I Come from a Land of Sun and Smog

Los Angeles has been called the city of dreams. It is the place where thousands of Americans go each year in hopes of gaining fame and fortune. But with the steady stream into the Los Angeles area, there is also a stream leading out into the more rural regions of the United States.

Currently, more than 17 percent of the Humboldt State University student population is comprised of people who previously called the city of dreams home, according to the most recent census. If L.A. really is the land of opportunity that it claims to be, why have such a large percentage of students migrated to the furthest possible California university?

There are many reasons why students come to Humboldt State to study in the final years of their academic career. Some note the inviting atmosphere of the smaller class sizes, some will point out the laid-back feel of small-town life. But it seems that whenever a former L.A. resident is asked this question, the answer is usually along the lines of, "It was the farthest I could go and still stay in California."

Kenna Oliphant, a Studio Arts senior, is one of those people. Oliphant, a L.A. resident of eighteen years, "hated" L.A. while living there and so made the voyage to Humboldt State because she was drawn to the nature that surrounded the university.

Oliphant says that she did have some attachment to the city but she was looking for an escape. "It was fun and there was always stuff to do but the people there make me crazy," she said. Since moving to Humboldt State, Oliphant says she has become more relaxed and it has made her able to find her place in life. "Living in Humboldt has shown me how to be humble and to not be concerned with TV, movies, and material possessions but to get out more and appreciate nature and pay attention to more important things," she said.

Many students come to Humboldt knowing nothing besides the busy life of an L.A. resident and are shocked by what they find when they arrive. Louis Gordon, an economics freshman, thought that everyone operated on the busy schedule that he was used to. "Honestly, I didn't really think about it," said Gordon who lived in L.A. for eight years. "I just accepted it as where I was. I accepted smog and traffic and large crowds as a part of life."

When Gordon returned home after his first semester at Humboldt State, things felt different to him. "I feel like L.A. numbs me," he said. "It makes me irritable and anxious and I don't like being there. I heard stories about people going back to L.A. and having trouble breathing. I dismissed them as exaggerations at first, but then I came back for winter break and was able to corroborate them first hand."

Yet no matter how bad the smog may get or how slow the traffic may travel on the freeway, for some Los Angeles will always be home. Jonathan "Doc" Myers, a Technical Theater freshman, still misses the hustle and bustle of city life on quiet nights. "I think it's dirty, but it's still home," he said. "I think it has more of a buzz and more unity than most other places have."

Printed in The LumberJACK, 1-23-08

Healing Hands

Imagine waking up one morning in Illinois and realizing that your calling in life is to be a spiritual healer in a small town in Northern California. Now imagine packing up your entire family and life and traveling all those miles with only the feeling that this is what you need to do as security.

This is what Maya Cooper did 10 years ago and her instincts were right. She is now the soul-proprietress of The Isis Osiris Healing Temple, and the publisher and creative director of the Isis Scrolls newsletter. Through her hands-on healing, a team of massage therapists and the Isis Scrolls, Cooper hopes to enlighten and unite the healing community to better allow those seeking relief to receive it.

Cooper is a spiritual, hands-on healer specializing in Intuitive Spiritual Guidance. She has spent the last 10 years helping people to free their congested energy to create more constant streams of energy by helping people deal with mental, physical and emotional blocks. She does not see herself so much as a healer but rather a facilitator of "deep, profound healing with themselves."

The Isis Center started out small and grew in the community. It became a place of reverence as Cooper's clients found peace of mind and body through her hands-on healing and emotional support.

"It evolved into a place where people feel relaxed and non-judged no matter what they say," Cooper said. Her understanding of people led to expansion and redecoration of the center, Cooper said as she ran her hand over the beautifully painted walls that had been a gift from one of her clients.

As the facility attracted more clients, Cooper found her abilities to aid people in dealing with what she calls "contradictory energy." Contradictory energy is when the body is going through one process but the mind may fear for the exact opposite. Cooper said one woman came in for a healing session and when she laid her hands upon the woman's womb, she could feel that the woman was afraid that she was pregnant. At the same time, she could feel that the woman was menstruating. She asked the woman about this and the woman replied, "I have been afraid that I am pregnant for three weeks. I just started menstruating today."

