1-22-24 Emerald Media Group - ODE

Monday Edition

JANUARY 22, 2024

Emerald Media

CRACKS IN DORMS AND TRANSPARENCY AT UO

UO has sued several companies in both 2015 and 2023 regarding a lack of oversight in dorm construction

PHOTO: Ducks on ice PG 3 • OPINION: Celebrity as religion PG 5 • SPORTS: Women’s basketball shines on defense PG 11

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PHOTO STORY

DUCKS ON ICE The Eugene community braved the cold of icemageddon for a day of fun. (Alex Hernandez/Emerald)

CALENDAR OF

EVENTS This week’s picks...

Daily Emerald VOL. 125, ISSUE NO. 24

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Interested in standup comedy this new year? Run down to WildCraft Cider Works for their curated comedy night every Thursday! Free of charge, the show is hosted by Seth Milstein and starts at 8 p.m.

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ON THE COVER

A student’s desk in their dorm room in Global Scholars Hall.

(Alex Hernandez/Emerald)

THE DAILY EMERALD

The Daily Emerald is published

by Emerald Media Group, Inc., the independent nonprofit media company at the University of Oregon. Formerly the Oregon Daily Emerald, the news organization was founded in 1900.

BEERGARDEN

BREWS, BLUES AND CHOWDER FESTIVAL Beergarden is holding its 8th annual Brews, Blues and Chowder this week: Monday, Jan. 22 through Sunday, Jan. 28. Featuring live blues music from local artists, the event will serve various renditions of chowder and 100% Oregon Coast draft. The festival will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. all week, so go check it out!

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NEWS

UO’S YEAR IN RESEARCH AND INNOVATION

BY TYLER ORTIZ

DESIGNED BY EVA ANDREWS

UO achieved a lot in its 2022-23 fiscal year of research and innovation, including an increase in funding and the development of a new research program for undergraduate students In its 2022-23 fiscal year, the University of Oregon embarked on a journey of innovation, discovery and achievement that marked another year of research growth and success for the institution.

UO unveiled Launch Oregon, LLC and the Translational Opportunity Program and Fund in March of 2023. Both programs will function to “accelerate the translation of research and innovation into commercial ventures.” With these developments come the hope of an increase in momentum for innovation in the year ahead.

Beyond these achievements, the university continues to boast its commitment to “recruiting and retaining diverse scholars and preparing them to be the next generation of leaders,” as stated in the innovation article. In the 2022-23 fiscal year, this looked like renewing the Genetics Training Program for graduate students, receiving funding to develop a new Global Public Humanities Undergraduate major and launching the Hui Undergraduate Research Scholars program.

The Hui Undergraduate Research Scholars program is a 12-month commitment that aims to support undergraduate students from historically marginalized communities with a $15,000 fellowship award and aids in research engagement, financial support and professional development.

UO sophomore Valerie Owusu-Hienno, one of 10 recipients from the 2023-24 program, has been working as a research assistant for Professor Kate Mills’

Compared to the previous fiscal year, the UO saw a 0.3% increase in funding and was given $180.2 million in grants, contracts and awards according to the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation’s reports and metrics.

This increase showed through a myriad of achievements from faculty of all levels for their work.

Honorable mentions include Professor Shannon Boettcher, named the Blavatnik National Laureate in Chemistry, and professors of economics and physics Trudy Ann Cameron and Raghuveer Parthasarathy, named fellows by the American Association for the Advancement of Science according to the OVPRI’s annual research roundup article.

Along with honors and awards, the year showed many new developments that collectively enhance the university’s standing as a prominent public research university and provide spaces for students, communities and policymakers to learn.

Some of these spaces include the development of the Cascadia Region Earthquake Science Center; providing leading research, training and connections across the Cascadia Subduction Zone; and the Center for Wildfire Smoke Research and Practice, which will help Oregon better prepare for wildfire smoke incidents as reported by the article.

