04.26.23

The Lumberjack

ALL HANDS ABOARD THE CORAL

SEA Research vessel brings students face-to-face with ocean creatures

by Brad Butterfield

Two diesel engines churn out over 1000 horsepower into the frigid waters of the Humboldt Bay just after 8am on April 22. On-board, a small team of students, professors and crew members enjoy the calm waters of the Woodley Island Marina before entering the rolling Pacific. Though 49 years old, Cal Poly Humboldt’s science vessel, The Coral Sea, has gone through many rounds of facelifts over the years and is nearly unrecognizable from her original form of 1974. With the 2008 refitting of two new diesel engines letting out a steady hum into the misty Pacific air and a recent paint job displaying ‘Cal Poly Humboldt’ in perfect white text on the forward bow of the ship, the old girl looks and sounds like a much younger yacht.

Before exiting Humboldt Bay’s enterprising mess of wave-dissipating concrete blocks, Captain Jim Long kills the engines. Oceanography students donning hard hats carefully deploy a long fishnet and heavy metal trawling doors.

The Coral Sea’s wild years have been long left in her wake. She was bought by the then-named ‘Humboldt State University’ in 1998. Though obediently committed to science now, echoes of her wild years can be found around the boat. Kept behind a metal door on the port side of the deck, a paper copy of a 2017 article in the North Coast Journal titled: Past Lives of the Coral Sea details the vessel’s younger and more wild years.

One time owner of the boat, Ronald

Markowski, used the boat in the 1980’s as a, “floating headquarters from which he radioed instructions to a team of pilots coming in from the Bahamas,” Sam Armanino writes in The North Coast Journal. Those pilots were pawns in a much larger scheme which smuggled cocaine and marijuana from Colombia into Florida and eventually, the greater United States. Eventually, these unlawful escapades would lead to a 45 year sentence for Markowski and the seizure of the Coral Sea by the DEA. The long arm of the law would later use the Coral Sea in an operation coined: The Albatross Sting, which saw the yacht rigged with audio and video recording

equipment. The operation hinged on the cooperation of former Markowski associate, Frank Brady, who would lead to the downfall of the sting when the DEA discovered he had, “continued to smuggle cocaine under their noses,” Armanino writes in the NCJ.

QTBIPOC Film Coalition hosts first annual film fest

Experimental, documentary, and narrative work showcased

by Camille Delany

Disclaimer: The author of this article showed a film at the festival.

The first annual QTBIPOC Film Festival on campus Saturday, April 15, centered the work of student filmmakers from communities rarely represented on the festival stage. The festival was hosted by the newly-formed QTBIPOC Film Coalition and the Cinema Club. Featuring work by QTBIPOC (Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, People of Color) and non-film students, it was a much-needed opportunity for artists from diverse majors to share their work in a festival setting.

The fest was programmed by Danny Garcia, a Critical Race, Gender

and Sexuality Studies (CRGS) senior, and Matthew Mason, a senior in the Film program. They had gained experience in festival programming from attending both the Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) and SXSW in Austin.

“I rediscovered the joy of film through these festivals where I got to see representation that actually resonated with me, and I thought about how to bring this back to the people,” Garcia said.

At SBIFF they were inspired by the representation of Trans and Indigenous communities they saw on the big screen.

“I saw films that I would never have expected to get the spotlight,”

Queer students afraid to use TimelyMD

by August Linton and Camille Delany

Art Wardynski has lost almost all of his adult family members in the past few years, most recently his mother. He reached out to Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) for support, and was only offered a telehealth appointment with TimelyMD.

This wasn’t acceptable to him. As a queer person, Wardynski wasn’t comfortable with the fact that TimelyMD is a Texas-based company, or that they offer faith-based therapy as an option for universities.

“When I’m already going through

such a vulnerable time in my life, I don’t want to risk being discriminated against,” Wardynski said. “They told me that my only option was to go through TimelyCare, and that is not an option for me.”

After the death of his mother, on whose insurance he was dependent, Wardynski wasn’t sure if he had the ability to access off-campus healthcare, either. In the meantime, he’s just been trying to finish the school year.

“I feel like I’m just chipping away

at energy that I don’t even have,” Wardynski said. He isn’t alone in his concerns. Many queer students have voiced fears about the safety of the service, according to Landon White, Outreach Director for CPH’s Eric Rofes Multicultural Queer Resource Center (ERC).

TimelyMD is an online mental health company which markets itself to universities as a stopgap and after-hours counseling service. CPH has contracted with the company,

it says to provide students with after-hours healthcare.

TimelyMD’s location in Texas, a state that is currently considering over 50 bills which limit the rights of transgender people, is one of the main issues that White has with Humboldt’s use of it.

Campus apartments are moldy, admin doesn’t help.

