A stacked bill at Port O’ Pints in Crescent City capped off the four city tour of local band St Sophie last Saturday. With bands traveling from afar to play this event, Redwood Voice’s Sebastian Monroe and Rory McCain covered the event. Listen to Rory’s synopsis here!
2021 was no exception to being a year packed with jaw-dropping, heart-wrenching, action-packed, and thought-provoking movies. In no particular order, here are 6 of our top movies from the past year!
A Quiet Place Part II
One anticipated film at the beginning of this year was A Quiet Place Part 2. Taking place seconds after the events of Part 1, Evelyn Abbott (played by Emily Blunt) and her 3 kids desert their compromised home to travel outside, where the smallest sound can leave them the most vulnerable. In a flashback at the start of the movie, we learned that the ultrasonic hearing monsters who brought the apocalypse are from space. And they can’t swim, which finally gave the humans an advantage.
Evelyn’s daughter, Regan (played by Millicent Simmonds), discovered there was a possibility that people were taking refuge on an island just off the New York coast. The last thing her mother wanted was to lose another family member, but Regan took the initiative to make the journey to find security.
Evelyn’s fear for her children’s safety throughout the movie contributed significantly to their family’s growth as they learned to believe in each other’s capabilities. With Regan being deaf, the son Marcus (played by Noah Jupe) being easily frightened, and Evelyn having to keep her newborn healthy and quiet, each member finds a way to overcome their obstacles in order to save each other’s lives by the end.
In a way, this movie portrays what every parent might be feeling during the pandemic. Extra precautions, knowhow of the outside world, and possessing skills of their own showed Evelyn that the kids are alright. The sequel did a great job of expanding their world as well as the lore, and left watchers hungry for Part 3. If you prefer watching a family in a horror setting rather than a horror movie with family in it, the A Quiet Place movies have a profound story to dive into.
Halloween Kills
2021 saw the next installment in Michael Myers’ killing spree in Halloween Kills. The story has some major holes, but the message is a little more solid. Starting off right where the 2018 movie ended, it’s revealed that Michael Myers didindeed survive the house fire.The plot is split between two parts, Michael’s journey to his childhood home and the town coming together to form a mob to hunt him down. Most of the issues with the story happen because of the message it’s trying to send.
In the middle of the movie, there’s this long scene where the town hunts down some guy who they think is Michael, despite evidence to the contrary, and eventually kill him. This scene and surrounding ones try to paint a picture that people need to think for themselves and not just follow the group; that one needs to see the world for themselves before making decisions.
At the same time, the movie also discourages lone wolf behavior, with many fight scenes involving Michael being those where 1 person decides that they’re enough to take down the killer. The only time in the movie where people succeed is at the end: when a group of people come together, there’s confirmation that itis Michael Myers, and then take action.
Of course, he doesn’t stay down for long since every movie nowadays has to set up for the sequel, this being no different. The last 5 minutes are spent showing that Michael isn’t dead yet and he’ll return in the next installment, Halloween Ends.
Dune
The 2021 reboot of Dune brought a sense of scale and epicness that wasn’t seen in many other movies this year. And even though most didn’t grasp an understanding of what was going on until their second viewing, the show-stopping visuals and acting balance with the fast-paced plot.
Dune is a sci-fi adventure packed with action, drama, suspense, and betrayal. In the year 10,191, The planets of the House Atreides and House Harkonnen are mortal enemies that serve the Imperial Emperor from House Corrino. When Atreides becomes responsible for overlooking the manufacturing of spice on the planet Arrakis, Baron Vladimir Harkonnen orders the sabotage of their operation and the annihilation of the royal family. It’s up to Duke Leto’s son, Paul Atreides (played by Timothee Chalamet), to form a relationship with the Arrakis people and save their worlds.
Everything such as the flawless cinematography, booming score by Hanz Zimmer, daunting spaceships, the fear you feel from the giant sandworm approaching, and the performance each actor brings to their character all make this film a very unique blockbuster.
Luckily, “this is only the beginning.” This first movie only covers half of author Frank Herbert’s novel. Keep an eye out for a Part 2 that’s coming soon!
No Time to Die
The final installment in Daniel Craig’s run as James Bond released in 2021, with some parts of the movie being great, and other parts not so much.
Throughout No Time to Die, it’s clear that they haven’t forgotten the previous movies, with Vesper Lynd’s grave being used as the starting point for the conflict between Bond and Madeline Swan. Felix Leiter and Ernst Blofeld also return to play important roles in Bond’s conflict with Safin, with both of them meeting their ends in the arms of James.
The villain Safin (played by Rami Malek) can leave many desiring more out of his character, however, the story makes up for it with Bond’s relationship with Swan and her daughter. Throughout the movie, its slowly revealed that Swan’s daughter also happens to be Bond’s. And while this can bring up some questions on how it happened due to Le Chiffre’s destruction of Bond’s… parts, in Casino Royale, it can be easily overlooked in order to experience this softer side to Craig’s Bond.
His new daughter is a huge reason Bond sacrifices himself at the end of the movie. With his sacrifice, the audience is left feeling the pain experienced alongside Madeleine at his death.
No Time to Die is the dramatic send off to the story started in Casino Royale all the way back in 2006.
Tick, Tick…Boom!
Lin Manuel Miranda’s film adaptation of the musical Tick, Tick…Boom! was arguably one of the best this year next to West Side Story and In the Heights. His direction helped to portray all the highs and lows of the late Jon Larson’s life.
Tick, Tick…Boom! is a pop/rock autobiography of his life and work on writing his newest musical, Superbia. Jon’s legacy would live on through his next musical, Rent, but before that, he would face many struggles leading up to his 30th birthday. Before he hit the big 3-0, he had to compose the most vital song to Superbia, hire musicians for its workshop, support his friends who were threatened by HIV, and give an answer to his girlfriend on whether he wants to move out with her or not. The story shows how his commitment to this project impacts his relationship, friendships, and time to think about other important matters.
Like in every other role he’s played, Andrew Garfield brings his all to resembling a real figure, like Larson, through his mannerisms and even style of singing. Garfield was handpicked by Miranda for this role, so he learned how to sing in just a year in preparation.
From what musical fans have seen from this year’s adaptations, creating a movie from a stage production has the potential to be executed very well with the right cast and crew. And Tick, Tick…Boom! was a perfect example of an adaptation done right.
The Suicide Squad and Zach Snyder’s Justice League
DC’s new THE Suicide Squad, directed by James Gunn, showcases DC learning an important lesson. That if you’re working in a creative medium, give the creative people some control.
If you compare David Ayer’s Suicide Squad to James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, you’ll see a huge difference between the two movies. A part of it’s because of their different stories, but the directors of both admit that the first movie would have been better if not for DC’s meddling. James Gunn actually thanked Ayer on Twitter saying that without the troubles during his time directing, Gunn’s version of the Suicide Squad would have been a lot harder to make.
You can also see the change in DC’s ways with their other movie of this year, Zach Snyder’s Justice League. Snyder’s gave us a huge opportunity to compare what would happen when the director has full control over the movie and when the studio gets to decide what happens. When comparing the two, there’s still plenty of flaws in both versions, but Snyder’s original vision is the better of the two, as long as you’re fine with the extra 2 hours.