Vice President for Research and Innovation Anshuman Razdan shared in the article how these new developments support the university in “training the next generation, fostering a culture of creative excellence, and contributing to research that helps communities make decisions about major events.”

With a strong foundation of research, the university was able to welcome much innovation according to the OVPRI’s annual innovation roundup article, reporting 31 new innovation disclosures and 26 newly filed patents, showing growth in the Valerie Owusu-Hienno is a second year undergraduate university’s development student at the University of Oregon majoring in neuroscience. She is a research assistant in Professor and commercialization of Kate Mills’ lab which is conducting research on how new ideas. children and adolescents are navigating climate change.

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Developing Brains in Context Lab since the spring term of her freshman year.

“I am very, very thankful the university has so many wonderful options for people who need funding while they are doing research,” she said.

Owusu-Hienno is currently in her last term of the 2023-24 program and hopes to continue working in the Mills Lab after the program’s end.

“My biggest takeaway was definitely seeking mentorship,” she said about her experience in the program so far. “Whatever your goal is, look for the people who have already gotten there, because they have so much wisdom.”

Student applications for the 2024-25 program will be due on Feb. 4. To learn more about UO’s research endeavors and more opportunities for students, visit the OVPRI’s website at research.uoregon.edu.

OPINION

GAMLEN: ‘I’M NOT RELIGIOUS,’ I JUST SPENT MY LIFE SAVINGS FOLLOWING A BAND OPINION: A look into what it is to be religious and whether or not being a superfan of a celebrity is the same thing

BY MILLY GAMLEN • DESIGNED BY GABRIELA MARTINEZ Many people have a favorite celebrity. Some people label themselves as supporters or followers of certain artists. There are even some fans whose lives revolve around a specific celebrity or group. This dedication can sometimes be viewed as extreme from outside sources.

A perfect example of this religious dedication to artists would be Deadhead culture. “Deadhead” was the label assigned to the dedicated fans of the Grateful Dead who followed the band around and went to any show they could.

These people lived and socialized within a group of like-minded companions. Even if their personal beliefs differed, they all had one central similarity: they believed the Grateful Dead was the best band on the scene and dedicated their

time and money to following the band.

Essentially, a group of people with one centralized belief that gives them a sense of community and acceptance.That seems reminiscent of something else, doesn’t it?

To me, the Deadhead movement has connotations of a religion. In fact, when I googled the “perks of church,” the first words on the screen were “feel connected, supported and understood.” Which is what it seems Deadheads have found within each other.

The philosopher Emile Durkheim said “religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things.” So, with that logic, being a Deadhead would operate as a religion with the music being the sacred aspect.

While Deadhead might be the most extreme example of this, many present-day examples

exhibit similar tendencies.

An example would also be Swifties. Swifties, or Taylor Swift’s most devoted fans, have been described as one of the largest and most devoted fan bases on the scene today.

Many people describe Swift’s fan base as a sacred place based on the fact that she actually does reward her most loyal followers.

This comes in many forms, from responses on social media, to album listening parties before the release date and early movie screenings with meet-and-greets. By doing this, Swift is not only enticing other fans to interact with her music more, but she is also rewarding those who are dedicated to her.

This isn’t the only way in which religion is integrated into Swift’s music. Many Swifties do not align with the herd mentality but do align with the sacred nature of her songs.

Maddie Anderson, a junior at UO and a self-proclaimed Swiftie, said that it isn’t the sense of community that makes her a fan of Taylor Swift, but instead it is the relatability of her music and how it makes her feel.

I would like to point out that the point of this article is not to vilify religion or celebrities in any way. The point is to highlight this similarity and question what that says about humans and humanity.

But what does this say about society?

It says a lot, but the main point it argues to me is that religion isn’t what I initially thought it was.

There is a difference between organized religion and religious expression.

Durkheim argued that religion can be anything that is viewed as sacred. Initially, I wasn’t sure what that meant, but now I see it. Religion isn’t always about a God, nor a Heaven and Hell.

