The Lumberjack -- October 28

Flagstaff cemeteries to reach capacity by 2060

Higher burial rates have caused limited cemetery space

AVA HINIKER

Cemeteries are rapidly filling up as a result of limited space and rising interment rates. Finite cemetery space has become common globally in the recent decade with cemeteries in London, Scotland and Australia expected to be full in the next 10 to 20 years. This trend has also been experienced locally, as Flagstaff cemeteries estimate they may reach capacity by 2060.

Park supervisor and former cemetery

specialist Shawn Mullaney said the number of interments in Flagstaff Citizens Cemetery has been gradually increasing.

“We probably averaged around 100 burials a year until about eight years ago when the numbers started climbing,” Mullaney said. “During COVID-19, we were doing about 200 burials a year which counted infants and cremains. As long as people keep coming to Flagstaff, the cemetery will probably fill up between 2050 and 2060.”

Flagstaff Citizens Cemetery, operational since 1911, contains plots with varying availability based on ownership. Multiple sections are available for citizen purchase with specialized plots sectioned off for veterans. Additionally, several areas are

owned by the Flagstaff Masonic and Odd Fellows lodges with graves reserved for deceased members. Mullaney said these reservations, outside of city control, contribute to limited space.

“Masonic Lodge has about 100 lodge members, but they have thousands of plots they’re never going to use,” Mullaney said. “You can’t get a hold of Odd Fellows anymore and they have a lot of spaces too. Now, veteran and citizen areas are about 70% full while Masonic and Odd Fellows areas are 30% full. Yet, the city can’t sell those.”

Calvary Catholic Cemetery is one of many cemeteries privately owned by the Catholic Church.

Treat yourself to the Halloween spirit

Halloween marks the start of the holiday season. One of the greatest aspects of Halloween and what makes it different from other holidays is how easy it is to celebrate. All you have to do is find a costume, hang out with friends and maybe eat some candy. There’s no large family gathering, no buying gifts or food to be made.

The holidays can be a particularly stressful time of year for people. The pressures of being around family and making the season meaningful can be overwhelming for many.

Many people feel the need to take time off from work, which can be difficult. Also, the majority of Americans spend a significant amount of money on gift giving and other holiday expenses. CNBC reported that holiday sales in 2021 hit an alltime high with a total expenditure of $886.7 billion in the United States.

However, Halloween is a day to have fun and it doesn’t have to drag on for too long. Even if you don’t typically dress up or eat candy, recognizing the change of seasons is a great way to celebrate; the shift from fall to winter has always held historical significance.

Learning the origins and traditions of Halloween can help us appreciate how the modern-day version of the holiday came to be.

National blood shortage affects Arizona

encouraging people to donate now.

Oct. 13 blood drive in Flagstaff

The United States is currently experiencing a national blood shortage. With hospitals requiring more blood than is being donated, blood drawing centers are

Normally Vitalant, the company which supplies blood to 96% of Arizona hospitals, goes on “critical need” status over the summer. But in June, Vitalant announced a national critical blood shortage

Increased demand for blood at hospitals is typical during summer as more people are traveling, getting into accidents and schools — a common location for blood drives — are out for vacation. Recently, however, summer tourism has been particularly high because of a boost in travel following COVID-19 shutdowns.

On Oct. 13, Flagstaff Medical Center and Vitalant hosted their monthly blood drive at Fort Valley Shopping Center. Accommodated with snacks and ’80s music, patients getting their blood drawn said the process was painless.

Lorrinda Allan has been working on and off as an account associate at Vitalant since 1991. This summer, she said, they drew only about 50% of what they needed.

“It’s a double-edged sword,” Allan said. “This summer, I can tell you, the blood drives that I was on were just slow.”

When Arizona hospitals are low on blood, they have to borrow from other states. If other states are low as well, there is no substitute for human blood. Despite already experiencing a shortage, Arizona blood centers have been lending blood to Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian

“You’ll never know when your loved ones are going to need it, you never know when you might need it,” Allan said.

Arizona is a high-usage state for blood, needing around 700 donations daily to address the needs of hospitals.

As a result, blood donations tend to stay local, meaning the blood you donate may be used to treat someone in your close community.

Let's skip Halloween this season

Ican’t wait till Nov. 1. Not to be a Halloween Scrooge, but there is nothing to celebrate when it comes to a wasteful holiday.

Recently, people have started getting back into Halloween, everyone’s new favorite holiday. Halloween celebrations had a drop in popularity in 2020 due to the pandemic, but have rapidly increased since then.

More than 70% of people in the United States celebrate Halloween. People can’t get enough of the holiday, as it can be a time to hang out with family or friends and do things like dress up or bake Halloweenthemed desserts. Halloween has been celebrated since the 1840s, and although it has had its ups and downs, people have never stopped since.

Everyone seems to have a strong opinion about Halloween, but they don’t consider how meaningless it has become.

Although the holiday has a history, no one seems to care enough about it or even discuss it. If Halloween’s origin and meaning were so important, it would be common knowledge. If I asked someone why it’s their favorite holiday, they would likely not know.

ROSE BAILLIE

The Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Flagstaff hosts 20 acres of memorials, Oct. 16. Storey Welch | The Lumberjack

Jeanne Wiles gets her blood drawn at a blood drive hosted by Vitalant, at

Fort Valley Shopping Center, Oct. 13.

Jacob Handley | The Lumberjack

TAYLOR SCHWARTZ-OLSON

& DAISY JOHNSTON

HANNAH

I’m writing this on a Sunday evening on a computer in the Media Innovation Center. To be honest, the days are blending together lately because of how busy I’ve been. But when I look around the room, surrounded by my fellow editors and staff, I feel grateful to be here. After being with the paper for over a year now, I find more comfort in this room than I’d ever expect to. Despite the obnoxious white lighting and computers that barely work, this place has become a home away from home.

When I think of my time at college, and in general, I find myself labeling my time here as “before The Lumberjack,” and “after The Lumberjack.” Before I found the paper, I honestly just lacked direction and purpose. This job has taught me more than AP Style but also how impactful being part of something larger than myself can be. Learning the ropes of reporting and editing has been so important, but I think the most impactful thing I have learned is how valuable it is to be part of a team.

The Lumberjack has instilled a sense of inspiration that my life was lacking. I am constantly surrounded by such creative and talented people, and their presence inspires me to work harder and become a better version of myself. Sometimes when we are all sitting together on Mondays for meetings and bouncing ideas off each other for pitches, I wish I could take a screenshot of that moment in time. I know one day, when I am done with college, I will look back on my time with the paper and wish I took more time to enjoy it. So for now, I am thankful for the small moments I have with this team, and I look forward to what is to come.

you for reading!

THE EXECUTIVE BOARD

EXECUTIVE

Camille

Brenden

Emily Gerdes,

Marley Green,

Lian Muneno,

Lydia Nelson,

EDITORIAL STAFF

Daisy Johnston

Sophia Swainson

Jorja Heinkel

Xavier Juarez

William Combs III

Jessie McCann

Maria Rodriguez

Senior

Assistant Opinion

Hannah Elsmore, Features Editor

Brisa Karow, Assistant Features Editor

Emily Rehling, Culture Editor

Emma Long, Assistant Culture Editor

Evan McNelia, Sports Editor

Noah Butler, Assistant Sports Editor

Amirah Rogers, Director of Social Media

Spring 2020 was the last semester

The Lumberjack printed a physical copy of the paper. Since then we have continued to publish our weekly PDF online, with issuu. com/northernarizonanews being the only place our audience could view how our content is traditionally laid out. The staff has always had a vision of returning to a time where we, in fact, print the paper.

Most individuals who currently work for the paper haven’t ever experienced a time where they could see their bylines in print. We wanted this to change.

This semester the Executive Board got one-time approval to move forward with printing an edition of one of our special issues. We decided to print our 8th issue of the semester which became our fall themed special issue.

Staff writers traditionally get an extra week to work on special issue stories, but with us having to push our production timeline backward to make our new print deadline, our editors worked overtime throughout the past weekend.

We would like to thank everyone who made this issue possible and The Lumberjack editors who worked tirelessly to make it a reality.

Take some time to enjoy not only the content within but some of the photos and illustrations created by our tireless staff. We hope you all enjoy this extra special issue of The Lumberjack!

Tess Bandstra, Assistant Director of Print Design

Phone: (928) 523-4921 Fax: (928) 523-9313

Lumberjack@nau.edu

VISUALS

Jonah Graham, Director of Photography

Rainee Favela, Director of Illustration Collin Vanderwerf, Director of Multimedia Taylor McCormick, Assistant Director of Photography

Samantha Glaberman, Assistant Director of Illustration

Jacob Handley, Senior Photographer Octavia Freeland, Senior Photographer

FACULTY ADVISERS

David Harpster, Faculty Adviser Rory Faust, Sports Adviser

Camille Sipple at ces475@nau.edu.

The Lumberjack

Northern Arizona University sits at the base of the San Francisco Peaks, on homelands sacred to Native Americans throughout the region. We honor their past, present, and future generations, who have lived here for millennia and will forever call this place home.

Lumberjack Love, The Lumberjack Executive Board

Photo courtesy of Jonah Graham

CEMETERY continued from FRONT

Open since 1892, citizens regardless of religion can purchase plots directly and receive interment rights over their allotted land. A variety of factors contribute to the decline of space in this cemetery, including individuals moving back to Flagstaff to be buried beside their parents and reservations made before the 1980s being filled as those individuals pass away. Director of Mission and Care Harry Antram said religious practices have an additional effect.

“Because we are a Catholic organization, which traditionally leans more toward traditional burials instead of cremation, our ground space is used a little more quickly,” Antram said. “At the current volume of cremation versus traditional burials, Calvary has about a 35-to 40-year lifespan left.”

Both cemeteries have prolonged their availability by allowing multiple remains to be placed in a single grave. Plots in Citizens Cemetery and Calvary Cemetery are spacious enough for one traditional casket and upwards of three sets of cremated remains, or “cremains.”

Calvary also uses “double-depth” spaces which can fit two bodies on top of one another.

As spaces continue to fill, both cemeteries outlined potential solutions, including digging up cemetery roads to allow for more burial space, building mausoleums to house corpses on cemetery grounds and purchasing additional land to begin a new cemetery. Antram said other Catholic cemeteries in Phoenix have already taken this initiative.

“In the Phoenix Metro area, we recently purchased over 40 acres of land,” Antram said. “Right now it’s just raw land, but we plan to build a cemetery there to make sure we always have land available. We’ve also had discussions with the local parish in Flagstaff about purchasing part of their acreage to build another cemetery.”

Flagstaff views Citizens Cemetery as a community amenity instead of a profitable investment, Mullaney said. It is unlikely that additional land would be purchased to either expand the property or build another cemetery.

Continue reading on JackCentral.org

Three Flagstaff cold murder cases

works to study unsolved murders.

TESS BANDSTRA & MCKAYLA HOLDER

Of 36 cold cases, over 28 homicides in Coconino County remain unsolved, some dating back to 1955. Coconino County’s Cold Case Unit was created in 2005 specifically to investigate unsolved murders.

Penny Rodriguez, one of the victims on the list of unsolved murders and missing people, was found stabbed to death in June 1997. Rodriguez was a sex worker in Phoenix. Her body was found near Highway 87 with 26 stab wounds.

Rodriguez had children who she looked after with help from her friends. After her death, the children were sent back to live with their biological father.

Ben Greenberg is an independent journalist who

“For the loved ones of the person who was murdered, this didn’t happen so long ago because they live with it every day,” Greenberg said. “The loss has irrevocably changed their lives and harmed them and continues to as cases are left unaddressed.”

Although Rodriguez’s case is considered cold, investigators believed the man who killed her may be the suspect in another murder of a Phoenix sex worker. The suspect’s identity was never revealed, and they are no longer living.

The suspect was the last person seen with Rodriguez, and investigators found later they shared motel rooms from May to June 1997. After an autopsy was performed on Rodriguez, it was found she died around June 5.

In 1977, Michael and Charlotte Sherman were

murdered on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park.

Around 9:30 a.m. on Jan. 22, 1977, the Shermans entered Grand Canyon National Park. Less than two hours later, at 11 a.m., their bodies were discovered.

