberjack is the voice and record of Humboldt’s student community.
Lex Valtenbergs
Opinion Editor
I’ve never been an Opinion Editor before, but there’s a first time for everything. I enjoyed working with my peers to transform their opinion pieces and even writing my first ever opinion piece myself! It was fulfilling, challenging at times and worthwhile. Don’t be afraid to try new things!
THE LUMBERJACK
Wednesday, April 27, 2022
PAGE 7
FaLL Meet with your advisor now Class registration starts April 11
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THE LUMBERJACK
Wednesday, April 27, 2022
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Wednesday, April 27, 2022
Science
THE LUMBERJACK
Look, but don’t tamper with trilliums by Abraham Navarro Wandering through the underbrush in the Arcata Community Forest as the daylight slips away, some of the last plants you can make out against the blur of darkening foliage are the pale white faces of Pacific trillium (Trillium Ovatum) looking back at you. A hallmark of spring in the redwoods, these small white flowers dot the alien ferns in the community forest along trails and sometimes even right in the middle of them. Trilliums are easy to identify. Their name comes from the latin word tres meaning three, referring to the symmetrical three sets of leaves, petals and sepals that can be found on all 43 species of trillium, 38 of which can be found in North America. According to the U.S. Forest Service, several species of trillium contain
chemical compounds called sapogenins that have been used medicinally through the ages as astringents, coagulants, expectorants, and uterine stimulants. This is evidenced in common names given to some trilliums such as birthwort or birthroot. The Pacific trillium is widespread across the Pacific Northwest and the northern Rocky Mountains. Although it might be tempting to pick the pretty white blooms along the path, experts advise against damaging the delicate flowers. Dr. Erik S. Jules, professor of botany and ecology at Cal Poly Humboldt who specializes in plant ecology, said that the Pacific trillium is not endangered, and that it’s doing quite well in the Arcata Community Forest. It is, however, sensitive to disturbances.
“Like the trampling associated with the frisbee golf course in the forest,” Jules said. “So they tend to be less abundant right in those immediate areas.” Trillium are ephemeral bloomers, which means they flower for a short period of time and go dormant until the next year. Trilliums live for up to 70 years, and damaging them can compromise their ability to bloom again. “Picking them generally doesn’t kill them, but will definitely reduce their ability to grow and flower the following year, so people should never pick the plant or flower,” Jules said.
Photo by Abraham Navarro | A trillium in bloom in the Arcata Community Forest.
Magnificent magnolias Cal Poly Humboldt’s fabulous spring flora by Nina Hufman Chinese magnolia trees all over campus have been shedding their flowers, covering walkways in a blanket of magenta and white petals. Their cupshaped petals range in color from pink to lavender-purple, with white interiors. Like other species of magnolia, the Chinese magnolia (Magnolia soulangeana) has large, fragrant blooms that grow singularly at the ends of each branch. Because it generally blooms in early spring, the flowers are vulnerable to late freezes. According to the Missouri Botanical Gardens, the tree blooms from late March to mid-April before the foliage comes in. It can then bloom sporadically throughout the rest of the growing season. The leaves turn from green to yellow in the fall before the tree sheds them for the winter. Magnolias are considered small trees. According to the North Carolina Extension Gardener, the trees can grow to be 33 feet tall but usually are be-
tween 20 and 25 feet tall. They have a sporadic, multi-trunk, shrubby growth pattern. Their bark is dark or light gray in color and has a smooth texture. The Chinese magnolia has a simple leaf type, with alternating veins. The leaves are oblong shaped and have a margin that extends up the entire length of the leaf. Hairlike structures, or indumentum, are present on the leaves. These hairs help the plant to absorb water and deter predators. This tree is a hybrid cross between two other magnolia species, M. denudata and M. liliflora. According to Lake Forest College, the hybrid was created by Etienne Soulange-Bodin, an officer in Napoleon’s army who later became a horticulturist. The tree was created in France in 1814. Though the trees may bloom the rest of the spring and summer, they are currently giving their most beautiful display. Go out and see the magnificent Chinese magnolia today.
Photo by Nina Hufman | A Chinese magnolia tree in full bloom at Cal Poly Humboldt.