Sometimes, it’s just about the things that make us feel the most seen and understood.

And that really can be anything. Including celebrities and the art they create.

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COVER

UO HOUSING PROJECTS SEE COMMUNICATION PROBLEMS Big construction, little communication break down UO’s housing projects Swinging closet doors, cracks in her dorm room walls and slanted flooring are all a part of UO freshman Vismaya Casper’s day-to-day life in Global Scholars Hall. She and many other UO students are left with no answers — other than rumors of a lingering sinkhole — as to why their over $10,000-a-year dorm rooms have so many flooring issues.

The slanted flooring and cracks in the walls aren’t specific to GSH either, with cracks in the walls and slanted stairwell landings leading to the closure of Kalapuya Ilihi Hall until fall 2025.

Months after the closure, a $7.5 million lawsuit filed by UO against the construction companies, such as Walsh Construction, that built Kalapuya Ilihi followed.

In roughly eight years, UO has filed two dorm construction based lawsuits — one in 2015 and the other in 2023 — totaling $16 million in claim money.

“We have a really nice room,” Casper said. “The only problem is that the floor is very slanted.”

Casper and her roommate have both had to buy bed risers to level their beds, she said.

When asked if she was made aware of any “slanting” issues in her over $10,000 per year room, Casper said she wasn’t. “I actually haven’t heard anything from the university about the floor being slanted,” she said.

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The top of a wardrobe appears off-kilter compared to a shelf mounted on the wall of a Global Scholars Hall dorm room. (Alex Hernandez/ Emerald)

BY TRISTIN HOFFMAN AND ALICIA SANTIAGO • DESIGNED BY RYAN EHRHART

LACK OF UO TRANSPARENCY LEAVES FALSE RUMORS UNANSWERED Darin Dehle, director of design and construction at UO, said that the reason for the slanted floors at GSH is due to “deflection,” which is any bending or sagging in floor beams that then causes uneven flooring.

“From a factual perspective, there is no sinkhole — [there] never has been a sinkhole associated with that project [GSH],” Dehle said.

In a statement to the Daily Emerald, UO said that the deflection happened during the construction of GSH, when concrete floor slabs were improperly poured and installed, resulting in the “excess floor deflection.”

Some heads of UO Housing said they were unaware that rumors of a sinkhole existed until the Emerald reached out for an interview, whereas others had previously been made aware.

“I had not heard that there was a sinkhole until this particular thing,” Michael Griffel, director of UO Housing, said. He said that the idea of a sinkhole is “bizarre.”

Dehle said UO Housing has primarily heard about sinkhole concerns via third parties.

In an email correspondence with the Emerald, Michael Harwood, associate vice president of UO Campus Planning and Facilities Management, said that he searched through his “files,” but could not find “any of the past communication sent to

residents about the Global Scholars floors” at the time of its initial repairs.

Although Harwood couldn’t find any previous communication to residents regarding GSH’s flooring, Griffel said the issue was communicated to the student body.

“I think we communicated [to students] very clearly that there were no issues with the foundation,” Griffel said. “There were no issues with the basement or the ground floor, but there was some unevenness on the upper floors and with the concrete.”

But many students, such as Katie Arredondo, a planning, public policy and management major who graduated in 2023, say they never heard about UO publicly addressing the flooring issue at GSH to students, leaving many to fall back onto the false rumor of a sinkhole.

“Looking back at it as a former student, I wish that the university would have said something and set the record straight to put ease [on students’ concerns],” Arredondo said. “I don’t know if they did, maybe just to residents, but the fact that [the rumor] is still a thing is kind of crazy to me to think about.”

Cooper Eccles, a sophomore at UO, had known about the GSH sinkhole rumors before he and his roommate, Samuel Brooks, moved in. But Brooks had done his research extensively before selecting which dorm to live in.