Fun, bondage, and sex toy prizes in the gym.

Students celebrate Mother Earth with art and trash pickup

Photo courtesy of QTBIPOC Film Festival | A frame from Jaime Ruiz’s experimental short “Saying Something.”

Photo by Alex Anderson | Oceanography professor Daniel O’Shea (left), analyzes a Dungeness crab alongside students.

Photo by Alex Anderson | A student examines specimens brought up for study.

Garcia said. “That sparked my interest as a CRGS major in the potential of film as a liberatory medium.”

The Lumberjack

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:

AUGUST LINTON

MANAGING EDITORS:

ANGEL BARKER

CAMILLE DELANY

NEWS EDITOR:

DEZMOND REMINGTON

LIFE & ARTS EDITOR:

NINA HUFMAN

SCIENCE EDITOR:

HARRISON SMITH

SPORTS EDITOR:

JAKE KNOELLER

OPINION EDITOR:

CAMILLE DELANY

PHOTO EDITOR:

ALEX ANDERSON

COPY EDITOR:

JASMIN SHIRAZIAN

LAYOUT EDITORS:

AUGUST LINTON

ANGEL BARKER

CAMILLE DELANY

DEZMOND REMINGTON

WEB EDITOR:

ANGEL BARKER

DELIVERY DRIVER:

JASMYN LEMUS

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER:

AUGUST LINTON

FACULTY ADVISER:

DEIDRE PIKE

CONTRIBUTORS:

ALEX ANDERSON

BRAD BUTTERFIELD

CAMILLE DELANY

DEZMOND REMINGTON

AUGUST LINTON

EMMA SJOSTROM

LIDIA GRANDE-RUIZ

HARRISON SMITH

JAKE KNOELLER

LUKE FISHER

JASMIN SHIRAZIAN

ALANA HACKMAN

Mission Statement

The Mission of this newspaper is to fairly inform and share the stories of the Cal Poly Humboldt Campus and Community. We strive to report with accuracy and honesty. We hold ourselves accountable for errors in our reporting. We invite all readers to participate. Views and contents of The Lumberjack are those of the author and not those of Cal Poly Humboldt. Unsigned editorials appearing in the Opinion section reflect a majority opinion of the editorial staff. Advertising material is for informational purposes and is not an expressed or implied endorsement of such commercial ventures of The Lumberjack, Associated Students or Cal Poly Humboldt.

PAID

Campus Dining innovations continue for Fall 2023

A letter from Dining Services to the Cal Poly Humboldt campus

Cal Poly Humboldt has enjoyed a wide variety of exciting foods and fun dining events this academic year courtesy of Humboldt Dining. Through conversations with guests and dining feedback, we know that Cal Poly Humboldt prioritizes quality, value, sustainable dining, and wants to see dining innovations campus-wide. As cuisine trends continue to evolve and through continuous campus feedback, Humboldt Dining would like to remind the campus community of some of our programs and newer initiatives:

• The J Dining Hall remains a top choice for all-you-care-to-enjoy meals, featuring a range of comfort foods, vegan options, soups, salads, sandwiches, grilled items, and desserts.

• College Creek Marketplace has seen significant improvements, with Humboldt Street Subs offering custom, made-to-order sandwiches, Urban Revolution offering daily Value Meals, and the Marketplace Cafe is serving complimentary coffee to all students, faculty, and staff when you bring your own mug.

• Bigfoot Burgers is now open for lunch during the week.

• The Depot’s VedgeCraft is now offering fresh made-to-order fruit smoothies.

• As we look to the year ahead, Humboldt Dining worked closely with the university for meal plan pricing for the 2023-2024 academic year. Those rates can be found at www.dineoncampus. com/calpolyhumboldt

• Meal Exchange will be offered at Bigfoot Burgers, Humboldt Street Subs & Urban Revolution in College Creek Marketplace, Marketplace Café, VedgeCraft & Kinetic Koffee in the Depot, and the Library Café.

We are focused on continuing to provide a valuable dining experience for the Cal Poly Humboldt campus community rooted in feedback. You can share your thoughts and suggestions by visiting

https://dineoncampus.com/calpolyhumboldt/contact--feedback

Students struggle with moldy dorms

by Dezmond Remington

Pink, yellow, black and blue—these aren’t the colors of the rainbow, but they are the colors of bathrooms, kitchens and showers in dorms all over campus as residents attempt to deal with the mold that almost inevitably springs up in Arcata’s damp climate.

Experiences vary; when Environmental Science major Elizabeth Lachman moved into her dorm in Campus Apartments last year, she noticed what looked to her like spores in her ceiling that eventually made bubbles in the plaster.

“The ceiling was kind of rotting,” Lachman said. “It came from a leak above me, and it took a while for the school to come out and actually fix and make repairs to it.”