My favorite part of the “Snyder cut,” as fans call it, is the addition of Cyborg’s story. In the original, Cyborg felt like he had a lot of missed potential. Luckily, Snyder was able to give him more screen time in this newer rendition.
While Snyder’s version of this universe won’t continue, I’d recommend people wanting to get into the DC universe his version over the studio’s.
This project was a collaborative effort from the Redwood Voice team. This project was led by Eleni Corcovelos. Video above created by Persephone Corvid Rose. The article and interview transcript below were proofread and edited by Avi Critz.
RPG Research is a non-profit charitable research and human services global volunteer-run organization studying the effects of cooperative music and all role-playing game formats and their potential to improve lives around the world. All of our staff and executives are 100% unpaid volunteers who believe in our Mission and Vision to make a real Impact. This includes research into role-playing game therapy (RPG Therapy), role-playing games for education (RPG education), applied role-role-playing gaming (applied RPG), and many other uses.
Video Interview Transcript
PERSEPHONE Hi, this is Persephone Corvid Rose with Redwood Voice.
ELENI Hi, I’m Eleni with Redwood Voice.
PERSEPHONE We are joined by one John Degler.
JD That’s my dad and grandfather, I’m JD.
PERSEPHONE We’re joined with JD today because Paul Critz, station manager of KFUG, told me something interesting about recreational therapy Dungeons and Dragons. And we’re joined with JD to talk about what that means.
JD Well I’ve been doing training with a company called RPG Research where they use tabletop role-playing games as recreational therapy for people who have a variety of issues that they deal with. It’s been a huge learning experience for me. I’ve been doing D&D for the better part of three decades or longer, but I haven’t approached it from this particular side so it’s been an adventure.
PERSEPHONE Awesome! You said it helps with various issues. What kinds? Like, if there’s just a laundry list.
JD There really isn’t. There’s all kinds of benefits of playing role-playing games from learning critical thinking skills to socializing skills. And mainly what it brings to the table is helping people who have troubles with those types of skills actually access them in an environment that is inclusive and non-threatening.
PERSEPHONE So, you’re currently in the training yourself. How’s that going? Tell me about that.
JD Oh, it’s absolutely lovely. It’s kind of fun, the original 12-week program for the level one training system was turned into 16 weeks. As I finished the last half of the 16 week program, Hawk, the gentleman who runs the company, discovered that his workbook wasn’t actually working and extended it to an 18-week program. It makes sense because some of the information is pretty intense. This isn’t just learning how to play a game, it’s learning the terminology that you need to become a recreational therapist over a number of trainings and how to apply it in an RPG setting and be effective without just playing the game and going “oh look we did it”.
PERSEPHONE I was going to ask, what are you doing for those 18 weeks?
JD Well, I have my workbook here. It’s a 302 page workbook.
PERSEPHONE Not only is it 302 pages, it’s like textbook margins so it’s a lot of stuff!
JD It’s stuffed with all of my notes, and my notes are copious because I don’t have experience in this particular aspect of RPGs, so I have to work harder at doing this. It’s been a really interesting stretch of my comfort zone.
PERSEPHONE What got you into doing this?
JD Well, I was actually online doing some research for one of my games and on Facebook I came across a post about RPG Research. And then I went to their website and I went “oh my god, I want to do this”. Our area is underserved. We don’t have a lot of programs for kids and the last after school program we had, the person who was running it got arrested. So yes…
PERSEPHONE Interesting.
JD So, I would like to return something like this to the area to give kids who are interested something to do. You have to learn multiple game sources and there are multiple different types of games. You have to learn the terminology involved with the games. Because, for example, you cannot call all of the “Choose Your Own Adventure Books” that are out there “Choose Your Own Adventure Books” because CYOB INC., the company that owns that trademark, just settled a lawsuit with Netflix over a program Netflix was doing that was a “Choose Your Own Adventure” program. You have to know the correct terminology so that people understand you and you don’t get sued.
PERSEPHONE It’s funny you gotta balance both those out. And is there anything you found since you’re learning different game systems and how that kind of translates to different kinds of recreational therapy?
JD Well, one of the one of the game systems I just recently played since week six was No Thank You, Evil! It’s a really simple almost LARP kind of game. It is tabletop based, you have a character sheet that’s very minimal and you have a guide. You bring the kids along through the quest. The one we did was something about “Dragon Snot Fountain” or “Dragon Snot Falls”. It was great! And it involves a lot of “get up and move” activities. In one part of the adventure you have to pretend you’re climbing a ladder. In another part, you have to do the bee dance to get the directions to where you need to go. And there’s a lot of activity involved to help stop what they call the wiggle butt syndrome little kids have and people who have really bad ADHD have.
PERSEPHONE Yeah, as one of those people that sounds great! I’m like yeah!
JD When you get up and move, you get involved more and that really helps with that aspect of keeping people involved and helping them focus. There’s other games out there like Doctor Who: Adventures in Time and Space. It’s a really simple system. It’s a lot of fun to do, and it really involves a fan base that people can get involved with. It helps them focus on that because, you know, they like Doctor Who let’s see what we’re gonna do!
PERSEPHONE Nice! Maybe sometime we gotta get, like, the full Redwood Voice team and you should bring us through one of these.
JD Oh yes! Oh, you guys would have so much fun with No Thank You, Evil! Another fun thing about that is if something seems too much for a kid, they have a little token that they can put down that says “no thank you evil” and they can skip it entirely. It’s a really interesting and fun system that I have never even seen before and it’s one of the things I’ve been exposed to because of this training.
PERSEPHONE I haven’t either because that’s much more of a like kinesthetic thing with people moving around. I don’t really see that in a lot of tabletop games.
JD It’s kind of a hybrid between tabletop and LARPing and it’s a lot of fun.
ELENI So, I personally really love that because I’ve had friends who tried to get me into D&D and the reason I can’t is because choices and like saying “oh can I do this?” makes me really anxious and panic a lot, so I like having the option to be like “no, no thanks”.
JD And then that’s something that tabletop RPGs in a recreational therapy setting could help people confront along with like decision making abilities. And it’s really beneficial, according to the research that Hawk has put together.
PERSEPHONE Kind of along the same lines of people who panic with decisions, I’ve run many a game where there’ll be someone on their phone the whole time and not paying attention or taking in the details and then conflict from there.
JD That’s actually really common at my table as well. And it’s worse because I use digital devices to help get content out to the players and it’s getting even worse now in COVID because everything is digital. So, I don’t have any personal strategies for getting around that other than “pay attention”.
PERSEPHONE So, that is actually a good segue question. Is this available during COVID times?
JD Yes! RPG Research is headquartered in Spokane, Washington, so all of the training I go through remotely and it’s really fun. We start each training module each week with our administrative stuff making sure we’ve done our homework and that kind of thing. We do a pre-test to show what our baseline competency is. We do applied gaming where we actually play a certain game system, and then we do our lecture which focuses on the questions of the initial quiz. Then, we do the applied gaming section again to finish it out and then we do our post test to see if we retain that information. It’s a really good system Hawk has worked up. I’m really really into this system. Of the 18 weeks, I think I have done 16 now. I started the first nights at week 10 and we kind of went and repeated several weeks because people weren’t able to show up. That happens during the winter. I’ve gone back through and started with week one and it’s been very informative and very very interesting.