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PAGE 10
Wednesday, April 27, 2022
Opinion
THE LUMBERJACK
Our Flag Means Death gives the gays everything we wanted Spoilers for HBO’s Our Flag Means Death by Sophia Escudero In episode five of Our Flag Means Death, the two leads share a moment under the moonlight. Stede gently folds a piece of fabric that Ed’s mother had given him and tucks it neatly into a pocket of his waistcoat. “You wear fine things well,” he says, tenderly, and Ed looks up at him with nothing short of adoration in his eyes. He leans in, then stops himself, and as the two part ways they look back at each other, both clearly wanting more but unable to bring themselves to voice it. That’s pretty gay, I thought to myself, but I didn’t dare hope that this scene was intended as anything beyond bromance. I grew up on Tumblr as a queer kid at the height of Superwholock, reblogging edits of Emma and Regina from Once Upon a Time looking longingly at each other and watching conspiracy videos about how, if you really read between the lines, the BBC are totally going to make Johnlock canon in the next season of Sherlock. I believed that the new Star Wars trilogy would give us gay Jedi, and the MCU would give us gay superheroes. Eventually, this hope faded. Each new season of Sherlock was worse, each “first gay Disney character” was less relevant to the plot than the last, and every video I saw from a con featured actors and writers mocking fans in the audience for daring to ask if there would be queer characters. I grew to accept that any show that was not explicitly marketed as being about coming out or facing homophobia would ever have a central queer romance. Any scraps I got would be something confirmed on Twitter or by an actor in an AMA and the void would have to be filled by fanfiction.
Graphic by Sophia Escudero
When I saw that Taika Waititi was producing a comedy about pirates, I was all in. I was pleasantly surprised when a side character was revealed to be nonbinary and used they/them pronouns. Frankly, my bar for LGBT representation in media is subterranean. If a single character is canonically queer, doesn’t die and is not treated as a joke by the narrative, I will embrace the work wholeheartedly. I don’t ask for much, but I still rarely get more than a “wait and see.” Every episode was tailor-made to convince me that this was a love story, but I refused to be tricked so easily. When these characters were found in suggestive scenarios, I accepted it as a joke, and when they shared moments of tenderness and emotional vulnerability, I accepted that they were just really good friends. Even when the cast and crew said, verbatim, “this is a love story,” I was certain they meant it in the nebulous way that a buddy comedy is a love story, and that if I read into it I was a stupid, greedy little homosexual trying to make pop culture gay.
Hell, I made it to the ninth episode, where they kiss each other on the lips and make a plan to run away together, still half-convinced that this was some kind of friendship kiss found only in advanced queerbaiting. It shouldn’t be shocking to me that queer people exist in television and movies. As a queer person, I should know that we do. Yet, years of media telling me otherwise had convinced me that maybe I was wrong. It has been over a month since the season finale aired, and I haven’t recovered from the sheer impossibility of seeing a romance between two men as central to the plot in a show about something other than queer pain. These characters are in love. They kiss, they hold hands, they exist outside of subtext and punchlines. Some jaded part of me thinks that a second season must end in death and suffering, but the inner 14-year-old that was hopeful enough to suffer through four seasons of Sherlock dares to believe that maybe, just maybe, gay people can be happy outside of fanfiction.
knows anything at all about ICP, then you know that they have never, ever been down or will be down with any racist or bigotry bullshit. In my opinion, the perpetrator of this crime committed these acts not because he was a Juggalo, but because he was a neo-Nazi. He subscribed to an ideology of racism and bigotry, and was quite clearly, in my opinion, out of his mind.” While they aren’t full-on political, they are vocal in what they hate and what they do to people they don’t like. In their 2015 song “Confederate Flag,” they really let people know their thoughts on the rebel flag and the people who wear it. I say fuck your rebel flag/ Out here pretending like you ain’t offendin’/ I say fuck your rebel flag/ You redneck judges with racist grudges/ I say fuck your rebel flag/ If you gotta tattoo, I’m aimin’ at you/I say fuck your rebel flag/ You get punched in your faces reppin’ the racists Even before that, in the 1990s, they were singing: The country we live in was built by slaves/ Beat down and murdered and stuffed in their graves/ You put a slave owner on the one dollar bill/ And you want to know why I KILL PEOPLE! ICP took to selling a new batch of
t-shirts in 2020 that were originally sold in the early ‘90s. It’s a Juggalo tearing and burning a Confederate flag with the words “Fuck Your Rebel Flag” on the back. They brought it back from the demands of their fans from the devastating events in 2020 with the killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and many others. Wearing it pisses off the right people and makes for great conversations with those that love ICP and those that love burning the rebel flag. While hip-hop/horrorcore mosh pit energy music might bit much for a lot of people, you have to admit putting out music that screams what they think so loudly is pretty cool. Maybe you’ve thought about some of ICP’s lyrics in your head and agreed with them but would never say it out loud. Maybe you’ve thought about picking up a heavy object and just so happening to swing it near a known sexual predator. I think the world could do with a little ICP in their lives. They are inclusive, body-positive, and LGBTQ+ safe. They don’t care about your bank balance and they stick up for all Juggalos no matter their background. Check out wikiHow’s How to Be a Juggalo: 12 Steps for more information.