The side of Campus Apartments that faces the library, where Lachman lived, is particularly susceptible to being moldy. The only windows that allow the sun to get into the rooms are the sliding glass doors that only offer privacy when the blinds are shut. The small amount of sun that does make it to that side is often shut out by the blinds.

Lachman also struggled with food molding after only a few days in her kitchen, a problem she blames on the room.

“In no other occurrences have I gotten groceries and they’ve gone bad so fast,” Lachman said. “Not only [did] I feel like I was breathing gross air, but I felt like I was wasting money because I kept buying food and it kept getting all moldy and gross.”

Shower mold was also a problem for Lachman as well as many people in the dorms. Another student, Robyn Pedersen, lives in Creekview and often brawls with mold in the vents in the

TIMELYMD

FROM PAGE 1

Other than the objection to university dollars going into Texas, the likelihood of being paired with a non Queer-affirming therapist is too high for many students’ comfort. Even in the relative haven of trans rights that is California, many therapists are transphobic, according to trans students.

“There are other telehealth organizations out there,” White said. “We need accessible mental health services that don’t come at the cost of forcing Queer and BIPOC students to play roulette.”

The ERC advocates for the university to employ more CAPS counselors, especially those familiar with Queer and BIPOC issues. That would take competitive pay, job security, and outreach, said White. They also point out that the accessibility of telehealth is definitely a good thing, but don’t think that TimelyCare is a good option.

The use of online therapy services as replacement for in-person treatment by CAPS forces students into a situation that many are not comfortable with, should they need mental healthcare.

ceiling of the bathroom, as well as on the walls. No matter what product he uses, whether it’s the university-provided mold killer, vinegar, bleach, or any other chemical concoction, nothing gets rid of it entirely.

“It’s a daily task,” Pedersen said. “You get in there and you see different types of mold growing around the bathtub, so you have to get down on your hands and knees and scrub, but the stuff that grows in the tile and on the ground is a lot harder to get into, so you really got to really spray it down and get in there with a scrub brush. It takes a lot of elbow grease, but even that doesn’t get rid of it all.”

Mold in the lockers in shower rooms is also widespread. Business major Gino Grier, who lived in Tan Oak last year, said there was a lot of gray mold growing behind the paint in every locker in the shower room on his floor. It smelled like spoiled milk and despite his best efforts, as well as the toils of everyone else on his floor, it never went away. He also had to clean out mold in his bedroom, but that went away with some vinegar.

Almost universally, every student that has had to deal with mold has done it alone. Despite pleas to the Housing or Maintenance departments, students are left to their own devices when it comes to dealing with mold. When Pedersen,

An open letter to the Associated Students, signed by campus groups including the Students for Quality Education (SQE), Queer Student Union, Black Student Union, and clubs such as the Mycology Club and Critical Race, Gender, and Sexuality (CRGS) Club, took a direct stance against TimelyMD. They asked AS to support the campaign against the service, something the body has not yet done.

Student Allison Miranda also feels uncomfortable going to TimelyCare for mental health support due to her and her family’s Queer identities.

“I need support. My tuition is paying for Timely,” Miranda said. “But I know that… LGBT+ students haven’t felt supported by them.”

Miranda is a transfer student from College of the Redwoods, and said that she feels comparatively unsupported at Humboldt.

“They had three different people, licensed therapists, who were trained in addiction counseling and all this stuff,” Miranda said. “Coming to HSU I expected an equivalent, if not better, experience. [Not having therapy] has impacted my studies.”

his roommates and even residents in other dorms in Creekview complained to the school, the only help they were offered was a flyer about mold prevention that Pedersen said was completely unhelpful.

“It’s really disappointing,” Pedersen said, “because you really wouldn’t expect this from college living when you’re paying so much to live in these dorms.”

Lachman had a similar experience. The only assistance she was given was a list of cleaning products that she would have to buy herself.

“I just felt like they didn’t real-

ly care,” Lachman said. “[They said] ‘these are the things you can do to help yourself,’ but it’s literally you investing into products to clean their room. I’m not going to get any of that money back. I just wish they would have supplied me with more help.”

Grier feels the same—cheated.

“I’d prefer it if they gave a shit,” Grier said. “I wish they weren’t seeing students as dollar signs. Mold isn’t very expensive to fix in the [beginning], but once it gets bad, it’s incredibly costly. And the fact that they ignore that problem and just let it do whatever is kind of concerning.”

Photo from Wikimedia Commons| Mold growing under a microscope.

FILM FEST

FROM PAGE 1

The QTBIPOC Film Festival showcased films ranging in length from less than two minutes to thirty minutes, and included experimental dual projections as well as longer films including documentaries and narratives.