Soon, between the new knowledge that Cooper gained from her clients and the peace of body and mind that the clients received from Cooper and her associates, it was decided that the energy of the center had changed to become a sacred place to those who entered. The center's name was soon changed from The Isis Center to the Isis Osiris Healing Temple.

The temple took inspiration from both Isis, the Egyptian goddess of motherhood, and Osiris, the husband of Isis and the Egyptian god of life, death, and fertility. Cooper regards her work area as a haven for troubled spirits in search of release.

People in the surrounding community have been very supportive of the healing center and have kept it alive and thriving these past 10 years. Cooper attributes this to the spiritual openness that the community possesses. She said that she has found here that people become much more spiritually aware and sophisticated at younger ages than anywhere else she has known. "The kids up here are so much more aware," she said.

Many of the inspirations to heal people in this unconventional way come from the idea of being able to help people through natural means without the use of Western medicine. Reiden Olsson, an Intuitive Massage Therapist, Foot Reflexologist and Reiki Master Teacher at the Isis Osiris Healing Temple, was inspired to learn alternative medicine when she was 19 years old and her mother was able to relieve her headache with a simple massage. Astounded to learn that not every ailment demands a pill for relief, she went on to massage school to perfect her art.

Foot Flexology, one of Olsson's specialties, is especially important to her. It allows her to heal and relieve pressure throughout the entire body simply by putting pressure on certain parts of the foot. Olsson said this ability to aid people become more hopeful about life or simply in less physical pain is exciting and gratifying for her.

"It is a transformation," she said. "We are part of our own healing. There's so much we can do for ourselves."

Rebecca Owen, who is a hands-on healer and Chakra energy specialist, used to work at the Isis Osiris Healing Temple with Cooper. Owen recently opened her own studio across the hall from the temple to house meditation classes and open sessions to the community. She feels that the hands-on healing and meditation are a highly beneficial way for people to deal with problems in life.

"Our whole world would be a better place if we were able to access ourselves," she said. Owen hopes that she will be able to use her hands-on healing and meditation sessions to communicate with people's feelings and help people let go of the baggage weighing them down.

Cooper and Owen, both trained and long-practicing healers, share a certain intuition about healing. They both believe that it was a gift that came naturally to them. Owen expressed that she felt her hands were like eyes that allowed her to read into people's energy and feel their aura. These women then use this ability to help people understand where energy is being blocked and assist them in verbally working through the things restricting the flow.

Malin Terpening, who has been working at the Isis Osiris Healing Temple since October practicing Reiki, also felt this innate intuition about her path in life. "It came naturally to me," she said. The raw ability to read energy and auras was then honed and developed in Seattle before coming to the Temple to work with Cooper. Working with other people's energy is an enlightening experience, Terpening said. "You learn a lot from each session and apply it to your own life, get stronger for every session." Some people come into the center expecting to heal one problem, she said, and through healing sessions, resolve something that they previously had not considered.

"I hope to carry on what goes on in here, out there and unify the healing community," Cooper said.

INFO BOX
The Isis Osiris Healing Temple offers healing sessions on a sliding scale from $90-$120 for one hour and forty-five minute sessions. Massages range from one hour for $65 and one-and-a-half hours for $90. The Isis Osiris Healing Temple is located at 44 Sunny Brae Centre in Arcata.
Rebecca Owen of the Redwood Area Healing and Meditation offers free community meditation events every second and forth Friday of the month from 7to 8 p.m.

Printed in The LumberJACK, 12-5-07

Circus, Club of the Week

Come one, come all! See the amazing fire-eaters and hilarious clowns! Step right up, step right up! Come be frightened, titillated and amused by the amazing Humboldt Circus.

Humboldt State University's own Humboldt Circus mixes the crazy antics of the big top with a dash of burlesque and a pinch of the local laid-back attitude to create a show that is as much fun to watch as it is to perform.

