Communicator

Note-cards scrawled with sentiments of students-past accumulate in the garage of Professor Maxwell Schnurer house. The collection of over 20,000 cards created over the course of 12 years contains hundreds of student comments on the topic of sexualized violence. They are now starting to deteriorate.

Schnurer is working, in coordination with the HSU library and volunteers, to create a 99-year digital archive of student voices on sexualized violence. He is transcribing these note cards for the archives.

The archive, Schnurer said, keeps track of all of the student comments from the Act 10 Sexualized Violence class. The archive could have potential for research on the changing of language. “If you had them all digitally, you could search for different words, trends. You could actually understand how ideas change on this campus,” Schnurer said.

This is one of his current projects, alongside a pair of essays on mediated illegal street racing and electronic music. Among essay writing, DJing, debate coaching, Schnurer also wears the hat of Department Chair of Humboldt State University’s Communications department which staffs 9 people.

“That’s the buck-stops when it comes to this fine basement office.” Behind him, a portrait hangs of Malcolm X. Two students are waiting outside for office hours.

Schnurer grew up a small town in southern Vermont. “Just me and my mom, the two of us sort of a team against the world,” Schnurer said. In high school, Schnurer said he enjoyed doing debate, school newspaper, model united nations and theatre.

Debate is a large part of Schnurer’s life. At the age of 14, he read The Autobiography of Malcolm X. He relevated in his words, inspired by the power of argument. He carried his passion through high school and in college at the University of Vermont. He taught debate at Marist College, a small east coast school before coming to HSU.

Since teaching at HSU, Schnurer has been involved with the student archive on sexualized violence. A stranger rape happened on campus 13 years ago and more than 300 students walked out of class to petition.

“I think that student activism is important. I try to listen to it and give it credibility,” Schnurer said. So he went out to the quad to see what was about. An administrator began to address the students, and began professing “bogus” arguments dismissing dormitory rape victims on campus.

Appalled by the administrator, Schnurer said his colleague, Kim Berry, started to put together a team to teach a class to help students challenge stereotypes about sexualized violence. The note cards are the product of the 12 years the class had been taught.

“I’m pretty serious about my teaching… I don’t waste any time. The work in my classes are politically relevant, rigiouris, significant and complicated,” Schnurer said. “I really love the feeling to teach a class… You teach people something and it goes well.”

In other words, Schnurer enjoys when he can connect people with the lessons and concepts he professes. His love to conduct the classroom is also shared with his passion for DJing to the crowd.

Aside from his titanic career in academics, Schnurer is an avid disk jockey serving the Humboldt community and the university. He founded soul night parties at Humbrews, dj’s for roller derby night, and check-it parties. Schnurer is has been a lifelong collector of records. With allowance or money from a job, he started buying pop 45’s and punk 45’s and eventually built up a collection to start DJing.

One night at The Alibi in Arcata, Schnurer was playing alongside two fellow DJ’s at a Breast Cancer Health Awareness fundraiser. As the last one up, he stood to a lull crowd. The night was over and people were leaving. He took the risk and threw down some 70’s “rare and weird” disco. “It pulled people in from the street and created this party moment,” Schnurer said.

Schnurer loved the feeling and felt connected with the crowd. “I’m gonna play this song and I’m gonna try to communicate to these people this meaningful moment. And when it works, there’s not much of another feeling like it.”

Upstairs the basement, tutors are in session with communication students. Celeste Bunten, senior in communications, and Lupita Riviera, sophomore, are members of the Communications Club on campus. They have taken Schnurer’s classes in the past.

“I’ve never met a dude so adamantly feminist,” Bunten said. “He brings a fun and fresh perspective.”

Rivera said Schnurer is one of the only professors in college who talks about mental health, and regularly acknowledges the struggles of life. Senior Tyler Washington said he tells you to do what you need to do for the week.

In an advisor recommendation written by the Communications Club, they write of Schnurer, “It is because of him that we walk into the Telonicher House squad room eager to create a welcoming and inclusive space that seeks to form a communicative and critical dialogue as communication scholars.”

After an hour-long session, the students dismiss, and office hours end.

DJ King Maxwell, Communications Department Chair. A communicator in academia and in the soul. He is the author of critical essays on animal liberation, earth liberation and anarchism and co-author of a book “Debate Across Curriculum.”

Sophomore in Communications Lupita Rivera said “He’s the anarchist homie that’s there for you.”