Garcia collaborated with filmmaker and computer science major David Yaranon to write “What a Waste,” a thirty minute narrative critique of misogyny that follows a stalker. Production took place over the span of a week, and involved many of Yaranon and Garcia’s close friends both in front of and behind the camera.

“I would love to make more films with these guys,” Yaranon said. “This idea was kind of locked in, but it would be great to hear from other people, different ideas and talk about how we can make something meaningful and with a message behind it.”

Garcia screened their short “i am chicano,” which they produced for Professor M. Cartier’s Fall 2022 class Representation in Film Matters. Among other films that had been produced for the class and screened at the QTBIPOC Film Festival was Lake McLeod’s “I AM,” an experimental short in which the filmmaker reads an original poem. Also in the experimental category, Mason showed his 2022 production “Woman in Gold,” starring McLeod and Raelynn Davis, in which a mysterious

protagonist follows a woman through a dark forest, and is in turn pursued by a masked stranger.

Mason welcomes the opportunity to show his work outside of the class it was produced for, because he values the outside viewpoint that the audience brings.

“Everyone has a different reaction and takeaway from it,” Mason said. “People can see the same thing but take away infinitely different meanings.”

The QTBIPOC Film Festival encapsulated art created in a pivotal moment for rights and representation of QTBIPOC people.

Celebrating Mother Earth

“Right now we’re going through a cultural change. Things are shifting. Film still needs to catch up,” Garcia said. “At the forefront of the industry, representation is real and they’re putting money and resources towards it.”

Earth Week activities include beach clean up, volleyball, and sustainable practic-

by Emma Sjostrom

Sexland promotes enthusiastic consent and validation for all

by Lidia Grande-Ruiz and Alana Hackman

Disclaimer: Alana Hackman works at the Peer Health Education Center and was involved in this event

On April 15, Sexland came onto campus. Sexland is an event that focuses on exposure to new ways of thinking about sex and sexuality, while also validating sexual experiences and diversity through a lens of enthusiastic consent. The event is put on every spring semester by the Peer Health Education Program and Check-It.

“[The] main goal of Sexland is to create a safe and sexual experience for everyone,” says Shelby Shull, an intern at Peer Health and Education.

Many different clubs and organizations such as Planned Parenthood,

North Coast Rape Crisis Center, Students for Violence Prevention, The Trans Task Force, Women’s Resource Center and Eric Rofes Multiculture Queer Resource Center were present at the event.

Each community group at the event had a table where students participated in arts and crafts and got information on resources about contraceptives, free condoms, or information on the community groups resources and how to get involved.

A booth by Planned Parenthood offered pamphlets on contraceptives, along with free lube and condoms.

The Eric Rofes Queer Resources Center was there to provide various resources for the queer community, such

as where to find gender neutral bathrooms or information about the queer library and how/when to access it.

“This is a great event to show off trans resources,” said Landon White, Outreach Director for the center.

“Our center is all about creating a safe space on campus for queer people,” said Art Wardynski, Volunteer & Resource Director.

Some people were shy, but sex positivity was everywhere you looked. Everyone was very welcoming which helped calm down the anxiety nerves. Students were asking questions and getting involved in activities like naming the right body part, what is this sex position, etc.

There was a long line for a table

where people stood wrapped in bondage ropes. They learned about bondage and how to have fun/experiment like chest ties, heart shaped thighs, etc.

“It’s a really good opportunity for people to get a comfortable experience,” explains Sierra Cosper, who was running the bondage table. “There are a lot of ways to hurt yourself, so that’s why I am handing out pamphlets for everyone to get more informed”.

Winners of the raffle received a variety of prizes–from vibrators to books, rainbow embroidered cum-rags, butt plugs, heart crops, vibrators controlled by your phone, finger flogger, to non sex toy prizes like couples diary, exploring trans and queer identities book, a penis shaped neck pillow and so much more.

Photo courtesy of QTBIPOC Film Festival | A frame from Cinco Cuevas’s “Self Reflection,” shot on 16mm film for Dr. Cartier’s 16mm and New Media Digital Practices class.

Community blooms during Humboldt Orchid Society show

by Harrison Smith

On Saturday, April 22, the Redwood Art Association in Eureka was packed. The gallery usually displays the work of local artists, but on Saturday, almost every free surface was dripping with shining leaves and fragrant petals. The hum of conversation was electric and the sense of shared delight in the flowers was palpable. The Humboldt Orchid Society’s spring flower show and sale was a scientific and sensory delight.

Orchids can be found on every continent. An extremely diverse family of organisms like orchids living over farspread habitats is usually an old one, evolutionarily speaking.