Founded in 2000, Humboldt Circus is a rare opportunity for students who may have never had the opportunity to see a real circus to learn the skills of the big top and perform for their friends, family and community. Humboldt Circus offers instruction in poi spinning which is the ancient New Zealand art of spinning balls on chains that are sometimes on fire, juggling, clowning, acrobatics and many other unique feats.

Dan Menick has been a member of Humboldt Circus for two years and has performed in five shows. He now holds the title of co-Head Clown with Steven Dimon. "I've never been to a real circus," Menick said. The experience "opened [his] eyes" to things that he had previously never imagined and left him with experiences to be proud of, he said.

The members of Humboldt Circus come from many different backgrounds. Some have experience in the performing arts either through theater or other outlets while others are more familiar with static, visual arts. Others do not have any experience at all upon entrance, Menick said. This allows for many different perspectives and interpretations of what a circus should look like. This element, Menick said, is what makes Humboldt Circus so unique.

Steven Dimon has been performing with Humboldt Circus for two and a half years and is currently the head clown. He cannot imagine his Humboldt State experience without the Circus involved in it.

"I feel like I'm part of the true creative force of the community doing something inspiring and new," Dimon said. The circus for Dimon was "completely mind-altering" and gave him a new perspective on life and made him "a better person."

The Humboldt Circus wants to bring color and life to the community and inspire others to enjoy their lives and allow the spirit of Circus in.

"There is such a huge demand for Circus," Dimon said. The Humboldt Circus is there to fill that demand and inspire others to do the same.

One such person is Annie Sheppard, one of the newest members of Humboldt Circus. She is not currently a Humboldt State student but will be during the spring semester. After seeing one of Humboldt Circus' shows, Sheppard was inspired to take up juggling and is currently working as a visual designer for Humboldt Circus creating costumes and backgrounds. "I really wanted to contribute visually to something so inspiring," Sheppard said. She said she also hopes to incorporate the Circus into her life even more in the future.

Humboldt Circus meets every Tuesday and Thursday in the Forbes Complex from 5-7p.m.

Printed in The LumberJACK, 10-31-07

Devil Doll Raises Hell

The house lights dim, and the crowd waiting for what feels like all night is hushed by the abrupt charge of the guitarist into an upbeat, rockabilly riff, soon joined by the bassist and drummer. From the side of the stage emerges a young woman dressed in red and black. She walks up to the microphone, opens her mouth and you are blown against the back wall.

At barely five feet tall, Colleen Duffy, also known as Devil Doll, has a stage presence bigger and more intimidating than the bouncer at the front door of Jambalaya where she and her band performed Tuesday night. She and her band powered through their electrically-charged set of old favorites and tracks from their recently released album, "The Return of Eve." The audience could not remain in their seats and eventually all migrated onto the dance floor.

Devil Doll's mix of rockabilly, old school, outlaw country, punk rock and 1940s burlesque lends something to nearly everyone and Duffy's sometimes growling, sometimes purring voice will leave you wanting more.


The Lumberjack: What brings you to Arcata?

Devil Doll: Well actually the promoter, Norm. He had worked with a couple of friends of mine. They had recommended him. We're doing a California run. We're based out of Los Angeles. We wanted to take more advantage of the fact that we are in California and just decided to do a full California tour. So we came up here even though we got incredible motion sickness! We had to stop four times from Red Bluff to here. We were just barfing on the side of the road.

LJ: How is "Return of Eve" different from "Queen of Pain" for you?

DD: "The Return of Eve" record is a variation from "Queen of Pain" because I made it a little bit more guitar driven and I put some more old-school outlaw country music on there to remind me what country music was all about when it was first written. It was really punk rock actually. It was about telling the truth, cheatin', stealin', livin', dyin'. I don't know what happened to country music, but we really wanted to try to put some songs on the record to really revitalize that old flame of what country music was all about.
There's not as much jazzy, swingy stuff as there was on "Queen of Pain." We did focus more on guitar. But I also experimented with putting other people's songs on there too. "Queen of Pain" is all my music. "Return of Eve" has three covers on it. It has a cover of "Fever" which I put on there because I'm sick of people screwing up that song. So I wanted to be like "This is the way it's supposed to be sung," pretty much, or you know come as close as you can.