PERSEPHONE Nice! Sounds very thorough.
JD Very thorough kind of application process! And it’s a lot of fun too. I’m on the radio, so people don’t think of me as being an introvert, but I am. And this has been education for me and how to interact with other people that I don’t know and that I’ve never met before and how to be open with them right from the get-go. Because that’s not usually who I am.
PERSEPHONE So, even the people like administering and kind of leading get to learn something from it too.
JD Oh yeah, absolutely.
PERSEPHONE And because it is remote, obviously it does have the thorough application process, but could anyone sign up to see if they’re eligible?
JD There is an application process. You basically go to the website rpgresearch.com, you click on recruitment, and it’ll take you to what jobs are available. If you’re interested in any of the numerous positions they have from research assistant to volunteer player level 1 training, you click on the link, you fill out the application and send a resume. And then they get back to you. It could be me because i’m the volunteer coordinator now! And not only do they have these volunteer positions open and paid positions on the LLC side, Hawk has invested in a bus and a trailer that he takes up and down the coast and all around the country. He takes role-playing games and tabletop role-playing games to different communities that are underserved. He’s actually passed through Crescent City before on his way down to Santa Rosa, where he’s originally from. I’m wanting him to bring that bus here so that we can get the interest going and get some kind of recreational therapy system based on tabletop roleplaying games going here.
PERSEPHONE I would love to see that. If you need any media help- [laughs]
JD It’s constantly growing. There’s more than 150 volunteers on six different continents. One of the other volunteer coordinators I’m training with is in Germany and he’s from Nigeria. It’s a very diverse crowd of people who are interested in making this happen and that growth has happened in the last 18 months which is amazing.
PERSEPHONE Like, so it started like 18 months ago?
JD No, he’s been involved in the therapy side since 1977, I believe. Hawk, John, and Danielle got together and put together RPG Research and they filed as a nonprofit in 2016, I think. So, RPG Research has been an official non-profit since 2016, but Hawk has been doing this since the mid-80s. I’m really hoping that we get more attendance at the trainings because right now it’s been three to four people including the coordinators in all the trainings that I’ve done. And it’s really difficult. For one of the trainings, you play Neverwinter night’s expanded edition and there’s all kinds of different things you can do with it. One of them is running the DM Client which is, basically, you’re an invisible player that provides rewards or consequences to the other players as they go through the module you’ve created or that’s already been created. And this is all of it is based on teaching you how to make decisions and how to help players move forward in their game. It’s a way of playing D&D electronically because Neverwinter Nights is actually based on second edition rules. So, it’s all actual Dungeons and Dragons, just on a computer and a whole bunch of people can play it. And the idea with the training is to get a whole bunch of people together on the server and they pass the responsibility around and lead through different parts of the adventure. We’ve barely been able to get two people together during the winter and I’m hoping this summer, that’s gonna change and we can get more robust training.
PERSEPHONE Sounds like you might need even more people to join in.
JD Absolutely!
PERSEPHONE And again for people at home, if they are interested in joining, how would they go about doing that?
JD Go to rpgresearch.com and at the top of the website you’ll see a row of links you can click. One is volunteering and you can click on that link and it’ll give you a list of all the jobs that are there, and there’s paid jobs there as well if you want to move to Spokane.
ELENI Something I was curious about: do you think it’s like an advertising issue as to like why there’s only just a handful of people involved? Or just, you know, we are in the middle of an almost two year long pandemic. Why do you personally think it’s only just a handful of people that are currently involved with this? Because like you said, there were only, like, two to four people at a time. I was just curious if you had any personal theories as to why that was?
JD I agree with Hawk’s comment on it. He’s been doing this for years and what he has seen is, during spring summer fall they have a swell of volunteers who get involved and do things, and then over the holiday break you know Thanksgiving and Christmas they fall off because they’re all doing things with family. So, you know, that makes a lot of sense. It kind of goes dormant and there’s a few dedicated people who stick to it, and a few new people, but not usually a lot. I was kind of an apparently unusual person getting on board during the winter session and it was really more focused because there were fewer of us and we were able to be more involved with the questions and the training. It goes through a cycle like a lot of other volunteering. Locally, I volunteer for DNACA and Community Concert and we don’t plan events during that three-month time period for the most part. The latest we’ll really go is November and then we’ll skip through to February because there’s so many other things going on. I also do Community Concert and you know there’s so many things going on during the winter that people are really too compressed to do something else.
PERSEPHONE Understandable! Yeah, is there anything else that we’ve not asked that you would like to make sure gets said?
JD They’re developing a brain computer interface for allowing people who are complete shut-ins, you know, paralyzed from the neck down to be able to do yes no questions to do a computer game and participate in a tabletop role-playing type games like Neverwinter Nights. And this is something that Hawk has already done. He’s used a cheaper interface to get characters to move in Neverwinter Nights just by thinking about it. Yeah, so he and a group of researchers are putting together a computer game based entirely on the brain computer interface to help these people who are literally laying in a bed staring at the ceiling and doing nothing but have full cognition. They’re conscious and they’re aware, but they can’t do anything so they’re trying to develop this so that they can do something. They have research going on about this subject constantly. On how tabletop RPGs, LARPing, electronic role-playing games, and hybrid role-playing games help people. So this is a constant body of knowledge that’s expanded and is constantly expanding and he knows more about all of that than I do. They have community outreach programs, they’ve got the bus, they’ve got just so many different things happening!
PERSEPHONE Awesome! Thank you so much for talking to us. For Redwood Voice, I’m Persephone Rose.
ELENI And I’m Eleni.
If you’re interested in this work, you can find everything you need about them on their website, or even go straight to their volunteering section.
As those who follow our social media accounts may know (namely our Facebook, Instagram, & YouTube channel, all linked in case you’ve been missing out), the start of a new year brought about the start of a new Redwood Voice!
The first month and a half of this experience has had its ups and downs as any organization would, but so far we have seen it as overwhelmingly positive. Alongside a resounding reception from the community excited for Redwood Voice to be jumping back into the fray of journalism and media activism, we’ve properly introduced our current team on our YouTube channel in a short miniseries, began a regularly occurring series dedicated to archiving the Del Norte Unified School District Board Meetings in the wake of difficulty attending them and complaints that the information does not easily reach those who miss the meetings, and our typical event filming in which we broadcast amazing occurrences in our community, like this year’s Women’s March. This is further paired with the gathering of news for KFUG Community Radio’s bi-weekly (every two weeks in this case, just to be clear!) newscast, which is comprised of the Redwood Voice team. We also have numerous projects being planned behind the scenes that include further connecting Redwood Voice to our audience and dipping into new forms of media we’ve not previously explored.
Redwood Voice member Persephone Corvid Rose in their team member video thumbnail. Photo credit: Brayden Hatch. Video Link Here.
Redwood Voice member Avi Critz in his team member video thumbnail. Photo credit: Persephone Corvid Rose. Video Link Here.
Redwood Voice member Brayden Hatch in his team member video thumbnail. Photo credit: Persephone Corvid Rose. Video Link Here.