Flowering plants, also called angiosperms, first appeared around 150 million years ago during the Jurassic period. Pangea was still in the process of breaking up. The first species of orchids appeared 112 million years ago, early in the history of angiosperms. This early evolution allowed them to fill up a huge variety of ecological niches.

“Most orchid seed is dustlike, so it spreads by the wind. The seed of vanilla is very heavy, and cannot be dispersed by the wind,” said Mike. “There are species in Eastern Africa that are the same as in Florida, because the seed was car-

ried by the winds coming from Africa.”

The dustlike seeds of orchids younger than vanilla have allowed them to spread into diverse, far-flung habitats. Various species of orchids have adapted to bloom at the crests of sand dunes, grow free-floating in icy streams, or thrive in piles of humus on the forest floor.

“The really unique thing about orchids at that level is that orchids don’t produce a traditional seed,” said Blaine Maynor, owner of Orchids for the People. “A seed by definition is an embryo and a food source. Orchids don’t include that food source. It’s basically what we call a naked zygote, and it’s basically just 13 cells and a veneer on it.”

When seeds are dispersed from a plant, they require a source of energy to begin the expensive process of germination. By not including the food source, orchids are able to produce more seeds by an order of magnitude.

“In some of these bigger flowers over here,” said Maynor, gesturing to the beautiful array of orchids on the table before him, “a seed pod may have 2 million seeds.“

Orchids are able to adopt this highly successful strategy due to their unusual (though not unique) symbiosis with mycorrhizal fungi.

“When they’re germinated they need to have a fungus presence, because what they do is they basically intermesh with each other. The orchid gives the fungus sugar, and the fungus gives the orchid micronutrients,” said Maynor. “A lot of times the fungus actually has an apparatus that will go into the tissue and weave its way through the cells.”

Humboldt county is home to 33 native orchid species, more than any other county in California. Mycorrhizal fungi thrive in the coastal rainforest en-

CORAL SEA

FROM PAGE 1

Decades beyond her drug-days, now associated with Trinidad’s Telonicher Marine Lab, the Coral Sea’s massive a-frame arm, with a capacity for 5,000lbs, guides in the students’ systematically laid out fishnet released ten minutes prior. Today, Oceanography 260 students are out on the last of their cruises for the spring semester, focused on marine biology.

Adjacent to modern flat screen navigation monitors, student Maddy Ho is filling out a worksheet tallying the living organism totals (hand counted by the students) that were caught in the first trawl of the day. Top of the list shows: 138 Dungeness crab, 147 shrimp, 27 ctenophores, or comb jellies.

“We do four cruises per semester,” Ho explains. “Biological, geological, chemical and physical.”

Powering three miles out into the open ocean, the Coral Sea was finally home again, riding growing waves. Those not quite at-home made good on Captain Jim Long’s advice given at 8:00 a.m. before leaving the marina.

“If you’re going to get sick - it goes over the side. Try to do it on the downwind side,” Long said.

As a couple of students stood queasy on the starboard side of the sturdy yacht, Trinity Abercrombie explained the critical role the Coral Sea plays in education.

“I don’t think that I would be into this major as much as I am if it weren’t so hands-on. The Coral Sea is definitely a hands-on experience and you get to be in the field working as soon as you join the major.” Abercrobie said

before adding, “ It gives you a perspective on your future - like what you’re actually going to be doing in the field later on.”

In between exercises carried out by students of oceanography 260, a small team of students conducted the first series of measurements as part of their year-long senior project. One member of this team, Simon Kurciski, served six years in the Navy, completing many long submarine missions. His longest stint below the surface, Kurciski said, was 51 days. Now though, Kurciski’s time at sea serves a much different purpose.

“We are comparing the effect of different photosynthesizers in the water on the chemistry of the water surrounding them,” said Kurciski. “Specifically we are looking at the effects that eelgrass in Humboldt Bay and kelp up in Trinidad have on perimeters like acidity, dissolved oxygen, total carbons, CO2.”

Kurciski and his team methodically gather water samples from two meters below the surface, then transfer the water into empty beer bottles. The amber tint of the bottles coupled with mercuric chloride added by Marcos Moreno gives the researchers a time capsule of sorts. The tint blocks light from further affecting the biological material.

“The reason we are adding these chemicals is to essentially stop the biological processes,” Moreno explains.

While the sampling is conducted exclusively off of the California coastline, Kurciski emphasizes that the results will reflect the real world implications of human-caused climate change. One test result that specifically interests Kurciski is the samples’ pH.

“Since the industrial revolution

the ocean has increased in acidity by around 30%. That’s huge. We’re already living in an ecosystem that has been dramatically altered by humans in every way,” says Kurciski. “We’re trying to catch up and understand the effect of the changes that we’ve already brought.”