LJ: Who influenced you the most on your new record?

DD: I don't know, really. I was so nervous about making this record because the "Queen of Pain" record is so popular and we sold so many copies and people are so addicted to that record. And it had been six years since we put out a record so this record has such a tall order to be compared to that I was really, really nervous. As far as one artist really influencing me on this, it was more about being influenced by what I observed. I was more influenced by my experiences and watching movies than by actual artists because I had to find a certain freedom and allow myself to write different kinds of songs and a different kind of record and not caring if people are going to like it or not.

When I saw the movie, "Walk the Line," it kind of kicked my ass to get my shit together to get this record written.

There are people who continue to influence me. I mean, Joan Jett will always be one of my biggest influences in rock 'n' roll of all time. Janette Napolitano from Concrete Blonde will always be one of my biggest influences of all time. Elvis and Johnny Cash, Etta James. They always influence the way I process music and how it filters back out of me. Those women and those men taught me to take inspiration and make it my own. People can slander Elvis and give him a lot of shit but at the end of the day… He took so much shit. He got beat up for the clothes he was wearing. He did his own delivery. Johnny Cash, are you kidding me? Like anyone still delivers like he did. Joan Jett, are you kidding me? Do you know how many people still try to imitate her? And as far as Janette Napolitano goes, people no matter how famous or established they are, when Janette Napolitano is rehearsing at the studio the most famous of all musicians will have their ear to the door just trying to hear her sing. She blows everyone out of the water. People are in fucking awe of her voice. She has a lower register like I do and she has some similar influences but that whole gang of people always influence in the way I think, in the way I write.


LJ: What are your plans for the future?

DD: We have this tour going through November or December. For this record we're doing a national tour. We're doing a couple music videos at the beginning of the year and then we'll be going back over to Europe to play in some of the pockets in the United States we haven't hit in a while. We just got new management; a lot of good stuff is happening in the band right now. [There has been] some activity on the radio and all kinds of stuff. People really believe in this record.

Printed in The LumberJACK, 10-31-07

Don't Hold it! Just Go - It's Urinetown!

Imagine a life when the California water shortage is so severe that you have to pay to pee.

This is the problem facing the poor folks in the musical "Urinetown." When the water shortage became too severe, Caldwell B. Cladwell, owner of the Urine Good Company, handled the situation. Cladwell closes down all private restroom facilities in the city and opens up public urinals that citizens must pay to use.

The urinals run by Urine Good Company's agents are dirty, expensive and constantly the host of long lines. The poor people of the town are being bled dry of the little money they have but do not dare use other facilities for fear of being sent to the dreaded Urinetown. None of the citizens actually know where Urinetown is or why they fear it, but each person has his or her suspicions and the authorities do their best not to confirm or deny anything.

Rae Robison and Elisabeth Harrington directed the play and performed by Humboldt State University students. It will be performed in the John Van Duzer Theatre the weekends of October 25-28 and November 1-3.

Actors and directors alike are happily anticipating sharing this kooky story with Humboldt state students and the surrounding community. Clayton Cook, the narrator and chief of police known as Officer Lockshock, the "Nazi-esque" man in charge of upholding the water preservation codes, could not be happier to be a part of Urinetown.

"The show is a whole lot of fun," he said.

The play is smart and ridiculous and makes fun of the standing foundation of the musical theatre world while being less than serious with itself at the same time.

Cladwell, played by Keith Renouf, is your typical bad guy as the head of Urine Good Company. His character is the reason for the suffering of the poor citizens waiting in line to pee. "You have to think of the bad guy not as a bad guy but as a guy with good intentions," Renouf said. "It's never as easy as 'you're right and they're wrong.' You have to understand the conflict within the character."

While at times it does seem as though Cladwell really does have the environment's best interest at heart, it is apparent that big piles of money have a great deal to do with his decision to conserve water through paying toilets.

The upbeat, cheery music of the show is in the typical style of most musical theatre classics such as "Wicked" or "Hairspray," but don't be fooled by the candy-coated exterior, this is no typical Broadway musical. "Why is the music so happy when the words are so sad?" Little Sally asks during one of the songs. "This is a musical," Officer Lockstock returns. "The music has to be happy."