Joe Sumner is a volunteer investigator for the cold case unit. An interview with Sumner was conducted by Arizona Daily Sun regarding his role in the case.

“They were shot executionstyle,” Sumner said in the article. “It appears someone was lying in wait.”

They were both shot, their bodies had been moved to the back of the monument and two of their possessions were stolen; a wallet and purse.

The cold case unit received DNA evidence of a possible suspect, but the identity of who the DNA sample belongs to remains unknown. Michael and Charlotte Sherman were 27 years old.

“Local law enforcement from back when these cases happened generally didn’t have sophisticated crime labs or DNA assessments to properly investigate murders,” Greenberg said. “It was harder to have robust and adequate investigations with the lack of equipment.”

In 1982, the body of a girl was found in Coconino County by a law enforcement officer. The girl’s remains were found under a cedar tree just 25 feet off the lanes of Interstate 40. The girl may have been as young as 15 years old.

She became known as “Valentine Sally,” because she was found on Valentine’s Day.

An autopsy revealed she had died two weeks before being found. The manner and cause of death are undetermined.

In the ‘80s, The Lumberjack began its Police Beat column and has been doing it ever since. Here is a collection of some of NAUPD’s best entries from Halloween over the years.

1988

At 3:04 p.m., a concerned citizen reported a dumpster was burning on the east side of North Morton Hall.

NAUPD and the Flagstaff Fire Department (FFD) were dispatched to the scene, but the fire had been extinguished.

At 4:53 p.m., the Campbell residence hall director reported threatening notes had been left on several doors in the dorm.

1993

At 1:33 a.m., an NAUPD officer arrested a nonstudent for driving under the influence. The individual was booked into the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office.

At 7:10 p.m., a student employee from Pizzano’s reported eggs were thrown at his vehicle while delivering a pizza at Sechrist Hall.

1995

At 10:30 a.m., two female students reported their cars stolen from McConnell Hall. One of the student’s roommates said there was a rumor going around the vehicles were taken as a joke and were parked near the credit union.

She said two female students took the cars. An officer spoke to one of the students suspected of taking the cars. She said they took the cars in response to several bad jokes committed by the victims. Both of the girls who stole the vehicles were deferred to student life for a violation of unauthorized use of a vehicle.

2010

At 7:30 p.m., a concerned citizen called to report a pumpkin was on fire on the third floor in the northeast corner of the campus parking garage. An officer and FFD were dispatched. The fire was extinguished, and no damage was done to the building.

At 10:18 p.m., an officer reported the suspicious activity of three subjects on the first floor of the campus parking garage. The subjects accidentally dropped a pumpkin from the second floor and were picking up the pieces.

2011

At 6:54 p.m., a fire alarm sounded at Wilson Hall. An officer was dispatched. The residence hall staff called to report the fire alarm had been activated by a fog machine in a room. The officer confirmed the fog machine was the cause, and the call to FFD was canceled.

At 9:05 p.m., a resident of McConnell Hall reported she had found cannabis in her roommate’s drawer. An officer was dispatched, and the cannabis was confiscated. The subject in possession of cannabis was not present, but the responding officer

left his business card with instructions to contact NAUPD.

2013

At 9:46 a.m., a Drury Inn & Suites employee reported a guest had left a firearm in a room. An officer retrieved the weapon and placed it in NAUPD safekeeping.

At 10:19 p.m., staff at Reilly Hall requested assistance with two suspicious individuals in the residence hall. Two officers responded and escorted the subjects off campus.

2014

At 1:46 a.m., the staff of Mountain View Hall made an assault report between two of the residents which occurred 30 minutes before the call was made. NAUPD officers responded, apprehended one subject and took the subject to the Coconino County Detention Facility.

2015

At 7:41 p.m., Gabaldon Hall staff reported a student was sending another student odd texts from an unknown location. No criminal activity was witnessed and staff were advised to contact NAUPD if the student was located.

At 10:20 p.m., a student near University Union reported two other students were carrying large fake knives and trying two scare people. Two NAUPD officers responded to the scene but the subjects were gone upon arrival. At 10:40 p.m., an NAUPD officer reported finding the subjects; they were given a warning about their behavior.

2016

At 2:41 p.m., a resident of South Village Apartments reported a subject had thrown an egg at a window. An NAUPD officer responded and the investigation is ongoing.

2018

At 10:44 p.m., a resident reported a loud party at Hilltop Townhomes. NAUPD officers responded and dispersed the party.

At 11:44 p.m., a resident assistant (RA) reported an intoxicated student at Gabaldon Hall. FFD, Guardian Medical Transport and an NAUPD officer responded. The student refused medical attention and was cited for underage drinking.

2021

At 10:14 p.m., a McConnell Hall RA reported a verbal dispute between a student and a non-student. NAUPD responded, separated both parties and took a report for domestic violence and disturbance of the peace.

At 11:00 p.m., a Raymond Hall resident requested medical assistance for a non-student with possible alcohol poisoning. NAUPD, FFD and Guardian Medical Transport responded, and transported the non-student to Flagstaff Medical Center. One student criminally deferred for minor in consumption of alcohol.

COMPILED BY DAISY JOHNSTON

Editor’s Note: This story contains mention of violence which some may find distubring.

“FOR THE LOVED ONES OF THE PERSON WHO WAS MURDERED, THIS DIDN’T HAPPEN SO LONG AGO BECAUSE THEY LIVE WITH IT EVERY DAY. THE LOSS HAS IRREVOCABLY CHANGED THEIR LIVES AND HARMED THEM AND CONTINUES TO AS CASES ARE LEFT UNADDRESSED.”

-Ben Greenberg, independent journalist

Rows of plaques to honor the dead make up 20 acres of the Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Flagstaff, Oct. 16. Storey Welch | The Lumberjack

SHORTAGE continued from FRONT

Carina Fors is the senior account manager at Vitalant. She said by donating blood you are helping family, friends and neighbors. For those in need, the impact of a blood donation can be life-saving.

“From people involved in car accidents, to cancer patients, to children impacted by diamond-blackfan or sickle cell anemia, an estimated 5 million Americans need blood every year,” Fors said.

To cope with the shortage, Fors said they have been working to make blood drives more accessible to everyone. Fors said Vitalant must follow Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines closely, but the organization hopes to see a deferral that will make donating more available to gay men.

“The FDA continues to change the criteria, they are just slower at changing this deferral than what we would like,” Fors said.

In the meantime, Vitalant medical directors have continued to work with the FDA to change this guideline.

With one transfusion, a donor can save up to three lives. Scott Williams was at the blood drive Oct. 13 because — having lived in high elevation for the past 22 years — he was advised by a medical professional to get his blood drawn regularly. Residents of high-elevation places like Flagstaff may develop thicker blood.

“It’s never been painful,” Williams said. “Everybody’s been great every single time.”

Williams has now been donating twice a month and has yet to experience any problems. For anyone who has considered donating blood but is intimidated, Williams said to go ahead and do it.

“It’s just the right thing to do for your fellow Americans,” Williams said.

Shortage leads to policy changes

As the blood shortage continues, specific measures have been taken to boost donation numbers. One of these measures is to change policies regulating who is allowed to donate.

In April 2020, the FDA released a statement updating guidelines to make blood drives more accessible.

The recent policy change sought to override the December 2015 guidance that set the deferral period at 12 months for sexually active gay and bisexual men. This policy was known as a revised recommendation for reducing the risk of HIV transmission by blood. The 2020 policy reduced the 12 months to three months.

In 1983, the FDA instituted a ban barring sexually active gay men from donating blood, due to concerns over the spread of HIV and AIDS. The decision came after the discovery that AIDS could be transmitted through blood products.

“The understanding of risk factors for AIDS in 1983 informed the first blood donor deferral policy, which at that time was the only way to reduce the chance of transmission of AIDS through blood product transfusion,” an FDA spokesperson said via email.

The three-month deferral is meant to be a safety measure for those who could be infected, as it might not be detected early on.

“This approach likely prevents donation by HIV-infected individuals with early or window period infections before the virus can be detected by the donor screening tests when their blood donations can still transmit HIV to others,” an FDA spokesperson said.

According to a press release

published by the FDA, the most recent policy changes were made because the pandemic caused unprecedented challenges to the U.S. blood supply, and more blood donations were needed to help patients.

Beyond changes that affect gay and bisexual men, there was also a revision to reduce limitations for those who have traveled to malaria-endemic areas from 12 months to three months.

The final revision was the elimination of recommended restrictions for those who spent time in European countries and may have been exposed to Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

A deferral policy is still in place for gay and bisexual men. Even though donated blood goes through testing to be checked for diseases like HIV, these tests are not 100% accurate.

“Despite the high level of accuracy and sensitivity of today’s donor screening tests for HIV, it remains possible for a donor to test HIV negative and still be infected with HIV early in infection with the virus itself or the antibodies against the virus might be too low to be detected,” an FDA spokesperson said.

New study could bring change

The Assessing Donor Variability and New Concepts in Eligibility (ADVANCE) study was launched in December 2020 to evaluate alternatives to the FDA’s current restrictions. Overall, the study aims to make blood donation a more inclusive process for the LGBTQIA+ community.

It focuses on the blood donor deferral policy and whether a new policy could be implemented nationwide while keeping the blood supply safe.

Melody Birkett, regional communications director for The American Red Cross, said the

organization is collaborating with the FDA on the ADVANCE Study.

“The Red Cross participated in a pilot project funded by the FDA that could change blood donor eligibility criteria for gay and bisexual men,” Birkett said. “The ADVANCE study is the first step in achieving this goal.”

In addition to the Red Cross, the study also involves Vitalant and another major blood center, OneBlood.

Enrollment in the study ended in late September, with a projected 2,000 participants between the ages of 18 and 39 involved.

“This study, conducted at community health centers in key locations across the United States, could generate data that will help the FDA determine if a donor questionnaire based on individual risk assessment would be as effective as time-based deferrals in reducing the risk of HIV,” an FDA spokesperson said.

According to an American Red Cross press release, participants in the study will have a blood sample drawn for HIV testing and will answer different questions designed to determine individual HIV risk factors.

“The study results should be released by the end of the year, at which time the FDA will review and determine the next steps,” Birkett said.

For those who wish to donate, Vitalant will be hosting several blood drives across the city during the first week of November. To check donor eligibility, schedule an appointment or for more information visit Vitalant’s website

Vitalant will be hosting a zombiethemed blood drive on Oct. 28 at Findlay Toyota. It will take place between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Composting pumpkins reduces climate change

Carving pumpkins is a tradition for many families, but according to the United States Department of Energy, discarded pumpkins often end up in landfills. The influx of organic material increases greenhouse gas emissions.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports 1.3 billion pounds of pumpkins are produced in the U.S. each year, and a majority get thrown away. This contributes to more than 254 million tons of municipal solid waste produced in the U.S. every year, breaking down into methane and heightening the effects of climate change.

Stanford researchers note that while carbon dioxide is more abundant and longer-lived, methane — the main component of natural gas — is far more effective at trapping heat. Methane is more than 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide in terms of warming the climate system.

According to the U.S. Composting Council, compost is a key tool in global initiatives to reduce climate change. It benefits the climate by reducing greenhouse gas emissions at landfills, promoting uptake of carbon dioxide by vegetation and making gardens more resilient to the effects of climate change.

By promoting healthier and lively plant growth, compost is an important mechanism for plants to take in carbon dioxide and convert it into photosynthesis.

At the scale of an individual project, this may seem like a small benefit, but it has a significant impact on the climate’s well-being.

Viola’s Flower Garden, a locally

owned business, has an annual pumpkin patch in October where it sells upwards of 20,000 pumpkins a year. Nursery Manager Janet Taylor explained how simple composting can be.

“Composting is not an exact science,” Taylor said. “[It is] roughly one-third brown material, dried plants, and two-thirds green materials, food scraps or grass clippings. Build it big, at least three feet by three feet, keep it moist and watch it shrink. It’s easy and beneficial for the planet.”

Combatting climate change is why the Flagstaff Sustainability Office created a ReThink Waste Plan which outlines the community’s waste prevention and

recycling goals.

The four main goals are to achieve zero waste conditions by 2050 through diverting 90% of the material produced in Flagstaff from the landfill, reducing overall waste generation, reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with Flagstaff’s waste and material consumption and increasing participation in recycling services.