Of course, these new and exciting changes will all come with time. There are still items on the table being considered and issues being resolved. As you may have noticed, for instance, the rate that videos are edited has shown slight limitations. Though we are able to produce videos we are proud of that demonstrate events and stories in full, some have shown a tendency to be late, a problem due to the fact there is only one current video editor who must thoroughly edit every video. That same video editor attends these events, films them, interviews people if necessary, compiles all the useful footage, troubleshoots any issues that may have come up during filming, edits the video, looks up any necessary information to proof-check what’s going on and provide correct info, spreads it, connects it to the people involved, and starts the next one. Then they manage all the social media accounts and write articles, like the one you’re reading now. And of course, with one member being a full time college student and another working a second job, roles are continuously being configured and chosen.
This has lead to a clear solution we are hoping to soon explore, but with which we won’t share much more information until our plan is perfectly streamlined: expanding the Redwood Voice team. Although we will not be sharing more until we know more about our situation in utmost certainty, if you or somebody you know is interested in journalism and media, namely youth in the community, please reach out! (One of the improvements coming soon to our website will be configuring the sign-up sheet for joining Redwood Voice.)
In the meantime, we will be continuing to clean up Redwood Voice. Our website, for example, has taken a bit of polishing just to get where it is now, and will continue to require some work. Most work thus far has had to do with conflicted coding on the website that has made links malfunction and strange glitches occur, such as crediting authors incorrectly. Additionally, we’ve been removing outdated information, which still requires work. For example, if you look on our radio tab shortly after this article comes out, you will see advertisements for radio shows that haven’t existed in quite a long time. You may also notice the cover photo of our website pictures people who are no longer members of Redwood Voice with an older logo. So, we have some work to do! Credited authors, our tagging system, and the format of many articles will be configured to provide a more enjoyable experience to our audience. All the same, we wish to add more content here! This means that even though we will be continuing to repair and clean up the website, we will soon be posting articles and linking videos in the coming days!
We are incredibly thankful for the support of the community and are excited to be continually growing!
For the past few months, I’ve had the opportunity to work as an intern at Redwood Voice. As my time here comes to a close, I look back on the experience and am filled with gratitude. During my time here, I have learned and grown so much, and I owe that to the opportunities this internship has provided me.
Working at Redwood Voice was more than just a job–it was an education. Before I started, my knowledge of filming and editing was extremely limited. I had never used a DSLR camera before, and my experience with editing software was very limited, so I felt like I had to learn a foreign language. I would frequently come to my boss, Meng Lo, with questions. Meng, being the wise coach that he is, did not answer all my questions. Instead, he pointed me in the right direction so I could get there myself. I studied advice from experts in the craft, and with each project that I worked on, I could practice and apply what I had learned. This process ensured true learning instead of mere memorization.
An emotional Coach Quick receives praise from his friends, family, and coworkers at a recognition assembly held at Smith River School. Photo Credit: Jayden Cornett
The first few videos I made were short, documentary-style videos. One of these was a feature on Ron Quick, who was a finalist in the US Cellular Coach of the Year competition. Another was a video promoting positivity surrounding pit bulls. As I spent time with Coach Quick, local pit bull owners, visiting the great people (and dogs) at the animal shelter, I was so inspired by the passion that these good people have for the important things in their lives. I was honored to be able to present them to the community. These interactions with people were as valuable to me as the skills I learned.
Filming the pit bull video. Photo Credit: Persephone Corvid Rose
I also had the opportunity to be involved in the preparatory stages of a media program that is about to be implemented for youth in Hoopa. I got to observe and participate in discussions and planning sessions in which we tackled real problems and worked together to create solutions. Then, I assisted in curriculum development for this program. I appreciated my involvement in this process so much, because I felt that my perspective and contribution was valued, and because I realized how unique this opportunity was.
Still shot from The Unwashed, Jayden’s final video project on hand washing. Photo Credit: Anna Lor
My final project before the close of this internship was a short video reminding people to watch their hands. This time, I was able to break from the standard documentary format and go with a more creative narrative form. Knowing the value of hands-on work, Meng let me take the reins from the beginning. I created the storyboard, wrote the script, set up lights, acted, directed, edited, and even composed some of the music. Along the way, Meng would take opportunities to advise me and teach me.
I do not take for granted the great experience that I have had here at Redwood Voice. With all the education, skills, and experience I have received, I am walking away a more experienced, prepared, and confident person than I was walking in. Now, I will take all that I have been given at Redwood Voice and use it to do good wherever I may go from here.
Redwood Voice’s Primary November Project, a video documenting the importance of Transgender Awareness Month in our local community of Del Norte.
We have reached the end of November. Families have come together to give thanks and nurture one another. They are unified – they are, quite simply, together.
And as they are together, they reconnect and recollect. They speak of the time that has passed since last seeing one another, they remember what came before this moment of celebration and connection.
There are many people who don’t have that luxury this time of the year. There are many people who must remember a much darker part of their lives – some, the loss of others, while the remaining remember how far they’ve come through adversity and hardship, remembering how hard they had to fight or hide to simply live to see these holidays.
Thanksgiving holds its fair share of connotations – for better, for worse, for all in between. It can be a spectacular time: a genuine, lovely gathering of family and friends. It can be, for perhaps a majority others, a grey time: those detached from their family, or even completely separated; those who spend the holidays alone; those who spend the holidays remembering those they once spent them with, but now live in times long since past. And of course, this isn’t even beginning to delve into the generational traumas of which the “American Thanksgiving” are rooted into and the atrocities that have taken place to build its cruel beginnings.
Regardless of how powerfully it encompasses this month, Thanksgiving is simply a mixed time. In a sense, perhaps the holiday it has evolved into is a time to ignore the traumas of the past – but ignorance does not lead to healing.
Ignoring a wound does not let that wound heal, but instead infect into something far worse. Even in writing this article, staying at a neutral, objective point, the mere act of talking about the negatives of this time of the year will surely outrage others or be deemed “controversial.” But it is simply true. Thanksgiving covers the attempts of many who wish to speak out. The Native American community wants the past to be visible without any strings attached, to spread awareness and knowledge of the wrongdoings of the settlers and the crimes committed against them. There is even a holiday the day after Thanksgiving known as “Native American Day” to amplify this awareness, and the entire month of November holds the monthly observance of “National Native American Month.”
Just as there are widely known observances, there are those buried under or unknown altogether. The one I present today is one that has been utterly erased to a point that few outside of those affected even consider its possibility of existence – an observance that, upon Googling, you won’t even find the name of:
Transgender Awareness Month.
Transgender Awareness Month – a month to memorialize the victims of transphobic violence and raise awareness of discrimination faced by transgender people worldwide.
November is a time when many members of the Transgender Community, as well as allies, reflect on pivotal historical moments that have fundamentally built the movement. But these moments come not from success without labor – they are times in which the community has overcome struggle, times in which we have climbed from the dirt placed on us to keep us down, buried, unseen, only to then blossom forth. One of the most notable instances of these happens to be Rita Hester’s murder on November 20th, 1998, due to her gender identity. This sparked outrage among the trans community, inspiring them to fight harder for a brighter future where we could live in a world that did not want to kill those who wanted to happily live as themselves. That’s why November 20th now marks Transgender Day of Remembrance. It is not a celebration, it is not an event of pride – it is a day marking loss. It is candlelit vigils as we read the names of those we have lost to violence, those we have lost to hatred against people being themselves.