Brooks said he could tell the flooring was

COVER year turned into bronchitis, and the mold surrounding her in the shower did not provide much comfort for her health. “[I] just shouldn’t be breathing in mold while I’m already sick,” she said.

Casper said when a custodian came in to get rid of the mold, her reaction to the amount of mold the residents had led to Casper and her roommate thinking it could be a bigger issue.

“She said that a lot of rooms have been having issues with the vents and that she’s seen worse mold, which is kind of concerning because it was pretty bad in our room,” she said.

CURRENT AND FORMER LAWSUITS HAVE SIMILAR BLUEPRINTS

UO associate vice president and university architect Michael Harwood poses for a portrait on Nov. 20, 2023. (Alex Hernandez/Emerald)

slanted, although it was subtle.

“It’s almost trippy,” he said. “You’re walking down and you’re like spiraling a little, but because it all leans downward it’s definitely noticeable.

Once you notice it you can’t ignore it.”

Brooks said UO has a responsibility to be transparent about potential construction issues.

“It feels like they deny you the agency of choosing where to live, they overcharge how much it is to live there and then they’re very closed off and nonresponsive when it comes to the issues that arise while you’re living there,” he said.

STUDENTS VOICE CONCERNS ABOUT LIVING AT UO DORMS Brooks, a history and political science sophomore at UO, lived in Kalapuya Ilihi Hall the year before it closed down.

Eccles said that the window in his former Kalapuya Ilihi dorm was broken and couldn’t close because the lever would suddenly stop working.

During the winter months, it would sometimes take up to “a week or two” for UO Housing to come to fix the issue, he said.

Both roommates said that UO Housing can be unreliable and some requests would be fixed within a day and others would be fixed within a week.

“If I had to describe [UO Housing] in a word, I would call it inconsistent,” Brooks said.

Abbey Ruthruff, a first-year student living in

UO Design and Construction Director Darin Dehle poses for a portrait on Nov. 20, 2023. (Alex Hernandez/Emerald)

GSH, said she knew about the slanted flooring before she moved in, but her roommate Carly Won didn’t until move-in day, when her suitcase started rolling across the floor.

Upon moving in, Ruthruff had a conversation with a former student who also lived at GSH. The student told Ruthruff, “‘When you move in, look for the slant.’”

Aside from uneven flooring, the students’ housing concerns extended further when they found mold in their dorm bathrooms. Both the students from Kalapuya and GSH say they have found amounts of mold in the showers. In October 2023, the Emerald published an article on the concerns surrounding asbestos, a carcinogenic material, in Hamilton Hall.

“The bathrooms are a little stingy,” Won said.

“Some of them have mold in them.”

Brooks said that in his Kalapuya bathroom, he would often find mold near the shower because of the lack of ventilation.

“All of the rooms have private bathrooms but the bathrooms were not provided with any form of functioning ventilation,” Brooks said. He said the bathroom had a vent at the top of the room but there was no ability to turn it off or on, “so definitely mold was a problem.”

Casper, who lives in GSH, has had a similar experience this school year. She said that mold in her dorm has been growing in the grout of the showers and she has been hearing of similar issues in other dorm room bathrooms at GSH. She said her sickness from early in the school

In September 2023, UO filed a $7.5 million lawsuit against the construction companies that helped build Kalapuya Ilihi Hall — Malhum Architects, Froelich Engineers and Walsh Construction.

In an email statement to the Emerald, UO said that “given the number of buildings and construction projects on campus, there are times that errors will occur during these complicated construction projects,” in response to how the construction issues could have been prevented.

In the 2015 lawsuit against Catena Consulting Engineers, Hoffman Construction Company and Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects, UO alleged in its initial complaint that there were cracks in the concrete floor slabs that left the deflection throughout GSH’s entirety.

In the 2023 legal complaint, Kalapuya Ilihi is claimed to also have uneven flooring, but in its stairwell landings. UO claims that stairwells and doorframe “finishings” pulling apart and shifting in some of the stonework finishings are still potential construction issues in the investigation.

