A man wearing a t-shirt that reads Humboldt State stands casually, showcasing school spirit

A group of people smiling and posing in front of a parked truck, showcasing camaraderie and a shared moment

A group of people smiling and posing together in front of trees and parked cars

Three women standing side by side in front of a textured brick wall, smiling and engaging with each other

Black and white illustration of cartoon Steehead fish

Black and white military general stripes - a centered star with three v shapes underneath it

A black and white illustration of a cluster of bananas, showcasing their curved shapes and distinctive texture

A detailed black and white drawing of a weasel, showcasing its elongated body and distinctive features

From Maple Hall to Lifelong Family

How a group of students turned dorm life into 50 years of friendship, love, and adventure

By Iridian Casarez

The laughter is unmistakable—warm, layered, loud. Over a Zoom call, the camaraderie of the Maple Hall Crew, as they like to call themselves, crackles like a campfire. They finish each other's stories. They tease, they reminisce, they banter, and they laugh until their faces ache.

"It all started in Maple Hall," says Jesse Garcia ('75, Wildlife), one of the original members of the group. "Even if some of us didn't sleep there, that was where everything happened. The epicenter of our lives at Humboldt."

It was the early 1970s. A group of teens and 20-somethings—mostly strangers—showed up to a damp, forest-flanked, and remote Humboldt campus. Off-campus entertainment was limited, and the rain was relentless. So the students made their own fun, and without realizing it, they built a lifetime of connection.

Now, over 50 years later, the Maple Hall Crew still gathers for many events, vacations, ski trips, fishing, and Zoom calls. They are Golden Graduates, Humboldt grads who graduated more than 50 years ago, but more importantly, they're family.

"We were like 'Animal House,'" says Cathy Flores ('75, Liberal Studies), the group's self-proclaimed "communications facilitator."

Back then, Maple Hall was the heart of the party. It was where pranks were born, late-night jam sessions echoed down stairwells, and everyone knew everyone's nickname: Flores was known as "Alice," Craig Tucker ('74, Zoology) was "Weasel," Patti Knoblich ('73, Psychology) was "The General," Steve Nichols ('74, Business Administration) was "Bananas." They shared every meal together at the same corner tables in the cafeteria—so religiously, in fact, that when outsiders sat there, they soon began to feel uncomfortable with the group's antics and would quickly find a different place to sit.

"It all started in Maple Hall." Jesse Garcia ('75, Wildlife)

The group cooked the fish they caught on day trips to nearby rivers, picked blackberries for jam, and baked biscuits in the dorm kitchen using borrowed cookie sheets. They camped, played intramural sports, and threw boat parties. They even had their own co-ed baseball team: Club Weasel.

"There was just no separation," says Nichols. "Every weekend, there was a party. During the week, there was music and storytelling. We did everything together."

A group of people gathered in a small room, playing guitar and enjoying a collaborative music session

Jesse Garcia playing guitar with Steve Stewart in a dorm room at Maple Hall. Music was a nightly occurrence at Maple Hall, where the crew would play, sing, drink, and carry on late into the night.

A woman sitting on a chair, casually holding a bottle of beer in her right hand

Cathy Flores drinking Annie Green Springs during Lumberjack Days. Annie Green Springs is a brand of light, fruity, and slightly sweet sparkling wine that was popular in the 1970s, particularly among college students.

Two men proudly holding large fish, smiling at the camera, with a natural outdoor setting in the background

Randy Ishihara (left) and Tom Miles (right) display their catch near the Lewiston Bridge on the Trinity River.

Randy Ishihara ('73, Physical Education), who recently passed away, was their unofficial "social director." He would canvas the dorm lounge during the week, organizing carpools and gear for weekend camping trips to the Trinity River, Lewiston, and Gray Falls. The Jolly Giant Commons Dining Hall packed them with ingredients for breakfast, lunches, and dinners, including frying pans, bowls, and other cooking utensils. Value Giant sold them dollar tube tents. And when the sun came out—a rarity—they'd drag their beach chairs out onto the pavement in front of the dorms, sit in shorts, and pretend it was Southern California.

"We even pulled pranks like putting shark and fish heads in the dorm toilets," Nichols recalls with a laugh. "We called it 'good, clean fun.'"

The fun didn't stop after graduation. It grew.

Over the decades, the Maple Hall Crew evolved into a multi-generational group of over 70 friends and family members. They meet annually for camping trips—complete with a coffee bar, propane shower, and full glamping setup courtesy of member Ben W. Wolfe III, who attended Humboldt from 1970 to 1974. They houseboat on Shasta Lake, ski at Lake Tahoe, and fish in Alaska. Some even go on cruises together. One year, Flores floated the idea of a Mississippi River cruise. Thirty people said yes. So they went.

When Bob McKenzie ('73, Physical Education), known as "cannon arms," a national master's swimmer, competed in Arizona, Wolfe drove overnight from Ventura, Calif., to surprise and cheer him on poolside. "If you were stuck in Siberia," Flores says, "Ben would come get you."

"We were shaped by Humboldt. By the rain, the redwoods, the rivers. But mostly by each other." Cathy Flores ('75, Liberal Studies)

It's that kind of loyalty that has carried them through weddings, births, losses, and life changes. Several couples, like Ed Duncan ('76, Wildlife) and Mary Ann Duncan ('75, Nursing), and Harry Pelton ('75, Wildlife) and Kevil Pelton, who attended Humboldt from 1971 to 1975, are celebrating 50-year anniversaries. Others, like Kathie Ramazzotti ('73, Physical Education) and Carol Pex (‘73, Speech Pathology), reconnected to the group years later.