Bobby Amirkhan, who plays the upright bass in the show's band, said that this play is unlike any other show he has played for. "There aren't quite as many ballads or jazzy tunes in this musical as there were in 'Chicago' or 'Kiss Me, Kate,' which allows a bassist to have more fun, but it's still fun music to play," said Amirkhan.

And what is the often whispered about Urinetown? "Well, you'll have to see the show," said Cook.

Printed October 24, 2007 in The Lumberjack.

Wowza! Holy Primal Yoga, Batman!

Sometimes all a person needs to feel better is stretch their arms to the sky and release the negative energy with a single, loud yell.

Wowza, the "High Priestess of Wow!," known professionally and published under the name Elisa Lodge believes deeply in the healing power of this primal knowledge and following these instincts in creating a more wonderful world around herself and others.

"At 70 it is important to reinvent ourselves," Wowza said in reference to her life journey from actress to shaman. Wowza bases her teachings, books and workshops off of the doctrines of a Burning Man group known as the "Church of Wow!" The group teaches the "total freedom of expression" and the "recapturing of youthfulness of spirit" to ensure a sense of spiritual vitality.

"Everything is just beginning for her," said Humboldt State University yoga instructor Paula Scott. "She says yes to life."

Scott and the Blue Lake community will be welcoming Wowza on the weekend of Oct. 21 and 22. Wowza will be holding a class on Primal Energetics.

Scott became enthralled with Wowza after meeting her four years ago in a workshop. "I saw something really special," Scott said. "Something in her eyes sparkled with a deep joy for life."

Scott became more intrigued with Wowza and her life when she learned about the traumatic past she overcame.

Wowza was abused as a child by her father and as a result of the physical abuse and mental struggle developed eczema over much of her body. Scott said Wowza believed if she could withstand the physical abuse her father put her through, then she would be worthy of his love.

At age 11, Wowza's mother gave her a floor-length mirror for her birthday and she was forced to confront the physical and mental ugliness in her life, Scott said.

Once she was able to deal with this pain she began shutting her door and dancing by herself when she felt upset. She called herself the "Ugly Dancer" and would perform for herself as a way of releasing the negative energy. This was the beginning of the enlightenment that would come a year later.

There was a picture that hung in her house, Scott said, that showed a woman with a waterfall coming out of her and a child playing at her feet. When Wowza asked who the woman was, her mother replied that the woman was Mother Earth. The young Wowza called the woman "Humma" and she became her inner companion. Through humming and with the guidance of her inner companion, Wowza broke out of her "Ugly Dancer" shell and went on to act in movies along side Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley.

Acting, Wowza said, showed her the art of wearing masks. She believed she could show any mask of any person to the world and each mask had a specific role it played. She chose to wear the mask of "Wow!" to express her feeling of gratitude for the world she now inhabits and the discoveries she has made and encourages others to do so through her workshops and books.

Fritz Mussmann was one such student to be moved by her seminar. Unsure of what to expect going in, he was surprised and excited to find what he calls "authentic play."

"Authentic play means playing from the inside out," Mussmann said. "It comes from the core of the being." It is an expression of sound and movement in a safe, comfortable environment that is completely instinctual instead of choreographed.

Wowza describes primal energetics as a type of yoga that stretches and relaxes your mind and spirit along with your body. By giving in to primal instincts and allowing yourself to create the sounds your vocals chords naturally want to create, you get in touch with your primal instincts and release tension.

Christiane Johnson, a third-year Wildlife and Zoology major agreed with this idea. "When you're frustrated you release all the stress off your back [when you] give out a grunt or a sigh. 'Rrrrrrrr!' and it's all out," Johnson said.

Wowza has written several books about the healing powers of the primal noise and yell including "Primal Energetics" and "The Hum of Love" expressing the importance of allowing yourself to give in to the desire to make the primal grunting noises of joy, love, sorrow or anger. These expressions are "more than noise, [they are] our intuitive voice link to Wholeism," Wowza said.