In an email statement to the Emerald, Walsh’s president Matt Leeding stated that “Walsh remains dedicated to maintaining a positive relationship with the university.” Leeding wrote that the company will collaborate with UO and its design teams for “further investigations,” and plans to reach a “fair resolution” for all parties involved in the lawsuit.

Ultimately, the lawsuit ended with a settlement between all parties, and for the defendants to pay UO roughly $6.9 million by April 15, 2017.

The 2023 lawsuit is currently waiting on an order for Walsh construction to make its motion more “definite and certain,” as stated in the Dec. 22 order.

UO has been given 45 days to file an “amended complaint consistent with the Court’s Order.”

Brooks said that the university should do more due diligence with who they’re contracting for dorm construction and their experience.

“Regardless of what happens with contractors and who’s building it, it falls on the university to do the research of who’s building it, make sure that the time it takes to build it and the method and all the regulations are in place and not lie to the students about it and if they do screw up,” Brooks said.

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A&C

(Eleanor Klock/Emerald)

‘AMERICAN FICTION’ IS AS SHARP AS A KNIFE

BY SEAN AVERY

DESIGNED BY EVA ANDREWS

Filmmaker Cord Jefferson’s social satire and first feature film, “American Fiction,” hit wide release on Dec. 22, 2023 Between Oscar contender “Past Lives” and charming British rom-com “Rye Lane,” it’s glaringly apparent that 2023 was a fantastic year to make your directorial debut. Cord Jefferson is the latest to dip his toes into the pool with his clever social satire, “American Fiction.” Despite its bloated secondary plotline, Jefferson’s introduction is hilarious and razor-sharp.

The film revolves around writer and English professor Thelonious “Monk” Ellison, played by the glorious Jeffrey Wright. When his books fail to sell because they aren’t considered “Black enough,” he begrudgingly writes a satirical novel under a pseudonym, hoping to uncover the publishing world’s hypocrisies. All the while, he is thrust into family tragedy and forced to question his staunch worldviews.

Jefferson’s endlessly funny script intertwined with a compelling, insightful social commentary propels “American Fiction” to success. Through Monk’s ascension to the top, the film exposes and critiques Black representation in media, condemning its over-reliance on tragedy and misery. It doesn’t contend that stories about slavery, racial inequality and Black struggle are valueless, but questions the omission of nuanced Black stories — complex stories of intricate families or budding romances that don’t fixate on race. Monk’s personal dealings with his deteriorating mother and unruly brother highlight how this representation is possible and worthy.

The laughs are frequent, but a few scenes stood out above the pack. A lot of this stems from the white publishers and authors so desperate to consume and spread Black stories, to appear they are pillars of equality, only to shut down actual Black voices. From the title of his book morphing from “My Pafology” PA G E 8

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to just “F***” to the wince-worthy comments of Monk’s colleagues, there is so much to chew on while you laugh.

Wright turns in a commanding comedic performance. He captures Monk’s incredible intelligence and wit with a perfect dose of smugness. He’s so committed to his beliefs that he often needs to be challenged by his friends and family. While I wish the film would’ve challenged his perspective a bit more, there are moments, particularly from Issa Rae and Erika Alexander’s characters, that offer refreshing takes.

Sterling K. Brown is good as Monk’s brother Cliff, but I couldn’t get attached to his character. I had this problem with most characters attached to the family-focused secondary plot line. Monk’s family dynamics and personal life are essential and rightfully touched on, but their over-exposure largely takes away from the film’s meat. Jefferson struck gold with his astute satirical vision, so diversion from this structure feels like an interruption. At points, the film feels like it doesn’t know which basket to put its eggs in as the plot lines duel for screen time. I still enjoyed most of it as a means to flesh out Monk’s character, but I don’t think the characters and their conflicts were quite interesting enough to warrant so much screen time.