Students for Sustainable Living and Urban Gardening (SSLUG) is a club that aims to promote the importance of community and create a positive learning environment for gardening and sustainability.

The club wants to further educate students,

whether that is directly about gardening, sustainability events or how to get involved with Flagstaff sustainability.

President of SSLUG Gabriel Navarro said the club uses compost to grow corn, beans and squash, their three main crops.

“We use a hay bale system where you basically take three to four hay bales and make a square, then fill the compost in there,” Navarro said. “It reaches great temperatures throughout winter and what’s really awesome is the hay will slowly compost itself into the compost, so it’s a zero waste process.”

Composting brings nutrients and microorganisms into gardens. This process can change how large plants grow, how much they produce and create strong roots.

“Composting in general is also a great way to help the microecosystems in your gardens thrive,” Navarro said. “I believe gardens are a habitat for life and without strong compost and soil care this wouldn’t be possible.”

Flagstaff Sustainability Office holds an annual Pumpkin Drop where stations are set up seeking to minimize waste. This works alongside the office’s compost hubs that provide free composting from May to October to community gardens.

“Historically, we’ve loaded up a bunch of bins of unsold pumpkins and people with animals pick them up,” Taylor said. “If you miss that or if people don’t have a dedicated compost pile, you can actually just bury the pumpkin in the garden. It will disappear by the spring.”

Residents can drop off their pumpkins at the Flagstaff Sustainability Office starting Nov. 1.

EMMA WEAVER

Left: Darwin Lomayaktewa donates at a blood drive hosted by Vitalant at Fort Valley Shopping Center, Oct. 13. Right: Jeanne Wiles gets her blood drawn at a blood drive hosted by Vitalant at Fort Valley Shopping Center, Oct. 13. Jacob Handley | The Lumberjack

When some people talk about why they like Halloween tend to talk about fall activities instead; they love going to the pumpkin patch, enjoy watching scary movies, the weather is always perfect, etc. Those are all great, but going to the pumpkin patch is a seasonal fall activity, and the nice weather has nothing to do with Halloween.

Also, activities like watching scary movies and hanging out with family can be done all year long and doesn’t need to be Halloweenspecific. If you like the fall season, just say you like fall; it does not have anything to do with Halloween.

People have this same mentality with lots of other holidays too, associating the holiday with the season, like the Fourth of July. People only like the Fourth because it's summer and super nice outside, but not a lot would say they actually like the idea of Fourth of July.

Not only does Halloween not have much to offer, it is also problematic. Halloween is a consumerist holiday, and its only purpose is to get people to buy poorly made Halloween items. This goes for many other holidays too, like Valentine’s Day, which solely exists for us to spend lots of money on useless junk.

Unlike other holidays, like Christmas, buying items for Halloween serves no point. At least with Christmas, people buy presents for those they love to show how much they value them.

Yet, with Halloween, you’ll likely spend lots of money for no reason.

For this upcoming Halloween season, consumers in the U.S. are expected to spend upwards of $10.6 billion, which is an increase from the previous year and marks a record for the holiday’s sales.

So much money goes into Halloween when it doesn’t need to. Halloween is the second largest U.S. holiday in terms of total retail spending, behind Christmas.

The main purchases for Halloween are items like costumes, candy, decorations and party supplies; the list goes on and on. However, right when November hits, people typically throw out a majority of their Halloween junk, which often goes unnoticed.

One trick-or-treater produces around a pound of trash every Halloween, and to put that into perspective, there are roughly around 40 million trick-or-treaters.

Candy isn’t all that contributes to littering and pollution. Other Halloween items, like costumes and decorations, also get thrown away and create more trash every year. About 83% of Halloween costumes

BY ALEXIS BEAMAN

end up in landfills, and they are mainly made of different types of plastics.

In addition to the waste that the holiday’s costumes create, the premise of wearing costumes emboldens people to feel they can wear whatever they want, regardless of cultural appropriation. People dressing up as offensive stereotypes for Halloween happens all too often and at no consequence.

It is simply a holiday of buying and throwing away, only to purchase similar items for the next year. The cycle continues with no sign of slowing down.

Buying stuff for Halloween just feeds into capitalism more than people already do.

When spending money each year on useless Halloween costumes, it’s only funding companies and giving them an incentive to continue their unsustainable production practices.

Halloween products are not ethically made and are manufactured in large factories run by fossil fuels. Once these products are disposed of, they are burned, releasing greenhouse gases and adding to the overall effects of climate change.

So, if you decide you still want to make purchases for Halloween this year, think responsibly about what you buy and whether you really need it, or if you’re just going to throw it away after the holiday is over.

I’m not saying we need to stop celebrating Halloween forever. However, it is important to be informed about what you are buying and think for the betterment of the planet.

Jordan Peele: A scary movie legend

I t’s finally approaching that time of the year again: Halloween. Thankfully, the season of scary movies and spooky tales is here.

While Halloween may not be synonymous with horror films for some, it’s my favorite aspect of the holiday. It’s an opportunity for many people to scare themselves and watch their quota of horror films for the year, but for me, it’s Jordan Peele season.

I certainly could not find a better way to celebrate Halloween than to treat myself to rewatching a film directed, produced and written by Peele, filled with tricks, treats and twists I might not have noticed on the first watch.

In his critically acclaimed movies, Peele has been successful — to say the very least — especially within a genre that does not commonly receive positive nationwide attention.

From his directorial work, he holds an average rating of 91% given by Rotten Tomato critics and has currently earned over $681.4 million at the box office combined from his films “Nope,” “Us” and “Get Out.”

If those earnings aren’t an astonishing feat representing his audience reach, each of these films also noted a box office earning of over $100 million within the first few weeks after their release.

From his Oscar award-winning directorial debut film, “Get Out,” to his most recent film, “Nope,” Peele is a gift to movie lovers who keeps on giving. He is not the type of filmmaker to aim for cheap jump scares in the name of making a scary movie, as displayed by his unparalleled inclusive cast selections and his execution of thought-provoking issues.

Peele has mastered the art of horror and rightfully became an icon for shining a light on the scariest of situations: Racism in the United States, classism and the American Dream.

It’s refreshing to see scary movies that leave audience members thinking about microaggressions, controlling behavior and the exploitations of an individualistic society hoarding wealth. Since 2017, he has quickly become an expert in directing films that reexamines how audiences and critics think about the horror genre.

Yet, it’s not Peele’s first time turning horror film concepts on their head, especially with comedy in his notorious skits with KeeganMichael Key.

Peele’s range is expanding in the horror genre by working with Netflix to release an upcoming PG-13 animated film based on the unpublished book, “Wendell & Wild.” In this collaboration with the famed director of “Coraline,” Henry Selick, returns with voice acting from Key and Peele themselves.

It's no surprise that Peele's receiving the recognition he deserves.

His films consistently challenge the expectations of horror, pushing stereotypes to “Get Out” and become an element of the past. Peele steers away from Black trauma and redefines horror by creating realistic characters at the forefront of his films to give audiences fictional people that they can root for, with never-before-seen heroes on the big screen.

RAINEE

For decades, Halloween movies have depicted a common trend, showing the fears of middleclass white Americans while placing Black supporting characters on the chopping block for an untimely and gruesome death. Minorities have always been the first to die in movies, victims of expendability for the horror genre.

Fortunately, Peele understands the importance of providing a diverse cast to play relatable characters whose plot points and developments are much more than their racial traumas used for entertainment. He is creating masterpieces to change outdated norms that are scarier than any film could ever be.

There is nothing more a horror movie connoisseur could ask for in Peele’s movies, with comedy, high-quality production, talented actors, realistic characters and unsettling scenarios sure to scare audiences.

If you’re quick to say “Nope” when it comes to horror flicks, try giving his first film a chance. Besides, as Peele will point out, there are scarier elements surrounding us in our day-to-day lives.

MARIA RODRIGUEZ

ASSISTANT OPINION EDITOR

COLLINS

What we now call Halloween was first known as the Celtic festival, Samhain, and took place the night of Oct. 31 into the next day. Samhain means “summer’s end,” a holiday to commemorate the start of winter and a new year.

A significant aspect of Samhain was the Celts’ belief that only a veil separated the material and spiritual worlds. On the night of Oct. 31, the veil was lifted, and the two worlds would collide. This meant that ghosts would now be roaming around in the material space, which is why Halloween is associated with spookiness and spirits.

During this night, the Celts needed a way to ward off evil spirits, so they dressed up in masks and costumes as a disguise to scare off the ghouls. People would also use their costumes to play pranks on one another.

Knowing this, one may find that dressing up for Halloween isn’t just a trivial tradition, but there’s actually a reason why it’s part of the holiday. So every time you go to dress up for Halloween, remember

it was initially an attempt to scare away demons or trick friends, which has now become an opportunity to look cool, funny or cute.

Even eating candy on Halloween has roots in Samhain, and the evolution of the holiday. The idea of trick-or-treating didn’t just come out of thin air.

Celts would leave out food for the spirits. Those who left an abundance of quality goods were said to be rewarded with a prosperous year — a treat — while those who failed to complete the task or did a subpar job were said to be the receivers of malevolent “tricks.”

However, trick-or-treating has morphed into different meanings throughout centuries. It is also said to stem from “souling,” which occurred when Christianity started becoming more widespread. Low-income families or children would knock on the homes of wealthier individuals and receive “soul cakes” as a reward for promising to pray for the homeowners’ dead relatives.

Another tradition in Scotland and Ireland was called “guising,” where people would dress up and accept offerings from households. They would receive fruit, nuts or coins after performing an

entertaining trick.

A unique aspect of the holiday is that it has changed and formed into different types of celebrations throughout the years. Many different cultures, religions and generations have adapted the holiday to represent the times and give meaning to what that day represents to them.

Christians eventually molded Samhain into “All Hallows Eve,” the night before All Saints Day on Nov. 1. This is why the night is now called Halloween, as it was meant to honor those who have died.

Although these aspects are not commonly recognized in our current form of celebration, it illustrates why Halloween should still be celebrated and why it came to be in the first place.

Celebrating Halloween in the 21st century is an opportunity to add personal meaning to what the day means to you, especially if you’re an adult and don’t really care about the more obvious aspects like candy and costumes.

I’m not always into dressing up, but I like to spend the night having fun with my friends and recognizing what Samhain really means, “summer’s end.” I personally love season changes because each one represents a new beginning. Why not celebrate that? The candy is always an added bonus.

Although it has evolved, Halloween has always held the underlying themes of hauntedness, spirits and a time to celebrate the start of winter.

By the time Halloween and its traditions came to the U.S., the celebrations that we know best started to form.

Older kids used the night out to take part in mischievous behavior. As a result of this, cities shifted Halloween’s focus to become an event for younger kids and families. This manifested into parents hosting haunted houses along with our current form of trick-or-treating. Ever since this change, knocking on doors for candy has become so popular.

All the iconic Halloween rituals are not often thought of when modern-day Americans go to celebrate it. Haunted houses, trick-or-treating and the most popular costumes all represent the ethereal element of Samhain.

If you’re unclear about why you should celebrate Halloween, or you think the night is pointless, you can practice some of the ancient rituals to honor the evening and time of year. Before writing off Halloween as a silly holiday for kids, remember it has a multitude of meanings and traditions that have been significant to many different groups of people.

Lumberjack staffers' favorite Halloween movies

Jessie McCann: My favorite spooky movie is “Coraline” because it's one that I can rewatch many times and it never gets old. I love the stop motion aspect of it, and unlike many say, it didn't scare me as a child; I was fas cinated by the horrors of Coraline's fantasy world and her parallel family.

Daisy Johnston: “Ghostbusters, because it’s a classic.”

Hannah Elsmore: “The movie really pushes the bounds of what “scary” can mean. You really have to watch it to know what I mean, but I will say since seeing it I would NEVER lean my head out of the car window.”

Taylor McCormick: “Hereditary, because it not only had jump scares but a psychological aspect to it, making it really creepy."

Brisa Karow: “I love watching Ghostbusters, the original. As someone who hates jump-scares and suspense, this classic movie is a safe and entertaining alternative”.

