by Kristan Korns
 
Every one of us, no matter who or where we are, has always had the power to change the world around us for the better. It was the desire to remind students of that simple yet powerful truth, that led Humboldt State University students to create the graduation pledge in 1987.
 
That pledge, which has since spread to over 100 universities worldwide, is simple: “I pledge to explore and take into account the social and environmental consequences of any job I consider and will try to improve these aspects of any organizations for which I work.”

Andréa Tyler worked for Associated Students as the graduation pledge coordinator before her own graduation in 2005. She keeps the card in her wallet as a constant reminder of the ‘Humboldt spirit’.

“It’s a part of our school ethos, and represents the type of people that flock to, and are cultivated by, Humboldt’s unique culture,” Tyler said. “It’s a great testament to the kind of environment we have…to spawn or cultivate these really great ideas that have ripple effects.”1

The graduation pledge has been adopted as an optional part of graduation ceremonies by more than 100 universities around the world, from Harvard and Cornell in the United States, to the University of British Columbia in Canada and the Chinese Cultural University in Taiwan.

It hasn’t just been students who’ve been inspired to take the pledge. Faculty and staff members have also been encouraged to take part during graduation ceremonies.

Chris DeHardt, who works as an advisor on campus, said that he took the pledge soon after coming to Humboldt.

“It really is a lot about what we do in our professional lives differently, or consciously,” DeHardt said, “and I think that’s the real trademark of the pledge.”

Keyan Auer, an HSU senior majoring in Environmental Science, and the current graduation pledge coordinator here at Humboldt, agrees.

“It’s very symbolic,” Auer said. “There’s no obligation to an organization. It’s a personal pledge.”

Tyler, who since graduation has worked with a non-profit public transportation advocacy group, said that the pledge is about recognizing your own power to make a difference.

“Some of the environments I go into are much more right-leaning conservative, and others are left-leaning and liberal, but I think that something like the pledge spans that gap,” Tyler said. “It doesn’t require a super liberal environment for it to work in, because it’s about doing what you can within the environment that you’re in.”

For those who are interested in either taking the pledge or finding out more, the Graduate Pledge Alliance will have tables set up within the field house before the commencement ceremonies. Graduates are advised to arrive a little early.

“It gets to be kind of a chaotic event when everybody is lined up,” Auer said, “but the process with us is really about two minutes; just grab a card, sign it and keep it, and wear the ribbon in solidarity.”

While the process may only last a few minutes, the impact of the pledge on those who take it, and on the communities around them, is designed to last a lifetime.

DeHardt feels that ideas like the graduation pledge will spread. “Humboldt is an indicator community of where everyone else could be in 20 or 25 years in terms of social entrepreneurship and social change.”

thedailywhat:

Osama bin Laden Operation Details of the Day: “Justice has been done,” said President Obama tonight in a speech to the nation confirming the killing of public enemy number one, Osama bin Laden.

According to the president’s official statement, Osama bin Laden was shot and killed during an “targeted assault” by a small team of US operatives on his compound in Abbottabad, a Pakistani city known for being a major tourism hub. US officials believe bin Laden’s adult son and two others were also killed in the assault; no Americans were harmed.

The operation was approved last week after several months of intelligence gathering showed a tip received last November was credible.

The whereabouts of bin Laden’s number two, Ayman al-Zawahiri, remain unknown at this time.

See Also:

• Statement by former President George W. Bush.

• Statement by former President Bill Clinton.

• Statement by NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg.

• Osama bin Laden’s New York Times obit.

• Media Decoder: How the announcement about bin Laden’s death leaked to the press. Related: How Twitter broke the bin Laden story.

[nyt / breakingnews / @reuters / video: utv.]

When professors spring last-minute projects on you during the last week of school.

by Catherine Wong for the Lumberjack

Eat me. Food play is sex that involves food. Any type of sex with any type of food. You don’t necessarily have to be covered in chocolate to indulge in food play. Your play can simply be any erotic situation related to food. This includes preparing, eating and even shopping. Appetite is a basic carnal desire. The act of eating brings tactile stimulation to the mouth as well as a release of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the body when we eat the foods we love.

The most common act associated with food play is eating off of your partner. Ever take a body shot? Did it feel a little dirty? Hm, wonder why. There’s no reason why oral satisfaction should be contained to some one’s mouth or genitals. You and your partner are covered with nerve endings. Why not find them with your lips and enjoy a little dinner too? Eating off of each other even exists in bonobo culture. Bonobos are apes that closely related to humans genetically. They are known for their fluid sexual social behavior and impart sex into many parts of their daily activities, including feeding.

