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TOYON STAFF - VOLUME 70- Fall 2023

Kaitlyn O'Dell

Managing Editor
Division Editor, Critical Analysis

Kaitlyn O’Dell (she/her) is a graduate student in the English Department at Cal Poly Humboldt. Her current research interests are how genres can be utilized for social change. She is focusing this topic on Speculative Fiction that takes place in California. Kaitlyn is a returning student as she completed her Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in Anthropology in June of 2022. Her interests in community and publishing has drawn her again to join the Toyon staff again after a few year's break.

Jacqueline V Espinoza

Community Liaison, Cover Designer & Visual Art Editor

Jacqueline V Espinoza (she/her) is the Division Editor for Visual Art and Cover Design, as well as our Community Liaison for Toyon 70. She is in her final year of her bachelor's in English with an emphasis in writing, and a minor in literary publishing. She has previous experience in communications, design, and editing, and hopes to give this year's issue a sense of her creative touch while emphasizing the importance of this year's genre, “Liberation”.

Patrizzia Fox-Beaudet

Editorial Team Lead: Acquisitions Editor
Division Editor: Fiction

Patrizzia Fox-Beaudet (she/her) happily serves as one of two Division Editors for Fiction for the Toyon's 70th issue, along with the Acquisitions Editor. As an English and Art major at Cal Poly Humboldt, she’s always been interested in the creative arts. When not reading, writing, or drawing, she’s often listening to music, spending time with her cats, or playing video games.

Jonathan Hedlund

Editorial Team Lead:
Authenticity Editor

Jonathan (he/him) is in his senior year at Cal Poly Humboldt, and an English major.. He serves as the authenticity editor for Toyon volume 70. He previously was part of the print/e-book team for volume 69 during the spring 2022 semester. He is currently interested in attending grad school. He will be graduating in May. When not working on studies, he likes to read fantasy novels and enjoys listening to classic rock. And interesting enough, Cal Poly Humboldt was the school that he hoped that he got accepted into.

Mewtwo Burrola

Division Editor: Poetry, Spoken Word

This bio is about an individual who goes by the name Mewtwo. Mewtwo’s pronouns are he/they, they have been studying at cal poly humboldt since fall of 2018. He is an ENST Major and has completed the requirements for a minor in English Writing. Mewtwo is one of the editors for the poetry division of toyon 70 and is the head of the editors for spoken word as well. He has been writing since they was a young child and has developed a love for the space-time that poetry allows writers to create.

Anna Cisneros

Division Editor: Poetry, Fiction & Multilingual Writing

Arianna (she/her), who usually goes by Anna to everyone, and Ari to those who are close to her, is the division editor for poetry, fiction, and multilingual categories. She is a second year English major at Cal Poly Humboldt with a minor in literary publishing. She hopes to get a career in a publishing firm as a book developmental editor and help many authors on their writing journey and getting them published. Anna wants to get many diverse voices and stories out into the world through Toyon and her future career. When Anna is not doing something in the writing world, she is doing some artistic hobby, like crocheting or Folklorio dancing, or hanging out with friends.

Patrick Diliberto

Division Editor, Poetry
Humor & Satire Award

Patrick Diliberto (he/him) has two roles in Toyon 70, being both the Division Editor for the Humor and Satire award, as well as the Division Editor for the Poetry section respectively. Writing is one of the many forms of storytelling Patrick finds himself drawn to. To him you can say so much in so few words that it can captivate a room full of people. He first noticed the potency of written and spoken storytelling through running the Dungeons and Dragons club at his high school. Seeing people's faces light up as they engrossed themselves in collective storytelling with each person’s ideas building off the next, inspired Patrick to write stories of his own. All he wants to accomplish with his stories is to make people feel inspired and involved in a new way through his writing.

Jacquelyn Opalach

Division Editor: Creative Non-Fiction, Environmental Justice Award

With a background in journalism and interest in climate justice, Jacquelyn Opalach (she/her) came to Cal Poly Humboldt to learn about environmental studies and enjoy the local forests, beaches and community. Jacquelyn enjoys making art and consuming media that leans funky, seeing local bands, attempting cool baking projects, and playing low-stakes tabletop games with her family and friends. Jacquelyn is the Division Editor of Creative Nonfiction and Co-Division Editor of Environmental Justice for Toyon 70.

Celesté Sadler

Division Editor, Multilingual Writing, Toyon Archivist & Webmaster

Celesté Sadler (she/they) is the Archivist, Webmaster and Multilingual Writing Editor for Toyon 70. She is a Cal Poly Humboldt Junior majoring in English while minoring in Spanish, Spanish Media and Literary Publishing. They have been an avid lover of literature and storytelling since she was very young. She is very interested in becoming an editor or publisher in the future. Helping others get their stories out into the world.

Alexis Rabadan

Division Editor: Environmental Justice Award, Social Media Manager

Alexis (she/her), is a senior majoring in Environmental Studies with an emphasis in Media Production at Cal Poly Humboldt. She hopes to one day work within food security and help marginalized communities have access to fresh, healthy, and affordable food. This year, she is serving as the Social Media Manager and the Division Editor, Environmental Justice Award. Although she does not have experience with creating a magazine, she is very excited to join Toyon with this year's theme, Liberation Now! In her free time, she likes to read, watch TV and movies, and cuddle with her cats.

Nina Hufman

Production Team Lead

Nina Hufman (she/her) is a senior at Cal Poly Humboldt. Her major is journalism with a concentration in news. Nina is currently co-managing editor on The Lumberjack, Cal Poly Humboldt’s student-run newspaper. She has also worked as a reporter and as the Life and Arts section editor for the paper. Nina aspires to be a journalist who focuses on writing feature pieces. She loves the quirky culture in Arcata and wants to tell interesting local stories. Nina also loves being outside. She spends her free time hiking, swimming, reading, and hanging out with her cat. She likes weightlifting, going to the gym 5-6 times a week.

Peyton Leone

Production Team Lead

Peyton Leone (he/him) used to get in trouble for reading too much at school and at home, so going to college to learn how to make books was the only logical option. Peyton has previously worked as a welder and has automotive certifications. He plans to make a career that fits his interest and while focusing on community work and artistic endeavors.

Hannah Gross

Typesetter

Hannah Gross (she/they) is a typesetter and book designer for Volume 70 of Toyon. She is graduating from Cal Poly Humboldt with a bachelor’s in Literary Studies and minors in Literary Publishing and Ethnic American Literature. Previously Hannah studied at Moorpark College, where they received five miscellaneous associates degrees, because they absolutely did not know what to pursue at the ripe age of 18. Though she wants to continue her theatrical stage management career, she would also like to break into publishing as an editor. In her free time, you can catch her writing romantasy or binging The Hunger Games or Twilight.

Angel Barker

Social Media Manager

Angel (she/her) is in her senior year at Cal Poly Humboldt as a journalism major with a concentration in public relations and a minor in literary editing. She is serving as the Social Media Manager for Toyon 70, and is also the Fall 2023 Editor in Chief of the student newspaper on campus, The Lumberjack. Angel loves to travel and experience new people and cultures, and hopes to continue to absorb knowledge and experiences from the people around her.