Rita Hester, a transgender African American woman killed for expressing her gender identity on November 20th, 1998. A candlelit vigil was held for her attracting nearly 250 people.
We remember this pain. Many must live with it for the rest of their lives. Many suppress who they are to hide this pain – but ignoring the wound never heals it.
I’m sure many reading this may even be hearing about it for the first time. There are very few resources out there to for Transgender Awareness Month, and the closest our community has come has been the establishment of Transgender Awareness Week. It seems that our mourning and visibility must be cut short.
The purpose of Transgender Awareness Month is to educate those who know not of trans issues, of trans struggles, of where our movement originates – of where our movement is leading us. Its purpose is to step out and speak with those who want to learn, and we are more than willing. We know that there are allies who hope to provide as much assistance as they wish, but oftentimes they simply fall back. This month is here to invigorate them and others, to fight hatred with knowledge, to present who we are, what we’ve been through, and where we’re going now.
In Del Norte County, I cannot possibly overemphasize the importance of this.
I have met with a few fellow trans members of Del Norte to discuss its climate and why it is so absolutely crucial to have these conversations – why we need to be seen, why we need to be heard, why we need to be simply affirmed and understood as living beings. We are your neighbors, your fellow community. We want nothing more than to be accepted as we are, and those kind enough to do so inspire us to only further march with our message.
“Those moments of affirmation from your neighbors and friends here are too rare.” – Jacob Patterson (she/her), local queer activist.
“The world is a better, brighter place for you daring to show who you really are.” – Sam Bradshaw (he/they/she), True North Youth Organizer.
“We exist. We need to be accepted.” – Wyatt (he/him), Local Youth.
So I present all of this before you – this video, my words, our collective work – on the final day of November, near the month’s end. Why? Because I’m sure this is the first you’re hearing of it. But personally, I don’t believe there should be “designated times” to accept, love, and support others. So take this message as you will. Love your neighbors, learn about them, accept them, even if you don’t fully understand their lifestyles, and if that is the case, ask – talk to them. We are more than willing to explain who we are, more than willing to be seen, because for too long we have been in hiding. Let us all be unified and, quite simply, together.
esent all of this before you – this video, my words, our collective work – on the final day of November, near the month’s end. Why? Because I’m sure this is the first you’re hearing of it. But personally, I don’t believe there should be “designated times” to accept, love, and support others. So take this message as you will. Love your neighbors, learn about them, accept them, even if you don’t fully understand their lifestyles, and if that is the case, ask – talk to them. We are more than willing to explain who we are, more than willing to be seen, because for too long we have been in hiding. Let us all be unified and, quite simply, together.
Let us look forward to a time when the only Remembrance we need is to remember how long ago the trans community was forced to combat violence, and how it has now been reborn into a time of cherishment and acceptance.
Being one of the many participants in the E3 Program in Del Norte County from the Del Norte Workforce Center, I dedicated my time to completing this program not just one time, but two times around, and both times I was able to turn them both into success stories for the E3 Program. I made a strong candidate for this opportunity to travel out to Aspen, Colorado for the Opportunity Youth Forum, due to the fact that I brought my own dedication to my workplace and proved that I do stand as an employee with the rest of my team members at Wild Rivers Community Foundation/Building Healthy Communities. I was able to get invited from my previous supervisor Imelda Ramirez who is the program manager for E3, and I was thrilled and honored to be invited to this Opportunity Youth Forum. I had one week to prepare for this travel, and I found myself with thoughts that it was very little time to prepare mentally and physically because I am a full-time student at College of the Redwoods. I managed to arrange my schooling/homework and all the other details with work to properly make myself available for the week of the forum.
Later that day in which I got invited, I found out who else I would be attending with. I thought to myself, there was no other group I would rather go with to this Opportunity Youth Forum, because we all hold a powerful movement within our community to be shown and tell our stories amongst many other leaders around the world. I found out that our group will be taking some leaders in our adjacent tribal lands, a youth organizer for True North Organizing, a Youth Coordinator, our Del Norte Workforce Center E3 Program Manager, and of course my boss Michelle Carrillo the Executive Director for Building Healthy Communities at Wild Rivers Community Foundation. Later on into the week of the forum, I found out that there were other community members attending the forum from our community as well, which brought me to think of what a powerful and changing opportunity our community has with making a voice for all of us back home. The whole invitation brought excitement and more passion to continue the work we do for our progressing community.
As Sunday approached and I was officially loading my bags into my car it began to hit me; I was about to travel on a plane over to some high elevated mountains in Colorado. It was a scary feeling and I was not able to sleep comfortably that Sunday night prior to catching my plane the following morning at 6:00am. Imelda Ramirez was traveling alongside with me and given the fact we are both related as cousins I can say it made the whole worrisomeness of the plane ride become easier to handle because we had each other for support and encouragement that we would make it through and touch ground in Aspen, Colorado safe and sound. We arrived at the airport two hours as recommended prior to boarding our plane, and we were able to meet up with one of our group participants from Weitchpec, CA, which is further south of Crescent City, in our adjacent tribal lands. We all greeted and wished each other a safe flight and walked through the security check, normal and with hopes of nothing turning into an unwanted disaster.
Enjoying the activities and winter weather.
Monday, around 1:00pm, we touched ground in Aspen, although we were very nervously flying above Aspen for over 30 minutes awaiting landing; there had been a slight complication with landing due to the visibility for the plane road track. We had seemed to arrive just when a small storm was beginning to make its way. I fainted in those 30 minutes that we were flying above Aspen. The elevation was incredibly high–over 8,000 ft.–and I got extremely dizzy, lightheaded, and nervous from the information the pilot was giving the entire group of people aboard the plane. With the thought of blessings that my mother had given me the following day, it was just enough to bring me back to my senses of “everything is going to be alright”. And it was.
Arriving on the grounds at the Aspen Institute in Colorado, it was all a great deal of luxurious treatment that I found myself being treated to. They impressed me with all the outstanding care they showed. From grabbing my luggage to offering me all the amenities that for one, I would think the millionaires there in Aspen would be the only ones to be treated this way. On the contrary, it was myself being honored with this hospitality. As we stepped into the main lobby building at the Aspen Institute we were guided to the lunch area where we were served buffet style with assorted freshly made meals by the institute chefs. We grabbed and ate some delicious lunch then headed to our hotel to unload and get ready for our dinner and new participant orientation.
The orientation involved all the participants to gather together and welcome this year’s 2018 Opportunity Youth Forum. We were all greeted as we entered and joined in again on the dinner buffet they had set up for everyone that night. It was all super exquisite food and fine dining that us folks do not get treated with back home in Crescent City. It was fancy, and I felt the high class treatment throughout the night. The first few 15 minutes were for mingling and networking with different partners and organizations. For myself, it all felt really intimidating because of the fact that I only represent myself as a youth involved in a program.
Participants of the forum enjoy evening performances.