Wowza believes that this seminar is very important for all people in this age of knowledge and technology because people are beginning to forget their primal roots. They are so concerned with socially accepted ways of acting that the need to yell out or hum to themselves is completely suppressed, she said. Every person is born brilliant, Wowza said. "The body is a holographic universe. There's so much intelligent information [in the world today] but very little on embodiment of a new paradigm of being."

Wowza said the problem is we are raised from a very young age in a very hierarchical society and are shaped into a very static posture that we are constantly aware of and only a small part of our teachings are how to live to a greater spiritual potential. By practicing the primal outcries that come naturally to us, we can better equip ourselves to create a higher plane of being for ourselves and live up to our highest potential.

"Primal yoga is stretching with desire," Wowza said. "It is exponentially huge in how it stimulates all parts of the body and opens up our voice to expression."

Printed 10-17-07 in The Lumberjack,

CCAT Gets a New Home

Imagine a life where if you wanted to turn on a light, you had to generate your own electricity.

After three years in a temporary establishment, Campus Center for Appropriate Technology (CCAT) moved into their new permanent home in House 99, located outside of the new Behavioral and Social Sciences building, said CCAT Co-director Niki Beckman.

While most students on campus have heard of the group, most are not entirely certain as to what it is that they do. CCAT is a student- and volunteer-run program at Humboldt State University. It began in 1978 with a goal to educate people about their impact on the environment. They also educate people in ways to reduce the harmful effects of humans upon the environment, caused by generations of abuse and overuse of nature's resources.

This group lives completely by its word to give back to the environment as much as it takes and by taking only what it needs. They grow their own food, generate their own power and are constantly aware of how the things they do will affect the world around them. The positive influence of this group can be seen all over campus with the addition of compost bins grouped with the usual trash and recycling bins.

CCAT was located on the site of the new Behavioral and Social Sciences building from 1978 until three years ago, when plans of the new Behavioral and Social building got underway. The group spent the intervening three years in Jenkins Hall, waiting for a new location for the new facility.

The group is very happy to be in the new, larger facility said Beckman. The remodeled space now features new classrooms, a library, meeting rooms, workspaces and living spaces. Beckman believes it is the model home for "green attributes" and an environmentally-conscious living.

Having the extra space is very important to the members of CCAT as they can now educate more people about their environmental beliefs and still have the separation between the work and living areas.

Humboldt State student William Jacks is glad that CCAT was able to re-establish itself in its new, larger home. However, he does not believe that those in charge of funds for building on campus had their head in the right place. Jacks said he firmly believed that all of the money that was involved in building the BSS building should have gone to improving the CCAT building instead.

"CCAT is the most important part of this university," Jacks said. "CCAT is an avenue for change and an example for the entire nation."

The feeling of support and the welcoming of change is apparent with those students who are aware of the program and its goals. "It is cool they're trying to educate people about alternative living and taking care of the environment," said Humboldt State student, Marcia Garcia.

Published September 26, 2007. The Lumberjack.

HIV Testing to become easier, more common

No one likes to think they could carry HIV. Sitting with a counselor for half an hour and filling out paperwork could deter even the most confident patient looking to get tested. Fortunately, this may change.

More than 40,000 people are infected with the human immunodeficiency virus every year and between 25 and 35 percent of the people who contract the virus do not know that they are infected. Out of that 40,000 that are infected, 50 percent of them are infected by people who do not know they have the virus, said Jake Molofsky, an administrator at the Open Door Health Clinic.

"All the consent in the world isn't making one drop of difference in bringing the rate of HIV down," Molofsky said. The number of new cases per year has remained the same for the past 13 years which presents the idea that strategies of attack on this virus are no longer effective and it is time to try something else.

In efforts to decrease the number of cases and increase state-wide awareness, California State Assembly member Patty Berg introduced Bill 682, which makes HIV testing a routine part of physical exams.

The new bill will eliminate the mandatory paperwork and counseling sessions that are currently required before receiving the test. Instead of having to suffer through the embarrassment of asking for the test, the person performing routine blood work on a patient will simply suggest that at that time, HIV testing be conducted. The patient has the right to refuse if he or she does not feel it to be necessary and the remainder of the visit will go on as usual. "The whole idea will de-stigmatize [HIV]," Molfsky said.