The morning fog has finally given way to a mostly clear afternoon sky and those students prone to seasickness have all emptied their bellies. After gathering the last of his team’s water samples for the day, Kurciski details the scientific realities of climate change.

“The sad thing about climate change -and broadly, human-caused changes- is that a lot of the change is already locked in… deep ocean water circulates very slowly,” said Kurciski. “The oldest deep ocean water can be up to 1000 years old - in the Pacific.

vironment, where organic matter accumulates quickly in the wet understory. Readers are advised not to attempt digging up a wild orchid for their garden, however beautiful the plant is. Without its supporting fungus, the orchid will quickly lose its ability to uptake nutrients and die.

Readers are advised, however, to bring any ailing orchid they may have to the monthly meetings of the Humboldt Orchid Society, which are open to the public. Meetings are held every third Wednesday of the month at the Redwood Art Association.

That extra carbon that we’ve put in there - that isn’t going anywhere.”

The future of the Coral Sea will again be determined in-part by an arm of the US government - though this time it’s not the DEA. Instead, hawk-eyed regulators in California will play a large role in the Coral Sea’s future.

“The CA air quality resources board is mandating that we replace all of our engines - we have five engines,” Long explains from the ornate bridge of the ship. He’s been working on the Coral Sea for fifteen years, serving as captain for three. “We’re looking at a half million to a million just for new engines by 2025. And then we still have an old boat. So we are trying to decide what to do to go forward. There’s going to be some big changes coming.”

Importantly, Long assured, “The Coral Sea is not going anywhere.”

Photo by Harrison Smith | Rows of orchids and other plants fill the room at the Redwood Art Association on Apr. 22.

Photo by Harrison Smith | Though some orchid varieties resemble carnivorous pitcher plants, no orchid species are carnivorous.

Photo by Alex Anderson | Student examines Dungeness crab on Apr. 22.

Records broken and lists rewritten as track team enters post-season competition

by Jake Knoeller

The Cal Poly Humboldt track team is having an impressive season this year, with their accomplishments ranging from broken records to nationally ranked squads.

“This season has been a breakthrough year for our program with several national provisional marks and national event squad rankings across multiple disciplines,” said junior 800 meter runner Julian Jensen.

The most recent example of success for Humboldt was their last regular season meet this year, the Raider Invite at Southern Oregon University up in Ashland, Oregon.

Joy Hano broke a school record for the women that had been held for 33 years during one of the Southern California meets from the weekend before.

Hano ran the 100m hurdles in 13.96 seconds. The record was previously a 14.06 run by Clara Trigg.

Another notable trend for the Lumberjacks recently has been the success of their men’s 800 meter squad, which is currently nationally ranked. 800 meters is almost half of a mile, which means the runners need to have endurance and speed to stand out.

“We have four runners who specialize in the 800 and we have had a successful season so far,” said Jensen.

“After the Humboldt Invitational, we were ranked third in the nation out of about 200 Division II schools with a four main average of 1:53.10.”

One of these runners is Aris Valerio, a junior who has mainly been focusing on the 800 and is currently sixth on the

top ten all time list for Humboldt.

“Personally, I feel like I need to lead the middle distance guys,” said Valerio. “They are basically my sons at this point, and I’m holding their hands to continuing greatness in the 800.”

Valerio is two seconds away from breaking the 800 school record and is confident about what the future holds.

This squad has received praise from runners that take part in other events, including Carson Smith, a junior who is the fastest current 1500 meter and 5k runner at Humboldt.

“Our 1500 squad, along with our 800 squad, is really strong and really deep, so we have enough people that can focus on that event at our conference championships to secure us some points,” said Smith.

With great speed comes great responsibility and Humboldt runners take this in stride.

“When you’re fast, everyone kinda has to look at you, so to use that position and do my best to set a good example is something I really strive for,” said Smith. “It’s something I didn’t really have my first couple years.”

The Jacks will now carry their focus into CCAA conference championships and look for more success.

“This team has taken big steps into becoming a good team in the future,” said Valerio. “Last season we started something that is only getting better.”

Humboldt lacrosse season comes to an end

by Jake Knoeller

The Cal Poly Humboldt lacrosse team saw their season come to an end last Friday in a 16-10 loss at the Redwood Bowl against the Southern Oregon University Raiders.

Southern Oregon jumped out to an early 4-1 lead after the first quarter and never looked back. Humboldt had spells where they seemed to get back into the game, but these runs would be halted before getting very threatening. However, these moments did spark some life into the players and the fans.

“I think our team’s biggest strength is how close everyone is and how well we faced major adversity,” said senior goaltender Zack Gamble. “We never once broke down and started bickering or getting down on each other.”

Freshman attacker Ben Jasinski scored nine goals during the game, which tied the team record from 1989. The Hogs scored eight goals in total in their previous season.