Camille Sipple: “I love how the songs and overall cinematography make it more than a silly, animated children's movie.”

Lydia Nelson: “The Nightmare Before Christmas because it hits two holidays in one movie!”

Emily Gerdes: “Halloweentown.” I can quote the movie like the back of my hand, in my childhood the plot twist was groundbreaking and the entire film emulates the autumn atmosphere I grew up with. It was like those characters were my own friends! It's a must watch in my household!

Jonah Graham: “Jeepers Creepers: Reborn.” "It was so scary I closed my eyes 20 minutes into it and woke up with the credits rolling! Yikes!"

Jorja Heinkel: “Welcome to Racoon City. I love Resident Evil so it very quickly became my comfort movie. I watch it at least once a month.”

Rainee Favela: ““American Psycho;” American Psycho isn't your typical "scary movie" and focuses on a psychological thriller approach where the scariest aspect of the film is that it can be a reality applicable to the strangers around you.”

Freaky Foot Tours’ haunted Flagstaff

ZACHARY MARKEWICZ

The night was dark, cold and sporadically stormy. Pedestrians occasionally walked to and from the restaurants and bars dotting downtown Flagstaff, seeking shelter from the rain. However, a group of nearly 20 people stood chattering and shivering under umbrellas around their guide. It was time for the Mountain Town of Madness Adult Only Tour to begin.

As the guide slowly led his audience down the alleys and streets of downtown, stories of ghosts, true crime and local history were sewn together and blew through the crowd. Many of the tales told that night could have been largely forgotten if not for the effort of Freaky Foot Tours and its mother-son co-founders, Susan Johnson and Nick Jones.

Johnson is a local historian and author of two books: “Flagstaff’s Family Walkup Murders: A Shocking 1937 Tragedy” and “Haunted Flagstaff.” Her curiosity in Flagstaff’s paranormal history inspired what is now Freaky Foot Tours.

Johnson said her interest in paranormal activity began when she found authors Brad Steiger and Hans Holzer, two writers who investigated the paranormal alongside a psychic or medium.

“I loved the history of the places they investigated and the romantic idea of spirits

who lingered, unable or unwilling, to leave,” Johnson said. “The question that arose in my mind was, ‘Why?’”

Her research began over 15 years ago when she was introduced to the Walkup Family’s story, Johnson said. In between the tasks of a demanding work schedule, she would go to the local library to investigate. In 2019, The History Press accepted her proposal for the book and her research began in earnest, Johnson said.

Johnson conducted research and interviews to find the stories that would eventually be used in the foot tours. She found an online self-guided ghost tour for Flagstaff and proceeded to visit the locations, asking owners and workers about paranormal experiences they encountered.

“At first, I was just curious if what was written was true, but I began to collect a lot of freaky stories about paranormal events and ghost sightings,” Johnson said.

Once Johnson had enough stories, it was up to Jones to develop the strategy and operations required to run a business. He works behind the scenes as part of a four-person group in charge of organizing the business.

Beauty Boost boasts businesses, beer and babes

The Beauty Boost

NAU defensive line’s three-headed monster

Late in the first quarter of a Week 6 game at NAU, Cal Poly’s offense faced a third-and-9 situation at its own 26-yard line. Redshirt junior quarterback Spencer Brasch lined up in the shotgun — his halfback to his right — with two wide receivers spread out to either side of the line.

Trailing 14-6, the Mustangs wanted to keep their drive alive to avoid allowing the Lumberjacks to go up by two scores early in the game.

Cal Poly called a smash concept, looking to pick up the first down by catching the defense off with good timing on a medium passing play. Before the snap, the right tackle called for extra protection on his side possibly anticipating a stunt — against NAU junior defensive end Cosmas Kwete.

Upon the snap, the interior defensive lineman pushed up the field and Cosmas trailed him, crashing toward the inside of the offensive line. The right tackle and guard took the interior rush, and the center was ready and waiting for the cross and absorbed the rush from the end.

However, just as Brasch was looking to make a

play downfield, the pocket collapsed.

With the chaos on the right side of the line, the two defensive linemen opposite the action had the leisure of oneon-one matchups. A quick inside rip by the end was too much for the left tackle to handle and Cosmas’ twin brother, junior defensive end Eloi Kwete, was quickly in the quarterback’s face, bringing him down for a sack and killing the Mustang drive.

This is just a glimpse into the tenacity that the Kwete brothers provide to the NAU defense. Joined by their younger brother, redshirt freshman Richard Kwete, the trio looks to be a three-headed monster on the NAU defense, causing nothing but problems for their opposition.

“Sacking the quarterback, it’s one of those great plays, especially when you make it on third downs, it helps guys get off the field,” Eloi said. “It’s a fun feeling, because you feel like it’s a touchdown but on defense. When you sack a quarterback it’s a big play that’s needed in the game, so it’s always good to have a defensive lineman that can get after the quarterback.”

Eloi was the first of the

trio to arrive at NAU, though Richard did visit the school on Eloi’s initial visit. Eloi was a freshman in head coach Chris Ball and defensive coordinator Jerry Partridge’s first season with the program in fall 2019.

The brothers played rugby growing up, the skills from the pitch translating onto the gridiron seamlessly.

“Rugby helped a lot,” Eloi said. “Tackling, leverage, the tenacity of rugby, it makes it easy to transition to football.”

Eloi and Cosmas played alongside each other at Central High School in Phoenix. In 2019, Cosmas was named 5A Metro Defensive Player of the Year. He had 54 tackles, with 21 behind the line of scrimmage, and eight sacks. He was named to the all-region 1st team offense and defense as he played offensive line and defensive line. Eloi only played in one game during their senior season, unable to follow up on his own 6A Metro Region Defensive Player of the Year performance the year before.

Central dropped from 6A in 2018-19 after three straight 6-4 seasons; they went 2-8 in the Kwete twins’ senior year.

Flagstaff hosted a “Hocus Pocus” event focused on Halloween, female empowerment and entrepreneurship at Mother Road Brewing Company on Thursday, Oct. 13. The event was ticketed and sold out several days in advance. Tickets included entrance, a goody bag filled with candy and items from vendors, any free products or services offered by vendors and a beer from the bar.

The evening commenced at 6:30 p.m. The darkness of the night provided a spooky ambiance and allowed for string lights and firelight to set the scene. Mother Road’s food truck was parked within the event space, and the smell of the grill wafted over the area. Participants, many with beers in hand, milled about and explored offerings from the vendors.

The courtyard was lined with a variety of booths, each housing a local Flagstaff business. The products and services available at the booths included natural soaps, essential oils, nail accents, group readings by a medium, crystals, bracelets and a womb

embodiment circle. Many booths provided free items and experiences, and some brought extra items for purchase.

Brooke Stoff, owner of Flagstaff’s Beauty Boost, said the brand is a nationwide brand spanning 25 different cities focused on building a community of empowerment for women. She said The Beauty Boost tries to hold events with local businesses, so she reached out to Mother Road to host the event space.

“I get to help them by bringing in tons of people, and we get a really fun, cool space and awesome venue to do an event at,” Stoff said.

Stoff said she started Flagstaff’s Beauty Boost because she was craving community after moving to Flagstaff during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Beauty Boost events are not only meant to provide a space for businesses to thrive, she said, but also for individuals to make connections and build community. She said she enjoys looking around the events and seeing people laughing and talking with one another.

Attendees walk between booths at The Beauty Boost Flagstaff’s “Hocus Pocus” event hosted outside at Mother Road Brewing Company, Oct. 13. Jacob Handley | The Lumberjack

EVAN MCNELIA

EMMA LONG

A member of the Freaky Foot Tours walks on the street near the Orpheum Theater, Oct. 15. Ethon Peddle | The Lumberjack

See TOURS on PAGE 8

Photo courtesy of NAU Athletics

Jones said he enjoys working in the background and finds fulfillment in his work despite not getting the applause that, for example, a guide gets.

Despite being more skeptical than his mother when it comes to the paranormal, Jones said he appreciates ghost stories for their unique ability to tell the history of a town. He said ghost stories often follow tragic events that towns do not usually go out of their way to tell people about. Because of this, stories that involve darker elements can allow someone to see multiple sides of a town, he said.

“I think it’s important to view most things in life from multiple angles,” Jones said. “There’s nothing wrong with looking at the standard history of the place you live and all that and hearing about the town forefathers and foremothers, like that’s great, learning about that stuff, but generally, there’s more to it.”

Jones said one of his favorite things about putting the business together has been the chance to work with his mom. He said putting their business together has let him learn things about her that he probably never would have otherwise. Getting to know a different side of his mother has been rewarding, Jones said.

He said at the beginning of building the tour company, his mother would brush off his compliments of her work. It has made him proud to watch her confidence grow as positive feedback has come in from the books and tours, Jones said.

“Now there’s empirical proof that with her books and the tours, people love [these stories],” Jones said. “They love this thing that wouldn’t exist without her. I may have built the business stuff but the business is built around all that knowledge and passion that she has for [these stories] and then what each of these guides brings to [these stories].”

There are currently three guides giving walking tours, each with a stage name and unique spins on how they tell their stories.

The guide on duty the night of Oct. 15 was Steve Benning, also known as “Steven the Heathen.” Benning has been a guide for 10 months and said he has fun talking to customers and getting to teach them about the interesting stories around Flagstaff.

“This is the wild, wild west, it truly is,” Benning said. “You can read about it, you know, in history books and be walking where [historical events] happened — some of the good and a lot of the really, really ugly too.”

Jessica Morin attended the tour with her daughter, Marlee Morin. Despite the bad weather, they both said they had a fun time and learned a lot.

“I just think it was interesting to find out how much [paranormal] activity there is in Flagstaff,” Jessica Morin said. “I had no idea.”

At one point in the tour, the guide mentioned the Flagstaff tunnels, one of Flagstaff’s largest yet least-known secrets. A system of tunnels runs underneath downtown and the NAU campus and is rumored to have played a big part in the town’s history.

Marlee Morin said she found the part about the tunnel system interesting. She had already heard about the tunnels but did not know why the tunnel system existed or how far out it went until it was explained during the tour.

Whether it be ghosts or town history, the tours’ stories are meant to be as informative as they are entertaining, Jones said.

“The way that we’ve kind of laid out a lot of the things, you’ll probably come away from the tour learning at least one new thing, even if you’re a life-long resident of this town, that you had no idea about,” Jones said.

The tour ended with the crowd gathered in a doorway lit by a single porch light. Everyone pressed together and listened silently to their guide as he taught them about a teacherturned-ghost. Afterward, the guide received thanks and tips and the crowd evaporated into the night and down the streets.

Bats, scraps and a sewing class

OLIVIA LOPEZ

Agroup of children gathered around the crafts table at Threaded Together, ready to create their very own Scrap Bat. Each child was given their own woven fabrics, scissors and tools to stitch the bat together, excited to create something spooky for the upcoming holiday.

Threaded Together opened in March 2020 and supports Flagstaff community members along with organizations in need by providing a space for individuals to be creative. This Halloween season, the nonprofit offers children the chance to create spooky decor for the holiday.

Sierra Brandyberry, marketing director of Threaded Together, normally teaches the kids sewing classes.

Threaded Together provides multiple opportunities like free after-school sewing classes and paid sewing apprenticeships, Brandyberry said. They also welcome individuals of all ages. There are different classes provided for children, teens and adults.

“Our whole concept is to use sewing as a vehicle for building community and making the world a better place,” Brandyberry said.

Lindsey Watson founded Threaded Together and is now CEO of the organization, Brandyberry said. Watson found a love for crafting when she was

struggling with mental health and thought this would be a beneficial activity for teens and adults struggling with self-esteem issues, Brandyberry said.

COVID-19 hit right when the organization began. Due to the pandemic, there was a lack of masks and hospital gowns that care providers needed. Threaded Together had the materials to help those in need, Brandyberry said. She said they started with making hospital gowns for Northern Arizona Volunteer Medical Corp

Eileen Baca, administrative director of Threaded Together, was working for the organization at the beginning of the mask kit and hospital gown production.

Baca said they made masks and mask kits for communities that lacked COVID-19 resources. Specifically, they provided these materials across Navajo Nation, the Hopi Reservation and the Fort Apache Reservation.