Valerie Small Navarro of the American Civil Liberties Union believes differently. By making HIV testing into "just another test" people who truly benefit from the test no longer will. In some cases, Small Navarro said, health facilities who have given the test as a regular blood test without the permission of the patient have used the status of HIV positive against patients, denying them treatment in cases where the patient may not even know of his or her HIV positive status.

There is a concern for the knowledge of the patient, Small Navarro said. By eliminating the required paperwork and counseling sessions from the HIV testing process, physicians are denying patients their Constitutional right to the knowledge of what it is they are giving consent to do.

Humboldt State Health Center director Rebecca Stauffer said the bill will streamline the process of getting tested. "[The legislation] will bring the process in California in line with [Centers for Disease Control] recommendations, while safe guarding confidentiality," she said.

Last year more than 150 students requested an HIV test at the Student Health Center and more than 760 tests were given at the Six Rivers Planned Parenthood Center. These groups believe that the new bill will drastically increase their numbers and as a result, make more people aware of their health and their surroundings.
"It gives [patients] power," said Six Rivers Planned Parenthood director of education, Debbe Hartridge referring to the knowledge of whether or not the patient is at risk.

Hartridge and Molofsky share the passion to get people tested early so that if the virus is present, treatment can be provided early before the onset of complications. People between the ages of 14 and 64 are the most at risk age group and are strongly encouraged to go in for testing.

With the passing of this bill, Molofsky hopes that the nervousness that was previously associated with the test will be eliminated. "[Doctors visits] are always so awkward," said Sean Gillespie, a third-year business administrations major. "I would be more likely to get tested if the HIV test were simply lumped in with the rest of normal blood tests or vaccination."

The bill is currently waiting the approval and signature of Governor Schwarzenegger. The governor has until October 14 to sign the bill.

This is a big deal, Molofsky said, "People don't have to die from this."

Published October 3, 2007. The Lumberjack.

Play Discusses Gender Struggles

There was no knowing what to expect upon entering the Homo Expo: A Queer Theatre Extravaganza judging by the title, and even if the poster told the passerby what to expect, you would never believe it.

The lights went down in the intimate quarters of Gist Theatre and the spotlight focused on a beautiful drag queen as he strutted glittering and proud toward the stage.

"I've always wanted to be a diva!" Greag Brown said, proudly soaking in the spotlight, allowing it to shimmer across the sequins of his dress.

The Homo Expo is running for one more weekend starting Thursday. It is more than just drag queens dancing around lip-syncing to Tina Turner classics and fabulous gay men and women recruiting audience members to their over-the-top lifestyle. It was a journey of the soul to those hidden places we have within ourselves that we never let anyone see.

The actors gave heartbreaking accounts of the pain and suffering that goes along with being the person they cannot change and the person they want to be.

"You've got to know what you want you for," said Traci Thomas in her monologue about being the only Asian lesbian stand-up comedian in the world. So precedes the theme of the night; the true desires of people and how they are forced to explain themselves to society every moment of the day.

One of the major issues that recurred throughout the show was the reaction of parents finding out their son or daughter is gay. Noe Tolenetino told of a father who refused to allow his son to enroll in ballet lessons as a small child because he thought "ballet would turn him gay" and allowed him to enroll in tap dancing instead.

"Ballet won't turn you into a big homo," Tolentino said, "tap dancing will." Despite all the fear and anticipation of coming out to their parents, the reaction each mother and father had was filled with love and support.

The second act gives a rare glimpse into the world of those who were born as the wrong gender and the circus that goes on around them in their quest to look the way they feel on the inside.

Brendon O'Loughlin, who played a transgendered character named Kate, felt challenged and honored to portray the character and have the opportunity to show the community the hardships and risks that transgender people must face coming out to friends and family and in everyday life.

Director Jean O' Hara was proud to see her circus come to life through her actors. Many actors were learning new talents, such a stilt walking for the show. They gave the community a rare glimpse of what it is like to live with the discrimination people face on an everyday basis because of their differences.

Published October 10, 2007. The Lumberjack.