From Japan, the word Nyotaimori means “female body presentation” and is the practice of serving sashimi or sushi off of a woman’s naked body. Nantaimori is the male equivalent. Models involved must lay still on a low table for hours while diners pick the food off their bodies with chopsticks. Body sushi in the United States can be upwards of $75 per person.

Eating off of another person can of course be done with your partner at home in the comfort of your own bedroom (or kitchen). The common view is a person covered in either whipped cream or melted chocolate. But you can practice food play by simply eating a berry out of the belly button. Be careful with ANY food containing sugar near the vagina. A healthy vagina maintains a pH balance in the range of 3.8 to 4.5. This creates an acidic environment that discourages infections from occurring. The introduction of sugar in the vagina will disrupt this balance, leaving it vulnerable to infection.

Eating itself can be an erotic experience. Aside from the tactile sensation as mentioned before, certain types of food affect our body chemistry in very specific ways. Spicy foods may increase your arousal because they cause some of the same symptoms, such as sweating, increased heart rate and blushing. Chili peppers and ginger can increase blood flow to your genitals.

And what is food play without aphrodisiacs? Here are some ideas. Oysters are high in zinc, which raises sperm and testosterone production, and they’re rich in amino acids that trigger increased levels of sex hormones. They’re healthiest when eaten raw but like most raw seafood, there is risk of food poisoning. Avocados are also good for your sexual health. The name for the avocado tree comes from the Aztec word, ahuacatl (“ah-hwah-cah-til”), meaning “testicle” tree. While they do resemble testicles, they also contain high levels of folic acid, which help metabolize proteins, thus giving you more energy. They also contain more potassium than bananas. And have you ever wondered where the term “honeymoon” came from? Newlyweds in Europe drank honey wine during the first month of marriage to improve their sexual stamina.

And lastly, many have asked how to improve the way they taste “down there.” Well, the same rules apply to both males and females. The taste of your semen or secretions is dependent on the food you consume. Unfortunately, coffee and beer both tend to make you taste bitter. Tropical fruits such as papaya, mango and pineapple will make you taste sweeter. You can also include more common fruit like strawberries and kiwi. So keep that in mind next time you’re out getting groceries.

Bon appetit.

We love Victorians, too!

ztheenz:

crazymaybe:

athena, reminds me a bit of your house in arcata.

:)

Peep our climbing video, and look for the story online and in print tomorrow.

Happy Earth Day, Humboldt.

Until my contract with the Air Force is up and I can enroll at HSU…

 by Jacob Horn and Jordan Sayre

Whether you are a bud lover or not, here are some recipes that will knock you off your feet.


Peter Piper’s Chronic Tea

THC, which is the chemical in marijuana that produces the “high”, is not very soluble in water. In order to fully take advantage of it’s effectiveness as a medicine, you can dissolve the THC by using milk.

Ingredients:
- One gram of Herb
- One cup of milk
- One tea bag of your choice

1. Boil on low one gram of marijuana to every cup of milk for 20 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and steep one tea bag of your choice per cup for at least four to six minutes.
3. Strain the marijuana out of the liquid and viola!

— This recipe can be refrigerated for up to one week —


Chronic Bud Brownies

Ingredients:
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup unsifted flour
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup marijuana butter (see next recipe)
3/4 cup coco powder
1/4 teaspoon Baking powder

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Stir eggs with sugar and vanilla
3. Add marijuana butter, cocoa powder, flour, baking powder and salt.
4. After mixed completely, add walnuts.
5. Spread into greased 8 or 9” square pan.
6. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.
7. Cut into squares. Eat in moderation!


Bud Butter
Ingredients:
5 sticks of butter or vegetable spread
¾ of an ounce of marijuana

1. Melt the butter on low heat in sauce pan.
2. Once the butter has melted, add the weed.  
3. Simmer for 20-30 minutes stirring every 5 minutes.
4. Let sit for 5 minutes then strain the pot butter (using cheesecloth) into a small bowl.
5. Pull out cheese cloth and squeeze out butter.
6. Cover and refrigerate bud butter until semi-solid.
(This can also be done in a slow cooker. When using a slow cooker we suggest cooking on low for 1-2 hours.)

arcatan:

The sights of Humboldt County, Calif., can be hard for the rational mind to reconcile. Its hysterical shifts in landscape and weather conspire to make you feel, in the most pleasurable way possible, that you are going out of your head.

[…]

Humboldt’s atmospheric caprices echo the character of a county that proudly resists any consensus about what constitutes a sane or normal way of life.

An article about our fair county from no less than the New York Times. Good read!