“We sent people the materials they needed to make the masks themselves for their community,” Baca said.

Threaded Together helped make over 10,000 masks for the community, she added.

Brandyberry said after they lent assistance with the pandemic, they have gone back to educating individuals at Threaded Together.

Learning to sew can be an empowering thing and really great for mental health, she said.

“[This] brings people together in a really organic and beautiful way,” Brandyberry said.

Rachel Kalnbach, programs director of Threaded Together, was also part of the team during the hospital gowns and masks project. She said she stayed with the organization to help people gain more opportunities with future jobs and to increase individuals’ confidence in their crafting skills.

Top: Steve Benning, or “Steven the Heathen” tells a story of the haunted tunnel system in Flagstaff. Middle: Marlee Morin (left) and Jessica Morin (right) pose for a photo after the tour. Bottom: Steven Benning, the guide of the freaky foot tours, tells the story behind the “haunted” Hotel Weathersby, Oct. 15.

Ethon Peddle | The Lumberjack

Threaded Together hosts a kids Halloween workshop “The Scrap Bat” in Flagstaff, Oct. 17. At the workshop, children participants cut out, hand sew and stuff fabric in the shape of a bat. Taylor McCormick | The Lumberjack

The city of Flagstaff waits in “antici … pation” for the return of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” each year and the eccentric traditions that ensue within The Orpheum Theater during showings. For most “Rocky” fans, the meaning of this film extends far past its zany storyline.

“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is traditionally shown near Halloween and attendees are encouraged to dress for the event in such a way that reflects the camp-like nature of the film. Guests are encouraged to indulge in their self-expression, understanding that no form of dress is too outlandish. This year, the showing took place at The Orpheum on Oct. 22.

The movie, released in 1975, follows Brad Majors and Janet Weiss as they wait out a storm in the home of Dr. Frank-N-Furter. While inside the mansion, the pair meet Frank-NFurter’s newest creation, Rocky Horror, and lose the innocence they once held so tightly. Throughout the film, ideas of heteronormativity are broken down to provide positive representation for those who do not identify with those labels.

Though the movie has been out for decades, fans return to theaters each year to dance, sing and dress up in the comfort of an accepting community.

One Stage Family Theatre brings the show to life in Flagstaff by performing as a shadow cast to the film. Having a shadow cast act scenes along with the original movie is a popular tradition in the “Rocky” community. They also host a pre-show, featuring their “virgin sacrifices,” which encourage first-time viewers to participate in antics before the film begins.

Despite the campy nature of the movie, the film holds a special place in the hearts of some who feel as if they do not fit into societal norms. One Stage

Family Theatre actors see it as their duty to preserve this tradition so that a safe space is available for those who need a place to truly express themselves without judgment.

Shana Lujan is a co-founder of One Stage Family Theatre and a recurring actress at “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”

She said that no guest who attends “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is an outcast.

“[“Rocky” showings] are a place of support,” Lujan said. “I think a lot of people in the community understand this is a place that they can go even if they’re not technically ‘out’ or they’re just trying something new.”

Her favorite role to play is that of Janet Weiss, the heroine. Lujan said playing Janet pushed her past the boundaries of her comfort zone.

“[Playing Janet] taps into that wild part of you,” Lujan said. “Toward the end, when she does the floor show, she does this whole thing about being released and being able to express herself. That was probably the part I related to the most, because it was really freeing to be such a part.”

The freedom Lujan feels while playing Janet reflects the reason why actors and guests alike return annually.

Jon Oliver is the director of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” shadow cast as well as an actor who has played Eddie and Dr. Scott.

When he was first exposed to the film, he said he was hesitant to participate in the shadow cast because doing so was out of his comfort zone. However, he said he wanted to help a friend with the production.

After he performed, Oliver said the energy of the show was addicting.

“I just fell in love with the audience participation, the whole vibe and taking pictures with people afterward,” Oliver said. “People would say ‘I love your character’ and ‘Thank you for doing this.’ [There is] the whole theme of camaraderie and you can just feel the love.”

than a cult classic

Oliver and other One Stage actors use performing in the shadow cast as a way to come to terms with their identities and recognize the importance of having such a sanctuary.

Oliver said he was raised in a strict, one-parent household that prevented him from fully expressing his creativity. He said he was subjected to the pressure of presenting as a perfect child. At 16 years old, Oliver left home and attempted to find a place where he would be accepted, he said. Unfortunately, the individuals he associated with were not as safe as he anticipated.

“I wasn’t around people that were safe to be around — I’ll just say that — and just once a year to [be able to] give kids and young adults a place to just let go and be free is kind of important to me,” Oliver said.

Nick Magdaleno, a junior at NAU, played the infamous Dr. Frank-NFurter for the 2022 showings.

Taking on the role of a crossdressing alien and mad scientist helped Magdaleno announce to the world his true identity, he said. Through playing Frank-N-Furter, he said he has prioritized his self-confidence over what society would accept.

“I’ve had to live concealing myself for so long, and [playing Frank-NFurter] is a way to show myself in a light that I normally wouldn’t in everyday society,” Magdaleno said. “I think it did help me feel more comfortable with [my identity] and helped me push it to the outside for others to see.”

The impact of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” exceeds its cast and audience members.

The film and its aforementioned breaking of heteronormativity has allowed members of the LGBTQIA+ community to see underrepresented identities portrayed on screen.

The movie is comprised of gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual and nonbinary characters. Dr. Frank-N-Furter expresses his sexuality when he shares intimate scenes with both Brad and

Janet, a concept not widely displayed in media at the time of the film’s release.

Jennifer Ovalle-Zelaya is a senior and is the public relations officer at PRISM, the on-campus LGBTQIA+ club.

She said her first experience with “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” was when she was 20 years old; it opened her eyes to the LGBTQIA+ community in a beneficial way.

“There were so many identities and traditions and shared habits/hobbies that I’ve never heard of or considered before that just blew open a whole other dimension of life in a way that was surprising, eye-catching, and mindblowing,” Ovalle-Zelaya said.

The unabashed, non-traditional lifestyles of the characters also serve as an important part of the movie’s significance, she said. Though Brad and Janet do not appear to be comfortable with the ways the other characters carry themselves, Ovalle-Zelaya said it was simply because they represent people’s apprehension of veering away from normal society.

Ovalle-Zelaya said the film displayed the notion that life can be lived in various ways; there are no set rules.

“I learned how masculine and unapologetic women can be and how impressive that was,” Ovalle-Zelaya said. “I relate to the experience of seeing the film as a way of seeing how many more ways there are to live life, and how it’s not bad to break from traditions as much as possible. That even the most outlandish person can find a community and be supported.”

Though society has arguably become more accepting of identities that do not fit in with the idea of the nuclear family, Oliver says there is still work to be done.

“As far as we’ve come, we’re still in a volatile state of where people are with different choices,” Oliver said. “This movie really represents that, it always has, and I think that creates its own safe space.”

Left: Janet Weiss, performed by Marissa Knight, dances to the song “I’m Going Home” at a dress rehearsal for the Rocky Horror Show at Lessons by Lexe at the Prescott Gateway Mall. Right: Brad Majors, portrayed by Nolan Sturdevant, preforms to the song “I’m Going Home” at a dress rehearsal for the Rocky Horror Show at Lessons by Lexe at the Prescott Gateway Mall, Oct. 14. John Chaides | The Lumberjack

Magenta, portrayed by Alexes Niekamp, performs in sync with the Rocky Horror Show movie at a dress rehearsal at Lessons by Lexe at the Prescott Gateway Mall, Oct.

John Chaides | The Lumberjack

Locals debunk Pagan stereotypes

CELAYA

The divinity of nature is sacred in various practices. Pagans use their connection with the ground, sky, stars and many more elements of nature to help guide them in their faith. Despite their nature-based following, Pagans have been accused of worshipping Satan and taking part in stereotypical Halloween rituals like wearing pointy hats and riding brooms.

Social media has become a breeding ground for stereotypes about Paganism to develop. With the rise of crystal stores and an increase in astrology lovers self-proclaimed witches are on the rise.

But being a Pagan is more than what social media portrays it as.

Miranda Dineen, 44, grew up in Denver, Colorado and was raised Catholic. When she was 14, she said she began to branch out and learn how to listen to spirits. She is now a practicing Pagan in northern Arizona.

“Paganism is a lifestyle, it’s not a pretty rock you bought at the mall, it’s not your zodiac sign and it’s not a trend,” Dineen said. “That’s capitalism.”

Paganism is not a social trend or a money grab, it’s a lifestyle.

“We utilize energy and nature in our everyday life,” Dineen said. “Gratitude for the Earth and all of its energies are an integral part of our lives.”

Paganism is a blanket term used to describe any nature-based belief system where there is more than one god and someone can recognize masculine and feminine urges. Dineen said she believes Paganism comes from within and is part of who someone is.

Sharon Lynne, the owner of Victorian Moon Antiques & Enchantments in downtown Flagstaff, began to look into Paganism at 16. She grew up Presbyterian, but she said the religion did not feel welcoming to her. For 16-year-old Lynne, there was something different about Paganism.

“It just clicked,” she said.

Lynne describes Paganism as matching one’s energy to the energies of the earth and getting back in tune with the roots of early civilization. Long ago, when humans lived off the land and were stuck on their own continents, they developed their own cultures, Lynne said.

Though a lot of Pagans tend to trace back their heritage and practice the branch of Paganism that relates to their culture, this is not always the case, she said.

Lynne does not follow a particular set of rules in her practice.

“If it feels good, I follow it, I do it … that’s how I have built on this for the past 40 years,” Lynne said. “I take a lot from different religions, not just Paganism. There’s a lot of things in other religions that I really respect and I like to incorporate into my practice too.”

Every Pagan will have different views regarding how they practice their faith and make their lifestyle choices.

Kharma Lindsey is from Phoenix and resides in Prescott, where she owns a metaphysical bookstore named Collective Alchemies. She has been practicing Paganism since she was 13.

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Fast fashion haunts the Halloween season

As Halloween approaches, the search for a costume is on the minds of millions of people waiting to celebrate. Generally intended to be worn once, breaking the bank on finding the perfect costume for the special night, or “Halloweekend,” is out of the question for many celebrators.

Green Jacks, a student-run organization focused on promoting sustainability, understands how the holiday promotes fast fashion. With celebrators looking to find costumes at low prices, manufacturers begin producing large quantities of items.

Here lies the spooky connection between fast fashion and the Halloween season.

Fast fashion, clothing that imitates luxury items but at a lower price, rapidly produces trending items due to high demand. It is common for a majority of the items produced to be worn only a handful of times and then tossed away.

With the rise of social media contributing to growing trends throughout the world, people become eager to partake in what is popular. As trends come and go, pieces of clothing also tend to follow the same route.

To keep up with these trends, manufacturers across the globe begin producing mass amounts of items made of cheap materials — with plastic being a main contributor.

Around 83% of materials used to make Halloween costumes are derived from plastic. With consumers

in the United States expected to spend over $10 billion throughout this year’s Halloween season, organizations are looking for ways to prevent fast fashion around the holidays

Green Jacks encourages others on campus and around the Flagstaff community to incorporate more sustainable habits into their lives, one of these being shopping for secondhand clothing.

Grace Meinema, co-president of Green Jacks, said she believes shopping secondhand can promote sustainable and affordable shopping habits.

Billions of pounds of clothes end up in landfills each year due to mass production from fast-fashion companies,” Meinema said. “Shopping secondhand helps keep those clothing items out of landfills and prevents support of large companies producing billions of pounds of waste every year.”

This year Green Jacks hosted a thrift trip to shop for sustainable and affordable Halloween costumes. On Oct. 22, the student-run organization carpooled to various Goodwill stores to find their Halloween costume of the year.

Christina Aguinaga, a student who said she looks to implement more sustainable actions in her life, has been shopping secondhand for over four years now.

“Buying clothes that have already been worn is a great way to save money on things that are essential to us while also reducing the amount of waste we contribute to the world,” Aguinaga said.

The textile industry, which consists of items made from different materials found in clothing, causes

many environmental problems. This includes water, air and solid waste pollution

Substances such as formaldehyde, chlorine and heavy metals are used to wash, dye, bleach and clean billions of pounds of clothing. The high volume of water used is then discarded and becomes responsible for toxicity seen in aquatic life

“During Halloween, we can see more clearly how the textile industry can harm the planet, so it’s important that we work to prevent any more damage all year round,” Aguinaga said.