As the night progressed we had the honor of hearing a speech from Yelena Nemoy, one of the Aspen Institute Community Solution partners, and welcomed some live featured performances by Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, featuring a selection from “Dry Each Other’s Tears in the Stillness of the Night,” and “On the Edge…Reaching to a Higher Ground.” The performances were incredible, accompanying our delicious dinner and fancy wine beverages being served. The idea I got from the performances was to gain a reflection of two people working together in order to show support for each other and create sympathy for the strength it takes to be involved within a larger spectrum of work that we all do as a community. It was heartwarming to see such a great art performance between two partners. The night progressed with chills from all corners in the building. The people gathered within the building were all there for the same purpose and dedication to continue the good work around the world for our Opportunity Youth, and for myself I felt a great deal of inspiration throughout my entire time in Aspen.
On Tuesday morning we had a busy start, trying to adjust to the time difference, and getting to the institute on time for the opening presentation. We came along with everyone else to the Doerr-Hosier Center where we all gathered for breakfast each morning. Poetry by Bianca Mikahn was our serenade to our lovely breakfast, followed by Melody Barnes, the Chair of the Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions, and the new president and CEO of the Aspen Institute, Dan Porterfield. They opened up the morning with their speeches about guidance on the transformative power of collaboration to drive change, thoughts, and the importance of self-care in leadership. We were told to enjoy the sessions and that each and every one of them looked forward to collaborating ideas and sharing networking information amongst us all. My first session was at 10:00am, called “Adapting Entrepreneurship Curricula to Support the Needs of Opportunity Youth”. This was one of my favorite sessions, due to the fact that there were more interactions happening within a group, and we all had a chance to give out ideas, make something, and reflect on our own efforts as a group. These practices are very important, in my opinion, when you are trying to work with a team of multiple people, because the interactions have to bring out great solutions. Practicing these types of workshops teaches skills to become a better entrepreneur.
My second session was “What Counts When Reengaging Youth”. This session included talking about the different areas and data consumptions that are gathered within communities and how we can use this data collection to figure out which areas need to be worked on the most to reengage youth.
My third session for the day was “Making Youth Reconnection Work through Movement, Dance, Meditation, and Love”. This session was a very powerful gathering, and quite intimidating because of the fact that all the main leaders were in this room, including the CEO and President of the Aspen Institute and the rest of the leaders for the forum. They were all warm and welcoming. We started off with an icebreaker activity on partnering up with someone for a quick interview that we would later present to the whole group. Everyone seemed to be very important and CEOs of businesses within their community, and corporations as well. Their little biographies that we got were inspiring, and we later moved on to explaining the success some corporations like BestBuy have accomplished, putting over hundreds of thousands of dollars towards educating youth in the computer tech pathway and giving out applause to a great opportunity for our youth.
A beautiful view from the window.
As our day ended that Tuesday, the weather got incredibly cold, but it also felt wonderful to be able to experience the Colorado wind and be surrounded by high mountains and Aspen trees in every direction in sight. It was a privileged experience that I will not forget. On Wednesday morning, we were brought to our same routine as Tuesday, although this day we were immersed into the first snow fall of the season in Colorado, which was breathtaking. The snowflakes were massive, perfectly frozen flakes falling from the sky. Our Del Norte group was able to get a table by the windows off to the left of the Doerr-Hosier Center, and we were able to take glances back and forth. Within 30 minutes, the surrounding areas outside were a perfect fluffy color white. It was a site to remember, especially with the ginormous property that the Aspen Institute has, everything was artistically designed to suit a millionaire’s taste in views.
Participants of the forum engaged in Shawn Ginwright’s presentation.
The morning opening session was given by Steve Patrick, of the Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions. He made a speech about the importance of sharing the healing-centered engagement framework with the Opportunity Youth Forum network and lifting up community-based strategies for addressing traumas. A speaker later went onto the stage to talk about the importance of being inclusive to all people, whether that be that those people are incarcerated. This Professor of Education from San Francisco gave his speech and displayed some PowerPoint slides about “Shifting to a Healing Centered Engagement,” and explained that in order to heal, we need to understand what we need to heal and know the difference of not just suppressing the symptoms we have, and also supporting youth development workers with transformative change over professional development. His speech was touching and made me reflect on my own experiences I’ve seen in my years, and the fact we need to give more support to strengthen our social, emotional growth and well-being as well. This professor’s name is Shawn Ginwright, a much-respected man among all the forum participants.
As we went on to the rest of our sessions that day, I went off to my next one which was “Designing Community Dialogue to Support Undocumented Youth”. This was a powerful session for me because I was able to tell a real story to the rest of the group who participated in this session. The leaders were Ruth Barajas-Cardona from Bay Area Community Resources, and Thomas Showalter from National Youth Employment Coalition and they both facilitated a problem-solving session that will help us design our own community dialogues for helping to serve the young people in our community. We all had a very different way of trying to create a dialogue that will capture the youth. For example, some of the ideas that were brought to importance were the fact that we need to build relationships with a couple of potential allies and demographic research as well. These two ideas were a part of a big discussion between the group, and we got into detail about each different community we come from. We later went into detail about facilitating the pathway for the Opportunity Youth amongst this undocumented group. It’s very important to educate people about the importance of knowing your rights and what you may qualify for when you come from an undocumented background of people and share the word to the rest of the people.
I joined into the debrief session with the youth leadership group and it was very interesting to find out the difference that was happening with both youth side and non-youth side sessions. I attended the non-youth sessions and was able to find an equilibrium between both and gather my thoughts to justify that us young leaders are on the right direction to facilitating a movement for all our communities. Understanding the fact that we all have stories that give us more and more strength each time we share those stories. We are gaining the highlight of making an inspirational movement story for our youth within our communities to learn about and continue to grow together to form a powerful change that will impact the youth below us. That equilibrium that I felt was the right hook to cast me into the direction of future change. Becoming involved with the right sources within your community will give you the willpower to further your journey into a right path, because you will be able to feel the good work people put into helping our communities. Feelings are a key important element with doing community work, as in, one must be healed from their own traumas in order to heal the next ones coming up after them into their community. One must feel healthy, safe, and know that healing-centered engagement is culturally grounded onto us and we must view healing as a restoration of our own identity.
One must feel healthy, safe, and know that healing-centered engagement is culturally grounded onto us and we must view healing as a restoration of our own identity.
Article written and photos taken by Jessica Ortiz.
This summer, I had the opportunity to work on the media team for the week-long Sons and Brothers Leadership Camp at a mountain retreat in Portola, California, sponsored by the California Endowment. Young men came from inner cities all over the state to help them heal from their personal traumas and prepare them to confront the challenges they face at home in a better way. As the media team, our responsibility was to capture the events of the camp and tell the stories of the campers. We all worked on projects utilizing various forms of media to produce videos, memes on social media, a yearbook-style compilation that every participant could take home, and an audio diary. I was primarily involved in producing the audio diary. We did a series of interviews with one young man throughout the week and followed his development and growth during camp. After the camp was over, I continued to work on this project, writing a script and polishing the story as our team coordinated with KQED–an NPR affiliate in San Francisco. In August, the story aired on the California Report. The story is posted here: https://www.kqed.org/news/11689332/california-camp-challenges-young-men-to-rethink-masculinity
Photo by nevadateach (flickr)
When I first met the media team I was excited to get to know them over the next week. We all slept and worked in the same small cabin, and even thought it was a tight fit, the atmosphere was fun and exciting. Once we began our projects, however, my feelings changed. I quickly saw that I didn’t know as much as I thought I did. Honestly, I didn’t even realize how much I didn’t know. Some of the guys on the media team were far more experienced than I was, and at first I was intimidated–even discouraged. I thought, “What am I doing here? They don’t need me.” But then I decided to draw from their pool of knowledge and experiences. I starting asking questions and having them show me things. Once I did this, my experience became a lot more enjoyable. Not only was I participating in documenting the camp, but now I was also learning new skills.