“Ben’s a cheat code,” said Humboldt assistant coach Augustus Johnson. “His performance this last weekend against SOU just solidifies that.”

In the end, the Raiders scored four times in each quarter and cruised to their second win of the season.

“It was a hard game and the boys all played their hardest until the final whistle and showed great sportsman-

ship,” said senior defender Brandon Nordenstrom.

The Hogs finished their season with a 1-5 record and their one win against UC Santa Cruz in early March, their first win over the school in 10 years. This was an improvement from finishing 0-7 in the 2022 season.

“It was my last game so it was very bittersweet,” said Gamble.

“We’ve spent the last three years rebuilding but finally have a solid foundation to work with.”

The Spring 2024 season is going to be the team’s 40th season. They will look to take another step forward with an extremely young squad.

“We’re hoping it’s going to signal a new era for the team,” said Gamble. “It’ll be the same old Hogs, but hopefully in the win column a lot more.”

A lengthy offseason awaits the Hogs

as they have a chance to build on the progress they have already made.

“I’m really excited to see how we start next season off,” said Nordenstrom. “I have no doubt that our fresh-

man team captain, Ben Jasinski, will take charge of the young Hogs and show most of these guys what hard work and dedication earns you.”

Photo by Jake Knoeller | Humboldt Lacrosse gathers around during their game against Southern Oregon University.

Photo courtesy of Max Tepper/Humboldt Athletics | Aris Valerio sprints ahead in the 800 at the Cal Poly Humboldt Invitational on Saturday, April 8.

For the love of God, clean up after your horse

by Dezmond Remington

I was running down a gloriously sunny forest trail in the middle of summer, not a care in the world, except all the ice water I was looking forward to drinking when the run was over. Then fate hit me – and fate was a cubic yard of solid horseshit right in the middle of the trail. I landed in it mid stride, right around the bend of the trail. At that moment, I had an epiphany: life just isn’t fair. That thought stuck with me the whole way home, just like the horse shit did.

Why do dog owners have to clean up their dog’s poop, put it in little plastic bags and drag it along with them on their hikes like a grocery bag full of putrid garbage, while the equestrians up there on their fancy steeds like royalty of old get to leave their horse’s crap all over the trail? What the hell is the horse for? Make it carry the poop! The rider doesn’t even have to carry it

themselves! I don’t want to hear anything about how there are lots of good nutrients in the horse crap – if that’s the case, put it on the side of the trail, WHERE ALL THE PLANTS ARE!

If it’s going to do any good, it sure as hell won’t be in the middle of the trail, a place famously devoid of plants, because THAT is where people walk.

Frankly, the double standard is appalling. I genuinely don’t care if it is inconvenient to get off and go around the back of your animal’s huge ass. It is unfair to put the onus of dealing with your animal’s shit on the public. If you have the money and the time to own an animal that weighs a half ton and eats damn near two hundred pounds of food a week, you have the money and the time to clean up your horse’s crap. If you have the time to load their horse up in their fancy little trailer and drive them over to the forest, you have

the time to clean up their turds. Please stop leaving it where I and everyone else could step on it, I don’t want to deal with it. That’s your job, stop being selfish.

I can think of only three simple things needed to take care of it: a small shovel, a bag and about 30 seconds. Equestrians can buy the shovel and the bag from Harbor Freight for probably less than $15. Humboldt’s myriad thrift stores also probably offer creative and quirky solutions for much less. It’s not hard; it’s courteous, and common sense. No other animal owners are allowed to get away with this. How have we, as a society, just allowed you to get away with this for so long? It is time to fix this. It is time to make the horse owners be responsible animal operators. Clean up your animal’s shit like the rest of us have to.

I dated this guy for a year and a half. Then, we didn’t see each other for nine months. Now, we’re exclusively hooking up and saying I love you. Are we doing the right thing?

Oh, the classic case of romanticizing an ex – how I don’t miss those days. Now, in some cases, taking time apart to grow and returning to each other by a trick twist of fate and timing is a beautiful narrative straight from a Hallmark movie – but nine months? How much can a person really change in nine months? I don’t know the context of the relationship, I don’t know your history, so maybe you know something better than I do – but I have yet to be wrong and I think you know that, too.

Ask yourself, why did you stop seeing each other in the first place? Do the pros outshine the cons? Would you even want to get back together? Is the dick really that good? Is he a munch?

Does he provide soul-draining orgasms? If so, disregard my previous statements and enjoy that man for what he’s good for.