Known as the second largest industrial polluter behind the apparel industry accounts for almost 10% of global carbon emissions in the world. Air pollutants produced by the textile industry consist of nitrous oxides, sulfur dioxide, aniline vapors and volatile organic components

High exposure to these pollutants can affect everyone’s health. When air pollutants are breathed in, they enter the bloodstream and can cause lung diseases, hospitalizations, cancer or even premature death

With the Halloween season promoting the consumption of fast fashion to find the perfect costume, even more waste ends up in landfills. The impact it has on the environment can be scary.

Zoe Zigler, a student and climate change activist, said she recognizes how Halloween plays a huge role in fast-fashion consumption.

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PAGANISM IS A LIFESTYLE, IT’S NOT A PRETTY ROCK YOU BOUGHT AT THE MALL, IT’S NOT YOUR ZODIAC SIGN AND IT’S NOT A TREND.”

– Miranda Dineen, practicing Pagan

The shop’s Spell Book contains information for creating enchantments that can help customers based on their needs. Owner Sharon Lynne created this book herself, Oct. 14. Octavia Freeland | The Lumberjack

Sharon Lynne, owner of Victorian Moon: Antique and Enchantments, shares information about her Pagan culture, Oct. 14. Octavia Freeland | The Lumberjack

MARIAN HERNANDEZ

Left: Amrita Woodruff Humphreys, co-president of Green Jacks, looks through pants at Goodwill during a “Thrift

Trip” event hosted by Green Jacks where students carpooled to Goodwill in order to sustainably shop for a Halloween costume. Middle: A rack of secondhand pants for sale at the Goodwill on Route 66. Right: Copresidents of Green Jacks, Grace Meinema and Amrita

Woodruff Humphreys, compare the clothes they found, Oct 22. Jacob Handley | The Lumberjack

Winx’s Prison

Thunder shook the walls of Holly Manor, and a large lightning bolt split the massive black-tiled roof in two. Every Halloween a raging storm hit the town of Astra, and every year it came back harder than ever before. The entire town had to face the storm’s wrath, but the eye of the storm headed straight for Holly Manor year after year. There were rumors that the manor was cursed and that once the luxurious building finally toppled to the ground, the storm would stay away. The people of Astra had tried to burn down the manor. They tried to wreck it with their high-tech machinery. They tried to blow it up, but the only thing that was capable of damaging the home was the storm that came every Hallows Eve

The manor was not empty. It had its fair share of haunts, but it was also home to a little girl named Winx. No one knew she was trapped inside the house. Perhaps if they knew, they wouldn’t throw rocks at the window or throw lit matches at the door. Perhaps if they knew, they wouldn’t chant curses outside at unruly hours of the night. But nobody knew that Winx was inside because she couldn’t come out no matter how hard she tried.

She pushed the doors, she pulled them too, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get through. She was twelve years old and had been trapped alone for four ever since her mother, brother, sister and cousin were killed, in cold blood. So, she let the ghosts raise her, not the ghosts of her family, but the ghosts that haunted the manor that had been there since her birth. She let them teach her how to read and how to turn things green. She let them teach her how to brush her teeth and how to turn a spider into a feast. After a while, she grew content with the walls around her. Peace had finally found her.

But there was one night a year that gave her a fright, that spooked the girl who welcomed the night. It was on Hallows Eve that Winx would curl up in a corner and beg the ghosts to kill and mourn her. The storm did not only bring rain, thunder and lightning, as its poison slipped through the manor’s cracks, it made Winx remember all of her past. It made her relive the moment it happened, the moment she let loose, the moment her powers slipped and she turned them all to goo. She had evaporated mama, papa, sister, brother and cousin too, and now, every year on the day that it happened, she was reminded of what she made them lose.

She was cursed, and she wasn’t sure the magic could be reversed. She just knew that when the house finally gave in to the universe’s wrath that both she and Holly Manor would be a thing of the past.

Lumberjack Inktober Illustrations

ILLUSTRATION BY JESSIE LI

ILLUSTRATION BY SAM GLABERMAN

Autumn Aspens in Arizona

courtesy of Emily Gerdes

Even if you don’t fancy yourself a horror fanatic, you likely know of all the horror icons. With Halloween just around the corner, Freddy Kreuger, Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers and other classic villains are making their way into the mainstream psyche. With the release of “Hellraiser,” they’re also making their way into the media. If you’re acquainted with the aforementioned horror symbols but haven’t heard of Pinhead, now’s your time to get your horror education.

turns to Trevor, her love interest, for a supply of drugs and alcohol. One night, the two find themselves in an abandoned building, where they stumble upon a safe. Believing it may have money in it, they break open the safe, only to discover a small box adorned with gold and silver. That night, when Riley comes home drunk, she and Matt get into a heated argument, leading to Matt asking her to leave the apartment.

When Matt goes after Riley, he discovers her with the box. He tries to open the box and is stabbed in the hand. Then, he disappears. The movie follows Riley on her search for her brother, as she consults dark forces to get him back.

SMITH CULTURE WRITER

“Hellraiser” was first released in 1987, directed by Clive Barker. The movie centers around a woman who finds a zombified version of her dead lover and begins to kill to satisfy the Cenobites, gods of the underworld, who promise to revive him. Since the film’s release, “Hellraiser’’ was deemed somewhat of a cult classic, with Pinhead, one of the gods featured in the film, becoming a beloved horror icon.

Since the original release, “Hellraiser’’ has been adapted over 11 times, and none of the more recent films are very notable. Luckily for horror fans, the 2022 adaptation of the film doesn’t seek to recreate the malicious lore or horror magic of the original 1987 film. Instead, it develops its own story, and revitalizes the sense of dread and pure fear that gives the original movie its heart.

The film follows Riley, played by Odessa A’zion, a recovering addict who lives with her older brother, Matt, and his friends. As Riley struggles to stay clean, she

While the 2022 version definitely won’t land on any “Best of 2022” film lists, the movie is a load of fun. The dialogue is choppy, and a little corny — in true modern horror fashion — but the bloody visuals and sense of hopelessness drive the film.

For die-hard “Hellraiser’’ fans, it encapsulates the spirit of the original film without trying to directly remake or outdo it. The original sadistic traps are there, along with the iconic Cenobites, and of course, Pinhead. However, the lore is a little bit different, with more talk of the Occult, and an element of mental illness that seems to push characters to call on the Cenobites. Regardless, the reimagined Cenobites are frightening, and the amount of gore and blood will satisfy even the most iron-stomached horror viewer.

If you can withstand cheesy one-liners and typical occult elements, then you’ll find a bloody horror treat in “Hellraiser: 2022.” It’s free to stream on Hulu, and it’s the perfect film to get you reacquainted with the horror classics this spooky season.

Louie’s Kitchen: Southwest Tomato Soup

Waking up on a rainy day,

I look out the window and see droplets streak down one after another. The trees are slowly changing in Flagstaff, and the colors are making locals and tourists alike stop for a moment and take in the beautiful nature all around us. Meanwhile, all I have on my mind is soup.

I don’t know where this association started, but anytime it rains, I just

crave a nice, hot soup to contrast with the dreary, cold weather outside. It just completes everything I love about the rain. It’s fun to dance in it, to let nature roll over you, but it’s also enjoyable to escape it. To wrap yourself up in a blanket with a nice bowl of soup and not leave your house all day.

I knew this recipe would be fallthemed, and I thought there was no better recipe than a tomato soup. But I wanted to be bold with this first recipe, and I thought of ways to change this classic dish.

I imagined garnishing the final soup with avocado, and immediately, my mind turned spicy. I knew jalapeños were out of the question, as I didn’t want the spiciness to hijack the entire soup. Rather, I wanted something subtle, just a little bite to drive back the cold of winter for just a little bit longer.

Poblano and hatch both just went out of season, so I opted for dried red pepper instead. If you make this during the spring, I would absolutely try substituting the red pepper for

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven on the highest broil setting. Rinse and core tomatoes. Use your thumb and forefinger and grab close to the tip of the blade for a more precise cut. Cut tomatoes in half and place on a baking pan lined with foil. Drizzle with a generous amount of olive oil and a pinch of sugar.

Step 2

Broil the tomatoes on the top-most rack of an oven until they begin to char, about 6 to 8 minutes, then flip them and repeat on the opposite side. Take the tomatoes out of the oven and set aside to cool. Once cool you can remove the skin for a smoother tomato soup or leave them on for a more rustic, thicker texture.

Step 3

Meanwhile, heat a pot over mediumhigh heat and add a tablespoon of oil. Add the shallot and garlic and saute till the shallot yellows or until fragrant. Next, dice a dried red pepper, adding more or less or even deseeding to control the spiciness of the soup, and stir into the pot. Then add the pepper, carrot, parsley, basil and celery to the pot. Cook evenly.

hatch or poblano and ditching the red pepper altogether in favor of a more balanced and fresh soup.

Finally, tomato soup just isn’t complete without grilled cheese. Personally, I went one step further and made myself a tuna melt with Roma tomatoes and pickles, but I’m just a sucker for tuna melts.

I’m hoping for more rainy days soon so you can enjoy the perfect pairing of tomato soup and crummy weather. Until then…

Step 4

Add the roasted tomatoes and pour in chicken broth. Then crush the tomatoes with a potato masher, pastry cutter or anything you have — even a light smashing with a spoon or a spatula will work. Cook, stirring occasionally until the mixture begins to thicken for about 20 minutes. The pre-soup mixture should stick to the pot ever so slightly before moving on to the next step.

Step 5

Pour mixture into a blender or food processor and add sour cream and white bread, tearing it into pieces before tossing it in. Start with a low setting and then increase the speed to high. While blending slowly add olive oil, stopping occasionally to check for desired consistency.

Step 6

Pour blender contents back into the pot and cook on low heat for another 10-15 minutes.

Step 7

Garnish with sliced avocado, a dollop of sour cream and red pepper flakes. Enjoy!

“I feel success whenever I see the girls leaving and they are lighter and happier,” Stoff said. “They usually glow when they are leaving an event because they have been poured into by so many different businesses. They will have Reiki done to them, and they’ll have their eyeshadow done, and they’ll have a massage or all different things.”

Gina Leingang is a human design reader and an energy and intuitive healer. She did spirit animal card readings at the event. She sat by candlelight and gave each participant a free reading.

“Everything is energy,” Leingang said. “We are all energy, everything around us is energy. The really great thing I love about spirit animals is these are messages coming directly from the universe. This is what each individual needs to know for the present moment.”

Three years ago, she was a high-level corporate executive in the hospitality industry. Leingang said she always wanted to be a healer. She said she started at NAU as a nursing major, but being an intuitive healer and energy healer offered her an alternative route to healing others.

She is a Flagstaff local and said the community of The Beauty Boost — specifically focused around women — called out to her.

“Every woman is unique and an individual and you see it here tonight,” Leingang said. “Everyone is so uniquely different and you can feel a good sense of

energy, and I love that.”

Sara Goggans attended the event with her friend Anita Azarmi. They said this was their first Beauty Boost event. Azarmi found the event on Instagram but said she felt like the event found her. They decided to come out on a whim and said they were having a good time.

“Gathering everyone together in the spiritual community, seeing different vendors and people in our area that do all this fascinating stuff, I find is a really cool experience,” Goggans said. “It gets you involved in the community and I think it’s really good for everyone to come out and meet each other.”

Goggans said she liked the fall spin on the event, specifically the focus on the spiritual aspects of Halloween time.

“I love Halloween in general,” Goggans said. “Fall time is really fun. I feel like doing activities during October, especially encompassing a little bit more of the occult, supernatural, but also mixing that with bath and beauty, I think it’s a really good idea.”

The Beauty Boost hosts other events in Flagstaff, including fitness events, empowerment workshops, socials and retreat getaways. Individuals can become members or go to events by purchasing tickets. Although the events embrace femininity, Stoff said anyone is welcome to join. To find more information about The Beauty Boost, as well as the businesses they support, visit its Instagram or its website

“Hellraiser” 2022: Guts, gore and classic horror reimagined

JACOB HANDLEY

Christina Coonradt represents Sewing Freedom at Beauty Boost’s Hocus Pocus Festival at Mother Road Brewing Company, Oct. 13. Sewing Freedom provides an education of textile arts to empower and inform women caught in exploitation.