Juggalos are misunderstood
by Cheyenne Wise So many pro-Trump bootlicking racists think that Insane Clown Posse (ICP), formed by Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J, is a band that speaks to their ideology and stands for the same beliefs. Some people perceive fans of ICP to be synonymous with white rural racists in this country. However, Juggalos—a term of endearment among fans, akin to Taylor Swift fans being called Swifties—and ICP have always preached inclusivity and freedom of expression. ICP is against racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia and the destruction of civil rights. They even sat down with Chris Hansen to talk about their mutual hatred for sexual predators. Who wouldn’t want to hang out with Chris Hansen? They have fought for years to be seen and heard as valid, especially when the FBI labeled them as a violent gang. Juggalos come from all walks of life, from poor to rich, from all religions and backgrounds. If you are a Juggalo, you’re family. A self proclaimed Juggalo attacked a gay bar in 2006. In response, ICP’s manager Alex Abbiss said, “It’s quite obvious that this guy had no clue what being a Juggalo is all about. If anyone
Why do Cypress residents need All Access meal plans? by Shane Jarvie I find it extremely redundant that Cypress residents are required to own an All Access meal plan. When I’ve asked school officials why they’re needed, they’ve just responded, “Cypress residents are required to have one of the All Access meal plans. Upperclassmen living areas that do not require a meal plan are College Creek and Campus Apartments, both of which have shared kitchen areas.” I’m a junior who’s lived on campus for three years now, and Cypress has the best kitchen out of every residence hall I’ve seen. Yes, even better than the one in College Creek apartments. Having lived in College Creek apartments as a sophomore, I’ve found that Cypress has more counter space and many more cabinets for storage space. The Cypress kitchen has offered my suitemates and I enough room and resources to cook for 20+ people once a week for Cypress eighth floor’s “family dinners,” where both sides of the floor come together for a weekly feast. A suite on Cypress can house up to twelve students, so I’d understand if we were required to have a meal plan due to the number of suitemates who share the kitchen. However, I can’t understand why we’re required to have an All Access meal plan. As a student working in the housing department as a Resident Student Services Assistant, I’ve had the opportunity to study each housing option and meal plan that the school offers. The more I learn, the less it makes sense that Cypress suites require an All Access meal plan. For anyone who isn’t aware how the on-campus meal plan system works, here’s a quote directly from the Meal Plans page on our campus housing website: “All living areas require a meal plan except College Creek and Campus Apartments. Residents of the Hill, Canyon, Cypress and Creekview Suites are required to have one of the All Access meal plans. Residents of Creekview Apartments are required to have any one of the meal plans.” The cheapest All Access meal plan is the 5-day All Access plan. It’s $5,000 per academic year, and contains all access meals to the J five days a week, including 300 Flex dollars and 66 or 62 meal exchanges per semester. (The housing website says 66, the dining website says 62.) One of the alternative meal plans that I’ll be using as a comparison is the Lumberjack 125. This meal plan that Cypress residents don’t have access to costs $3,500 per academic year, provides 125 meals in the J (which is honestly still more than enough J food for me), has 525 flex dollars, and 31 meal exchanges per semester. As someone who isn’t impressed with the food that Chartwells has to offer at the J, I’d much rather have the Lumberjack 125, which has 225 more flex dollars and costs $1,500 less per year! If I can’t convince school officials that Cypress residents should have access to the other meal plans available, I at least want an adequate answer to why we shouldn’t.