As the week progressed I got to know some of the camp participants better, and I was stunned at their stories. These young men are amazing, and some of the hardships they have to face I can’t even comprehend. Many of them deal with gang influences, domestic violence, and even homelessness at a young age. I was grateful for the privilege of hearing and sharing their stories.
During the week I also got to participate in some of the events of the camp, like archery, which was a good release for me and helped me focus and relax as I worked on improving my aim. Another activity I was able to participate in was called the leap of faith. After being strapped to a safety harness that was connected to a rope pulley system, with my teammates as anchors, I climbed up a pole and stood on a small platform forty feet in the air. The entire way up my heart was pounding and my mind was racing with fear. But I knew that if I gave place for those fearful thoughts, then I would not make it. So, ignoring my fears, I continued upward, one step at a time. When I got to the platform, I let out a yell and I jumped, relying completely on my teammates. Sure enough, they caught me. The moment my feet left the platform, the height was no longer scary and intimidating, but beautiful and majestic. I learned a lot from this experience. It helped me overcome some of the other fears that I face in my life and trust that everything is going to work out as long as I keep putting one foot in front of the other and don’t let my fears paralyze me.
All of the young men came from very different backgrounds than myself, and it was a good opportunity for me to learn about other people’s culture. It opened my eyes, and it opened my mind. I could see that we really are all brothers regardless of what we look like or where we come from. I left camp with a stronger character and a deeper sense of my humanity, as well as a commitment to brotherhood.
Photo taken from http://find.acacamps.org/images/camp/image/main/phpopT7Sw.jpg
Editor’s note: In early October of 2016, the California Endowment reached out to Redwood Voice in search of a young media reporter to send to the Washington DC to attend South By South Lawn (SXSL), a festival of ideas, art, and action. Redwood Voice selected Tyler Harrison (age 20), to represent Del Norte and Tribal Lands, capture his experience at the festival, and produce a story on what he learned and hopes to bring back to his community. Del Norte’s local newspaper, “The Triplicate,” also released a publication on Tyler’s trip that can be viewed here: http://www.triplicate.com/news/4732922-151/mr-harrison-goes-to-washington?referrer=carousel7
I’ve always hated deadlines, and that didn’t change when I got a text asking me if I’d like to go on a trip to Washington DC to attend a fancy event called SXSL (South by South Lawn) an hour before the signup deadline. I was shocked. I didn’t know what to think or expect, or what qualified me to go on this trip, but I was intrigued none the less. My friends, family, and girlfriend were all equally happy to hear about this great opportunity I’d been given and strongly encouraged me to go. I, however, was not as excited. I’d been on planes flying across the country before, but never alone, never that far, and this was a trip for only one.
Ultimately, after racking my brain for that short hour, I had to make the decision. This was a great opportunity that I was presented with, and I didn’t want to let it go to waste. I knew that if I let my fears get the better of me, I’d regret it later. I signed the paper and sent in my RSVP. I received my travel details less than 24 hours before my first flight left. So, I began packing my bags and saying my goodbyes as quick as I was able to, hoping to get a good night’s rest before my big day.
Unfortunately, stress is killer and anxiety isn’t kind. That “good night’s rest” I had planned turned out to be about three hours of unrestful sleep. I was a nervous wreck leaving the house and heading to the airport. Thoughts of inadequacy plagued my thoughts during the entire trip to Washington DC. What qualified me to go to this event? Surely, a nobody from a small town in one of the smallest counties in California can’t possibly compare to owners of businesses, inventors, performers, United Nations representatives, and more. I felt as if I was simply going to stand on the sidelines for a majority of the event and head home when everything was said and done.
What I got, however, was so far from what I expected. After I met up with the two other people that would be accompanying me, a youth journalist named Jessica, and our “tour guide”, Alheli, we quickly got to know each other and enjoyed each other’s company. Even on the taxi ride to our hotel, many jokes were made, and lots of fun was had. I was with pleasant company, and it did a lot to ease my mind.
Because fate is cruel, and jetlag isn’t forgiving, I got about three hours of sleep that night as well, however it was excitement that kept me awake, not anxiety. I thought that at the very least, now I have a couple people I know and enjoy the company of. We got out of bed early, ate breakfast at a small café, and made our way towards the White House.
The line to get inside of the White House was unbelievably huge. Hundreds of people were lined up tight on one sidewalk, stretching down the block as far as I could see past the crowd. Though I’d gotten past most of my anxiety regarding the event, I still didn’t quite feel a sense of belonging. I asked again, what qualifications did I hold that warranted me going on this trip, as opposed to someone else? I said out loud to Alheli and Jessica, “Man, I don’t feel like I belong here.” They were quick to dismiss this, and through our conversation, a man near us in line turned to me. He was nicely dressed, wearing a fancy name tag sporting some professional title that I’m not fortunate enough to remember, and said to me, “That’s funny, you certainly look like you belong here.” Though it easily could’ve been anyone that he said that to, it was a kind gesture that I appreciated, and it certainly made me feel more at home in the moment. This kind of kindness would go on to set the stage for the rest of the event.
Everyone at SXSL was more polite than I could’ve expected. While I was getting coffee, sitting and listening to speeches, or standing in line for the exhibits, I was constantly meeting strangers and hearing about their lives, and they seemed equally interested to hear about mine. People seemed to genuinely care about who you were and what brought you to this event. I met with people who owned entire organizations, people who were refugees from war, people who have spoken at United Nations meetings, and much more. They all had this same disposition of being mutually polite and interested. Once I saw that others felt free to open up to me, and I got comfortable opening up to others, all anxiety that remained faded away.
One of my favorite parts of this venture was exploring the maze of booths and stands that were present at the festival. Each was set up precariously, trying to dodge the sunlight with tents or walls that were conveniently arranged for a cool spot of shade to sit in. The lines to these booths also reflected this, as you would find twenty or more people crammed into small areas trying to keep out of the heat. There were booths from such a great variety of groups who worked on all sorts of different things. There were people advertising their products to make areas more accessible for those with handicaps, such as easy access ramps and elevators. There were those advocating for teaching students to grow plants in schools with computer-aided fertilizing systems. There was a display from a company that makes “build your own” robots that were being used in education to teach robotics and programming. There was a large display put up by the U.S. National Parks Service promoting their “Find Your Park” campaign, complete with a spinning wheel that pointed to every park in the United States.