Victoria Medina | The Lumberjack

Photo Illustration of Southwest Tomato Soup, Oct. 18. Jacob Handley | The Lumberjack

Hometown Spotlight: Steamboat Springs, Colorado

Igrew up in rural ranching country deep within the Rocky Mountains. While I admit that may sound uneventful, the resort town of Steamboat Springs, Colorado brings a remarkable element to Yampa Valley, an area consisting of peculiar towns and even more interesting people.

A fusion of wild west roots and mountain-town tourism creates a unique demographic of ranchers, concert-goers, avid skiers, outdoor enthusiasts, restaurant owners and many more characters the community knows and loves.

Charmed with the nickname Ski Town USA, Steamboat is known for its unique and rich ski history. Home to more Olympians than any other town, it sports skiing legends like Billy Kidd — who I had the pleasure of skiing with when I was 5 — and one of the longest-running ski mountains, Howelsen Hill. Just across town, the

larger Steamboat Ski Resort boasts aptly-named “Champagne Powder” on top of Mount Werner.

The sound of Steamboat’s mineral spring — very similar to the sound of a steam engine — dubbed the city with its name. Two major geothermal hot springs, Old Town Hot Springs and Strawberry Park Hot Springs, provide the perfect complement to a day spent skiing in the cold.

Steamboat’s downtown features unique restaurants built inside various brick designs, catering to a range of palates. I always try to stop into Blue Sage Pizza, Skull Creek Greek, Mambo Italiano, O’Neil’s Tavern & Grill, Salt & Lime, Mai Thai or Backdoor Burger for a memorable meal anytime I visit.

Afterward, I recommend grabbing ice cream or a sweet from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory; it will never disappoint.

If you stroll down Yampa Street, you can often listen to local eclectic bands playing on restaurant

patios. During the summer months, the bases of Howelsen and Steamboat Ski Resort feature live music acts from around the country, drawing large crowds of energetic visitors and eccentric locals.

For the real “cowboy experience,” try attending the Steamboat Pro Rodeo where you can watch amateurs and professionals wrestle cows, ride bulls and race horses during weekend shows.

A drive in any direction, while lengthy to reach the next town, is always rewarding. The winding, one-lane highways curve through the ranchland surrounding Steamboat — a breathtaking scene at sunset when the open sky bursts with color. If you get lucky, you might spot vibrant hot-air balloons speckled against the mountains and rolling hills.

Just a 40-minute drive south of Steamboat along Highway 131 trailing the Yampa River, travelers can stumble upon a town made up of dirt roads and family homes.

Unmasking Día de los Muertos misconceptions

Poet and sculptor Zarco Guerrero recently held an interactive storytelling session at Flagstaff Public Library. The event, which took place on Monday, Oct. 17, involved a performance from Guerrero in which he wore handmade masks and different costumes to convey a variety of characters.

Each character had a different look and different traits and taught audience members something about the Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos.

The event was held in the library’s Jan Romero Stevens Community Room, where seats were set up for the audience in front of a table upon which the costumes and masks could be seen.

The types of masks used by Guerrero were not ordinary, but rather a specific style he calls the invisible mask.

“I call it invisible because it disappears on my face,” Guerrero said. “And in doing so, I’m free to become the character of the mask, I don’t have the burden of being me, I have the pleasure of becoming the character.”

The inspiration behind the use of masks initially came to Guerrero after viewing ancient artwork at a museum and was later reaffirmed after seeing street performers in Mexico use masks as part of their act.

“I loved it because they brought the masks to life,” Guerrero said. “And I couldn’t forget that because I was doing sculpture and painting, and at that point, it became boring and stale, it sat still, you know, it was motionless. So when I saw these people bring the masks to life, I wanted to start experimenting with masks myself.”

As people began to trickle into the community room and take their seats, Guerrero greeted them with a smile, while he finished setting up for the performance.

As well as members of the general public, Programming Librarian Mary Corcoran was in the audience for the performance. Her role at the library involves the organization of library events.

Corcoran explained the process of the organization that went into setting up this storytelling event.

“It is something that we’re doing through the sponsorship and help of AZ Humanities,” Corcoran said. “They’re a statewide organization about culture, arts, storytelling, all that kind of stuff.”

Guerrero’s performance was not like an ordinary lecture. He did not just speak to the audience about Día de los

Muertos, but through the interpretation of each character, he offered a comedic and lighthearted lesson and even performed some poetry.

Each persona he took on offered a different perspective on the festival, such as the old lady who spoke about the traditional culinary practices, or the smoker who, upon reaching the end of his life, realized the importance of family.

When discussing the origins of Día de los Muertos, Guerrero also highlighted the fact that it is often mistakenly absorbed into the American culture of Halloween.

“It’s very important to me to tell this story,” Guerrero explained. “Especially now, because it’s spreading, it’s becoming more and more popular, so it’s becoming gentrified, it’s becoming commercialized, and people think of it as being a Mexican Halloween, which it ain’t!”

During the event, Guerrero conveyed the true meaning of Día de los Muertos, which is not about trauma or mourning, rather about remembering our loved ones who have passed and keeping them alive through memory.

make, a lot of people think it’s a death thing, a Halloween thing,” Rodriguez said. “But what it really is is a reminder, because the way they saw it is that you never really die as long as your loved ones remember you and keep you in their hearts by celebrating you with the altars.”

She said the bond with a passed loved one is never broken and the love never dies. It is not to remind of death or mourning, but to celebrate the relationship.

Guerrero managed to convey this lightheartedness and absence of fear through his performance, which treated the topics of death and spirits with humor and cheerfulness.

These various characters, interpreted by Guerrero, were based on real people that he has encountered throughout his life. They were created by the artist to convey positive and deeper messages after he heard some of the negative lyrics within the music his son was listening to.

“You know, it was a lot of profanity, a lot of misogyny,” Guerrero explained.

“I didn’t like it. So there had to be another message, and I wanted a positive message, so I started writing a bunch of monologues about healthy lifestyles, and positive choices, and so I created these characters to tell their stories.”

As well as positive messages that can be applied to people’s lives, the performance also offered audience members the chance to learn something new about Día de los Muertos and its history.

Something that Guerrero stressed during his performance was the ancient nature of the festivity, which people are often unaware of.

“They call it a Hispanic celebration,” Guerrero said. “It’s not! We didn’t get this from Spain, it preceded Spain by thousands of years. So words are important, because they have meaning, so I want to try to get the truth out, and I have fun doing it.”

Audience member Dolores Rodriguez, who is a regular attendee of library events, was very intrigued by these historical elements of Guerrero’s performance.

“I learned something new with the historical topics,” Rodriguez said. “I didn’t know that it had started over 3,000 years ago, and that was really interesting. I’m a historical buff and I love doing research, so stuff like that is going to spur me to dig up some more information next time I’m on the computer.”

This sense of love and togetherness is something that Rodriguez, who grew up in a household which celebrated this tradition, also said she believed was a key feature of the holiday which must not be overlooked.

“The ‘Calaca,’ the skulls that they

Corcoran also spoke about a variety of other seasonal events that Flagstaff City-Coconino County Public Library will be hosting in the period leading up to Halloween, including stories of the library itself being haunted.

Details regarding upcoming events can be found on the Library Calendar

The Yampa River flows at the edge of Steamboat, Sept. 26, 2020.

Photo courtesy of Brisa Karow

Wildflowers pop up in hay fields outside of Yampa, July 6, 2021.

Photo courtesy of Brisa Karow

Continue reading on JackCentral.org

BRISA KAROW

Zarco Guerrero dresses as La Comadre to explain a portion of Día de los Muertos for his storytelling event at the Flagstaff City-Coconino County Public Library’s Jan

Romero Stevens Community Room, Oct. 17. Victoria Medina | The Lumberjack

“YOU NEVER REALLY DIE AS LONG AS YOUR LOVED ONES REMEMBER YOU...”

– Dolores Rodriguez

in

Stands for Morant

Ja Morant is ready to take the leap. The 23-year-old guard who was drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies with the second pick in the 2019 NBA Draft seems to be getting better every year.

Morgan Gappmayer: From player to grad assistant

Injuries are a natural part of any athletic activity, and student-athletes at the college level are certainly affected by how an injury can alter their plans as an athlete.

Former NAU volleyball outside hitter Morgan Gappmayer had the opportunity to keep playing thanks to redshirting in 2018. However, she made the decision to step away from the game of volleyball after her best season last year due to injuries that made it hard to play.

“I tore my rotator cuff my junior year, and it was pretty difficult to get through my senior year [last season],” Gappmayer said. “I went through cortisone shots and lots of rehab. It just wasn’t getting better and it just got really tough to really play to my full capability.”

A member of the team for four years, Gappmayer did not play in the spring 2021 season.

A redshirt junior last season, Gappmayer was eligible to continue playing for the Lumberjacks. COVID-19 also allowed her an extra year of eligibility on top of that, as the NCAA granted student-athletes after the spring sports season was abruptly stopped in March 2020.

Gappmayer was coming off her most productive season as a Lumberjack. Starting the season on the bench, Gappmayer was crucial in NAU’s 12-14 season, where it went 10-6 in the Big Sky Conference. As conference play began, Gappmayer’s role on the team shifted. She became a starter after then-sophomore outside hitter Lyla Hollis, who was on track for a career year herself, came down with an illness that sidelined her.

MONTY GANTT

After winning the 2020 Rookie of the Year award, Morant saw an increase in some statistical areas, but the 2021-22 season will be remembered as the year Ja Morant showed he had ‘it.’

With a scoring average of 27.4 points per game on 49% shooting, I felt the young man from South Carolina was primed to be named a finalist for 2022 NBA MVP. But there was one problem: Morant only played 57 games, missing the other 25 with a knee injury.

Instead, Nikola Jokić walked away with his second straight MVP trophy while Morant finished seventh in the award’s voting. But Ja Morant didn’t leave last season without hardware, as he won the 2022 NBA Most Improved Player Award. That’s a great sign.

There are two keys to Morant winning his first MVP. First, he’s got to stay healthy. Missing a little more than a quarter of the season will always put a dent in a player’s case for MVP. Even though we seem to be out of the era in which basketball’s top players play all 82 games, playing at least 70 games will give Morant a stronger case for the 2023 NBA MVP.

The second key is staying consistent with his jump shot. Morant is a great scorer, but the majority of his scoring comes from under the rim. Watching him all last season and into the playoffs, I couldn’t help but compare Morant’s playing style to that of Russell Westbrook. Yes, Westbrook is a former MVP himself and wasn’t a strong jump shooter, but he was a consistent triple-double machine. Morant is already dangerous, but if that young man can score from the three as much as he gets to the basket, he will be the undisputed 2023 NBA MVP.

While he may have to sacrifice some of the scoring aspects of his game, I’d like to see Morant raise his assists numbers. Last season, he averaged 6.7 assists per game. This season, I’d like to see that number increase to around eight or nine. He’s more than capable of being a great scorer and passer, as in his last season at Murray State he led the NCAA in assists with 10 a game while averaging 24.5 points per game.

Ja Morant has the opportunity of a lifetime. He has the opportunity to take that next leap into his inevitable superstardom. He has the opportunity to add something to his resume that only 35 other players have a claim to. I believe in his consistency. I believe he will stay healthy. I believe the 2023 NBA MVP will be Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies.

Gappmayer, who made the All-Big Sky Second Team, quickly became the second option on offense behind then-junior outside hitter Taylor Jacobsen, who made the All-Big Sky First Team Gappmayer played in all of NAU’s 26 matches and started in 22 of them.

It was hard for Gappmayer to let go of her passion for playing after such a strong showing last year. Luckily for her, she is able to remain a part of the team as a graduate assistant.

“It’s been very nice being able to still be around the girls, especially because I’ve known a lot of them for a while now,” Gappmayer said. “I think leaving was just making me kind of sad, so just being able to be here, being around them, no matter what I’m doing, it just brings joy.”