"Seeing everyone again," Ramazzotti says, "was like coming home."

From stairwell concerts with covers of top 100 songs to impromptu "Spring Sing" competitions, music was always a constant. "We had to self-entertain," Garcia says. "But we found joy in it."

That joy hasn't faded. When one of them recently lost a spouse, the entire group rallied around them. When Flores's mother passed away, Wolfe showed up at her door, unannounced, just to offer comfort. And when Flores celebrated a milestone birthday recently, it became a full-blown Mardi Gras party.

Even the jokes have aged well. Wolfe once wore a custom blue velvet suit to Sam Melin's wedding, and a crushed red velvet suit to Dennis Cook's ('74, Natural Resources). "My mom was so impressed," Melin laughs. "Iconic."

Every time they gather, whether around a campfire or on a Zoom screen, they're reliving something extraordinary. "We're just trying to pretend we're 20 again," George Erdman ('76, Wildlife) says. "We relive college life—just with earlier bedtimes."

The members of the Maple Hall Crew went on to become scientists, park rangers, teachers, nurses, artists, biologists, and public servants. Craig "Weasel" Tucker is a world-renowned scientist who was named a 2018 Humboldt Distinguished Alum. In addition, Tim Oliverius ('72, Geography) was Fire Management Officer at Mesa Verde National Park. Duncan was the fire chief at Yosemite National Park. Dana Shuford and Tom Miles, who both attended Humboldt from 1971 to 1975, led operations at the Bureau of Land Management. These three were first known to the group as "the hippies" because of their long hair, but now more so because they are always attached at the hip.

"All of us started as kids sitting in the dirt, drinking beer," Flores says. "And look where we ended up."

But ask them what mattered most, and they won't tell you about their careers. They'll talk about the beach chair blowouts, the steelhead trout catches, the guitar sessions, the blackberry jam, and each other.

"We were shaped by Humboldt," Flores says. "By the rain, the redwoods, the rivers. But mostly by each other."

That's the real Humboldt experience—not just education, but transformation. Not just memories, but lifelong bonds.

Even now, 50 years later, the Maple Hall Crew is still showing up for one another. Still gathering around guitars. Still laughing. Still hugging. Still family.

Craig Tucker (left) and Randy Ishihara (right) showing off their steelhead trout after a day of fishing on the Trinity River. Afterward, the crew would head to the basement of Maple Hall, where in a small kitchen and laundry area, they'd clean and then cook the catch of the day..

(From left to right): Kevin Dempsey, Larry Ford, Randy Ishihara, and Bob McKenzie at commencement in 1973.

Ed Duncan's Jeep stuck in the mud near Mad River.

(From left to right): Tom Miles, Dana Shuford, and Ed Duncan, who are known to the crew as the hippies previously because of their long hair, but now more so because they are always attached at the hip.

(From left to right) Cathy Flores, Sam Melin Collins, and Jeanne McGurk.

(From left to right): Ed Duncan, Tom Miles, and Dana Shuford holding their catch from a day of fishing.

(Clockwise beginning from the bottom left): Craig Tucker, Tom Nannizzi, Steve Vittum, Steve Wiard, Scott Gordon, Craig Thurber, and Dave Beech in front of Maple Hall.

The famous Volkswagen Push Up the Hill event was held during Lumberjack Days. Contestants were required to push a Volkswagen Beetle up the hill on B Street. Only human power could be used and participants needed one type of car: the VW bug. In this photo students were using a 4x6 beam through the car's windows to push the VW up the hill.

A few members of the Maple Hall crew use Randy Ishihara's Volkswagen for the VW event during Lumberjack Days.

Residents took advantage of the glass staircase enclosures to send various messages to other students, but Maple Hall certainly was in a class of their own.

Club Weasel is the intramural softball team of the Maple Hall crew, named after the apartment of Craig Tucker and Kevin Dempsey, which had a bar-like vibe after they left Maple Hall. This photo, taken during their final years at Humboldt, shows that even after moving to different places in Arcata, they continued to gather and spend time together.

Jackson Meadows, located north of Lake Tahoe, is the backdrop for a memorable photo of the group. They are holding a banner created by Cathy Flores, showcasing a variety of t-shirts designed for their trips. Flores’ favorite shirt is a bright red one featuring an illustration of a campfire and people gazing at the stars.

Robert Rumph and Cathy Flores outside of nearby Chinquapin Residence Hall.

In 2018, when Craig Tucker (center back row) received his Distinguished Alumni award, the Maple Hall crew united and returned to Humboldt to honor their friend.

(From left to right): Kevin Dempsey, Larry Ford, Randy Ishihara, and Bob McKenzie recreating their commencement photo at the 2024 Golden Graduate luncheon outside of Founders Hall.

From left to right: Vanessa Gonsalves, former Humboldt Alumni Outreach Coordinator at Cal Poly Humboldt, Cathy Flores, Craig Tucker, Kevin Dempsey, and Randy Ishihara sporting their Humboldt gear at the Redwood Bowl.

Gallery: The Maple Hall Crew