There were also several virtual reality displays, including but not limited to a walkthrough of Yellowstone Park, an art display using Google Tiltbrush, and a simulation of solitary confinement, as I’m a huge nerd, this was my first stop. During the “Walk through Yellowstone,” I was taken away by how beautiful the display was, and at one point I found myself reaching out to lean a hand on a wooden post that was present in front of me before I quickly remembered I was wearing a VR headset. I moved on to the virtual reality art display and was taken away by how beautiful it was. The images that surrounded me were encouraging, to say the least, with silhouettes of people holding hands in a circle beneath a giant globe, with the words “You are loved” exploding in a myriad of colored fireworks. There were multiple displays, highlighting social justice, LGBTQ equality, and environmentalism, to match the theme of the event, and though I didn’t get back in line to see any of the other exhibits, I enjoyed watching them through the other volunteers’ eyes on the TV screen. The final virtual reality experience I had that day was both the best and worst: a simulation of solitary confinement. For roughly twenty minutes, you would sit on a stool wearing big, heavy headphones that blocked outside sound and your VR headset, simulating the inside of a prison cell. While it was obvious the whole time that I was inside a simulation, it was claustrophobic, there was loud noise of other “inmates” yelling at guards and making noise. Narrators would occasionally speak about their own experiences in solitary confinement, and the environment of the cell would reflect what they say. In one section, the narrator was mentioning statistics of people who sit through this torture, and at one point, when the narrator mentioned the word “suicide,” the entire cell wall was suddenly covered with what looked like a knife-carved scratching of the word “suicide.” While it always obvious that I was in a simulation, and I could leave at any time I wanted, I decided I’d try to sit through it until it was over, and I found that at the end, I was shaking on my seat, and my heart was beating rapidly. I was glad to be free of the “digital chamber” that I had been locked in for that short time, but I was glad that I had gone through it in the end.
The highlight of the event was a live conversation between President Obama, Leonardo DiCaprio and environmental scientist Katharine Hayhoe, followed by the worldwide unveiling of Leonardo’s documentary titled “Before the Flood,” a movie focused on highlighting the damning effects of climate change and how our modern lifestyles cause it. These talks and the documentary were not all fire and brimstone, however. Even after hearing all this talk about how ocean levels could rise, species could go extinct and more, there was an unshakable atmosphere of optimism. There was a huge focus on what we as individuals can do, like changing our eating and transportation habits, for example, and I felt encouraged about the future.
Heading home was bittersweet. I was glad to get back to my friends and family, but I was sad that the event had to end. It was such an incredible experience to be surrounded by such a positive atmosphere of people who not only rejected, but challenged cynicism, who refused to give up hope for positive change, and who were happy to share this hope with whoever they spoke to.
I left SXSL a changed man. It was a huge eye-opener for me, and I think that it’s an experience that I will remember and reminisce about for the rest of my life. Through the fun of learning about new technologies being used in schools and farms, to the harrowing experiences of learning about climate change and social injustice, it was a life-changing event, and I sincerely hope that I’m able to effectively translate the meaningful experience that it was to people in my daily life going forward.
When you enter Walker Road (off of Highway 199) you encounter a beautiful dirt and gravel road that runs through the redwoods that is very pleasing to the eye. If you follow the road as it forks to the right it will lead you to the Smith River.
As you walk down the stones to the waters’ edge, there are many things you can see such as frogs, toads, deer, snakes, mice, osprey, dragonflies, fish and even water spiders.
The frogs are likely to be sitting right at the water’s edge ready to hop in and away the second they see you. However, if you don’t make any noise or let them see your shadow, you might be able to get closer without one hopping off.
Although they are still interesting little critters as you view them on land, the water is the other half of the frog’s natural habitat and also the habitat where they move most gracefully. As opposed to their frantic hopping about on land, they fluidly swim through the water with ease. They also have special membranes similar to an eyelid that covers their eyes as they swim, allowing them to see clearly under water and hunt all variations of water life.
Toads are also a critter that you have a chance to find on shore. At certain times of year you may even see piles of baby toads huddled up for safety, that is if you can tell them apart from the sand and rocks. Or you may see a larger adult toad sitting in a moist spot somewhere waiting for food to pass by. Toads can burrow into dirt and sand to make a home, though not nearly as deep as a gopher. However in some areas, toads have been known to crawl into an empty gopher hole and call it home.
Snakes are yet another thing you have a chance to view at Walker Road. Water snakes are amazing little guys that have taken a semi-amphibious turn to life. They are like little garter snakes that swim underwater to hunt small fish, water bugs of all types, tadpoles and small toads. Even frogs make up a large part of their diet. On top of water hunting they are also land hunters and eat a wide menagerie of small land creatures. Water snakes are also pretty fun to catch and are completely harmless, but that does not mean the snake will thank you for bothering them and typically will “skunk” you. This is a defensive reflex that covers whatever part of you is touching the snake with a VERY stinky hormone-based fluid meant to repel predators. However, this fluid does come out of the rear end of the snake adding to the gross factor. The snake, in its displeasure, may also bite you.
Yet another living thing you have a chance to see are lizards, as surprising as it sounds. Lizards will pop up in the hottest part of summer mostly and at higher elevations where it is warmer. You can hear them skittering off in the grass when they see you. Lizards are found in hot places because their digestion depends on being warm. They cannot generate their own heat so they bask in the hot sun to regulate their body temperature, which is where you are likely to find them. On Walker Road, lizards are often found on the rocks sunning themselves or looking for bugs in the grass. They are hard to catch as they dart through the grass and under rocks. I can’t count the times I’ve seen a predator sit there, frustrated, trying to catch one of these fast little guys or get a face full of dirt due to literally not looking before they leap.
Water spiders are the last, but not least, thing I would like to tell you about. I find water spiders to be especially interesting. One of the neatest things about them is their ability to walk on water, which is accomplished with many tiny hairs that cause something called surface tension. These spiders are a type of ground spider that does not make a web to catch prey. Instead, it ambushes its food by sitting and waiting in one place very patiently. They can even catch small water prey with the same method. These fuzzy little spiders are sometimes hard to see as they are the same light gray color of the rocks at Walker Road. They are nonetheless fun to watch.
These are a mere few of the many living things that can be found at Walker Road if you have the patience to look. Though Walker Road is an amazing swimming and family area, sometimes it pays to take some time to enjoy the little things in life. You may be surprised at what you find.
THE HIKE: A 2.2-mile double-loop through old-growth redwoods off of Walker Road north of U.S. Highway 199. Start on Leiffer Trial, then make a series of right turns onto Leiffer Loop, Ellsworth Loop and eventually back to Leiffer Trail.
HIGHLIGHTS: A giant walk-through redwood stump in the middle of the trail. Numerous benches, some at the end of short side trails, with philosophical engravings left behind by preservationists.
SWEAT LEVEL: Some moderately strenuous climbs at the start of each loop, and a few newly fallen small trees to pick your way through in a couple of spots.
GETTING THERE: From Crescent City, drive north on U.S. Highway 101, then east for almost 3 miles on Highway 199. Turn north on Walker Road, drive just under a mile, veer left at a fork, then drive another half-mile to the trailhead for Leiffer Trail, which is on your left. There’s a small parking area, but the trailhead sign is set far back from the road and easy to miss. On the way there or back, you might enjoy a few short side trails off of Walker Road.
Telling the untold stories of Del Norte and Tribal Lands through amplified youth voices.