Visually, the film plays it pretty safe. It’s shot well, and there are a smattering of interesting choices, but nothing about the cinematography particularly caught my eye. It uses its coastal New England setting well but would have benefitted from a more striking color palette. The scene where Monk begins writing his new novel provides a fun, inventive break from the film’s conventions. I only wish Jefferson would have utilized more of his evident creativity later in the film.

Spearheaded by Wright’s dominant lead performance and a hysterical, thought-provoking satirical vision, “American Fiction” is an impressive filmmaking debut. Despite its flaws, I anticipate a slew of Oscar nominations.

Oscar nominations will be announced Jan. 23.

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CROSSWORD ACROSS

1 Raised, as horses 5 Dust-ups 10 Rights org. with a Smart Justice campaign 14 Lyft alternative 15 Former Chinese premier Zhou __ 16 Shoe with little to no heel 17 Artistic gymnastics event 19 Sample 20 Miatas and CX-5s 21 Fluff, as hair 22 Cough syrup dosage unit, maybe 24 Campy musical comedy starring Tim Curry, to fans 27 Have a higher position than 29 Geologic span 30 “Garfield” dog

31 Place to observe 65 “Stunning!” undercover 66 Far from bold activity?

36 Safari park DOWN roarer 1 AC meas.

37 Rolled 2 Made a break sandwiches for it 39 Prefix with 3 Freedom from an space obligation 40 First picture in 4 Opera star a baby book, 5 Hamstring, for perhaps one 42 Historic spans 6 Place for a 43 Slangy aboutpassenger face 7 Chem lab vessel 44 Voice range of 8 Not within many a 4-Down walking distance 47 Cocktails with 9 Female sib peach schnapps 10 Trying to find and orange juice 11 Wipe away 52 Far from strict 12 Rodeo rope 53 Ram of 13 Give voice to horoscopes 18 Old Testament 54 Make a priest, book before say Nehemiah 56 Mario Kart units 21 Vocal quality 57 Inauspicious 22 Goes from hot beginning, or to warm a feature of 23 Broadcast’s 17-, 24, and sound 47-Across component 61 Narrow opening 25 App with 62 Like agts. reviews who no longer 26 Long-handled work for “the garden tools company” 28 Nevada city 63 Outback birds near Lake Tahoe 64 “¿Cómo __ 31 Actor Rockwell usted?”

32 Pioneering latenight host Jack 33 Passport info 34 Big venue 35 Fenway Park team, casually 37 Small, chirpy bird 38 Disney’s “__ and the Last Dragon” 41 “__ Grocery Games”: Food Network series also called “Triple G” 44 Spanish golfer García who won the 2017 Masters Tournament 45 No longer in style 46 Educational TV ads 47 Untrue 48 Range between Europe and Asia 49 “Quiet, you!”

50 Brand of saltine crackers 51 Go to bat (for) 55 Celebrity couple 57 Hi-__ image 58 Good Grips brand 59 Feel shame about 60 “For shame!”

© 2023 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. All rights reserved.

SUDOKU

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SPORTS

DUCKS WOMEN’S BASKETBALL MAKES DEFENSE ITS IDENTITY Oregon has been able to overcome a slow start offensively thanks to continued improvements on the defensive end The Oregon Ducks women’s basketball team is now 18 games into the 2023-24 season, and five games into Pac-12 conference play. The Ducks are sitting at an uninspiring 11-7 record and 2-3 record against Pac-12 opponents, which puts them as the eighth ranked team in the conference. So far, Oregon has allowed 62.9 points per game through the first 18 games, which is the fifth worst mark in the Pac-12.

Head coach Kelly Graves has employed a defense that at times can look stifling, and at times has massive gaps that are easy to exploit.

There are good defenders on the roster, most notably Sofia Bell and Phillipina Kyei who excel on the perimeter and interior respectively. The two of them, surrounded by Kennedy Basham, another rim protector, and Grace VanSlooten, a solid perimeter defender, in the starting lineup make up a strong set of starters for the Ducks on the defensive end.