I’m not gonna tell you you’re doing the wrong thing, and I especially can’t say I haven’t been in your shoes, but I can tell you that you’re not going to find your soulmate if you’re stuck seeing your ex. If you really think something’s changed, by all means, let history repeat itself. Otherwise, dick has an expiration date – not only does it taste like avocado, it ages like one, too.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

President Jackson has low regard for students

by Luke Fisher

I had the honor of speaking to our esteemed university president Tom Jackson at the Native American forum in the West Gym during the Big Time event on Saturday, April 8 – boy, do I wish I had recorded our conversation.

I went up to him and said, “Mr. President, don’t you think you should build more dorms before you kick all the current students off campus?”

He got upset and responded, “You’re

full of crap, get your facts straight.”

I believe I do have my facts straight, Mr. President. Things have only mildly improved since you first made the big announcement that all current students would be kicked off campus. Now, only most of us are getting kicked off campus. There will be some on-campus housing for current students, but the majority of it will be for incoming freshmen. I guess those freshmen dol-

lars look real good to you.

A cap on admissions would also be a good idea, because this school can not adequately house or serve the influx of students that has been projected. Having a student body of 12,000 students by 2027 is neither sustainable nor smart given the current capacity of our school. Build more housing first and then you can consider growing the student body.

Tom Jackson reminded me of our disgusting former president Donald Trump today because they’re both only concerned about money and optics.

So nice to know that we have a real sympathetic man of the people as university president!

Graphic by Valen Lambert

Graphic by Valen Lambert

Editorial goodbyes

Editor in Chief, August Linton | Editing this paper has made me feel joyous, useful, and challenged. Journalism to me means constantly learning about new things, and having the privilege of teaching about those things. This campus and community is a crazy, beautiful, and complicated place. What we strive to do every week is capture the most relevant, poignant things and tell you about them. Writing about this place is the best way that I can say I love it. I am incredibly proud of the job that we’ve done.

Thank you to the communities that gave us your stories. They are precious, and to be trusted with their publicity is a heavy responsibility. This team shouldered the countless hours, grey hairs, and bitten nails that it took to fulfill that responsibility as best we could. Thank you for trusting me, listening to me, and taking my countless nitpicks in stride. I love you all.

Managing Editors, Angel Barker and Camille Delany | Angel: This is my third semester on The Lumberjack, and I love that I am constantly learning! I love learning about this university, bringing awareness and holding the administration accountable. I love learning from my peers and professors, like our amazing advisor, Deidre Pike. I love this community that fosters creativity, that allows me to learn about design, and puts my skills to use that makes an impact on our student community. I am so excited for what next semester brings!

Camille: My second and final semester on the editorial staff of LJ draws to a close, and I am tasked with a reminiscence on my time here. I can only say that editing a newspaper is an exhausting task that serves mainly to leave one with a weekly record of grievous errors. For all of those, I’m sorry. But being a newspaperman also connected me more deeply with this community, in ways that I’m still realizing. Thanks to everyone who worked with me, whether on the staff or across the interview table.

News Editor, Dezmond Remington | Working on the Lumberjack has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, hands-down. It’s a simple joy, the thrill of creating, and doing it with so many fun and fascinating people is an experience that will stick with me until my bones crumble into dust and I’m absorbed by the soil. Thank you all.

in my life. I want to thank all the Lumberjack staff and everyone who picked up a paper from the newsstand. It’s been a pleasure being the photo editor this semester and I’m thankful for getting the opportunity to capture the lives of fellow students through a camera lens. Looking forward to next semester!

Life and Arts Editor, Nina Hufman | This is my third semester on the Lumberjack and my second semester as the Life and Arts Editor. During my time on this paper I have learned so much about writing, editing, design and other aspects of creating news. I feel that the role that we play on this campus is essential; we serve the community and we work to hold the University accountable. I’ve also learned a lot about myself. This paper has been essential in my growth as both a journalist and as a person. I look forward to continuing to work for the Lumberjack next semester.

Science Editor, Harrison Smith | As a non-journalism major I felt like I was jumping into the deep end at the beginning of the semester, but working for the Lumberjack has been exhilarating. I adore all the friends I’ve made at the paper, and am so thankful for all that they’ve taught me. Science and journalism are both about seeking truth by asking questions, and I’ve only gotten better at asking questions since I started working at the Lumberjack.

Sports Editor, Jake Knoeller | My time with the Lumberjack has given me so much knowledge and experience that I needed. I enjoyed all the laughs and conversations shared in the newsroom, and most of all I enjoyed talking too much about my favorite band, The 1975. On a serious note, these people are so supportive and fun to be around! They helped me write quality stories and I wanna thank everyone involved with the Lumberjack for this.

Photo Editor, Alex Anderson | My first semester here at The Lumberjack has been a significant milestone

Copy Editor, Jasmin Shirazian | I love the Lumberjack! I love my corner, I love my staff, I love Alana Hackman! I love Diedre Pike! Thank you for reading – see you next year, HAGS!!!!