NAU volleyball head coach Ken Murphy said having Gappmayer around to help out has been extremely valuable as the team trains young talent that it hopes will be impactful for years to come.

“She understands how the program works,” Murphy said. “She knows how to help out at practice and get things organized for us and just kind of do things in the rhythm that we’re used to.”

Being a graduate assistant has included grabbing snacks for the team, shagging balls and occasionally filling in on the court. At a practice on Monday, Oct. 10 at Rolle Activity Center, Gappmayer took the court for drills that had her blocking attacks from her former teammates.

She looked like she was a member of the team in the same way everyone else was, blocking shots as she did during her playing career.

Last season, Gappmayer racked in 27 total blocks and amassed exactly 200 kills, bringing her career total to 242. She matched her career-high of 15 kills in a match against Idaho on Oct. 30, 2021, and also tied her season-high in blocks in a match with three.

“I would have stayed here as long as I could,” Gappmayer said. “I just couldn’t keep going.”

NAU has dealt with numerous injuries this season as Gappmayer helps from the sidelines. The Lumberjacks had to cancel their appearance in the North Dakota State Tournament due to injuries. The team started the season without redshirt freshman outside hitter Kacee Moore as she recovered from offseason surgery. Most recently, freshman outside hitter Kylie Moran missed two matches on the road against Montana and Montana State, both of which were losses.

Continue reading on JackCentral.org

BRENDEN MARTIN

Morgan Gappmayer was an outside hitter during her player career at NAU, Oct. 22. Jonah Graham | The Lumberjack

MONSTER continued from PAGE 7

In 2017-18, Cosmas was named to the 6A Metro All-Defensive First Team and the All-Offensive Second team. Eloi was named to the second offensive team along with his Defensive Player of the Year honors.

Eloi finished the season with a whopping 142 tackles, with 42 tackles for loss. He also had eight sacks. In just his sophomore and junior seasons, he totaled 212 tackles and was also named to the all-region second team as a defensive lineman his sophomore season. Cosmas wrapped his career with 205 tackles, 51 for a loss and 20 sacks. They were both also able to carry the ball in high school. Cosmas had 26 carries his senior year for 126 yards, averaging 5.2 yards per carry with six touchdowns.

Despite their on-field connection, the twins initially went in separate directions their first year of college. Eloi chose to attend NAU despite other offers from UMass, Idaho and Wofford.

Cosmas elected to attend PAC-12 Washington State over offers from Kansas, UMass, Idaho, Wofford, New Mexico, UNLV and Wyoming.

The Kwetes overall have a very solid football skillset, which was acknowledged by a lot of schools. However, it was Partridge whose defense would get to reap the benefits of boasting such a tenacious defensive rush trio.

“They’re just real ferocious kids,” Partridge said. “If you’ve got to pick two guys on a football team that no one’s going to mess with in a fight, it’s those guys. They’ve got that bad ‘A’ thing going on.”

Eloi had eight appearances and four starts his freshman year. He totaled 28 tackles, five for a loss, two of which were sacks. He also recovered a fumble for a touchdown against Weber State.

Cosmas transferred to NAU after the Washington State staff departed, as head coach Mike Leach went to Mississippi State following the 2019 season. He appeared in 11 games for the Cougars and had 20 tackles, two tackles for a loss and one fumble recovery. He was a part of NAU’s No. 2 FCS ranked 2020 early

NAU men’s basketball preview

NOAH BUTLER

After a nine-win season, the NAU men’s basketball team, helmed by fourth-year head coach Shane Burcar, look to make a statement in the Big Sky Conference. The Lumberjacks ended last season on an eight-game losing streak, which was capped with a Big Sky Tournament loss to Eastern Washington in Boise, Idaho

“I’ve been excited about it since March 9 last year, we’re the only team in the conference with all the starters coming back,” Burcar said.

Last season, the Lumberjacks finished last in the conference, both in terms of conference record, where they went 5-15, and overall record, at 9-23 This was mainly due to a lack of a very solid defensive identity — NAU ranked eighth in the conference in terms of defensive points allowed per game at 73.4.

This was not to say the Lumberjacks did not have players do well last season; multiple players had career years and stepped up their games significantly.

Perhaps the most prolific player that stepped up for NAU last season was then-sophomore guard Jalen Cone. In his first season at NAU, Cone led the Big Sky in minutes played last season, as well as averaging 19.3 points per game, which was good for third in the conference. This 19.3 points was a huge leap from his 8.4 points per game average at Virginia Tech, where he transferred from prior to the 2021-22 season. Cone was a bonafide star for the Lumberjacks, and this year that role looks to be the same for him.

Out of the returning Lumberjacks, redshirt senior Nik Mains made a huge leap and was one of only two NAU players to start all 32 games last season, the other being redshirt sophomore forward Carson Towt, who recorded just the second tripledouble in program history last season. Mains has shown a consistent improvement in his four years at NAU, going from a 4.9 points per game average in the 2018-19 season to an 11.5 average in 2021, and posted a career-high in both points (24) and three-

signing class.

“It was good for us to go individually and grow, because we have always been together as long as I can remember,” Eloi said. “That moment was a moment of growth individually and then we just decided to come back and finish off college football together.”

The first season that Cosmas and Eloi shared collegiately was the 2021 spring campaign, which featured just five games. The twins each started at least four, with Eloi starting all five. Eloi finished his second season in a Lumberjack uniform with 18 tackles, 2.5 for loss and two sacks. This time around, he was the one to cause a fumble against Weber State. Cosmas had 11 tackles with one for a loss and one forced fumble. Cosmas also blocked an extra point against Grand Canyon Trophy Rival Southern Utah.

“We want them to know that we’re relentless,” Eloi said. “We get after the quarterback, we play our hardest every single play and offer a challenge.”

A lot of the time, it seems the Kwete brothers have a non-stop motor.

Richard, who is two years younger, attended 5A Northeast Valley Sunnyslope High School his final two years after transferring from Cortez High School. Richard was named to the all-region first team as an offensive lineman his senior year. In two seasons and just 10 games, he had 34 tackles and three tackles for a loss with four sacks.

With his two older brothers at NAU, there wasn’t much of a decision left to be made.

“I just think it was destiny for me to come to NAU,” Richard said. “I was not taking any chances of missing playing with my brothers.”

Richard redshirted in 2021 as the twins found their stride in a full season. Eloi finished with a careerbest 45 tackles, eight for loss and four sacks with another forced fumble. Cosmas started six games, appearing in eight and had two sacks with 11 hits on the quarterback.

Eloi was named to the Phil Steele Preseason All-Conference Second Team, and the 2022 season started strong for all three brothers as Richard appeared in four of the team’s first five games before

pointers made (8) against Embry-Riddle

Mains could be climbing up the all-time 3-point leaderboard this season, where he currently sits 10th in history for 3-pointers made. If he makes as many 3s as he did last season, which was 75, he would jump up to fourth all-time.

This trio of Cone, Mains and Towt was good last season, but the Lumberjacks were in desperate need of some new faces to spark a potential new era in Flagstaff.

NAU reloaded in the offseason, acquiring some key names from the transfer portal, like sophomore guard Liam Lloyd and grad student guard Xavier Fuller.

Lloyd transferred from Grand Canyon University over the summer, where he averaged 2.5 points per game on a team that made the 2021 NCAA tournament, as a No. 15-seed. Lloyd is the son of current University of Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd, who was also an assistant coach at Gonzaga. Lloyd knocked down shots at a good clip, shooting 50% from the floor and 42% from 3-point range. He will look to have an increased role in NAU’s offense as a potential second-squad player behind Cone.

Fuller transferred from South Dakota after two years, where he was a solid starter for the Coyotes, averaging 9.2 points per game while shooting 45% from the field. Fuller has Arizona ties as well and played for Burcar when he was at Mesa High School. Fuller will look to be a starter again, potentially slotting alongside Cone as the second playmaker the Lumberjacks need.

This year’s recruiting class for NAU could prove to be fruitful as well and give the Lumberjacks the depth and defensive edge they need to compete in a tough Big Sky. Freshman guard Oakland Fort and freshman forward Jack Wistrcill headline this recruiting class that is intent on getting NAU back on track.

Fort could be one of the best prospects the Lumberjacks have gotten in a while, and he is certainly one of Burcar’s best recruits. Fort was named Arizona Republic’s Player of the Year in 2021, as well as to multiple all-state teams. Fort was ranked 12th in the state of Arizona for the class of 2022 according to ESPN100, and as a Lumberjack, he will look to back up and learn from Cone.

Jack Wistrcill, son of Big Sky Commissioner Tom Wistrcill, is a huge recruit for NAU, both because of his size and resume. Wistrcill played at Olympus

unfortunately suffering an injury against Portland State. Partridge noted that Richard had been playing really well to start the season before the injury.

“It really means a lot, it’s family,” Richard said about getting the chance to play with his brothers. “Some people come to college and everything crashes down, but for me it’s like my second home.”

Richard also mentioned how special the opportunity was in that very few others get to experience playing college football with their siblings.

Through seven games, Cosmas leads the defensive line in tackles with 37 and Eloi has the second most on the line with 35. Both brothers have at least seven tackles for a loss. Eloi has five sacks and Cosmas has 3. Cosmas also got the first interception of the season for NAU against Sam Houston State and is tied for the team lead with one pick with three other players.

Eloi currently ranks sixth in school history since 2000 in sacks with 14. He currently sits 1.5 sacks behind Chris Hunsaker, who played from 1999 to 2002. He is ninth in tackles for loss with 26.

“The biggest thing is how we help the team and how we can play as a team,” Cosmas said. “Everything comes down to how we can stop the other team and how many plays we can make.”

Partridge said the trio included three of his favorite players he has been around, showing their magnitude within the program.

The twins will be looking to close out the 2022 campaign strong as the trio looks to make a full return next season, Cosmas’ and Eloi’s final year of eligibility.

“When I’m back, I’m going to be the best version of myself,” Richard said. “I’m just going to keep working hard just to be the best and be as productive as I can.”

NAU is currently 3-5 on the year and 2-3 in the Big Sky following last Saturday’s 24-10 win at Idaho State. Now in their bye week, the Lumberjacks will be back defending the dome next weekend against the Montana State Bobcats in what should be another tough conference test for NAU. It is homecoming, and kickoff is at 1 p.m. at Findlay Toyota Field inside the J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome.

High School in Utah and was named the 5A Player of the Year in 2022. Wistrcill, who is 6-foot-8, brings size to an NAU team that has had a lack thereof in the past few seasons and will most likely slot into a role that is similar to Towt’s, but on the second team.

With all the new faces on the team, returning players had to forge chemistry with them, which Cone noted was not an issue. In fact, he embraced the change with open arms.

“There’s a lot of guys [who I’m excited to work with], but I would probably say Oakland Fort, being able to take him under my wing and watch him play point some this year and help me out a bit,” Cone said.

Chemistry will be key for the Lumberjacks this season, as they have a heavy-loaded schedule ahead of them.

NAU opens up its season on Nov. 7 in East Lansing, Michigan as they face the Tom Izzo-led Michigan State Spartans. After that test, the Lumberjacks will travel to Tempe as they face the Sun Devils Nov. 10. These first two games will show the true NAU team, and how the Lumberjacks perform could dictate the tone for the rest of the season.

The Lumberjacks will play their first home game of the season against the Benedictine Mesa Redhawks on Nov. 15. The first five home games this season will be held in the Rolle Activity Center until commencement is over.

NAU will play in one tournament this season this year in Edinburg, Texas at the Leon Black Classic. This will feature matchups against the Texas Longhorns and the UTRGV Vaqueros, who the Lumberjacks split the season series with last season.

Big Sky Conference play opens up Dec. 29 as NAU heads up to Pocatello, Idaho to play the Idaho State Bengals, who finished just above the Lumberjacks in the Big Sky standings in 2021. Other marquee matchups in the conference this season include both tilts with Montana State, the defending Big Sky champions, as well as the rematch of last year’s tournament against Eastern Washington on Jan. 21.

Basketball fans will have a lot to look forward to this season as the Lumberjacks work to figure things out as a team. Best believe there will be plenty of fastpaced basketball in Flagstaff this season, and come March, the games being played will guide NAU to its first NCAA tourney in 22 years.