However, some of those weaknesses are able to be exploited by opponents who are able to target specific players or spots on the floor where Oregon is weak. Graves favors a 2-3 zone defense that he runs frequently. This zone is susceptible to a couple different ways of beating it, especially behind the 3-point line. Oregon lost four games before Pac-12 conference play began, and three of those losses came in games where the opponent shot above 40% from behind the arc.

The common thread since the beginning of conference play, however, has not been the same. Oregon State, UCLA and USC all shot below 35% from 3-point range, instead beating the Ducks as a result of Oregon’s offense not being able to get going.

“I think our defense is actually carrying us more than our offense is right now,” Graves said. “We’ve held pretty much every one of our opponents over the last month or so below their season scoring totals, scoring average, field goal percentage.”

Part of the reason that teams have been able to find success against the Ducks despite the strong defense has been on the offensive glass.

The zone defense can get stretched out in the paint if a team sends multiple offensive players inside at the same time, leading to the center of the zone being out of position to get a rebound.

Oregon allows 12.3 offensive rebounds per game, the second worst average in the Pac-12.

A team like UCLA was able to exploit that advantage to great effect. The Bruins shot just 40% from the field in their game

BY JOE MOORE • DESIGNED BY RYAN EHRHART

against the Ducks, but were able to grab 16 offensive rebounds which eventually led to a blowout 75-49 win.

Apart from the UCLA loss, Oregon has improved on the defensive glass as the season has gone on. In the five games of Pac-12 conference play so far, only the Bruins were able to get above the 12.3 average of the Ducks.

All four other opponents were held to 10 or less offensive rebounds.

“Our rebound numbers are getting better in terms of giving up fewer offensive rebounds,” Graves said. “There’s some positives to build on.”

As Oregon plays more games, the players are seeming to find a good balance to help mitigate some of the weaknesses that were a factor early in the season. Individual performers are helping with that progression, namely Kyei and Bell. Kyei has continued to grow as an interior presence on the defensive side. She is averaging 11.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game this season.

Bell has been the team’s premier defender this season. She has averaged 1.3 steals and 0.7 blocks per game, including guarding the opponents best perimeter player when the team plays man defense.

“She’s our best defender and she can defend a lot of different spots, a lot of different types of players,” Graves said about Bell following the team’s recent win over Arizona State. “She’s just a disrupter in there.”

Overall, the defense for the Ducks has been what is keeping them in games this season.

There are weaknesses and strengths in the game plan, but for what looks to be a low scoring Oregon team, having a defense that can reliably hold opponents below their season averages in scoring, like the Ducks have done in all five Pac-12 conference games so far, is a massive strength. The defense will be tested more as the season wears on, especially with matchups against some of the Pac-12 conference’s best teams on the horizon.

Freshman Sofia Bell (3) guards a Bronco player as the Ducks execute a full-court press. The Oregon Ducks women’s basketball team took on the Santa Clara Broncos on Nov. 18, 2023, in Eugene, Ore. (Molly McPherson/Emerald) Oregon forward Grace VanSlooten (40) takes a free throw.

The Oregon women’s basketball team won 65-53 against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene Ore., on Jan. 12, 2024. (Alex Hernandez/Emerald) Oregon guard Chance Gray (2) signals a play as she dribbles down the court. The Oregon women’s basketball team won 65-53 against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene Ore., on Jan. 12, 2024. (Alex Hernandez/Emerald)

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In recovery?

Curious about getting sober?

Is your substance use affecting school or relationships?

The Collegiate Recovery Center: • Supports students pursuing recovery • Provides individual consultations • Hosts recovery support groups • Offers a cannabis-specific group

Meetings and appointments

Follow the QR code to view our schedule or book an appointment.

EMU Room 331

recovery.uoregon.edu

recovery@uoregon.edu

OUR DOORS ARE OPEN. Make an appointment online, or walk in to our Health Center on Franklin today!

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uoregoncrc

541-346-6079