May 17, 2018
Fitting in the Arizona bucket list
I have a week and a half left before I leave the state of Arizona so, after living in northern Arizona for the past four years, I’ve decided to finally conquer the big adventures.
I made a bucket list — hike the Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon and Humphreys Peak. On top of graduating, packing up to move to a job halfway across the country and saying goodbye to all my friends and family, why not throw in some monumental hikes?
May 10, 2018
Graduation is not all smiles
Four years ago, I didn’t know what to do with myself when my parents dropped me off in my freshman dorm room in a town I knew little to nothing about. I sat on my bed, overwhelmed with the freedom of life on my own.
Then I walked across the hall and sat on my cousin’s bed and we talked about how weird it was that we had nothing — and everything — to do all at once.
Now, I’m about to walk across the stage in a cap and gown and collect paperwork that proves I learned some things in four years of higher education. I suppose at some point my cousin and I got off our beds, unpacked our belongings and started our adult lives.
May 03, 2018
Safety or invasion of privacy?
Imagine being confronted at the gates of a football game — “Ma’am, may I look in your purse?” They poke around, find typical purse things and then you’re good to enter the stadium.
Now imagine the same situation — “Ma’am, may I look in your purse?” They shake their head. “You know what; can you actually put all of your belongings in a see-through plastic bag? That would make our lives easier.”
As a woman who puts a lot of crap in her bag, I can confidently say that no one wants to see the innards of my purse.
May 03, 2018
Lumberjack grads say goodbye
When I was about 8 years old, I rode my first upside-down roller coaster, called California Screamin’. I rode it seven times in a row.
It was one of those rides that made my adrenaline pump and made me feel so alive. The course had an element of predictability, but every time it still flipped my world upside-down. I could feel the wind in my hair and I was invincible.
April 19, 2018
When I bike, I get caked in mud
As a college student, it’s essential to prioritize — obviously school comes first, then working 30-plus hours at a minimum wage job to afford food and living expenses, then eating ramen, maybe sleeping, sometimes practicing personal hygiene, socializing and, if there’s any time left to breathe, getting in your doctor-recommended daily exercise.
If you’re wondering how the “Freshman 15” is a thing, this is why. Students only really have time for microwave meals and, on a good day, a five-minute ab work out before bed.
April 12, 2018
An ode to claustrophobic Flagstaff
I drink black coffee and say “have a good day” to about 50 people every morning. Most of them are from the States, but occasionally I converse with an Australian, Canadian or even with families from Switzerland.
I work at the front desk of one of the five Hilton hotels in Flagstaff, which is only a fraction of the total amount of hotels in town. But if you think about it, all of those hotels are still not enough for the visitors.
March 29, 2018
Upside-down campus in an upside-down world
As spring-breakers filter back to Flagstaff, I’m expecting NAU campus to flip upside-down.
On March 21 at 2 p.m., the body of NAU student Joseph Michael Bock was found dead. NAUPD, leading the investigation, sent out an alert describing the incident as an “unattended death.” There was blood throughout the apartment and Bock’s body was found underneath a bed.
I picked up this story for The Lumberjack and spoke with a student living in the Hilltop Townhomes where the incident happened. Senior reporter Adrian Skabelund and I took on the investigation.
March 22, 2018
The many shades of Flagstaff nightlife
I am the lamest 21-year-old I know.
Most 21-year-olds I know are wired with enough energy to take seven shots, stumble downtown, have a few margaritas, dance the night away in heels and overly-tight dresses or nice button downs, and then party hop until dawn.
As for me, more often than not I forget when it's Friday night, and by the time I remember, I'm already in bed with a cup of tea listening to Louis Armstrong and re-reading my favorite book, Beach Music.
March 08, 2018
It’s time to change time
What time is it? It’s time-change time.
Daylight Saving Time is one of those curious things that come around every so often to confuse the crap out of people. Does the clock get pushed backward or forward? Do I lose or gain an hour of sleep? When is it socially acceptable to start drinking coffee again? Do I even care if it’s socially acceptable yet, or do I just down the cup anyway?
March 01, 2018
NAU Athletics fee? More like $150 down the drain
One hundred fifty dollars. That’s how much money NAU Athletics has proposed to take from students at the Flagstaff Mountain campus each academic year starting fall 2018, if passed. This $150 athletic fee would supposedly support athletic programs, but it’s unclear at this moment what the fee would go toward specifically.
February 15, 2018
Give your RA some love
Valentine’s Day has always been one of my favorite days of the year. Yes, I’m one of the few hopeless romantics who enjoy the idea of having a day to celebrate the people who matter to you. I’ve heard the arguments of people saying, “But you shouldn’t have to have a specific day to tell people you love them, you should tell them every day.”
February 08, 2018
Let’s talk Super Bowl snacks
I know next to nothing about football. I understand there are touchdowns and helmets, and sometimes players knee during the national anthem and sometimes — maybe most of the time — players cannot speak in grammatically coherent sentences.
But other than that, I’m at a loss.
February 01, 2018
Leaving ponderosa pines
She was kicking, and I really didn’t want to be kicked in the face. So I struggled, fought with the milking machine and her udder, and then it was too late — the cow lifted her tail and pooped on my arm. Then peed on my foot.
And that was almost a year ago today.
January 18, 2018
We're back
And just like that, we’re back.
We have to pull out our paper-thin wallets and find ways to make payments for hundreds of dollars’ worth of textbooks; we have to find the motivation to finish assignments and write essays after a month of traveling with friends and family; we have to be students again.
December 27, 2017
The outbreak
The dust settles as a calm silence fills the air. The campus is barren, and all that’s left is the sound of the wind and the light footsteps of parking monitors flagging their final cars (because let’s face it, they never stop). It’s quiet. Too quiet. And there’s not a single student in sight.
This is … the NAU zombie apocalypse.
February 04, 2016
Letter from the assistant culture editor
A lot of things have changed this passed month: a fresh batch of new snow, new class schedules and branching away from the holidays. In the spirit of the new year during the chaos of change, The Lumberjack decided to switch up the traditional sections, adding the Culture section.